Have you seen the new Macbook Air models unveiled earlier this morning during Apple’s Back-to-the-Mac event? They certainly looking interesting, very thin and since they are equipped with Core 2 Duo processors and Nvidia 320M graphics, these (especially the 11.6″ model) should blow any other netbook out of the water. Not only that, these machines come with Flash-based storage space as well. No moving parts = less noise. But knowing Apple, their computer devices always come with certain caveats.

For starters, the price. The smallest model retails at USD 999, and at that price can get you a more-than-decent Intel i5 notebook from Dell. It (the Dell machine) may not look that part, but it will certainly give even the baseline i5 Macbook Pro a run for its money. Full disclosure here: I’ve been a Dell user for years. Certainly if you are going for the baseline Macbook Air, you will be looking at a really expensive netbook with at least a USD 300 premium over the rest of the field. At this juncture, I would advise you to get a Macbook instead (if you really need a Mac), it has the same price tag, but better processor, better storage space, and even better battery life!

Anyways, next up will be the storage space. While I suppose having Flash storage space helps in boot up times and battery life (the new Macbook Air boasts 30-day standby time), the problem with Flash storage is that it is cost prohibitive and due to that, manufacturers can only provide just a small amount of storage; in the case of the baseline USD 999 Macbook Air, a measly 64GB. With only 2 USB ports available, I can imagine a user being tethered to a USB dongle which is then tethered to a couple of USD sticks and a portable hard disk. Urgh…

Someone once asked sarcastically why (this was coming from some big shot Malaysian full-time blogger who uses Macs), as an iPhone user (and I have two!), do I not use Apple products as well when it comes to laptops or even PCs. Well, here’s the reason: it just doesn’t make sense to use them. I certainly can’t afford the pricing (and even if I can, there are better alternatives out there, at cheaper price points) and despite what Steve Jobs says about Windows machines, I’m utterly comfortable with my 6 year old notebook which hasn’t been hacked throughout its entire tenure.