The MacBook Air was first introduced to the Apple notebook lineup in early 2008. It was underpowered and overpriced. Four years have passed and the MacBook Air now stands as the best choice for most consumers looking for a new laptop.
At first glance, both the 13” and 11” models are incredibly thin and super portable. The weight is not an issue for students slipping this computer into a backpack, because it weighs less than most textbooks. Under the aluminum unibody enclosure are Intel’s i5 or i7 processors, depending on your model. These processors working in conjunction with OS X Mountain Lion allow for a snappy and seamless user experience.
One concern about the computer is the lack of an optical drive. The need for CDs and DVDs is diminishing with the availability of online movie steaming and digital app downloads. This does not mean that you will never be able to access content on discs. You can purchase an external SuperDrive, or if you have a friend with a MacBook Pro, you can remotely access their optical drive. Both users need to be connected to the same wireless network and the CD/DVD sharing option must be enabled in system preferences.
The MacBook Air uses a solid state drive rather than a hard disk drive. This means files are now stored using flash based memory rather than magnetic discs and movable heads in traditional hard drives. For the user, this means faster startup and shutdown times, faster application launch times, and better battery life.
They run silently which allowed Apple to introduce Power Nap. This feature allows updates to occur automatically when the computer is in sleep mode. The capacity of these drives may be smaller than you currently own, so make sure to pay attention to the number of gigabytes you are currently using and allow for a bit of room to grow.