• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo 1.6 GHz, 4 MB L2 cache (optional: 1.8 GHz);
• Bus: 800 MHz;
• Hard drive: 80 GB, 4200 rpm, Parallel ATA (optional 64 GB SSD drive);
• RAM: 2 GB 667 MHz SDRAM;
• Dimensions: 32.5×22.7×0.4-1.94 cm;
• Weight: 1.36 kg.

History and reasons for appearance

Before the appearance MacBook Air Apple's line of laptops consisted of two products (having, however, different configurations) - MacBook and MacBook Pro. The MacBook is a budget (by Apple standards), fairly compact laptop with a 13-inch screen, available in black and white, aimed at home users, students and people who do not require high performance (for example, when working with video) And big screen. The MacBook Pro is a solution more focused on professional use (working with videos and photos), it is larger and heavier, and has a 15 or 17-inch screen, depending on the configuration.

In general, these two lines complemented each other well, but there was a niche that remained unfilled. Many users have been yearning for an ultra-compact laptop from Apple that they can use, say, on a plane or in a meeting room. The MacBook Pro is not suitable for this role due to its size, and the MacBook, firstly, is still heavy and thick, and secondly, it may not be entirely suitable for the director or top manager of the company due to its budget. For such people, the cost of a laptop and its functionality are not of paramount importance, what is important to them is the image quality of the solution, ultra-compactness and, if possible, of course, good battery life.

The MacBook Air laptop, presented by Apple CEO Steve Jobs on January 15 in San Francisco and going on sale in the United States on January 30, is intended to fill this emerging market niche in Apple’s product range. We will greet it, as expected, by its appearance, and then we will delve into the consideration of the technical characteristics and other features of the new product.

Appearance, ergonomics and design features

The first thing that immediately catches your eye and what is the basis for the marketing positioning of the device is, of course, the thickness of the laptop. Unlike the MacBook and MacBook Pro, the thickness of the MacBook Air is different in different places - on the user side, in the touchpad area, its thickness is minimal and it increases as you move forward. So from all sides, and especially from the user's side, it seems super thin. Apple, by the way, even applied to register the Thinnovation trademark: the word is derived from the words “thin” and “innovation” and is actively used in Apple advertising materials.

Many people expected from Apple not a laptop, but a subnotebook - the MacBook Air is very good with a full-size keyboard and a 13.3-inch screen, so you can work on it quite comfortably, and Apple did not compromise here.

We open the laptop and immediately pay attention to the black keyboard, located in a certain recessed niche, the keys of which are made free-standing, each with its own hole. This approach to keys is used in the MacBook and the keyboard for the iMac (both wired and wireless). The keyboard is quite comfortable and ergonomic. An important plus for many is the backlit keyboard, which is quite powerful, the brightness of which can be adjusted automatically using information about the light sensor, as well as manually.

The touchpad is large, much larger than that of the MacBook and MacBook Pro, and the key is somewhat smaller. The large size, firstly, is convenient in itself, and secondly, the touchpad “understands” multitouch gestures. In addition to two-finger scrolling, which appeared in Apple laptops quite a long time ago, a whole series of new gestures have been added - reducing/enlarging an image or font (for example, in Safari) by pinching or spreading fingers (as in iPhone), changing the orientation of the image, moving to the next image, and etc.

To the right of the keyboard at the top is the on/off button.

At the top, above the screen, there is an iSight camera, a light sensor (left) and a microphone (right).

Where are the ports? From the very beginning they may not be noticed. They are located on the right side of the device in the area of ​​the Power button and slide out if necessary (the opening method reminded us of a car glove compartment). The very decision to hide the ports this way was dictated by considerations of the compactness of the laptop and its design - after all, it has a streamlined shape. But the ports themselves can disappoint some users who are accustomed to connecting a large number of peripheral devices - only one USB port is offered next to the video output and headphone output.

Where is the optical drive? In the shop. For reasons of ultra-thinness, it is not inside the device. This is another aspect that can scare off a certain percentage of users who are used to watching DVDs on the road and working with discs. How then to install the operating system itself and the necessary software? There are two solutions. Firstly, Apple offers an external USB SuperDrive at a fairly affordable price (specifically for the MacBook Air - we tried connecting the drive to the iMac, it was not recognized). Secondly, the Remote Disk solution, which allows you to use the drive on Mac computer or PC as “your own”, communicating via Wi-Fi.

Let's take a closer look at the bottom of the laptop. Noteworthy are the four black legs, so that the laptop does not slip or scratch on the table surface, the “glove compartment” with ports that we have already reviewed, as well as the grille for coolers, behind which there is a speaker (note, one is not in the center, but on the right , if viewed from the user's side - so the usual stereo sound can only be achieved with headphones. This is another disadvantage for those who like to watch movies and work while listening to music without headphones).

The battery compartment is located inside, the user of this laptop does not have to change the battery himself, and this is no longer as simple as in the MacBook and MacBook Pro - you won’t be able to replace a dead battery with a new one on the road (if you want to do without working with a screwdriver, Certainly). This is also dictated by considerations of compactness - if the user had the opportunity to independently change the battery, then Apple would have to make the mechanism of all kinds of fasteners and clamps more convenient, understandable and reliable, which would invariably lead to an increase in the size of the laptop. However, those users who often take a spare battery with them will probably prefer a MacBook or MacBook Pro - after all, the compactness of the MacBook Air will no longer be so important to them.

On the left side there is a power connector with the already familiar MagSafe technology, which protects the laptop from falling - when the cable is touched, it simply unfastens.

Specifications and capabilities

MacBook Air comes with Intel processor Core 2 Duo 1.6 GHz (optionally you can purchase a configuration with 1.8 GHz) and, very nicely, two gigabytes random access memory 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM (don't forget that you won't be able to add more memory either). But the drive has a capacity of 80 GB, which is quite a bit these days - we use a 1.8-inch HDD with one plate. A drive with two plates, as in the case of a 160 GB iPod, cannot be installed - the thickness does not allow it.

The laptop display is glossy, with a resolution of 1280×800 pixels, a diagonal of 13.3 inches and LED backlighting (I was very pleased with its brightness). MacBook Air has an integrated Intel GMA X3100 graphics adapter, which uses part of the RAM for its needs - 144 MB.

Wireless capabilities are traditional for Apple laptops: Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR and Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n. By the way, the data transfer speed from our iMac to the MacBook Air remained at 5 MB/s almost all the time - and this is a good indicator (5 MB/s is about 40 Mbit/s).

Equipment

The MacBook Air package includes the laptop itself, a 45-watt MagSafe power adapter with an additional power extension cable, a Micro-DVI to DVI and Micro-DVI to VGA adapter, a cloth for wiping the laptop, instructions and two installation DVDs, one of which contains which have software for Remote Disk. What's interesting is that the box does not have a handle (apparently to emphasize the compactness of the laptop).

Battery life

Overall battery life was very good. To test watching the movie, we downloaded the HD movie “All The King's Men”, 720p, onto the laptop via Wi-Fi (there’s no point anymore - since the screen is not Full-HD, and it won’t handle it). When playing the movie (we used the program VLC), we set the brightness to maximum, the volume to about 70%, quite loud for a laptop. In this mode, the processor is used almost at full capacity, the cooler is actively working. The playback time was 2 hours 20 minutes.

Charging from a completely discharged state to one hundred percent took an average of four hours, and in the first two of which the battery was charged to a level of 70 percent.

Positioning and trends

MacBook Air is one hundred percent a satellite product, a companion product to the main computer, which could be, for example, an iMac or Mac Pro. It is very convenient to take it with you on the road and to a business meeting. But using it as a full-fledged work computer for home or office will be hampered by the lack of optical drive, one USB port, small hard drive. And if you have a main computer, then no problem - the MacBook Air perfectly occupies the corresponding niche.

Of course, the laptop is intended for a fairly wealthy audience who are able to spend a large amount of money on a laptop because of its thickness and image, and not because of performance. The main audience is upper-middle and top managers, directors and company owners.

The decision not to equip a laptop with an optical drive may eventually turn into a trend - Apple is quite happy with this state of affairs, since abandoning the optical drive will encourage users not to watch movies on DVD, but to purchase multimedia content through the iTunes Store - Apple has been doing this for several years now is taking active steps to capture the online video market. And even now there is a significant percentage of users who use the optical drive very rarely (once every few months).

And the Remote Disk solution, which allows you to open access to the optical drive of another Mac or PC ( installation disk, supplied with the MacBook Air, allows you to “share” the disk on Windows - for a Mac it’s even easier, just allow access to the optical drive in System Preferences). After you install required disk into the optical drive of another computer, go to the Remote Disk item in the left pane of the Finder on the MacBook Air, select the computer, on the computer with the drive a question will appear whether to allow access, and if the answer is positive, the disk will be mounted on your desktop. Everything is convenient.

However, it will not be possible to install, for example, Windows via Boot Camp in this way - please purchase an additional external drive for $99 (in the USA).

Performance testing

In general, performance tests are unlikely to be of much interest to people purchasing this laptop. Centimeters, grams and design are much higher on the priority ladder here than Megabytes per second and the number of FPS. It’s clear that with a “player” hard drive and a compact processor, even the MacBook outperforms the MacBook Air in tests, so you’re unlikely to meet a person who is planning to buy, or has already purchased, a MacBook Air for some serious tasks like photo and video processing.

For those who like specifics, we present the results of performance measurements using the XBench test package - for comparison with the MacBook Air, we took the average MacBook of the current series (2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2 GB of RAM). Note: in the rightmost column (where MacBook performance is indicated), only numbers are presented to save space - the units are the same as the MacBook Air performance column.

Price

In the USA, the cost of a MacBook Air in the basic configuration is $1,799, while at Russian dealers it is at the level of 65-67 thousand rubles. You shouldn't expect any significant price reduction for this laptop, or the emergence of new, more powerful configurations. It was presented quite recently, has a clear positioning and buyers who are willing to pay this amount for it.

Pros:

• Ultra-thin;
• High-quality case;
• Full-size keyboard;
• Wide touchpad with support;
• Ability to use the optical drive of another computer via Wi-Fi (Remote Disk);

Minuses:

• Inability to change the battery by the user;
• There is only one USB port;
• Lack of optical drive;
• There is only one speaker;
• Small hard drive.

Bottom line

The laptop is very thin, well made and has a stylish design. Don't forget that it has no built-in optical drive, a small hard drive, one mono speaker and one USB port. If these disadvantages are not fundamental for you, then it is quite possible that the MacBook Air is your choice. The new product will especially appeal to people who are often on the road (including on an airplane), do not work with resource-intensive programs, but want to have a stylish and thin laptop that will highlight their image and make the desired impression at presentations and business meetings.

Apple developers tend to change something in new products only when necessary for better functionality. This circumstance may explain the incremental and very impressive upgrade of the 13-inch Apple MacBook Air (available for $999). While the device uses the same aluminum unibody design and many of the same components as its predecessors, new gadget complemented by one of the latest Intel Core i5 CPU processors.

However, even with this modest improvement (and the cost of last year's base model), the Apple MacBook Air 13 is ahead of the competition in terms of performance and boasts an impressive 17-18 hours of battery life. Thus, this device is today the best choice for everyday general tasks among mid-range ultraportable laptops.

Design and characteristics

The 13-inch MacBook Air has the following dimensions: 22 cm in length and 32 cm in width, and its weight is about 1300 grams. The body tapers in thickness from 1.7 cm at the rear to 0.5 cm at the front. Other 13.3-inch laptops (such as the LenovoYoga 3 Pro are a little thinner and lighter, but you won't have any difficulties if you intend to constantly carry the Apple MacBook Air 13 with you. The ultrabook is not only small in size and weight , but also has a compact, streamlined shape, so you can easily fit it into any bag or backpack.

Resolution and screen properties

Compared to the 1920x1080 or even higher resolution found on average Windows laptops today, the MacBook Air's 1440x900 resolution seems relatively small, but that's only in theory. In fact, the screen looks contrasty and bright when using the gadget. This permission should be sufficient for everyday tasks, such as creating and editing office documents and using a web browser. If you need more a high resolution screen, but you prefer only Mac laptops, it is advisable for you to opt for more expensive devices - an Apple MacBook with screen parameters of 2,304x1,400 or the latest 13-inch Apple MacBook Pro model with 2560x1600. Unfortunately, there is currently no option to achieve a high-resolution Retina Display on the Apple MacBook Air 13 - this will increase the cost and weight of the device, as well as reduce battery life. However, for watching videos and reading text documents This indicator is enough because what is displayed on the screen looks very clear.

Possible connections and available connectors

The built-in ports are no different from those found on the previous model. On the left side of the device there is a headset jack, two microphones, a USB 3.0 port, and a MagSafe 2 power connector. On the right side there is a compact slot for an SDXC card, a Thunderbolt 2 port and another USB 3.0 port. At first glance, such options for connecting components seem to be few, but today this is quite typical for devices in the ultraportable category, and this will be enough for many users. You will have to use an adapter to connect HDMI cable or other connectors, but the Thunderbolt port functions on high level with mini-Display Port without adapter. Wireless connection is carried out using 802.11ac Wi-Fi, as well as Bluetooth 4.0, and provides high-quality and uninterrupted communication with the Internet or other devices.

Keyboard Features

The keys on the keyboard are backlit and the rubber finish gives it a great appearance and makes it easy to use. Thus, typing is smooth and soft, without causing finger fatigue during long work. There is a lightweight trackpad for multi-touch capabilities. However, the trackpad lacks the additional mouse button options found in other Apple devices - the 12-inch MacBook Pro and MacBook laptops, but support for these settings can be seen for the most part third party applications. Like everyone else Mac gadgets, Apple MacBook Air 13 lacks a touch screen.

Specifications

Many users will agree that the Apple MacBook Air 13 Early could use more RAM, as the default 4GB is a bit low for a $1,000 Ultrabook. You can only upgrade to 8GB of RAM at the time of your initial purchase, so it's advisable to consider beforehand whether it's worth spending the extra $100 to power multitasking or multimedia projects. Flash storage is also relatively low at 128GB, but that's less of an issue these days - online cloud storage is quite inexpensive. Fortunately, the system is completely protected from viruses.

The RAM is PCIe-based, making it faster than SATA-based solid-state drives (SSDs) and flash memory found in older ultraportables. This helps boot the system and applications in just a few seconds. The MacBookAir comes with a one-year warranty, putting it on par with competing Windows devices.

Performance and multitasking

The gadget is equipped (1.6 GHz) with integrated graphics Intel HD Graphics 6000. As testing shows, the Apple MacBook Air 13 laptop works very well when opening multimedia programs. Ultimately, the device proves to be much faster when performing multimedia tasks when compared to the Apple MacBook.

Results for 3D tests are predictably mediocre given the integrated graphics. The operating system must work fast enough at such simple games, like Diablo III, but you won't be able to run the power-hungry GrandTheftAuto V on high-quality settings.

Battery life

Another indicator of the great performance of the Apple MacBook Air 13 i5 is its battery performance. With continuous use of the ultrabook, the battery life is 17 hours 36 minutes. This is almost two hours longer than the previous generation model. Unlike the MacBook Air, the longest-lasting portable Windows laptop - the Acer Aspire S7-393-7451 - requires only about 10 hours of charging. So you can look at this device the complete Lord of the Rings trilogy, and the ultrabook will still have enough battery power to watch the first two films of the Dark Knight trilogy. That's an insane amount of power for a traditional laptop.

Conclusions and final verdict

In 2015, the 13-inch Apple MacBook Air 13 early laptop outperformed its main competitors on both Mac and Windows. This is primarily due to its long battery life. The classic design of its case and mountings is one of the components that manufacturers of other ultraportable devices have been trying to emulate over the past 5 years, with varying degrees of success.

Despite this, the original design still looks fresh. Its characteristics far exceed those of a standard laptop. Thus, its high cost is well worth it, especially if you need to work with various programs and access the Internet every day.

It only has 4GB of RAM, but paying an extra $100 can double that. Therefore, if you plan to multitask regularly, it makes sense for you to make the additional expense.

Given its high performance and, especially, impressive battery life, the 13-inch Apple MacBook Air 13 MD760ru can be considered a gadget that offers more than enough capabilities, quite capable of displacing its predecessor from the market. Today, this is the best choice among ultraportable laptops, despite its not at all low cost. In this case, it can be argued that you are paying for excellent product quality.

This is probably the last article about an old friend called MacBook Air - in the near future the line may change beyond recognition or even disappear altogether, leaving only MacBook Pro and MacBook. For the sake of my own logic, I can do anything at Apple! But, of course, we need to write again about Air. From a fashion device, this laptop has turned into a working tool for hundreds of thousands of people - from a toy to a mass device, it is rare to see such metamorphoses.

Once upon a time, when I came to any cafe or restaurant with a MacBook Air, I caught people’s glances more than once or twice - the laptop attracted attention more than any other gadget. Still would! Back then we didn’t yet know elegant laptops, Sony indulged in technological devices with a long operating time, others were engaged in productivity and gaming solutions (for example, Toshiba), but Apple simply made the most beautiful laptop. And even then, ten years ago, Apple was criticized online for the same things as now. Adapter for connecting to a monitor? To hell! A couple more USB ports? To hell! The size of the laptop forced the designers to get rid of not only the connectors, but even the sacred thing, the DVD drive!

Oh, there was so much crying, roaring, swearing, and angry letters addressed to Apple and Steven Jobs personally. It was assumed that those users who needed to read the disk would use a special adapter - and this made people terribly angry. Even if the Air didn’t cost a fortune, but still pay for adapters? This is nonsense!

Despite the abuse, the first Air sold very well. People liked the concept - a thin laptop with a comfortable keyboard (this is very important), good operating time, optimal display size, plus no need to discount the image charge. If Sony buyers After a month, Vaio P was disappointed in the funny toy and tried to get rid of it as soon as possible, but the MacBook Air still lives in some families - I saw a wonderful example from friends this summer, the owner simply does not want to part with it, he still carries it on trips and works in the kitchen. Although it would seem so many years have passed! I could have bought something faster.

But there is one more nuance and another thought haunts me every time I take my laptop out of my bag, sit down somewhere and start writing, checking email, looking through documents - doing hundreds different actions. It doesn't really matter who exactly came up with the Air concept - Jobs, Ive, a talented newcomer in some department. It is important that the very concept of a lightweight travel laptop with balanced characteristics has proven to be extremely tenacious. The first Air was seen by many as a flimsy alien toy - although it was neither. It was a slow laptop, yes, but it was quite comfortable to work on thanks to the excellent keyboard and normal display diagonal. The users' cries for the drive and connectors quickly passed; those who wanted it bought an Air, people got used to this laptop in the line. I’ll repeat my thought once again, initially it was to some extent an image decision, but now, many years after the first model, the MacBook Air is perceived as a familiar tool for a variety of people, from schoolchildren to businessmen. Moreover, now the MacBook Air in some configurations is the most affordable Apple laptop. This is how interesting it can be in the modern market!

About configurations

Once again I’ll conduct an educational program on the topic of which Air is worth buying. I would immediately recommend discarding the idea of ​​​​buying the Air 11 - unless you read email for 15 minutes a day and do not intend to use other functions. Your eyes are getting tired! Although the keyboard is quite ok, the speed and operating time are also fine. I would advise you to go with the MacBook Air 13, the stated operating time is about 12 hours and this is true, the device works for a long time. You can safely take the basic version for 77,990 rubles, the characteristics are as follows:

• Intel Core i5 processor with clock frequency 1.6 GHz (acceleration Turbo Boost up to 2.7 GHz) and with a shared 3 MB L3 cache.
• SSD 128 GB.
• 8 GB LPDDR3 1600 MHz RAM.
• Weight 1.35 kg.

For a compact laptop, the amount of memory is not so important, especially since the price increases significantly if you buy a model with 256 GB. The Air 13 also has a slot for SD memory cards, I use it all the time; I don’t need to connect the camera with a cable - it’s very convenient. I also think that taking a version with a fast processor or doing customization is somehow stupid - the screen here is not very suitable for working with photos or videos, and it’s also not the best gadget for games. For the mentioned tasks, a MacBook Pro 13 or 15 is suitable.

The basic version of the MacBook Air 11 costs 69,990 rubles, and this is the most affordable laptop in the line. Again, I recommend buying the MacBook Air 13.

What's next?

True, a logical question arises here: what will happen next, there is already some confusion. At the very top of the chain is the MacBook Pro, at the bottom is the MacBook Air, somewhere to the side is a simple macBook - the latter easily replaces the Air for those who are willing to put up with USB Type-C, To get used to new keyboard. I really like the MacBook, but in everyday life a thirteen-inch Air with a medium configuration is as comfortable as your favorite sneakers - the good old magnetic connector, two USB ports, a slot for a memory card, a familiar, familiar keyboard. Of course, the screen is not so impressive, and the dimensions and weight of the Air 13 are larger, but all this does not tie up your hands much when traveling. I constantly carry the MBP 15 with me in my backpack at exhibitions and presentations - even though it weighs a little, even though it’s on my back, it’s still heavy, especially when in addition to the laptop I also have a camera, chargers, etc. So, when I took Air 13 with me to IFA, I felt such a relief!

I would like to believe that Apple will not remove Air from the current line. It is likely that a simple MacBook will take the place of the MacBook Air 11, the MacBook Air will only come with a 13-inch screen, and the MacBook Pro will retain a 15-inch diagonal - and they will all look like a modern MacBook. Minimum dimensions, flat keyboards, “retina”, the entire volume inside the case is filled by the battery, no coolers, USB Type-C, Pro and Air will probably have more connectors than the others.

I believe that by the end of the year we will see an updated line, but this does not mean at all that we need to postpone the purchase of Air - new models may well become more expensive, then, the modern Air in any case remains one of the best laptops for working on the road.

Accessories

Firstly, I would advise using some external drive, so as not to clog up the laptop’s memory, 128 GB is very small by today’s standards, but more than enough for a portable device. Personally, I transfer photos, videos and other “operative” files to the hard drive; the Air’s memory only contains text and other documents. iCloud also helps, when you work in Pages, documents are saved in the cloud and I can access the file from any computer. I started writing this text on an iMac at home, saving occurs automatically, then in a cafe I opened Air, entered the file name in the search bar and immediately opened it and continued working. In general, this is how everything should happen in 2016.

Secondly, I advise everyone to look at Incase accessories for Air, for example, this ICON Sleeve with TENSAERLITE, a laptop case with a built-in bumper.

Sometimes I take with me only a laptop with such protection; the long operating time allows me to do without charging or leave it in the trunk. If you don’t like cases, pay attention to plastic covers; here I recommend three companies: Speck, Ozaki or the same Incase. In the photo is Speck Seethru, I want to buy myself such overlays, I can’t get my hands on them.

Thirdly, my favorite bag remains the same, this is the Cote&Ciel Isar, a large backpack with a large pocket, suitable for the city and for trips of a day or two.

Fourthly, something new. Comrade Alexander gave me a listen to a thing called AudioQuest Dragonfly Black, this is a small USB DAC, as you can see in the photo, suitable for use with iPhone/iPad and other devices. The universal device is quite in the spirit of our times, in short, it instantly performs magic, improving the sound. I mostly listened with Bowers&Wilkins P7 Wireless connected via cable to Dragonfly installed in a USB MacBook Air 13. Favorite Vox player, FLAC files, jazz and, even if it sounds trite, a lot, a lot of positive vibrations. You can read more about the accessory, the little thing costs about 10,000 rubles, specifications such:

• Audio DAC: ESS Saber 9010 chip, 32/192 bit/KHz converter.
• Play any music files: from MP3 to high-res.
• Compatible with Apple computers and Windows, as well as iOS and Android devices(requires Apple Camera Adapter or Made for Android/OTG adapter)
• Asynchronous signal transmission from the USB Class 1 input using the Streamlength protocol.
• Fixed level output for preamplifiers or AV receivers.
• The average output voltage (1.2 V) allows you to work with a wide variety of headphones.
• DAC 32-bit ESS 9010 with minimum phase filter.
• Analog volume control.

Although the Boweers&Wilkins P7 Wireless can be used completely wirelessly, connecting via Bluetooth, with DragonFly Black and a cable it is a completely different matter, the potential of the device is revealed. Without thinking twice, I went and bought myself the same one after five days of use. If you constantly use Apple laptops and want to use high-quality “lossless” headphones, I advise you to do the same. Honestly, I’m simply delighted with this set; I haven’t had so much fun in a long time.

I haven’t used anything else other than these accessories, but I can vouch for these things.

I'll end on this positive note. For many years, laptops from the MacBook Air line have accompanied me at work, school, and on vacation; it’s time to retire the old people with dignity and wait to see what Apple will show. But this does not mean at all that you should not buy a laptop like the one in the photographs in the article - honestly, I myself would use one for many years to come. An ideal machine for work, for working with text, for working with presentations or mail, for working at a table on a hotel balcony while the rest of the family relaxes after dinner.

I encourage MacBook Air owners to comment - please tell us about your experience of using it, which model you chose, how long you have been using it, and whether you plan to change it. Thanks everyone in advance for your feedback!

Where MacBook Air and MacBook Pro were compared. If you've decided that an elegant MacBook Air is in your purchasing plans, now you need to decide Which Is the smaller 11-inch or larger 13-inch sibling better for the MacBook Air? In addition, what configuration of a particular model should you choose.

Comparison of MacBook Air models

The 11-inch MacBook Air is Apple's cheapest laptop, starting point, so to speak, with a price tag of $1,000 (well, minus the $1). For this money you will get a laptop equipped with an 11.6-inch display (diagonal) with 1366x768 pixels. It has 4GB of RAM and 128GB of flash memory. By paying an additional $200, you will receive a model with 256GB memory.

The basic 13-inch MacBook Air will cost you just $100 more. There are the same 4GB of RAM and 128GB of flash memory. The 13.3-inch display has 1440x900 pixels. Also, by paying an additional $200, you can increase the memory to 256 GB.

With the lid closed, the height of the MacBook Air -11 is just over a centimeter. The thinnest part is the front - 0.25 cm, rear end– only 1.14 cm high. MacBook Dimensions Air -13 from 0.4 cm to 1.94 cm. The width of the 11-inch model is 28.5 cm, the 13-inch model is 32.5 cm. Weight: 1 kg and 1.3 kg, respectively.

Both laptops are equipped with stereo speakers and support 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0. The keyboard of all models has a backlight, the illumination of which is automatically adjusted thanks to installed sensors. It's tempting that the keyboards on the 11-inch and 13-inch models are the same size. All have OS X 10.9 Mavericks and iWork’13, iLife’13 applications installed.

The standard MacBook Air ranges from $999 to $1,299 and is already comparable in price to the base 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display (and even $100 more expensive than the 13-inch MacBook Pro with regular display). If you spend $1,850 and order the maximum package, you will get the most sophisticated MacBook Air model.

Let's start comparing models

Maximum mobility or larger screen

How important is a difference of 2 inches?

The 11-inch MacBook Air is something of an ugly duckling at Apple, and is the only laptop available with a 16:9 aspect ratio. All other laptops have a 16:10 screen ratio.

This approach to design makes it, despite its tiny size, more cinematic. This is the form factor you'll see on flat-panel HD TVs. The same aspect ratios are used in movies. It turns out that you see more of the width of the picture than the height. The 11-inch MacBook Air is wider and shorter than its 13-inch brother.

The density of 135 pixels per inch is even higher than the 13-inch model (which has 128 pixels), but the difference is not huge.

Some users love the wide screen, others hate it, claiming that the screen is too narrow. This is a very subjective opinion, so my advice is to look at your work to see what is best for you.

The resolution of the 13-inch MacBook Air is 1440x900. For the same size, it has an even higher resolution than the MacBook Pro without a Retina display. The resolution is higher, but this Not Retina is a very important difference - in no way MacBook models Air No Retina display. This certainly lightens the load on MacBook Air batteries, making them surprisingly resilient. But the MacBook Air becomes less attractive to users who need better quality text and graphics.

Still, when talking about the Retina display, we must take into account that for many years we lived without it. And if you haven’t started using it, then for now you can do without it. The 13-inch MacBook Air displays a pretty decent picture on the screen.

Light weight or independent from a power outlet

How long can you use your MacBook Air without recharging?

Screen size isn't the only major difference between the 11-inch and 13-inch MacBook Air. The larger case size allows for a larger capacity battery. The models have 38 Wh and 54 Wh batteries, respectively.

Both MacBook Air models deliver outstanding battery life, thanks in part to the Haswell processor, which is more energy efficient than previous processors. Apple said the 11-inch MacBook Air can last up to 9 hours on a single charge, and the 13-inch MacBook Air can last up to 12 hours. So, if you spend all day away from power sources, the 13-inch model will be the best choice for you.

Slim design or third-party device connection

What can you attach to a MacBook Air?

Both the 11-inch and 13-inch MacBook Air have a 720p camera built into the center above the screen. They have a 1/8-inch headphone jack, two microphones (for better voice recording, or talking on Skype or FaceTime), two USB port 3.0 (one on each side) and one Thunderbolt port (on the right side). Thunderbolt, regular, not Thunderbolt 2.

Connectivity options for external devices differ only one. The 13-inch MacBook Air has an SDXC card slot on the right side. If you already use or are planning to buy a digital camera that records to an SD card, and also intend to use the MacBook Air to edit photos and videos taken with such a camera, the 13-inch MacBook Air is a convenient choice.

More RAM

If necessary?

4 GB of RAM is standard across the entire MacBook Air line. This is quite enough to run Mavericks, for Internet applications and, in general, for all applications that require normal performance. Well, if you really use RAM intensively: you work with media editors, run many applications at the same time, etc., you should think about 8 GB of memory. It's worth considering buying a MacBook Air with this amount of RAM if you're thinking about the future. Apple releases its devices with a reserve for planned changes. So, for example, a 2010 MacBook Air with 2 GB already works quite slowly with Mavericks.

It is worth saying that you immediately must decide how much RAM you need. Add volume by soldering additional memory To motherboard will not work.

More Flash Memory

If necessary?

This is probably the most difficult question when buying a MacBook Air. If you're moving from another machine, chances are you have apps and files that need to be transferred.

Compared to 512 GB on hard drives, which have recently been used in laptops, 128 GB of flash memory is quite meager space. Most likely, everything will have to be cut back sharply. Rarely used files can be archived and transferred to an external drive, server, or even to cloud storage. It might also be a good idea to use iCloud.

Having decided how do you do it all you will use, consider options

The 256 GB configuration will add $200 to the price of the base model (we get $1,199 and $1,299, respectively). If this is not enough, then we add another $300 to the price received, and we get 512 GB for $1,499 and $1,599, respectively, for the 11-inch and 13-inch MacBook Air.

In any case, increasing flash memory is quite expensive. There are companies like Other World Computing that specialize in SSD drives for older model year MacBook Airs. Please note that for the latest MacBooks Air they don't have SSD drives yet. This is due to the use of a new Haswell processor and a change in the entire flash drive operating system.

i7 processor

Is it necessary?

On paper, the MacBook Air looks sluggish compared to the MacBook Pro or some PC laptops. But this is a deceptive look. Flash storage makes a significant difference in operational efficiency. It also helps that the same company (Apple) makes the computer and develops the operating system that runs on that computer. The operating system is carefully optimized to get the most out of the processor.

The standard 1.3GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor is optimized for MacBook Air. But if you're willing to shell out $150, you'll get a dual-core Intel Core i7 processor. Besides the 30 percent difference in clock speed, there are other differences within the i7. It has an additional megabyte of cache memory - 4 MB instead of 3 MB on i5. The cache stores frequently used data. More cache means more data can be stored on the chip, which means the i7 is faster.

Turbo Boost acceleration technology for i5 and i7 automatically turns on the fastest cores. This Turbo mode practically doubles the frequency - from 2.6 GHz on the i5, to 3.3 GHz on the i7.

Both processors use integrated graphics - HD Graphics Intel 5000, and the i7 processor handles graphics faster than the i5. If you want to achieve maximum performance, then it's worth spending $150 on an i7 processor. But in principle, this is not at all necessary - a standard processor more which is enough for everyday use.

Who should buy the 11-inch MacBook Air

If weight and size are the main criteria for choosing a laptop, the 11-inch MacBook Air is your machine. He's a little more than iPad Air(although more than twice as heavy in weight), but it is completely functional computer A Mas that can do anything you want. The 11-inch MacBook Air is a great computer for kids in schools and students who want a device that's lightweight and flexible.

There are a few compromises that you accept - a smaller (by about 20%) display and the lack of an SD card slot. If this is not important for use, then the lightweight, small 11-inch MacBook Air will be the ideal mobile laptop.

Who should buy the 13-inch MacBook Air

The 13-inch model in the basic configuration is $100 more expensive. But it has a larger screen, better battery life, and a slot for an SD card. Before the October update, the MacBook Pro was a near-perfect combination of lightness, performance and price. After the release of the MacBook Pro with Retina display, and the announcement Apple new prices, a $200 difference separates the base 13-inch MacBook Air from the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display. But by spending that $200, you'll get a much faster processor, better graphics performance, much more best screen, more RAM and storage (up to 16 GB RAM and 1 TB flash storage). With two Thunderbolt 2 ports and an HDMI port, your connectivity to external devices will greatly increase. The MacBook Pro with Retina display is about 200g heavier.

Conclusion: If you're not willing or able to pay for a MacBook Pro with Retina display, or if you want a lighter, longer lasting autonomous operation And don't bother comparing the two machines, the MacBook Air is an amazing, lightweight laptop.

By the way, you can look at the review of the MacBook Air-13 made directly by the buyer.

Haven't made your choice yet? Please visit Apple's pages and dedicated forums. It's even better if you leave your comments right here. One thing you can be sure of is that thanks to brilliant engineers, Apple has created an incredible air computer, with which you can work independently for a long time, making MacBook Air a fantastic travel companion.

• Availability of specific product features, configurations, and configurations may vary by country and/or region.

1. 1 GB = 1 billion bytes, 1 TB = 1 trillion bytes; actual capacity after formatting is less.
2. Testing was carried out by Apple in October 2018 on preproduction MacBook Air units with a 1.6 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor, 8 GB of RAM, and a 256 GB SSD. When testing wireless connection The battery life was determined while browsing 25 popular websites at a display brightness level of 75% (12 clicks from minimum brightness). When testing iTunes movie playback, battery life was measured while playing 1080p HD content at 75% display brightness (12 clicks from minimum brightness). When testing standby mode, battery life was determined as follows: the system connected to wireless network and iCloud account, allowed you to go into standby mode. At the same time, the Safari and Mail applications were open, and all system settings were left at their default values. Battery life depends on the settings and mode of use of the device. More details on the page.
3. Weight depends on device configuration and manufacturing process features.
4. iMovie, GarageBand, Pages, Numbers and Keynote can be downloaded on Mac App Store. To download applications you need Account Apple ID, as well as a device compatible with that version operating system, which is necessary for the operation of the corresponding application.
5. The recycled materials claim applies to the frame and is based on testing conducted by UL LLC.
6. MacBook Air is EPEAT Gold certified in the US and Canada.