First look: Apple's new 11 and 13 inch MacBook Air
Apple's newly revised MacBook Air borrows design cues from iPad to deliver an even lighter and smaller design, with higher resolution displays and long battery life. The new Airs also have more ports that are easier to access and hit price points that make it difficult for buyers to choose between the new models and the existing entry level MacBook, and the faster and more expandable MacBook Pros.
The 11 and 13 inch MacBook Air models themselves are difficult to choose between, with the lighter, smaller model offering a few weaker aspects than its larger 13 inch sibling: a slightly slower CPU and system bus, smaller SSD options, and a lower resolution screen. However, the 11 inch model packs a resolution that is roughly the same as the existing 13 inch MacBook and MacBook Pro: 1366x768 vs their conventional "13 inch resolution" of 1280x800.
On the other hand, the 13 inch model has a "15 inch resolution" of 1440x900, the same as the 15 inch MacBook Pro, packed into the 13.3 inch display (although the latest 15 inch MacBook Pro now offers a higher resolution, 1680x1050 option.
This makes the 13 inch MacBook Air very competitive with the entry level MacBook and 13" MacBook Pro and a good general purpose notebook machine, although it lacks fast Ethernet (it's intended primarily for use on wireless networks, and uses the same, separately sold 10/100 Ethernet dongle as the previous MacBook Air).
The Airs also have no FireWire, no optical drive, supply less disk storage (due to exclusively using a fast SSD) and RAM (many Air models ship with a paltry 2GB, and they can only be upgraded as a build to order option for a max of 4GB; you can't add RAM after your initial purchase, as the memory chips are soldered into the logic board. Most other MacBook models can now accommodate a max of 8GB.)
For a very portable notebook, which is the intended role of the Air, the 11 inch model shaves off a little weight and significant size while retaining a full sized keyboard and trackpad. It does give up some display area, and the subtraction is most obvious in the vertical axis. So much so that you may want to reposition the Dock on the side or configure it to hide in order to have enough vertical room to work on your documents.
In the Apple Store, I spent some time agonizing over which model I wanted to get, and eventually decided on the 11 inch after discussing the pros and cons with a fellow shopper who also picked the smaller model. The store employee who sold me the notebook also noted that most customers were opting for the smaller version. It's small, particularly so for an Apple product. Note the difference in screen real-estate you get when you move or hide the Dock!
On page 2 of 3: Unboxing the Air.
Unboxing the Air
The smaller palm rests on the 11 inch model seem plenty big enough to type comfortably. Both models are feather light. They feel about as light as the iPad, although the 11 inch model is actually slightly heavier: 2.3 lbs compared to the iPad's 1.5 lbs. The 13 inch Air is just 2.9 lbs.
The Air models give up some of their weight by not including an optical drive, which Apple is working to make increasingly less important, both by pushing movies toward digital downloads and rentals, and the new effort to push digital downloads of software through the upcoming Mac App Store.
Rather than encouraging users to also buy an external optical drive or use Disc Sharing, Apple now makes it easy to reinstall system software via a supplied solid state flash RAM dongle (see below).
Inside the box there's a normal Apple MagSafe power supply (your existing ones will work as well), and the normal papers. However, rather than including a DVD, it has a solid state USB dongle that contains a Mac OS X installer and iLife 11.
On page 3 of 2: 11 inch Air vs 13 inch Air vs iPad.
If you lug around a 17 inch MacBook Pro, the 11 inch Air will offer you a far more portable alternative similar to the iPad, but running the full Mac OS X. The display of the iPad, in landscape mode, is slightly taller than the 11 inch Air not quite as wide. The resolution is a little lower, too: 1024x768 on the iPad compared to the Air's full desktop within 1366x768.
This injects some competition between the task oriented, entertainment-centric iPad and the desktop oriented, work-centric MacBook. Which you prefer should depend a lot upon what you want to do with it.
After launching the iPad to fit the niche between the notebook and the smartphone, Apple is now floating a new definition of notebook that overlaps in many respects with the iPad, while still fitting below the tier of full sized, fully expandable, and top performing MacBook Pros.
Where to Buy
Several Apple Authorized Resellers are offering discounts on the new MacBook Airs that go above and beyond Apple's educational discounts. For example, MacMall is currently offering AppleInsider readers an additional 3% off their already reduced pricing when ordering online using the links in the chart below, or through AppleInsider's full-fledged Mac Price Guide. The additional 3% discount offer expires November 15th. Currently, MacMall has about half the product line in stock. It's also offering $102 savings off a high-end, non-standard 13.3-inch configuration that includes a 2.13GHz Core 2 Duo, 4GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD.
The 11 and 13 inch MacBook Air models themselves are difficult to choose between, with the lighter, smaller model offering a few weaker aspects than its larger 13 inch sibling: a slightly slower CPU and system bus, smaller SSD options, and a lower resolution screen. However, the 11 inch model packs a resolution that is roughly the same as the existing 13 inch MacBook and MacBook Pro: 1366x768 vs their conventional "13 inch resolution" of 1280x800.
On the other hand, the 13 inch model has a "15 inch resolution" of 1440x900, the same as the 15 inch MacBook Pro, packed into the 13.3 inch display (although the latest 15 inch MacBook Pro now offers a higher resolution, 1680x1050 option.
This makes the 13 inch MacBook Air very competitive with the entry level MacBook and 13" MacBook Pro and a good general purpose notebook machine, although it lacks fast Ethernet (it's intended primarily for use on wireless networks, and uses the same, separately sold 10/100 Ethernet dongle as the previous MacBook Air).
The Airs also have no FireWire, no optical drive, supply less disk storage (due to exclusively using a fast SSD) and RAM (many Air models ship with a paltry 2GB, and they can only be upgraded as a build to order option for a max of 4GB; you can't add RAM after your initial purchase, as the memory chips are soldered into the logic board. Most other MacBook models can now accommodate a max of 8GB.)
For a very portable notebook, which is the intended role of the Air, the 11 inch model shaves off a little weight and significant size while retaining a full sized keyboard and trackpad. It does give up some display area, and the subtraction is most obvious in the vertical axis. So much so that you may want to reposition the Dock on the side or configure it to hide in order to have enough vertical room to work on your documents.
In the Apple Store, I spent some time agonizing over which model I wanted to get, and eventually decided on the 11 inch after discussing the pros and cons with a fellow shopper who also picked the smaller model. The store employee who sold me the notebook also noted that most customers were opting for the smaller version. It's small, particularly so for an Apple product. Note the difference in screen real-estate you get when you move or hide the Dock!
On page 2 of 3: Unboxing the Air.
Unboxing the Air
The smaller palm rests on the 11 inch model seem plenty big enough to type comfortably. Both models are feather light. They feel about as light as the iPad, although the 11 inch model is actually slightly heavier: 2.3 lbs compared to the iPad's 1.5 lbs. The 13 inch Air is just 2.9 lbs.
The Air models give up some of their weight by not including an optical drive, which Apple is working to make increasingly less important, both by pushing movies toward digital downloads and rentals, and the new effort to push digital downloads of software through the upcoming Mac App Store.
Rather than encouraging users to also buy an external optical drive or use Disc Sharing, Apple now makes it easy to reinstall system software via a supplied solid state flash RAM dongle (see below).
Inside the box there's a normal Apple MagSafe power supply (your existing ones will work as well), and the normal papers. However, rather than including a DVD, it has a solid state USB dongle that contains a Mac OS X installer and iLife 11.
On page 3 of 2: 11 inch Air vs 13 inch Air vs iPad.
If you lug around a 17 inch MacBook Pro, the 11 inch Air will offer you a far more portable alternative similar to the iPad, but running the full Mac OS X. The display of the iPad, in landscape mode, is slightly taller than the 11 inch Air not quite as wide. The resolution is a little lower, too: 1024x768 on the iPad compared to the Air's full desktop within 1366x768.
This injects some competition between the task oriented, entertainment-centric iPad and the desktop oriented, work-centric MacBook. Which you prefer should depend a lot upon what you want to do with it.
After launching the iPad to fit the niche between the notebook and the smartphone, Apple is now floating a new definition of notebook that overlaps in many respects with the iPad, while still fitting below the tier of full sized, fully expandable, and top performing MacBook Pros.
Where to Buy
Several Apple Authorized Resellers are offering discounts on the new MacBook Airs that go above and beyond Apple's educational discounts. For example, MacMall is currently offering AppleInsider readers an additional 3% off their already reduced pricing when ordering online using the links in the chart below, or through AppleInsider's full-fledged Mac Price Guide. The additional 3% discount offer expires November 15th. Currently, MacMall has about half the product line in stock. It's also offering $102 savings off a high-end, non-standard 13.3-inch configuration that includes a 2.13GHz Core 2 Duo, 4GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD.
Comments
Is the USB dongle tied to the machine with which it shipped?
Yes. It's non rewritable too.
Is the USB dongle tied to the machine with which it shipped?
It will be tied to the model of computer not the actual device.
So, I could not quite tell, is the 11 in model screen size about the same size(height) as an ipad, just a bit longer?
Guess I need to visit a store. IMO its a shame there is no backlight keyboard, they are handy.
That said, the Air is another stunning piece of industrial design.
Somebody is bound copy it onto a off-the-shelf USB flash drive and abandon the normal distribution disc for good. Easier to store IMO compare to disc which although thin, still need the case etc.
I have to admit the Air is the one Apple product that I don't quite "get". Personally I don't find the Macbook Pro's so heavy or large as to be a problem, and would rather have the additional computing power they offer.
That said, the Air is another stunning piece of industrial design.
Battery life is still very underwhelming. The release of the iPad confuses the entire which do I really need.
The small one is calling my name but has half the battery life as my 13" MBP.
Then, behold; the new Air is actually like that. It feels good to be right, knowing pretty much everyone said I was dead wrong about that door. Thank you, Apple!
So what happens when 10.7 is released? Will Apple give MacBook Air owners new dongles? Don't get me wrong; I love the concept of a lighter MacBook. I'm just looking down the road and I don't want to be stuck having to do a 2+ gig dowload.
Probably sell the dongle or use the MacApp store.
So what happens when 10.7 is released? Will Apple give MacBook Air owners new dongles?
It's obvious: Lion will be sold on USB sticks, only.
It will not be sold on the Mac App Store by the way guys, because you need the physical medium for an OS install.
It's obvious: Lion will be sold on USB sticks, only.
It will not be sold on the Mac App Store by the way guys, because you need the physical medium for an OS install.
Technically not true - they could allow you to download an install "image" and repartitioning software that could create a drive image on your hard drive / SSD and then install from there.
But I seriously doubt that. Very fiddly for no reason. I fully expect USB stick OS installs from here on in.
4 gb of ram seems way too little...i wanted a replacement for my macbook pro, but i'll keep waiting until they're refreshed
as an apple fan, i want to like them more but i just don't get them
4 gb of ram seems way too little
The Air is not intended for you.
The Air is not intended for you.
thanks, i'm sure you have your reasons to say that
thanks, i'm sure you have your reasons to say that
If you're complaining about 4GB of RAM not being enough, I can guarantee you the Air is not intended for you.
The Air is not intended for you.
The Air isn't intended for a lot of people then.
The problem I have with the air is that despite the fact that it's thin and light, an iPad could cover 99.9% of your needs and the Air is so underwhelming for the other 0.01% than I'd almost rather buy an MBP or nothing at all.
Ever since I got my iMac and my iPad, I've barely touched my old 2006 MacBook Pro. I'm bound to sell it, but I constantly wonder if it's worth buying a replacement laptop when using a service like LogMeIn gets me access to my desktop PC where most of my heavy lifting happens.