For Apple's MacBook Air, you really got to have a great distinction to buy one. Most Windows laptops in that price range can do more in gaming or photo and video editing. But it's still a top seller. I'll tell you why.
Great design.
For one, it's solid aluminum construction is an eye grabber. It doesn't screams for attention but it has sleek lines and clean corners. Pull out one anywhere and you will definitely set heads to turn. And this is a flaw. You see, the amount of MacBook Airs I see in Singapore alone has saturated my eyes enough. If you want to be a trend setter, look elsewhere. You don't just construct a from a solid block of aluminum just for aesthetics. This baby's design is well built. The weight is enough to set its durability. In one's hands, it's craftmanship is echoed by the weight. But don't think a boy scout would use in a thunderstorm. It's not weather-proof like all other laptops. You know it is worth it when you don't have that all to familiar cheap plastic feeling.
Great software.
You know the learning curve of new devices? Well, it's not that apparent here. Apple did so well in their software design, right out of the box, you could use it without instructions. It is, as it is. Which poses a problem for people like me. If something is too easy to use, 9 out of 10 times, it can't be go the way we want it. I grew up with limited hardware. And to use the software with this limitation as it is, I need to hack it. Bah. I get this sense of comfort knowing a system is flexible, like the Windows OS. Apple's Mac OS 10 is not not flexible, it's unique. Too unique. But owning a Mac for 5 years, I'm starting to adapt. Starting to accept that ease of use is ease of use. In actual fact, to just do what you need to do is the central essence. Sometimes, you don't need to have a fanciful desktop with widgets just to do your job. Period.
Performance the way you need it.
Alright, let's be real here. Can it play the latest games? Nope. Can it run Photoshop while editing 1080p video in Final Cut Pro while checking your email and have a Skype call? I'm sure most Windows laptops do that but do we really need it? Sometimes, too much is too much. You might have to strip yourself of useless information before you finally achieve your goals. As I detailed it here (http://errorofheart.blogspot.com/2011/10/it-doesnt-work-sideways.html),
"Sometimes, the finest of details is found not when you focused a lot, but when you removed the very distraction to it."
The MacBook Air might be the most underpowered machine at this price range but if you're not an octupus in a suit running from meetings to meetings doing video editing and sound mastering all at the same time, this is perfect for you. To put it into perspective, my workflow consist of heavy email, heavy word processing and mega heavy web surf. Once in a while, I would do some video, though not a film feature. I rarely do sound. So rare that I don't even install ProTools. For my workflow, the MacBook Air is simply the best for me. Don't get me wrong, a HP ProBook is better, but when a Mac is bought, it's together bought with the software, well built hardware and a great experience over millions have gone through before.
So what's holding me back?
Well, my pay hasn't come in yet. Also, my enlistment is this year which makes it kinda dumb to buy a new laptop now. Probably not going to use it. And then there's this new OS X Mountain Lion. It's due to be released in Summer. And summer is just 2 months away! THIS PURCHASE BETTER BE WORTH MY MONEYYYY.
Other than buying a new machine, my mom got a new treadmill. WHOLLY MOLLY.
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