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From the looks of it, the MacBook Air, released by Apple in January 2008, seems to be the best idea for anyone looking to buy a new laptop computer, and for some this may be exactly the case. However, there are things to know about the MacBook Air and it’s technology before splurging on one.

The design is sleek, slim, and light — and creatively advertised as such. Believe me, any laptop that can fit in a manilla envelope sure looks appealing to me! Weighing in at a mere 3 pounds, it has the potential to gain the attention of travelers and many others across the globe.

For the traveler who only uses a laptop for things like spreadsheets, e-mail and the Web, this slim, compact computer is probably by far the best choice. On the other side, for those who enjoy listening to music, uploading pictures, or watching DVDs while traveling, the MacBook Air would be a definite no-go. Unlike other laptops, including other Macs, there is no optical drive.

What’s the big deal, you ask? Think about all of the CDs you’ve ripped onto your computer, or burned to listen to elsewhere, or the DVDs you watched on your last long trip. Think about the data you’ve saved onto CDs for work or personal reasons, or the programs you have installed by simply putting the CD into the drive and clicking “Install.” Now imagine not having the ability to do that.

A new technology called Remote Disc, developed by Apple, is the key to running a MacBook Air. Remote Disc will install anything that can be stored on a CD or DVD. Simply put a disc into another computer (Mac or PC), the MacBook Air will pick up the information and transfer it wirelessly from the other computer.

The larger downfall with the lack of an optical drive is that music, movies or TV shows must be saved on the computer, bringing up even more problems: memory and hard drive space. The MacBook Air wasn’t developed to store as much information as the usual laptop. Apple has tried to back themselves up by now offering the ability to rent movies through iTunes.

There is always the option of spending another $99 on an external MacBook Air Super Drive that connects by a USB 2.0 port. But after buying the laptop (starting) at $1799, this makes the computer less portable, and takes away from it’s main selling point.

As the proud owner of a new iMac, I am a huge fan of Apple products, but I think the MacBook Air is ahead of it’s time. It may be perfect for the traveler who uses their computer strictly for work and uses .Mac or a thumb drive for storage, but if you use your computer for music, movies, pictures, or television, stick with a model that offers more utility.