10 Reasons to Use the MacBook Air for Business

by Don Reisinger

At the center of Apple’s MacBook Air sales pitch to customers is mobility. The device is just 0.68 inches tall and weighs between 2.4 pounds and 3 pounds, depending on the option the customer chooses. And since it’s only 11.8 inches to 12.8 inches wide, it can be easily slipped into any purse or bag. From a mobility perspective, there’s no topping the MacBook Air.

That Apple dropped the price on the MacBook Air from $999 to start to $899 is important to many business customers. The corporate world is still being affected by limited budgets, and saving as much money as possible is a necessity. Getting an appealing, nice-looking computer for $899, therefore, seems like a bargain.

Security is a major concern for corporate customers. On that front, Apple tends to do a fine job. The company’s OS X Mavericks is by no means bulletproof, but it does come with enhanced security that customers won’t find in other operating systems, like Windows 8. Plus, hackers are less apt to attack OS X, adding an extra layer of security. As long as employees know how to be secure with devices, the MacBook Air’s OS X Mavericks installation should create a reliable and secure environment.

One of the nice things about OS X Mavericks is that it comes with an App Store for Mac-based apps. And although at launch it lacked many usable enterprise programs, many more are available and coming down the pike. For corporate customers, having easy access to business apps is vital. And over the last year or so, more corporate developers have been bringing their programs to the Mac.

Where can Windows XP converts turn? There are computers out there featuring Windows 7, but Microsoft is making a hard push on Windows 8. There’s no word yet on when Windows 9 will launch. At this point, it might make sense for some corporate customers to go with a Mac.

There was a time when some would argue that enterprise integration is practically impossible with a Mac. But now that more developers are supporting OS X, Microsoft has created a cross-platform experience with Office 365, and Terminal Services works exceptionally well, expect the MacBook Air to fit well into existing enterprise infrastructure.

The BYOD craze is sweeping across the enterprise. And it’s important to point out that not all products should be allowed in the corporate environment. The MacBook Air, however, is not one of those devices. The device is secure, it works well with existing infrastructure, and it’s ideal for both personal and corporate uses. In other words, don’t worry about the MacBook Air infringing upon your company’s BYOD policy.

There are some limitations related to owning a Mac. And that’s certainly the case with the MacBook Air. There’s no Ethernet port with the MacBook Air, nor is there a disk drive. The device also lacks some popular ports, like FireWire and others. But getting accessories that work with those technologies can solve all of those issues, or another option is wirelessly accessing disk drives on other computers.

Battery life matters greatly when it comes to mobile devices. That’s why it’s so nice to see Apple’s MacBook Air features nine hours of wireless Web use on the 11-inch version and up to 12 hours on the 13-inch model. That means corporate customers can use their MacBook Air all day long without fear of it running out of juice. That’s an important selling point for employees who are always on-the-go.

The internal components in Apple’s MacBook Air are high quality. The device comes with 4GB of on-board memory, a 1.4GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor and support for flash storage of up to 512GB. Those are nice specs for a corporate customer, especially considering the device starts at just $899.