Compromises Limit Appeal of Apple's MacBook Air Laptop

Making Do with Less

In order to make the MacBook Air small and light, Apple has had to remove features once considered standard on all Apple laptop models. This model is the first in recent memory to have no built-in CD/DVD drive and no FireWire ports. Its internal storage is limited, and its connection to peripherals has been reduced, too. In order to take advantage of the Air's light weight and small size, users must be willing to sacrifice some of the features that they previously took for granted.

Let's start with the optical drive. Yes, you can buy an 8x SuperDrive for $99 as an add-on. (It will add seven-tenths of a pound to your bag and doesn't exactly look elegant when it's hanging off the side of your tiny MacBook Air.)

As someone who uses the optical drive in his laptop so rarely that I sometimes forget whether its slot is on the front or the side, I don't really consider the lack of an optical drive a major omission. If you're someone who lives or dies by the ability to burn or play back CDs or DVDs, however, you'll find this to be a major drawback.

Apple has, to its credit, exerted quite a bit of muscle in an attempt to make the Air's lack of an optical drive a non-issue. In addition to selling the external SuperDrive, the company has added a feature called Remote Disc that allows the Air to take over the optical drive of another computer (Mac or PC) on your local network.

Just install the Remote Disc software (included on the Air's install disc) and the MacBook Air can use Bonjour to browse your network and read what's on any data disc. This feature worked well in my testing. The MacBook boot software has even been updated for the Air, so that it can boot via Remote Disc in the event you need to reinstall Mac OS X.

Although Remote Disc is a nice addition, it has limitations. It's meant for installing programs and copying files, and doesn't work as a remote DVD player or CD ripper. Apple helpfully suggests that the iTunes Store stands to assist you in all your music, movie, and TV show needs, but of course many users may prefer to consume content that originally began its life on optical discs. Using a tool such as HandBrake is certainly an option in order to make DVDs watchable on your Mac as well as your iPod or iPhone, but converting a movie can be a time-consuming experience.

For all my nonchalance about optical drives, I know that the last time I was really sick in bed at home, I whiled away the hours watching DVDs on my MacBook. With the MacBook Air, that sort of behavior won't really be an option, short of having an external SuperDrive hanging around at the ready.