MBA: Magnum opus in design, style

Zatni Arbi ,  Contributor ,  Jakarta   |  Mon, 06/16/2008 10:03 AM  |  Sci-Tech

Sleek and stylish, and only 1.94 centimeters at its thickest point, Apple’s MacBook Air (MBA) is truly a design marvel. (JP/Zatni Arbi)

A Jakarta Post reader recently disagreed with me when I said the ThinkPad X300 broke new ground in notebook thinness. I fully understand why he did: Apple's MacBook Air -- fondly called the MBA -- is razor-thin at the edges, and is indeed significantly thinner overall.

However, although it's very difficult to talk about one without mentioning the other, the two are not completely comparable. I would say that a road warrior who has to be away on long trips will do better with an X300, because it comes already with an integrated DVD burner, three USB ports and a battery that can be removed and replaced with a spare one. We'll get to the MBA's specs later, but these are the things that are unfortunately missing on it.

However, the MBA and the X300 reflect two different approaches to notebook design. While the black and bento-like X300 won't wow casual onlookers, everybody will want to touch the MBA the instant they see it.

There's no doubt about it. If you spend a lot of time working in public places such as coffee shops and cafes, you'll be the object of envy if you type on an MBA.

That's not to say that the MBA can only be used for simple jobs like word processing and Web-surfing. Not at all. Thin and light as it is, the MBA is a very capable computer. Courtesy of Pulse Communication, Apple's PR agency for Indonesia, I was able to use a brand new MBA for three weeks and see how it performed.

The polished aluminum enclosure of the MBA faithfully follows Apple's design theme. At the front edge, the thickness is only 0.4 centimeters. Toward the back, the thickness is only 1.94 cm. The weight of the notebook unit -- without the optional peripherals -- is only 1.36 kilograms.

The slimness of the design might lead one to think that this is Apple's version of the Ultra Mobile PC. Surprisingly, though, the MBA comes with a full-size keyboard, a large touchpad and a very pleasing 13.3-inch, LED back-lit wide screen. It even has a great digital camera on top, just like the 20-inch iMac we looked at several months ago.

Under the hood, the MBA is driven by an Intel Core 2 Duo processor running at the clock speed of 1.6 GHz. This is a faster processor than the 1.2 GHz used in the X300. Its performance is boosted further by the 2 GB memory, which is standard on the MBA. Combined with Mac OS X Leopard Version 10.5 and its applets, the notebook is a joy to use.

Underneath, there's a flip-down drawer that accommodates the headphone jack, the USB port and the Micro-DVI port for external display -- both analog VGA and Digital Video Interface (DVI).

Frankly, I'm still a novice when it comes to Apple. But, as this is the second Mac that I have spent a lot of time with, I've become more understanding of why the Mac has its hardcore followers. The MBA is so easy to use, it has never crashed and I've been able to learn to use it without requiring a tutor.

In addition to the MBA's stylish exterior and ultralight weight that everybody admires, what I like the most is the bright LCD screen. The native resolution is 1280x800, and the characters are comfortable to read. Another strong point that also caught my attention was the AirPort Extreme Wi-Fi wireless connection. Capable of supporting 802.11n, it is so easy to set up, and it provides high-speed broadband access the moment it is turned on.

I was also amazed to see that there is no air outlet grill, even underneath the notebook. Yet, the MBA never got noticeably warm after hours of use. Apple has accomplished the impossible in keeping the machine cool.

As for the workmanship, there's no doubt that the MBA will also last a long time. The hinges are sturdy, and instead of a latch it uses magnets to lock the screen to the body.

Other notable features include the 80 GB hard disk -- solid state drive (SSD) will also be available later -- Bluetooth 2.1, and the innovative, gesture-based touchpad that lets you zoom in or navigate back and forth just by using your fingertips.

Remote Disk is also a great new feature added to MBA. With this feature, you can treat the DVD drive of another connected Mac -- or even another PC -- as if it was directly attached to the MBA. So, even if you don't have the optional external optical drive, new software can still be installed or even reinstalled by using the other machine's optical drive.

The keyboard is the same as the one on the iMac. It takes some getting used to, especially if you -- like me -- prefer the original, noisy IBM PC keyboard of yesteryear. The keyboard has a backlight, too. It lights up when the sensor detects a dark surrounding, so you can still work in an airplane or in a darkened boardroom.

The MBA has only one USB port, so if you want to use a mouse, you can't connect any other USB devices such as an external DVD writer -- unless, of course, you use a USB hub. A DVD drive is optional. Furthermore, to connect the MBA to a wired LAN, you will need an optional Ethernet-to-USB adaptor.

In the box there are also two special connectors for external display, -- one for analog VGA and the other for DVI. Extras like these get misplaced and are easily lost, especially if you leave your hotel room in a hurry. That is why I wouldn't really use the MBA for extended trips that involve hopping from one seminar venue to another.

The audio from the monaural speaker is rather weak. Because the computer is so slim, the sound doesn't really have a lot of space to resonate.

Still, overall, the approximately US$2,000 MBA is truly an engineering marvel. It allows you to be productive, enjoy a lot of entertainment, stay connected with our loved ones, put you at the center of attention and boost your self-confidence wherever you use it. You know, if I had more disposable income, I'd definitely consider buying one for my own use!

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