Breathe, it's just a computer!

Years and years of wait and it just popped up: Apple's MacBook Air. Can there be a greater salvation for a person who loves gadgets and travelling light? A powerful superthin laptop, all wireless, no moving parts and yes only 1,5 kg light. OMFG, a must-have, and what a must-have! Oh, did I mention, it is a Mac?

And yet I did not buy it. 

I haven't bought it yet, because I kept on reading the same old half-baked, witless reviews of all those Mac experts, who relentlessly bashed such avantgarde right away, as they did with the G4 Cube or with the iMac. You know the words: It is slow, underpowered, has little capacity, no expansion slots, no DVD-player, no Firewire, no nothing. Oh yes, it's expensive, too.

Then I turned to Steve. No, not that Steve, to Steve Casimiro, National Geographic Adventure's legendary Gadget Guy, whom I have been following religiously since the 18th century. This guy must definitely be held responsible for my future bankruptcy (or for all that junk in the garage).

Of all the experts, Steve was the only one to take lightness and ultra-portability as prime factors into account. Thank God he's not writing for a tech magazine.

Yet he is still critical about the replaceable battery and the limited storage, but unlike high-tech nerds, he doesn't miss the key point: "MacBook Air a compelling, almost irresistible ultra-portable". Here is a small excerpt from his Blogpost:

Who am I kidding? The Macbook Air is the sexiest laptop ever. Yeah, yeah, yeah, it connects to the internet, processes words, “i”s your life, etc., etc. But those lines! That sleek, svelte silhouette…it’s like nothing you’ve ever laid your hands on. And yes, you have to lay your hands on it to get the full effect. You can YouTube the “manila envelope” ad like it’s a Victoria’s Secret fashion show, but there’s no substitute for touching. It’s true for Victoria (I’m guessing) and it’s true for the Air.

I am still not sure, if I'll buy the MacBook Air or not. But if I do, I am sure whom to listen to, when I decide to carry a laptop in a mountain bike rucksack next to the hydration pack on my daily commutes to work. My bike routes have never been the shortest to the office, but with less than 3% asphalt and more than 30% tempting singletrack, they are the ones with the most fun.

Life is sometimes preferably rugged and we don't want any moving parts around, do we?