11.6" MacBook Air Review - Part 2 of 2

Just to refresh (click here for part 1)

We're comparing these two computers:

MacBook
Hard Drive: 250 GB
Processor: 2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
Memory: 2 GB

MacBook Air
Hard Drive: 128 GB
Processor: 1.6 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
Memory 4 GB

In this part of the test, I install some of the more intensive applications to test the speed and handling of this MacBook Air.

Starting off with the Adobe CS4 package, I chose to install a slimmed-down version so as to save on hard disk space, picking select applications rather than bulk installing the entire dozen GB's. This, of course, is no problem for the computer. The real test comes when I've got Final Cut installed.

Now, this is something I did not explain well in part 1. I have an iMac which is my primary video-editing computer. What I need from my laptop is the ability to cut out short videos in the rare occasion that I cannot wait to get back to the desktop. I knew that the MacBook Air was CAPABLE of running Final Cut. What I did not know is how well it can do that. Well, now I know.

To start with, I completely forgot that the new Air has no CD drive. I had to spend a few hours burning dmg's of the Final Cut discs on my iMac. To do that, on a Mac that is, you go into applications, then utilities, open "disk utility", click on the CD, click "New Image" at the top, save the dmg where you'd like, put it on a hard drive and open it on the MacBook Air. Very simple, but takes an ample amount of time.

Anyways, with Final Cut installed, I began the tests. I loaded a recent Final Cut project on both computers. I choose some videos from a MD Democratic Party GOTV Rally I went to right before the election. This is a great example of the type of thing I might have to edit on the fly (of course, with no firewire on either laptop, I'd have to have my old powerbook in tow to capture footage to an external drive). In total, the project was about 15.4 gb, big but not huge. I choose to render a couple of the videos I had cut out from the source material. In all tests, the MacBook rendered anywhere from 33-40% faster (I repeated this task a few times, once with several other applications running simultaneously). That sounds substantial, but these couple minute videos render relatively quickly, and the difference was close to 30 seconds.

Ultimately, I've decided the MacBook Air will suffice for what I need. It is the ideal computer for my bike touring needs and perfectly capable of handling all the other heavy duty tasks that I have (albeit a little slower). After selling the other laptop and purchasing an external for the Air, I will expect to have spent a few hundred bucks.

11.6" MacBook Air Review - Part 1 of 2

Just 15 hours ago I received my new 11.6" MacBook Air. I still have a whole bunch of tests to do with some of the more intense applications (Final Cut, CS4, etc...), and I have a feeling I'm going to push the limits of this thing. My hope is that this MacBook Air can sufficiently replace my 13" MacBook (letting me sell the MacBook) while also satisfying my need for an ultra-light laptop to bring with me on bike touring trips.

Here's how the specs compare:

MacBook
Hard Drive: 250 GB
Processor: 2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
Memory: 2 GB

MacBook Air
Hard Drive: 128 GB
Processor: 1.6 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
Memory 4 GB

First impressions: Although the computer feels as sturdy in your hands as all my other laptops, the size of this thing is remarkable . My father said it reminded him off his iPad when he first saw it. It was certainly a delight showing it off at a coffe shop for a little during the day. I worry about the processing capacity, and obviously the computer is a little less computer than my MacBook overall. Don't get me wrong, I love the extra memory since I consistently use multiple heavy applications. But the processing power is nothing to die for (the highest you can get on the 11.6") But I'll find out just how this compares to my other laptop on that front tomorrow (and I'll post the results!). For now, I'll talk about the experience I've had so far.

The laptop came bright and early in the morning and while I've read many descriptions about the experience of first holding this thing, it still kind of shocked me. It really is thin and light! I got right to work importing all the settings from my Time Machine,  which I did not know you could do. My mail, Chrome/Safari bookmarks, dock, and other features imported from the Time Machine letting me skip setting that all up by hand and saving me a butt-load of time.

But I forgot the golden rule. Always check for updates immediately. It seems weird but you almost always need to update software right off the bat. Anyways, I found that out shortly into my downloading-applications process when my newly downloaded flash player didn't work properly. Not sure why, but a quick update and everything was working up and running.

I've enjoyed the feel of this so far. The 11" screen is so high resolution that it isn't all that noticeably different from the 13" MacBook. I was worried about the fact that the keyboard does not light up, but even on the lowest backlight setting, you can read the white on black keys. And the thing barely heats up, unlike every other Mac I have.

So, as for a laptop I can bring with me bike touring, this definitely does the job. What I am looking for is something I can use at night with my phone as a modem to browse the internet, upload pictures, and do some work possibly involving minor web design. The Air is light as can be, weighing in at only 2.3 lbs, so it won't hold me back on the notorious, endless hills of the Blue Ridge Parkway. And it's more than capable of handling anything I might want to do while biking and camping for days or weeks at a time (re: energy. I have a solar panel that attaches to my bike which should provide enough of a charge during the day to keep my droid charged and give me some computer use each night).

That's all great, but I said I want this to be able to replace my 13" MacBook. To sufficiently do that, it needs to be able to run Final Cut, Photoshop, and Dreamweaver (preferably all at once). That's a lot to ask of such a tiny beast, but I think it can just manage it. Then I can put my MacBook up on the market, spend a little bit of the cash I get from it on an external to hang with the Air and pocket the rest! Everything hinges on tomorrow...

"These Go Up To 11"

Well, I left out an app from my top 10 list that should be in the top two or three. So, in true Spinal Tap spirit, this shit is getting bumped up to eleven!

We'll call this our new #3: Dolphin Browser
This is a fantastic browser. It includes an easy feature to share a web page on twitter and facebook. But the greatest feature is the tabs. Just like any browser on your computer, you can open multiple tabs and switching between them couldn't be easier. The bookmarking feature is alright, but accessing it isn't the simplest path in the world.

My Top 10 Droid Apps

Yes, my first piece here will be on technology. That is not something I get to write about typically, but it is one my favorite topics. So, here it goes...

The Droid brought something to Verizon users that had been the territory of the iPhone for so long: a world of apps. As a long time BlackBerry user, I cannot explain how happy it made me when I browsed the marketplace on my new Droid. Now that I have had the phone for a while, here is the list of the top 10 apps that I have found. Oh, and I am totally not going to do like some others and include apps like google maps. Shit that comes with your phone totally does not count. And I will try to keep it to apps you might not have heard of.

#10: CauseWorld
This app is pretty cool if you are into the whole donating-and-making-the-world-a-better-place thing. The best part, you don't have to spend a dime. CauseWorld has some big corporate donors to back it all up. You just check-in, virtually, to any stores within .4 miles of you. It gives you points, you pick which of the listed non-profits gets the points, which add up to real money. Occasionally, a store like Starbucks will offer double points. That makes for a fun game on the highway, when you see a Starbucks sign, everyone rush to CauseWorld to check-in!

#9: News and Weather
You have to download the one named exactly that, "News and Weather". The app doesn't matter as much as the widget for your desktop. It let's you see the temp and a recent headline. What is better, is that if you click on the temperature, it pops open with a lot more info. I check temperature/chance of precipitation by hour every morning. Seems to be pretty accurate.

#8: Voice Recorder
A simple app to keep voice memos. Comes with a nice record button widget for your desktop so that making a recording is as simple as possible. I like simple apps.

#7: btunes
This is a music player that, as far as I know, replicates the iphone music player layout. I happen to like the feel of it better than my other music player, it makes more sense. It also pops up a little control box before the unlock slide bar when the phone is locked but the screen is on.

#6: NPR News
Great app! Let's you access any of the NPR radio stations. I used this to check in on Kojo Nnamdiv while on the road. This is also helpful for finding the local NPR radio station.

#5: My Tacks
This app lets you track yourself through GPS and view the results on a google map. It tells you things like, average speed, average moving speed, fastest/slowest speed, how far you traveled, altitude change, highest/lowest altitutde... etc. I tested this out while mountain biking the Arizona Trail during my visit to the Grand Canyon in April. Anyone who rides trails will appreciate this app.

#4: doubletwist
Let's you sync with iTunes. Makes loading your phone with music as easy as building a playlist.

#3: Playlist Builder
This app is amazing. I never built playlists on my phone before this. This let's you create a search of all the music on your phone. The search feature is incredibly easy an functional. You can search artist, song, album... etc. Your search can include the words you entered, or exclude, or match exactly. After you build a search, you preview it, and if it looks good, click build.

#2: PdaNet
This app, which has to be downloaded on both the phone and computer, let's the user tether the droid to a computer. The Droid becomes a portable modem for your computer. This app is crucial for me. I used it plenty on my two cross-country road trips this spring and summer. No matter how good the internet on the phone is, some things still need to be done through a computer. This feature saved me plenty of money on internet fees at Motel 6's.

#1: SMS Popup
This application lets the user set SMS/MMS messages to popup in a box on the middle of the screen. It means that when you get an SMS/MMS, it will be the first thing you see when you look at your phone, and you will see the full message. I ranked this as number one for two reasons: 1) I use it a lot. I send plenty of text messages, and I can't stand having to navigate to the message before I can read it. 2) It is so simple and obvious. This feature should have been included with the phone in the first place.