MacBook Air 2010 Conclusions

Cute, very cute. And lotsa people will love it. I do— just not for work.

The late 2010 MacBook Air should be chosen for its size and weight, because it has numerous limitations, relatively sluggish performance, no expandability, is noisy under load, and is a dead-end should your needs become more demanding. The 4GB memory limit is particularly egregious.

Configured well, the MacBook Air is expensive, pushing right up near what a 15" MacBook Pro costs. It makes no sense to spend that kind of money unless you really must have minimal size and weight. And that’s what it’s about: size and weight. Period.

Lacking cell phone support, it can’t replace an iPad for internet convenience, which is a pity, because it is a full-fledged computer instead of the restricted iPad.

I don’t see the MacBook Air as a viable primary machine for a photographer or other graphics professional, but it will surely please any road warrior looking for more than an iPhone or iPad, but not a full-size laptop. For those purposes, I can highly recommend it, as it’s fun to use, and fits just about anywhere.