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Overall Rating
2 Star Review
Reviewed by: mcconnell
Updated:04-23-08
Duration of ownership:2 Months
Strengths: Other than being very, very thin and fairly reliable, I haven't found any strengths. I will say that it is extremely portable.
Weaknesses: The processor is weak (even upgraded) and the HDD is small. I have felt very limited while working and playing games. I am a huge gamer and I also edit photos/videos a lot. This laptop, although small, doesn't have a lot of room to work. Also the lack of a CD/DVD drive, monitor port, small screen, lack of fire wire port, Ethernet port and only 2 USB drives make it extremely limiting.
Overall Evaluation: I would have to say that I don't think Apple did very well with this laptop. I wouldn't recommend it to someone who is looking for power for work or play. It is very thin, almost too thin, but that doesn't make up for everything it is missing. For now I will go back to my Dell laptop (17 inch screen, 250 GB HDD, 2.4 Duo Core CPU, and 2 GB RAM).
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Overall Rating
5 Star Review
Reviewed by: MBA4EVA
Updated:02-24-08
Duration of ownership:3 Days
Strengths: The perfect ultraportable laptop for the majority of users. OS X and Vista capable. Solid performance.
Weaknesses: Relatively slow HDD only an issue for heavy duty read-write duties - upgrade is a possibility down the road though.
Overall Evaluation: I had been unsure as to which of the three Macbook ranges to buy. If you want graphics performance get the Macbook Pro. If you want price vs performance get the Macbook. If you want a slick ultraportable with more-than-adequate performance for the majority of users, get the Macbook Air. I recommend it without hesitation. This is especially so if you get the external ODD, which works a treat when needed, and if you get the latest Airport Extreme and whack a big external HDD on it. The disk space issues become irrelevant as you can connect iTunes and iPhoto to your preexisting libraries without difficulty. You can also stream and media without any dramas whatsoever. Another winner from Apple.
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Overall Rating
4 Star Review
Reviewed by: totallyworfless
Updated:04-19-08
Duration of ownership:
Strengths: Size, Weight, Look and coolness factor
Weaknesses: underpowered, only 1 usb port
Overall Evaluation: Again, I am blown away by another apple product. This is one of the coolest laptops to hold in your hand. It's amazing how much a few pounds off the weight and the slimness of design makes such a big difference. I was a little disappointed by the battery power (only about 3 hours) though I've heard that other people have had varying amounts of battery life. All in all, I'm very happy about my purchase as a business traveler.
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Overall Rating
5 Star Review
Reviewed by: mfauls
Updated:04-19-08
Duration of ownership:
Strengths: Size, look, well integrated package
Weaknesses: Connectivity options, battery life, no CD/DVD
Overall Evaluation: I have been an MS user for like 20 years. Vista: they should really be ashamed of themselves! Time for a new PC for couch surfing and decided I would give it a try. Glad I did. Very light, people all want to try it out when they see it. The learning curve from Windows took like an hour. People complain about Safari but I think it performs pretty well. I did download FireFox as a comparison, but like Safari on the Mac better. Biggest drawback: no DVD/CD and only one USB. Performance is quite OK.
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Overall Rating
2 Star Review
Reviewed by: JoeJames55
Updated:03-30-08
Duration of ownership:2 Days
Strengths: Great looking, ultra thin design.
Weaknesses: No cd/dvd drive, 1.6 Intel Core 2 Duo
Overall Evaluation: Hmm, gotta give it to Apple again for making a light weight, good looking machine. Same as the I-pod, a first. Again, same as the i-pod, lacking in MAJOR functionality. No cd/dvd drive is a real killer! Battery life is pretty average but for what this doesn't have, I would expect better. Plus, that 1.6 gig Intel... boring. If you are going to spend that much money on a laptop, you might as well get something with some real power and it only weighs in at 5-6 lbs? Just as easy to tote around, does 3 lbs really make a difference or are we all that lazy?
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Overall Rating
4 Star Review
Reviewed by: psmile4me
Updated:03-21-08
Duration of ownership:
Strengths: Dimensions, weight, visuals and style
Weaknesses: Security (no place for a laptop lock), not enough ports, particularly ethernet port (but a mini hub can be purchased, as well as a usb ethernet adapter), lack of cd drive
Overall Evaluation: I received my MBA 2 days ago and once again Apple has made an impressive statement in the form of presentation. The packaging alone was a thing of beauty. Once I got to the actual product all I could do was smile and thank the Lord that my PowerBook G4 12-inch died a week ago. Up until that point my 12-inch was attached to my hip. Compared to the current lineup of Apple laptops, the MacBook Air is lacking in a few key areas like hard drive space, internal CD drive, ports and speed. But for a traveler who needs a laptop when I'm on the go, losing the load is so worth it and this dawn thing can fit into the slimmest of places and not wear me down when I'm running for a plane. Note: I remedied the hard drive problem with the purchase of a Maxtor OneTouch 4 Mini 250GB portable hard drive, almost the size of a deck of cards. Final note: I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE my new MBA and could care less about the cons...BUT I better NOT hear about an upgrade 2 months from now:-)
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Overall Rating
4 Star Review
Reviewed by: devilot
Updated:02-28-08
Duration of ownership:1 Weeks
Strengths: Lightweight, solidly built, full-sized backlit keyboard, gorgeous 13.3" LED display, large multi-touch touchpad
Weaknesses: Faster than other ultra portables, but still a bit laggy, 1 USB port, remote/ ethernet dongle/ external SuperDrive are extra
Overall Evaluation: Yes, this is NOT a _cheap_ notebook. Nor should it be if you take into account the little extras that Apple throws in such as the built-in iSight, lovely aluminum casing, magnetic latch, MagSafe adapter, backlit KB, "huge" multi-touch touchpad with all new gestures, and even the chipset had to be custom-built-- minimized to fit in this super thin notebook. Some complain, "Who's so weak that they'd pay a premium to lighten their load by 2 measly pounds?" But that's not really the way to look at it at all. If given a choice, would you rather tote around a magazine or a hardcover college textbook? I know which I'd prefer. And truly, the three pounds in day-to-day computing is very noticeable. It is very noticeably light! A true joy to bring out and about and just when moving around the house. For the user who doesn't use "power" apps (such as video/ music editing, or intensive graphics work), this is a superb notebook. NOT a desktop replacement like it's larger relative the 15" MacBook Pro, nor as cost-efficient and feature-filled as the cheaper but more power relative 13.3" MacBooks, but this is a solid machine that will readily handle web-browsing, word processing, the odd video clip or movie. This is also a great machine for the on-the-go traveler with lighter needs-- provided that they bring along the miniaturized AC adapter (and by mini, yes, it's still a brick, but it's about the size of the iPod charging brick, very small and light by computer power brick standards). Those who would complain about the built-in battery? That's silly! It costs $199 which INCLUDES labor for the battery swap. Guess how much the replacement batteries are for Apple's MBs and MBPs? Yup, $199. So it's really no different, and not a big deal at all. Yes, this is a revision A product-- please keep that in mind. There will inevitably be some kinks to be worked out with a brand new product. Not just hardware (occasional HDD clicking) but also software (KB backlighting is a bit skewed still, and remote disc doesn't always work perfectly) but I hope that given a little bit of time, these will be ironed out and as my external SuperDrive will soon be here, hopefully, that will help with some issues. Overall, a great secondary machine. Not without some drawbacks-- but none that aren't fully disclosed anyway and readily smeared all over the internet. Any buyer should be savvy enough to know that it has no built-in optical drive, for instance. But truly, a fantastic notebook for users with light needs and for those who prefer lighter packages.
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Overall Rating
5 Star Review
Reviewed by: nilmot
Updated:02-27-08
Duration of ownership:1 Weeks
Strengths: Form factor, weight and portability
Weaknesses: Price, limited ports, and fixed battery.
Overall Evaluation: The Macbook is not meant for everyone. There is nothing like it on the market right NOW. This is my second Mac. It has almost everything I want in a sub notebook. It has the perfect balance of weight, screen & keyboard size, and power. Of course nothing is without flaws and it definitely has room for improvements. Here is what I wish to see in in the next revision(s). Make it Lighter (~2 lbs) SSD comes standard (without price gouge) Silver keyboard option User Replaceable battery Overall, I am very pleased with this purchase and would recommend the Macbook Air to anyone that this notebook is designed for.
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Overall Rating
5 Star Review
Reviewed by: 32tideride
Updated:02-20-08
Duration of ownership:
Strengths: Weight, form factor, backlit keyboard, bright screen
Weaknesses: Price, remote disc, and wireless migration
Overall Evaluation: If you can't live without an optical drive or ports for every device the Macbook Air isn't for you. The remote disc feature that Apple promotes works, but depending on your network it will take you quite a while to install apps such as Adobe CS3. I would highly recommend getting the optional external Superdrive.Overall, the Macbook Air seems to perform much like my former Black Macbook however it is unbelievably thin and light. The aluminum enclosure and backlit keyboard make it a nice Pro level addition to Apple's 13" line of notebooks. I also have to stress that I have never seen a screen on a notebook that is this bright. If you're thinking of buying the Air and understand what you are giving up you will not be disappointed.
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Overall Rating
4 Star Review
Reviewed by: ramoocollege
Updated:02-20-08
Duration of ownership:
Strengths: Weight, keyboard, screen, form factor
Weaknesses: USB Superdrive should be included, not a good only computer, battery life so so
Overall Evaluation: I have to say that I am very pleasantly surprised by this. I received this for work as a backup laptop to my desktop and for that role it fits perfectly. I'm writing this review trying to keep cost out of the equation as much as possible. If you are looking at the price and the specs and shaking your head, this might not be the best choice. It is awful in bang for the buck.However, if you are looking for a portable OSX or Windows capable laptop with the main purpose that it be a tote-a-long anywhere computer, then this should be on your short list. The performance is surprisingly good. When I got this I half expected that the HD would make using it a bit painful. Don't get me wrong, the HD is slow, but you only notice it when using fairly intensive applications or starting hungry programs like Photoshop (why are you running Photoshop on this again? :)). The processor is just fine and really it is a solid setup for its purpose. My complaints are that it should have the external USB Superdrive bundled in as well as the remote, and the battery life is so so. I get about 3.5 hours in normal web-surfing document writing use.The design is sexy to the max (I can use that even though it isn't 1984) - you really have to see and hold it in person to appreciate that. It has a great screen and keyboard as well, even though I wish there were a matte option. I tend to use it mostly indoors so the glossy screen doesn't bother me all that much.
