Nick Frost reviews Apple's new MacBook Air

I've been a Mac user for years. About ten years ago I bought a PC, the first computer I'd ever owned - apart from a ZX Spectrum and other such games machines when I was a kid. I found it tough going. That all changed when I started working in TV and film; in this business Macs are what everyone uses - and they're cool, too. I bought one right away. Those first iMacs were multi-coloured, which seemed like a madman's dream back then.

Later, I bought a 17in MacBook Pro, and it wasn't cheap - the best part of £2,000. But it's like that line in Jurassic Park when the kid finds the night-vision goggles; the guy says, 'Are they heavy? Then they're expensive - put them back.'




This MacBook Air is the exception: it's light and it's expensive, £1,378 to be precise. Although it's marginally lighter than the original version - which came out in early 2008 - this latest model is far more sturdy.

Apple is very clever in making it out of metal. It's very tactile, you want to hold it, and that makes it a joy to use. I find it easy and comfortable to type on, which is lucky as I do a lot of writing. The keyboard has been tweaked since the original Air, and feels substantial and as good as any full-sized laptop.

They've also fixed a couple of things that really annoyed me. The old one's hinge didn't work particularly well, especially when you had it on a flat surface. But they've smoothed that out.

Also, the USB slot on the side has been redesigned. It used to be that if you had a chunky USB stick the machine wouldn't lie flat; not any more. And it's got two USB sockets now - which still isn't that many, but it's so thin, only 17mm at the thick end, I'm not sure they could accommodate any more.

The lack of a disk drive can be a bit annoying, but there are ways round it. The solution is that you can wirelessly access the drives of other computers you've got networked, and if you want to be able to use DVDs or CDs on the go, you can buy a portable drive. This is what I've done.

The only problem with this is that it kind of messes with the aesthetic of the Air - what's the point of having an elegant laptop then spoiling it by having an ugly attachment hanging from the side. But I love how well the wireless access works. I can put a DVD into my iMac upstairs and watch it perfectly downstairs on the Air via Wi-Fi.

I think what's good about it is that you don't notice its main strengths straight away - it's so good at the basics. The battery life is great - about 30 days on standby and about seven hours of usage. I got annoyed with my old one because after a while it started to degrade a bit, hold less of a charge.

Obviously I've only had this one a few weeks, but it goes on and on. I haven't noticed it getting too hot either, which is often a problem with small laptops.

Something else that you take for granted is its speed; it's incredibly quick. Startup is practically instant - it goes from 'o ' to booted and suited in 15 seconds. There's no fanfare, it just does it. You suddenly realise that if you added up all the time it takes for things to load, you could claim back hours of your life. That's time you never get back.