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That is a great deal for $900, but I'm not sure it's an MBA competitor. Screen res is lower than the 13" MBA's screen (1440x900), which to me is a pretty big d

by brk 16y ago

That is a great deal for $900, but I'm not sure it's an MBA competitor. Screen res is lower than the 13" MBA's screen (1440x900), which to me is a pretty big deal. I find the 1440x900 res on my 13" MBA just barely workable, I wouldn't want any less vertical resolution these days. The other thing is that the Dell runds Windows. While this is totally a personal preference, I just do not like working in Windows. Had this machine been available for $500 with a higher-res screen when I got my MBA, I still would have opted for the Mac. I'm aware of the hackintosh projects as well, but I don't really enjoy fighting with my OS anymore.

lachyg 16y ago
I agree, I think the OS X is a major selling point for the Air. As well as the design (which is very Mac)
daeken 16y ago
I run Windows full time on my MBP due to loving the hardware, and yet the Adamo is still not competitive for me. If I could get a 256GB SSD and 8GB RAM, I'd probably go for it over the MBA, but that isn't possible. Shame.
wyclif 16y ago
It's a good deal and an attractive alternative, but I don't know why you're hung up on a Windows install. There's nothing stopping you from installing Ubuntu Lucid or Maverick, and away you go.
- liuhenry 16y ago
  For me, Linux didn't cut it with application support to become my primary OS. Even dual-boot was a hassle. Microsoft Office, Adobe CS, Solidworks, ACAD, etc. aren't supported, and although Ubuntu has come a long way so far, the UX is still somewhat lacking. Granted, I'm virtualizing Ubuntu right now for dev. It integrates seamlessly, and has been working beautifully so far.
  - djacobs 16y ago
    When you use Ubuntu natively, it runs like a charm. Compositing makes for an even more beautiful OS than OS X (in some respects, though there is sometimes tearing), and the whole thing really jives quite nicely.
- brk 16y ago
  I've run linux on and off as my desktop for the last 12 years or so. The current iterations are much better than even what existed a few years ago, but still lacking in application support for what I spend a lot of time doing. There is no Final Cut, or even iMovie for linux. Despite all the raves, I could never get the hang of Gimp and found it lacking for things like photo editing and cataloging ala Aperture. Not to mention the countless times there some application I wanted to use and it seemed I could only find a binary or package for an linux varient that wasn't what I was using at the time. Chasing dependencies, etc. When I used linux as my desktop, it just seemed that I was always fighting the OS if I wanted to have full support for my hardware features, decent applications, and up to date patches. Now, for a server, I'll use almost nothing but linux.

by brk 16y ago

lachyg 16y ago

I agree, I think the OS X is a major selling point for the Air. As well as the design (which is very Mac)

daeken 16y ago

I run Windows full time on my MBP due to loving the hardware, and yet the Adamo is still not competitive for me. If I could get a 256GB SSD and 8GB RAM, I'd probably go for it over the MBA, but that isn't possible. Shame.

wyclif 16y ago

It's a good deal and an attractive alternative, but I don't know why you're hung up on a Windows install. There's nothing stopping you from installing Ubuntu Lucid or Maverick, and away you go.

liuhenry 16y ago
For me, Linux didn't cut it with application support to become my primary OS. Even dual-boot was a hassle. Microsoft Office, Adobe CS, Solidworks, ACAD, etc. aren't supported, and although Ubuntu has come a long way so far, the UX is still somewhat lacking. Granted, I'm virtualizing Ubuntu right now for dev. It integrates seamlessly, and has been working beautifully so far.
- djacobs 16y ago
  When you use Ubuntu natively, it runs like a charm. Compositing makes for an even more beautiful OS than OS X (in some respects, though there is sometimes tearing), and the whole thing really jives quite nicely.
brk 16y ago
I've run linux on and off as my desktop for the last 12 years or so. The current iterations are much better than even what existed a few years ago, but still lacking in application support for what I spend a lot of time doing. There is no Final Cut, or even iMovie for linux. Despite all the raves, I could never get the hang of Gimp and found it lacking for things like photo editing and cataloging ala Aperture. Not to mention the countless times there some application I wanted to use and it seemed I could only find a binary or package for an linux varient that wasn't what I was using at the time. Chasing dependencies, etc. When I used linux as my desktop, it just seemed that I was always fighting the OS if I wanted to have full support for my hardware features, decent applications, and up to date patches. Now, for a server, I'll use almost nothing but linux.