Windows 7 on MBA

AQ_OC

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Jan 23, 2011
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Not saying I'm going to do this...but the MBA is the ONLY laptop whose keyboard I can actually use for extended periods..and the reason is because of the trackpad. For some reason, on every laptop I've had, the cursor would jump all over the place whenever I use the keyboard for extended and serious typing. So much so that I mainly use tablets for presentations, rather than work. But not with the MBA. That toucch/track pad rocks.

So, if I nuke OS X (and I'm really just thinking, I seriously doubt I'm going to do this) can I install Win764 on this puppy and will it use the keyboard intelligently or is that just going to be a pain? I know people dual boot but I don't know what that experience is like, and 128 GB is rather small to be dual booting on. I am so ingrained with Windows that I think I'll find it hard trying to live with OS X and Win7 (even though, OS X seems like a cool OS, but I can just drop 20 years of files and stuff).
 
The trackpad simply isn't as smooth under Windows.

But still smoother than 95% of dedicated Windows laptops.

As far as running Windows, the MBA is a pretty reliable and useful little machine. My BF runs Windows primarily on his and his only problems are that the Intel HD 3000 kind of sucks (but that goes for any "ultra portable")

I use Windows 100% of the time on my Macbook Pro, and it's fine for me. I like Apple's hardware, but I hate OS X Lion.
 
Apple's trackpad is really crippled when using Windows and only part of its original functionality is available. This is half on purpose and half a software limitation. There are modified drivers that let you gain more functionality, as if you were running OSX. But even if you don't install those drivers, I don't think any other laptops have a trackpad that is as smooth as the MBP/MBA's. A crippled Apple trackpad is better than virtually any other trackpad I have seen :D

Concerning the isolated keyboard, I can say that Sony always had great ones. I had those for years and I actually preferred typing on my 13" laptop to using the desktop keyboard. Now it's the same with my MBP.
 
I am having a hard time trying to see how your trackpad and keyboard experience are related to each other. The MBA's trackpad is nice and as other mentioned, I can also confirm it isn't as smooth under Windows. What does it have to so with the keyboard?

On another side, you mention you will miss your files if you switch to OS X? How is that possible? What am I missing here?
 
you have to use the original OSX disks when you install windows 7, it installs a slew of apps and drivers...
 
other trackpads were jumping around because your wrist was hitting it when you typed. That is more of a positioning thing. The apple trackpad is hands down, my favorite part of my MBP.
 
Most laptops you can disable the trackpad when you type to avoid the wrist issue. Some have dedicated buttons for it, some are just in the drivers.

There are other good trackpads out there, and if that fails there are always the trackpoints like on business laptops (Lenovo, Dell, etc.).
 
Not sure about the MBA, but I think that the battery life is not as good under windows as it is under OS X. That something else I would think about, also you probably shouldn't get rid of it OS X just shrink it down.
 
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