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MacBook Air compared
to other Laptops/Notebooks
Apple have launched a new
Notebook PC called the MacBook Air
which they claim is the thinnest notebook PC currently available. In this
article we take a look at the Apple MacBook Air and then compare it to a few
other Laptops/Notebooks PCs to gauge what you get for your money. 
Apple MacBook
Air
The Apple MacBook Air is
certainly very thin and sleek at 0.76-inches thick and weighs in at 3.0 pounds
(1.36 kg). It has a 13.3-inch widescreen LED backlit display giving 1280-by-800
resolution and the LED technology helps conserves battery life.
There is a full-size keyboard
which is illuminated if you are likely to be typing if it starts getting dark. The
MacBook Air trackpad has many of the Multi-Touch gestures from the Apple
iPhone, so you can pinch, swipe or rotate by simply moving your fingers.
There are currently two specs for
the MacBook Air, both come with the Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB memory and built-in
802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, the difference is that one has an 80GB hard drive while the other has a 64GB solid-state drive. The 64GB
solid-state drive version of the MacBook Air is almost double the price of the
80GB hard drive version.
The MacBook Air is okay for basic
work such as word processing etc, but it has limited connections to the outside
world, there is only 1 USB port, no Ethernet port, no optical/CD drive. You can
connect these types of devices via the single USB port, however, when you do
this the USB port is therefore not available for other devices that you might
want to attach at the same time. The external Apple optical drive also does not
work with any other non Apple laptop.
The glossy screen also means that
the MacBook Air is no good for use outside as there is too much reflection.
Now let us compare the MacBook
Air to a few other laptops/notebooks.
Toshiba Portege R500
The Toshiba Portege R500 is lighter than the MacBook Air starting at
0.979 kg and is also thin at 0.77-inches, but it has a slightly smaller screen
which is 12.1-inches wide.
The Toshiba Portege R500-S5004 system comes complete
with an Intel® Core™2Duo processor, Windows Vista® Business, 2GB system memory,
64GB SSD, and a DVD burner. This solid-state drive (SSD) version is cheaper than
the MacBook Air and has a DVD burner plus more USB ports and other ports i.e. 3-USB
(2.0) ports, 10/100/1000 LAN port, RGB monitor port, Microphone jack, headphone
jack (stereo).
The Toshiba Portégé® R500’s
display was designed to be viewed in many environments. For indoor viewing, the
LED backlight provides crisp, clear images and well-defined text. While
outdoors, the transreflective display of the Portégé® R500 allows ambient light
or direct sunlight to pass through the display and reflect outward so that the screen is fully functional, even on the
sunniest of days.
DELL XPS M1330
 The DELL XPS M1330 has a customisable specification and at the lower
end of its spec it is about half the price of a MacBook Air and even at the
upper end of its spec it is still cheaper than the hard drive version of the
MacBook Air.
Looking at the best DELL XPS M1330 it come with a Intel®
Core™ 2 Duo processor, Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium Edition, 13.3-inch screen, Combo or DVD+RW Drive
CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW
Drive), 3GB
memory, 200GB
Hard Drive etc.
Dell Home XPS™ M1330. One of the Worlds Thinnest 13.3” Laptop for $1299
RM Asus miniBook
If small is important to you then
take a look at the RM Asus miniBook,
it has a 7.5-inch display and is about the size of a text book. It costs a
fraction of the price of an Apple MacBook Air. It can run the Linux operating
system, so there is no Windows operating system licence fee to pay in the price,
but a Windows version is also available. It is not as fast as the MacBook Air
but it does the job. It has a robust solid-state hard drive which provides fast
boot-up and shut-down, an integrated webcam (4G model only), microphone and
speakers for easy web video-conferencing.
There is an integrated 802.11b/g
wireless, card-reader and three USB 2.0 ports provide a simple way to add
additional storage and easy connection for peripherals. There is also a memory
card port which allows you to add additional data storage space.
Asus Eee PC 4G 7" Widescreen LCD Notebook / Laptop with Intel Mobile CPU, 512MB DDR2, 4GB Hard Drive, LAN, TouchPad, Card Reader, Linux: 90OA01A10112111U10
Conclusion
If you are looking for current style,
cutting edge technology, thinness and don’t mind the restrictions on
connectivity and a higher price tag then the Apple MacBook Air could be for you. However, if you have
other important factors like more for your money or smaller or cheaper then
there are other options for you to consider as briefly illustrated above.
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