I understand what you are saying and I agree that I shorted the MBA a little because I forgot to mention the processor speed difference.
However as far as the screen goes when you compare ultra-portables you usually are desiring a smaller footprint. Also the TZ screen is higher-res than the MBA so you can actually fit more content on the screen even though it is physically smaller.
Most ultra-portable users are looking for a device that fits into a tight space, even when opened. I don't even consider the MBA an ultraportable because it is too big.
So what is the MBA, is it an ultra-portable or is it just a light laptop. If it is a light laptop then you have to compare it to the MB or MBP. I think most would either buy the MB or MBP as they are a much better bang for the buck.
These are all fair points; as I said, the TZ has its place, and for people who absolutely depend on the smallest overall package, it fits the bill.
And yes, the TZ does have a 1366x768 res screen compared to the 1280x800 res of the MacBook Air. However, that higher res still comes at a cost; yes, you can fit a bit more, but it also makes things smaller......... some people can deal with this, and some can't. Personally I find 1366x768 on an 11" screen to be too small to comfortable view text/etc. for extended periods of time, unless you zoom in in Word, for example, at which point the higher res becomes useless.
I will personally take the 1280x800 13" screens of the MacBook Air or Sony SZ over the TZ any day.
You ask what the MBA is, and I think it's an interesting question.
I think it is sort of a mix of things; certainly it isn't for everyone, and either a MacBook or MacBook Pro (or a Vaio TZ or SZ or Dell XPSM1330) might be better options.
But the MacBook Air I think offers its own interesting mix. Right now, for people that did want a laptop in the 3 pound and under arena, you did have to make a lot of sacrifices in some pretty critical areas.
As I mentioned with the TZ, although it is very lightweight and portable, which is great for when you aren't using it and traveling around, it requires enormous compromises on the user's part when actually using it, given the small screen and keyboard. And of course the TZ's ULV processor also requires real performance compromises as well, and you'll find plenty of TZ owners complaining of the sluggishness of their systems.
I've personally always found something like the Sony SZ or the more recent XPSM1330 to be perhaps the best compromises between size and performance. Although they aren't as portable (given the larger footprint of a 13" machine), they have much more useable screens and keyboards.
But the SZ and XPSM1330 can get fairly thick in their own right, and also are in the 4 pound range.
So what the MacBook Air represents, I think, is a sort of middle ground. It gives you extraordinary thinness and a 3 pound weight, while still allowing you to have the benefits of a larger and more readable screen and a full-sized keyboard.
Now whether those compromises to get this combination are worth it is obviously a choice for the consumer to make. But I don't see a big problem with offering another take on this.
I think if Apple had just done a Sony SZ clone (like the XPSM1330), it would have been nice enough in its own right, and probably pretty close to what many people were hoping for. But I think there's something to be said for the MBA as well.
The MBA is not a TZ, and it's not an MB or MBP either.
It's something else.
I've wanted a lighter laptop for some time. But I did not want a 10 or 11" screen. I did not want a small keyboard. I did not want a ultra low power processor. I did not want Windows. And I did not want to spend time getting Linux working smoothly on a machine where it isn't officially supported.
So the Air fits the bill. Not perfectly (wish it were a bigger HD), but it fits better than an MBP for me, and better than anything else I've looked at.
Exactly. For the people asking "who is the market for this thing?", I think this sums it up pretty well.
I've always been intrigued by the idea of the TZ, but in actual use, I've found the screen and keyboard to just be too small. But I didn't like the SZ for other reasons.
I think there's definitely a market out there for that mix; the lightness of those 11" screen ultraportables, with the larger screens and keyboards of the SZ's and XPSM1330's of the world.
Yes but that battery life is straight off of sony's site, and if you read it...
so really maximum rated battery life is better than the macbook, but how is it while you're using it like in these tests?
another plus though for the MBA is the size, it is smaller than the TZ just not width wise, but really, considering that the MBA is about the size of a sheet of paper, do you really need it to be smaller?
Since every briefcase of backpack ever made can accommodate the length and width a piece of paper, why would you need something smaller, i mean come on!
No, the TZ can achieve that kind of battery life in real-life; but again, that is what is possible when you are only powering an 11" screen, using a 1GHz ULV processor, etc.
