Do I 'need' a Mac book air or a little Asus laptop?

[binkybonk]

I just WANT a MacBook air.... But DH is trying to persuade me it is unnecessary- is he right?!!
I want to surf the net on something other than my iPhone, write a few word/ excel possibly PowerPoint etc docs for work and sort and edit a few photos.
We have a Mac computer as a family (it was my birthday present a few years ago but I have to queue up to use it...) so photos, calendar, contacts on mac. But I work on windows computers and remotely access Windows outlook etc for work. Also, we have iPhones and DH has an iPad so I feel the MacBook would fit in with 'home' stuff quite well.
I could afford the air if it's the best for me, but obviously if I could save £500 or more and get good use from a net book or laptop then maybe that's the best option... Function over form?
Any tips?
Thanks :-)

I've got a Macbook Air. Luckily I didn't spend my own money on it (it's a work thing) as, quite frankly, the more I use it the more it annoys me. The keyboard layout is bonkers (a power button that's just like all the other keyboard buttons? No # key? No numeric keypad?), ask it to do anything remotely demanding and its weedy little fan struggles to dump the heat, and the metal shell is bloody freezing on bare legs. Sure it's thin and light but the compromises are severe.

All that being said, as you are obviously a family who have drunk deeply from the Apple cup so it would make sense to carry on throwing your money in the same direction.

i have a hash key - you is a freak
I adore it

thinkyou aint a Mac person SNorbs

I've got a 13" 2012 MacBook Air with a UK keyboard. There is not a single hash symbol marked on the keyboard anywhere. I've looked. I know that if I press Ctrl-Fn-Alt-Funny-Handshake-3 or similar then it will generate a hash symbol, but that seems to vary depending on whether it's running OSX or Windows. God alone knows what it would do if I installed Linux on it.

Oh, and the touchpad keeps shooting the mouse pointer all around the place because the "automatically reject accidental touches from the palm of your hand" detection doesn't work very well.

Before I got the thing I was fairly ambivalent towards Macs. Now I've had one for a few months you're right, I'm not a fan.

ah mine is american - its above the 3

i have my right thumb along the outside egde - think thats why it doesnt react

I Love my macbook but it depends whether you think its worth the money.

Don't waste your money go for a small laptop.

I love my Macbookair - it has a hashtag on the #3. It's fantastic and you definitely need one. Snorbs my partner used to be ambivalent towards Apple products too but he loves them more than me now precisely because their platform is so similar to Linux -every developer he works with uses them. Hope you get to trade yours in though :)

Personally I'm not a fan of the Macbook Air as stated the fan is really noisy and it manages to be both warm and cold at the same time. Ultimately its up to you though. Apple's are okay although I prefer none Apple laptops that's just my own preference.

I had a notebook and could not deal with the size of keyboard/screen. Now have mac and love it. Go for a Mac, anything else is not worth it.