Acer Aspire One AO722-BZ454 11.6-inch Netbook

The Bottom Line
Aug 25 2011 - The Acer Aspire One 722 is a surprisingly strong value especially considering it is priced around $300 to $330. This AMD C-50 equipped netbook offers roughly the same level of performance as an Intel Atom based one but with better graphics thanks ot the AMD integrated graphics and a larger 11.6-inch display. Add in 2GB of memory and a Windows 7 Home Premium operating system. Unfortunately, Acer continues to fill their systems with a large amount of software that puts a dent in the overall performance. The larger screen also makes it a bit less portable than standard 10-inch netbooks.(Olympus Camedia C-5060 Wide Zoom Battery)

Pros

• Larger, Higher Resolution Display
• Improved Graphics Including HD Support
• 2GB of Memory With Windows 7 Home Premium

Cons

• Lots of Installed Software
• Not As Portable As 10-inch Netbooks
• (Dell Studio 1555 Battery)

Description

• AMD Fusion C-50 Dual Core Mobile Processor
• 2GB PC3-8500 DDR3 Memory
• 250GB 5400rpm SATA Hard Drive
• 11.6" WXGA (1366x768) LED Backlit Display With VGA Webcam
• AMD Radeon HD 6250 Integrated Graphics
• Fast Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n Wireless
• Three USB 2.0, HDMI, VGA, 5-in-1 Card Reader
• 11.2" x 7.9" x 1" @ 3.2 lbs.
• Windows 7 Home Premium, Office Starter
• (Dell U7809 AC Adapter )

Review - Acer Aspire One AO722-BZ454

Aug 25 2011 - Acer's Aspire One AO722-BZ454 differs from the average netbook in many ways. While most are based around the Intel Atom processor, Acer has decided to use the first of the AMD Fusion processor, the C-50, for this netbook. Performance wise, it isn't that much different from the current generation of dual-core Atom processors. (SAMSUNG PL55 Charger)This means it certainly isn't going to be something that one wants to use to do a task such as video editing but it will do just fine for base web browsing, productivity and media playback. Thankfully, Acer has included a full 2GB of memory and Windows 7 Home Premium rather than the typical 1GB and Windows 7 Starter. This gives it better overall performance thanks to additional memory but it will still trail behind a budget class laptop with 4GB in terms of multitasking.(SAMSUNG PA-SB100 battery)

One of the big features of the AMD Fusion lineup of processors is the integrated graphics processor that is built into the CPU. For the C-50, this is an AMD Radeon HD 6250 graphics engine. This is not going to be a fast 3D processor that will be used for playing 3D PC games but it does offer some casual PC gaming on older PC titles at lower resolution and detail levels. More importantly, the CPU and graphics engine combination provides smooth HD video playback. This is something that the Atom with the GMA 3150 still can't achieve reliable. To make this even more useful, the Aspire One also features an HDMI connector for easy connect to an HDTV or external monitor.(Panasonic Lumix Dmc-fx55 Battery )
In addition to the improve graphics engine, the Acer Aspire One AO722-BZ454 uses a larger 11.6-inch display panel compared to the typical 10.1-inch found in most netbooks. Now, this does include the overall size of the netbook but it also has the benefit of increasing the overall resolution from the meager 1024x600 to a much more legible 1366x768 found in your average laptop. This allows for 720p HD video support on the display as well as more spacious display for handing for browsing the web without feeling crammed. The display itself offers average performance for a netbook with decent but not outstanding color and brightness levels. It has the typical glossy coating that can make it a bit difficult to use outdoors.(Toshiba Satellite a100-252 Battery)
Storage is probably the one area where the Acer Aspire One falls in line with most other netbooks. It uses a standard 250GB capacity hard drive that is the average size found in netbooks. In addition, it uses the 5400rpm rate in order to conserve on power but does mean that the performance isn't as nice as some models that come equipped with 7200rpm drives such as those from HP.(Dell Studio 1555 AC Adapter)
Even though the Acer Aspire One AO722-BZ454 has more memory than the average netbook, Acer has made upgrading the components within the netbook extremely easy to do. All, that is required is a single screw be removed from the bottom panel. Once this is done, the panel can be slide off exposing the ram slot and even the hard drive. This means that users can upgrade it to 4GB of memory if they desire or replace the hard drive with a low cost SSD to offer even higher performance or alternatively, a larger hard drive for more storage.(Sony Cybershot Dsc-t1 Battery)
Acer supplies the Aspire One AO722-BZ454 with a fairly common six cell SAMSUNG P1000 Charger battery pack that comes with a 4400mAh capacity rating. Now AMD has not been very good with the power consumption with previous mobile processors. The Fusion C-50 seems to have improved things somewhat but not as much as can be achieved by the Intel Atom. In video streaming playback testing, the laptop can achieve just over five hours of running time. This is roughly an hour less than an Atom based netbook with similar capacity Olympus Blm-1 Battery from Acer.
Software that is installed by Acer still plagues the Acer Aspire One and many of their other low cost systems. There is a large amount of programs installed that are either trails or not very useful to the operation of the netbook. This ends up slowing down the system due to the large number of items that load at boot. It is advised that users spend from time cleaning up the system to help improve the overall boot times and general performance.
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next blog: Save Big Bucks On The Samsung F40 Ultra Zoom Camcorder

Save Big Bucks On The Samsung F40 Ultra Zoom Camcorder

Finding A Less Expensive Camcorder

Although lots of people have gone from shooting photographs to video, many don’t have a camcorder yet. Almost every camcorder today is built to take standard photos as well as video. In addition, most all camcorders now are digital, and can be used as digital cameras. Many people want an affordable camcorder, which brings us to the Samsung F40 Ultra Zoom. Since it is less pricey than other camcorders, don’t expect to shooting making high-definition footage.(Sony NP-FH50 Battery)

The Samsung F40 Ultra Zoom Camcorder

If you want the most versatile camcorder possible, this may not be for you. Also, due to the inexpensive price, you must be open-minded about the limited features. But due to this camcorder’s price, you’re getting exactly what you’re paying for. However, this camera does have an excellent zoom feature, and high-quality built-in mic. If you want a camera to record, say, golf shots, this one is useful. The device is lightweight and compact, making it easy to fit into your golf bag. You might also be pleased with the +4 hour Canon NB-5L battery life, impressive for a unit like this.

Customer Review Of Samsung F40 Ultra Zoom

Be warned that the qualityassociated with videos and pictures won’t be good in lower light conditions. On the other hand, buyers are very pleased with the Sony NP-F330 Charger battery life and zoom capabilities. The microphone picks up nicely, the camcorder is small, lightweight, and easy to use. There have been complaints, however, about the photo functioneven in good lighting. Still, parents are finding this to be a great gift for their teenagers. Its inexpensive price makes it an ideal beginner camcorder.

Facing The Facts

People use video cameras for both personal and business use. Video cameras are great for documenting all sorts of events, from sports activities to weddings. The kind of camcorder you get depends on how much quality you’re after, and your budget. Many people were unsatisfied with this video camera, although it’s possible that they had unreal expectations. (casio np-40 battery)If you want a top-of-the-line camcorder, you’ll be paying a lot more for it. A lot of people generally want a higher quality unit than they are willing to pay for. While considering buying the Samsung F40 Ultra Zoom Camcorder, be reasonable with your expectations.
In spite of the popularity of filming these days, many people are avoiding camcorders due to their price. While the Samsung F40 Ultra Zoom Camcorder obviously cannot be as good as other devices several times its price, it is nevertheless a great value. Complaints about quality have not stopped it from being a great low-budget camcorder. If you’re reasonable in your expectations of the Samsung F40 Ultra Zoom Camcorder, you should have a great experience.
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next blog: Abacus 24-7 online source for Electronic Accessories

Abacus 24-7 online source for Electronic Accessories

Abacus24-7 is an online leader for compatible and remanufactured printer ink and toner cartridges and toner cartridges for all of today’s name brand printers and copiers for the home and business.
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next blog: Driving with the Drift HD170 Action Camera

Driving with the Drift HD170 Action Camera

The Wheel Deal puts the Drift HD170 Action Camera to the test out on the race track

Cameras and motorsport go together like asphalt and burning rubber, right? Exactly. That’s why The Wheel Deal didn’t hesitate in putting the Drift HD170 through its paces at a recent historic race meeting at Zwartkops Raceway (Konica Minolta Dimage e50 Battery)

So what have we got here? Tell me what’s hiding inside that box

Made by an American company called Drift Innovation, the imaginatively named Drift HD170 is an all-purpose video camera designed to record everything from your favourite mountain bike trail right down to a wild weekend of windsurfing action. Hewn out of a sturdy rubberized casing, its compact and extremely lightweight design not only makes it easy to handle but also dead simple to attach to your equipment or – through the use of the included head or goggle strap – person. (Sony Np-77 Battery)You can also purchase an optional PanaVise suction-cup mount that makes it even more versatile – particularly if, like me, you’re into motorsport.
Usability aside this unit also stands out for having a built-in 1.5″ LCD screen and single mono speaker. Not only does this come in handy for framing your shots but it also allows you to immediately play back your recordings once you’ve captured them. Yep, no longer do you have to wait until you’re behind a laptop to watch your latest adrenalin-fuelled exploits.(Dell Precision M6300 AC Adapter )
Sounds interesting but is it easy to use?

Very. For even though an instruction manual isn’t included in the actual kit (you can download one later if you like) it takes no time at all to get this camera up and running. Once you turn it on by pushing that big play button you can then access the four-stage setup menu that allows you to adjust everything from microphone sensitivity, desired frame rate, recording resolution and basic exposure control. Of course professional users would probably want more scope for manual manipulation but for the weekend warrior there’s enough tweakability here to get the best out of almost any shooting environment.
Once you’ve set everything up and given that lithium-ion Toshiba Tecra a2 Battery a charge, it’s then just a case of choosing a mounting point and pushing the record button. In my experience the latter has always an impossible feat as I’m always tightly strapped into a five-point racing harness; something that required a team member to do it for me just before I headed out onto the circuit. Fortunately, and in a stroke of pure genius, the smart HD170 features a wireless remote control that allows me to turn on the red light whenever I want to.(Panasonic Lumix Dmc-fx8 Battery)
Like the camera itself you can mount the little remote almost anywhere but I chose to attach it to the roll cage of my racecar with the Velcro wrist strap already provided in the kit. It worked seamlessly all weekend and helped cut out a lot of the unnecessary footage we usually accrue over a typical race weekend.(Motorola GP340 battery)
Okay, so how does this camera perform when the red-mist comes down?

Again, I found very little to dislike about the HD170 when I stuck it to the front window of my racecar. After my first practice session I discovered on playback that the footage was upside down but this was quickly rectified by simply twisting the camera’s unique, 170° fully rotatable wide-angle lens hood. You see unlike in other comparable units that would require remounting, this feature compensates for awkward angles by allowing you to put the lens on the correct horizontal, or vertical, plain – a massive time saver.
Performance wise, I managed to get an entire day’s worth of shooting from a single Acer Aspire 7735z Battery charge. I imagine this would only get better as the cells get better conditioned from more frequent use. During the duration of my test period I shot in 720p resolution (1080p is available) and found that the supplied 16GB SD memory card provided enough space to store my on-track shenanigans without having to dump any files onto my laptop Canon Digital IXUS 75 Charger.
As mentioned before there’s a microphone sensitivity setting lurking within the menu system; something that’s particularly useful when shooting in high noise environments like the inside of a racing car. Consequently I turned it way down to avoid any audio clipping.(Jvc Gr-c7 Battery)
On a final note I can report that the PanaVise suction-cup mount – something that at first investigation looks a little flimsy – did a great job at keeping the camera still and steady. Even at high speeds and through high-G turns, the picture remained sharp and shake-free. A must-have if you plan on shooting inside motor vehicles.
Let’s talk post-production. How does this camera behave after the shoot?

Often times I’ve been annoyed by certain video cameras as they shoot in a format that isn’t immediately compatible with my Apple iMac. To get around this I’d have to download third-party conversion software: something that made the prospect of editing footage more of chore than visiting the dentist on a Monday morning. Fortunately the HD170 was a breeze to use as it shoots in QuickTime (.mov) format. I simply plugged it in; found the footage; dragged it onto my desktop and then imported it straight into Final Cut Pro. And perhaps best of all is that the quality is high enough for use on our local sports TV channels.(Sony NP-FR1H Charger)
So if you were your money would you buy one?
Definitely. The Drift HD170 is a well-engineered piece of kit that will keep even the most demanding action sports enthusiasts happy. What made it so appealing from my point of view was the wireless remote control, that adjustable lens hood and, of course, the built-in LCD screen that allowed me to better analyze each one of my practice sessions after the fact. Of course at R2999 it’s not exactly cheap considering you still have to add in, at the very least, a 16GB memory card (R475) and that PanaVise mount (R395) but for the money I doubt whether you’d ever need purchase another camera system.(Sony Cybershot Dsc-v1 Battery)
Watch the footage here:

Hot:
A snap to use
Rugged construction
Records in QuickTime format
That wireless remote control
Not:
A little on the pricey side but not much else
The Drift HD170 at a Glance:
Price: R2999
Weight: 138g
File Format: .Mov
Resolution: 1080p, 720p & WVGA
Water-Resistant: Yes
OS Compatibility: Windows 7, XP & Vista; Mac OS 10.2

The kit comes with all sorts of mounts and straps to get the most out of your camera

Dig thrashing cars around race tracks? Then make sure you buy the optional sucker-cup mount
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next blog: sony np-bn1 charger

sony np-bn1 charger

The np-bn1 Charger is an attractive high performance fully automatic sony np-bn1 charger designed to quickly and safely charge batteries.
The complete charging solution for digital video batteries: sony np-bn1 Battery Charger kit includes a desktop charger with separate A/C power supply and a cigarette lighter adapter (car charger) for any vehicle.
Quick charge with automatic constant current control protects battery from overcharging, short circuit, and electronic shock. Smart LED indicator shows charging status by turning from red to orange to green when fully charged.
The green LED light of car np-bn1 charger indicates charging status.
The car sony np-bn1 camera charger will automatically turn to trickle charge mode after the battery is fully charged to provide output shortage protection.

This replacement BC-CSN Sony NP-BN1 Battery Charger features both a UK moulded plug cable and a 12V charger cable that plugs into a car cigarette lighter - allowing you to charge your battery on the move. It will charge a small capacity battery in around 2 hours but will take longer to charge a higher capacity battery.

This compact and light charger has a LED to indicate charging in process and changes colour to show a fully charged battery. It includes short circuit protection and will automatically detect different voltage inputs - allowing you to safely charge your battery worldwide with a suitable plug convertor (not included). It will charge SONY branded batteries, as well as equivalent, non-branded, replacement batteries.

This charger will charge the following battery models: Sony NP-BN1

It's always handy to have a second charger for use at work, or on vacation. Keep your battery correctly charged with the Sony NP-BN1 charger. This compact battery charger is the perfect way to quickly charge the Sony NP-BN1 rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. The NP-BN1 recharges certain Sony Lithium-ion batteries for use with Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX5/DSC-TX7/DSC-TX9 digital cameras.
Note: Positive & Negative Pole - Some of our chargers have only 2 pins for anode & cathode, Some batteries might have 3 or more metal touch points, but it DO NOT affect the normal charging when using this charger.
Features:
- The Sony NP-BN1 charger's input voltage will automatically regulate between 100V-240V ~ 50/60Hz.
- Smart LED charging status indicator.(Green: battery is fully charged, Red: battery is charging, Off: battery is short)
- High quality and performance charger designed to charge Sony NP-BN1 batteries quickly and safely.
- Short circuit protection.
- This Sony NP-BN1 charger is made specifically for your camera and to meet or exceed the original manufacturer specifications.

next blog: Core i5 MacBook Airs approach perfection

Core i5 MacBook Airs approach perfection

The MacBook Air has been a product in transition. When it was introduced in 2008, it was an oddity: an expensive and underpowered—yet incredibly thin and light—13-inch laptop. Last year's revision—which added a second USB port, upgraded the processor, and introduced an 11.6-inch model—was much more appealing. (toshiba satellite 2115cds battery)

With the new MacBook Air models introduced by Apple in July 2011, the MacBook Air has arrived dead center in Apple's product line. This is the laptop OS X Lion was designed for. You get the distinct impression that it's only a matter of time before all Mac laptops look like the Air. And with the addition of Intel Core i5 and i7 processors (the latter for the build-to-order models) and the high-speed Thunderbolt connection technology, the story of the MacBook Air is no longer about making severe compromises in order to use a small light laptop. (toshiba libretto 20ct battery)If the MacBook Air is the future of the Mac laptop, the future is now.

Don't mess with success

The physical design of these new MacBook Air models is exactly the same as the ones introduced in October 2010: They're anodized aluminum on the outside, with glossy LED-backlit displays framed by an aluminum bezel. People who hate the glass-covered screens on the MacBook Pros should note that not all glossy screens are alike.(hp pavilion dv9000 ac adapter) I've found the MacBook Air's style of glossy screen to be less prone to glare than the MacBook Pros. (Unlike the MacBook Pro models, which feature a single slab of glass across the entire front of the display, the MacBook Air continues to feature an ultra-thin glass layer located behind the bezel, making it less prone to glare.) Like every other Mac laptop, there’s a tiny FaceTime camera located immediately above the display, though the Air's cameras aren't capable of the HD resolution offered by the cameras on the MacBook Pros and iMacs. (acer aspire 3000 battery)
These laptops are wedge shaped, thin at the front and thicker at the back. There's no room for an optical drive or a traditional hard drive—the only onboard storage uses flash memory. At the thick end of the wedge, there's room enough for a few ports: on the left side there's a single USB 2 port, a headphone jack, and a MagSafe power socket. (toshiba pa3356u-1bas battery)On the right side, there's another USB 2 port, an SD card reader (on the 13-inch model only), and taking the space of the Mini DisplayPort is the new Thunderbolt port.
The only real physical change to the exterior versus previous models comes with the keyboard, which is now backlit. I've always considered this feature more luxury than essential, but it's certainly nice to have it back, especially if you tend to work on your laptop in the dark. Both models are also slightly heavier—the 11- and 13-inch models weigh 20 and 30 grams more (the difference of an ounce, more or less), respectively. (dell inspiron 6400 ac adapter )
Apple was wise not to change the design: this is a pretty great pair of laptops. The 11.6-inch model in particular is fantastic—it's the smallest Apple laptop of all time and yet remains perfectly usable, with a full-size keyboard and a 1366-by-768-pixel display. The 13-inch model, on the other hand, feels spacious in comparison, while being dramatically thinner and lighter than the 13-inch MacBook Pro. (dell latitude pp01l battery )

Beauty and brains

Glowing keyboard excepted, where these new MacBook Airs shine is on the inside. For the first time, the MacBook Air can offer speeds that are in the vicinity of the rest of the Macs out there. That's because these laptops are powered by ultra-low-voltage editions of Intel’s latest-generation Core i5 processors, known to chip geeks as the “Sandy Bridge” family. (Dell inspiron 15 ac adapter)

Though the processor clock speed of the new 13-inch model is actually lower than the previous generation (1.7GHz versus 1.8GHz), the Intel Core i5 family is vastly superior to the Core 2 Duo processors found in the old models. The lab tests we posted in late July bear that out: In nine largely processor- and storage-focused tests, the new MacBook Air was 1.5 times as fast as its faster-clocked predecessor. Encoding a video with HandBrake was nearly twice as fast on the new 13-inch model. (Dell xps m1210 ac adapter)
The 13-inch MacBook Air even holds its own with the $1199 Core i5 13-inch MacBook Pro. Our tests found that the new Air was on average 1.4 times as fast in that same set of tests, though much of that was buoyed by the increased speed of the Air's flash storage versus the slower physical hard drive on the Pro. In the processor-dominated HandBrake test, the Pro model was 1.1 times as fast as the Air. Factor storage and processor together, and it seems safe to say that the two models are comparable.
The news on the 11-inch front is even brighter: The new $999 11-inch Air, powered by a 1.6GHz Core i5 processor, was 1.7 times as fast than the previous $999 model on the same set of processor- and storage-focused tests. Our HandBrake encode test was 2.4 times as fast. As someone who uses the previous-model 11-inch MacBook Air regularly, I never really felt it was too slow for my daily work... yet this new model is measurably faster in almost every respect. (hp omnibook 6000 ac adapter)
One way the Core i5 chips manage to be faster than Core 2 Duos at the same speed is because the Core i5 and i7 have access to two clever Intel tricks: Hyper-threading and Turbo Boost. Hyper-threading means that while these chips have two processor cores, they appear to the operating system as if they've got four cores. This trick allows the processor to run more efficiently when it comes to heavy-duty number crunching. In many ways, Turbo Boost produces the opposite effect: When only one processor core is being tasked, the chip can shut down one core and crank up its clock speed, allowing it to run inefficient software at higher speeds than an older chip could. (sony vgp-bps2 battery)
There is one respect, however, in which these MacBook Airs are a regression from last year's model. Apple's done to the MacBook Airs what it did with the 13-inch MacBook Pro earlier this year: replace the previous generation's graphics processor—in this case, the Nvidia GeForce 320M—with Intel HD Graphics 3000 integrated graphic circuitry. The performance of the 2011 MacBook Air's graphics subsystem was all over the map. (hp pavilion dv9500 ac adapter)
When we tested the Airs using our tried-and-true graphics tests—Cinebench's OpenGL test and a Call of Duty demo—the performance was poor. Frame rates on the new models were 65 to 70 percent of what they were on the 2010-model Airs. (The 13-inch MacBook Pro with integrated graphics posted similarly bad scores.) When we asked Apple about what we were seeing, the company suggested the possiblity that newer games would be more properly optimized for this relatively new subsystem.
So we did a new round of testing, this time with Valve's Portal 2, a cutting-edge game released in April. And sure enough, the results were much better: the current-year MacBook Airs were capable of producing frame rates slightly faster than the previous-generation models. (toshiba pa3331u-1brs battery)
The lesson here seems to be that while graphics performance on recent software releases will be comparable to the previous generation of MacBook Air models, graphics-intensive apps such as games that haven't been updated to address the Air's new graphics systems will be slow.

Batteries and heat

Apple claims that these MacBooks have roughly the same hp pavilion dv9500t battery capacity as previous models. The company rates the 11-inch model for five hours of use via its "wireless web" test suite; the 13-inch model rates at seven hours. Macworld Lab's Acer aspire 3000 battery tests, which are designed to drain the Dell inspiron 1545 ac adapter battery even more rapidly than Apple's tests, still showed similar results: roughly three-and-a-half hours for the 11-inch model and five-and-a-half hours for the 13-inch. Those figures were both improvements on the toshiba satellite a210-17z battery life of the previous-model Airs. (The increased speed of the build-to-order Core i7 processor option didn't have a major impact on battery life, either.)

Battery test results. Our battery tests play a movie looping in full-screen mode at full brightness, connected to a Wi-Fi network, with the backlit keyboard dimmed, and volume on 2.

When I talk to prospective MacBook Air buyers, two of the most common questions I get are about heat and fan noise. Maybe the original MacBook Air, which had some serious heat problems, had more of an impact on the Mac-buying psyche than I thought. In any event, here's what I can report: When these systems crank up and do a lot of work—encoding video is a good example—they warm up. While the underside of the case was warm to the touch, I didn't find it painfully hot. Just warm. But most of the time, they don't work that hard, and heat is not an issue. (dell studio 1537 ac adapter)
When the processors do crank up, the fans do, too. And they're not silent, at least not when they're running full blast. Again, in most use cases these laptops are cool and quiet—but if you decide you need to run Final Cut Pro X and export an HD movie to iTunes, noise and warmth are what you're gonna get.

No longer isolated

When the MacBook Air first arrived on the scene, it only had one wired connection to the outside world: a single USB 2 port. At one point I had a seven-port hub at my desk so that I could connect Ethernet, trackball, keyboard, iPhone, and external storage to my Air. (It was very, very slow.) Last year's Air redesign added a second USB port, which helped, but the Air was still awfully limited compared to any other Mac out there. (dell inspiron 1520 ac adapter)
The addition of the Thunderbolt port changes everything. Yes, it's compatible: you can still plug in any Mini DisplayPort cable and the laptop will display video on an external display just fine. But Thunderbolt is so much more than that. It's a connection technology vastly superior not just to USB, but to FireWire and eSATA as well. Fast hard-drive transfers, gigabit Ethernet, FireWire compatibility—all of these features are now just a Thunderbolt adapter or three away from being available to MacBook Air users. (The catch is that Thunderbolt is a technology in its infancy, so there's not much Thunderbolt stuff out there now. But it's coming.) (dell latitude d430 ac adapter)
Take Apple's just-announced 27-inch Thunderbolt display. It's got a Facetime HD camera, three USB 2.0 ports, a FireWire 800 port, a Gigabit Ethernet port, and a Thunderbolt port on the back. Plug its Thunderbolt cable into one of these new MacBook Air models, and you've converted that laptop into a Core i5-powered desktop computer complete with fast network connection, fast storage, and an array of expansion ports. For laptop users who also work at a desk, it's a pretty compelling vision.

Factory upgrades aplenty

If the four base configurations of the MacBook Air don't please you, Apple has provided a few upgrade options. The processor and RAM in these systems aren't upgradeable, so you'll need to decide before you buy if you want them. (hp pavilion dv8000 battery)
Both the 11-inch and 13-inch models can be upgraded to an even faster processor: a 1.8GHz Core i7. It's a $150 and $100 upgrade, respectively. These systems are limited to a maximum of 4GB of RAM; all but the $999 model come stocked with that amount by default, while it's a $100 upgrade option for the low-end model. We tested these build-to-order (BTO) configurations in late July and found them faster, although subtly so. The 11-inch upgrade definitely seems to make a more substantial difference than the 13-inch upgrade. (dell vostro 1400 battery)
These editions all use flash storage for their hard drives. The $999 model has 64GB, the $1199 and $1399 models offer 128GB, and the $1,599 model comes with 256GB. If you prefer the 11-inch configuration, you can upgrade the flash storage on the high-end model to 256GB for an extra $300.
Flash storage is one area where there's some competition when it comes to upgrades. Other World Computing offers the Mercury Aura Pro Express flash storage upgrade at sizes up to 480GB. They're not cheap—if you just want 256GB you're better off going with Apple's factory upgrade—but they're available if money's no object and you need as much flash storage as possible. (acer aspire 1410 battery)

Lion recovery mode

These MacBook Air models were announced simultaneously with the release of OS X Lion. As a result, they only run under Lion—if you're committed to Snow Leopard or running PowerPC-based apps, you shouldn't get one.
But by being among the first systems in the Lion era, these MacBook Airs also have a major advantage over previous models: they can restore themselves after a catastrophic drive failure. It's all a part of the Lion Recovery feature, enabled by holding down Command-R when booting. (dell studio 1737 battery )If the main volume is corrupted, Lion Recovery will attempt to boot a small hidden recovery partition, from which the disk can be repaired or erased and restored. That's a feature available on any system running Lion. These new systems, though, can even restore if the disk is completely wiped out. They contain within them the ability to boot, connect to the Internet, download Lion from Apple, and restore it to a replacement or external hard drive. I didn't get a chance to try this feature with the MacBook Airs—though my colleague Dan Frakes managed to do it with a Mac mini—but it's pretty cool to know that as long as you've got an Internet connection, wiping your drive and starting afresh is a legitimate option. (sony vaio vgn-fz430e battery)

Judging the 13-inch Air

If you're someone who needs as much laptop screen space as possible, the MacBook Air line isn't for you. (At least not yet—I think it's inevitable that Apple will make a 15-inch laptop with many of the Air's characteristics in the near future.) But if you can get by with a 13-inch screen, I think the MacBook Air is a better choice than the MacBook Pro. ( ibm thinkpad t40 battery)
There are always exceptions. If you need an optical drive and don't have access to another Mac for that function, you may not want to buy an Air and then pay more for an external drive. If you absolutely must pay the least amount possible for a 13-inch Mac laptop, you can save $100 on the 13-inch MacBook Pro. The $1499 Core i7 edition of the 13-inch MacBook Pro is faster than the 13-inch Air. The MacBook Pro has more storage space, owing to its spinning hard drive. If you're a serious gamer, you'll want a laptop with discrete graphics. (dell inspiron 1521 battery)
But Apple has built the MacBook Air for what it believes is the sweet spot of the laptop market: people who are over the optical disc, who don't need any more processing power than an Intel Core i5 processor can provide, and who don't need massive amounts of disk space (or at least don't need to carry it all with them). These people want a small, light laptop, and the MacBook Air provides.

Judging the 11-inch Air

Now let me make my case for the 11-inch MacBook Air. It's shockingly small, almost iPad small. It makes the 13-inch Air seem overly large and heavy, and the MacBook Pros seem like boat anchors.
But while the 11-inch Air is small and light, it doesn’t feel cramped. Part of that is due to the high-resolution display, which packs a lot of pixels into its compact 11.6-inch diagonal screen. Throw in Lion's Mission Control and full-screen mode, which are designed to help maximize productivity on small screens, and even this tiny Mac is capable of large amounts of productivity. ( dell vostro 1700 battery )
Is the 11-inch Air slower than Apple's other laptops? Sure. It's also, at $999, cheaper. And its Core i5 processor makes it fast enough for almost any regular user. If you’re using the Web, writing e-mail or articles or novels, and other relatively lightweight tasks, the MacBook Air is plenty fast. Even building web graphics in Photoshop was fast. Now, if you’re planning on using it to edit multitrack audio or complex HD video projects, you may find yourself pushing its limits. But most people will not attempt to use an 11-inch laptop for such things, and rightly so. (hp pavilion dm1-1000 ac adapterd )

Macworld's buying advice

The MacBook Air has never been a laptop for everyone. It began as a niche laptop for a tiny sliver of the population, but in the intervening three years there's been a sea change. Today, most people in the market for a Mac laptop should seriously consider the MacBook Air. Sure, there are some people for whom it's a poor fit—but I suspect they are increasingly the exception, not the rule. (There's a reason Apple's marketing slogan for this version of the Air is "The ultimate everyday notebook.") (compaq presario v3000 ac adapter)
At just a hair below three pounds, the 13-inch MacBook Air will probably hit the sweet spot for users accustomed to larger computer screens. But for my money, the 11-inch Air is the real winner here. At $999, it's now holding down the low-price end of the Apple laptop market. It will almost certainly be the laptop of choice for students, and they'll love its light weight and small size. (toshiba satellite m35x-s161 ac adapter )
Then upgrade it to an i7 processor with 4GB of RAM and a 256GB hard drive, attach it to an external display and peripherals via its Thunderbolt port, and you've got a tiny system with an amazing amount of power. The 11-inch MacBook Air might not be the perfect computer, but it's as close to perfect as Apple's ever come.
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