Review: Part II: A second look at Apple's MacBook Air

by Tim McAnaney

2008/02/20

Manufacturer: Apple

msrp: $1,799

To address potential limitations caused by the Air’s lack of an internal optical drive, Apple provides two solutions: an optional, external DVD Superdrive for $99 and a new Remote Disc application. The external DVD Superdrive connects through the Air’s USB port and acts much like an internal drive, capable of installing programs as well as playing media files such as music or movies. The DVD Player application required an update to OS X 10.5.2 in order to recognize the external drive for DVD playback. Earlier versions resulted in an error stating that a valid drive could not be found.

The Remote Disc application allows the Air to use a remote PC or Mac’s optical drive to install programs or copy files; however, unlike the external Superdrive, Remote Disc cannot be used to stream video or music from the source computer to the Air. Remote disc works with PCs running XP or Vista, Macs running Tiger or Leopard, and requires installing the software that comes on the Air’s installation disc. To be even more useful, Apple should post the Remote Disc software on its Downloads website to alleviate the need to carry around the installation disc.

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No internal optical drive Limited port connectivity No internal hard drive or memory expansion options Battery not user replaceable Slower processor

Stylish and lightweight form factor Full sized, backlit keyboard & multi-gesture trackpad Extremely bright, sharp 13" LED display Above average battery life Accessories available to supplement functionality