Today's issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire covers a new lightweight laptop (see article below), an eDiscovery processing service with prices that depend on the processing power you need, an RSS newsreader app for iPad, and a task management program for Macs. Don't miss the next issue.
Not Quite as Light as Air But Close
In a country of McMansions, Super Size meals, and SUVs, it may seem curious that one of its most successful companies has an obsession with making its products small, thin, and light. But those of you who have lugged yesteryear's 7 pound laptops on a trip understand that bigger and heavier is not always better. Even today's relatively svelte notebooks can weigh 5 pounds — still too heavy, especially if all you need to do is give a presentation, work on some documents, review your email, and find a restaurant. And let's face it — you can take care of your email and the restaurant with your smartphone. But you still need a laptop for presentations and serious word processing. A laptop almost as light as air preferably.
MacBook Air … in One Sentence
Released today, MacBook Air is a lightweight laptop running Mac OS X 10.6.
The Killer Feature
The battery was invented long before the airplane. But laptops arrived long after the airplane. Why then do so many laptop batteries not last long enough for most flights?
Apple's new MacBook Air won't last from Los Angeles to Sydney, but it'll last long enough for most domestic flights. The MacBook Air comes in two versions — 11-inch and 13-inch. The 11-inch model offers 5 hours of battery life, including using the Internet, while the larger model offers 7 hours.
Other Notable Features
A close second for the Killer Feature, the 11-inch model weighs 2.3 pounds and is 0.68 inches thick, while the 13-inch weighs 2.9 pounds and has the same thickness. The 11-inch model sports a 1366 x 768 pixel LED display. The 13-inch model offers 1440 x 900 pixels.
Each laptop offers a choice of processors and storage. Neither offers a hard drive. Instead, both use solid state "flash" memory ranging from 64 to 256 GB.
Both laptops include a FaceTime camera for video-conferencing with other computer users and also with users of the iPhone 4 and 2010 iPod touch. They also come with a multi-touch trackpad that supports gestures such as scrolling, zooming, rotating, dragging, and more. Other features include a display port for connecting one or two monitors, a microphone, stereo speakers, USB ports, and on the 13-inch model an SD card slot.
Like the previous model, the MacBook Air does not have a CD/DVD drive. You can buy an external drive or borrow the optical drive of a nearby Mac or PC via WiFi.
What Else Should You Know?
The 11-inch MacBook Air starts at $999. The 13-inch MacBook Air starts at $1,299. Learn more about MacBook Air.
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So many products, so little time. In each issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire, you'll learn about five new products for the legal profession. Pressed for time? The "In One Sentence" section describes each product in one sentence, and the "Killer Feature" section describes each product's most compelling feature. The TechnoLawyer NewsWire newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.
