So Thin ... Its absolutely Ridiculous.

One of the best things about being a Technology coordinator in a Public School is the fact that lots of coworkers, teachers and students trust in me to deliver instruction to the same children they work with. We get to leave school to attend technology workshops also. Yesterday in fact, I sat through a 6 hour explanation of IP addresses and Server building. It is at these workshops that we are solicited by many corporations who attempt to get us to spend our technology budget (usually around $1 Million Dollars in my case) . Whether it’s a $75,000 Server, 200 laptops or a couple hundred desktops, technology coordinators must make important choices that will affect the learning environment we work in. No one else in the building is qualified to make these choices.

APPLE representatives approached us with its new Mac Book Air in an attempt to get some orders from my school and it was up to me to make the final decision. Mind you, I am not a Mac person, I’ve always loved PC’s. My principal preferred the neater, prettier, simpler design of the Mac’s to the Dells. Therefore, rather than consider ordering Gateway or Dell’s new single-piece designs, I ordered an entire lab consisting of 30 eMacs (for students) and a Mac G5 Desktop (for teacher). I also ordered laptop carts and iBooks previously to fill the learning center. Unfortunately, after having time to actually use the Mac Book Air, I am afraid that it has failed to meet my expectations and I would be more likely to order more iBooks instead.

THE MAC BOOK AIR models I am reviewing were loaned to me (the school) in hopes I would order them for the head teaching/administration staff – an order that would have approached $30,000. It consisted of a 64 GB Solid State Drive, a 1.8 GHz CPU (the second was 1.6 with an 80GB HDD), 2 GB of RAM and a standard Lithium Ion Battery. The device also included a built in bridge camera, Bluetooth and Wireless adapter that supports 802.11n products with up to date firmware.

I will start this review by talking about the good points, and then spend the next several pages mentioning the letdowns.



WHERE APPLE SUCCEEDS….


The Mac Book Air is very sexy and very stylish like most of Apple’s current product lines. The body is exactly what you’d expect…White silver with a very flat gloss.
It is ultrathin to the point of awe…the flip lid is the thinnest portion of it and that is only about as thick as 4 quarters and the height of the closed products is about as thick as my index finger.
Its weight is also impressive - at around 3 pounds. You can lift the entire thing with just two fingers or carry it around atop your flat palm without much stress.
The body, like most of Apple’s new products features minimal ports. There is just one USB port (USB2.0), a new “micro-DVI” port, a headphone jack, and a new styled adapter for power. This new power adapter resembles many cellular phone adaptors but, because of the laptop’s design, there is a regular straight plug and a second connector which is turned at a 90 degree angle (more on that later).

Also packaged in the box are a micro-DVI to DVI adapter as well as an adapter for micro-DVI to VGA.

There are also software restore DVD's included, but as this device has no Optical Drive included with the package, you are likely to need to keep a second computer with Wifi streaming access on hand to make use of Remote Disk (more on that later).

The MBA (oddly, the initials for this thing) has a single speaker beneath its full sized keyboard. Unlike the crappy keyboard of my old school G3 iBook, this one is actually much easier to type on. Aside from the improved keyboard size, the keys also feature backlighting ! Now I can actually see what I’m typing when I’m in the dark watching movies in front of the tube. Fortunately, the keys don’t feel spongy either like the old iBook’s. They are crisply responsive and quiet to the touch.
The MBA also features a new touchpad which features the same multi-touch response that the iPhone features. You can use the touchpad to zoom in or zoom out of pictures or pages; or you can slide your finger left or right to flip through an album in iTunes.
The screensize is decent for an ultraportable. At 13.3 inches the MBA is perfect for improvised web browsing and use of Microsoft Office (which was included with mine). The screen is backlit with Light Emitting Diodes to save power and features a maximum resolution of 1280x800p.


WHO IS IT FOR?

Its obvious that this computer is designed for people who need a full computer that they don’t have to lug around in large bags. This thing is ridiculously thin…you really can fit it in a manila envelope! If you were a frequent flier and have the budget to connect to the internet networks on aircraft, the MBA will be a perfect travel laptop that won’t take up much space on your tray table (which should always be in the upright and locked position when not in use).
The computer also produces very little heat. All too often I’ve picked up my laptop off my leg to see that my pants look “steam pressed” but, the MBA stays very cool.

Because it includes a micro-DVI to VGA adapter, the laptop is very helpful to mobile professionals who need to present their Powerpoint presentations over Projectors - the Apple Respresentative used one of these for his.

But, regardless what you plan to do with it, you’d better make sure that you have access to a power source.


WHERE APPLE FAILS

If I compared the MBA to my Lenovo X60S, negated the Operating System and didn’t pay attention to good looks, the X60S would win for numerous reasons. The same thing would happen if I compared the MBA to one of Sony’s ultraportables.
http://www.epinions.com/content_411736182404

Simply put, the MBA has poor battery life, poor performance, poor connectivity and get this…poor design.

In trying to reinvent the ultraportable, Apple has not only trimmed the usual necessities of the basic laptop computer, but, gone out of its way to keep an impractical form factor.

The BATTERY LIFE of the MBA is pitiful. My Lenovo X60s gets around 7 hours between full charges. My Dell Latitude D600 – a full sized laptop with everything typical of a laptop – gets about 2 hours and 40 min between charges. So why is it that the 1.6GHz MBA dies after a little under 2 and a half hours? And why is it the 1.8 GHz just manages a paltry 3 hours? Is it the processor sucking down energy !?! There is no disk drive spinning! You would hope that for the tremendous asking price of the MBA that you might also be able to get an extended life battery, but get this…the battery is not user replaceable just like your iPod, iPhone and most of the other stuff Apple makes. Normally, I wouldn’t say this, but, be sure to get an extended service warranty with this thing.


What possible Business user would want to have to mail his laptop, just to replace the battery?


The 2 GB of RAM is also irreplaceable by the user. Not only can’t you get inside the case, but, even if you could, it is soldered to the motherboard. Many laptops on the market support 4 GB or better.


Furthermore, charging that battery has never been so difficult. The new “MagSafe” charging cable Apple supplies does not plug into the sides or the back of the computer. Rather, it plugs into the underside of the rear on an angle. To use the straight AC connector, you would have to shift the position of the laptop as far to the rear of the desk or bed as possible or risk damaging the connector. You are expected to use the 90 degree cable instead and even this can be problematic on a flat table.

The headphone jack, micro-DVI and the USB connection are located too on the underside of the laptop and they can only be accessed by depressing a pop out bay door (of sorts). You cannot open this door when the laptop is laying flat on a table.
This design decision is sheer stupidity slanted in the direction of fashion and it doesn’t make a damn bit of sense. It won’t take you more than a few hours before you begin to do damage to either your headphones, USB flash memory stick (a big deal in education nowadays) or the power plugs themselves.

Any USB dongle, Flash memory drive, USB adapter,etc you intend to use must have a longer than average metal neck or it will not fit this new design. You are more likely to want to use a usb extender cable, but again, you still risk damaging the port door. Headphones must have long necks or they will either not securely plug in or, will interfere with your USB or Micro-DVI cable. Headphones are especially important because the built in speaker is quieter than a mouse on prescription medications.

The charging connection might as well have been designed with a pop out bay like the headphone/USB/micro-DVI port on the opposite side.





PERFORMANCE is interesting because the MBA features a 1.8 GHZ processor and 2 GB of RAM yet features very few connections or media reading options to fully test its multimedia capabilities. The MBA runs a customized version of LEOPARD OSX which basically upgrades the OS’s ability to recognize multi-touches on the pad and gives the processor instructions for stepping up/down when on battery power or on AC.
As a pure internet device, the MBA with its Firefox or Safari browser runs very smoothly and loads pages (on G-wireless) as I always expect a Mac to do. When the system encounters errors, the little spinning rainbow disk pops up and you’ve got to 'force quit'. Boot up times and log out/ shut down times are typical of what I’d expect.

The MBA also includes a new software called REMOTE DISK which allows you to wirelessly access the CD ROM drive of another computer. As the MBA has no drive built in, this is important so you can download new cd-based software. Using Remote Disk is simple. Just load the software onto the desktop you intend to use and then, locate that desktop in the 'Finder' on your MBA. When you access the drive, it will start up and begin to transfer.
Unfortunately, the wireless transmission inabilities are obvious once you start using it: you can’t watch DVD’s;you can’t watch HD DVDs or BLU RAY disks; you can’t rip music and you can’t burn CD’s. The only logical choice for disk use is to either purchase the Air’s $99 USB 2.0 SUPERDRIVE, or to get another USB 2.0 DVD/RW yourself. But why doesn’t the MBA come with the drive already?
-Because this is Apple we are dealing with! DUH !

In their design "wisdom" apple has created an add-on optical drive that can't even be used with other laptops on standard USB ports. Regular USB ports carry about 5Volts (500mA). Most devices of this type require at least 10Volts (1000mA) while some may demand up to 24Volts.
To achieve more power draw, most powered USB devices come with a second USB plug to get assistance from a second port of the computer.
The MBA's optical drive is powered by a single USB plug and the MBA is purposefuly jamming more amperage down that single port. The drive comes with a clear warning that it will not work on other computers due to their lack of USB power assist. It might theoretically be possible to cut and rewire your own USB cable to increase power to the neccessary voltage but who's got all that damn time?

You'd need to add the optical disk on USB if you intend to watch a movie whilst on an airplane,but, since your battery will die in less than 3 hours, it had better be a short flight unless you've got direct access to in-flight AC. I'm used to 14+ hour flights to Asia.

And besides Desktop users with WiFi equipped computers, few that their are, who really benefits from Remote Disk? Our Apple eMacs came with Airport wireless built in, but if you have a typical PC, you'd need to add a $50 PCI card.

This thing certainly doesn't help me any.


NETWORKING

The Airport Extreme built inside works with all the networks: a, b, g and n, and can easily be paired with school WiFi routers.
The Wireless 802.11n will come in handy if you have a home media server (such as our Hewlett Packard Wireless Media Gateway). I plan to test the 1.6GHz model on a slingbox when I get a chance.

Fortunately, Bluetooth works as well as it should. I was able to synch with Blackberries in no time.

No Ethernet port means you'll need a USB-Ethernet adapter, and the poor design of the USB port means you'll need one that fits perfectly or it won't fit at all. Considering the lack of connectivity options in many countries, travelers won't want to part with the standard modem/ethernet/WiFi capability. Sometimes I've been in parts of NYC where all that was available was my AOL account and a telephone line...but connect to the internet I did! Albeit very slow.
Space the MBA frees up in your laptop bag will be spent storing dongles and adapters !

Are we really saving space?



OVERALL

I felt that the Mac Book Air was a waste of money and definitely not worth investing educational funds into. At its pricepoint, of around $2000 (with education discounts) it made much more sense to simply buy more iBooks since they came with more powerful processors, DVDRW drives, multiple USB ports and could be used in classrooms without looking like elitist fashion accessories.

Considering how clumsy and careless many older computer users in education seem to be with their DELL and HP laptops, I already fortell a future of damaged ports...which will coincidentaly cost the schools money.
I think Mac would have done better if they created all the standard ports, and simply covered them with a removable cover. This way they could keep the small form factor, keep the curved angles and keep the neat design.

My $2000 Lenovo IBM X60S was much more intelligently designed since it came with high-speed broadband wireless chipsets already built in - which could be connected to Verizon right away for citywide internet access.

Even if I was a Mac addict, I don’t think I could truly function with a Mac Book Air simply because all the normal features I use are absent such as the optical drive, Ethernet, and 56K modem (for those areas with no WiFi). The Micro DVI does not connect to the Mini-DVI devices mobile video professionals use unless you carry the adapter everywhere with you. Problem is, this thing’s processor begins to stutter when you try to use that much CPU power. Keep in mind, the 80GB Hard Disk here is also ultra small – a 1.8 inch instead of the typical 2.5 in many laptops. The 1.8" model is similar to what you'd find on most MP3 players on the market. They are great for accessing music files but, when pushed to opening programs and running applications like Chess, Garageband or even the Finder, it becomes obvious that Hard Disks this small aren't up to the task.

If you opt for the SSD drive, the Mac Book Air might overshadow its faults with its improved access speeds and eerily quiet operation. In the new Solid State Drives, there are no moving parts - the computer is now impervious to shaking and shock. I noticed that on the SSD Air, Microsoft Office Word and Excel opened much faster than they did on the Hard Disk model - and much faster than they did on my G5 Desktop. It is obvious that SSD drives are the wave of the future. In the Air's case, you get just 64 GB instead of the HDD model's 80 GB –. The main problem is that this damn thing adds a lot more cash to your subtotal. For those buying out of pocket without a corporate account, the price on the Mac Book Air is so high, its stomach turning.

Regular consumers not buying these through businesses will have to pay $1800 for the 1.6 GHz model with the 80GB HDD.
The 1.8 GB model with the SSD will cost you $3100.
Add another $100 per computer for that SUPERDRIVE !
With a business credit account, that $1800 becomes an affordable $45/ month and that beastly $3100 becomes just $80 a month.
Schools with high numbers of English Language Learners, or schools in poverty areas get really good discounts on MBA, but, you've got to be purchasing at least 10 of them.

I just don’t believe I could recommend the Mac Book Air to anyone unless their key reason for buying it was that they needed a computer that weighed less than 4 pounds and needed to carry it around in a manila envelope. It lacks desirable connections and its design is pedantic. The Lenovo, Sony's SZ360, the HP TX series and many other small laptops offer you so much more functionality without the headaches.


Only die hard, "must-have it", Mac addicts with high budgets and the intention to "just" browse the Internet over WiFi need purchase a Mac Book Air.