[MallyMal]

Here's some benchmarks from Macworld for the MacBook Air. Macworld | MacBook Air: First Lab Tests


It is a good bit faster than the PowerBook 1.67GHz which is nice to see.

[amazing]

Yep, subnotebooks are always slower than currently shipping notebooks, because they're designed that way. You want to minimize heat and maximize battery life.

And there's a bunch of subnotebook comparisons on various websites showing that the MBA has a faster processor than the subnotebook competition.

Nitpickers insist on comparing a subnotebook to a notebook like the MacBook. If you're looking to buy a subnotebook, you're not in the market for a notebook, and vice versa.

Apple decided that a 13" screen was the minimum requirement, allowing a full size keyboard, and designed it around that. This is not a replacement for the 12" PB, this is a new beastie.

[mfbernstein]

Well definitely be slower than the ThinkPad X61 subnotebook (3.1 lbs, 2.2GHZ Core 2 Duo - same motherboard and processor as the 2.2GHZ MB).

[amazing]

Well, not a lot of people are gonna go for the Thinkpad's eraserhead pointing device.

Here's gizmodo's comparisons:

Battlemodo: Is MacBook Air Worth the Money? Five Slim Laptops Face Off

In any case, the MBA is the only choice in a subnotebook if you insist on OS X, no surprise there. You can criticize Apple for their design decisions, but they must have done market research and prioritized the results to come up with this beauty.

It isn't for me, and it may not be for you, but it will sell.

[Eug]

Originally Posted by amazing 

Well, not a lot of people are gonna go for the Thinkpad's eraserhead pointing device.

Here's gizmodo's comparisons:

Battlemodo: Is MacBook Air Worth the Money? Five Slim Laptops Face Off

In any case, the MBA is the only choice in a subnotebook if you insist on OS X, no surprise there. You can criticize Apple for their design decisions, but they must have done market research and prioritized the results to come up with this beauty.

It isn't for me, and it may not be for you, but it will sell.

I really, really hate the eraserhead pointer. However, many of those eraserhead laptops now have trackpads as well.

What that comparison failed to mention is keyboard size. The number one plus of the MacBook Air is the full-sized keyboard. I can't type on a reduced-size keyboard, cuz it causes me wrist pain.

Still, the MBA is not for me, for other reasons.

[mfbernstein]

Originally Posted by Eug 

I really, really hate the eraserhead pointer. However, many of those eraserhead laptops now have trackpads as well.

What that comparison failed to mention is keyboard size. The number one plus of the MacBook Air is the full-sized keyboard. I can't type on a reduced-size keyboard, cuz it causes me wrist pain.

Still, the MBA is not for me, for other reasons.

Not a fan of the erasertip, but the ThinkPad does have a full-sized keyboard more reminiscent of the titanium PowerBook G4 than the current MacBook/MacBook Air.

Will be interested to see how the 1.8GHZ SSD MBA performs though. It ought to at least be as fast as a 1.8GHZ MacBook.

[Eug]

Originally Posted by mfbernstein 

Not a fan of the erasertip, but the ThinkPad does have a full-sized keyboard more reminiscent of the titanium PowerBook G4 than the current MacBook/MacBook Air.

The TiBook and the MacBook have the same-sized keyboard. (I've owned both.) The keyboard feel is different though.

[amazing]

Here's some more reviews. This one from CNET is great because it gives some speed tests for the Toshiba Portege R500 and the Sony Vaio TZ150, which don't do well compared to the MBA:

Apple MacBook Air Core 2 Duo 1.8 GHz - 13.3" TFT Laptop reviews - CNET Reviews

Engadget has a well-reasoned review:

MacBook Air review - Engadget

I think it's now official that the MBA doesn't have a Kensington cable security lock slot. It may the first Apple laptop ever to not have one? Serious omission, given how coveted it is.