Comments on: The MacBook Air: What a Laptop Should Be http://www.mcelhearn.com/2008/02/28/the-macbook-air-what-a-laptop-should-be/ Writings about more than just Macs, by Kirk McElhearn Thu, 29 Jul 2010 23:45:32 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: SlimJim http://www.mcelhearn.com/2008/02/28/the-macbook-air-what-a-laptop-should-be/#comment-721 SlimJim Sat, 05 Apr 2008 22:17:38 +0000 http://www.mcelhearn.com/wordpress/?p=321#comment-721 Kirk, I enjoyed your comments about the MBA. It gives me a feeling of confidence, since I just ordered one to use when traveling. It is the hard drive, but upgraded to the 1.8 GHz processor. My main Mac is the MacBook Pro, 15". I'm aware of the lack of several functional features in the MBA, but I'm getting it for what it is, and won't complain on what it's not. I plan to take it to Europe for a month of traveling, and will report back here at the end of the trip with my comments...I just became aware of your blog after reading your article in the May issue of MacWorld. It looks like a great blog, and I'm looking forward to more of your comments on the MBA after further use...SlimJim Kirk, I enjoyed your comments about the MBA. It gives me a feeling of
confidence, since I just ordered one to use when traveling. It is the hard drive,
but upgraded to the 1.8 GHz processor. My main Mac is the MacBook Pro, 15".
I’m aware of the lack of several functional features in the MBA, but I’m getting
it for what it is, and won’t complain on what it’s not. I plan to take it to Europe
for a month of traveling, and will report back here at the end of the trip with
my comments…I just became aware of your blog after reading your article in
the May issue of MacWorld. It looks like a great blog, and I’m looking forward
to more of your comments on the MBA after further use…SlimJim

]]> By: Kirk http://www.mcelhearn.com/2008/02/28/the-macbook-air-what-a-laptop-should-be/#comment-719 Kirk Sat, 15 Mar 2008 17:51:46 +0000 http://www.mcelhearn.com/wordpress/?p=321#comment-719 It's true that Macs come with much better software for multimedia work - you get iLife, which is a suite with a video editing tool (iMovie), a DVD authoring tool (iDVD), and a web tool (iWeb). Also, not to sound partial, but the OS is much easier to work with; and you don't have to worry about viruses. Tinderbox is a very interesting tool, and it is very complex. I tried it out a couple of years ago, and was impressed by what it can do, but didn't have time to try and fully understand it. Kirk It’s true that Macs come with much better software for multimedia work – you
get iLife, which is a suite with a video editing tool (iMovie), a DVD authoring
tool (iDVD), and a web tool (iWeb).

Also, not to sound partial, but the OS is much easier to work with; and you
don’t have to worry about viruses.

Tinderbox is a very interesting tool, and it is very complex. I tried it out a
couple of years ago, and was impressed by what it can do, but didn’t have
time to try and fully understand it.

Kirk

]]> By: JaneEyreZH http://www.mcelhearn.com/2008/02/28/the-macbook-air-what-a-laptop-should-be/#comment-718 JaneEyreZH Sat, 15 Mar 2008 17:32:20 +0000 http://www.mcelhearn.com/wordpress/?p=321#comment-718 Well, I'm new to Mac systems, and recently considered buying a MacBook in the interest of both writing my dissertation on a laptop and learning to compose literary and academic texts that incorporate sounds and images. I didn't buy a Mac (though I wanted to) partly because of price restrictions, poor durability reports in online reviews (i need a sturdy little workhorse of a laptop), and because i don't know how i would be using such programs yet in my work. One of my professors, who does work in the rhetoric of composing digital texts, just got a new MacBook Air, and several of my colleagues have Macs. My brother, who does programming for a company, also swears by Macs. I'm quite happy with my Toshiba Satellite A215S5818, as it was both affordable and (thus far) has been very durable - she has been stepped on once, and dropped once (toting a laptop and walking on ice don't mix), and there are no pixellation problems or odd sounds from within her innards. I'm wondering, if I'm interested in creating new kinds of multimedia compositions, is Mac really the only way to go? I'm also very interested in Eastgate's "Tinderbox" program, if you're familiar with that - some of the systems of notes users have created look thrillingly complex. --- JaneEyreZH Well, I’m new to Mac systems, and recently considered buying a MacBook in the interest of both writing my dissertation on a laptop and learning to compose literary and academic texts that incorporate sounds and images. I didn’t buy a Mac (though I wanted to) partly because of price restrictions, poor durability reports in online reviews (i need a sturdy little workhorse of a laptop), and because i don’t know how i would be using such programs yet in my work.
One of my professors, who does work in the rhetoric of composing digital texts, just got a new MacBook Air, and several of my colleagues have Macs. My brother, who does programming for a company, also swears by Macs.
I’m quite happy with my Toshiba Satellite A215S5818, as it was both affordable and (thus far) has been very durable – she has been stepped on once, and dropped once (toting a laptop and walking on ice don’t mix), and there are no pixellation problems or odd sounds from within her innards.
I’m wondering, if I’m interested in creating new kinds of multimedia compositions, is Mac really the only way to go? I’m also very interested in Eastgate’s "Tinderbox" program, if you’re familiar with that – some of the systems of notes users have created look thrillingly complex.

—
JaneEyreZH

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