Home > Consumer Reviews > Apple MacBook Air 1.6GHz Intel Core 2 Duo/2GB/80GB

The MacBook air is no doubt very small and light which makes it ultra portable. But apple seem to have overlooked the rise of the netbook....which is all the Air really is. If you want something that is perfect for your on-the-move computing, which is what the air is intended for (i don't think in most cases you can say a computer with no disc drive can be your main computer) get with the times and get a netbook. They cost £300 or less!! and you can do everything you intended to with this.

You could even buy another computer as well and use that as you main one for the same price!

Like most I have used Windows computers for years in the belief macintosh was overhyped - after all a computer is a computer isn't it ?

Then I was given a MacBook Air. My reaction was this is just an expensive luxury. The truth is I have used it almost every day since. Our three networked windows computers are neglected.

It works without coaxing (no trojan, virus or similar issues so far). Reliable WiFi; small and comfortable on your lap; great for itunes, streaming iplayer or viewing other video via the wonderful screen; great for overnight trips away.

In my opinion you will need to buy Microsoft Word 2008 for Mac in order to work with the Gate's world and this will add to the cost.

Apple have managed again to start the ball rolling.
It may not be tomorrow, or even this decade, but it will happen. For now, the only with enough courage to put their head on the block with fresh "Air" are Apple and as the technology is updated and improved more will join in and try to better the product, where, there is no doubt, someone will, but like the Newton(my favorite) the iPod and the iPhone, it's always those that take the first step that draw the fire.
i use quite a lot of quality, powerful software, but none of them have the need of the original CD/DVD in the drive in order to function and i can't say i'm aware of any modern products that do, although i do seem to remember something on my old Amiga about 300 years ago, that needed a floppy in the drive . . . . . . . Hmmmm?

First off, the technical specifications of this laptop are similar to that of a £450 laptop. so the extra £650 you will be paying are purely so you can:

a: have an apple

b: not have an optical drive.

now lets consider point b.

this means that if you want to install any software, you have to have another computer. it also means that if you want to use software that requires the disk to be in the drive, you will then have to use a virtual disk drive as well.

so in summary, you are paying an extra 650 pounds for the inconvienience of not having a cd or dvd drive, and apple are pretending that this is a good thing.

Think for yourself about how unbelievably annoying it will be to not be able to watch a dvd without having to go online and "rent" one. and not being able to have a hard copy backup of your precious files, and not being able to install ANYTHING that comes on a cd,dvd,hddvd or bddisk, without another computer.

Hope these comments help you make your decision.

... what's the point of such a thin, small, light laptop if you have to buy an expensive CD/DVD player to connect to it? Not just for movies/music but also to install software...

And why no removable batery?! What if the batery simply breaks down? It does happen, you know... if this happens the day after the warranty expires, the poor user is left with just 1 choice: buy another expensive laptop, simply because of a dead batery...

I will not sacrifice usability for weight/size. If I was gifted one... I'd sell it on Ebay!