People complicate things.
Tech people tinking about tech things perhaps especially so.
They worry about lack of ports. They debate price. Power. Battery life. Then ports again, and again.
I ordered this machine as soon as I could.
For me, it is so simple: this is the retina Macbook air I wanted ever since the first retina screen appeared. It is in every single way my last machine taken another few steps forward.
Also: non-tech people love this machine. At first sight. A coworker used an opportunity to try the keyboard to write "I like this computer. Perhaps too much." I have a feeling this does not happen too often to the average laptop.
I, too, enjoy details, so I will write more about them below. Just know they are irrelevant. I bought the Macbook because I wanted the whole, and I enjoy and use it as a whole. This, I think, is a key to why some people will not understand why a lot of other people will buy and love a machine like this.
About that port
As for port anxiety, I figure the best way to bring on the future is to wait and see. I got past the initial hurdle - migration of data from my Macbook air - on wifi. Now, I will get on with my life and see if the need for any particular adapter ever gets strong enough. Getting adapters on speculation would be reflexive backing into old habits and a missed opportunity to try something new.
(Writing this, I am approaching my 36th year waiting for the car need to become strong enough for even a driver's license.)
Keyboarding
After my first try, I likened the feel of the keyboard to running barefoot. That impression holds up. The only small surprise is just how fast I have grown used to the feel of the keys and how much I like typing on it. I feel as if I am typing softer and smoother, but I have not lost any assurance of keys being pressed in the process. Because it is different, it also feels a little bit luxurious and exclusive. I am actually typing on a keyboard built specifically for this computer. Some people will probably truly dislike this keyboard and be unable to adapt to it. They will not be wrong, but I think most people will not have to worry about it.
There is one time where the keyboard still makes me feel a bit uncertain, and it is of course passwords.
I have never cared much for backlit keyboards and I do not foresee using the feature much here either, but I have to say it looks nicer to me on the Macbook than ever before. When it turned on in low light it hit a balance where I saw the keys clearly yet did not find the extra light distracting.
Screen
The screen. Oh, the screen. I am not sure why, but the difference from non-retina is even more striking on my own computer than when I see someone else's screen or look at a demo unit in a store. As I lean in, my eyes reach their minimum focus distance long before I can spot a pixel. Lines are razor sharp and text looks beautiful. I put Sublime in full screen mode with bright text on black. The background blends in with the edge of the screen and I find myself putting perfectly formed characters on a smooth black canvas.
Golden
I got the gold one. It looks wonderful, and a lot less conspicuous than you might think. It stands out mainly by not being a grey or black device. It will not force you to redecorate rooms or alter you wardrobe, just make you feel ever so slightly more stylish.
Aspirations
It occured to me that the Macbook is a sort of aspirational tool, just like the Air was before it; they are the kind of tools I want to use to create, and I am willing - happy, even - to let them shape how I create. I begin using this new tool with great curiosity about the future, rather than with worry about changes or a determination to bend it into my existing habits. I wish to create more in more different places, with as few external requirements as possible.
This machine is a great tool for that journey.
