MacBook Air: worth it?

February 8, 2008 10:41 AM

Any initial feedback on the MacBook Air?

My vintage PowerBook G4 is about to bite the dust. It has served me loyally and over many, many trips. I have used it as a portable recording unit (running Logic v 7) for shows, as well as for photoshop, web design and presentations on my consulting gigs. But I need to get a new laptop for more of the same, and I'm afraid I need to do it soon. The MacBook Air looks super sleek and whatnot, but has anyone picked one up? Is it a bit too delicate for the road and various uses I have? It is spendy, but I never regretted the $2k or so I spent on my G4. Thanks in advance for the help. I have checked out some product review sites, but those are typically not great for getting the straight dope on something.

posted by Flem Snopes to computers & internet (18 comments total)

Battery tests from anandtech

Benchmarks w/ the SSD version

large macworld magazine review

large ars review

Just know that unless you get the $$$ SSD version, logic recording will be very limited. The disk is slow, slower than your powerbook's.
posted by neustile at 10:51 AM on February 8

If you haven't minded carrying your PowerBook G4 around, I'd strongly consider a MacBook vs the Air for your purposes. While the processor is fine in the Air, it's the hard drive that I'd be worried about. It's very, very slow. In fact, it's the same hard drive they use in the 80GB iPod.

I wouldn't be worried about it being too delicate. Everything I've read says the case is very sturdy, and generally, build quality on Apple laptops is top notch.
posted by AaRdVarK at 10:53 AM on February 8

I work in IT at a major academic institution, and although we have yet to actually receive a MacBook Air, there are some things that strike me as worth mentioning.

1. The first, and the thing that irks me the most, is that the entire thing is enclosed, much like an iPod. That's all well and good, until you consider that this also means the battery isn't accessible. No traveling with a spare. No swapping in a second one if the first dies on a long flight. It's stuck. That kills it for me right there, but may not for you.

2. Although the optional 64GB solid state drive has been drawing a lot of oohs-and-ahhs, adding it to the MBA will push the price over $3K, and, from recent reviews I've read - and I can't find any links, I'm sorry to say - show that it really doesn't add much in terms of performance.

Other than that, obviously I can't speak to its durability and such, but you should definitely check out this Ars Technica review. They're always pretty fucking robust - to the point of being comical at times.
posted by kbanas at 10:55 AM on February 8

I've worked on a MacBook Air SSD, and personally use a Core 2 Duo (Santa Rosa) MacBook and a first-gen MacBook Pro. Obviously I haven't worked with the MacBook Air for long, but I dislike it compared with the other two.

If you've worked on one of the modern MacBooks -- the non-Pro ones -- the first thought is that it's not really that much smaller than a MacBook -- it has the same length and width dimensions. It's thinner, but it feels more like they've shaved off the edges of the bottom of a normal MacBook. Where the Air really shines is in the weight; the two pounds are immediately noticable, and the Air is much easier to carry.

The compromises for those two pounds, though, are pretty dire in my opinion. The current-generation MacBook has the Core 2 Duo 2.2 processor, and can be outfitted with a 320GB hard drive and 4GB of RAM in 10 minutes flat by pulling out the battery, removing a single panel, and replacing the components. At that point, you have a damn powerful machine, and cheap, too.

The Air's 64GB SSD drive, if you're used to working with a larger laptop drive, suddenly becomes a huge liability. If you have sample libraries or RAW images, you'll be out of space in no time. Want to attach a hard drive? It's USB only, and you've just used up the only USB port. Want Ethernet to access network drives instead? You have to use the silly little dongle, and it's only 100mbps instead of gigabit. Want to add RAM? The 2GB of RAM is soldered in, and I'll bet you'll really, really want 4GB for Logic and the Adobe apps.

The machine isn't pokey -- it's fine for taking around and web browsing -- but it's really not as fast as the other MacBooks. Battery life is shorter than either the new MacBook or MacBook Pros. I like to have a SuperDrive in my laptops, and the Air doesn't have one, but that's more a matter of how you work -- you can buy an external from Apple.

The Air-specific migration assistant is truly awful. It's completely unreliable at transferring data over wi-fi, and it barely works with the network adapter. Migration Assistant has served me well over the years with other Macs, but this iteration just isn't up to speed yet.

The thing that bothers me the most: it doesn't have a kensington port for a laptop leash. The lack of that basic security feature combined with the Air's one big asset (the light weight) means that it'll be an easy theft target.

Unless the 2-2.5 pounds of added weight really bother you and you really need the portability, both the MacBook and the MacBook Pros are far better machines in every respect.
posted by I EAT TAPAS at 11:09 AM on February 8 [7 favorites]

I have read all the reviews. I have never used one. But here's the core issue for all ultra-portable notebooks: is size your major or only concern? If it is, buy a MBA. Otherwise, buy a normal notebook. Ultra-portables have the worst price/performance ratios out there. Does carrying a MacBook Pro bother you? If not, buy that. Do you do more than email? Buy a MacBook Pro. It's no different from Windows ultra-portables or Tablet PCs in that regard.
posted by GuyZero at 11:22 AM on February 8

It is spendy, but I never regretted the $2k or so I spent on my G4.

Understandable. The MacBook Air is priced where the 12in PowerBook used to be in the lineup.

But it's categorically not the successor to the 12in PowerBook in terms of 'small form factor, power user specs'. Depending on your needs, that niche is now most likely filled by a top-end MacBook.

Given that many 12in PowerBook owners have been waiting to see what fills that gap in the current product line -- or have been reaching the 3-4 year point of ownership where an upgrade seems worthwhile -- the Air isn't generally what they wanted there. It's for a different market.
posted by holgate at 11:37 AM on February 8

Never used an Air, but I've used plenty of Mac laptops.

The Air is, IMO, this decade's version of the Cube. Remember the Cube? Looked beautiful, was groundbreakingly compact, but cost too much and wasn't expandable enough. It got its cult following, but it never really caught on. It was, however, a clear sign of Apple pushing itself and the industry toward compact, minimalist cases. Look at the Mini- it's basically the Cube, only even smaller.

My point is that in 5 years, most consumer laptops will have the Air's feature set at all price points, not just the high end. But for now, it's a showcase product for executives and well-of designers. If you want a laptop to actually do work, get a MB or MBP.
posted by mkultra at 11:38 AM on February 8

It looks like Apple will be having another "event" on the 25th, and there's rumors they'll be announcing a new MacBook Pro, which you might want to wait for.
posted by blue_beetle at 11:54 AM on February 8

It depends. I have two computer uses: one is mindless browsing, shopping or controlling my music or movies from my computer via browser. The biggest, biggest downside is the inability to use it as a portable DVD player.

Besides that, it is a nice status item to have laying around. People come over and want to browse the Internet or whatever. I don't like them using my workstations or even my personal laptop (which I reserve exclusively as business, so it is always ready to go if I have to be somehwere far flung quickly).

But, people really like using it. They think its neat, they treat it nice (versus other laptops I've had) and it gets a lot on the wow factor. I have a typical electronics laden house with music servers, movie servers, several devices, etc. I try to hide everything behind a nice interface and the laptop is really the only way to do that. So might as well have the laptop as a sexy remote control and general purpose machine? Right well it has worked so far.

I would definitely not use it as a main machine, but as an expensive extension it is worth it, in my opinion. Fashion is never priced at an attractive price point, neither is it made to last pass a current trend. Keeping that in mind and realizing that in 24 mo. they'll be something better out, it works quite well.
posted by geoff. at 12:02 PM on February 8

You should not be getting the Air as your primary workstation. Its design is better as a secondary computer for traveling and doing very light app work. For Photoshop, it's going to crawl. Also, realize that it only has 1 USB connector and no other media ports. For recording work, that means you'll need to carry around a hub to accomodate devices and a USB mouse. Add an optical drive and an Ethernet cable and you've practically negated the size and weight benefit of the MBA. Also realize that it's not smaller than the MacBook, only thinner.
posted by junesix at 12:10 PM on February 8

a friend of mine bought one just the other night. she's apparently too busy fondling the damn thing in a lascivious manner to formulate a more analytical review than "it's so coooooooooooooooooooooooooool", but I trust her to come to her senses soon.

I can tell you that she's a writer who travels a lot, so it made a lot of sense to her, because she doesn't really use graphic applications and stuff, it's mostly for writing/internet/iTunes. also, she realizes that just one USb port doesn't make it the most versatile machine, but again she doesn't need that.

I understand the fondling, though, it's a crazily sexy laptop. I wouldn't upgrade my dear old iBook with it, though. I'll probably have to get a MacBook when the time comes, if there are no new products by then
posted by matteo at 12:22 PM on February 8

kbanas: "2. Although the optional 64GB solid state drive has been drawing a lot of oohs-and-ahhs, adding it to the MBA will push the price over $3K, and, from recent reviews I've read - and I can't find any links, I'm sorry to say - show that it really doesn't add much in terms of performance.

Other than that, obviously I can't speak to its durability and such, but you should definitely check out this Ars Technica review. They're always pretty fucking robust - to the point of being comical at times."

One problem with the HDD/SSD comparison in the Ars review is that the two machines had different speed processors, IIRC. Just something to consider.

I still think the SSD is far too expensive to be practical at this juncture. But worth knowing anyway.
posted by phaded at 12:35 PM on February 8

Get the top end MacBook. The Air is a pretty, expensive bauble, and I say that as a fanboi.
posted by unSane at 12:36 PM on February 8 [1 favorite]

But here's the core issue for all ultra-portable notebooks: is size your major or only concern? If it is, buy a MBA. Otherwise, buy a normal notebook. Ultra-portables have the worst price/performance ratios out there.

I wanted to address this comment. I'm a portability geek. Size and weight is my concern. But I'm not buying an MBA because it is the same size as a Macbook in 2 of 3 dimensions! And the weight is offset by all the extras you have to carry around with it.

I disagree with geoff too. Its not even useful as a sexy front-end because the battery life reports have been abysmal (so it is a bit less sexy when it has to be plugged in all the time) and the wireless reception is no great shakes either.

I was one of those waiting to replace my 12" Powerbook - which has been faithful and true and is smaller in 2 of 3 dimensions. And money is not really an object. I would have paid up to $5k for the right laptop. But this isn't it.

It has made me reconsider my philosophy even. I'm probably going to replace my laptop with two laptops:
1) A MacBook or Macbook Pro with great specs and
2) An Asus EEE for when I need *real* portability but still want do Internet/Writing etc.
posted by vacapinta at 12:57 PM on February 8 [1 favorite]

A: No.

Get a MacBook, or black MacBook if you don't mind spending $100 on a color.
posted by panamax at 5:04 PM on February 8

People come over and want to browse the Internet or whatever. I don't like them using my workstations or even my personal laptop (which I reserve exclusively as business, so it is always ready to go if I have to be somehwere far flung quickly).


Multiple Users has been a feature of mainstream OS's for years. Turn it on and stop worrying.
posted by mkultra at 5:42 PM on February 8

Leopard comes with a stock 'guest' account for exactly this.
posted by unSane at 9:38 PM on February 8

Multiple Users has been a feature of mainstream OS's for years. Turn it on and stop worrying.

Yes, just as my backups *should* protect my data, I'm still careful when moving or changing things.

The rub, the main one, is that multiple user accounts, a firewall and an anti-virus should protect me from anything malicious. But of course the cost if any of those were to fail to protect my data is greater than just buying a separate account. Of course I'm no talking about music or movies or anything that could easily be replaced, but confidential financial and contractual information. I like using best practices and physical separation of the data.

Plus if you lock down people can't install the stupid utilities. Instead of preaching best practices to a house guest, I'd rather just give them a laptop and reflash the hard drive with a base image (easy to do).

I disagree with geoff too. Its not even useful as a sexy front-end because the battery life reports have been abysmal (so it is a bit less sexy when it has to be plugged in all the time) and the wireless reception is no great shakes either.

Yes this has been my biggest problem so far. I just kind of dealt with it, we'll see if gets annoying in 6 months. Right now the cool factor is so high that plugging it in has been somewhat of a ritual of use.

In many ways it is like purchasing a Porsche to go to work. Sure others could probably do a better job at a lower price, but the omgthisisofuntodrive factor ways heavily in the Porsche favor.
posted by geoff. at 6:06 PM on February 10