If you're someone who cares about the size and weight of your laptop more than anything else, don't really need top-of-the-line performance, or don't care about the price of your laptop, the MacBook Air was designed specifically for you. And this new model is definitely faster than the original MacBook Air, with increased storage space that makes it less of a sacrifice to migrate to an Air. Still, the redesigned, less expensive MacBook is a better buy for all but the most extreme devotees of thinness and lightness.

Pros: Weighs three pounds; full-size keyboard; bright display; greatly improved graphics power.

Cons: Slower than much more affordable Apple laptops; unswappable battery; single USB port; no video adapters in box.

Basics

Reviewed Price: $2,499

Processor: 1.86GHz Intel Core 2 Duo

Information about this system on Apple's website