[SirRubberAhoy]

OK, so I am looking at getting a Mac. Not an iMac, I need a notebook. I am mainly looking at getting a MacBook Air because it is very portable. But, is it worth it? The processor is only 1.6 (or 1.8) GHz, versus the MacBook Pro, which is somewhere in the 2 range.

So I must ask:
Should I get Air, Pro, or a regular old MacBook? I need to take price and quality and things like that into consideration, so which one can I get the most out of with the least money?

[Headrush]

Unless you really need the "extra" portability of the MacBook Air, I would say get the MBP instead, an overall better machine.

For the $200 more the MBP, much faster CPU, bigger LCD, faster video option, much bigger HD.

But it all depends on what your needs are?

[ferrija1]

Air - Not a great first Mac. You've got to grasp Steve Job's concept of computing before you can use a computer with 4 ports on it. It thin, it's stylish, and it's less than functional.

Pro - I have a 15 inch, and it's perfect. Plenty of power, a super bright screen, and it's just the right size. As for the 17 inch, I heard it's too big, but alas it packs a punch.

MacBook - A great all around computer, but if you want to edit video or use apps like Photoshop it may disappoint. It's prominent disadvantages are a smaller screen and shared video memory.

I would start looking at a MacBook, then a MacBook Pro.

[dannyn]

air:
very cool i love it
too bad its so slow.
it has limited usb ports and the one it has, some bigger usb devices cant fit in.
that blows the deal for me!

[Speakersrock]

yeah, unless you really need a notebook that is so light and slim as the Macbook air....its not a good buy.

[tomdkat]

Originally Posted by ferrija1

Air - Not a great first Mac. You've got to grasp Steve Job's concept of computing before you can use a computer with 4 ports on it. It thin, it's stylish, and it's less than functional.

What do you mean?

Peace...

[Serge_N_Gin]

I tend to agree with the Air not being a great first Mac .... smaller HD with no optical drive, soldered on 2GBs of RAM with no option to expand, no Ethernet port (you need a dongle and AFAIK, it only has 100mbps and not Gigabit Ethernet capabilities, for me this really place the Air into the "admire but don't buy" catagory with regards to quality for money spent .... I'm not saying the Air doesn't have it's own niche, but I personally wouldn't recommend it for everyone and especially not for someone looking to buy their first Mac. A current generation MacBook is much more of a better investment.

This review from Associated Content more or less sums up my feeling on the MBA:

Is MacBook Air worth the cost? Steve Jobs unveiled the new Macbook, the MacBook Air, at Macworld. With a sleeker, slim and light look, the MacBook Air has an $1800 price tag attached to it. Is it really worth shelling out that much money for a laptop?

Money is a different thing to different people. Some people have the money to blow on things that are extremely extravagant, while others have very little money and can only afford the essentials.

In this light, is the MacBook Air essential as far as computer go? No it is not. The MacBook Air is an extravagant item that should only be bought by people who can afford to spend their money on frivolous things.

While the MacBook Air is probably a great laptop, with a large 80 gigabyte hard drive, a built in camera and all the bells and whistles, it is not worth $1800 to the normal working man or woman. While many of us might want them, the urge to buy the Macbook Air must be fought, at least until the price comes down.

With that said, the MacBook Air might have a great purpose in the business world. The laptop might be a great companion for frequent business travelers who have to lug around a bigger and bulkier laptop to all of their meetings and conferences in different cities. To these people, a smaller and lighter laptop that still has great performance would be a great thing to have. If your company will pick up the tab, I say go for the MacBook Air. It's worth a shot at asking, right?

These days, $1800 is a lot for a laptop. A while ago, that price would have been on the cheaper end of laptops, but in today's market the price is just too much to make the laptop worth it to a normal individual, but if you are a frequent business traveler, or just a computer geek who has saved up his money for this purpose than I say go ahead, its worth it. Everyone needs a treat.

Don't forget, however, that the price will eventually come down after the buzz wears off. It happened with the iPod and the iPhone, it will happen with the MacBook Air.

.

[tomdkat]

Originally Posted by Serge_N_Gin

I tend to agree with the Air not being a great first Mac .... smaller HD with no optical drive, soldered on 2GBs of RAM with no option to expand, no Ethernet port (you need a dongle and AFAIK, it only has 100mbps and not Gigabit Ethernet capabilities,

Gotcha. Thanks!

Peace...

[pillainp]

Originally Posted by ferrija1

Air - .........You've got to grasp Steve Job's concept of computing.......

Simply put, this means: "You pay me more, I give you less, and you love it baby!!!

On a more serious note though, if you use a lot of peripheral stuff, say a mouse, maybe, and an external HDD (for Time Machine), and an external DVD writer (although who uses optical media nowadays, right...), or, God Forbid, you find yourself stuck in some underdeveloped part of the world where WiFi (free public or closed Organisation) does not exist (a large part of the good old US and most of the rest of the world), you will find yourself carrying:

1) MB Air
2) Manilla Envelope
3) Ext. DVD Writer
3) USB Network Device
4) USB WebCam
5) USB Hub
6) Power brick (No replaceable battery, so no extra battery pack)
7) External HDD for TM and extra storage
7) Bag large enough to carry all this stuff

Wow, that's a light load...

[Rant]Now if I had been dumb enough to buy another laptop, or an MBP maybe...

But where would a person be without style!

If you've got it, flaunt it!!! (even if you cannot do anything meaningful with it)[/Rant]

[macfan777]

Well, the USB webcam is completely redundant (the Air has one) and I've seen 4-port self-powered USB hubs that are 1" square and 1/3" thick. Apple's power brick is tiny as well, and the MB Air SuperDrive is barely larger than the disc itself and super thin. There are also very small hard drives that are about the size of a small paperback book. So really, I don't see what's so large about it.

Of course, the Air isn't for everyone. But for portability (and style, too), it's the best.

[Speakersrock]

Originally Posted by IMAntiSym1

Well, the USB webcam is completely redundant (the Air has one) and I've seen 4-port self-powered USB hubs that are 1" square and 1/3" thick. Apple's power brick is tiny as well, and the MB Air SuperDrive is barely larger than the disc itself and super thin. There are also very small hard drives that are about the size of a small paperback book. So really, I don't see what's so large about it.

Of course, the Air isn't for everyone. But for portability (and style, too), it's the best.

yeah, maybe true, but in perspective, who's going to want to carry all that around?!
You get into a meeting, sit down, oh sorry hang on, I just have to unpack my 20 peripherals which are so light and small I usually forget to pack!

[SweaterVest014]

I would get the MacBook Pro if money was no object, but since it is, I would get a mid-level MacBook.

[Chippy569]

with things like the eeepc and etc., the air's "niche" is even more constricted... man those little teeny tiny PC's run rampant at my university.