Apple wants to push the design envelope with its latest notebook, the MacBook Air, Paul Venezia points out. “Apple has had a history of making big changes and taking big chances with their hardware,” he writes in The MacBook Air finds its Nietzsche. This time around that means doing away with a built-in optical drive, legacy ports, FireWire, fixed RAM — all of which, some might say, handicap the system. “I’ve come to realize that I don’t think that’s the case at all,” Venezia writes. “I gaze around my lab, noting all the random cables, connectors, components, and options. It’s a stark contrast to the lithe little laptop in front of me. It’s the antithesis, and I think that’s a good thing.” Venezia’s article is an accompaniment to his in-depth review of the MacBook Air. Technology Industry