Macbook Air Review: Week 2

After 8 years of adamantly refusing to get a Mac (They all look the same! They don't allow the user any control! They remind me of my high school's computers!), I have finally made the jump and switched to a Mac. I have to say, I love it.

Compatibility is really no longer an issue and should not prevent most pc users from making the switch. I will say that some of the more esoteric applications I have found (i.e. concerning my Android phone) have not worked for Macs. For example, HTC ironically has software to sync iTunes only on PCs. It took my hours of searching, testing, and uninstalling before I found a program that satisfactorily synchronized my iTunes to my phone, and even then I’m not sure I am comfortable returning to iTunes after jumping ship years ago in favour of the drag-and-drop method of putting music directly on my phone’s SD card). Having moved to my own apartment now, I do plan to integrate all my devices, from my phone to my computer to my television. And using one system may ultimately be easier (Why would I want an iPhone? Because it is the best phone.

The thing about this computer is that there isn’t one thing that makes it stand out. It’s thin, but not that thin-my Dell was thinner than it. But the build quality is amazing, and it feels more solid than any laptop I’ve ever used. Design is superiour too (for the most part-who okayed these cheap, ugly black keyboards, especially on a silver background? My old Dell had brushed metal keys that felt far more durable, although they weren’t illuminated).

The multitouch features of the trackpad are really useful (although I hear more PCs are getting these functionalities, but aren’t as nicely integrated). The suite of software just works, from iTunes to Office for Mac. The computer is really powerful given its size. It is in fact about as powerful and might be moreso than the MacBook Pro. It is overall just far more reliable than a PC (that could also be because you’re basically required to ask an Apple technician for help with….anything).

However, making the switch is not a forgone conclusion. Until I get more experience at it, I am pretty locked out of some basic features or capabilities of the computer, including the aforementioned lack of control over certain settings without third-party applications. There are other features missing as well-I had assumed that the new ability to display small pop-up previews of open windows by mousing over the toolbar was Windows copying Mac. This feature is actually absent in Mac, so I have downloaded a third-party utility for that as well. I am also trying to figure out if there is some way I can make it such that swiping my thumb on the side of the touchpad will scroll. This would allow me to keep my hands on the keyboard to scroll and simply move my thumb, rather than taking my hands off the keyboard to scroll.

Despite al the apparently issues I have with it, however, I have to say that no computer I’ve ever had has been this usable. From the sturdy and compact design, to the stable and capable software, to the powerful hardware under the hood, this is one capable computer to take anywhere.

Recommended Applications: PDAnet, Wifi Tether, Psst, iSyncr, hyperdock, Move Addict