MacBook Air: Why I would give up working on a Windows laptop tomorrow [REVIEW]

Apple is the strongest brand in the world, and this is mainly due to the policy that Steve Jobs and his team have imposed over time. The company has stood out since its inception with the idea of ​​doing things different from the trend that IBM or Microsoft has set since the advent of the PC on the market.

MacBook Air is one of the reasons you can give up working on a Windows laptop. Apple has gained fans over time - initially for the Macintosh as an alternative to the PC, and later, through the new product ranges, as a trend-setter, especially after the launch of the ultraportable MacBook Air laptop or for the launch of the iPhone or iPad tablet, and, more recently, for the launch of the iWatch smartwatch. Unfortunately or fortunately for the American brand there are only two variables: either you like it and you are a fan of it, or you are a "hater" or a person who thinks that the products are either too expensive or not worth it or for any other reason. does not resonate with this company policy.

I was in the middle - not a fan, but I didn't label the brand as one with too high prices for what it offers, until I actually tested a product. It all started at Mobile World Congress 2015, when, in the press room of the event, 90% of the computers of colleagues from all over the world were Macs. I was feeling monitored, and then I really wondered - what makes Apple so popular?

Being an avid Windows user, I said to test the experience with a Mac, which is why I requested a MacBook Air model from my colleagues at iCentre, one of the most important Apple Premium Resellers locally.

MacBook Air: adapting to the new ecosystem

I've tested Apple products in various stores, including the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro laptops, but everything seemed extremely difficult and complex. The idea is that after a few hours of use I have already learned the main commands, and later it was very easy for me to work from the device. With the introduction of the main shortcuts and commands (which, for the most part, I learned from Apple forums), everything became much simpler. Thus, the MacBook Air became my main device that I worked on both at home and in the office for a few weeks.

What impressed me about this Apple laptop

From the first use I realized that it is a premium product. The phrase "you pay more for quality" applies perfectly here. The great advantage of the MacBook Air is the light weight of only 1.35 kg, which makes it easy to carry in any situation. Moreover, the charging cord of the MacBook laptop range is extremely small and is very practical, when connected to the laptop with a magnetic fastening system, which makes it extremely useful, especially if you have children or pets that can walk through the area where you keep it loaded. Thus, in case of contact or if someone accidentally catches the wire, it comes off very easily, which makes the laptop practically not to suffer anything and not to fall from the surface on which it is located or at least to reduce this risk. at the very least. But all this comes with a price to match. The Mac power cord has a list price of about 400 lei, so if it is damaged or you lose it you have to pay that amount.

In the weeks I've been using the MacBook Air, and this has been my main companion in both editorial and personal use, I've almost eliminated the use of paper or calendar and pen. In scheduled interviews, I always introduced myself with my laptop, which made it even easier for me to use it. The biggest advantage of the MacOS operating system is that once closed and reopened you can quietly continue your activity from where you left off without losing anything.

Illuminated keyboard, the best I've ever written

Software error? Altex and Media Galaxy, produced at 0 lei

Both the design of the MacBook and the keyboard design of the Apple laptop have been "copied" many times by major laptop manufacturers, and this has come as a response to the success that Apple has enjoyed in the market with the introduction of the range. of lightweight laptops. The MacBook Air has completely changed the portable industry and especially the trend of alignment with devices as light as possible and for this reason it remains one of the best-selling devices of the American manufacturer globally.

For me, who makes intense use of the keyboard of a device like this, the one that comes with the MacBook Air seemed the best thought so far. The keys are extremely well placed and pressed extremely easily, and the fact that the Mac operating system does not require the F1 - F12 buttons, replacing them with multimedia keys at hand was the best decision that Apple could make. And it is a design that Apple patented several years ago and it turns out that there has been no need to change it until now.

(In the image: Interview with Orlando Nicoara, one of the greatest people in the Romanian online: Mobile will completely change the IT industry)

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Even though at first the replacement of the CTRL (Control) command with the CMD (Command) one seemed a bit difficult, a few days after using it and returning to the keyboard of a PC I had already picked up the shortcuts on the Mac.

For me, the experience of using the MacBook Air for a few weeks also marked a premiere. During my travels in the country, where I had to write various articles, I also worked in the minibus without any problems. I never felt the need for a network connector (MacBook Air having only two USB 3.0 ports, a Thunderbolt port, an SD card slot and a headphone jack), and when I didn't identify a Wi-Fi signal I put the phone depending on the HotSpot and I had access to the Internet without any problems.

(Pictured: Interview with Martin Slabbert, CEO of NEPI, real estate developer, at the inauguration of the Mega Mall)

A very good quality screen, but I would still have preferred a Retina Display

Although I would have preferred a Retina display on the MacBook Air, the screen that comes with the laptop I tested was without a doubt the best I've ever worked with. Although it does not boast many pixels, and has a resolution of 1440x900 pixels, the quality of the display is great. After 8-10 hours of working on my laptop, I didn't feel tired at all, as I suffered with other displays on my personal laptop or on the monitors or TVs I interacted with. I also did a comparative test between MacBook Air and MacBook Pro Retina Display in the iCentre store on the Promenade and I saw the difference, which is why I highlighted this aspect.

The myth of the glossy screen that is not visible in sunlight no longer exists, at least not on MacBook Air or MacBook Pro devices that are very bright. I could not work with it at maximum brightness and I always kept it with three units lower than the maximum level.

MacBook Air: what price is it

A MacBook Air with Retina Display would have been a best buy, especially since the asking price for such a laptop is quite high and not many would be willing to pay more than 1,000 euros for such a laptop. , although fans of the brand do. The price of the Apple laptop starts at 1,130 euros.

The sound, far above any other laptop tested so far

Not to mention the speakers produced by major professional equipment manufacturers, the MacBook Air speakers are without a doubt the best we've ever heard on a laptop, especially since we're talking about such a device. thin and light.

The sound is clear and loud and makes listening to music or watching a movie a real pleasure. Even the sound that the sound card plays in the headphones is loud and clear, but also if you have connected an audio system from the outside. The sound card and the speakers on the Mac are of a very good quality, and for me, passionate about music and movies, it was a great plus to discover these qualities.

Unfortunately, here, it was quite difficult for me to come to terms with iTunes, which I find difficult and slightly too sophisticated, which is why I resorted to VLC Player for Mac both for music, but especially for movies.

Trackpad and why I see a Windows laptop with touchscreen useless

With the launch of Windows 8, Microsoft has set a certain standard for laptop manufacturers, so the more advanced devices have come equipped with touch screens, which, to be honest, I still do not understand the purpose. Apple didn't want and I don't think it would ever need to create such a device for the simple reason that it created a trackpad so precise and well thought out that you don't have to use the device screen for work at all. Honestly, it really doesn't seem revolutionary to me.

In addition, most of the touch screen laptops on the market are filled with fingerprints and I honestly don't think there is anyone who wants to clean their laptop screen as often as they do with their smartphone. For me, the MacBook Air trackpad meant the definitive abandonment of the laptop mouse, which I carried with me wherever I was. It is very precise, even relaxing in use and never made me feel the need for an extra mouse.

Another advantage of the Apple ecosystem, but especially of creating a device that fits the operating system, is that the Mac OS interface allows the user to have at hand any information or function he needs, which on Windows is a a little more complex. Anyone who has used a Mac for a few days / weeks / months will quickly get used to the controls and it will be much easier for them to adapt. At least that's how I felt after I returned to the PC. It would be absurd, however, to say that after using Mac for a few weeks I don't want to go back to Windows, because the Windows ecosystem is also very well developed. More on the desktop and less on the laptop, but that's just my opinion.

MacBook Air Battery: One of the strengths

Speaking of a laptop, you can't help but take into account its battery, perhaps the most important feature when referring to a laptop. The laptop battery I received has somewhere above 7,000 mAh, which ensured a smooth working day in average conditions of use.

As far as I know, there was not a day when I left home with it loaded and in the time spent at the office or in the field I reached less than 15% with it, proof that even when I got home it still had a battery, which is very good. Tests from Apple, which show that the laptop would have a lifespan of 12 hours are calculated differently, but I managed to get 10 hours of work out of it without any problems. I noticed that the standard programs it comes with are much better optimized. For example, the Google Chrome browser consumes a lot more power than Safari, but I still haven't been able to get used to the standard Mac OS browser.

I really liked that due to the charger and the technology it uses, the Mac charges very quickly, so in an hour and a half the laptop is already charged at over 90% from 10-12% to it was enough.

What would I expect from the MacBook Air

The MacBook Air is by far the best laptop I've tested, but there are still some issues I regret. First of all, the most pressing problem is to pay 5,000 lei for such a product and to know that it does not have the latest technology on display, when 4K monitors are already on the market, and high-resolution laptops are becoming more and more sought, it seems to me a compromise that I do not want to make. I know Apple's launch policy, and I expect it to bring Retina Display to the future MacBook Air next year. And to give such a large sum on a laptop now would seem out of place. Even if I don't realize it in use, putting a MacBook Air next to a MacBook Pro shows the difference.

I have no objection to Apple keeping the top features on the Pro model, and the Air to equip it with a Retina display, but to keep a more efficient configuration, but which will still ensure its great autonomy.

I would have liked a more variety of programs to work on Mac. It was difficult for me to find a photo editing utility similar to the one I use for Windows, but with what is found online I managed to do most of what I needed.

There is still a lot of work to be done on optimizing the operating system. After the OS X Yosemite update, there were some programs, such as Yahoo! Messenger, which no longer works, and the iMessenges solution is extremely difficult to use, at least for me. I mean, it didn't seem right to me.

Apple laptop and user experience

The MacBook Air experience was very enjoyable. If someone asked me what laptop I would recommend, I would say without hesitation and maybe take a Mac. If he tells me he has a smaller fixed budget, I would suggest he wait another month or two, put money aside and take it because he won't regret it. If we remember the first laptop models launched on the market they came with a price to match. There was a time when laptops cheaper than $ 999 could not be found, and at that time such a device was certainly good, a time when the emphasis was more on quality and less on quantity sold. Well, somehow this is still the case, and you have to pay for the quality. I'm not saying that Apple makes the best laptops, but if I were to recommend such a device to someone, I would do it without any problems.

The only thing to keep in mind is that both the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro are NOT gaming devices. I tested a few older tracks and they went smoothly, but they ate up quite a bit of battery, and the coolers started to sound pretty loud. Otherwise, the laptop works without hearing.

Another thing to keep in mind is that Mac OS does not support NTFS formatted hard drives, specific to Windows. I mean, he reads them, but he can't write on and off them. There is a program that can be purchased for a fee and that makes this obstacle disappear. I tested it for a few days and it worked, but it has to be purchased.

For the most part, almost every solution needs to be bought on the Apple platform, but on the Internet and on torrents, there are also "free" solutions for users who do not want to pay. Apple, of course, encourages the purchase of apps from the AppStore, but even with an ecosystem as secure as Apple's, you can never know what viruses are hiding behind pirated files. I tested the MacBook Air version with 256 GB storage, but for the 128GB models the prices start from about 4,999 lei during this period.

Very good price offers can be found at iCentre, but also in eMAG, evoMAG or Cel.ro online stores.

A list of the lowest prices for the basic version of the MacBook Air can be found here.

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