MacBook Air i5 11.6 or 13.3 or go with Windows 7 wannabe?
Very seriously considering a MacBook Air (as noted elsewhere -- size and weight are issues due to health reasons). I am split between the 11.6 inch and 13.3 inch versions. The cost difference is $100. I am looking for something to do field editing. I have a fairly new Toshiba but the screen resolution is disappointing...and it's heavier.
I've also considered the MacBook Air wannabes but it the store the screen resolution just seemed to be no better than what I already have.
Down side of the MacBook Air -- no USB 3.0 ports, no ethernet connections.
Also, for field editing, would Elements or Aperture be sufficient?
For field editing you want the 13.3 in, and honestly that would be on the small side. If by "field" you mean literally out in the field, then maybe. If you mean back in the hotel room or the local Starbucks, I'd seriously consider a 15" or 17" MacBook Pro instead. I happily use a 13" MacBook Air for my work laptop, but I bought a 17" MacBook Pro when I started traveling more for photography. 13" just wasn't nearly good enough for editing.
If you mean simply evaluating images in the field (e.g. deleting the bad ones) and maybe putting together some simple examples of best images on a trip, then weight may be more important than screen size. For light weight I take a 12-inch laptop (and next trip it won't be windows--it will be linux). For image transfer, I will only go with USB 3.
If you mean editing images to produce final results, then a top-end laptop would be ideal, but that will weigh more and a laptop with a large screen is pretty bulky.
I have the 13" Air and find it very useful for most field work. It is light enough to slide into my camera backpack should I want to take a break shooting and sort through what I have caught. Yes they are pricy, but the Airs are great computers. I run the whole Adobe suite on mine - no problems.
One thing to note is the newest generation has a slower processor, I think it was a trade off to get the lighted keyboard back. Steve was a freak about upping the use time so the light keyboards on the airs went away for a while - but they are back. If you check sites like Macrumors.com you will see recent comments on the upcoming 15" airs which are coming out in Arpil if I recall. they of course will be more expensive, but the extra screen size may be worth it. As to the Pro's and Windows models - I have had both and I would not go back. You may consider trying to find a used 13" 2.3 Mhz Air out there or you may find a new one in inventory at a reseller. If you go to the Apple store - it will be the new 1.7 Mhz versions. For me as a photographer (and a business traveler) I would never go back to the extra weight those other models have - just too much wear & tear on the shoulder and there is now so much power in the Air, I don't need the extra bells & whistles.