The price is still too high and some of the specs need fine tuning but it indeed a step in the right direction. Here's hoping they stick with it and eventually can provide us with a cheaper ultraportable that tailors to a wider audience down the line.
I assume what you mean is "I, quiksilvr, refuse to pay that price". But the truth is, you're probably going to find something to complain about no matter WHAT Apple does, so why should they care about your opinion? If they shipped a cheaper version, you'd complain it has no USB3. If they added USB3, you'd complain it has no ethernet. Once they add ethernet, you'd complain that it's not as thin as a Vaio.
The real issue is --- is this the price that maximizes Apple's future profits (ie both profits on this machine, and the expected future profits to be derived from bringing more customers into the Apple tent)? With all due respect, I'd like to think Apple's execs know rather more about this (profits, customer elasticity, etc) than you do --- as evidenced by their performance over the last ten years.
Profits should be your concern. Otherwise, as a consumer, I want everything for FREE. You know, $0, nada .... much cheaper than what you are proposing. I upped you one notch!!!! You are delusional.
I would rather pay nothing than for something. To ignore the profit motive is like saying every company should be a non-profit organization.
Price/performance is not the end all be all. Otherwise, everyone should buy cars based on those criterias. In fact everything for that matter.
IMHO, the price points for Macbook Air is just about right. Get people hooked onto the base model, but sell them the higher end model at the end. While we are at it, try to sell you the 27" docking station. Touche!
Steve Jobs always impresses me with his execution, and the results speak for itself. Give people what they want and they will pay for the premium.
"It looks like a good laptop - but they all should be cheaper by at least a couple hundred bucks."
As a non fanboy, and with all due respect:
With a ULV Core i5/i7 mobile processor, a 64-256GB mSATA disk drive, a custom fully-machined unibody aluminum enclosure, custom battery technology and polymer, a full-fledged OS that doesn't require buying into a higher version to get features you want, a not-crappy screen resolution for either size, and completely unsubsidized by external companies trying to push their crap down your throat, you expect this computer to cost how much less?
With the above in mind, not everyone will (nor should) see value in this lineup. Apple users are obviously going to make hard comparisons with the MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air. This would be no different than a Lenovo customer putting a T420 and a T420s next to each other and deciding if the tradeoffs and benefits are worthwhile when faced with the several hundred dollar price difference.
Or, as the kids say these days, 'Your mileage may vary.'
Holistically speaking, I'm having a hard time spec'ing out anything close to these configurations at these prices. You can get somewhat close with something like the Lenovo E220s, which is a 12.5" screen, but it is still heavier than even the 13" MBA. Honestly, what you get with the level of industrial design of the MBA is excellent for the money. Now whether or not OSX is your cup of tea is an entirely different discussion (It's not for me, but would love to have Win7 running on that 13"). I'm not interested in anything that weighs more than 3 1/2 pounds.
Full disclaimer... The only Apple products I've ever owned have been iPods and I never thought I'd ever even entertain the thought of owning a Macbook. But now... not so sure.
I'm in the same boat--never owned an apple product other than ipods (and those were from chooseyourfreebie.com) and I purchased the 13" MBA yesterday. I think its a fair price, has sufficiently adequate specs, and has a great chassis/body.
I will however put Ubuntu on it the *moment* it arrives.
So the image / screen quality is hopefully nice, but what the heck is 1440 x 900 supposed to be? 1600 x 900 gets you 16:9 aspect ratio, so is this a big step back or what?
I personally prefer 16:10 aspect ratio (pair of 1920x1200 displays at work and a single 2560x1600 at home). Not everything is a letterbox movie. Vertical real estate is nice.
You know whats the funniest part of that shift? Blu-rays are actually 2.35:1, so even with a 16:9 TV, black bars are still present on the top and bottom.
In notebooks I wouldn't mind even a 4:3 ratio since full screen video viewing isn't its main use, but for larger monitors its better to stick with a single standard. 16:10 phasing out isn't because panel makers think you don't want one, but because their fabs can make 16:9 dirt cheap since they already make TV panels with same aspect ratio.
1440x900 is a decent resolution for 13", vast majority of 13" notebooks use a lower res, even the MacBook Pro.
So I'm guessing you only started buying computers after the 16:9 craze? If anything, moving to the 16:9 is a step back. It's the very same reason why we all see the crappy 1366x768 is nearly every laptop from 13" to 17" because it can be advertised as "HD". It used to be that you could find high resolution laptops even among mid range laptops, today that is not the case because of the 16:9 format. So no, it's not a step back. Apple is doing what most enthusiasts want and that is the to keep the 16:10 format.
It turns out both the Mac Mini and MacBook Air include support for Bluetooth 4.0, a very decent jump from Bluetooth 2.1. I don't suppose you can find out whether Lion enables additional Bluetooth capabilities on current iMacs and MacBook Pros? The BCM2070 in the 2011 MacBook Pro for example is Bluetooth 3.0 capable if OS X will enabled it.
Could you please tell us if the 1.8 GHz i7 upgrade is the newly released Core i7-2677M 17 W TDP processor or not? The upgrade claims to have a 3 MB cache which suggests that this is the processor but would you please confirm and since it is relevant to battery life could you please put this in the original review?
The tech specs sheet on their site says 4MB L3. Which would really make it the only reason to upgrade from the 1.7GHz i5 in 13".
You can upgrade the lowest 11" version to 4GB RAM now which is nice, but the 1.6GHz i5 in it is actually far weaker than the 1.7GHz in the 13" - latter turbos to 2.7 while the former only to 2.3, and to upgrade the CPU you have to go with the high version.
Regardless this is a huge leap forward from Core2's, I would've like to have seen the prices move down a bit, even if it's only $50, but oh well it's still an impressive piece of kit in a great package.
"The 13-inch MacBook Air models get a 1.7GHz Intel Core i7-2637M processor, 4GB of RAM, and either 128GB or 256GB of flash storage for $1,299 or $1,599, respectively. Configure to order options include a 1.8 GHz Core i7-2677M processor."
Perhaps an odd question, but I'd like to know if these have Intel's Wireless Display support. I'm inclined to assume not, since it isn't mentioned, but it'd be a great feature if it did (no more need for a docking station or wires).
Well if you want a powerful PC laptop for less $, there are a plethora of superior options available.
However, if you want the thinnest and most powerful laptop for $1,299, and one that has aluminum body construction, backlit keyboard (I don't particularly care for this features), a 128GB SSD and a native displayport that supports > 2 monitors, there isn't a single laptop on the market that fits this criteria besides the MacBook Air.
If I was in the market for a new 13 inch laptop, this is the only laptop I would be considering if I was holding on to it for 2-3 years. Not to mention the astounding resale value of Apple laptops should you choose to flip one in 12 months and upgrade to the newer version.
So don't buy it. But, I bet there are some things you think are "worth" a lot of money that others consider largely "worthless." My point? Value is always in the eye of beholder.
Silly comment. Products are "worth" what people are willing to pay. Period. That's the nature of capitalism: supply AND demand determine price. "Worth" or value are essentially subjective concepts, although they are also context-dependent (a bottle of water is worth a lot more when you are dying of thirst and there is nothing else to drink).
This isn't a perfectly competitive industry. It's monopolistic competition. And because Apple has a brand name, they can overcharge for their products.
It's like a fad - you see Macbooks in tv shows and commercials. Thank god Dell/HP/ASUS and others are finally catching on and offering macbook alternatives that look nice.
I didn't see Turbo Boost anywhere on their product page, and its on the pages of all other i5/i7 macs. Did they disable it in the Air? I was looking forward to that, I liked the last gen Air's but you could feel it hit the processor wall pretty often, with Turbo that would be alleviated a bit.
Wait, why can't I go to 750GB SSD's? And where's my Intel Core i7-980X?
All kidding aside, the market for 8GB RAM users combined with ULV processors is probably negligible. Mind telling me what you would need that much RAM for that would not be bottlenecked by the low performance processors?
I am a structural engineer. We use several structural analysis software (Staad Pro, SAP, etc) that do consume more ram than CPU cycles, specially for complex models.
I am currently assigned to a job in Colombia (Ecopetrol PMRB project, google it) and since i am in the field i want something that is light, portable, and battery life that is well beyond the regular laptops.
You (and I) want to wait for the next round of MBPs.
It seems pretty certain they'll ship without optical, which means they'll be basically MacBook Air without compromise --- 8GB RAM, high-end GPU, ethernet etc.
The only real question is: will the marketing terms become MacBook Air and MacBook Air Pro or the simpler MacBook and MacBook Pro --- drop the Air because it's implicit--- every laptop Apple makes will be an "Air".
You're an engineer who uses structural analysis software? Do you realize how absolutely inane it is to buy a laptop like this for your work? You are severely lacking in CPU power and your field often needs a decent GPU as well.
Like the other guy said, if you insist on Apple, you get a Macbook pro, not this.
If you are in the field, I'm scratching my head as to why you would need this. I'm at a remote site now and one thing you don't want is a fragile mac anything. Anyways, the software we use is PC only.
The new MacBook Air will support TDM, but, it appears, only between two Thunderbolt-equipped Macs/displays. I need to use TDM on a new MacBook Air with my G5 desktop which only has Firewire.
Does anyone know where to find an adaptor cable to convert one end of the Thunderbolt cable to a Firewire one?
I really feel that Haswell will be the solution, but by the Fall of next year we may have Windows 8, which has the potential to make a big difference in the Mac/Windows debate. 22nm will also be standard on these things and SSD will (hopefully) be cheaper. If one can wait 'till Haswell, it will be the best, but I'm guessing that holiday season 2012 will see tablets really moved into an even smaller niche. There is something to be said for a physical keyboard in a form factor barely larger than a tablet.
According to the Intel statements they want $599 ultrabooks with Haswell... I think I can make it that far with my 2008 laptop.
On the story, it shows a table with all the processors listed as 2 cores/4 threads and turbo boost up to 2.6Ghz. Is this true? On the macbook air website, they dont show turbo boost or hyperthreading for the macbook air. Is this a typo on the apple website(seems unlikely) or does the new macbook air not support these processor features.
I noticed that as well, every other Sandy Bridge mac makes explicit mention of HT and Turbo Boost. I hope the Air has them, they would really make it appealing to me. Without them, meh. I liked the last gen ones but you could feel it hit the processor wall often.
So far, the new MBA looks pretty sweet, except for one little detail. What about the screen? Right now Lenovo has a 12.6in eIPS screen -- the MBA uses a TN panel. If apple decides to put a decent non TN screen on the MBA, it's basically worth whatever they're charging. I've sworn a blood oath to not buy another laptop with a terrible TN -- or even a decent TN panel. I didn't see any detail of the screen's panel type, but Apple can secure my money right this second if they put a better class of display in the MBA, or anything else for that matter.
Even though it is a TN display it's still one of the better TN displays out there. The Sony Z, Samsung 9, and MBA all have very good TN displays. Sure its a TN display but we're not talking about the same TN screen you find on $500 laptops. And even though the Lenovo has an IPS panel, they're still using a craptacular 1366x768 resolution. I'm not sure what the point is to have a top notch IPS panel when you're going to handcuff it to that resolution. I'll take the higher rez Sony Z and MBA TN panels over a low resolution IPS panel any day of the week
For a company that has some pretty good displays on their mainstream consumer electronics and higher end Cinema display + iMac, its not too much to ask. 1366x768 isn't terrible on a twelve inch screen anyway. Dell used to have some pretty good 1920x1200 ultrasharp displays -- from a few years ago in a 15". It may have been a TN with pretty good viewing angles, but 1920x1200 is a lot of pixels in a 15" display. I think with the advent of great smaller displays on the iPad and better-than-TN eIPS panels, Apple could make a good product great. I'll take a slightly lower resolution IPS panel any day of the week.
It's not that TN screens suck, it's that TN notebook displays suck. All the quality gaming monitors for desktop PC's are TN. I have a 23" viewsonic that looks amazing from all viewing angles and it's a TN panel.
Apple tends to put better TN displays in their products though. I'm not sure if these Air displays are of desktop quality, but you can be sure they are far better than your $500 windows notebook panels.
... are PC manufactures to stupid to see what people want? Seriously, if the pricing is acceptable I'm very tempted. Is it easy to put windows on macs? :)
16:10 great, 13 great, weight and size are nice and if that price is adjusted correctly I won't resist. But I believe price will be higher (raw amount) even thought 1 dollar is worth less nowadays than local currency.
2 full equiped brazos for me pls for the same price of 1 mac mini....sure these cpu are much faster .......in an 11" notebook. specs aren't balanced cpu - gpu - hd - screen resolution it's horrible to pay such a high price for it.
Perhaps, however as evidenced time and time again, by having a much more capable CPU, you can actually use less energy getting something done. Brazos isn't quite good enough for the upper models in my honest opinion and Apple are hardly likely to entertain the possibility of equipping one product line with two different makes of CPU.
Brazos is also 40nm and the GPU isn't going to help it too much, though perhaps Wichita will be a good step up as it'll have 2 or 4 cores at 28nm.
AMD has introduce good processors, but everybody is just sleeping or sniffing and getting high in Intel products. For example, Athlon II X4 630 is good processor for four cores and at a good price. Probably A6-3650 is another good processor. The Phenom II X2 555 BE is good for gaming at a low price, but you will have to over clock it at about 3.8 GHz. AMD does have the cheapest six core processor, so they will be a better buy compared Intel's six core offerings.
Probably the number one reason why is that Intel makes comparing processors easier for sales people like at Best Buy compared to AMD. With AMD you have to do some homework to figure out what processor models are good and not so good.
What does comparing processors based on fabrication scales matter at this point? It does not matter. The Brazos has different goals compared to Sandy Bridge. Sandy Bridge is a performance core while Brazos is economy, low performance, and energy efficiency. You just state you do not know what you are talking about when you are explaining the difference between the two processors.
FYI, the Brazos is meant for about 70% of the people out there which are casual users. These users just does email, Internet, office, watch video, listen to audio. The Brazos is well over enough for them.
I mentioned 11"..... not anything above, for that you would require LIano Which is still more then capable enough on the CPU frotn and we all know what happens on the GPU part...
Mr Andrew Cunningham thank you for the review. I will be buying a air 2011 with 64 GB because I see no point having more GB with so many external available My application folder is 5 GB include Lion = 10 GB that gives me 54 GB space wich is fine for me. I wonder what is your reason for wanting more " I would have liked to see the 64GB SSD phased out " please before I make a mistake can you or someone tell me why. Also on the RAM if 2Gig were OK for the model 2010 why increase it to 4Gig? Maybe for resell value? Does You Tube runs faster with 4Gig ? Why do we need more RAM?
I think the 4 GB RAM is for Windows pigs. Windows 7 requires 4 GB of RAM to work well. The budget Windows machines now comes with 6 GB of RAM, so Apple is just suiting what Windows machines comes with as a default and provide an answer. Probably one of the reasons why people buy Apple notebooks is that it can also run Windows. Eventually Apple will have to move from 4 GB to 8 GB.
Flash under Linux uses about 300 megabytes of RAM, so upgrading RAM from 2 GB to 4 GB will not help with performance. Linux and Mac OS X is about the same how both of them use RAM. Using video hardware acceleration will help with performance and as well a 64-bit version of Flash player. If none of these are provided, you are left with the processor to do all the decoding.
You may want to test drive at the Apple store with some Youtube videos. Also Hulu can not hurt.
With the launching of cloud, why do we need more than 64 GB flash storage and 2 GB of memory? I feel like most of my files will now be stored on the cloud, so why upgrade? Someone please explain before I buy.
the 13" could come with a Ati Mobility HD5650. I would pay the higher price just to bootcamp it into win7 as my primary gaming machine plus take anywhere for work.
My acer 3820TG handles all the games and still gives me 8hr of battery life and ultra portability.
But build quality is bad. The screen sux. no backlit key board. the MBA just looks and feels so much better (wife has 2010 ver MBA 13").
I'm considering the newer 3830TG, which has the Geforce 540M and better battery life. The MBA is nice and thin, but with no gaming or graphics/opengl potential, it's a lot of money to spend for a web and e-mail machine.
Almost better off getting an iPad with a bluetooth keyboard.
Actually beats the Samsung Series 9 and Lenovo X1 in just about everything from boot time, to casual gaming, to file transfer speeds, to battery life (X1 needed a slice battery to beat the Air). But with the Air, you get full unibody aluminum construction, a better screen, and the highest resale value 12 months from now. Until Asus brings out their ultraportable, the MBA appears to be the best ultraportable laptop in its segment.
Asus has a history of disappointing people. They've promised "the next best" ultraportable since coming out with the UL80vt and with each and every release they always seem to come up short in one way or another. It's either a creaky palm base, keyboard flex, a stiff rocker button, a sticky touchpad, abysmal LCD screens, or poor construction. Maybe not all those things at once, although a craptastic LCD and putting in some form of the Geforce 210m/310m seems pretty consistent with their products, but it's one thing or another that keeps them from earning high marks.
Really the PC makers need to get their heads out of their asses. Apple has proven that people will pay $$$ for a top quality machine even if it might not offer the most amazing specs. Asus and Acer seem to think that people want affordable machines so they end up taking short cuts in build quality and the LCD so they can say "our machines only cost $800". Samsung may have had something on their hands with the 9 series but it costs way too much for something that has a 1366x768 resolution and integrated graphics. Lenovo dropped the ball with their X1 buy using that same crappy resolution and having poor battery life. And Sony, well they took a huge step back with this iteration of the Z-series. I mean $2k for something that has integrated graphics + $600 if you want some stupid dock with a gpu in it. It's a poor value given that the last gen Z-series had discrete and integrated graphics built in.
If they want to beat Apple they're going to have to offering something very similar in hardware and price. You can't make a machine that costs more and does less than the MBA like the Samsung 9 or Sony Z. As well you can't expect to beat them if you take shortcuts either a-la Asus and Acer. Honestly, the attempts are pathetic. And people say Apple is overpriced...
I couldn't have summarized it better myself. I am a PC user (both desktop and laptop), and the PC has nothing remotely close to the MBA in the segment. For the first time, you actually get more with the Apple computer than PC equivalents. Impressive.
Deciding between the Macbook Pro 13" and the new Macbook Air 13", I should know how fast the ethernet with the thunderbold adapter can be. Does anyone know it?
If they shipped a cheaper version, you'd complain it has no USB3. If they added USB3, you'd complain it has no ethernet. Once they add ethernet, you'd complain that it's not as thin as a Vaio.-.www.upsfashion.com-you can go look, miss it you will feel a great pity.Maybe you can find what you want.I like how even the slightest constructive criticism of a Mac product elicits idiotic replies from Apple fanboys such as the one above.
... such comments should be forgidden - very constructive. better no answer as showing no interest.
as anyone knows macbook air doesn`t have ethernet. but it is possible with the help of adapters. would it be faster to use the thunderbold or the usb2 and how fast can it be?
--Screen type (IPS) ? (I know it's LED backlit at least) --ETA for quad core option on 13" ? (speculation) --Kensington lock port on any MBA models? (I didn't see mention on Apple site) --User replaceable SSD? --Max RAM (8 GB) ? Though I think this is soldered on, so not upgradeable post-purchase --Why no FaceTime HD? Thickness of module?
My wife has wanted a Mac for a couple of years, especially the Air. At first I thought the Air was stupid (no DVD drive, poor hardware), but with this refresh, they seem like viable systems for a non-gamer. I am even embracing the idea of no optical media on a Mac.
The only thing that still irks me is that they cannot get past the horrible Intel integrated graphics. I mean at least throw us an AMD 4000 series or Nvidia 300 series mobile chip. Come on Apple. It's not that she wants to game on the Air, but it would be fun to try.
Hey Andrew, do you know which manufacturer makes the unibody aluminum chassis for the Macbook Air and Macbook Pros? Or does Apple manufacture them inhouse?
We’ve updated our terms. By continuing to use the site and/or by logging into your account, you agree to the Site’s updated Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
81 Comments
Back to Article
z33redlinez33 - Wednesday, July 20, 2011 - link
Any difference between the low end? Is the SSD suppose to say 256GB?zshift - Wednesday, July 20, 2011 - link
The high-end should say 256GB. Also, none of the models can be upgraded past 4GB, so I'm not sure why that's listed at all.quiksilvr - Wednesday, July 20, 2011 - link
The price is still too high and some of the specs need fine tuning but it indeed a step in the right direction. Here's hoping they stick with it and eventually can provide us with a cheaper ultraportable that tailors to a wider audience down the line.name99 - Wednesday, July 20, 2011 - link
Uhh --- define "too high".I assume what you mean is "I, quiksilvr, refuse to pay that price". But the truth is, you're probably going to find something to complain about no matter WHAT Apple does, so why should they care about your opinion? If they shipped a cheaper version, you'd complain it has no USB3. If they added USB3, you'd complain it has no ethernet. Once they add ethernet, you'd complain that it's not as thin as a Vaio.
The real issue is --- is this the price that maximizes Apple's future profits (ie both profits on this machine, and the expected future profits to be derived from bringing more customers into the Apple tent)?
With all due respect, I'd like to think Apple's execs know rather more about this (profits, customer elasticity, etc) than you do --- as evidenced by their performance over the last ten years.
lolatapple - Thursday, July 21, 2011 - link
Agreed. Price is a valid criticism of the overpriced Macbooks and you're sounding like a fanboy in your defense.That's the issue for the Apple execs, which no one here gives two shits about. Profits aren't our concern. Price/performance is our concern.
It looks like a good laptop - but they all should be cheaper by at least a couple hundred bucks.
web2dot0 - Thursday, July 21, 2011 - link
Profits should be your concern. Otherwise, as a consumer, I want everything for FREE. You know, $0, nada .... much cheaper than what you are proposing. I upped you one notch!!!!You are delusional.
I would rather pay nothing than for something. To ignore the profit motive is like saying every company should be a non-profit organization.
Price/performance is not the end all be all. Otherwise, everyone should buy cars based on those criterias. In fact everything for that matter.
IMHO, the price points for Macbook Air is just about right. Get people hooked onto the base model, but sell them the higher end model at the end. While we are at it, try to sell you the 27" docking station. Touche!
Steve Jobs always impresses me with his execution, and the results speak for itself. Give people what they want and they will pay for the premium.
michaelheath - Thursday, July 21, 2011 - link
"It looks like a good laptop - but they all should be cheaper by at least a couple hundred bucks."As a non fanboy, and with all due respect:
With a ULV Core i5/i7 mobile processor, a 64-256GB mSATA disk drive, a custom fully-machined unibody aluminum enclosure, custom battery technology and polymer, a full-fledged OS that doesn't require buying into a higher version to get features you want, a not-crappy screen resolution for either size, and completely unsubsidized by external companies trying to push their crap down your throat, you expect this computer to cost how much less?
With the above in mind, not everyone will (nor should) see value in this lineup. Apple users are obviously going to make hard comparisons with the MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air. This would be no different than a Lenovo customer putting a T420 and a T420s next to each other and deciding if the tradeoffs and benefits are worthwhile when faced with the several hundred dollar price difference.
Or, as the kids say these days, 'Your mileage may vary.'
abstinence - Tuesday, July 17, 2018 - link
Literally nobody says that Michaelalainiala - Wednesday, July 20, 2011 - link
Holistically speaking, I'm having a hard time spec'ing out anything close to these configurations at these prices. You can get somewhat close with something like the Lenovo E220s, which is a 12.5" screen, but it is still heavier than even the 13" MBA. Honestly, what you get with the level of industrial design of the MBA is excellent for the money. Now whether or not OSX is your cup of tea is an entirely different discussion (It's not for me, but would love to have Win7 running on that 13"). I'm not interested in anything that weighs more than 3 1/2 pounds.Full disclaimer... The only Apple products I've ever owned have been iPods and I never thought I'd ever even entertain the thought of owning a Macbook. But now... not so sure.
daftlush - Thursday, July 21, 2011 - link
"I'm having a hard time spec'ing out anything close to these configurations at these prices."This is true. Find me better and I will buy. Till then, stop hating on something so glorious.
P.S. Wish the RAM was pumped up too.
dfacto - Thursday, July 21, 2011 - link
I'm in the same boat--never owned an apple product other than ipods (and those were from chooseyourfreebie.com) and I purchased the 13" MBA yesterday. I think its a fair price, has sufficiently adequate specs, and has a great chassis/body.I will however put Ubuntu on it the *moment* it arrives.
ouchtastic - Wednesday, July 20, 2011 - link
So the image / screen quality is hopefully nice, but what the heck is 1440 x 900 supposed to be? 1600 x 900 gets you 16:9 aspect ratio, so is this a big step back or what?icrf - Wednesday, July 20, 2011 - link
I personally prefer 16:10 aspect ratio (pair of 1920x1200 displays at work and a single 2560x1600 at home). Not everything is a letterbox movie. Vertical real estate is nice.Stuka87 - Wednesday, July 20, 2011 - link
Its 16:10, which Apple has typically been a fan of (thankfully).darwinosx - Wednesday, July 20, 2011 - link
No kidding, I don't buy my monitors or Macs solely to play movies on.lolatapple - Thursday, July 21, 2011 - link
Probably cause of the dock on OSXdarwinosx - Wednesday, July 20, 2011 - link
Its supposed to be readable on a 13" screen.vision33r - Wednesday, July 20, 2011 - link
1600x900 is a huge step back. What you have is a screen that is wide but short. How does a widescreen improve your browsing and working experience?16:10 ratio gives you more lines and height for work and web browsing.
I hate how the industry all jumped on the 16:9 bandwagon. It's for TV not for computing.
djboxbaba - Wednesday, July 20, 2011 - link
You know whats the funniest part of that shift? Blu-rays are actually 2.35:1, so even with a 16:9 TV, black bars are still present on the top and bottom.Pantsu - Wednesday, July 20, 2011 - link
And with 16:10 they would be even larger.In notebooks I wouldn't mind even a 4:3 ratio since full screen video viewing isn't its main use, but for larger monitors its better to stick with a single standard. 16:10 phasing out isn't because panel makers think you don't want one, but because their fabs can make 16:9 dirt cheap since they already make TV panels with same aspect ratio.
1440x900 is a decent resolution for 13", vast majority of 13" notebooks use a lower res, even the MacBook Pro.
lolatapple - Thursday, July 21, 2011 - link
I don't mind. With a taskbar or dock gone, it's just fine.And it's great for games and movies.
Gazziza - Thursday, July 21, 2011 - link
So I'm guessing you only started buying computers after the 16:9 craze? If anything, moving to the 16:9 is a step back. It's the very same reason why we all see the crappy 1366x768 is nearly every laptop from 13" to 17" because it can be advertised as "HD". It used to be that you could find high resolution laptops even among mid range laptops, today that is not the case because of the 16:9 format. So no, it's not a step back. Apple is doing what most enthusiasts want and that is the to keep the 16:10 format.ltcommanderdata - Wednesday, July 20, 2011 - link
http://www.apple.com/macmini/specs.htmlhttp://www.apple.com/macbookair/specs.html
It turns out both the Mac Mini and MacBook Air include support for Bluetooth 4.0, a very decent jump from Bluetooth 2.1. I don't suppose you can find out whether Lion enables additional Bluetooth capabilities on current iMacs and MacBook Pros? The BCM2070 in the 2011 MacBook Pro for example is Bluetooth 3.0 capable if OS X will enabled it.
Anubis - Wednesday, July 20, 2011 - link
Update: Apple has removed the white MacBook from their online store so it appears that MacBook has been discontinued.does that incluse the MB Pro? because if so there are going to be a lot of people pissed off by that
davidf18 - Wednesday, July 20, 2011 - link
Could you please tell us if the 1.8 GHz i7 upgrade is the newly released Core i7-2677M 17 W TDP processor or not? The upgrade claims to have a 3 MB cache which suggests that this is the processor but would you please confirm and since it is relevant to battery life could you please put this in the original review?TIA!
levk0793 - Wednesday, July 20, 2011 - link
The tech specs sheet on their site says 4MB L3. Which would really make it the only reason to upgrade from the 1.7GHz i5 in 13".You can upgrade the lowest 11" version to 4GB RAM now which is nice, but the 1.6GHz i5 in it is actually far weaker than the 1.7GHz in the 13" - latter turbos to 2.7 while the former only to 2.3, and to upgrade the CPU you have to go with the high version.
Regardless this is a huge leap forward from Core2's, I would've like to have seen the prices move down a bit, even if it's only $50, but oh well it's still an impressive piece of kit in a great package.
darwinosx - Wednesday, July 20, 2011 - link
2.3 to 2.7 is not far weaker its practically meaningless.lolatapple - Thursday, July 21, 2011 - link
yes. and it's particularly meaningless in a notebook like this, which will obviously not be doing games.tipoo - Wednesday, July 20, 2011 - link
Is turbo even enabled in the Air's? Its not mentioned on the product page, its mentioned in every other i5/i7 mac.RussianSensation - Wednesday, July 20, 2011 - link
"The 13-inch MacBook Air models get a 1.7GHz Intel Core i7-2637M processor, 4GB of RAM, and either 128GB or 256GB of flash storage for $1,299 or $1,599, respectively. Configure to order options include a 1.8 GHz Core i7-2677M processor."Techspot: http://www.techspot.com/news/44763-apple-releases-...
cgalyon - Wednesday, July 20, 2011 - link
Perhaps an odd question, but I'd like to know if these have Intel's Wireless Display support. I'm inclined to assume not, since it isn't mentioned, but it'd be a great feature if it did (no more need for a docking station or wires).8steve8 - Wednesday, July 20, 2011 - link
you mean if you installed windows? i doubt it... previous macbooks use non-intel wifi hardware.webmastir - Wednesday, July 20, 2011 - link
not impressed. not worth the $ imo. a light laptop isn't that big a deal anymore, imo.darwinosx - Wednesday, July 20, 2011 - link
Heh, Yeah right. Name one of equivalent quality, size, weight, and price. I'll wait.RussianSensation - Wednesday, July 20, 2011 - link
Well if you want a powerful PC laptop for less $, there are a plethora of superior options available.However, if you want the thinnest and most powerful laptop for $1,299, and one that has aluminum body construction, backlit keyboard (I don't particularly care for this features), a 128GB SSD and a native displayport that supports > 2 monitors, there isn't a single laptop on the market that fits this criteria besides the MacBook Air.
If I was in the market for a new 13 inch laptop, this is the only laptop I would be considering if I was holding on to it for 2-3 years. Not to mention the astounding resale value of Apple laptops should you choose to flip one in 12 months and upgrade to the newer version.
nematoda2 - Wednesday, July 20, 2011 - link
So don't buy it. But, I bet there are some things you think are "worth" a lot of money that others consider largely "worthless." My point? Value is always in the eye of beholder.Mike1111 - Wednesday, July 20, 2011 - link
SDHC? I thought the new 13" Macbook Air had a SDXC slotPuppies04 - Wednesday, July 20, 2011 - link
Lol, to everybody saying these are not worth the $.... Name something apple sells that is? Wont stop them selling a million of them though.nematoda2 - Wednesday, July 20, 2011 - link
Silly comment. Products are "worth" what people are willing to pay. Period. That's the nature of capitalism: supply AND demand determine price. "Worth" or value are essentially subjective concepts, although they are also context-dependent (a bottle of water is worth a lot more when you are dying of thirst and there is nothing else to drink).lolatapple - Thursday, July 21, 2011 - link
This isn't a perfectly competitive industry. It's monopolistic competition. And because Apple has a brand name, they can overcharge for their products.It's like a fad - you see Macbooks in tv shows and commercials. Thank god Dell/HP/ASUS and others are finally catching on and offering macbook alternatives that look nice.
warisz00r - Wednesday, July 20, 2011 - link
I can't wait to see the performance comparison between these and previous generations' LV/ULV/SV models. Rev up those benchmarks, AnandTech!tipoo - Wednesday, July 20, 2011 - link
I didn't see Turbo Boost anywhere on their product page, and its on the pages of all other i5/i7 macs. Did they disable it in the Air? I was looking forward to that, I liked the last gen Air's but you could feel it hit the processor wall pretty often, with Turbo that would be alleviated a bit.appfan - Wednesday, July 20, 2011 - link
I dont believe turboboost is supported. Im not sure why its listed here, their website doesnt show turboboost for the air.mbaroud - Wednesday, July 20, 2011 - link
really? i went online and i cant seem to configure past 4gb memorytipoo - Wednesday, July 20, 2011 - link
Wait, why can't I go to 750GB SSD's? And where's my Intel Core i7-980X?All kidding aside, the market for 8GB RAM users combined with ULV processors is probably negligible. Mind telling me what you would need that much RAM for that would not be bottlenecked by the low performance processors?
mbaroud - Wednesday, July 20, 2011 - link
I am a structural engineer.We use several structural analysis software (Staad Pro, SAP, etc) that do consume more ram than CPU cycles, specially for complex models.
I am currently assigned to a job in Colombia (Ecopetrol PMRB project, google it) and since i am in the field i want something that is light, portable, and battery life that is well beyond the regular laptops.
name99 - Wednesday, July 20, 2011 - link
You (and I) want to wait for the next round of MBPs.It seems pretty certain they'll ship without optical, which means they'll be basically MacBook Air without compromise --- 8GB RAM, high-end GPU, ethernet etc.
The only real question is: will the marketing terms become
MacBook Air and MacBook Air Pro or the simpler
MacBook and MacBook Pro --- drop the Air because it's implicit--- every laptop Apple makes will be an "Air".
lolatapple - Thursday, July 21, 2011 - link
You're an engineer who uses structural analysis software? Do you realize how absolutely inane it is to buy a laptop like this for your work? You are severely lacking in CPU power and your field often needs a decent GPU as well.Like the other guy said, if you insist on Apple, you get a Macbook pro, not this.
UltimateTruth - Saturday, July 23, 2011 - link
If you are in the field, I'm scratching my head as to why you would need this. I'm at a remote site now and one thing you don't want is a fragile mac anything. Anyways, the software we use is PC only.mbaroud - Wednesday, July 20, 2011 - link
well i was on the phone with Apple...no 8GB of memory nor 16GB on any models of Air.I guess the table was wrong.
only 4GB through out the board
cookie-monster - Wednesday, July 20, 2011 - link
If you do review, could you please cover sd card slot, whether it supports sdxc cards and read/write benchmark?Full Score - Wednesday, July 20, 2011 - link
The new MacBook Air will support TDM, but, it appears, only between two Thunderbolt-equipped Macs/displays. I need to use TDM on a new MacBook Air with my G5 desktop which only has Firewire.Does anyone know where to find an adaptor cable to convert one end of the Thunderbolt cable to a Firewire one?
SmCaudata - Wednesday, July 20, 2011 - link
I really feel that Haswell will be the solution, but by the Fall of next year we may have Windows 8, which has the potential to make a big difference in the Mac/Windows debate. 22nm will also be standard on these things and SSD will (hopefully) be cheaper. If one can wait 'till Haswell, it will be the best, but I'm guessing that holiday season 2012 will see tablets really moved into an even smaller niche. There is something to be said for a physical keyboard in a form factor barely larger than a tablet.According to the Intel statements they want $599 ultrabooks with Haswell... I think I can make it that far with my 2008 laptop.
MonkeyPaw - Wednesday, July 20, 2011 - link
I hear MacBook is educational only now.appfan - Wednesday, July 20, 2011 - link
On the story, it shows a table with all the processors listed as 2 cores/4 threads and turbo boost up to 2.6Ghz. Is this true? On the macbook air website, they dont show turbo boost or hyperthreading for the macbook air. Is this a typo on the apple website(seems unlikely) or does the new macbook air not support these processor features.tipoo - Thursday, July 21, 2011 - link
I noticed that as well, every other Sandy Bridge mac makes explicit mention of HT and Turbo Boost. I hope the Air has them, they would really make it appealing to me. Without them, meh. I liked the last gen ones but you could feel it hit the processor wall often.ckryan - Wednesday, July 20, 2011 - link
So far, the new MBA looks pretty sweet, except for one little detail. What about the screen? Right now Lenovo has a 12.6in eIPS screen -- the MBA uses a TN panel. If apple decides to put a decent non TN screen on the MBA, it's basically worth whatever they're charging. I've sworn a blood oath to not buy another laptop with a terrible TN -- or even a decent TN panel. I didn't see any detail of the screen's panel type, but Apple can secure my money right this second if they put a better class of display in the MBA, or anything else for that matter.Gazziza - Thursday, July 21, 2011 - link
Even though it is a TN display it's still one of the better TN displays out there. The Sony Z, Samsung 9, and MBA all have very good TN displays. Sure its a TN display but we're not talking about the same TN screen you find on $500 laptops. And even though the Lenovo has an IPS panel, they're still using a craptacular 1366x768 resolution. I'm not sure what the point is to have a top notch IPS panel when you're going to handcuff it to that resolution. I'll take the higher rez Sony Z and MBA TN panels over a low resolution IPS panel any day of the weekckryan - Thursday, July 21, 2011 - link
For a company that has some pretty good displays on their mainstream consumer electronics and higher end Cinema display + iMac, its not too much to ask. 1366x768 isn't terrible on a twelve inch screen anyway. Dell used to have some pretty good 1920x1200 ultrasharp displays -- from a few years ago in a 15". It may have been a TN with pretty good viewing angles, but 1920x1200 is a lot of pixels in a 15" display. I think with the advent of great smaller displays on the iPad and better-than-TN eIPS panels, Apple could make a good product great. I'll take a slightly lower resolution IPS panel any day of the week.sean.crees - Thursday, July 21, 2011 - link
It's not that TN screens suck, it's that TN notebook displays suck. All the quality gaming monitors for desktop PC's are TN. I have a 23" viewsonic that looks amazing from all viewing angles and it's a TN panel.Apple tends to put better TN displays in their products though. I'm not sure if these Air displays are of desktop quality, but you can be sure they are far better than your $500 windows notebook panels.
beginner99 - Thursday, July 21, 2011 - link
... are PC manufactures to stupid to see what people want? Seriously, if the pricing is acceptable I'm very tempted. Is it easy to put windows on macs? :)16:10 great, 13 great, weight and size are nice and if that price is adjusted correctly I won't resist. But I believe price will be higher (raw amount) even thought 1 dollar is worth less nowadays than local currency.
duploxxx - Thursday, July 21, 2011 - link
2 full equiped brazos for me pls for the same price of 1 mac mini....sure these cpu are much faster .......in an 11" notebook. specs aren't balanced cpu - gpu - hd - screen resolution it's horrible to pay such a high price for it.silverblue - Thursday, July 21, 2011 - link
Perhaps, however as evidenced time and time again, by having a much more capable CPU, you can actually use less energy getting something done. Brazos isn't quite good enough for the upper models in my honest opinion and Apple are hardly likely to entertain the possibility of equipping one product line with two different makes of CPU.Brazos is also 40nm and the GPU isn't going to help it too much, though perhaps Wichita will be a good step up as it'll have 2 or 4 cores at 28nm.
lolatapple - Thursday, July 21, 2011 - link
Yeah Brazos blows. AMD's incompetence in processors makes me pissed.Release a goddamn decent product ya twats!
tecknurd - Thursday, July 21, 2011 - link
AMD has introduce good processors, but everybody is just sleeping or sniffing and getting high in Intel products. For example, Athlon II X4 630 is good processor for four cores and at a good price. Probably A6-3650 is another good processor. The Phenom II X2 555 BE is good for gaming at a low price, but you will have to over clock it at about 3.8 GHz. AMD does have the cheapest six core processor, so they will be a better buy compared Intel's six core offerings.Probably the number one reason why is that Intel makes comparing processors easier for sales people like at Best Buy compared to AMD. With AMD you have to do some homework to figure out what processor models are good and not so good.
tecknurd - Thursday, July 21, 2011 - link
What does comparing processors based on fabrication scales matter at this point? It does not matter. The Brazos has different goals compared to Sandy Bridge. Sandy Bridge is a performance core while Brazos is economy, low performance, and energy efficiency. You just state you do not know what you are talking about when you are explaining the difference between the two processors.FYI, the Brazos is meant for about 70% of the people out there which are casual users. These users just does email, Internet, office, watch video, listen to audio. The Brazos is well over enough for them.
duploxxx - Friday, July 22, 2011 - link
I mentioned 11"..... not anything above, for that you would require LIano Which is still more then capable enough on the CPU frotn and we all know what happens on the GPU part...teladoy - Thursday, July 21, 2011 - link
Mr Andrew Cunningham thank you for the review. I will be buying a air 2011 with 64 GB because I see no point having more GB with so many external available My application folder is 5 GB include Lion = 10 GB that gives me 54 GB space wich is fine for me.I wonder what is your reason for wanting more " I would have liked to see the 64GB SSD phased out " please before I make a mistake can you or someone tell me why.
Also on the RAM if 2Gig were OK for the model 2010 why increase it to 4Gig? Maybe for resell value?
Does You Tube runs faster with 4Gig ? Why do we need more RAM?
tecknurd - Thursday, July 21, 2011 - link
I think the 4 GB RAM is for Windows pigs. Windows 7 requires 4 GB of RAM to work well. The budget Windows machines now comes with 6 GB of RAM, so Apple is just suiting what Windows machines comes with as a default and provide an answer. Probably one of the reasons why people buy Apple notebooks is that it can also run Windows. Eventually Apple will have to move from 4 GB to 8 GB.Flash under Linux uses about 300 megabytes of RAM, so upgrading RAM from 2 GB to 4 GB will not help with performance. Linux and Mac OS X is about the same how both of them use RAM. Using video hardware acceleration will help with performance and as well a 64-bit version of Flash player. If none of these are provided, you are left with the processor to do all the decoding.
You may want to test drive at the Apple store with some Youtube videos. Also Hulu can not hurt.
hpfan17 - Thursday, July 21, 2011 - link
With the launching of cloud, why do we need more than 64 GB flash storage and 2 GB of memory? I feel like most of my files will now be stored on the cloud, so why upgrade? Someone please explain before I buy.Akaz1976 - Thursday, July 21, 2011 - link
the 13" could come with a Ati Mobility HD5650. I would pay the higher price just to bootcamp it into win7 as my primary gaming machine plus take anywhere for work.My acer 3820TG handles all the games and still gives me 8hr of battery life and ultra portability.
But build quality is bad. The screen sux. no backlit key board. the MBA just looks and feels so much better (wife has 2010 ver MBA 13").
joe_dude - Thursday, July 21, 2011 - link
I'm considering the newer 3830TG, which has the Geforce 540M and better battery life. The MBA is nice and thin, but with no gaming or graphics/opengl potential, it's a lot of money to spend for a web and e-mail machine.Almost better off getting an iPad with a bluetooth keyboard.
RussianSensation - Friday, July 22, 2011 - link
http://www.laptopmag.com/review/laptop/apple-macbo...Actually beats the Samsung Series 9 and Lenovo X1 in just about everything from boot time, to casual gaming, to file transfer speeds, to battery life (X1 needed a slice battery to beat the Air). But with the Air, you get full unibody aluminum construction, a better screen, and the highest resale value 12 months from now. Until Asus brings out their ultraportable, the MBA appears to be the best ultraportable laptop in its segment.
Gazziza - Friday, July 22, 2011 - link
Asus has a history of disappointing people. They've promised "the next best" ultraportable since coming out with the UL80vt and with each and every release they always seem to come up short in one way or another. It's either a creaky palm base, keyboard flex, a stiff rocker button, a sticky touchpad, abysmal LCD screens, or poor construction. Maybe not all those things at once, although a craptastic LCD and putting in some form of the Geforce 210m/310m seems pretty consistent with their products, but it's one thing or another that keeps them from earning high marks.Really the PC makers need to get their heads out of their asses. Apple has proven that people will pay $$$ for a top quality machine even if it might not offer the most amazing specs. Asus and Acer seem to think that people want affordable machines so they end up taking short cuts in build quality and the LCD so they can say "our machines only cost $800". Samsung may have had something on their hands with the 9 series but it costs way too much for something that has a 1366x768 resolution and integrated graphics. Lenovo dropped the ball with their X1 buy using that same crappy resolution and having poor battery life. And Sony, well they took a huge step back with this iteration of the Z-series. I mean $2k for something that has integrated graphics + $600 if you want some stupid dock with a gpu in it. It's a poor value given that the last gen Z-series had discrete and integrated graphics built in.
If they want to beat Apple they're going to have to offering something very similar in hardware and price. You can't make a machine that costs more and does less than the MBA like the Samsung 9 or Sony Z. As well you can't expect to beat them if you take shortcuts either a-la Asus and Acer. Honestly, the attempts are pathetic. And people say Apple is overpriced...
RussianSensation - Saturday, July 23, 2011 - link
Gazziza,I couldn't have summarized it better myself. I am a PC user (both desktop and laptop), and the PC has nothing remotely close to the MBA in the segment. For the first time, you actually get more with the Apple computer than PC equivalents. Impressive.
mgm2011 - Friday, July 22, 2011 - link
Deciding between the Macbook Pro 13" and the new Macbook Air 13", I should know how fast the ethernet with the thunderbold adapter can be. Does anyone know it?Very good review, an impressive little laptop...
dhiiir - Friday, July 22, 2011 - link
If they shipped a cheaper version, you'd complain it has no USB3. If they added USB3, you'd complain it has no ethernet. Once they add ethernet, you'd complain that it's not as thin as a Vaio.-.www.upsfashion.com-you can go look, miss it you will feel a great pity.Maybe you can find what you want.I like how even the slightest constructive criticism of a Mac product elicits idiotic replies from Apple fanboys such as the one above.mgm2011 - Saturday, July 23, 2011 - link
... such comments should be forgidden - very constructive. better no answer as showing no interest.as anyone knows macbook air doesn`t have ethernet. but it is possible with the help of adapters. would it be faster to use the thunderbold or the usb2 and how fast can it be?
Omid.M - Saturday, July 23, 2011 - link
--Screen type (IPS) ? (I know it's LED backlit at least)--ETA for quad core option on 13" ? (speculation)
--Kensington lock port on any MBA models? (I didn't see mention on Apple site)
--User replaceable SSD?
--Max RAM (8 GB) ? Though I think this is soldered on, so not upgradeable post-purchase
--Why no FaceTime HD? Thickness of module?
burntham77 - Monday, July 25, 2011 - link
My wife has wanted a Mac for a couple of years, especially the Air. At first I thought the Air was stupid (no DVD drive, poor hardware), but with this refresh, they seem like viable systems for a non-gamer. I am even embracing the idea of no optical media on a Mac.The only thing that still irks me is that they cannot get past the horrible Intel integrated graphics. I mean at least throw us an AMD 4000 series or Nvidia 300 series mobile chip. Come on Apple. It's not that she wants to game on the Air, but it would be fun to try.
ebolamonkey3 - Tuesday, July 26, 2011 - link
Hey Andrew, do you know which manufacturer makes the unibody aluminum chassis for the Macbook Air and Macbook Pros? Or does Apple manufacture them inhouse?