I am really fascinated by the MacBook Air, and am thinking about getting one. How do I know if the MacBook Air is right for me?
The MacBook Air really is a fascinating computer, but there area few differences between the MB Air and a traditional laptop that target the Air to a very specific demographic. So the question is, do you fit into that demographic? Will you benefit from the MB Air’s features, and will you miss the features that have been omitted from its design?
Features of the MacBook Air
The MacBook Air is an ultra-thin, extremely light laptop designed for extreme portability. The Air offers the option of a solid-state drive, which performs the same drive as a traditional hard drive, but without the moving parts. Solid state drives are more expensive that hard drives, but offer a slight performance boost.
In order to build such a small laptop, a number of features had to be omitted from its design. So what is the MacBook Air missing?
- There is no CD or DVD drive. In fact, there is no removable media of any kind. You need to either get a USB drive, or the Air’s Remote Disc feature to read from the drive of another computer.
- There is no Firewire port, and only one USB port.
- There is no ethernet port. The MacBook Air depends uses wireless networking to get you online.
- There are no slots for expansion cards.
In addition to the features that have been omitted, many of the MacBook Air’s internal parts are locked in place, out of reach, and not meant to be serviced by anyone but Apple.
Who Should Get a MacBook Air
Apple has built an ultra-portable laptop in the Air by omitting a number of ports, drives, and other features that come standard in traditional laptops. The exclusion of these features is a careful give and take — someone who has a real need for a computer like the Air may view those features as amenities rather than necessities. The goal of its design, and its biggest selling point, is its form. The MacBook Air is for someone who is on the go and requires a computer that won’t hold them back, weight them down, or take up much space. In short, you by the Air for its size and shape.
Are You Convinced?
Have you decided that the MacBook Air is right for you? Did this article help you decide? If so, take a look at the MacBook Air
