+1
Just arrived in Hong Kong after a 16 hour flight, the MacBook was an absolute champ today, doing what it's supposed to be doing:
1. So easy to pack, the small power brick and power cord are about 60% smaller and lighter than any previous notebook I've owned, the HDMI adapter is nice and flat and light too, really reduces bulk and weight in my carryon.
2. So lightweight, I had to check twice just to make sure I didn't forget it once in the limo.
3. Through TSA, once again was able to leave it in my backpack without removing it, the x-ray scanner sees it like an iPad not a notebook. Really great bonus, getting through the scanners it's one less thing to worry about.
4. In the business class lounge, lots of admiring stares as I checked email, watched some sports highlights from my Slingbox, and reviewed a few spreadsheets. Out of the 15 notebooks I saw, 7 were Apple's, I had the only RMB.
5. Once onboard, it's so thin it easily fits in the seatback pocket in front of me alongside my iPad, no need to keep my notebook in the overhead bin and wait for the all-clear to drag it back down. Very convenient, none of that up-down-up-down dance to do, no need to squish a backpack under my feet and take up legroom.
6. In flight, the 8+ hours of battery is a dream, airplane mode and 50% backlight does the trick, and there is zero reason to stress over a working power outlet in the seat like the guy sitting next to me with his ASUS. He couldn't stop asking me questions about the RMB, couldn't believe the size or that it could run Windows, jealous that I didn't need to plug it in at all. Watched 2 movies and binged a whole season of Entourage, still had battery left to spare.
7. Now here at the hotel, the fast boot-up time connects me to wi-fi less than 30 seconds after removing it from my backpack and setting it on the desk. Another iOS-like bonus we don't talk about much.
8. I forgot how good the speakers are, usually using this at work and rarely for music. But in the hotel room, sounds like I brought an expensive Bluetooth speaker with me when I didn't need to.
9. About to Skype with the wife and kids at the dinner table, the retina display is so lifelike it's as if I'm there with them.
10. For the next 2 weeks as I'm traveling around Hong Kong and China, I can carry my RMB everywhere without worrying about power consumption or weight. Where for decades I would often leave my notebook behind in the hotel or constantly dread carrying it around all day, the RMB is an afterthought, it's so thin and light it makes this a non-issue.
These are the reasons that the 12" Retina MacBook is a dream device. Those who don't understand it never will because they are caught up in the processor horsepower wars and don't live in our world where portability and convenience is everything.
BJ
