I'm this close to buying the new 13" MBA but I really hate the silver bezel around the screen. I was hoping they would go with the black like the MBPs.
Does this bother you?
I've used both the original white MacBook, the MacBook Pro (edge to edge glass) and now, the MacBook Air 13" 2011 i7 version...
The MacBook Air is amazing. I'll tell you what made me doubt my decision on buying the air. I was told the bezel is distracting, MBP is more powerful, No optical drive, blah blah blah
Unless you do video rendering a lot, Go for the plunge and get the Air. It will be the best computer purchase you'll make...
I also prefer the silver. I used to have the 13" MBP and the glossy black bezel was even more reflective than the screen. I actually like how the silver looks and it makes the screen feel less reflective than it is (which I like).
I get quite distracted because of the silver depending on brightness levels, ambient lighting, and what I'm doing on the computer (browsing vs movies vs editing and so on)
And I would prefer a rMBP over a MBA, but I wouldn't let my preference for a silver bezel stop me from buying a rMBP. Not every aspect of the design is going to be to your liking.
I much prefer the silver bezel. The MacBook Air and Pro have these gorgeous aluminum bodies, which are then interrupted on the base Pro by a glossy black insert found nowhere else on the machine. The defining characteristic of Mac notebooks for the last six years has been their sleek aluminum bodies, and seeing a glossy black insert around the display made the machines lose this character mark and become less distinctive, more closely resembling the fungible PC notebooks which were and are traditionally black.
The MacBook Pros that are configured with the high-res antiglare display also have a silver bezel, so I've always associated the silver bezel with the laptops used by imaging and graphics professionals, whereas the glossy black bezel was found on the more commonly available 13" and 15" Pros with the base, glossy screens.
I'm this close to buying the new 13" MBA but I really hate the silver bezel around the screen. I was hoping they would go with the black like the MBPs.
Does this bother you?
Haha, mine is sitting right next to my Cinema Display that must be 6 or 7 years old now. Now that you mention it, they really do look similar. I use the external screen all the time when I'm home. But on the road, I'm just happy to have a nice compact powerful computer and the last thing I think about is the bezel. I am looking at the screen itself.