Geoff,
Have you thought of looking at New Wave Systems for prices of preloved, guaranteed Apple products? Reputable. Been around for 15+ years in different guises.
Out Burwood/East Burwood way. No phone number, sorry.
------------------------
Regards from brianF
===============

On 03/12/2010, at 12:11 PM, Geoffrey Heard wrote:

> Hello folks
> 
> Back from Paradise, aka Rabaul, Papua New Guinea, where I lurked around for two months carrying a 15" MacBook Pro about in a back pack. Trudging up the (slight) hill to the Ralum Club for lunch and internet access, I sang "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" in my head (better that way, it is in tune and doesn't scare stray dogs). Bloody heavy! We are talking 3 degrees off the equator here.
> 
> Now I'm looking at more of the same (i.e. time in PNG with the computer in a backpack), and to my astonishment I find myself looking favourably at a new 13" MacBook Air, with the specifications maxed (2.13 Ghz, 4 GB RAM, 256 GB flash storage) at a cost of around AU$2500.
> 
> I am far from rich, but I am looking for lightness, portability, decent battery (about 7 hours in the 13" Air, perhaps a bit less with the maxed specs) and the power to work as the main desktop computer with a big screen.
> 
> And let's face it, is it that expensive? It's only a couple of years ago that the 13" MacBook cost in the region of $2200, so let's not get too concerned about the fact that today's 13" MacBook, weighing around 60% more, would come at about 60% of the price of the Air.
> 
> Has anyone heard nervous noises or terrible reports of the Air?
> 
> Oh -- maxed specs incudes the optional additional superdrive. I already have a WD 500 GB HD which I would use for back-up with Carbon Copy Cloner (thanks to whoever on this list put me on to it, it is great -- I cloned my white 13" on to it, then used that to set up the 15" for the trip, then updated the back-up every few days, then at the end of the trip, when the 15" went to another destination, I used the back-up HD clone to to update everything on the 13". Worked like a charm. I am a very happy camper with CCC and have made a useful donation.) In the course of the trip, I also bought a couple of slim little speakers for about $35 which are powered off the USB port, so they are fully portable too when I want better, louder sound.
> 
> Thoughts?
> 
> Best regards
> 
> Geoffrey Heard
> Business writer, editor, publisher
> The Worsley Press
> Buy "Type & Layout: Are you communicating or just making pretty shapes?" -- the world's ONLY scientifically based guide to type and layout, and receive a free 140 page guide to advertising for small business: "How to make great ads for (small) business: 99 real world advertising ideas to kickstart *your* business today".
> Amazon or http://www.worsleypress.com