It has been nearly four years since Apple first introduced the MacBook Air to the world. The size of the MacBook Air at the time was a big deal, since there was nothing like it available. As far as I can tell, from reading reviews of the original MacBook Air, it was slow, had very little storage, and had only one USB port. The worst part of it all was the price. It started at $1799, and in order to add solid state storage you had to pay another $999. My jaw still drops about this information. It was because of that original Air we knew the direction that Apple was going in terms of the size of their products.
The new MacBook Air has been left out compared to all of the talk of the new MacBook Pro with Retina display. The MacBook Air is definitely a design favorite for many users. The size, weight, and specs are perfect for the average user. If you aren’t planning to do a lot of gaming on your new MacBook, or you will be carrying it around with you a lot, the Air is most likely the perfect option for you. As a college student, the 13-inch MacBook Air is the perfect size, and my sister-in-law felt the same way last week when she ordered her new MacBook Air. She was initially on the fence about which one to purchase, but after going to an Apple store and comparing the two, she went ahead and ordered a MacBook Air.
This years model is obviously a huge step up from that original MacBook Air. Performance is at least 10 times better, there is a huge enhancement to the expandability, and the prices are much lower. The starting price for the newest 13-Inch MacBook Air is $1199 without any upgrades, that is coming from the $1799 it started out with. I chose this over the MacBook Pro for the size, and I can’t say I regret it.
Both the 11-inch and 13-inch Airs are thin wedges of unibody aluminum—just under 0.7 inch thick in the back and just over 0.1 inch thick in the front, obviously with different footprints: The 13-inch model is 12.8 inches wide and 8.9 inches deep, while the 11-inch Air is just 11.8 inches wide and 7.6 inches deep. The 13-inch Air weighs just under 3 pounds, while the 11-inch version weighs in at just under 2.4 pounds.
After going to the store and checking out both the 13-inch model, and the 11-inch model, I ultimately decided to go with the 13-inch MacBook Air. Both sizes are great for a college student like myself who will be carrying it around campus everyday. The trackpad is great to use. The Multi-Touch trackpad is perfect for using gestures in OS X. Add to all of this the LED-backlit, widescreen, glossy display that is surrounded by an aluminum bezel and you have one of the most gorgeous laptop computers I have ever had a chance to work with.
The screen is 1366 by 768 pixels on the 11-inch model, and on the 13-inch model it is 1440 by 900. It is a gorgeous display, and while it does not have a retina display like the 15-inch MacBook Pro, it is beautiful all the same. It is bright with colors that pop out. The viewing angles are perfect for any user. Using my Toshiba laptop outside was nothing more than a hassle. The only time I could actually see the screen was if I was in the shade, and even then I was pushing my luck. I was using my MacBook Air outside in the sunlight while I was at the pool earlier this week, and I had no issues seeing the screen. Finally, I can enjoy some fresh air while I am studying and preparing for a deadline!
The MacBook Air uses the MacSafe2 power connector. It is apparently shorter and wider than the original MagSafe connector, but that is only from what I am told. I have not had an opportunity to compare the two.
The two USB ports have been updated to USB 3.0, something many MacBook users were disappointed by when they did not see it in the 2011 version. Mac users can finally take advantage of the 5Gbps transfer rates that go with the USB 3.0’s SuperSpeed capabilities. The Thunderbolt connector, headphone, SDXC slot, and microphone remain the same as they did in the previous MacBook Air.
Bluetooth
Bluetooth support was upgraded to 4.0 in 2011. It is the same in the new MacBook Air, but it is definitely worth noting since we are beginning to see more Bluetooth 4.0 compatible devices hit the market. Bluetooth 4.0 adds a low power mode to Bluetooth, which is useful when it comes to talking to wireless sensors. With Bluetooth 4.0 it means that the MacBook Air can communicate with a lot of devices that are around your home.
Wi-Fi
One of the things I was hoping to see upgraded with the new MacBook Air was Wi-Fi. This is something that I wanted before I finally made the jump and purchased my first Mac. Right now Wi-Fi remains maxed out at 802.11n like in the previous MacBook Air. I would love to have seen the upgrade to 802.11ac, which would give us faster wireless speeds as well as longer range Wi-Fi. I know there are many long-term MacBook Air users that were really hoping to see this happen with this new iteration, and are waiting another year to upgrade in hopes that it changes.
System
The new base 13-inch MacBook Air comes equipped with 4GB of system memory, a 1.8GHz Intel Core i5-3427U (Ivy Bridge) processor. It now has an Intel HD Graphics 4000 integrated graphics card with Direct X 11 support. The system has 128GB of flash storage. It takes only a couple of seconds to run tasks like launching apps, going to sleep and waking up, and booting.
Battery Life
The new MacBook Air doesn’t see a change in the battery itself. Apple gives it an estimated 7 hours of battery life using wireless web on the 13-inch model. I personally would have loved to see a new battery with this model of the MacBook air, but I really have no complaints about how much battery life I am getting out of a single charge. On my Toshiba Satellite I would be lucky to get an hour of battery life without having to have it plugged into a charger for the first year that I had it, after that, the battery kicked the bucket and I always had to have it plugged it. Do you realize just how much of a hassle that is?
I have not put the battery to the test by performing outrageous tasks, but using it for everyday tasks I am getting anywhere from 4 to 6 hours of battery life on my MacBook Air. If I am just taking notes in class, then I will average around 5 hours, if I am editing pictures for a review, I might get closer to 4 hours. This being said, there are obviously many things that can be done if you want to improve your battery life. This includes turning off the backlit keyboard when you don’t really need it as well as during down the screen brightness. Personally I rarely use the display at 100% brightness because it is not necessary in most situations.
Webcam
One of the newest features is the built-in webcam is now considered to be HD. I have not had the chance to test this out using FaceTime or Skype, but from what I hear it allows you to see users more clearly, but it is still about the level of most front facing cameras out there, which is not very good. I am sure it is only a matter of time before we see huge improvements on the front-facing cameras in devices.
When it comes to the speakers I am impressed. It is hard to find a laptop that has speakers that stand out, but the MacBook Air is definitely an exception. The speakers are loud and crisp. I am able to make out movies and music, and am not longing for something better.
Operating System
I have had the opportunity to use a Mac occasionally in my schools Mac computer lab, and back in June I had the chance to use my brother’s iMac for an entire week as my main computer. I was still not sure if OS X was right for me, but I am now convinced.
The MacBook Air comes with iLife 11’ which includes iPhoto, Garage Band, and iMovie. It also comes with FaceTime already installed. It comes loaded with OS X 10.7 Lion, but by purchasing the new MacBook Air you were guaranteed an upgrade to Mountain Lion for free. I am personally extremely excited to see what Mountain Lion has to offer, and to have a new OS on a computer that doesn’t cost a small fortune like Windows would have charged.
Verdict
The new Mid-2012 MacBook Air lives up to my expectations. It is fast, has a great design, is lightweight, and carries out my everyday tasks without a problem. I was originally looking at getting a Samsung Series 9 Laptop, but the price was higher than the of the MacBook Air. I was not sure whether I would keep the MacBook Air or end up exchanging it for the Series 9 in the end, but I have no desire to switch out my MacBook Air for another Windows Laptop. I love my Windows Desktop, but the laptops I have had always have fallen shore. It is a great product, and definitely worth investing in. If you purchased the 2011 MacBook Air, you might want to wait another year to upgrade, but for a new MacBook owner like myself, I would definitely jump in and make the investment.
0 comments:
Post a Comment