The MacBook Air (11.6 inch, late 2010 model)

OK, I'll admit -- I'm an original Apple Fanboy. I bought the first iPod the day it came out. Heck, I opened my first Apple credit account to get an Apple IIc (which cost around $2500 I think) in the early 80s. And yes, I was at Infinite Loop 1 for the big Newton unveiling. So, having said that, you'll understand why I am drawn to most everything Apple produces (with forgiveness for a few things: remember the Cube or eWorld).

In that vein, I admit that I have a definite lust for smaller and lighter gadgets. I couldn't wait to get the first MacBook Air when it came out. I enjoyed working with it, and thought it was a great first attempt at a "netbook" computer for Apple. Sadly, I gave it up because I noticed that day-to-day it wasn't really small enough or powerful enough to replace my MacBook Pro.

For "ultra-portability" I moved to a Sony Vaio X for awhile. It was at the time, the thinnest laptop made. While it had its pluses, two big minuses were the cramped keyboard and the under-powered Intel Atom chip. I had to strip Windows 7 to its bare minimum just to get the thing to operate smoothly. I told myself I would get used to it, but never really did.

After the first Air and the VAIO X, I thought I was done with the "netbook" form factor, until Apple announced the MacBook Air refresh this year. The new 11.6-inch size caught my attention -- it was small enough to stash in my messenger bag, and was loaded with a decent chip, RAM and disk space. The added benefit of an affordable flash drive also seemed attractive. In 2008 models, both a hard disk and a flash drive were options (although the flash drive model was uber-expensive). Now, your choice is limited to just the flash drive. Flash drives are attractive because of their "instant on" capability, and their lack of moving parts. And, true to form... when I flip the lid up, the Air is instantly on... however, there is a caveat. The Air itself wakes up almost instantly, but the bluetooth and wireless take a bit to fire up. I've been surprised by how long it takes the wireless receiver to connect.