Traveling With a MacBook Air, Part 2

Apple's much-hyped ultra-thin laptop can be an ideal traveling companion--but it's not for everyone.

Last week's look at Apple's MacBook Air focused on the ultra thin-and-light laptop's gorgeous, bright screen, and what it's like to use on a cross-country flight. This week my review continues with a look at the Air's wireless connectivity, battery, monitor connections, security, and entertainment options.

Easy Wireless Connectivity

The Air has built-in Bluetooth 2.1 and Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n draft specification, compatible with 802.11a/b/g). During my tests, I had no problems connecting to public and private Wi-Fi networks. The Air automatically reconnects to networks you've previously used. (I didn't connect any devices using Bluetooth.)

The Air lacks a built-in Ethernet port. However, Apple's USB Ethernet Adapter ($29) gets you around that limitation.

There's no built-in support for cellular wireless, either. You could attach a USB cellular wireless modem; one possibility is Sprint's Wireless Compass 597, which is $50 with a two-year data service contract. The modem is especially compact, includes built-in GPS and a slot for a micro-SD memory card, and reportedly works well with the Mac OS X as well as with Windows XP and ...

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James A. Martin