When less is more
Thursday, June 25, 2009 at 07:21AM 
My productivity has been at about zero for the last three days. Granted, that's not a steep decline, but it is a decline.
I got my new MacBook Air. The one with the solid state hard drive. And I've been moving files, downloading programs, tweaking settings, and generally just getting the thing all tricked out before I head to NECC on Friday. What a pain in the ass. (OK, my move to the cloud is taking longer than I had anticipated.)
This must be about the twelfth computer I have personally owned - starting with an Apple IIe back in 1984. The list has included Apples, Macs, PCs (even ones with the C prompt), desktops and laptops. Each getting better and better.
This is first time however that I have gone down in "feature sets." My previous MacBook had a faster processor, larger hard drive, a CD/DVD drive, and lots more ports. It was a dependable workhorse, no question.
What I find notable about the Air is what it does not have - no mechanical hard drive, no firewire, no CD/DVD drive built in, no separate Ethernet port, a little slower processor, and only one lonesome USB port. The reviews I read were not overly kind to this machine because of this.
But personally, I think this is an evolved machine - one that recognizes that wireless, not wired, connectivity is the reality. And it is rugged, very light, and feels faster than the machine with the faster processor. (Maybe it is the flash storage?) I don't remember the the last time I use the CD/DVD drive on my last computer, the firewire port except for the external back up drive that also had USB ports, o
r an Ethernet cable when not at my desk at work. My computer goes pretty much everywhere with me - throughout the district, home each night and on lots of trips. Dropping those few extra pounds is a real blessing in the way I use a computer.
As I see some "features" going away, I think about how nervous I was about buying computers that lacked a floppy disk drive, a serial port, a SCSI connection and a modem. When is the last time you missed any of those things?
From the porch, over looking the lake, taking in the Air.
Reader Comments (8)
Mmmmmmm, looks niiiiice. Hope she severs you well!
Doug; I was nervous about not having a CD drive, multiple USB ports etc. etc. I have had my MacBook Air for about 6 months and have not missed any of that stuff. If you do most of your work online - this is a cool machine.
I've had my Air for a little over a year and I love it. The only time I had a problem was last year at NECC where there was no wireless access in the hotel room where I stayed. They had wireless access in the lobby, but only wired access in the room, so that's something to consider when traveling.
Thanks, Ninja. As much as "she" cost, I hope to get quite a few years out of her. So far, so good.
Doug
Hi Linda,
Glad to know this. It's becoming a wireless world for sure.
Doug
Thanks, Mary. The Air now comes packaged with a USB Ethernet adapter that works just fine. I'll be sure to pack it with me.
Doug
I'm intrigued by your progress of computers. Mine goes something like this:
Vic-20 (3.5 Kb), Radio Shack Model IVp (sweet machine), Apple IIe, Mac LC 475, Mac Classic, Dell desktop, and nearly all varieties of laptops (including an old TRS-80 Model 100). Latest purchase was an Acer netbook, with which I am thrilled. See you at NECC...
-- dave --
Dave,
We are showing our age!
I tried an ASUS. Not a bad machine but found the 10" screen limiting for daily work. My old eyes or something.
Doug
I got home today. Plugged in my MacBook Pro for the first time in a while. Realized that, for the first time, I traveled almost exclusively on my iPhone. Similar experience. I even downloaded Outliers with the Kindle App on my iPhone while in the middle of Wisconsin on the drive home and started reading *gasp* a book.
Hi John,
I took only my iPod Touch with me to both Mexico and Cambodia this year and got along just fine (vacations without writing projects or speaking duties). I know what you mean.
And, yeah, I downloaded Disrupting Class directly to my iPod after McLeod's session at NECC. Easier to spend money all the time!
Good to see you in DC, but too brief.
Doug