MacBook Air 2010

Here are some pictures in case you’re still not sick of seeing them.  It’s of my new MacBook Air, the 11.6 inch version which I got yesterday evening.  I’ve only been using it for a couple of hours, and so far, the positives greatly outweigh the drawbacks.  I’ve actually been looking for a capable 11 incher for many months now, having tried everything from an 8 incher to a 15.6 inch these few years, and they have fallen short one way or another – they’re either lame in performance or simply to heavy to carry around.I don’t intend to write a review, just wanted to share some thoughts with people interested in the device.
Pros:

1. small and light.  Easy to carry.  Very slim.
2. fast.  Even with an “older” processor, running Snow Leopard is a very pleasant experience.  I guess the fast SSD (solid state drive) helps.
3. virtually no heat at all.
4. no fan noise.  I haven’t heard any fan starting up since I’ve started using the notebook.
5. huge trackpad.  Multi touch, supports multi-finger gestures.  Entire touchpad area clickable, there’s no need to locate right and left mouse buttons.
6. beautiful screen – vibrant, lively colours.  Apple certainly know how to manufacture (touch or otherwise) screens, as evidenced in the iPad and iPhone 4.
7. chiclet keyboard is da bomb.  ’nuff said.  Easily the best chiclet keyboard I’ve used on any notebook, by far.  The tactile feel is unbelievable – the keyboard keys don’t feel like they’re made out of cheap hard plastic.  The key travel is sufficient to let the brain know that the finger has registered a press.  I love it.
8. screen – not the lame netbook-ish resolution of 1024 x 600.  This one is 1366 x 768 on an 11.6 inch screen – you can see lots more of a webpage.
9. battery life so far is a surprise on such a small and slim device.  Obviously it will not be as good as the iPad, but it does much more than the iPad.  If Apple releases a version of the MacBook Air (MBA) with a built in 3G modem and 8 hour realistic battery life, then I’ve found the perfect iPad killer, and it’s another Apple product.  So, I think this will be very unlikely  :P
10. wrist rest area below the keyboard is very comfortable.  It allows the entire palm to rest on the notebook instead of your wrist dangling in the air with some other notebooks.  And this, on an 11.6 inch device!
11. build quality, is, as usual for an Apple device, excellent.  It doesn’t feel made in China.  Lots of thought has obviously gone into designing this device.
12. the resolution of the camera is quite good, better than what I’ve been accustomed to on other notebooks.  And they managed to do it on such a slim area of the screen.

Cons:

1. not enough USB ports.  The one on the left side of the device, next to the MagSafe power port, can be blocked for wider devices with the power plugged in.  Not so great design here!  Plus, there is only two USB ports, a bit stingy I think, but if more were to be added, it would subtract from the overall aesthetics of the device – one can’t win this argument, whichever way you look at it.
2. no SD card reader.  No biggie really, one can always use an SD card reader.
3. because it’s made out of aluminium, it feels and looks “easily” damaged by scratches, etc.  This is a phobia every MacBook Air owner has, I think.  Beautiful things tend to be fragile in life, and just like it applies to beautiful women, so it applies as well to the MacBook Air.  The solution would be to apply some sort of body protector on it, at more cost!

That’s really all I can think of for now, maybe more later.  In the meantime, if you have any questions or comments, do your thing, as usual, in the comments.

Here’s a quick look at the MiLi PowerSpring 4 external battery pack for the iPhone 4.  I’m too lazy to write a wordy review, so I guess a video one will have to do.  Please post any questions you have in the comments!

Contract Free Maxis iPhone 4 Available

Well, at least that’s how I read it.  Maxis has amended the rates webpage again, for their postpaid customers.  When it was first launched, I did not see mention of iData 1 costing RM 30 for 250MB of data monthly.  It is now back, along with iData 2 and 3 which were there previously.  And there is no contract for these packages, which means that you can sign up for them, then cancel the next month if you so wish.

         I don’t see mention of advance prepayments for the iData plans, so technically a user doesn’t have anything to lose if he/she signs up one month, and cancels it the next.

   

         Also, regular reader and occasional contributor, Jack Lee has told me that you can also walk into an Apple reseller and buy the iPhone 4 on a prepaid basis, ie. with a Hotlink SIM pack costing RM 8.80 with RM 5 pre-loaded credit.  Only problem is, they don’t have stocks at the moment.

Please click the image to have a better view