I agree. Arch Linux configuration is educational and well worth the few hours it takes on your first try, but you should definitely have another computer with the wiki open while you do it.
That is quite a normal concern. Fortunately, the Archlinux wiki has good info on how to configure fonts: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Font_Configuration#Ubun... (that link leads to the section about Ubuntu-patched packages, but the whole page is a good read).
If you use Archlinux, make sure you use the wiki and bbs to their full power. Most of the problems you think of have been solved in a way or another. It usually just requires installing some packages, which is a breeze.
I use the Ubuntu patchset. The difference between that and stock fontconfig is night-and-day; installing it is a constant reminder that for all the controversial moves Canonical has made in recent months, making Linux fonts not look like ass was one thing they did about as well as they possibly could have.
I can't keep track of all the models around, so I picked the biggest competitor to the MBA. On a glance, that Asus doesn't seem to have a particularly sturdy case and also Nvidia Optimus might make it a nightmare to run Linux on.
We're targeting Debian, so running that (in a VM) on a 4GB MBA is not pleasant. Borderline unusable, sometimes. That's why I'd have preferred an ultraportable with either more RAM or the ability to run Debian natively on. Turns out, I found none so far.
According to what I read it's a hassle to get it installed and then working. Also, I don't know how it behaves on updates. The Ubuntu help page linked in the article mentions something about a post-install script which might needed to be run more than once...
For what it's worth, I do use an MBA (3,2) and I sometimes have problems with the glare screen indoors (have to move it around to diminish sunlight reflection).
Of course batteries add to the weight, I just mentioned it because sometimes you just need those extra hours, just like some people specifically need 8GB of RAM.
The disadvantage of a glossy screen is that at some angles, you'll get more glare. The advantage is that (as you note) if you modify its angle, you get less glare than you would with a matte surface.
Agreed that you sometimes need those extra hours. But to be fair you have to count their weight as well; you can double the usable life of a MacBook Air with an external battery if you need to but it also doubles the weight.
You are right, that is quite an omission on my part. Just note that the higher clock speed isn't a priority in _my_ books and brings lower battery life which _is_ a priority for me.
... but still, why upgrade the clock speed if it's a net detriment to you?
If you're making the comparison for yourself, why up the clock speed unecessarily, if you know it causes problems for you?
If you're making the comparison in general, then it's not really an excuse that you were doing it for yourself to omit the benefit of the significantly faster clock, particularly since you're drawing attention to the negatives of it (shorter battery life)?
Please don't interpret this as a serious attack or anything, I just find it a little odd.
The upgrade I chose for the MacBook Air still includes a power-efficient CPU, probably with the exact same TDP rating, just a slightly higher clock rating. This will most likely not increase the power drain, depending on what task your putting it to.
1) I previously tried in a virtual machine 2) I had a second machine next to mine to look up stuff in the wiki and follow the installation guide.