HoogyWeb

OK, people, let me start off by sharing that amongst my circle of friends I am THE biggest Mac snob. So it will come to them as a great surprise when I have something negative to say about an Apple product. But let’s look at the MacBook Air objectively, shall we?

So… Hmmm… I’m gonna pay $300 more (at least!!) for a computer that’s not REALLY much smaller in length and width than a regular MacBook, 0.4Ghz slower, has no optical drive, no firewire, and no expansion other than USB, but hey, at least it’s thinner, so it will be more likely to break with minimal effort. Count me in!!!

But on a serious note…

Apple’s selling point for the Air is it’s size, but is it really smaller? It’s thinner and lighter, yes. But to justify classification as an “ultra portable,” shouldn’t it be smaller all around? A 13″ is a 13″ no matter how thin it is. It will take up the same desk space. Had it been a 9″ screen – small enough to put in my pocket – that would be a different story. Obviously, I’m not impressed.

Nor am I impressed with the shiny aluminum case. Based on my bad experiences, I’m pretty sure the decision to switch from titanium to aluminum went something like this:

Hmmm, how can we void as many warranties as possible? I know!! Let’s make it out of the most flimsy metal possible so it’ll dent easily and we can insist they dropped it! That’ll save us millions!!

Apple design team

Yes, I’m bitter. I’ve been burned by Apple’s warranty tactics in the past. My advise: go with aluminum for the home and plastic for the road. The MacBook is a better value over all, plain and simple.