Totally understand the dilemma of many of the posters here. I'm a junior doctor who doesn't have an office, and rarely stays in the same place for long. I'm trying to climb the ladder and do research, write papers etc, and trying to find a spare computer in a convenient location is a pain. They all use XP, have varying vintages of Office, and every time you log on its 5 minutes + to get all your stuff up and running, and by then someone else has demanded to use the computer, or you have been bleeped to some emergency.
My smallest and lightest computer of any use is a 2009 15" MBP, and I just can't imagine carrying it everywhere - so I really need something specifically for work, and it has to be light and small. I don't need any real power, but am used to something responsive that doesn't run out of ram or storage (plus keeping my large iTunes library might make me stay later to work). Essentially, I need/want the world's best netbook - and I have just ordered a maxed out i7/8GB/512GB 11" MBA, because that fits the bill.
Don't shoot me for that statement - I've always thought that netbooks were an awesome idea, crippled by a stupid idea that they had to be cheaply made, crippled and underpowered. More now than ever, a keyboard is a 'power' feature, and if that can be retained with better quality and guts, it's an awesome work tool. Apple has also given the tiny screen a great boost with the trackpad and Lion full screen apps - you can use every pixel but still swipe between multiple apps effortlessly.
I even did a bit of research on windows 8 notebooks, and they seemed to offer a great deal, especially ones with a spinning HD - sometimes only a third of the price of the one I ordered. But today I went and had a look at some in the shops, and they failed to impress. Firstly, the metro interface looks great with its tablet design, but the problem is that it is also as stripped in terms of features as a tablet. I tried for a few minutes on one computer to change the screen resolution, and eventually found the settings, but still nothing for the display. More obvious was the difference in size, weight, and build quality - There was the occasional ultrabook with similar quality and design (though nothing actually better in either regard), but those were if anything more expensive when you consider the overall package and components.
All in all, I did what I usually do, and salivate over the prices of the cheap computers, swear at the prices of the Macs and then realise that the extra price was well worth paying. I almost wish that Apple priced their products like Bang and Olufsen TVs, or luxury cars, as then I'd be able to resist the shiny shiny and save my money. Instead, they are the masters at pricing high enough to make a huge profit, but low enough to still reel me in.
David
