Why did you purchase the air over the macbook OR why do you like it over the macbook?

[NYU02]

As you can tell from my ongoing previous posts, I am just about ready to buy a macbook air. It's an expensive and big decision for me so I want to make sure I'm happy.

With the weight of the macbook being so close to the air, why do you prefer the air? Of course the wow factor is a big part (for me as well) but what other aspects of the computer do you prefer?


Thanks,
NYU02

[MacLover4491]

I would not recommend buying the macbook air. i think the macbook aluminum is much better. a little bit more weight but you get glass touchpad, glass screen, optical drive, bigger hard drive, and a much faster machine. The trade off is worth it and its also much cheaper. The macbook air will get very slow when it gets hot.

[andreab35]

I bought the MacBook Air without money being a HUGE issue.
I'm extremely happy with the choice I made. Although it is one of Apple's lowest spec computers on the current product line, it is a speedy little thing!
I love the laptop's thinness, I portray it as a piece of art almost. The backlit keyboard is beautiful. In my opinion the screen has a better quality. Additionally, I like the MacBook Air's looks rather than the new MacBooks.

But I am totally satisfied with my purchase. I have no regrets.

[simplenation]

Ok, So I actually purchased a rev b macbook air about a week ago.. I absolutely love it.. but am finding that it may not work as my primary machine. Its lack of an optical drive, limited memory and limited disk space wasn't an issue for me at all but i'm finding the 4200rpm drive to be pretty slugish. I'm currently on the fence about returning it and picking up a macbook. it's a real shame.. the macbook air is a great machine, works perfect for the internet, word processing, etc.. I'm going to have to either go with a solid state air or look for another primary computer. I'd suggest spending sometime with it at your local store before buying.

[LKJR]

I spent months researching and debating: macbook-alum or air. Ended up with the air (rev B - 120 HD) a few months ago for these primary reasons: a) the air has a much better screen (viewing angle) and b) the air is lighter (I travel a lot making power point presentations to large audiences [>600 sometimes] and to small audiences [e.g. 3 people in a diner]). I have missed not having a DVD/CD drive only once in 4 years of traveling with a panasonic R3 (one of the first "netbooks" before people knew what a netbook was..2 lb, no drive, 10.2" screen) so I new I wouldn't miss the drive on an air.

I use the air for powerpoint (slide transitions in Keynote are unreal!), web access, word, and excel in that order. Handles all these things with no complaints. Very importantly, the air is not my main computer although I find I use my pc desktop at home less and less these days.

I intend to try some HDR photo processing but haven't had time to try this yet. Not sure if the Air can handle this but its OK if it can't because it wasn't why I got it.

I've used a screen calibration found on this forum....beautiful. X-slimmer has speeded up opening applications. Rev B stays cool even watching Hulu- HD.

I'm happy with my purchase because I knew what I was getting and why I was getting it. I hope this helps.

[gcmexico]

I bought it for portability...I take mine everywhere and love it...I have never seconded guessed my purchase...I knew exactly what I was getting and it has delivered 100%

[IgnatiusTheKing]

I had a white MacBook and like it, but didn't LOVE it. I ended up giving it to my wife and buying a refurb RevA MBA. Love the portability. Perfect for me as a second computer (I have an iMac at home for freelance design work and a Mac Pro at work).

[jeffg819]

Had the Rev A MBA w/the 80 gig drive. Gave that to my fiance and purchased the 2.4 MB. After about four months, found myself really missing the size and weight of the MBA. Sold the MB, purchased a SSD 128 MBA Rev B.

I have a Mac Pro in the office and the MB seemed overkill for a laptop, although I spend the majority of my time on the MBA.

My usage is probably on the light side. I run Entourage, OmniFocus, Safari and several other utility programs almost 100% of the time. The machine actually feels quicker on many tasks vs. the MB.

I like the MBA screen much better as well.

What do I miss about the MB? The glass trackpad is pretty comfortable to work with and the fact I had installed 4 gigs of ram made me less worried about memory usage.

If the world only had MBs, I'd could live with that. It's a nice machine that feels very solid. However, the MBA just seems more comfortable and portable to work with day in / out.

Jeff G

[simplenation]

Have any of you rev b guys had any flash video play back issues? I'm noticing choppy video on my non ssd rev b air. That's one of my main gripes.

[mhnajjar]

1) Extremely better screen :D
2) Better looking :)
3) Lighter weight ;)
4) Distinguishable :apple:
5) Does most of what you would do with a MB :p

[mhnajjar]

Have any of you rev b guys had any flash video play back issues? I'm noticing choppy video on my non ssd rev b air. That's one of my main gripes.

I haven't had any issues with my current machine, examples (links) would be helpful to help :)

[navanod]

One word... display. The MacBook contrast is horrible. Blacks aren't black! I do some light design work and color is important for me.:D

[happyslayer]

For me, it is all about size and weight. I carry my MBA everywhere I go, all day every day. This includes the power adapter, USB nic and an ethernet cable. The Air with its tiny power supply weighs less than 3.5 lbs. I have had a White MacBook, and several Sony, and Dell's but none of them were as light as the Air with this sized keyboard and a decent sized screen. The VAIO was light, but slow with a tiny screen. The Dell X300 and D410 & D420 were slow, with big power bricks. The MBA, both my past RevA and my current RevB are thin light and relatively powerful.

(And lets be honest, it looks fantastic!)

[Scottsdale]

I originally had a BlackBook. Then I purchased a MacBook Pro v 2,2. Then I purchased a MacBook Air rev A to use secondary with MBP.

Then I sold them all and bought a unibody MB.

Then I bought a MacBook Air rev B with 1.86 CPU and SSD.

And I added back a MBP v 2,2 primarily for my kids use.

I essentially went from Unibody MacBook to Rev B MacBook Air.

When I first received my unibody MacBook, I was very happy with it. I really wanted it to be a rev B MacBook Air, but I didn't believe Apple had really fixed everything wrong with the original MBA. Remember the Unibody MB was released the day after announced on October 14, 2008. I bought the Unibody MacBook the day after announced. Although the rev B MacBook Air was announced the same day, it didn't start shipping until November 2008.

I was extremely impressed with the build quality and the unibody design of the MacBook. Going from the 2.33 GHz MBP, I saw more speed from the 2.4 GHz MB. I did upgrade the MB to 7200rpm HDD and 4GB RAM. The MB was very snappy, definitely quicker than my MBP. I used the MacBook as my work computer and personal computer. In fact, I got rid of five computers and used only the unibody MB for a little over two months.

I am a management consultant and do some lecturing. On the side, I do some Internet stuff. I used the MB from everything like Word, Pages, iLife, Excel, to more intensive Photoshop, Dreamweaver, and etc. It did everything really well and quick. I could not have been more impressed by the speed and capabilities of the unibody MB.

However, the display is not very nice at all. And I spend upwards of eight hours per day in front of my computer. In addition, I watch movies on my computer and do some personal video editing and review personal photos. The display is very washed out on the MB. Viewing it from any angle other than dead on results in extremely washed out or faded look. Also, dark colors are more of a purple hue or darkish gray with purple hue. There is no black on a unibody MB display. I looked at several of them.

November came and I started reading some excellent reviews about the new rev B MacBook Air. I work with some college professors on various consulting projects, and five of them got the rev B MBA the first week it started shipping. All of them had previously had original MBAs and were not very happy with the performance... and that is stating it mildly. All that received the rev B MBA were completely happy... no really excited and amazed! After reading some excellent posts about the rev B MBA, and hearing all of the new owners bragging about them, I decided to ask a few if I could test theirs.

I spent some time and was instantly amazed. I could not believe the performance differences, and neither could any of the owners! I could not believe the heat differences and video playback and it just went on and on with great news. Then I started reading about the lines, and I was pretty happy with the unibody MB I had. But I started looking at the rev B MBAs my friends and colleagues had and there were no lines. Then I asked some more, and no lines. Then in January 2009, I bought my rev B MacBook Air.

I loved my rev B MacBook Air. It was absolutely amazing for me. I could NOT believe how much the SATA drive controllers made the SSD super incredibly fast. More than making up for the slower clock speed. And I noticed heat was like non existent. The fans were incredibly quiet. The Penryn 17W CPU changed all of the problems on the original MBA which had a 20W overheated Merom CPU. In addition, I believe the 6 MB L2 Cache on the new MBA's CPU also helped with speed (an improvement over the original MBA's Merom with 4 MB L2 cache). The graphics seemed really amazing too. Photoshop flew through large files. Booting the rev B MBA with SSD is like a 25 second process. Opening large files or apps is instant. It was incredible that as bad as my original MBA performed, my rev B MBA was incredibly great at every level.

Here is the best part, while looking at the display for eight hours per day, the rev B MBA has an incredibly beautiful display. Blacks that were like a black hole... deep black. And viewing it from the side wasn't terrible like the unibody MB display.

A month after buying the rev B MBA I bought the 24" LED Backlit Apple Cinema Display. The picture was absolutely stunning. The usability with the rev B MBA was awesome. It is like the perfect docking station. It has power from the MBA, and built in USB hub, and speakers and webcam all in one. The new ACD is an absolute must for rev B MBA owners as well as unibody MB or MBP owners. Also, the rev B MBA's Nvidia GPU is so powerful it can drive a 30" Apple Cinema Display if you want to!

I cannot speak more highly of any Mac than of the rev B MacBook Air with 1.86 GHz CPU and more importantly SSD. I definitely recommend you buy the ACD whenever you can.

If you primarily want to work at a desk, with the 24" LED Backlit ACD, you could get away with the unibody MB. But, you would not want to just look at the display on the unibody MB daily. It is just too inferior and so poor quality. It would be ok for on the go to check something here or there, but don't expect to like it for everyday use.

So, MacBook Air gets you an incredibly portable computer yet with SSD very quick too. At the same time, the display is beautiful and the overall feel is wonderful. The HDD is not nearly as fast for normal things one waits on like boot up and app opening and etc, but if it's running all the time, the difference isn't as great. The MacBook gets you essentially the same computer, except slightly inferior CPU (due to L2 Cache), and terribly inferior display. At the same time, it has optical drive, and it is beautifully built as the unibody frame is very solid and feels amazing.

I would say if you cannot afford the extra for a rev B with SSD, and you plan to work with a 24" ACD most of the time, go with the unibody MB. Otherwise, find a way to buy the rev B MBA.

Either the rev B MacBook Air or the unibody MacBook are really nice computers. It is ashamed the MB doesn't have a nicer display, as then we could all make a great case for the unibody MB.

The problem, there is a lot of speculation of a soon to be released rev C MBA. Most are speculating the new Intel SL9600 2.13 GHz CPU, 4 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD, possibly new battery tech as used in 17" UMBP, and lastly the glass trackpad. These are all pretty good upgrades IF, and that is a big if, it is released sooner and not later. Other news is the unibody MB and MBP will receive speed bump upgrades before WWDC. May also get the new battery tech. The new Mac notebooks are over five months old. We normally see updates at six months (over last three years has averaged speed bump every six months). Not to throw a wrench into your plans! I am having a tough time myself after losing my Macs to theft as to what to replace now and what I should wait on.

Good luck whichever route you go.

[dubhe]

Much better screen
Fast enough for everyday tasks
So thin and light fits in my backpack and can take it everywhere
Form factor means keyboard is a nice height for wrists when typing at a desk
It looks sexy as hell

However, lines on the screen and wobbly hinge are my only gripes...

[tubbymac]

The number one reason I like the MBA over the unibody MB is the screen. The MBA screen is the most gorgeous screen I've seen on any 13 inch notebook. It rivals the screen quality of the Macbook Pro and is even brighter at full brightness than the Macbook Pro. Not only that but it's a matte compared to a glossy screen so you don't have to worry about glare or reflections.

The number two reason is the weight. The MB is like carrying around 1 1/2 MBA machines. It's not a deal breaker, but if you carry it around every day you will appreciate the weight difference. The MBA is easily held with one hand so you'll almost always grab it with one hand while having the other free to hold a phone, a bag, a book, or whatever else. The MB is much more awkward due to the extra weight so you'll find yourself lifting it off your desk by two hands. Both can be easily carried by one hand underneath your arm though.

I didn't miss the lack of a DVD drive at all. I don't miss the ethernet port either. The one USB port I use for an external mouse or very rarely to hook up to an external device.

The only thing that the MB really has an advantage on is it can use more than the fixed 2 gigs of RAM on the MBA. It can also be equipped with a larger HD but if you put all your big files on an external network drive the 128 gigs on the MBA is plenty.

If the MBA didn't have the dreaded line issue it would have been a nearly perfect portable machine.

[mrrippey]

I was considering the Air but decided to get a MacBook for a couple of reasons. Like many have said here, it is really how you are going to use your computer which will lean to Air vs. Unibody

1. I need to run WindowsXP virtually since I am going to use it for work and personal. Given that, I figured I needed more than 2GB RAM.
2. Although Air may be faster than Unibody out the box, for the same $2000 for a Rev. b, you can get a Unibody 2.4 and a 128 SSD and external case for the internal drive you have and more memory.

So for $2000 you have a MacBook with 4GB RAM and 128GB SSD which is super fast. You also now have an external drive (which was the internal drive I replaced) for Time Machine backups or data). I am sure that a MacBook 2.4 w/ 4GB RAM and 128SSD is going to be faster than 1.8 Rev B with 128SSD. Of course the Unibody is 1.5 pounds heavier but that is not a big deal to me.

As for the screen , I saw them both and I am no video person, they looked okay to me so the "better" Rev B. screen and the 1.5 lbs savings was not enough for the sure power I was getting from the unibody. The unibody I am sure will last me 2-3 years.

Either way, you cannot go wrong, they are both great machines. The Air is much sexier though :)

[jimboutilier]

As you can tell from my ongoing previous posts, I am just about ready to buy a macbook air. It's an expensive and big decision for me so I want to make sure I'm happy.

With the weight of the macbook being so close to the air, why do you prefer the air? Of course the wow factor is a big part (for me as well) but what other aspects of the computer do you prefer?


Thanks,
NYU02

I have several Mac's including a MB and MBA, and all of them are high quality machines, but find myself on the MBA the vast majority of the time.

The MBA excels at portability with all day long usability. I work on a computer 10-12 hours most days. I move around a lot (different rooms in the house, different locations at work and meetings, and fly a couple times most weeks). I've owned a number of "ultra-portable" or "thin and light" laptops and the MBA is the best of the best. Its well built, its size and weight make for effortless portability, and its excellent screen, keyboard and trackpad make it a pleasure to use all day long.

But its hard to justify on paper. Some would say Macs in general are that way ;-)

You compare a MBA to a MB and you see:
- Both sleek and well designed, aluminum cases
- Same size screen and keyboard
- MBA is a little thinner and lighter
- MB has a good selection of ports compared to the MBA's meager few
- MB has a built in optical drive and the external one for the MBA, costs extra, and negates most of the weight and portability advantage it has.
- MB is FAST and fully expandable where the MB is slower and is not expandable at all capped at 2gb ram and 80-128gb of storage space.
- MB is a lot cheaper!

Seems like a no brainer on paper. For most people the MB is the better decision. But:
- The MB screen is mediocre at best. Shameful on a machine of its cost but quite useable. The MBA has the best screen I've ever seen on a notebook.
- The MB is only about a half inch thicker than the MBA but that makes it twice as thick.
- The MB is only 1.5 pounds heavier than the MBA but that makes it 50% heavier.

After I balance the portability advantage of the MBA over the cost/performance/capacity advantage of the MB I just have to say the MBA feels special when I use it.

The MB was designed for broad appeal to do a lot of things well for a lot of people. It succeeds and feels and looks good but it doesn't excel at anything or really suck at anything. People like it.

The MB is a niche machine that excels at mobility and usability but suffers in most other areas as a result. People tend to love it or hate it rather than like it.

[Bobjob186]

I had 2 macbook air rev A's loved both of them but sold them to make money. Had a 2.4ghz macbook unibody, it was a great machine, reliable, fast, and sleek but the screen sucked. I missed the feel and the whole idea of the macbook air. Got ride of the 2.4ghz macbook and picked up the rev B air. Love it even more than the first ones i had. If you need a primary machine to hook up to a 24" monitor and run your life off of, get the macbook. If you want the ultimate portable get the air.

[Veinticinco]

I would not recommend buying the macbook air. i think the macbook aluminum is much better. a little bit more weight but you get glass touchpad, glass screen, optical drive, bigger hard drive, and a much faster machine. The trade off is worth it and its also much cheaper. The macbook air will get very slow when it gets hot.
Annoys me posts like this. Who are you to "recommend"? Particularly given your rationale which is, not exactly, particularly valid.

"Much better"? Nothing like a meaningless broad-spectrum comment to get you started...

"Little bit more weight"? Actually it's 50% more, not exactly "little".

"Glass touchpad"? A gimmick and prone to variable tension issue not to mention fricking annoying sometimes, not to mention that wake-the-dead "CLICK"

"Glass screen"? Assume you mean glass-covered screen as all LCDs have glass inherent in their build. But you mean the covering right? Yes it's black, glassy and glossy, all the better to see how ugly/good-looking you are as you stare at your reflection, or just how inferior the quality of the display is compared to the MBA and MBP. Washed-out grey is NOT the new black, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

"Optical drive"? For the rare times you need one, the MBA has a Superdrive.

"Hard drive size"? Ok I suppose for now, but in a couple of months, my new MBA will have a low profile 256GB SSD. I'll take that over your top-spec 320GB HDD any day.

"Much faster machine"? Depends on the specs of what you're comparing but (given the 6MB CPU cache on the MBA and SSD), I can confirm my old (2.4GHz 4GB HDD) MB was left gasping in the wake of my (1.86Hz 2MB SSD) MBA.

p.s. you forgot to add in the usual "only one USB port" whine - but I guess in the absence of FW from the MB, it doesn't seem as important to gloat.

[r6girl]

I went from a black MacBook to my current Rev. B MBA for portability. I was starting to carry my computer with me everywhere and the weight was becoming a major factor considering everything else I also carry. Plus, I was not a fan of the polycarbonate look at all - I thought the black version would be a bit nicer than the white, but I hated the squeaky flexing feel to it after only a short time with it. Performance-wise, my MBA does not get nearly as hot as my MacBook did and it does everything I need as well or better (mostly better) than my MacBook did. And I love the aluminum body.

If something happened to my MBA today, I'd go out and buy another one immediately and wouldn't give the new aluminum MacBooks a second glance - I'm totally sold on the MBA's portability and it's perfect for what I need, even as my primary computer.

[Barbie]

I purchased my Air (a new SSD version) because it was more affordable than the refurbished MacBook (SSD version). Furthermore, the Air is gorgeous - Barbie needs the wow element !!!

Barbie.

[That70sGAdawg]

The Air because of:

1. The light weight
2. Less weight
3. Lower weight

Oh, and the perfect screen that I seemed to be the only one to receive, if you read this forum too much...;)

[xparaparafreakx]

I needed something small when going to class or at work. I take notes, view lecture notes and type papers. At work, all I do, this is for server people, Apple Remote Desktop, Remote Desktop Connect and Mac Manager. So the air was great for all my regular use.

Yes we are idiots for spending money on design. The big thing to me back then was that my keyboard had LED lights. I DJ with my Air and damn does it make it easy to see the keys.

[stoconnell]

Having lugged either a 15" Al PowerBook G4 or a first gen MacBook Pro around for the better part of the last 3 and a half years for work, I was sick of carrying around a 5+ pound brick day in and day out :)

My personal laptop was on its last legs (old Thinkpad T30 -- also a 5 pound brick), and I wanted to make the jump to a Mac, but I wanted something more akin to my ancient Sony PCG-505TR or Dell L400 in weight and portability. The MBAir fit the bill and, as a bonus, is a pretty sweet looking design. Also, I only used the DVD in the work machines to import my CD collection into iTunes. I rarely use more than one USB port if even that (I have to use a wired connection at work due to an evil interaction with the office wireless + our aventail (now, sonicwall) SSL VPN that will lock any Mac -- works fine from home), so I am a little annoyed at having to shell our $29 for a USB to ethernet adapter, but it was not a deal breaker for me. I really love that it just disappears into my backpack.

[aleksandra.]

Weight.
Screen quality.
Twice L2 cache.
No ugly black bezel.

If weight, and therefore portability, don't matter, a MacBook Pro is probably a better choice, as you can upgrade it with a better SSD than Apple offers and it's much more powerful than a MacBook (which is IMO rather comparable to Air, despite "it's less than 2 GHz!!!" reactions of some people).

I think no one who had used it would call rev. B Air with SSD slow. The only time I ever see a beachball on my Air is when reading big files via USB SuperDrive or otherwise being limited by I/O. Obviously other apps remain snappy during this time, so it isn't an issue for me.

[JonHimself]

Annoys me posts like this. Who are you to "recommend"? Particularly given your rationale which is, not exactly, particularly valid.

"Much better"? Nothing like a meaningless broad-spectrum comment to get you started...

"Little bit more weight"? Actually it's 50% more, not exactly "little".

"Glass touchpad"? A gimmick and prone to variable tension issue not to mention fricking annoying sometimes, not to mention that wake-the-dead "CLICK"

"Glass screen"? Assume you mean glass-covered screen as all LCDs have glass inherent in their build. But you mean the covering right? Yes it's black, glassy and glossy, all the better to see how ugly/good-looking you are as you stare at your reflection, or just how inferior the quality of the display is compared to the MBA and MBP. Washed-out grey is NOT the new black, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

"Optical drive"? For the rare times you need one, the MBA has a Superdrive.

"Hard drive size"? Ok I suppose for now, but in a couple of months, my new MBA will have a low profile 256GB SSD. I'll take that over your top-spec 320GB HDD any day.

"Much faster machine"? Depends on the specs of what you're comparing but (given the 6MB CPU cache on the MBA and SSD), I can confirm my old (2.4GHz 4GB HDD) MB was left gasping in the wake of my (1.86Hz 2MB SSD) MBA.

p.s. you forgot to add in the usual "only one USB port" whine - but I guess in the absence of FW from the MB, it doesn't seem as important to gloat.

I hate broad generalizations as well when reviewing and recommending things, but I also hate belligerence biased reviews. By biased, I don't mean your opinion is wrong, I just mean that discrediting something because you don't like it to make your point (maybe bias isn't the proper word). Example: "A gimmick and prone to variable tension issue not to mention fricking annoying sometimes..." It really discredits your point about rationale being off. It's one thing to say you don't like the glass trackpad, but it's different to call it a 'gimmick' and 'freakin' annoying'... I don't disagree with you, but would have gone about making your points in a different way.

[nexp]

Just my experience:

Last year when I was about to buy my first mac, my doubt was between the MBP and the MBA.
I thought about it for 2 weeks, and then when I finally saw the macbook air live on the Apple Store, I made my mind, I'm more about portability than specifications.

I sold my Desktop PC cause i ended up barely using it, and since that the Air has been my only computer for the last year.

I've used mainly for browsing the internet and music, but also for work with Indesign, Photoshop, Keynote and even Autocad and Rhino on Windows with bootcamp and VMware.

So, i think that even the Rev. A MBA is a great laptop, capable of most common tasks, and i don't see myself going back to any heavier laptop.

I even got robbed with it on my "messenger kind" bag, and the guy looked inside, saw only books and papers, didn't noticed the MBA in there and just robbed me some money out of my wallet. He was stressed out, didn't even look at enough to find my iphone. I felt happy i didn't choose the MBP, small size and weight made my day.

nexp

[Eric5273]

I just purchased my MBA last month and this was my first mac. I purchased a brand new MBA 1st Gen 1.6/80. There are still a couple of places online that have them in stock. I definately did not want to get a refurbished computer. I wanted a new one. But I was also on a strict budget.

So my decision was either to get the current White MB or the MBA 1st Gen, or the older Blackbook which I also found available on clearance. I decided on the MBA simply because of the smaller size. The MB has some extra things like the DVD drive and an extra USB port, but those are things that I would rarely, if ever, need. I can't remember the last time I used more than one USB port on my old Dell laptop, and I only used the DVD drive a couple of times in 4 years.

I also liked the MBA screen a little bit better. It seems a bit brighter. And I like the backlit keyboard. It's not something I ever had on a computer before, but seems like something that would come in handy once in a while. I also don't need the larger HD. My old Dell laptop had a 60 GB HD and it was half empty.

But mostly I just liked the smaller size. I hope that helps.

[kyrian]

I've been using the 1.6/SSD 64 1st gen Air for a year now and I'm barely use the Superdrive anymore after I found that most of what you want can be downloaded or viewed on the internet legally. Most of the time, I just use the USB port for USB drives or wireless mouse, but that's less than 20% of the time. I also rely on the wireless to deliver/fetch files and backup. Heck, I can even play WoW on it with no lags.

It does get hot when I do video intensive tasks, but I think it's easier to grab and move the Air with one hand (I'm lazy...) than moving the alum MBP that I barely use.

The two downsides for the Air are the battery (hell on long-distance flight) and the lack of memory, the NAS and USB drive (that I'd carry with me anyway) solve the problem.

Maybe Apple will make a slide-out battery port for easy, on the spot replacement, I'll go out and get 2 extra batteries just so I can go without the adapter on roadtrips.

[robeddie]

1) Extremely better screen :D
2) Better looking :)
3) Lighter weight ;)
4) Distinguishable :apple:
5) Does most of what you would do with a MB :p

I'll second that.

[Bye Bye Baby]

I too love the air but I just cannot justify the extra expense for what is a lesser computer. If it were priced correctly then I would buy. A is, too much money for not much bang.

[MH01]

For me it was a case of physical size (including weight) and screen quality. I find myself carrying the MBA to work, or when i go traveling. I would never take my MBP with me cause you can really feel the weight, while with the MBA it does not feel like your lugging around a laptop.

My mate has a Macbook and its just feels heavy and clumsy compared to the MBA (portability), and the screen quality is disappointing.

The cons are that it may lack grunt as a 1st computer (excellent as a second), and that it really takes ages for the internal battery to charge.

Please note i use it as a second computer for travel and have a 24" Led at home so never really cared about the lack of USB ports.

[xparaparafreakx]

I too love the air but I just cannot justify the extra expense for what is a lesser computer. If it were priced correctly then I would buy. A is, too much money for not much bang.

So what is correctly priced then?

[Veinticinco]

I hate broad generalizations as well when reviewing and recommending things, but I also hate belligerence biased reviews. By biased, I don't mean your opinion is wrong, I just mean that discrediting something because you don't like it to make your point (maybe bias isn't the proper word). Example: "A gimmick and prone to variable tension issue not to mention fricking annoying sometimes..." It really discredits your point about rationale being off. It's one thing to say you don't like the glass trackpad, but it's different to call it a 'gimmick' and 'freakin' annoying'... I don't disagree with you, but would have gone about making your points in a different way.
Well in a way I agree about my tone, I shouldn't have risen to it. Although in my defence I did preface my post with the fact that I was annoyed by that dismissive ignorant and deeply flawed original response. Thought I'd otherwise pretty much clearly and calmly deconstructed all of his arguments about the reasons for MB superiority - he didn't present it as an opinion but facts, which they weren't.

As for the glass trackpad, I stand by my opinion there, although of all of the points, it is admittedly the only really subjective one. Having used one, those issues are very real, and have been noted by others too. I know some people like them, just I don't get the big deal - confers no functional advantage as multitouch is enabled on the MBA button trackpad. It doesn't even feel like you expect "glass" to feel (super-smooth, low resistance and cool to the touch). So the lack of any significant increased functionality and it' Marmite love-it-or-hate-it feel, and given it's touted as an 'advance' kind of leaves it in the territory of "gimmick". Certainly not something to cite as a factor in superiority.

[Balthezor]

I too love the air but I just cannot justify the extra expense for what is a lesser computer. If it were priced correctly then I would buy. A is, too much money for not much bang.

You really can't compare the two spec by spec. The expensive thing about the Air is its thin and light design. That's why it cost $$.

It cost a lot of money to shrink everything down.

[the vj]

I wouldn't buy a mac book air

I have a 12" powerbook and I would never change it for the MBA.

Actually I have 3 12" powerbooks and one 17" MBP. I believe the MBA is good looking but I feel safer having a computer that can do it all and the MBA does not.

If you fall inlove with teh MBA live your experience, it is Apple after all and that mean is a good product. But in my case I do not see any real advantage comparing with the other options that can bring more and are good looking as well.

[NewGenAdam]

The Air might seem as big as its bigger brother, the standard MacBook.
But rest assured, that the Air has a fantastic way of fitting snugly into many bags, with the tiniest profile, and weight.
I've certainly had annoyances with my Air over time but these, without a doubt, worth bearing for its portability, comfort and ease of use, and wow factor.
DO IT!

[ibosie]

Weight and size was my primary reason, i just pop the 1.8 SSD into my bag each day and off I go. The display is noticeably better than the Macbook but worse for iSight (Air's built-in cam is lower res, don't know why Apple did that). I use Adobe Creative Suite CS3, After Effects CS4 (just playback or small tweaks) and Logic Studio, perfect for when I'm away from my Mac Pro at home. In the past few months I've become totally enamoured with the Air, it's my favourite laptop of all time.

[Scottsdale]

In the past few months I've become totally enamoured with the Air, it's my favourite laptop of all time.

I completely agree, and I will take it one step further:

The rev B MacBook Air is my favorite COMPUTER of all time.

I cannot think of a computer I have enjoyed even half as much.

[kaku945]

It's about the balance between the portability and a full size keyboard. Most notebooks are too heavy to carry - so most of the time it will sit on my desk. On the other hand, to make it small is not that hard at all - netbooks. but then they don't have a full size keyboard. While you can carry it all the way around, you won't be able to work on it for 5 hours. Thus, the balance between the "I will carry it with me" and "I can work on it for long hours", makes it a perfect computer. With MBA we're no longer tottering between the predicaments.

[Skika]

I was just one step close to buying and used air, but then i lurked some more and found out it was a revision A(the one i was planning to buy). Then i decided to go with the new pro.

[slapguts]

In the next week or two I'm planning on picking up a refurb Rev. A. Here's why-

I already have an external DVD drive. I have a powered USB hub. I spend every other month on the road touring with my band, and need something portable. Most of that time is spent in dimly lit places. The MBA is the cheapest available option I can get three years of AppleCare on that has a backlit keyboard. I'm replacing a 1.6 Intel Hackintosh, that replaced a G4 1.0 iMac. An MBA is going to seem blazing fast to me.

Those are my reasons, anyway.

Oh, and if anyone wants to advise me on getting a Rev. B instead, PM me for my email so you can PayPal me the price difference. :D

[King t.]

i recently swapped my unibody MB 2,4ghz for the MBA rev:B 1,6hgz with 120gb HD and I have no regrets!

reasons for swapping:

1. only used the optical drive once in 6 months
2. weight
3. the display is so much better on the MBA
4. speed wise the MBA Rev: B with 1,6ghz and 120gb HD, is a fast as the base unibody MB with 2,0ghz
5. it just looks and feels so much better than the unibody MB^^ :apple:

[Bobjob186]

I wouldn't buy a mac book air

I have a 12" powerbook and I would never change it for the MBA.

Actually I have 3 12" powerbooks and one 17" MBP. I believe the MBA is good looking but I feel safer having a computer that can do it all and the MBA does not.

If you fall inlove with teh MBA live your experience, it is Apple after all and that mean is a good product. But in my case I do not see any real advantage comparing with the other options that can bring more and are good looking as well.

I've owned five 12" powerbooks, three 1.33ghz and two 1.5ghz models and to say that you "feel safer having a computer that can do it all" when comparing the air to a powerbook is pretty silly. The macbook air tears the powerbook apart in performance. I remember being on the fence about selling my air and sticking with an iMac and PB G4 set up, but seriously the G4 just doesn't cut it anymore. Office takes literally 2 minutes to launch on a powerbook G4. 167mhz FSB? 512KB L2 Cache! compared to 1066mhz FSB and 6mb L2 Cache! I mean come on now, let's be real here.

Put the powerbook next to the air and turn brightness all the way up and then try not to laugh at the difference. In all honestly a powerbook g4 is a great netbook and mail computer but that's it. I ran a 4 hour gig on my macbook air on Friday and that is something I could never do on the G4.

[mrrippey]

i recently swapped my unibody MB 2,4ghz for the MBA rev:B 1,6hgz with 120gb HD and I have no regrets!

reasons for swapping:

1. only used the optical drive once in 6 months
2. weight
3. the display is so much better on the MBA
4. speed wise the MBA Rev: B with 1,6ghz and 120gb HD, is a fast as the base unibody MB with 2,0ghz
5. it just looks and feels so much better than the unibody MB^^ :apple:

probably 95% of the reasons why people stick / migrate to the Air.