I do not own both, but I do have a MB, and my parents have a 15" MBP. There is not a lot of difference in heft between the two. The MBP is a bit bigger, that is all. If one is going for specs alone, it makes no sense to get a MB on merits of any size advantage. The difference is just too subtle. On the other hand, if you only need a certain amount of power (writing doesn’t take much computing strength), the MB saves a lot of cash and feels a bit more sturdy to me. While the heft is nearly the same, I always feel a bit like the MBP is going to fall apart if I pick it up wrong. Could just be the psychology of price, and the fact that I do not own it, though.
The size comparison that was linked above should have compared the Air with the MB. The footprint is practically identical, and while the width is definitely dramatic at the front, the rear bulge is less than one centimetre in difference, and that is what will matter in a case. I’ve noticed most of their product photography takes advantage of the leading edge and the deep bevels in the back which make it look much thinner than it actually is. Weight is the main factor, but even that isn’t a dramatic change. In short, I don’t see a lot of reason to get the Air over the MB which has better specifications, and is only marginally bigger. The rectangular form is arguably less “awkward” actually. I haven’t held an Air yet, obviously, but I would imagine that it would be easier to support a MB (or MBP) in a case with other books and such, due to its flat surfaces. Unless you carry around socks, one end of the Air is going to be flopping about in the case. Its potential awkwardness reminds me of the old clamshell design iBooks. I do agree with the above posts regarding the 12" models of yesteryear. Both the iBook and the 12" powerbook were amazing machines for their size. In fact the 15" iBook was practically pointless beside the 12" as the specs were about the same, and the screen was just bigger, not of higher resolution.
It is as if Apple took the sub-notebook idea as an abstract concept and then proceeded to get it all wrong from that point on. It is too expensive, too big, and very likely too “fragile.” I don’t know. It’s neat, but in a shrug kind of way. Time Capsule is more interesting to me, though the concept of putting all of your personal data into your wireless router is a bit—insane? I’ll wait and see how that one goes. The convenience of not plugging in a hard drive when you get home (a bit of a conceit, in my opinion) needs to be balanced with top security.
I don’t mean to merge two threads, but I have to agree with the thrust of the argument in the thread regarding Jobs’ remark on the importance of literature. This is the third keynote in a row that has left me feeling kind of down about Apple’s future. Not in the “they are going out a business” way, but that they are drifting into a market that leaves a culturally sour taste in my mouth. If that makes me a snob, so be it.
P.S. Good move putting the back-lit keyboard on the MB design, though. That is a nice touch.
