What's all the hot air about?

So, Steve Jobs announced the new MacBook Air last week, and what a stunning looking beauty it is. Claiming to be the worlds thinnest notebook, running the best operating system {maybe} and the most stylish {almost certainly}. Set up correctly it will run Microsoft Windoze (if you really must) as well as the latest version of Apple's operating system, ummm.....gazelle, giraffe...oh....nope, it's Leopard

However, it may also be the least useful laptop around. I've recently moved to a Sony Vaio, a VGN-SZ61WN - not quite as "sexy" sounding as MacBook "Air" although Sony do brand it with the "everywair" tag and that does describe it, although I don't know whether this tag was added after the MacLaunch or before......anyway, it's not a Mac, has a horrible model number and so there's already an image problem to overcome. However, let's see how things stack up.

Size
Apple quote the Air as being 0.76inches thick (at it's thickest) and in the new money, that's 1.93cms. The Sony is 3.3cms - so round 1 to the Mac.

Apple say the Air is 12.8 inches wide and 8.95 deep (that's 32.51 x 22.73 centimetres) whilst the Vaio is 31.5 cms x 23.43.

Hmmm, that's pretty close, the Vaio being a little shorter but slightly deeper so let's see which one takes up the most desktop real-estate.

So, the Sony requires 738.95 cm2 whilst the Vaio requires 738.05. So close, the margin is so small that it would be churlish to declare a victory for the Vaio so let's call this one a draw.

Weight
Sony say the Air weighs in at "about 3lbs which is around 1.36 kg whilst the Sony is 1.79kg, that's 400 grams heavier, or around 0.9lbs. That one goes to the Mac.....

.....or does it.

See, the Vaio has an inbuilt optical drive that reads and writes both CDs and DVDs, the Mac has no optical drive built in, does not come supplied with an external one either but an external one can be purchased for $99. Hmmmm......OK and Apple say that you can install apiece of software called "Remote Disk" that will allow you to use an optical drive of another Mac or PC - well that's OK then, at least I can install my applications. Oh - yes, if you want to do this on a Windows machine - well drive sharing is included in the operating system! (Damn, I never thought I'd praise Windows)

So how will "Remote Disk" work? Well, the MacAir does not have a network port (in fact it does not have many ports at all) so you'd have to use the integrated wireless networking. Not sure I'd want to use Wireless to install an application suite...oh well.

Oh, the Sony, yes it has wireless networking built in but also has a Gigabit Ethernet port included as well.

Networking and Connectivity
Oh, and while we are on networking, the Vaio also sports an inbuilt HSDPA. (That's 3G broadband to 3.6Mbps over the mobile phone network - depending on what's available in your area). So, wherever I am in the UK, I can access my office remotely, emails, Internet etc etc - truly "Martini" computing. (Any time any place anywhere)

Oh and they both have Bluetooth.

I think, for networking, the Vaio wins, hands down!

The Vaio also has a "proper" video port for the connection of a second screen (and supports extended Desktop on that screen) or for using a Projector. The Vaio also has 2 (yes 2) graphics cards, an integrated Intel device that's low on poer consumption and just fine for business computing and a higher power NVidia 8400 for some gaming.

Yes, I think the Vaio wins on the graphics front - - - oh, the screens.....

Vaio offers a 13.3" screen with 1280 x 800 resolution - and so does the Mac.

Let's continue on connectivity, remember the MacAir has...ummm.....
1x USB2
1x Micro DVI (for video out)
1x Headphone socket
I would presume that the MacAir has an integrated microphone to work with the iSight webcam

The Vaio has....

2 x USB
1 x Video Out
1 x Headphone socket
1 x Microphone Socket (with an inbuilt mic to work with the integrated "MotionEye web cam)
1 x PCMCIA slot
1 x Modem socket
1 x Ethernet Socket
1 x Docking Station port
1 x Memory Stick slot
1 X MultiCard reader (MMC, SD card, XD card compatible)
1 x Express Card Slot

Hmmm.....a connectivity win for the Vaio

The MacAir comes with an 80Gb hard drive, respectable enough......the SOny ships with a 160Gb device - another sount thrashing for the MacAir.

Now, what makes these babies fly???

Well they both come with 2Gb RAM DDR2 667Mhz - so we can declare that a draw.

They both have Intel CPUs, the MacAir having a custom designed Intel Core Duo device running at 1.6Ghz with a 1.8Ghz option.

The Sony Vaio wins again with an Intel Core Duo CPU running at 2.2Ghz. (They both have 4Gb cache)

They both claim to have a battery life in excess of 5 hours. As with most claims, I think this should be taken with a pinch of salt, don't know the real world figures, but I have got around 4 hours out of the Vaio which isn't to shabby.

Oh, and the MacAir has an oversize multi-touch track pad so it works a little like the screen on the iPhone.

The Winning Post
So, let's see - the MacAir is a little lighter and looks slinkier (as all Macs do) but I think my Vaio looks just fine in black. However, it may be lighter but lacks an optical drive. The external drive does not have to weigh too much to make the combination heavier than the Vaio.

After that, things are either a tie (memory, webcam, battery life, WiFi and Bluetooth) or an outright victory (hard drive size, integrated optical drive, memory card readers, expansion slots, integrated Ethernet, analogue modem, HSDPA) so I think this is a comfortable win for the Vaio.

Sadly, it all comes tumbling down when you realise that the Vaio is crippled by Vista. It's adequate but feels no faster than the Dell it replaces which was a single core 1.6Ghz mobile Intel part. OK, I have yet to really push the Sony but it just does not feel any faster - maybe I should install XP, bet it would really fly then.