There is no denying that Apple has caused something of a stir with the MacBook Air (£2028 inc. VAT), producing a machine that is the thinnest laptop ever made. Measuring 325 x 221 x 20mm it’s an impressive machine to take out of your bag and certainly turns heads with Apple’s minimalist eye for detail.

Our test unit was the high-end model, consisting of Intel’s latest Core 2 Duo XXXX, which runs at 1.8GHz and 64GB SSD. There is a cheaper version on offer but as this machine is a true statement of intent, this is the best machine to opt for.

Made from aluminium, it has the same high-quality finish as other MacBooks and has an overall weight of 1.4kg. Open the lid and you’ll find a stunning 13.3-inch Super-TFT screen that uses LED technology to make it sharp as well as thin. There is also a great near-fill-sized keyboard that is a pleasure to use.

The touchpad is larger than we’re accustomed to, this is to make use of Apple’s multi-touch technology, first used on the iPhone, which allows you to spin and zoom in on images and documents simply using the touchpad. This works fine but beyond the novelty aspect doesn’t truly work as well as it does on the iPhone.

This laptop may be thin but for a regular traveller it simply isn’t small enough. The screen is great to use but smaller would have been more portable, as you’re still forced to use a large carry case to carry it around.

Design statement

The fact the MacBook Air is so thin is what causes the problems with the machine. You get the feeling this isn’t a machine for people to use every day, it’s more a design statement, to be pulled out by those who need to make an instant impression.

The reason for this feeling is twofold: the lack of connectivity and the sealed unit. Hardware connections consist of a single USB 2.0 port, a DVI-out connector and audio jack all hidden away under a flap on the side of the unit. The other side sports a magnetic strip for your power lead, which is a great way to charge the machine.

When it comes to staying in touch, wireless is the aim. So, there is 802.11n and Bluetooth 2.0 + ERD to keep you connected. There is also a software feature called Remote Disk that allows you to hi-jack another machine to

The sealed unit approach, whereby the battery is an integral part of the machine and no clear path for upgrading the memory or hard drive, may work for an MP3 player, which isn’t critical to your daily work. However, for a machine that will be used for business can you really afford to send it back to Apple whenever you need to update it?

In field tests, where we actually took the MacBook Air out and used it until the battery died, we found it lasted for 153 minutes, which is fine for the morning commute but isn’t going to see you through a morning’s work. When connected to a wireless network, this dropped to 137 minutes to reflect the chipsets further power drain.

The Apple MacBook Air is a fantastic looking machine and to use it’s a joy but as an everyday machine to use, there are simply too many sacrifices to be made.

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