[blu]

When I first saw this new ultra-thin Macbook, I was almost regretting my post-Christmas purchase of my Pro. I’m used to my little iBook, it really did fit in my purse! Then, when I really thought about it, I realized I would probably break such a little thing!

Not that I’m rough on laptops, and I certainly don’t let the grandkids use my new one (they get the old ones to play on), but I take my computer a lot of places...which is, I’m sure, the major draw of the Air. However, how flimsy is it? I mean, if a large dog or an inattentive spouse forgot it was sitting on the passenger seat and sat on it, would it break? Would it survive a fall onto the deck? (Hey, does Letterman still do that thing where he tosses stuff off a building?)

But the real reason I’m glad I made my Pro choice....the dvd player! No more schlepping a DVD player AND my laptop thru security at 5-6 airports! Only one item to pull out of the carry-on! So, I get the criticism about not having any kind of drive on it. I’m trying to get away from peripherals, not have to buy new ones!

[Spktyr]

Who watches DVDs on a laptop?

The hard drive is a much more efficient user of power. Rip the DVDs to the hard drive, and you can still watch your movies - only you can carry more.

[Richard Kimball]

It sounded like a fair review. The Air has a lot of advantages. I used to do sales, and one of the biggest issues is not letting your sales tools get in the way. There's nothing to make a bad impression like walking in to make a sale with two suitcases and a dozen manuals. This would be perfect to store all that stuff in digital format. It would be like walking in with a small portfolio. If I was doing outside sales in a high end environment, this would be a serious contender.

The no dvd thing tells me it's not supposed to be the only computer. For movies, I suspect they expect you to download them from iTunes. I also think that the one USB port states pretty plainly that if you need more than one, you get a hub. It may not be in Europe, but in the US, ethernet is dying, and wifi is in.

[antiRepublicrat]

However, how flimsy is it? I mean, if a large dog or an inattentive spouse forgot it was sitting on the passenger seat and sat on it, would it break?

It's an all-aluminum enclosure, probably pretty tough.

[Swordmaker]

Not that I’m rough on laptops, and I certainly don’t let the grandkids use my new one (they get the old ones to play on), but I take my computer a lot of places...which is, I’m sure, the major draw of the Air. However, how flimsy is it? I mean, if a large dog or an inattentive spouse forgot it was sitting on the passenger seat and sat on it, would it break? Would it survive a fall onto the deck? (Hey, does Letterman still do that thing where he tosses stuff off a building?)

I handled one at Macworld... they even let me try to bend it. It seems as strong as my Macbook Pro.