1440x900 is not so bad on a 13" you will only notice the difference if you are coming down from a retina but after a while you dont notice anymore.
And OSX is made such that it doesn't require the extra touch functionality which just smudges your screen. The Trackpad makes up for it.
BTW haven't put up the pics/opinions yet. been real busy just getting all the apps and using the air.
will do soon.
But that's the whole point, why compromise with "not so bad"? The difference is night and day, and it's not just the resolution like I mentioned before.
As for touchscreen, that is completely inaccurate. The same Gorilla Glass tech used in phones is present in touch laptops, and think about where you ever see smudges on your phone? Probably only in broad daylight, and you are much more unlikely to use a laptop there. In short, not an issue at all. Furthermore, with Windows 8 touchscreens are extremely useful. Once you are used to touch, there's no going back. I would say it is essential for most normal usage and personally I wouldn't even look at a laptop without a touchscreen. Most people who have actually lived with a touchscreen laptop would say the same. Of course there are situations where it is not that useful, but for most normal usage it is invaluable. The touchpad is hardly a substitute for a touchscreen, but more of a complement. Together, the touchpad+touchscreen+keyboard combination works wonders.