MBA contender

[Lunchb0x8]

Well, I can see from the general theme in the posts that nobody thinks it is really close, personally, it is my favourite non-mac machine to date.

I would prefer the MBA tbh, but being a windows shop, it would have been hard to convince my boss to pay a few hundred more just for the apple logo (given it would have to run windows as soon as it was booted).

I do agree with the majority of you, it isn't quite the MBA as far as design and OS, but the compact portability and sleek design make it a damn good Win machine.

 

[Cheffy Dave]

Thin,light, but no OSX,App Store, no Apple perfection, simply put, only Apple is Apple, and that's why we are all here

 

[ender land]

As a former Windows box user, I can say with absolute certainty that I will never even consider another non-Mac until somebody figures out how to nail the completely effortless multi-touch trackpad interface like Apple has. It's the first laptop I've owned where I don't have to haul around a USB mouse to comfortably interact with it.

Same.

I wonder how many people think similarly? I'm somewhat worried that when I need a new computer down the road I'll have to make decisions based on this... because right now, I don't have to think at all - Apple is the ONLY trackpad that is even enjoyable to use.

 

[johnhurley]

Apple is the ONLY trackpad that is even enjoyable to use.

A trackpad is "enjoyable to use"?

I love my new 2011 mba 13 but I for my one vote don't find anything remarkable about the trackpad it has or any trackpad I have ever been forced to use.

Multi touch gestures ... sorry not a big fan so far.

Let's keep hoping for good competition in this part of the marketplace!

 

[Maven1975]

A trackpad is "enjoyable to use"?

I love my new 2011 mba 13 but I for my one vote don't find anything remarkable about the trackpad it has or any trackpad I have ever been forced to use.

Multi touch gestures ... sorry not a big fan so far.

Let's keep hoping for good competition in this part of the marketplace!

Congratulations... You Sir at the 1%!

 

[sixteen12]

A trackpad is "enjoyable to use"?

I love my new 2011 mba 13 but I for my one vote don't find anything remarkable about the trackpad it has or any trackpad I have ever been forced to use.
!

I actually think the Apple track pad is quite enjoyable to use for every day computing, in fact I like it more for web browsing, word processing...basically everything that isn't CAD, Illustrator or Photoshop.

I hate the trackpad on my old windows laptop so much that I would just wait to get home to my desktop rather than use the trackpad on that thing.

 

[johnhurley]

Congratulations... You Sir at the 1%!

Thanks Maven ( I think ).

I always have a usb mouse with me and never do much without it plugged in. If working for long the external keyboard also.

Everyone's different and if trackpads make macs enjoyable for some then more power to the people that like them.

 

[Internaut]

Apple is the ONLY trackpad that is even enjoyable to use.

Logitech have launched a trackpad for PC that supports a similar system of gestures with Windows 7. I'm looking forward to trying one with the Dell at work (and hope it will get to market before Apple surgically implants a lawyer up Logitech's a$$ ).

 

[convergent]

Its not a MacBook Air contender if its not running OSX... so that is end of story for me.

 

[deepakvrao]

This.

If you've got a poor screen, and a terrible interface via trackpad, the whole machine is just a total non-starter.

As a former Windows box user, I can say with absolute certainty that I will never even consider another non-Mac until somebody figures out how to nail the completely effortless multi-touch trackpad interface like Apple has. It's the first laptop I've owned where I don't have to haul around a USB mouse to comfortably interact with it.

It doesn't get more fundamental than the user input and screen. If those are poor, then it's just not worth it unless the machine is faaaaaar cheaper, -but then you've probably got a whole other set of issues with it...

Getting my first Mac [Air 13] tomorrow, and have heard so much about this trackpad thingie. Can't imagine a laptop without a mouse. Waiting to see if this really lives up to all that you guys say.

Really hope so, as we ordered two [wife and me].

 

[Lunchb0x8]

After my praise of the laptop, I then find that my one, had a fault.

Would not run on battery, not at all, unplugging A/C caused it to power off completely.

Took it back to the retailer, got it replaced within an hour, not as fast as Apple would have been with such an obvious fault.

I then got the i7 model.

The laptop itself is still nice, and runs like a dream, but yea, I think I will stick to Mac for personal machines.