Well, It Sure Ain't Vintage.

[iMac600]

It is however, a Mac!

I decided to take the brand new computer route for the first time in my life. The MacBook (Late 2008) is showing problems with its Logic Board, MagSafe connections and the like, and although I intend to keep this old Late 2008 alive, I decided to spend a little on getting something with a lot more horsepower behind it.

I knew what I wanted, but before the WWDC 2012 keynote, Apple didn't make anything like it.

Enter the MacBook Air.

It's almost a top of the line machine, a Configure-To-Order MacBook Air 13-inch with an Intel Core i5 processor clocked at 1.8GHz, 8GB of 1600MHz DDR3 memory, a 512GB SSD, Intel HD Graphics 4000 with 512MB VRAM and a 1440 x 900 Display.

I also purchased a Speck SeeThru Satin Black case. I was normally against these, but during a conversation with one of the sales staff at one of the local resellers that ended up becoming more of a friendly conversation and laugh between us, I decided to throw her a little something by making the sale (Don't you just love Commission based wages).Besides, it was marked down, I haven't had any issues with the plastic cases on my iPhone 4S and having seen one of these fitted to a 13-inch MacBook Air and being impressed with the look and finish, I decided to go for it. Better to have some protection on it anyway.

A couple of nice surprises came in the form of component identification. The SSD uses a Samsung controller (Fast, Reliable) and the LCD Panel is also a Samsung display (Better Colour Reproduction & Contrast). The Intel Core i5 runs with very little heat and the Intel HD Graphics 4000 is the latest in a long line of video chips that I've been unable to fault (in terms of build quality, reliability and longevity). For me, it's the perfect configuration!

This is an absolutely beautiful machine. At a $600 discount ($1899, down from $2499), it's an even sweeter deal. I think i'll enjoy this one.

Cheers,

Mic.

 

[krye]

Wow, enjoy it. Take care of it. So much money to spend on a laptop.

I dropped $2799 on my 2006 17" MacBook Pro. I was so afraid I was going to scratch it that it never left the house. It sat on my desk with a keyboard, mouse, and monitor connected to it. After 10 months, I figured since I was just using it as a desktop, I'd just sell it and get a Mac Pro.

 

[Strimkind]

Very nice. It is nice to get a new machine after using 2nd hand or older machines.

I would love to get a Macbook Air, but I can't yet justify it.

 

[iMac600]

Well, I can say right now that it's a fantastic machine. I haven't really truly used it yet, but I spent some time around the city yesterday and decided to take it with me. The performance and specifications combined with the ultra-light construction make it perfect for this.

The Speck case is far from the best, as a matter of fact it's back in the box and about to be taken back to the store as the plastic has been improperly cast, so it doesn't actually fit the MacBook Air, and I can see it damaging the machine if I tried to force it. Not even willing to try. For now I keep it in an STM Jacket 13" bag, padded and felt lined, and it seems to be doing its job quite nicely.

It is a lot of money to spend on a machine, but it was a case of "buy it now or the price will return to the normal $2,499 price point", plus as I purchased it before tax time I can claim some of it as a work expense.

 

[redrouteone]

Nice.

I was at the Apple store today have the hard drive replaced on my work MBP. While I was waiting for the repair I was looking at the 13" Air. It was nice and with the SSD it is very snappy. I didn't realize the Air had a 1440x900 display. That is nice.

 

[TheMacGuy]

The air is a great computer. My dads been eyeballing the 11'. I purchased an Early 2011 MacBook Pro 15' custom ordered with Quad Core 2.3 GHz Intel Core i7, 128GB SSD (factory ordered because I wanted a stock SSD), 4GB of RAM, and the high-res 15' display. My display has nothing on the new retina MacBook Pro. It's still my baby.