Add-Ons You'll Need for Your MacBook Air

Tue Jan 29, 2008 11:56PM EST

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Blogs are buzzing with excitement at the possibility of seeing the MacBook Air in stores this week, and a few readers reportedly got a shipment notice from Apple with a February 1st delivery date. If you're one of the early adopters expecting a MacBook Air this week, then you should know you're going to need some extra accessories to make up for the notebook's lack of common features like extra ports, and optical drive. Here's a look at the accessories you'll need, and their price. Hope you put some extra money aside.

USB Hub (Varies): Apple is anything but generous when it comes to extra USB ports, so I'm not surprised the MacBook Air only has one. If you plan on using other peripherals with your super slim computer, you'll need a USB hub preferably one with an external power source. Check out these options.

Ethernet Adapter ($29): One thing that won't be practical when you travel is the lack of an ethernet jack on the MacBook Air. While most hotels have wireless connections, there are those that don't which is why you'll need a USB Ethernet Adapter like this one selling on Apple's site for $29.

MacBook Air SuperDrive ($99): The MacBook Air doesn't have an optical drive which makes it impossible to load software from CDs or watch movies on DVDs. Apple is already taking orders for the sleek MacBook SuperDrive, which according to the website is slightly bigger than a CD case, and easily fits inside a travel bag. The small optical drive connects via USB, and lets you play and burn both CDs and DVDs.

MacBook Air Sleeve ($30-$50): Contrary to what you have seen on those cute MacBook Air commercials, you're going to need more than a manila envelope to store your new computer in. Belkin is one of the few companies that has stylish sleeves specially made for the MacBook Air. They're available in leather, or neoprene, or fabric like Belkin's Expression Sleeve,which even has a removable shoulder strap for extra portability.

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  • 1 Posted by magpagbst on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:03PM EDT Report Abuse

    all the necessary add-ons seem to negate the . . . what was the main selling point of the air??? . . . oh yeah . . . its thinness. i need someone to convince me why i should fork over so much money for a laptop with such suboptimal specs . . . only to have to purchase peripherals that are standard on a laptop with better specs at half the price!! thanks apple . . . but i'll take a pass on this one . . . that extra 3/4 inch thickness of my current laptop is more than tolerable

  • 2 Posted by jswan879 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:43PM EDT Report Abuse

    The point of the Air is that it is mainly wireless what the Apple walk through on the apple site and it explains it better then this article.

  • 3 Posted by garrettspencer11 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:06PM EDT Report Abuse

    Dude most of this stuff about the Air is true but the part about not being able to download software is total bull----- ! MacBook Air can download any software by putting a disc in any other optical drive (Windows or Mac) and download it via wireless connection. Don't put stuff on here that isn't true yahoo!.

  • 4 Posted by patyoung128 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:02PM EDT Report Abuse

    Yea this is probably the worst idea for a computer. Who gives a ----- about a super thin computer if it doesnt have ----- on it? Really Apple? PC all the way.

  • 5 Posted by shawnnesser on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:18PM EDT Report Abuse

    Yeah and I would much rather have Vista than cough Leopard. Yeah I seen the Mac commercials. But Vista is so much easier and secure than Unix(what Leopard is based off of). I am a business user and a gamer. Only good ole PCs are good for that. Plus I can watch and record TV on my Laptop w/ Vista's Media Center.

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