Macbook Air Review

Macbook Air has received mixed reviews from the public. In 2009, the notebook was recognized as being the “World’s Thinnest Notebook.” Weighing less than 3.5 pounds, this laptop is comparable to the weight of air, as indicated by its name. The laptop possesses an aluminum encasing and is thin, portable and lightweight. The Macbook Air is comparable to the diameter of a standard ball point pen. A 13.3 inch widescreen LED display projects high resolution images. The resolution is comparable to its sister products at 1280×800. Macbook Air also features a full size keyboard and a multitouch mouse pad. The battery possesses an ultra thin profile and USB and I/O ports are strategically placed. Consumers may purchase this notebook for approximately $1800.

Though the Macbook Air comes equipped with the impressive Intel 2 Core microprocessors, users have complained that the product is the slowest of the Mac line. This line of microprocessors was designed specifically for the Macbook Air to accommodate the thin profile. Currently, the processors can process data at speeds of 1.6 GHz. Connectivity is often limited with this particular line of notebooks as well.

Another undesirable feature of the Macbook Air is that the battery cannot be replaced by the user. Therefore, an added expense is incurred if the battery should need replacement or upgrade. The good news is that technology changes so rapidly that the consumer is likely to purchase a new laptop before the battery needs a replacement.
Consumers also complained that the existing hard drive was too small and too expensive to upgrade to a SSD hard-drive. The existing hard drive is currently 80 GB. An upgrade to a 64 GB SSD hard drive would cost the consumer nearly $1000. A CPU upgrade will cost $300. The total upgrade, in essence, brings the cost of the laptop to over $3000. At that price, Macbook Air is certainly not the most affordable notebook on the market.

Though, the USB port is strategically hidden, the Macbook Air is only equipped with one port. Therefore, users need an adapter to expand the number of ports offered. In an effort to keep the streamline appearance of the notebook, designers did not offer features such as built-in Ethernet, Firewire, broadband, or an optical drive. However, the notebook possesses a feature that will allow it to wirelessly connect to another system to utilize its optical drive. This feature will not allow users to stream videos via DVD or play CDs, however, it will allow for downloads or other necessary functions. The Apple Macbook Air Superdrive is an external solution for the lack of an optical drive. The device is available for $99. Macbook Air also does not feature an expansion card slot or a media card reader.

Another disadvantage of the Macbook Air is its inability to cope with heat. The notebook’s video capability was inefficient and often overheated during use. Recent Macbook Air models improved these features by adding an improved video card by Nvidia. The Nvidia GeForce 9400M, along with improved memory speeds significantly reduces the heat generated.

Consumers argue about whether this is reasonable choice for consumers considering its limitations. Experts recommend the laptop primarily for those who spend most of their time researching via the web, rather than gaming or producing intense graphical applications. Despite the complaints, most consumers prefer the laptop because of its convenience when traveling. Though the Macbook Air is slower than other laptops in the Mac line, the notebook is still faster than the Sony VAIO TZ150 and the Toshiba Protégé R500. Both of its competitors have slower processors and less memory. The sleeker design and high tech appearance encourage consumers to select the Macbook Air over its competitors.

The laptop possesses an ambient light sensor that adjusts to the brightness of the room. Consumers may also enjoy the iSight camera that allows web discussions and image capture. Users remark on the ease of use of the track pad that allows consumer to vary keystrokes to perform advanced functions. For instance, the consumer can scroll through a document with two fingers moving in synch simultaneously.

When placed in a comparison with its competitors, Sony Vaio, Toshiba Protégé R500, and Apple Macbook Core 2 Duo, Macbook Air consistently outperforms external competitors in all categories except one. However, the Macbook Air still has to show some improvement before competing with the Apple Macbook Core 2 Duo. Each notebook was rated in the following categories:

• Multimedia Multitasking Test
• Adobe Photoshop Image Processing
• Apple iTunes Encoding
• DVD Battery Drain Test

The Macbook Air came in second behind Macbook Core 2 Duo in Multmedia Multitasking Test, Adobe Photoshop Image Processing and Apple iTunes Encoding. Both Macbook Core 2 Duo and Sony Vaio performed better than the Macbook Air in terms of the DVD Battery Drain Test.

Since its inception, the price point for the Macbook Air has improved. Advanced technology has allowed the company to offer the notebook to consumers at affordable prices. The second phase of Macbook Air notebooks was offered to the public for a price of $1500 and $1800. The $1500 notebook offered consumers a 1.86 GHz processor and 120 GB hard drive. On the other hand, the $1800 model comes equipped with a 2.13 GHz Core 2 Duo processor and a 128 GB solid state drive. After 18 months elapsed, a Macbook Air with all of its premium features could be purchased for nearly $1300. This includes the 330 MHz additional processing power and twice the storage. A base Macbook Air model is sold for around $900. This model also contains twice the hard drive space and a slight increase in the data processing speeds.

Consumers may also obtain free Macbook Air notebooks through a variety of means. Free Macbook Air notebooks may be obtained by conducting a review for various companies. Apple has also awarded free Macbook Air notebooks to various companies as promotional gifts. Survey companies also award free Macbook Air notebooks as compensation for completion of a number of surveys. Consumers can search the web for free Macbook Air notebook offers. Free offers are often plentiful when the product is initially introduced to aid in the exposure of Apple’s premier product to the public.