So Engadget is running a MacBook Air through its paces, and I thought the segment on the Remote Disc feature was interesting.
Remember, the MBA doesn’t include a CD or DVD drive, but the Remote Disc feature basically lets you remotely access the disc drive on another computer so you can install software and, well, basically all you can do is install software.
You can’t use Remote Disc to watch a DVD movie or listen to a music CD. While you can buy an external CD or DVD drive to plug directly into your MBA, that would ruin the streamlined aesthetic of the machine (which is really the only point of the Air).
So if you’re a traveler itching for some portable entertainment on your MacBook Air, what’s the easiest way to get it? Apple’s iTunes service.
I suspect that a huge percentage of MacBook Air buyers will become heavy iTunes purchasers and renters. If the lack of an optical drive does spur iTunes sales, I bet Apple starts eliminating optical drives on all but its most high-end machines.
Apple couldn’t afford to euthanize the optical drive when iTunes was still in its infancy. But now that iTunes is a full-fledged online media superstore, DVDs and CDs are a direct competitor to Apple’s business.
So if I was a company that sold a lot of DVDs and CDs like, say, Best Buy, I might wonder if selling the MacBook Air was really in my best interests.
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