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Portability is king in most Laptop circles. We have watched the development of UMPC
devices, larger screen phones and the merging of UMPC's and ultra portables like the ASUS
Eee PC. While there are some good, very portable devices on the market today most of them
leave somthing to be desired. For example on UMPC's you are stuck with a 7" screen and a
lack luster processor. On some ultra portable laptops you get a larger 9" to 12" screen with
fair useability. The MacBook Air approaches things in a shall we say an Applelistic (Could be
a new Bushism) way, clean lines and very, very thin.

The specifications of the Air are not super ground breaking. What is amazing is the weight of
the laptop and the clarity of the 13.3" screen. Listed are the deminsions of the Air.

Height:0.16-0.76 inch (0.4-1.94 cm)
Width:12.8 inches (32.5 cm)
Depth:8.94 inches (22.7 cm)
Weight:3.0 pounds (1.36 kg)1

The specs state 3 lbs. but it feels much lighter to me. My HP and Asus Tablet PC's weight
around 5 lbs. but have 12" screens. The Air opens and closes with a magnetic latch. The
wide, backlit LED screen is very bright and clear. The keyboard keys light up for nightime use
and there's a built-in ambient light sensor. Just below the keyboard is a huge track-pad. The
track-pad is where a bit of iPhone is thrown in. I watched Bryan resize pictures using his
thumb and fingers in a pinch motion. Although I didnt see it, I was told that the power cord
attaches via magnet, very cool.

Bryan has been a Windows user for many years and as with other people I have interviewed who
have used both Windows machines and Macs the majority prefer the Mac's Leopard OS. Bryan
was no exception, It seemed to me watching Bryan navigate around the different applications
that the move to Leopard was not hard for him. The other thing I noticed was the speed of the
system. Navigating from app to app was fast and smooth. Speed and slimness aside, something
had to be missing. You can't have portability, a large screen and speed in a system this size.
Something had to be missing here. What was Bryan not sharing with me?

To maintain its runway model-like profile, the Air has a lack of ports, only one USB port, one port
for video output to a larger screen, and a single jack for earpbuds. That's all. If needed you will
pay $29 for a "dongle" that plugs into the USB port to allow the Air to be plugged into an Ethernet
port. There's no slot to plug an EVDO card for cellular broadband. No Firewire port either. With
several things relying on the only USB port you may have to tote a USB multiplyer. Another thing
missing is the CD/DVD player. Not a big deal considering the cost of high capacity thumb drives
and USB DVD drives. So what do you pay for great looks, portability and a lack of ports that are
abundant on other portable laptops. How does $1,800.00 sound?

There are several innovations in the Air granted, but $1,800.00 in other systems will give you a
250 Gb hard drive, a CD/DVD RW drive and at least 4 USB 2.0 ports not to mention the included
ethernet jack as well as an express card slot. Oh yea, did I mention you can get all that for
$1,200.00 from several well known suppliers. Is the Air for you? well my friend Bryan loves it. Only
you can decide for yourself. As for me I would buy one tomorrow if it sold for around $1,000.00.
Time will tell if the Apple beauty will be a market sucess.

Regards,

Rob Collins
Tech Life Talk

Two days ago I was talking with a friend of mine Bryan Farris. Bryan owns a metal
fabrication company just outside of Charlotte NC. Somehow the conversation turned to the
subject of technology. To my surprise Bryan informed me that in a few days he would have
his new MacBook Air. Well I could not resist asking and Bryan agreed to meet me as soon
as he got his new Air for a hands on review.

My first glimpse of the MacBook Air was a real eye opener. The online photos do not do
justice to how thin this machine is. The Air was much thinner than the paper notebook I
was using for notes. The first thing Bryan said as he handed me the Air was here's your
story. Long Time Windows User Says MacBook Air Where Have You Been All My Life

The excitement in Bryan's voice told the story, this machine was more than Apples latest
marketing hype. If looks could kill then we would all be dead or at least real sick after a
glimpse of the Air. The clean lines that Apple is known for are just part of the sexy look.
The thinness is of course the first thing you notice. Open the lid and you are greeted with a
very crisp, clear and bright screen. Bryan rated the screen a personal Fantastic! Another
striking feature is the keyboard, the backlit keys and material finish of the keys
compliment the Mac.