Neil Pomerleau

Neil Pomerleau

Software Engineer, Comedian, Musician

Up Close With the MacBook Air

One of the advantages of going to the expo is the chance to play around with the latest Apple product before it hits store shelves. I focused my attention on the new, incredibly thin MacBook Air. My first impression from holding it in my hands was that it feels incredibly thin, especially when it’s open. I would compare the thickness to holding a couple pieces of cardboard.

The new trackpad gestures are really handy, and when I asked one of the Apple experts about if they are going to be bringing the same gestures to the MacBook Pro with a software update, he told me, “We are not making any official announcements at this time,” with a wink and a smirk. Sounds promising.

I also asked how much battery life would increase with an SSD instead of a standard hard drive. He told me that it would be greater, but they don’t have the numbers in terms of how much at this time. The solid state drive is extremely expensive, $999 in fact, but it greatly adds to the performance and quality of the MacBook Air.

The limited I/O is a deal-breaker for me, but I never saw it as a replacement for any current laptop. It is an entirely new market for Apple, and anyone looking for it to replace the MacBook or the MacBook Pro is going to be disappointed. However, if you look at this computer as a product for people on the go with mobility needs, this is sure to please. It is an amazing piece of technology.

I wonder though: why in the world does it have an eject button?

January 21, 2008 at 6:44 pm

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About Me

Hi, I'm Neil! I'm passionate about building delightful products at scale, creating music, and performing in theatre and comedy shows.

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