Hi guys,

Really am interested to hear from those who have the MBA as a secondary computer or whatever they use it for.

I would like to know:

1. Purpose of your MBA (programs, etc.)
2. Meeting your requirements?
3. Advantages / Disadvantages

thanks.

I bought my better half a MBA, she loves it

Main home computer iMac 2.4GHz (the air is after all intended as a 2nd computer).


1. Main purpose - browsing web, email, shopping, watching movies, creating flyers and chatting whilst moving around the house.

2. Yes she finally has the computer she needs,

3. Great screen, very light weight, very thin size, enough power for the intended use. Would be nice if it had a DVD drive but not if it impacted on the size or weight.

i bought mine to replace our PB as a travelling computer, i also intended to use to stream video content from the time capsule to the projector in the spare bedroom.

it far exceeds expectations, in a sense it has become our primary computer - in the sense that we use it about 80% of the time.

with screen sharing its so easy to access the other computers on the network anyway, i still use the MBP for downloading content for the macmini HTPC via usenet, and it has the iPhoto library and is also the one i would use for video editing when i get round to it.

the MBA is just so portable, it makes using it a pleasure, as an example i just got up, put a brew of coffee on, browsed MBA on the dining table while i waited for brew, then stuck MBA under arm and carried it, a coffee and a glass of water mineral water out onto the back verandah.

the keyboard is the best i have used on a lappy as is the screen, dont miss the optical drive and hardly ever plug anything into the USB port.

I bought mine on launch,

It's a second computer for me and like Galumay said, it works seamlessly with the other mac for sharing files etc,

I also bought the superdrive to go with it, not even used it yet!

If your interested in buying one seriously, mine may be for sale in the near future!

I love it! I voted excellent.

1. The Air is a secondary computer for me (see sig) so I really only use it for surfing the net and watching the odd movie on the couch while my better half watches TV. It is just so convenient and the size and weight are awesome. Also the odd bit of word processing and email, playing Quake 3 when I'm bored.

I should note that more processor intensive tasks get done on my iMac so I certainly haven't pushed the Air to its limits, as a result I haven't found out what they are.

2. Certainly meeting my requirements as a secondary computer - it is fantastic!!!

3. a) Advantages: Light, fast, great screen, awesome keyboard, backlighting is great, love the multi-touch trackpad (who needs a mouse button?), remote disk works as advertised if not better - I installed Office and iWork 08 with the disks about 10m away from me in my iMac and it was as if they were in the Air - unbelievable, transferring files to and from it is a breeze (I have an Airport extreme).

b) Hmmmmm?? Quake 3 is easier with a mouse (I suppose I could plug one in).

I'll address the often quoted disadvantages here though:

i) No optical drive - is irrelevant! Remote disk works GREAT but I have only had to use it twice in almost three months, I never use optical disks.

ii) No ethernet port - I bought the ethernet adapter but has never used it, everywhere I use the Air has wireless.

iii) Only has a 1.6 (my model) or 1.8 GHz processor. No issue for me. I think it is plenty fast.

iv) No replaceable battery - who cares!


In short, the MacBook Air gets a strong recommendation from me.

Same here. My Macbook is my heavy lifting computer and that really isn't all that much. For example I do the podcast using Ubercaster on the Macbook.

Other than that the air does everything. Also given the weight I take it to work most days and it really doesn't matter if I use it or not. Just handy sometimes to have with me. I use the Vodafone mobile on the road.

I have both the bluetooth mouse and the super sexy mini keyboard so connecting them is no problem.

In terms of other connections I have the mini Belkin 4 port USB hub. Very small footprint, small power plug and very easy to cary with me. Have iTunes on a lacie 100gb USb external drive, but only take that interstate every now and then as my iPod touch is my music and movies on the road.

In short love it and would highly recommend it.

I've always maintained that the MBA is an excellent computer for the right people and I would find little use for it because I use Firewire HDs as well as a bunch of USB accessories.

After getting one from work, my opinion stands largely intact. Except for the fact that now I want one as my secondary computer for when I need to just write and use the internet. It's unbelievably light and convenient. Most of the time when I'm on the road I don't need my Firewire drives and the MBA is the perfect computer to use.

I bought mine as a note taking and working computer for my Masters course at the university. I find it fantastic. It lasts the distance, is easy to carry and is a full fledge computer. I often find myself turning to it for typing because it is easier to concentrate while using it.

Macbook or Macbook Air - Which one would you buy?

This contains the basic pros and cons of the MBA compared to the MB.

Voted excellent.

1. Purpose of your MBA (programs, etc.)
Secondary computer for use in uni/travel/basic use & internet browsing around the house.. Going paperless this year so all note taking is done on the MBA.. Most programs used are not power hungry such as Acrobat Professional, Keynote, Office Word & Excel, iChat & Adium. Once in a while I use XP via parallels for windows apps required for uni work..

2. Meeting your requirements?
Without question, yes!! It's so light I don't think twice anymore about bringing a notebook to uni. 1.8GHz+2GB is more than enough for what I use it for. There's no performance issues, even when running Parallels...
Syncronization with the MBP is done via .Mac (calendar, address book, settings,dock,dashboard,etc) & ChronoSync (documents & files).


3.
Advantages
-It's lighter & thinner than most of my uni textbooks
-very very good quality screen! 13" is just nice for everyday use, text appears sharp & crisp. I think it's better than my non-LED backlit MBP.
-Good battery life.. I could get about 4hrs 20mins with wi-fi on, bluetooth off, screen bright enough to read & type, keyboard backlight off, while running apps mentioned above (except parallels). The magsafe is tiny, I can easily dump it in the bag in case it's needed.

Disadvantages:
-80GB hard disk. Can't fit my entire iTunes library, it's a bit of a hassle to choose what to include Will most probably upgrade once a larger capacity 1.8" drive that's thin enough to fit is available.
-Mono speaker. It just sounds weird, I wish they could've squeezed another speaker on the left side.

Things that are not really an issue:
-No optical drive.. It's not really necessary.. I've got the USB superdrive but I've only used it once.
-Non user-replaceable battery... No biggie... I've never had a spare battery for any of my current/past notebooks..
-No ethernet... Not a big issue coz most places have wireless.. USB ethernet adapter used only once to do initial Time Machine backup..

Edited to add this:
Just as a note, my mum who's a Working Professional that's constantly on the move uses a 1.6GHz MBA as her primary computer. It's her first mac which replaces her Sony Vaio SZ series ( 13.3", faster processor, lightweight, complete with all the connectivity+optical drive stuff, but runs Vista *ouch*). It's been about 2months since her switch but she's not looking back, the absence of connectivity+optical ports also not an issue. Mac OS makes up for all of it.. hehe

The thing I found most lacking about the MacBook Air was the speed of the hard-drive. Everything was just so slow on it due to the HDD. I also missed having 4GB of RAM.

1. Purpose of your MBA (programs, etc.)

Working with documents / spreadsheets / presentations (in OS X and Parallels), surfing and downloading off the internet, listening to music and watching movies on the go - in other words, as a secondary computer.


2. Meeting your requirements?

Mostly, yes (see below).


3. Advantages / Disadvantages

Portability and weight is a massive advantage, pretty much the main reason why I chose this over a Macbook.

Lack of ventilation, heat, and the corresponding stutter effect following shutdown of one core when it gets too hot is a significant disadvantage, that I really wish could be sorted out somehow short of me taking it apart and reapplying the thermal paste on the CPU.

Only one USB port is a bit of a bummer, and it would have been nice to be able to use the superdrive on other computers.

Would also have liked to be able to put in a bigger HDD, more memory and have a battery on standby, but those are not biggies.

I'd also love a way to effectively sync documents between the MBA and my other Macs - I know this is possible, but I just haven't gotten around to implementing it in the most effective way.

out of interest, what did you find slow on it in comparison? i havent noticed any difference between the MBA & my MBP with 4GB of RAM and a faster HD.

mind you i havent tried video editing or other intensive tasks on it - but then i have my primary computer for those.

Galumay try copy 20GB of Music or files across the network onto your MacBook Air. It will virtually lock up.

Another vote for "excellent" here.

1. Purpose of your MBA (programs, etc.)
Work laptop; Email, word processing, PDF viewing, some web-browisng. I have a Vista desktop at home and an XP Pro desktop in my office; the MBA goes with me to client interviews, to Court and wherever i need mobile computing.

I use it for web-browsing and occasional Skype chats at home, too.

2. Meeting your requirements?
Absolutely. I need a lightweight machine with decent battery life; raw processing power not required. Sure, a longer-lasting battery would be awesome, but it's not that big a deal.

I don't need Ethernet or an optical drive, so the lack of each is a non-issue at the moment.

The only deature it really lacks - and to be fair it's not a common feature - is an in-built HSDPA modem. Some of the new Fujitsu LifeBooks have it; just insert your (U)SIM and away you go. That would be awesome, and save me carryiong around a mobile broadband dongle, having to power it via USB (thus draining battery) etc.

3. Advantages / Disadvantages
The advantages are somewhat obvious - light weight, slim, good battery life, fantastic keyboard and screen.

Disadvantages ... hmm. So far, the (comparatively) small HDD hasn't bothered me, but I can see how it could. As lailaikatong mentioned, the mono speaker is a bit annoying, but it's really not that big a deal. A second USB port would be handy, but, to be honest, if I find myself needing more than the one I'll just buy the smallest USB hub I can find.