I've seen a lot of discussion and theoretical philosophicalization (is that even a word?) about the new MacBook Air and whether it's worth it. Or whether it's a better choice than a MacBook Pro, a MacBook 13, a CrackBook 420, or the latest DellonyShmoneyThinkway.
MBA all the way. If you want a great portable computer that is.
And if "money is no object" go for the full on 1.8GHz / SSD model.
First off, if you think the Shony's Inkpad Dellsterbateway is a better machine, by all means please go stroke your Windows la Vista, baby. (This is MACRumors.com, btw.)
As for comparison to the MacBook notAir's? If you really want a "portable" computer, I don't know why you would make any other choice.
I have run both 17" and 15" MBP's professionally (I do video mixing and projection for bands, as well as a lot of graphic and web design) and while I enjoy the no-holds-barred ability of these machines, the superior portability of the MacBook Air is not to be denied.
I'm in the midst of selling/trading my 17" for a standard MB 13" (for my wife.... mawwaige is a beautiful thing) and I may very well give up my 15" MBP 2.4 for an Air. The super-thin/light design is truly amazing, and I've been waiting for something like this since my PB 12".
OK, it's not the end-all-be-all of ultraportables. It could have a 2.0++GHz processor, but we know that current technology just can't handle it in such a small package. Sure, the lack of FW800 is disappointing. I'd really love to have an expresscard slot, too. But I really can get by without both of these things, and the 1.8GHz C2D processor is really livable.
This really is a groundbreaking, breathtaking machine.
I mean, it slips into a manila envelope with ease! (OK, honestly, I've had it with the freakin' envelope commercials already....)
Actually, I think we're all a bit spoiled by the bigger/faster/better theory that the 9-month upgrade cycled personal computer marketing industry has fallen into. The form factor of the MacBook Air is a TRUE BREAKTHROUGH. I use my laptops for much, much more than just video crunching, and it's those moments I'll really enjoy the "upgrade". Yes, lower RAM. Yes, slower processor. Yes, fewer ports.
All these things will come in time. And when they do, I'll sell the MBA for an MBA v.2. Duh. I finally got over the "this-is-the-coolest-laptop-ever" phase and realized that they are just a machine that does a job, and they will be replaced by a better machine in a few weeks or months. So replace it then. What is important is: can it do the job I need it to do TODAY? I would bet it can.
Really, it will work wonderfully. The G4 I had prior was great (actually 3 G4's), and the G3's before that were excellent, too. Really, it's the OS updates that cause us to want to push and push for bigger, better, faster. Ultimately it's the final product, the output, that matters. For me, I'm putting some video up on a screen. Does the audience know 640x480 from 720p or better? No. This is not your home theater. It's a "side effect" during a crazy show full of music and lights. (I run lights via midi/dmx with the MBP, too, and no doubt the MBA will handle that with ease.)
I really can do everything I do now with half the processor, half the ram, half the screen, half the ports, but most importantly HALF THE WEIGHT AND SIZE. It's the moments I'm walking around with the MacBookWhatever tucked under my arm, "COMFORTABLY" that makes the difference.
Bigger screen? Yeah, I have an external 22" to plug into if I want.
More graphics power? Heck, if it were that necessary, I'd take my PM G5 on the road and stack some big video cards in it.
More ports? Heck no. I hate plugging and unplugging all those cables anyway. Give me stronger, faster wireless and keep it coming. I can't wait for years from now when we are dealing with a trillion gigagooglebits of wireless throughput on the super-mega-wifi-extreme system of 2012.
I'll be glad when the industry gets over its schizophrenic USB 2.0 / FW400/800 I need this port and that port to be cool phase. Just give me a freakin' port and stop playing games to make us by this peripheral and that peripheral.
I've seen enough it's-not-this and it's-not-that to realize that most, no, almost ALL of the people in the world don't need a 6.8GHz 32GB 2048MB video PowerHouseProExtreme 53lb 37" screened laptop to surf the web and play WoW before chatting up the rest of the high school chess club until it's time to upload a YouTube video to their MySpace page so that the rest of the chess club can Digg it.
This is a freakin' unbelievable piece of engineering.
Blair
MacBookBLAir.com - coming soon
//rant mode off
MBA all the way. If you want a great portable computer that is.
And if "money is no object" go for the full on 1.8GHz / SSD model.
First off, if you think the Shony's Inkpad Dellsterbateway is a better machine, by all means please go stroke your Windows la Vista, baby. (This is MACRumors.com, btw.)
As for comparison to the MacBook notAir's? If you really want a "portable" computer, I don't know why you would make any other choice.
I have run both 17" and 15" MBP's professionally (I do video mixing and projection for bands, as well as a lot of graphic and web design) and while I enjoy the no-holds-barred ability of these machines, the superior portability of the MacBook Air is not to be denied.
I'm in the midst of selling/trading my 17" for a standard MB 13" (for my wife.... mawwaige is a beautiful thing) and I may very well give up my 15" MBP 2.4 for an Air. The super-thin/light design is truly amazing, and I've been waiting for something like this since my PB 12".
OK, it's not the end-all-be-all of ultraportables. It could have a 2.0++GHz processor, but we know that current technology just can't handle it in such a small package. Sure, the lack of FW800 is disappointing. I'd really love to have an expresscard slot, too. But I really can get by without both of these things, and the 1.8GHz C2D processor is really livable.
This really is a groundbreaking, breathtaking machine.
I mean, it slips into a manila envelope with ease! (OK, honestly, I've had it with the freakin' envelope commercials already....)
Actually, I think we're all a bit spoiled by the bigger/faster/better theory that the 9-month upgrade cycled personal computer marketing industry has fallen into. The form factor of the MacBook Air is a TRUE BREAKTHROUGH. I use my laptops for much, much more than just video crunching, and it's those moments I'll really enjoy the "upgrade". Yes, lower RAM. Yes, slower processor. Yes, fewer ports.
All these things will come in time. And when they do, I'll sell the MBA for an MBA v.2. Duh. I finally got over the "this-is-the-coolest-laptop-ever" phase and realized that they are just a machine that does a job, and they will be replaced by a better machine in a few weeks or months. So replace it then. What is important is: can it do the job I need it to do TODAY? I would bet it can.
Really, it will work wonderfully. The G4 I had prior was great (actually 3 G4's), and the G3's before that were excellent, too. Really, it's the OS updates that cause us to want to push and push for bigger, better, faster. Ultimately it's the final product, the output, that matters. For me, I'm putting some video up on a screen. Does the audience know 640x480 from 720p or better? No. This is not your home theater. It's a "side effect" during a crazy show full of music and lights. (I run lights via midi/dmx with the MBP, too, and no doubt the MBA will handle that with ease.)
I really can do everything I do now with half the processor, half the ram, half the screen, half the ports, but most importantly HALF THE WEIGHT AND SIZE. It's the moments I'm walking around with the MacBookWhatever tucked under my arm, "COMFORTABLY" that makes the difference.
Bigger screen? Yeah, I have an external 22" to plug into if I want.
More graphics power? Heck, if it were that necessary, I'd take my PM G5 on the road and stack some big video cards in it.
More ports? Heck no. I hate plugging and unplugging all those cables anyway. Give me stronger, faster wireless and keep it coming. I can't wait for years from now when we are dealing with a trillion gigagooglebits of wireless throughput on the super-mega-wifi-extreme system of 2012.
I'll be glad when the industry gets over its schizophrenic USB 2.0 / FW400/800 I need this port and that port to be cool phase. Just give me a freakin' port and stop playing games to make us by this peripheral and that peripheral.
I've seen enough it's-not-this and it's-not-that to realize that most, no, almost ALL of the people in the world don't need a 6.8GHz 32GB 2048MB video PowerHouseProExtreme 53lb 37" screened laptop to surf the web and play WoW before chatting up the rest of the high school chess club until it's time to upload a YouTube video to their MySpace page so that the rest of the chess club can Digg it.
This is a freakin' unbelievable piece of engineering.
Blair
MacBookBLAir.com - coming soon
//rant mode off
