Review of Apple's newest MacBook Air

Apple are at it again – their new 11.6-inch Macbook Air is hitting the market and wow does it deliver. The Macbook Air delivers excellent performance, which is not surprising with its overall specs. It definitely is one of the best ‘notebook’ computers available, and while there are a few ‘add-ons’ that would have been useful, it looks like Apple could begin to gain a large share in this relatively new market.

Specs & Key Features:

• MacBook Air is the first Mac to have flash storage standard. Not only that, Apple have removed the need for ‘hard drive’ packaging allowing them to install a larger battery and to greatly reduce the -weight.
• The one thing that sets the MacBook Air apart from other Notebooks is the innovative multi-touch trackpad – if you haven’t tried one, you’ll be amazed how much you can do with the track pad – it’s intuitive, and far better than the touch pads available on any other Notebook.
• Battery – with the redesigned logic board and the removal of the flash ‘storage’ area, Apple have been able to put in a larger battery – you get between 5 and 7 hours battery life depending on the model you get – this is better than some full sized laptops.
• The Macbook Air has an incredible screen with super high resolution – while only 11 inch, it really is crisp and sharp and far better than any other netbook I’ve seen.
• FaceTime Camera – yep there’s a pretty decent camera (and application) that allows you to call anyone else with a Mac, iPhone 4 or a new iPod touch (as long as they have a wifi connection) – the quality is amazing, and it is really easy to use and have fun with video chat!
• The MacBook Air uses the NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics processor – it’s the same high powered card that is used in the 13 inch MacBook Pro.
• The MacBook air series features Intel Core 2 Duo Processors – making it one of the most powerful Netbooks yet.
• Wireless connectivity with 802.1n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
• 2 USB ports and SD slot (on 13 inch model).

Quick review.

Just looking at the specs above and you’ll realize that you’re getting more power than a standard laptop – with the ability to link to a full sized monitor, this really is a powerful beast. It is expensive, starting at $999 but has the power of many of the top Laptops, while delivering Apple’s intuitive OS, applications and renowned quality.

There are plenty of Netbooks on the market, and for $499 you can get a decent one, so why would you even think of paying $999 for the MacBook air? Well despite its diminutive size, the only real comparison between a Netbook and the MacBook air is this size – in all other aspects the MacBook air blows all other Netbooks out of the water. You’ve essentially got a fully fledged MacBook in a smaller more compact unit, and while there is no DVD, this is a great little computer for travelling, while still retaining the full functionality of a laptop; most netbooks have limited functionality and really lack power!

This is a great low cost machine for students, as it has the full functionality of a MacBook, is very portable and thus can be taken to lectures very easily!

 ^{Disclosure: I am not affiliate with any of the companies or products listed on this page - however I could earn a small revenue if you purchase the products, or click the ads.}