I wasn't really considering the MBAir, just including it in the list for comparison purposes as it's actually in the Marriott Rewards Merchandise catalog and wouldn't include whatever premium I'd be paying for a "Design Your Reward" custom reward quote.

I did compare other Windows laptops.... but actually found that an equivelent Dell or Lenovo would only be a few hundred dollars less, and the Dell wouldn't equal the MBP's specs. Even the Lenovo would only come really close... both would have to have a 9 cell battery addition that would make it heavier and have part of the battery hanging off the back (and still get less battery life).

I looked at the gift-card route too... including the Marriott Checks, but those are only really good for hotel services. I don't know of any Marriott property that has general merchandise (including laptop computers).