More Book for Your Buck

Apple just rolled out new and improved MacBooks (and Pros) but the form factor and materials remain unchanged. The new "low end" MacBook Pro, at 2.4 GHz and with 256MB of VRAM, is a scorcher, and for everyday general purpose use, I really don't see why anyone would feel the need for (even more) speed (famous last words, I know!). It's an incredible value at $1999 and makes you wonder about that $200 price gap between the MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air; well, that difference, it just got more pronounced. The MacBook Pro is about double the weight but it's also (almost) twice as fast. Throw in a removable battery, built-in Ethernet, built-in Firewire, built-in optical drive & a hard drive that is more than twice as large and you're making a very compelling argument for ditching the MacBook Air and going back to a regular form factor computer. Now you may be wondering: how I can pen this after saying, not even 2 weeks ago, that I was a MacBook Air believer? The answer is that I'm still a believer, but I just don't move around (with my laptop) that much that I need this ultra-portability. Still, the keyboard and the ultra-quiet nature of the MacBook Air is keeping me Air-bound. For now... And therein, as the Bard would tell us, lies the rub: when the MacBook Air 1st came out, it compared quite favorably to the existing MacBooks, both in terms of speed and looks. While the MacBooks were bound to be speed-bumped (and as technology marches on, so will the MacBook Air get speed-bumped one day), what about design-bumps for the MacBook and MacBook Pro? The major appeal of the MacBook Air has got to be its sleek form factor, just like those models on the runways in Paris and Milan: slim & sexy (though the similarities don't end there, since both have been accused of being perhaps too slim!). The debate about the pros and cons of the MacBook Air will get more pronounced when the form factor of MacBooks changes. Can't wait to see what Apple does at that time to retain the MacBook Air's value...

MacBook Air Makes A Believer Out of Me

So, there's this post out there where I'm quoted as saying that "the MacBook Air is Apple's next Cube. Yes, it's sexy & all that, but how can you justify spending $700 more just to fit your laptop in an envelope?" My initial skepticism was based on reservations about the slower processor, the non-removable battery & the lack of Firewire ports- of course, more limitations in an Apple product directly translates into more opportunities for FastMac, but that's another story. To me, it seemed like Apple was trying too hard to make the thinnest computer in the world instead of the best sub-notebook in the world. Would a few more millimeters really prevent it from being the sexiest laptop ever?

Well, that was before I got my hands on one... For the last 2 weeks, I've been playing around, er, I mean, testing the MacBook Air and comparing it to other portables like the plain ol' MacBook & MacBook Pro and the one thing that is standing out for me is solid build quality and the keyboard, which is the most important element (to me) when deciding on a computer model. Looking back at all the laptops I've used since being "Welcomed to the Mac," I can honestly say that the MacBook Air keyboard comes closest to approximating the feel of the PowerBook 160 keyboard (yeah, I know, I just dated myself, but hey- let's not get distracted!). The other thing I like about it is the trackpad, not the iPhone-esque multi-touch gestures but the non-slip nature of the pad itself. In my experience, the trackpad in the MacBook causes the cursor to jump all over the place whereas the MacBook Pro has the perfect trackpad and cursor behavior. In some ways, the MacBook Air borrows a few Pro features & feels like a MacBook Plus, making it the perfect laptop for busy (and harried) executives like me.

"Disappointment haunted all my dreams...
Then I saw her face
Now I'm a believer!
Not a trace of doubt in my mind
I'm in love (ooh yeah)
I'm a believer!
I couldn't leave her if I tried..."
-- The Monkees