MacBook Air Review

The Macbook air is just incredible! I'm tempted to switch to Mac just so i can play around with it! All future Mirai Inc employees gets one? Where do i send my resume? ^^

As an undergrad and part time developer, YES I use the extension cable. In fact, I use only that cable! The short brick only is great, but the cable just isn't long enough to reach most power sources I'm forced to use. Unless the power is on the table or table height wall right next to the table, it's useless to me to have the brick without the cable. Another nice thing about the cable is that most power sources I use are filled, and those bricks tend to take up more plug space than they need to. Part of that is because I have the older "big" power brick for MacBook Pros.

1st post here ^_^' I just switched my last PC (desktop... well it dies pitifully) to an 24" iMac with a dual 20" monitor. My wife and I together own an iMac, a Macbook and a Macbook Pro. I bring my MBP to work everyday and will love to have a Macbook Air instead. However, without any way to switch battery on the fly is keeping me from upgrading (I have 2 batteries for my MBP). Also the screen size concerns me too.

I would kill for a Macbook. That way I don't have to rush home just to use the computer...

I'm fairly sedentary, though some days I do get to walk around the office a lot - mainly bouncing between the developers' macs and my PC and phone. When the weather warms up I'll start walking again during lunch.

Word of advice about upgrading (if you're not doing a clean install)from Tiger to Leopard, make sure to run the Permission and disk repairs from the Leopard DVD Disk Utility. Did that on two machines and the upgraded fine. The one that I didn't do it on didn't upgrade fine at all. Oh and backup, backup, backup.

I just bought a new Mac Pro tower last week end. It's freakin sweet. I'm not a big fan of laptops, I'm more of a tower person. The fact that the MacBook Air lacks a DVD drive, makes it a definite "no" for me as well.

Your pictures are very nice and this new mac is amazing ^^

No manila folder included? what a shame. The name comes from the material from which those folders are made http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manila_hemp

Danny, what are the specs on that book? At least tell us the processor and 3d-mark test or something?

Exalht dragon,
Didn't want to repeat myself and bore you - the link from this article has all the specs.
http://www.dannychoo.com/blogg_post/eng/1342/

I don't suppose you are looking for any overseas assistants or anything...boy would I love to work for you!!!

Now I want that laptop. Screw the Toshiba laptop I own, MacBook Air!!! Now I want it. Man, I wish my Iphone can go online >_

A MacBook Air would be great for me next year, I would probably be on the move... Hope the prices fall down, even if it's just abit...

Eh, I'm not very thrilled about the Macbook Air because of the design decisions, such as mono sound, MagSafe location, and the annoyance of the USB port (many flash drives and wireless adapters will not fit)... I also hear the battery life is abysmal, nothing near Apple's advertised life of 5 hours.

The SSD also offers barely any improvement other than the fact that the SSD Air will not suffer from the same high-disk-reading problems that the HDD Air suffers from under heavy load.

It's a nice laptop for few people I guess.
I wouldn't buy it though.
There are several reasons...

Slick looking unit indeed.

Manilla Folders were created in Manilla so they owe the capital of the Phillipines for it.

I use the fat power cable. I like to use my macbook while sitting back on my couch, and I need the extra length. The brick itself also has a tendency to fall out of my outlets.

I saw the MacBook Air at the Apple store. Yes it's thin, but it's too small and not as light as I thought it should be. I paid half of what the Air costs for my HP DV6000, and the screen is bigger, brighter and it feels more rugged than the dainty MacBook Air.

Am wanting a Macbook Pro myself. Not too keen with the Air but I absolutely love their multi-touch capabilities. Too bad it's only available on the Air atm ^^;

The iTouch is a lad expensive over here, with the 32GB model going for a little over 800 SGD.

Hope I can get a Macbook Pro myself this year!

Hey Danny, its called Manila Envelope because its made out manila paper, manila paper is made out of manila hemp which is from a banana tree like plant called abaka/abaca a plant native to the Philippines. ^^

Well, i admit the Macbook Air looks neat, so thin... it's like a snap of future. I still prefer the Dennou Coil glasses though... nothing can beat that imo. :P

I used to have a Macbook Pro with all goodies in it you could have, was owned by my company which went bankrupt though. But it was nice to work... though my new Laptop now is a normal PC thingie with Vista (yea now flamewar me lol), honestly i like to play MMOs and if i travel i would hate to not being able to play them when i'm alone in the hotel room at night. So i got me a nice LG Laptop with a load of performance on it's board.

In any case, if it wasn't for the fact of playing games i would always stick with a Macbook Pro.
(It makes a better overall image at presentations too, sort of more professional lol.. don't ask me why it just does that to me.)

Issuing Macs for all future employees you say...

On a completely unrelated note; can I have a job? :P

thanks for your quick reply dhanny

I envy the employees ^^;

OK, ok, but can you do ASAP a webclip, it will look great with Mirai on my Iphone ^^

And if you got few hours, a Dannchoo.com mobile will be great, even if i can use the Safarai zoom, it will be perfect a mobile version of the site ^^
Thanks in advance Danny :O)

Ps: Where are the Gundams updates?

About that iPod Touch; did your aptly named 'impulse buying-lingus' get the best of you again?

32GB < 60GB :O

I do enjoy using the thick extension cord because I can leave it plugged into a hard-to-reach outlet near my desk; and then I can easily remove the powerbrick when I need portable power.

i've heard that some tech reviewers benchmarked the MacBook Air with the other Mac notebook family and it was the slowest in the MacBook family o___o

but i love to have a MacBook Air but the price is way beyond my financial capabilities and the lack of an optical drive and the inability to replace the battery is a bit of a turn-off o____o

Manila envelope was originally made from manila hemp or abaca ^^

No wonder my friend were hell bent getting this at any cost.

Now I'm still sitting on my lovely chair with the pleasure of looking at the four walls.

Will get a macbook pro when I farewell to my chair. Air has the look but still not what I'm looking for =X

wouldn't mind the lightness.. my hp is like.. 4 kilos.. :(

in my arean i need a heavy duty processor and even a graphics card.. and dvd burner so this is out for me..though normal everyday use.. might be.. atleast need 2 usb.. portable hard drive an a mouse.. (hate the touch pad with gusto ! )

DAMN THAT THING IS THINNNNNNNNN!. Danny. you always get the good stuff [_[ LOL XD

just ordered a new macbookpro and a 32gb ipod touch along with final cut pro studio2 as well....still waiting for them to arrive though

WhOOA...So CooL :)
great pic Danny ^^

looks great but isn't the kind of notebook that fits my lifestyle.

Thinkpad just released a better version of a thin computer. the x300 it is the same size as the air but has 3 usb ports and they aren't positioned so badly that you can't even put in a 3m thumb drive.

Still not swayed until I see it for real. What did intrigue me though is Mirai Inc is developing apps for Touch with the new SDK. Does that mean there's a chance I'll be testing them out first before its public??! Ooooh yeah! I hope so

Though a MacBook Air is extremely tempting, I beg to differ that there is another cheaper yet just as light alternative to the MacBook Air.

The Asus Eee Pc. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asus_eee_pc

Starting at dirt cheap price of US $299, it is definitely for those on the go. Only concession is lack of disk space and the Linux OS which can be remedied by using an external hard disk to store data and install the OS.

So if MacBook Air wants to have more buyers, it must definitely have more features in its next update.

To do list:

1. Buy iPhone.
2. Buy MacBook Air.
3. Send resume to Danny.

220,000 yen.. wow that's like a whole month salary for some.. >_<

Was thinking that the MacBook Air should be my next purchase...

But then after a couple of months, something even better might come along... Should I wait? Decisions... decisions...

I just wish the screen was a little bigger. I don't know how you code on a screen that small. It would kill me.

a macbook air is just what i need for college. shame itts bout £1,500 too far outta my price range.

hmmmm......i wonder how long it will be till the macbook pro goes down in price? =03

I actually use the extension cable because the power outlet isn't very close to where I use my macbook pro for work.

Very good review Danny. You gave me a better idea who the Macbook Air is geared towards and I am happy that I did not wait for the Air. I purchased my Macbook Pro in Dec. and I couldn't be happier with it.

Also, how does one join the ranks of Mirai Inc.? ;)

Very nice review. It still looks as good as Jobs said in his keynote ^^;

But I would rather want to buy a MacBook Pro for my next laptop. Because I still need some Windows, I like the BootCamp feature so that you can run both Mac OS and Windows on the same machine (not in parallel, but that don't matter to me, I don't have a need to switch between OSes with a click of a button).
I'd love to have an Ipod Touch though, because it has like WiFi & a browser ^^ No Iphone, as I just bought a new phone a year ago (has it really been that long?), and they aren't available in Belgium, and they won't be very soon either.

wahhh envious of the people you're hiring! XD We went to an apple store when the husband was at San Jose for work, checked out Macbook Air, very thin and light indeed! o_o

Mac Air is really nice indeed but I am having a hard time to justify the price ^^;;. I am more of a Desktop guy so I would rather spend $2000 on PC hardware.

If I want to buy a MAC, I will prolly get a Mac Book Pro.

Someone mentioned about Asus EEE PC. I bought one for my Dad's birthday present and played around with it for a bit. It's good for web browsing, watching movies, documents, however, I don't think it can handle heavy duty tasks. In addition, it only has 4 GB hdd and 512 RAM. You can add more RAM but it will cost more :(.

In comparison, MacBook Air specs are clearly above Asus EEE pc.

>エロゲ雑誌より薄い。
爆笑。

I really like the design, but for the price and functionality it doesn't do justice. I really think it's only good for the looks and design for fashion, but for functionality and small size laptops id rather go with sony's TZ or SZ where it is small (not the SMALLETST compared to AIR) but it does the job right. Packed with functionality and for the price is well worth it. I'd get a AIR but probably just for fun...nice design though, otherwise i think its a waste of $ for functionality.

Hey cool, I visit dannychoo.com everyday on my iphone. Nothing beats having the web in the palm of your hand, well, exept if you have laptop.

Truly amazing...a co-worker of mine bought one for his home laptop and its incredible that its the next best thing an its half the size!

I am behind the times, I haven't seen one of these yet. Is this true wireless like the iPhone? I didn't see the slot for the cell card. If that is built in... I MUST HAVE! I currently have a windows machine with 3G for my portable. I would love taking my MAC for a spin, but backpacking a tower aint no fun... ^_^

Cool review of the MBA, seems to be a good stuff to keep your bag lighter ... and Fauna Pantsu FTW ^^

Danny I dont know how you can survive without the extension cable. I can be in class and be 3 meteres awy form a plug and still get power. Really useful.

And I just carry it around, if anything you can unplug it and plug in the little thing if you want it.

I actually do use the extension -I thought it was rather cool they added it, imo...

MBA looks nice. I'll stick with my MBP..

Very nice indeed. Hire me! I'd clean, cook, and mop the floor for you.

Anyway, I just gotten myself a ipod touch too, and i'm loving it.

No me, hire me! I'll do any jobs you give me, >_< , O_o . But wow, nice computer and office, =D .

Does anybody know why a Manila Envelope is called a "Manila Envelope"?

They're made of Manila hemp, named after Manila, Philippines, which is indigenous to the said country.

Hmmm... Normally, I spend about 13-14 out my house eveyday on work days, and I always take with me a lot of things, like PSP or DS(depends), mangas,resin kits or miniatures(to paint) and, of course, my portatil. mine is a HP Pavillion, that is a bit tougher that yours...

Maybe you are asking yourself: "How can anybody carring all day with all that stuff?". No problem, I have a strong back, lol!!

MacBook air??? how did they put some chips in that thin laptop? They give some hard thinking, the parts is to small and the HD is too small to use.And why the Manila envelop called "Manila" eh in philippines there is a city called "manila"? Why?

well i'll say that i don't really need a laptop like that cuz i'm not really on the move and besides that laptops get either lost or stolen here

The pictures of the MBA make it look really fat. Maybe the angle, hmmm.

Maybe i should get one to play with. I did tried a few time. But when someone asked me how to uninstall a applications. I was WTF! where s it? ^^;;

wow Danny you're so generous! hehe ^___^

wish Mac didn't cost that much here in the philippines .. T__T damn taxes and import fees..

I'm not sold on the MacBook Air or Apple's technology since the iPod. I think the company is just releasing anything now. The iPhone is pretty lackluster. Who are they trying to sell this MacBook to? If you are on the move, there are many cheaper notebooks that are available.

Is this the best strategy Apple can think of at this point? Slimming down their existing products is the only thing they have offered for the past few years. They slimmed down the iPod like 4 times. The Apple desktop was garnished. What's going to happen when they run out of products?

Man, Danny, what do you say to your wife to get to keep all those figures and ero magazines?

I for one won't be lusting for one of these. It's only good for a second computer, and I hate the idea of having to dish out extra money just for Ethernet.

If I were to choose I'd probably go with the MBP than the MBA. I like to get more out of my computers and if I were to get a MBA just for mail, powerpoint and all that simple office stuff then I'd rather spend all that money on figures and photobooks. ^^ I'd be more satisfied. I still can't see the practicality of the MBA unless you have overflowing source of moolah. heheh

ritchan,
Its all part of work - no explaining needed ^^;

GTR,
Love the Chii avatar ^^

Alafista, BB,
Will post job openings soon.

wanderingdjさん、
ようこそです!

Ninja Mari,
Go get it - will be a while before they release a new Air (I think...)

FatB,
Yes!

KCA,
There are a few from time to time in the news items.

Dang.. Danny... Wow.I was going to get a macbook but the price is a little Blah. Anyways did you know the mac-book has a tablet-pc version? I was going to get it but I still got my tx1000z and my alienware. Not sure if the mac-book is a good choice because of it size.Nevertheless crazy. How much did it cost you?

Nyaa~ I like your room...

Well I'm not into Mac Stuff >.

aww, too bad you don't get to keep it.

Cool, I use a 1.83ghz, 80gig internal, 250 gig firewire external, 512mb of ram for all of my graphics work and anime needs. I really need to upgrade the ram.

want.............

lucky wife !

don't give it to the chief technologist, just hide it somewhere *looks at eroge=

I will kill my Acer laptop after I got those Mac *grins*

LoL Macbook air vs. Old g4 Powerbook vs. Fauna's Pantsu ...
FAUNA WINS!! XD haha

I think for all it is, the Air is probably not worth it. I mean, if it's really supposed to be used as a simple machine to take for internet access and such, then the price in all honesty really shouldn't be so high. That's just my take on things though.

Do you think they'll update the Air at WWDC?! Hope they do!

too poor to buy a mac at the moment ^^
but i love my Dell Laptop. it is amazing.
i dont know why you(Danny) don't like DEll ?