Steve Jobs is about as fond of underpowered netbook computers as tooth decay. Apple’s CEO would be loath to classify the newest MacBook Airs as netbooks.
Still, the Air invites the comparisons. Entry-level Air models with an 11.6-inch screen weigh slightly more than 2 pounds, are razor thin and have a sub-$1,000 starting price — not bargain basement but inexpensive by Apple standards. Models with a 13.3-inch display are equally svelte and only a bit heavier. They start at $1,299 and climb to $1,799, starting price for the original MacBook Air.
Size and weight are pretty much where netbook comparisons cease. Air models are pleasing to look at and use, unlike most netbooks. The relevant question is not so much how Air measures up to rival ultraportables but if you’d want one instead of or in addition to an iPad.
Apple acknowledges that iPads and Air might compete for some of the same customers. But while the iPad is marvelous for consuming information, it’s not as ideal for creating content. More often, you’ll want a notebook with the kind of full-size keyboard that’s on the Air models.
That said, Air has limits: It lacks the storage and robust innards required for heavy-duty video editing and other intensive chores. Air is rarely the kind of machine you’d want as an only computer. But it’s a great complement as an additional computer in your arsenal. Here’s what’s up in the Air:
*Design and basics. Crafted from a single slab of aluminum, as are pricier MacBook Pro laptops, Airs have bright, glossy displays, buttonless multitouch glass trackpads, and edges tapered down just over a tenth of an inch. Battery life is solid.
They run Apple’s Mac OS X Snow Leopard software and the new iLife ’11 software, with fresh versions of iPhoto, iMovie (editing) and GarageBand (for musicians and…