Apple MacBook Air 13
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We have collected 22 reviews and 1 user reviews of the Apple MacBook Air 13. Experts rate Apple MacBook Air 13 8.9/10 and users 9/10. Reviewsor.com helps you find reviews, best prices, user reviews of the Apple MacBook Air 13 and Apple Laptops.
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Apple MacBook Air 13 Reviews
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (2013) Review
Apple's WWDC 2013 gave us a revised MacBook Air, but the revision didn't go as far as expected. Retina, considered an obvious upgrade by some, didn't make its way to the Air, nor was the chassis itself redesigned. Instead, Apple has just upgraded what's inside. “Just” may be too weak of a word, however, because the hardware update consists of Intel's new Haswell architecture and the 4th-generation Core processors based on it. The Apple MacBook Air was the first laptop on the market to offer a dual-core 4th-gen processor, and, at the time of this review's publication, still has few PC peers. While the new architecture is the Air's most significant update, it's not the only one. Apple also dropped the 11-inch model with 64GB drive in favor of an 11-inch model with a 128GB drive (without increasing the price), and also lowered the price of the 13-inch Air to $1,100, a price drop of $200. Though perhaps not innovative, this is still significant, as computers rarely receive new hardware and a price drop simultaneously. Then again, the lowered price may be necessary. The design of the current Air dates all the way back to late 2011.
MacBook Air review (13-inch, 2013)
Toby's Estate Coffee in Brooklyn should be my favorite local coffee shop. The Australian company's first US location is big and bright, with ample seating, great service, and terrific coffee — the ultra-expensive Strada variable-pressure espresso machine behind the bar sees to that. It's also full of attractive young people hellbent on challenging traditional notions of fashion, beauty, and exactly what constitutes a pair of pants. The entire experience is delightful. There's only one problem: there are exactly zero power outlets in the joint. The lack of power is rumored to be deliberate; a gentle way to keep patrons from lingering all day over laptops while sipping $2.75 Americanos. Sure, you'll see the occasional laptop owner try and settle in for a few hours, but panic sets in fast — eventually fear drives everyone to make a move, freeing up seats for the next wave of creative-class nomads to try and beat the clock while sucking down fresh cups of joe. But Apple's new 13-inch MacBook Air might change Toby's for good — it's almost exactly the same externally as last year's model, but a revised chipset inside offers a claimed 12-hour battery life with improved graphics performance and even faster Wi-Fi speeds if you have a compatible router.
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (Mid 2013)
Road warriors and jet travellers rejoice, we've found a laptop that will last all day and well into the night. The newest Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (Mid-2013) lasted an astonishing 15-and-a-half hours on a battery test that makes most current mainstream ultrabooks and ultraportables cough and die after four to six hours. The fact that the system gives up very little if any day-to-day performance is astounding. This isn't a low-powered slate tablet that gives up computing performance in exchange for battery life. With the latest MacBook Air 13-inch, you have a fully functional ultraportable laptop with extremely long battery life, as it should be. If you need to do real work on a plane, train, or out in the field, get a MacBook Air 13-inch. It's our new Editors' Choice winner for mainstream ultraportable laptops. Almost physically identical to the previous Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (Mid 2012), the new MacBook Air 13-inch continues on in almost the same chassis as the previous model. The MacBook Air has an all-aluminum construction, tapering from 0.11 inches thick in the front to 0.68 inches in the back. It's essentially the same chassis Apple has been using for the past three years, which is in turn a slightly modified version of the chassis they've been using since 2008.
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This year, the 13" Apple MacBook Air is up against some particularly tough competitors, including the Asus UX31A and the 13" Samsung Series 9 laptop. So is Apple still king in the high-end ultraportable laptop market? Time to find out! As the years keep flying by, the 13" MacBook Air doesn't budge in terms of design. Its simple but effective look has allowed Apple to move from one version to another without having to change this laptop's chassis. Its design is still perfectly fresh in 2012 and the general finish is as impeccable as ever. The keyboard and touchpad are exactly the same as in previous-generation products. The keyboard has backlit chiclet-style keys that give supple and quiet keying. The clickable touchpad is nice and big, offering smooth glide and precision control. It's compatible with all the usual multitouch gestures (zoom, rotate, two-finger scrolling, etc.). Both the keyboard and the touch pad are very nice to use. Apart from the fact that the two USB ports have been upgraded to USB 3.0, the 13" MacBook Air's connections haven't changed since last year.
Apple MacBook Air 13" Mid-2012 Review
Analysts and users alike are still talking about the new MacBook Pro with Retina display that was introduced last month during Apple's keynote at the annual WWDC, but that wasn't the only new system that Cupertino ousted at the event. As most expected, the standard MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air were refreshed for 2012, the latter of which we will be looking at today. Steve Jobs unveiled the first MacBook Air in early 2008 to mixed reviews, but a series of redesigns and hardware refreshes through the years have resulted in a product line that has had a huge impact on the industry. PC makers have struggled to match the Air's extremely thin and simplistic design, prompting Intel to announce the ultrabook initiative at Computex in 2011. New for the 2012 MacBook Air is the Intel Ivy Bridge processor sporting HD 4000 graphics, higher capacity storage and memory options, as well as an improved 720p Facetime HD camera, and support for USB 3.0. The 13-inch system also received a $100 price cut, now starting at $1,199. The smaller 11-inch system retains the same $999 entry price, however.
MacBook Air 2012 review
The Apple MacBook Air is back, in the same super-skinny chassis that we originally fell in love with back in 2010. The latest model was officially unveiled at the Cupertino company's WWDC conference in June, along with the refreshed MacBook Pro models and the incredible MacBook Pro with Retina display.The MacBook Air boasts a design that has become a classic, a blueprint for contemporary technology done correctly, and an inspiration for the ever-increasing Ultrabook brigade. But it's also the third time that we've seen the tech giant wheel out the same exterior for its slimline laptop. With slick-looking rivals such as the Samsung Series 9, the Asus Zenbook UX31, the Sony Vaio T13 and the Dell XPS 13, it's clear that Apple has a confidence and belief that the MacBook Air still has the wow-factor to tempt buyers over to the Mac-side when it comes to buying an ultra-portable notebook.11-inch and 13-inch MacBook Airs vary in processing and storage capacityIn case you're not familiar with the MacBook Air's design, we're dealing with a ridiculously thin unibody aluminum machine that measures just 3mm at its slimmest point and 17mm at its thickest.
MacBook Air 13-inch Review (mid-2012)
Apple's MacBook Air may have fallen into the shadow of the new MacBook Pro with Retina Display at their WWDC 2012 launch this past week, but the updated ultraportable has plenty going for it. A proven design favorite, and undoubtedly the inspiration for a legion of Windows-powered ultrabooks, the MacBook Air now gets a fresh batch of processors in the shape of Intel's latest Ivy Bridge chips, along with a general refresh to the spec sheet. Is that enough to keep the MacBook Air at the top of the ultraportable tree? Read on for the full SlashGear review. Apple saved its design news for the new MacBook Pro with Retina Display, and outwardly there's almost nothing to distinguish this updated MacBook Air from its predecessor. That's arguably no bad thing, though; given the Air is still one of the more distinctive and good-looking ultraportables out there. The wedge-profile remains, with ports split between the left and right edges. Our 13-inch review model has power, a USB 3.0, headphone socket and microphone on the left side and Thunderbolt, a second USB 3.0 and an SDXC card slot on the right; the 11-inch MacBook Air lacks the SDXC slot.
Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, 2012) Review
The 13-inch MacBook Air has become the very model of the modern notebook. Thin, light, and with instant-on responsiveness, Apple's hit is so admired by the PC industry that it has spawned an entire category of Windows-powered Ultrabooks. To keep the competition at bay, the latest version of the Air adds a faster Ivy Bridge processor, USB 3.0 and drops the starting price by $100 while keeping the iconic design intact. Are those changes enough to keep Apple in the lead?Click to EnlargeThe MacBook Air is just as beautiful and portable as before. The notebook is still the same size (12.8 x 8.9 x 0.11-0.68 inches) and weight (3 pounds). It's no surprise that Apple patented its wedge design. The all-aluminum chassis, elegant and functional, is now a classic.However, other 13-inch notebooks are thinner and lighter. For instance, the Samsung Series 9 is 12.3 x 8.6 x 0.4 inches and 2.6 pounds, the Dell XPS 13 is a Lilliputian 12.4 x 8.1 x 0.24-0.71 inches, and the Toshiba Portege Z835 is just 2.4 pounds.We wouldn't be surprised to see Apple shrink the bezel and narrow the deck on the Air next time around to create a more compact form factor.
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (Mid 2012)
The MacBook Air 13-inch (Mid 2012) ($1,199 direct) is thin, light, and has a decent battery capacity. A whole new category of laptops, the ultrabooks, have become popular based on Apple's pioneering efforts. For mid-2012, Apple has updated its system with a new Ivy Bridge processor from Intel. There are other new features, like USB 3.0 ports and the potential upgrade to OS X Mountain Lion. If your MacBook Air is less than a year old, you can skip this generation because the Ivy Bridge processor is only a slight speed bump over the last generation. But if you're running an older MacBook (of any kind) with a Core 2 Duo or Quad processor, now is the time to upgrade. An Ivy Bridge processor in the new MacBook Air 13-inch, with a $100 price drop? That's a pretty good deal. Design and Features The new MacBook Air looks very much like the previous model, the MacBook Air 13-inch (Thunderbolt) ($1,299 direct, 4 stars). It has the same wedge-shaped chassis that tapers almost to a sharp point. It even weighs the same as the previous iteration, at 2.85 pounds, like the previous model.
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch review
Few companies generate anything like the buzz that Apple does for its new products, with rumours flying around months before an official announcement is made. Apple's keynote event at the World-Wide Developer Conference put the wagging tongues around the new MacBook Airs to rest as it unveiled the latest revisions to its range of sleek and stylish laptops.The 13-inch model I had in for review might not look that different on the outside, but it's packing a tasty bunch of new specs within. The base 13-inch configuration featured here comes with a third-generation Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM and a 128GB solid state drive. That's going to set you back £999 or £1,079 if you want 8GB of RAM.The top model comes with 256GB of storage and will cost you £1,249. It can be configured with a faster Core i7 processor, 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD for £1,849. They're all available now from the Apple Store.Spicy prices indeed, so is the new MacBook Air worth the money? Read on to find out.Apple might have given the new 15-inch MacBook Pro a thinner design, but it hasn't tweaked the outward aesthetics of the Air. If you particularly crave updated looks year on year, you'll be a little disappointed.
Apple MacBook Air (2011) Review
Apple introduced the first MacBook Air in 2008, taking the industry by surprise. The next evolution of a company that puts design first, the MBA was a thing of beauty - but it wasn't until 2010 that the internals really matched the exterior. But can Apple make it even better? Let's find out.BUY the MacBook Air 13.3" Silver Ultraportable NotebookPC Connection Express $1,649.99see all pricing for the MacBook Air 13.3" Silver Ultraportable NotebookOverview Then and now Back when netbooks were the hot new thing, Steve Jobs was famously decried for his comments on the form factor - comments which can simply be distilled into the idea that netbooks provide a substandard experience. And they do - they were slow, they had tiny keyboards (in the beginning), they were small but thick, etc. More importantly, however, they were inexpensive, and that's a huge reason behind their explosive popularity growth. Apple doesn't make inexpensive items; the only product that comes close is the iPad with Wi-Fi, which is either $399 or $499, depending on the model, and on which Apple still enjoys substantial profit margins. Netbook manufacturers, on the other hand, scraped by with razor thin margins that relied on huge sales volumes.
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch Review
The previous generation Apple MacBook Air was only released last October, but it seems that Apple felt an upgrade was needed just 7 months later in mid 2011. We’ve managed to get the mid 2011 edition of the 13-inch Apple MacBook Air to review for you guys. The mid-range upgraded models all feature Intel i5 processors and 4GB of memory, which, when compared with the previous late 2010 models that featured Intel Core 2 Duo processors and 2GB of memory, is definitely a significant power boost. Let’s see how it performs… Apple normally pride themselves on the high quality nature of their products, and even at first glance many will be astounded at how light and thin the MacBook Air actually is. The tests should be quite interesting, especially for me, because I’m currently rocking a late 2010 MacBook Air, so the performance increase will be more than welcome. The MacBook Air is features a unibody design, meaning that the entire notebook is a higher precision, less complex design with virtually any parts. Thanks to the unibody design, this means that Apple have been able to create a sturdy, yet ultrathin, notebook that’s durable enough to handle everyday use.
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So then, to the Apple MacBook Air 13.3-inch. After the strong showing by the 11.6-inch version, we were impatient to get our dirty little mitts on the 13.3-inch so we could tell you what it was capable of. No great surprise to find the brushed aluminium chassis that has made the name of previous generations of MacBook Air. This shell resists scratching, is not subject to finger marks and looks very smart indeed. No issues with the finish! The keyboard with separated backlit keys (15 x 15 mm) is very nice to use. Supple and relatively quiet, it offers comfortable keying. A pleasure for word processing! The multitouch touchpad is still just as wide and comfortable to use. The glide is fluid and precise. For those who've never used a Mac touchpad, you put one finger down on it and click with another for the right click. For more information on usage, you can consult the explanatory video on the Apple site. All the detail on the combinations of movements for Mac OS X Lion is also there, a real advance in terms of ease-of-use. The webcam (1280 x 720 pixels) was disappointing. The image flickers and lacks detail. The dark zones lack any differentiation in tone and blacken rapidly. It's not hard to find better.
New MacBook Air 2011 review
Last October, Apple released the last MacBook Air. It was a mighty fine-looking piece of hardware - a newly designed unibody shell, 0.3cm at its thinnest.Trouble is, the meat inside didn't quite match up with the supreme exterior – Apple had been forced to stick with the ageing Intel Core 2 Duo processor.Intel had originally produced a special, smaller packaged Core 2 Duo variant for the first-generation MacBook Air that was still clinging on in last year's release.Check out our hands on video of the MacBook Air below: The small processor package, presumably, couldn't be bettered until this year's Sandy Bridge generation of Intel Core chips arrived.So here we are with the newly-launched 13-inch 2011 MacBook Air running the new Mac OS X 10.7 Lion operating system. The MacBook Air is expensive for what it is, starting at £849. For the components involved, it's an expensive system. But as with all Macs, it's the sum of its parts that gets everyone excited – and this time, it's with really just cause. There's no doubt about it - this is a superb-looking and performing machine on which Apple has finally managed to bestow the performance that its appearance and price deserve.
MacBook Air 13-inch core i5 Review (mid-2011)
Apple's MacBook Air left many mobile users with a difficult decision back in late 2010. The unibody ultraportable was certainly beautiful, but its ULV processor left some wary that OS X might not be able to keep up with their lifestyle. The new 2011 MacBook Air fixes that, slotting in Intel's latest Core i5 and i7 chips and adding other niceties such as a backlit keyboard. Is this the best ultraportable on the market today? Read on for the full SlashGear review. Outwardly, there's little to differentiate this year's MacBook Air from its predecessor. Apple still offers two sizes - an 11.6-inch with a 1366 x 768 display and a 13.3-inch with a 1440 x 900 display - starting from $999, but the entry-level processor is now Intel's 1.6 GHz dual-core Core i5 rather than the older Core 2 Duo. The lowest price Air has 64GB of flash storage and 2GB of 1333MHz DDR3 RAM, while the $1,199 higher-spec version keeps the 11.6-inch display but increases storage to 128GB of flash. It can also be upgraded to 256GB as well as boosting the processor to a dual-core 1.8GHz Core i7 and the RAM up to 4GB. The 13.3-inch MacBook Air, meanwhile, starts at $1,299 with a 1.7GHz dual-core Core i5, 128GB of flash storage and 4GB of RAM.
Apple MacBook Air
As with most Apple products, the MacBook Air has moved into an annual update cycle, taking it from the original niche product version to its new perch as Apple's mainstream laptop line. With that, we've also seen a continued mainstreaming of the system's components and capabilities over the course of three generations. Apple's new Air models hold last year's prices, the 13-inch model starts at $1,299, but while dramatically upgrading the processing power: the new second-generation Core i5 processor in the base 11-inch and 13-inch Air is a jump of two Intel generations, going directly from the older Core 2 Duo CPUs past the first generation of Core i5/i7 chips and directly to the 2011 second-generation Core i-series Physically, the new MacBook Air looks and feels identical to the one from October 2010, with one important exception. Both the 11- and 13-inch models now include a backlit keyboard, a much-missed feature in the previous generation (in a CNET poll, 26 percent of readers listed a backlit keyboard as their most-wanted new MacBook Air feature). • Apple MacBook Air Fall 2010 (Core 2 Duo 1.86GHz, 128GB SSD, 13.3-inch) • Samsung Series 9 NP900X3A (13-inch) • Apple MacBook Air (11in, Summer 2011) Thunderbolt has been added to the both Airs as well, replacing the Mini DisplayPort (the new combo port acts as a Mini DisplayPort output as well).
Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, 2011) Review
It's kind of hard to improve on a 4.5-star rating. And yet Apple's new 13-inch MacBook Air (starting at $1,299, $1,599 as configured) is better than its predecessor in some key ways. Just like before, this ultraporable is wonderfully thin and light and wakes up instantly when you lift the lid, but the new Air ups the ante with a backlit keyboard and a faster Core i5 processor. The notebook is also more versatile, thanks to a new Thunderbolt port that allows you to connect the laptop to a growing number of super high-speed peripherals, including Apple's new Thunderbolt display. Is there anything not to like?While the 11-inch MacBook Air has a netbook-on-steroids vibe, the 13-inch Air truly feels like a full-grown laptop. It's just one that you can take anywhere--and look damn good doing it. The sturdy unibody aluminum construction, magnetic latch, and rounded corners make this machine just as elegant and futuristic-chic now as it was nine months ago.Because it now has a backlit keyboard, the 13-inch Air weighs just a little bit more than its predecessor (3 pounds vs. 2.9 pounds), but this is still among the lightest 13-inch notebooks available. Only the 2.6-pound Sony VAIO Z weighs less.
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch
The original MacBook Air ($1,799 direct, 3 stars) took the concept of thin to a whole new level, but ended up sacrificing too much in the process. Just when you thought the MacBook Air was about to collapse under its shortcomings, Apple, inspired by what it did with the Apple iPad, breathes new life into the MacBook Air 13-inch ($1,299 direct). We all knew Apple had the design chops to push the boundaries of thin, but what it added in terms of features and performance set the precedent for what's to come. After all, Steve Jobs called the latest MacBook Air, "the future of MacBooks." The 13-inch version adds an extra USB port and an SD slot - features it desperately needed to compete as a laptop. It completely transitions to flash storage (SSDs), which, in addition to enabling the Air's zippy wake-from-sleep times, made room for a bigger 50Wh battery and its over 5 hours of battery life. But for those who complained about the MacBook Air's steep prices, they'll be complaining for a while longer. Apple could've easily kept the MacBook Air 13-inch's previous dimensions intact while packing in the extra features, as it still would have been the thinnest in the world. But that would have been one less thing to gloat about on stage.
Apple MacBook Air (13-Inch) Review
Apple decided to refresh their MacBook Air lineup this year, but rather than simply upgrading the existing machine with a new CPU, GPU or Blu-ray drive, Apple introduced some entirely new pieces of hardware with the new 11" and 13" MacBook Airs. While the 11" machine is certainly intriguing, and a compelling addition to the overall lineup, we're focusing today on the revamped 13" version here. Arguably, this 13" model deserves the most scrutiny, largely because it's the third 13" notebook that Apple offers. Apple doesn't have as many options at any other notebook form factor, so it's of particular importance to weigh your options when looking for a 13" Apple ultraportable. There's the 13" MacBook, 13" MacBook Pro and 13" MacBook Air. And with the new specifications and overhauled design of the Air, it's more attractive than ever before. We had the opportunity to take a look at the base 13" MacBook Air model, which was configured as you see above. Being that this is an ultraportable, and one of the thinnest at that, you'll be giving up amenities like an optical drive and an Ethernet socket.
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MacBooks are subject to a lot of debate. There are those who think they're amazing with pricing in line with a finish of real quality. Then there are those who don't understand how you can sell laptops at such high prices when they are far from having the best specs out there. Here then is our review for the MacBook Air 13.3 inch, which is going to settle the debate once and for all (for sure!). Like with the 11.6 inch version tested last week, there's no ignoring the quality of the finish. Its brushed aluminium shell resists scratching, is not subject to finger marks and looks very smart indeed. The is the same size as on the 11.6 inch version. This is a shame as Apple could have used the extra space to enlarge some keys, like the "enter" key which is a little bit too small for some. Nevertheless, it does give supple and quiet keying. Great for word processing. The is however slightly bigger (10.5 cm x 7.2 cm), but not in proportion to the shell. It takes up a little less than a third of the width of the laptop. The glide is fluid and precise. In contrast to the old version of the MacBook Air, the touchpad on the the 13.3 inch, like the 11.6 inch, is entirely clickable.
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch review
Apple has reimagined the MacBook Air and we've been using one full time for a few days now. Since Steve Jobs pulled the original out of that manila envelope back in early 2008, Apple's premium laptop has been somewhat of an enigma. At the time it wasn't underpowered, but it has never exactly sparkled either. And it has gained notoriety as the ultimate coffee table computer – well, that was until the iPad came along. The new model retains the sense of haughtiness and has now been launched in two models – 13 and 11-inch.This is the 13-inch version – we'll review the smaller model separately. The new model is so thin at its bottom end that it's hard to grasp to open it – just 0.3mm. The laptop is a real wedge shape and people are extremely impressed as to how thin it actually is. The indented part near the trackpad can seem quite sharp though and, while we haven't caught ourselves on it, it's a distinct possibility.As with the original Air, the hinge can easily hold the weight of either half of the notebook, so if you hold the screen with the keyboard part raised, the keyboard section won't drop down. The Air's real problem remains price – for a laptop of this core spec, Apple's latest MacBook represents extremely poor value for money.
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (2010)
It's as if the 13-inch MacBook Pro won The Biggest Loser. Meet the new 13-inch MacBook Air, which weighs 1.5 pounds lighter than its beefier brother and packs in enough horsepower to be your primary computer. Starting at $1,299, this ultraportable isn't cheap, but it costs $200 less than the last 13-inch Air, lasts more than three times longer on a charge, and features a higher resolution display than both its predecessor and the 13-inch Pro. Plus, like the 11-inch Air, this laptop's all flash storage enables a lightning-fast boot time and allows it to wake instantly from sleep. Yes, you can snag a Windows ultraportable with a faster processor for hundreds less, but if you want a mobile Mac this machine is almost perfect.While the 13-inch MacBook Air is as tall and wide as the 13-inch Pro, it weighs just 2.9 pounds and tapers from an astonishingly thin .11 inches to .68 inches. The last-generation 13-inch Air measured .76 inches at its thickest point and weighed 3 pounds, while the 13-inch MacBook Pro weighs 4.5 pounds and has a profile of .95 inches. Only the 13-inch Sony VAIO Z (3 pounds, 1.3 inches) and Toshiba Portege R700 (3.2 pounds, .6 to 1 inches) come close to the 13-inch MacBook Air in terms of portability, though both of those machines include an optical drive.
Prices
| Retailer | Information | Prices | |
|---|---|---|---|
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Apple MacBook Air MC503LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop (OLD VERSION) | $1399.99 | See it |
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Apple MacBook Air MC504LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop (OLD VERSION) | $9999.99 | See it |
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Apple MacBook Air 13 : (8.9/10)
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