Apple MacBook Air Fall 2010 user reviews (Core 2 Duo 1.86GHz, 256GB SSD, 13.3-inch)

Pros Its beautiful, fast, lightweight, excellent screen, and does not get hot. Runs basic applications very well. Full-fledged computer, not a stripped down junkbook. Solid -state drive, great screen resolution, decent battery life and full size keyboard

Cons Expensive, older Core 2 Duo processor, no illuminated keyboard, RAM not upgradeable after purchase -have to order it with more memory directly from the factory if you want it.

Summary I have wanted a Macbook Air for a long time, but had not purchased one because there were two things that were "must haves" for me: a minimum of 250MB of disk storage, and a minimum of 5hrs of battery life. So when this model was launched, my purchase criteria was met. I bought mine the first day they were available at the Apple store, and feel very satisfied with it. I was originally nervous about the older Core 2 Duo processor, but I strongly suggest you try one before you just look at the specs, specs can sometimes be deceiving. I think the computer is surprisingly responsive and feels very quick to me. I also own an i3 Imac (home computer), a newer 2.6Ghz 13" Macbook Pro (which the MacBook Air will replace), and my work-issued Lenovo T400 laptop. The Macbook Air runs as fast as the other macs I have doing 90% of what I normally do. I would not recommend this machine for video processing of gaming, but I think if you were, you would not be looking at this laptop. I wanted a very light, thin laptop with a great screen and decent battery life for my personal use that would allow me to use it for photo editing, as well as every-day tasks (navigating, videoconferencing, music, MS Office, etc.).To that end, the 13" Macbook is a perfect laptop for my needs. I tested an iPad, but I did not like it. Too limiting, and I vastly prefer a real, physical keyboard. That is where I do not agree with Mr. Jobs. Personal preference. A 15" computer would have been overkill, and the 13" Macbook Pro too heavy. The extra 1.5 lbs make a big difference to me when I'm lugging it in a backpack with other office gadgets through airports and my daily commute.

I actually find it comical (and a pile of garbage) that people say cosmetics don't matter. I can only imagine how attractive your girlfriend is if you think beauty doesn't matter. Call me vane, but beauty matters to me and I like the Macbook Air a lot. It does turn heads and that is fun. I'm willing to pay extra for pretty, just a someone else is willing to pay for a designer pair of shoes, or a nice car of your favorite brand.

Other things I like A LOT:
- solid state drive. The computer if fully booted and ready to go in about 10 seconds. No rotating hard drive. The solid state design is surprisingly fast.
- responsive and gesture sensitive trackpad
- OSX. Minimal virus risk, do not have to buy anti-virus subscriptions. Stable OS system rarely crashes, and when a crash happens, it is only a single application, no re-boot needed. I do not have to spend hours troubleshooting crapware or driver problems. I instead use my time to do what I need to do. If you own a Mac, you know what this means.
- 1440 x 900 resolution LED screen is as good as the 15.4" laptops of just a year back
- Two USB ports and SD card reader enough connectivity for an ultraportable. SD slot just ok for me, since I have a Canon SLR and I use flash cards for it.
- iLife suite: comes free with very useful and desirable software

Shortcomings:
- Older processor (Core 2 Duo) maybe to get more battery life?
- Illuminated Keyboard, where did it go? perhaps to get more battery life?
- No optical drive -which I do not use anyways. If I want to watch a movie I use my 50" 1080P plasma TV.
- If you want 4GB of RAM for more horsepower, you have to order it that way, since the memory is soldered into the circuit board. So you can not upgrade it after buying it with just 2 GB.

I am sure Apple will put out an upgrade in the future, but so will everybody else. At some point you have to decide if you are willing to buy or keep waiting for something better. I hope this review is informative to you.