I have the same itunes/iphoto problems, with a 160gb and 560gb respectively. I solved this through setting up 2 external drives, and storing stuff there.

- for itunes stuff, I just transfer the stuff (videos/tv shows mainly) to the internal drive locally when it's needed. Plays just fine using quicktime; itunes itself is not needed.

- for iphoto, I leave it all on the external, and use the photostream feature for stuff you want portable, though it's a bit hit and miss.

- 2nd drive is for time machine.

Not an ideal setup I admit, but at these sizes of both libraries not many laptops (win or OSX) can take both completely.

No, the real problem is imovie. It's a storage bitch if you plan to be portable.

Foul!

This journalist obviously likes Apple stuff. He shouldn't be allowed to write about it.

Overall agreement

I have 2 clients who use MBA's, both of them writers as it happens.

Both of them also have desktop computers and one also has a 17' MBPro.

I was visiting the latter last week as she had bought a new printer. She commented that since getting the MBA, her MBPro had been relegated to photo storage. All her work and business was now being done on the Air, with an external USB drive on her desk for back-up every evening.

The only downside I found was transferring all the stuff she needed from the MBPro and in stalling softare from DVDs using wifi - somewhat tedious to say the least.

Missing the point slightly

I have had my 11" Air since December 2010, and find it to be a very capable machine. However, I don't expect it to be a desktop replacement (or even a full-featured laptop replacement). I bought it because I travel a great deal by train (1.5 hour commute each way daily, plus regular 12 hour jaunts between my places in Switzerland and France), and I needed something that I could sling into a bag, pull out and use with the minimum of delay, and on which I could comfortably research the Web, cut and paste into a word processor and presentation programme, and do some light trimming and colour balancing video and photographs. At the time I had just had an Acer Aspire One fail on me (largely due to the physical abuse it got during travel), and I had just bought an iMac, so I was interested in standardising.

My choices at the time were MacBook Pro, MacBook Air or iPad (which was about the same money to get the same amount of storage, 64Gb). The Pro was too heavy and expensive, the iPad lacked a keyboard or any decent software (and needed a stand to watch movies), but the Air fitted the bill. Aluminium body for strength, decent keyboard for touch typing, clear screen, and decent wireless communications. I bought an Ethernet adapter, but I think I have used it three times. Sure, the SDD is limited in size, but this isn't a machine for long term storage. Yes, my iTunes library is too big, but the speakers on the Air aren't up to listening for very long. Yes, I can't fit many DVDs on it, but the screen is too small to watch anything comfortably anyway (as would a 13" screen be, if my experience of other laptops is anything to go by).

So, as a travelling companion to a bigger and better desk bound machine, it's actually very good: rugged, light and powerful enough - and mine is running a much less capable processor than the new ones. I'd still buy one now, even though tablets are much better than they were, because with a tablet you still need to get a good keyboard and a stand in order to work for more than a few minutes. I might be tempted by some of the Ultrabooks, but they aren't hugely cheaper (and with the exception of Sony and Lenovo, build quality is usually very poor), and I'm finding the Windows world too bloody frustrating over simple things like driver and codec compatibility. Say what you like about Apple (and there is much to criticise), their products either fail very quickly or run forever - and more often the latter.

And before anyone accuses me of being a fanboi, let me recount a tale of two REAL Apple nuts. As I said, my Netbook had just suddenly died, and I was booked on the train to France for two days hence, planning to get some serious work done. So I nipped out during lunch to buy the Air, and on my return two of my colleagues (one male, one female) independently of each other actually made cooing noises as they stroked my new computer. Not something you'll find me doing.

Next up...

... on The Reg's timely reviews of new releases: a review of the ZX Spectrum +3.

Similar story to Thomas Gray from me. I was after an ipad to make me more productive on the move, but didn't get on with it at all. I opted for an 11inch Macbook Air. Having owned several netbooks and laptops previously (including hackingtoshed Dell minis)

It took me a whilst to get used to the odd button keyboard and trackpad, but as far as netbooks go, they are the best I've now used, but I've had much better keyboards on bigger laptops, they are not the be all and end all for me.

After prolonged use (which is testament to the Mac, as I couldn't stay on Netbooks that long) I find the 11inch has become a bit of an eye strain, even accelerating poorer eyesight and now wish I'd gone for the bigger screen version.

The front edge is too sharp for sitting with knees up in bed or funny angles on the sofa, it cuts in to the palms in that stopping it slide position.

My feeling now is that I would probably opt for a bigger more powerful machine, not just a bigger screen. I can now only accept either super lightness or super slimness if both weren't available, no more heavy fat laptops. I don't feel as tied to OSX as much as I thought I would be, so other manufactures will always still get a look in.

If Apple were more aggressive with their prices, I wouldn't hesitate in getting a Pro and keep the Air purely in the old netbook role. As it is, I'm able to run 3 other windows machines for the price and still be in the position to look at the increasingly improving cheaper tablet market.

For now thought the Air remains top choice being quick and easy to pick up and throw in and out of a rucksack. The pretty good battery life, backlit keyboard and mag connector are always missed when having to borrow a regular laptop.

Ha ha ha ha

"It’s almost as light as the leather shoulder bag I carry it in"

Well, it made me laugh.

I bought a Macbook Air to replace a (pretty crappy) Windows netbook - there is NO comparison - yes it's more expensive but it's a different world for people who actually carry these things. Good keyboard and screen, great trackpad, solid state drives and it's fast to use.

It works so well in fact it's now replaced my desktop machine so overall the cost has been very reasonable - far easier having one machine for both tasks but it had to be an 'Air' for the amount it gets carried around. Just upgraded to Mountain Lion - some great new features, was dead simple and cost something like £13 to upgrade all my Macs (new copies of Windows 7 cost how much... each?).

The big deal with Macs is having Mountain Lion - easy, secure full disk encryption, time machine for backups - exactly what you want in a mobile machine.

People are critical without even using it. Yes it's expensive compared to a £300-400 luggable but compared to it's peers the price is similar especially when you factor in the support you get. If you don't like Mountain Lion just run Windows (it runs very well) - either dual boot or wipe it and use for Windows only.

In reality part of the value is in having Mountain Lion - for a mobile user it has some great features.

Shiny shiny shiny

Shiny shiny shiny!

AC 'cos I have trouble remembering my own name.

Just get one...

I spent 1.400 EUR (sorry no sign - US International keyboards all the way for me) on a 'reborn' MBA 13" with 4GB RAM upgrade the day it was announced in late 2010. Now two years later this is still by miles the best laptop I have ever owned. However what is truly impressive, is that performance wise it's still lightning fast today - and this is with a humble CoreDuo processor. There is very little that I can throw at it which doesn't execute instantly... apart from games and seriously intensive stuff.

So while I've now bought a MBPr to get my Mass Effect 3 kicks and replace an ageing iMac, the go-to machine for anything that doesn't involve my huge iPhoto library, video editing or gaming is still the MBA. Looking at the way it's RAM consumption has evolved over the last two versions of OS X, I expect that it will still be used 60% of the time in the coming 2, 3 years (25% for the MBPr and 15% for the iPad). All in all, incredible value. Just don't forget to always upgrade the RAM.

So just get one.