Apple's new laptop may not suit everyone...

Apple's new ultra portable laptop has some great advantages and some drawbacks. Here is an outline of what we feel are the pros and cons:

The advantages of the MacBook Air:

• size- the laptop is only 0.76 inches at its thickest point and weighs 3 pounds (1.36kg).
  • compromise doesn't mean tiny screen- 13.3" display, the same as a standard MacBook.
  • strong metal casing- essential given its thickness to protect the internal parts.
  • the included micro-DVI socket means you can connect to an Apple 20" or 23" display.
  • large multi touch trackpad. This is a combination of the current Mac trackpads and the iPhone's touch interface. Only some applications will accept these new gestures, but this is bound to change in the future.
  • LED backlit display, meaning full brightness from the start. LCD displays tend to require a few minutes to reach its full brightness.
  • 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth built in.
  

Here are the disadvantages of the MacBook Air-

• internal battery- you can't take the battery out. After 1-2 years you will need to send it off to be changed by an Apple agent. According to Apple, this will cost around 120 euro and take one working week.
  • no Ethernet port- if you are in a hotel with wired internet will need the Ethernet-USB adapter. Same for people working in an Ethernet networked office.
  • maximum hard drive set at 80GB; maximum RAM at 2GB.
  • no CD-DVD drive- if this is your only Mac you will probably want to get the 90 euro external drive.
  • price- the MacBook Air's price is close to a full MacBook Pro. So you pay for the small size

More details available from Apple Store for Ireland or the Apple Store for the UK.
Simon Spence/2008