Customer Reviews

Apple MacBook Air MC233LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop (OLD VERSION)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I'm a PC, but I'm also a Mac. A Macbook Air (MBA) to be exact. I'm very much into design so it just made sense. I first considered something like the Dell Adamo, Latitude Z or the HP ENVY13, But the Dells were heavily under-powered processor-wise. The HP was crazy powerful, but heftier than I would have liked. The Latitude's Euro design gave the MBA's design a run for it money, but it starts at over two grand and you'll easily knock on $2500 with the bells and whistles, Yikes! The HP ENVY 13 is very powerful and the only ultra-portable with the i7 processor. But for what I'll be using this for, the mobility and price is more important to me. The Adamo seemed to match the price and features of the Macbook Air best, but finding that the design, feature and price pretty much a draw (I personally thought the MBA had a very small edge on Design), I settled on the MBA because of the fact that I can run Windows 7 as well as Mac OS X(which I also use for different purposes)and the better build quality. I have to say, the unibody design really makes the thing feel as if it was carved from one piece of aluminum. There's minimal flex to speak of. Closed, it just feels so nice in your hands.

The 1.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor is a lot better than the 1.2 and 1.4 that are available in the Dells; more than enough for my usage. This might have been a bit meek had I not already had an Intel Core 2 Quad Desktop computer at home. This also made HP ENVY pointless.

The screen is more than adequate and much better than a netbook. Since it's so light, it really can go anywhere a netbook can. The nice Keyboard and trackpad was also refreshing.

The Solid State Drive is also nice, but after some usage, I really don't find them all that different from a standard HD, perhaps a bit faster, but not that noticeable. It certainly is cooler and less noisy. Some users have complained about it getting a bit warm, but I'm thinking they've got an HD instead of an SSD.

And now for the few CONs:

No optical drive - since I won't be needing this too often it's not a big deal. I already have an external Blu-Ray Drive that I used to install everything. Once that was done, I can only image using it for an occasion Blu-Ray/DVD movie, but even this will be rare, unless I'm in a hotel room somewhere and bore out of my mind.

Connectivity:
No Ethernet, big deal! It's all about wireless!

Weird Mini Display port - also not a big deal since I don't imaging connecting an external monitor to this much.

Only one USB - This one, I admit, is pretty significant. It was a bit of hassle to swap USB devices a bit, but again, I only use multiple devices a handful of times (mainly a USB DJ Console Mixer and an external USB HD containing the music I want to mix). I got a little griffin USB "Splitter" which was nothing more than a very tiny USB Hub, but it did have some trouble getting enough power to the HD from this one USB port, so I did have to add a USB power cable to the mix (the audio was clipping heavily during mixing and transition). So keep that in mind if you're planning to daisy-chain three hard drives, a soda cooler and a reading light to the USB port- just don't. It works fine with the majority of other (low powered) USB devices.
RAM - Here's the other big CON! While 2GB of RAM will probably be ok for now, but I would have loved having the option of adding more. I have 8GB on my desktop and I actually use it (photo and video editing, media center functions, terminal services, etc.)! While I'm not doing much of that (maybe a little Photoshoping) on this thing, all it takes is that killer application that requires at least 4GB of RAM that I can't use that will drive me nuts!

I have a first generation Macbook Pro from work and I always loved the design of it. This takes things to the next level. I'm primarily a Windows user, and this seems to work a bit more seamlessly with Windows than the Macbook Pro(although with the latest drivers and software updates for bootcamp from apple, it got better). It's kinda odd that I went with an Mac to run Windows, but it was a calculated choice. Had I been looking for a full-function laptop, it would have likely been an HP or Dell.

I love my MBA. I travel a lot and the weight was my primary concern. This machine is great it does everything I need it to do. Because the computing world is mostly in the cloud these days all you really need is a device to connect wireless or wire up with the included USB LAN adapter. I travel internationally so skype is my primary means of communication. The camera and microphone are great. The MBA is the Ipad with a camera. If you travel and don't want to lug a lot of weight get an MBA

I absolutely love the MacAir - it's very light, has many more features than a PC, it's faster, everyday I find new things that I'm impressed with. My only complaint is the brief manual does not make going from a PC to a Mac very easy. I have used computers for many years but I am not a whiz with computers. I have not gone through the tutorials on line - which I may have to do. I purchased a book that claimed it explained everything you needed to know about converting from a PC to a Mac - very disappointed. I like to "read" from a manual/book how to do something specific. That's the only reason for a 4 Star.

I just got the new 2.13/256 Mac Air and had the same in previous version prior to this one. Only thing the new MBA lacks, in my opinion, is the backlit keyboard. Come on Apple...a $$$$ unit like this and no lighted keyboard?????

the apple air is great, even this older hard drive model (the new ones run flash memory virtual discs, this one has a standard hard disc)...but...it reached me with a bad ding in a corner of the case cover, still works ok, but won't close 100%, and, frankly, it looks like 6/10 more than 9/10...my 2 cts.

After battling Windows Vista, I went out and bought three more Macs. A Macbook Pro, a Mac Mini and a Macbook Air. A year and a half later I've learned my lesson. Despite their advertising, they are not very well made. Despite the hype, the operating system is quirky. They don't play well with otherwise stellar products like Logitech mice and they don't last. Why didn't I get a clue when, of two old Powerbooks, one had the motherboard replaced TWICE. The mac mini is the slowest machine I own. Safari is not loved by some websites (ie Audio Digest). The Macbook Air has been back to Apple twice. Once for a hinge issue, the second time for a new hard drive and motherboard. The Macbook Pro. suspiciously, has had no problems. So three out of five Apple computers have failed. Reassuring stats? No.

Scared yet? Just wait. I have Applecare. You HAVE to have Applecare. Applecare is to a Mac as boiling is to Mexican river water. More $$$$$$? Not to worry. Apple knows we're all loaded and that money is not an issue. Even suggest to a Genius that something in your Mac shouldn't have failed and that you didn't buy Applecare and they will look at you like you offered to pre-chew their food for them.

I really love my Macbook Air despite its lack of firewire, dinky hard drive, no audio in HDMI, its one lonely USB connection and fixed memory. I built my website on it. It has traveled around the world with me though all my pics in Paris were somehow corrupted. iPhoto? Snow Leopard? The Air? Hey who knows? Now it sits at home, grounded like a bad teen who lost your files and wrecked a hard drive. It is the worst thing that can happen to a computer... you don't trust it. And you don't have Paris.

But it still does what it was designed to do: show the plebeians at any WiFi hotspot (via its little glowing Apple) that you either print your own money or haven't a clue what "value for money" is

As much as I like it, I will only be able to use it until it fails out of warranty. The repair for the first HD and motherboard were only slightly less than a new Air and were covered by Applecare. I'm not going to put any more of my own money into this thing.

Bright side? I still have one year left on Applecare and though I paid three to four times what a Windows-based laptop would have cost, in Apple-speak, I should be happy.