MacBook Air

The MacBook Air offers lots of performance

In the past, the MacBook Air hasn't earned much praise. To be sure, the Air won accolades for its thin design and 3-pound weight, but experts and users said it was too slow and didn't offer enough performance to justify the price. Apple changed a lot of minds about its ultraportable with the 2010 revamping of the line, and the 2011 upgrade to the MacBook Air seals the deal, adding Intel's powerful Sandy Bridge processors, more RAM and the high-speed Thunderbolt port. Missing from this year's model is a Nvidia graphics processor, which has been replaced by the integrated graphics available in Intel's Sandy Bridge technology.

The MacBook Air comes in two sizes, 11 inches (*Est. $1,000 and up) and 13 inches (*Est. $1,300 and up) . The base model of the 11-inch MacBook Air has a 1.6 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor, 64 GB flash storage drive, 2 GB of memory and Intel HD 3000 graphics. The step-up configuration (*Est. $1,300 and up) has identical specifications but adds an additional 2 GB of RAM (bringing the total to 4 GB) and ups storage to a 128 GB flash drive.

The 13-inch Apple MacBook Air comes with a 1.7 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 CPU, 4 GB of memory and the same integrated Intel HD 3000 graphics. The only difference in the two 13-inch laptops is the storage capacity -- 128 GB (*Est. $1,300 and up) or 256 GB (*Est. $1,600 and up) . The 11-inch MacBook Air weighs only 2.38 pounds, while the 13-inch model is slightly heavier at 2.96 pounds. Both models have two USB ports, headphone, microphone and MagSafe ports, built-in wireless networking and Bluetooth 4.0; the 13-inch Air laptop also has an SD card slot. New to both laptops is a Thunderbolt port. MacBook Air laptops also feature the new Apple operating system, OS X Lion.

Both versions earn a number of recommendations, but the 13.3-inch 128 GB Apple MacBook Air receives the most kudos, including Editors' Choice awards from ComputerShopper.com and Laptop Magazine. "We already loved the 13-inch MacBook Air, and Apple's improvements make it the perfect notebook as far as we're concerned," says Mark Spoonauer at Laptop Magazine.

The 2011 MacBook Air looks pretty much the same as the 2010 version; it's wedge-shaped and outfitted in sleek aluminum with a glossy display and a glass multitouch touchpad, which has seen some minor changes. One more noticeable alteration is the return of a backlit keyboard, which disappeared in the previous model. Another design change seems small at first glance, but is actually a significant system change. Apple swapped out the Mini DisplayPort connector found on previous models with a Thunderbolt port. Don't worry, though -- Mini DisplayPort connectors fit into the Thunderbolt interface, so you won't have to buy new display adapters.

The Thunderbolt interface is capable of very high data transfer speeds of 10 GB per second -- twice as fast as the speedy new USB 3.0 interface. Unlike USB technology, Thunderbolt is only available on Apple products because the technology was created in a joint venture between Apple and Intel. Although the availability of Thunderbolt-compatible devices is limited, expect to see many more accessories with Thunderbolt ports hit the streets soon.

Performance is improved over previous MacBook Air versions thanks to the addition of Intel's Sandy Bridge processor and a doubling of RAM -- from 2 GB to 4 GB -- in most models. The 13-inch MacBook Air tests faster than its predecessor in every benchmark. Some critics report a full doubling of performance speeds in certain respects. In fact, reviewers say that it is close to matching the performance of the beefier MacBook Pro, thanks in part to the MacBook Air's speedy solid-state drive, which transfers information faster than traditional hard drives with spinning platters inside. "Factor storage and processor together, and it seems safe to say that the two models are comparable," says Jason Snell at Macworld. The downside to solid-state drives, of course, is that their capacities are smaller.

Multiple reviewers say the 13-inch 128 GB MacBook Air is fast and powerful enough to serve as a primary computer, as long as you use it for tasks like surfing the web, sending emails or watching videos. Light gaming is also a possibility, but critics report it's far from perfect. The last version of the MacBook Air packed in a Nvidia graphics processor and wasn't known for its graphics prowess. The 2011 model switched to integrated graphics built directly into the Intel processor.

Reviewers are less impressed now than they were last year, reporting sub-par results when benchmarking video games at the 13-inch MacBook Air's 1,440 x 900 pixel resolution. It's not all bad, though; Laptop Magazine achieves a respectable 59 frames per second while playing "World of Warcraft," and Anand Lal Shimpi of AnandTech.com finds that dropping the resolution to 1,280 x 800 pixels results in playable gaming results.

Battery life is slightly better than the previous version's impressive benchmarks, lasting six to seven hours for basic tasks. More intensive tasks will net closer to five or six hours. Engadget.com reports that continually looping a video drained the 13-inch MacBook Air in 5.5 hours, while the laptop impressed CNET by withstanding that site's video playback battery test for a full six hours and forty-five minutes. The MacBook Air's mixture of light weight, slim frame, improved performance and long-lasting battery life wins over many reviewers. "When you combine a sleek ultraportable design with a great display and touchpad then nearly double the performance -- without sacrificing battery life -- you're left with a winner," says  Mark Spoonauer at Laptop Magazine.

However, as overwhelming as the praise for the MacBook Air is, experts note a couple of flaws. Aside from the aforementioned drop in graphics prowess, the MacBook Air still lacks an optical drive, and some reviewers say the 128 GB hard drive isn't big enough for users who plan on using the laptop as a primary computer. No Ethernet port means that transfer rates can't match the output of the speedy SSD drive when moving files to other computers or devices. Iljitsch van Beijnum voices the most critical concern in his mostly positive review at ArsTechnica.com, saying that while the "small and light body and the relatively friendly price -- if you don't upgrade to the 256 GB SSD -- are worth a few compromises such as relatively slow networking, a low resolution FaceTime camera and no Kensington slot, but he would be happier "if such compromises weren't necessary."

Although the 13-inch laptop earns more recommendations overall, some reviewers prefer the smaller and lighter 11-inch MacBook Air. Experts say the 11-inch MacBook Air feels much lighter than its 13-inch sibling (even though the difference is only 0.6 pounds). Most features are similar, although the 11-inch MacBook Air lacks an SD card slot. Be aware, however, that the baseline 64 GB 11-inch MacBook Air includes only 2 GB of RAM as opposed to the 13-inch MacBook Air's 4 GB. Upgrading to the 128 GB 11-inch model boosts that up to a full 4 GB of RAM.

The 13-inch MacBook Air is slightly faster, but reviewers say the 11-inch model holds its own during most tasks, including web browsing, listening to music and sending emails. Battery life is also shorter than the 13-inch MacBook Air, lasting around four to five hours for web browsing and other light-use tasks. Laptop Magazine reports battery life of four hours and 46 minutes while continuously Web surfing on Wi-Fi with the screen at 40 percent brightness, a result that's more than 75 minutes less than the publication's average results for ultraportables.

Reviewers recommend both the 11-inch 128 GB MacBook Air and the cheaper 64 GB model equally, but some critics say that  64 GB is too little storage, especially because it can't be easily upgraded after purchase. Ray Aguilera at MacLife couldn't install Apple's Final Cut Pro 7 on the 64 GB model, for example. However, if you plan to use the laptop only for the lightweight tasks at which the 11-inch model excels, the $1,000 price tag on the 64 GB version is pretty attractive. "Is the 11-inch Air slower than Apple's other laptops? Sure. It's also, at $999, cheaper," says Jason Snell at Macworld. "And its Core i5 processor makes it fast enough for almost any regular user," he adds."