So Mac came out with their new laptop, the Macbook Air, and everyone goes oooh and aaah. After watching the introduction to the new computer, however, I am not so impressed. Yes, this computer has 2GB of RAM and an 80GB hard drive, with the option of a 64GB solid state drive. It has an impressive touch pad with new features inspired from the iPhone. It also comes fully equipped with no optical drive, one USB port, one 1/8” headphone jack and another Apple innovation, the Micro-DVI port.
Wait a minute there, did you say there was no optical drive? That’s right, in this age of wireless interactivity who needs to read CDs or DVDs? If you want to rent a movie, you can use the iTunes store. If you want to share files, use .Mac. If you want to listen to an album you just bought or see important documents on a CD, you can use the convenient USB powered external Superdrive (only 99$!). Isn’t the whole point of the Macbook Air the fact that it’s ultrathin, lightweight and portable? Now you have to carry around an external optical drive everywhere you go? Good one. Of course, there’s the alternative of carrying around an installation CD for a program that allows you to “borrow” the optical drive from a Mac or PC on your local network. The only problem with that is that there has to be a computer, and there has to be a local network.
Talking about local networks, where’s the Ethernet port? Of course, there is none, that’s way too low-tech for the brand new hi-tech Macbook Air. As long as you cross your fingers, you’ll never need to connect to a wired network…right?
And now onto the “Micro-DVI” port. This new port invented by Apple as the successor of the Mini-DVI port supports DVI, VGA, Composite and S-Video. All you have to do is buy the adaptors for all of these and you’re fine!
The lesson is that making a computer extremely small and light isn’t always the smartest thing to do, especially if it means not including an optical drive, more than one USB port, a firewire port, an ethernet port and a powerful processor.
However, there are still some very cool features on this new machine, but this machine is really only targeted to people who already have a computer (probably another Macbook) and just use this one to browse the net, take notes or for entertainment. Forget about doing any other kind of work on this machine, it doesn’t have the power or hardware to do it!
I’m not sure I agree with your reasoning of the failings of the Macbook Air – it’s a small form factor machine, and those are the trade-offs.
Most people will still buy the Macbook Pro for a power machine, but if you need something light and portable, it’s a no-brainer (and I can’t remember the last time I took a pile of CDs on site with me, or needed to connect to a client network – that’s what Bluetooth mobile phones with data connections are for…)
By: Jonathan on January 16, 2008
at 1:21 am
you don’t get it. you are not supposed to bring the opitcal drive with you everywhere you go. when you are on the go, say going to classes or taking notes at a conference, you dont bring the cd drive. we you are at home or where ever you work you have the optical drive plugged in whenever you need a cd.
i dont really like the Air. it is an expensive slimmed down macbook with less features. I dont find the design very appeapling.
By: Tom on January 16, 2008
at 1:49 am
Tom – I wanted to point out the irony of the concept, much like the iPod flea parody did for the iPods.
Jonathan – I see where you’re coming from. I guess for most users it would be okay as a entertainment machine (minus the movie, or at least DVD, watching). However, just the simple fact that it doesn’t have more than one USB port strikes me as odd. I’m sure they could have pushed the limits a little more and added a little more.
Although I know that we are heading towards a world of wireless integration, I think Apple is putting a little too much blind faith in Wireless-N technology, which is still fairly new and whose realibility is contested. Of course, it’s down-compatible with A/B/G wireless, however. But I still know of many places without wireless, which could be problematic.
Anyways, the Macbook Pro isn’t heavy or big to begin with, I don’t see the use of this one…
By: Louis on January 16, 2008
at 2:39 am
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By: Apple » Macbook Air on January 16, 2008
at 5:06 am