Having just been through this sort of debacle I went with a Mac Air, but knew my boss would want it as soon as I got back from the US..

Now to wait a bit until Windows 7 comes out on the netbooks.. ;_)

Best example of how much better 7 is to Vista was demonstrated to me on the Vaio P, that thing ran like a dog on Vista, and as soon as I loaded 7 RC1 it was smooth and nice to use.

Finally Microsoft have an OS that feels good.

I’d have to say other than the lightness factor I have not read a lot of other great things about the MBA.

But for now, I am enjoying this experiment with the latest HP equipment and the Windows Vista OS very much.

Bill

Dan, I honestly think this is the longest thing you have ever written that wasn’t its own article or review. Let me see if I can hit the highlights…

Yes, I was very aware that the Air was an ultralight, and that it was basically meant as a travel, surfing or blogging laptop. Guess what, though? That’s exactly what I was trying to do with it. Okay, maybe the average Mac surfer is happy with Safari and won’t install Firefox, and maybe they won’t have 20+/- tabs open at any given time, but it didn’t seem unreasonable to me. I wasn’t processing video on it (remember? I would send those to you?), I wasn’t doing major photo editing on it (iPhoto more than met my needs), and I wasn’t even using it to watch DVDs or listen to music.

So at the end of the day, what you’re saying is that the Air is only meant for light surfing at Starbucks, and I shouldn’t have expected it to meet my needs? I disagree. For the most part, the Air was able to meet all of my needs, but there were some issues. For the most part, fixing permissions, reformatting, and tinkering with a few other utilities would take care of things – but that process did get old.

This time I didn’t have to go through the process since I had other options, you’re right. Perhaps this time would have been the straw that broke the camel’s back and I would have sold the Air and bought a 13″ MBP…or not. But since I had other hardware to try, I did.

I guess the point I am trying to get across here is that I dragged my feet going back to Windows because I didn’t really think that there was anything there for me, and it turns out I was wrong.

On a side note: there is something to be said about the fact that you can get the entire package that I am now using, the dv6 AND the mini for under a grand – even substantially less with certain specials – while the 13″ MBP starts at $1200.

If you have some jingle in your pocket and you want a Mac, then you will pay the premium without thinking twice, and I certainly wouldn’t fault anyone for that. Believe me, I am still a fan of the OS and even more a fan of the hardware; I’m just looking at other options.

In all seriousness a GREAT post.

A couple of thoughts…

The Air is an ultralight and, as a result, brings frustrating performance issues with it- especially when someone is trying to use it as their main machine. This is especially the case for someone who does the degree of serious computer use that you do. To a certain degree you were hoping/needing it to do/be something it isn’t really designed to do or be. It was why I got rid of mine too. The Air was primarily made for Mac-users who travel a lot. For them it is great. For you or me… not. (BUT– I still miss it as it was the “sweetest” notebook I have ever used but it was too limiting for my needs.)

So it is no surprise that the HP won you over. It looks like a nice machine and, even though it too is a small notebook that travels light, it is clearly built with the goal of having the power someone needs in a “main” computer. (That 4GB of RAM compared to the Air’s 2 is a big difference! Not to mention the graphics card in it.) It is a lot more power but, at a pound more, it also weighs a good deal more than the Air. Your computing needs befit a full, powerful notebook NOT a super light one. And so the Air needed to go. Now you even get the best of both worlds- powerful notebook for real work, light but frustrating netbook when on the run. That’s not a bad combo.

At the same time comparing the Air and the HP is, to a certain extent, like comparing Apples and Oranges. The real comparison (at least if someone was out shopping fresh and didn’t HAVE an HP right there to use) would be between the HP and any one of the MacBook Pros. The MacBook Pros would have all the power of the HP and something the HP doesn’t- the ability to run both OSs.

Other than cost, I personally do not see why anyone would NOT get the Mac these days since, with it, you can run BOTH Windows and OS X. Want it for Windows full time? No problem- it can do that. Want it for OS X full time? That too. Apple machines give you the best of both worlds now. The HP (or any other PC) doesn’t.

I have said for many years that there is room at the table for both Mac and PC. I don’t think it is an all-or-nothing scenario. If you find the one that works best for you, go for it. In my case, it has always been PCs although I fully admit that my son’s MBP is an amazing piece of kit.

Just wait until you try out Windows 7. It is awesome – simply awesome.