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Technical Details
Size: 128GB
- Processor: 1.7 GHz i5-2320
- Number of Processors: 1
- RAM: 4 GB
- RAM Type: DDR3 SDRAM
- Hard Drive: Solid State
Product DetailsSize: 128GB
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Product Description
Size: 128GB
Amazon.com
The new MacBook Air is up to 2.5x faster than before. It features the latest Intel Core i5 dual-core processor, high-speed Thunderbolt I/O, a backlit keyboard, and OS X Lion, the next major release of the world's most advanced desktop operating system. MacBook Air also comes standard with flash storage, so it boots up in seconds, launches apps quickly, and wakes from sleep in an instant. And a long-lasting battery powers MacBook Air for up to 7 hours and offers up to 30 days of standby time. All in a durable unibody design that's thin, light, and ready for anything.
The MacBook Air with 13.3-inch screen--light, thin, and strong enough to take with you wherever you go (view larger).
This version of the MacBook Air (model MC965LL/A) sports a 13.3-inch high-resolution display, 1.7 GHz Intel Core i5 dual-core processor, 128 GB of flash memory storage, 4 GB of RAM, an Intel HD Graphics 3000 integrated graphics processor, and an SD card slot (see full specifications below). It also comes with the iLife software suite, which includes the latest versions of iPhoto, iMovie, and GarageBand.
OS X Lion
Every Mac comes with OS X Lion, the latest release of the world's most advanced desktop operating system. With over 250 features including Multi-Touch gestures, Mission Control, full-screen apps, and Launchpad, OS X Lion takes the Mac further than ever.
Key OS X Lion Features
- Mission Control provides a bird's-eye view of everything running on your Mac.
- Launchpad puts all your apps front and center for easy access.
- View apps full screen and switch between them with a swipe.
- Interact with your Mac using intuitive new Multi-Touch gestures.
Key Features
Flash Memory Storage
By replacing the standard spinning hard drive typically found in laptops (as well as desktop PCs) with flash memory, the MacBook Air delivers an almost instantaneous boot-up when you open the display, as well as faster application launches and snappier overall performance. Additionally, Apple has shed the enclosure that typically surrounds flash memory (usually about the same size as a standard hard drive), thus giving it a smaller footprint and helping to decrease the size of the MacBook Air.
The ultimate do-everything, take-everywhere notebook
(view larger).
(view larger).
Revolutionary Thunderbolt Technology
Developed by Intel with collaboration from Apple, high-speed Thunderbolt I/O (input/output) technology delivers an amazing 10 gigabits per second of transfer speeds in both directions. Built into the MacBook Air, the Thunderbolt port allows you to connect to new Thunderbolt-compatible peripherals as well as existing USB and FireWire peripherals using simple adapters. You'll be able to move data up to 20 times faster than with USB 2.0 and more than 12 times faster than with FireWire 800, and you can daisy-chain up to six high-speed devices without using a hub. Thunderbolt also supports DisplayPort for high resolution displays and works with existing adapters for HDMI, DVI, and VGA displays.
Glass Multi-Touch Trackpad and Backlit Keyboard
With the smooth, glass Multi-Touch trackpad, the MacBook Air makes it easy to navigate OS X Lion and your software applications. You can pinch, swipe or rotate images on the display screen with the brush of two fingers, or add more digits for a four-fingered vertical swipe to open Expose and quickly glance at all of your open windows.
Spacious, full-sized keyboard with backlighting (view larger).
In spite of its compact size, the MacBook Air has a full-size keyboard for comfortable, natural typing, and it's backlit so you can keep typing in even the dimmest light.
Integrated FaceTime Webcam
You'll be able to easily connect with friends, family, and business colleagues using the MacBook Air's FaceTime camera, which is integrated into the thin bezel above the display. And with Apple's FaceTime application, you're not limited to video chats with other Macs--you can now make video calls to iPhone and iPod touch users (Wi-Fi connection required for mobile users).
Specifications
- 13.3-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display with a 1440 x 900-pixel resolution
- Up to 7 hours of wireless productivity plus up to 30 days of standby time
- 1.7 GHz Intel Core i5 dual-core processor with 3 MB shared L3 cache.
- 128 GB flash memory storage
- 4 GB installed RAM (1333 MHz DDR3; maximum capacity)
- Intel HD Graphics 3000 processor (with 384 MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory) for an outstanding everyday graphics experience.
- Built-in FaceTime camera for video chatting
- Wireless-N Wi-Fi wireless networking (based on 802.11n specification; 802.11a/b/g compatible)
- Bluetooth 4.0 technology for connecting with peripherals such as keyboards, mice, and cell phones.
- Two USB 2.0 ports with networking using optional Apple USB Ethernet adapter
- SD card slot
- Thunderbolt port with support for up to 2560 x 1600-pixel resolution (compatible with Mini DisplayPort devices)
- Built-in stereo speakers along with omnidirectional microphone, headphone port
- Full-size keyboard with backlighting
- Multi-Touch trackpad for precise cursor control; supports inertial scrolling, pinch, rotate, swipe, three-finger swipe, four-finger swipe, tap, double-tap, and drag capabilities
- Dimensions: 12.8 x 8.94 x 0.68 inches (WxDxH)
- Weight: 2.96 pounds
What's in the Box
13.3-inch MacBook Air, 45W MagSafe power adapter, AC wall plug, power cord, printed and electronic documentation
Note: The MacBook Air does not come with an optical drive, however OS X Lion offers the convenient DVD or CD Sharing feature, which lets you wirelessly "borrow" the optical drive of a nearby Mac or PC. So you can install applications from a DVD or CD and have full access to an optical drive without having to carry one around. Additionally, you can connect an optional optical drive (such as the MacBook Air SuperDrive) via one of the USB ports.
Included Software
- OS X Lion
Includes Mail, Address Book, iCal, the Mac App Store, iTunes, Safari, Time Machine, FaceTime, Photo Booth, Mission Control, Launchpad, AirDrop, Resume, Auto Save, Versions, Quick Look, Spotlight, QuickTime, and more. - Lion Recovery
OS X Lion includes a built-in set of tools for repairing your Mac in the Recovery HD, a new feature that lets you repair disks or reinstall OS X Lion without a physical disc.
Limited Warranty And Service
The MacBook Air comes with 90 days of free telephone support and a 1-year limited warranty, which can be extended to 3 years with the AppleCare Protection Plan.
AppleCare Protection Plan
Because Apple makes the hardware, the operating system, and many applications, the Mac is a truly integrated system. And only the AppleCare Protection Plan gives you one-stop service and support from Apple experts, so most issues can be resolved in a single call. Extend the complimentary service and support on your Mac to 3 years from the original Mac purchase date with the AppleCare Protection Plan. You get direct telephone access to Apple experts for technical questions, and you get global repair coverage--including both parts and labor--for your Mac and select Apple peripherals.
Optional Accessories and Related Products
 | Apple Thunderbolt Display |
 | Time Capsule |
 | Apple MacBook Air SuperDrive |
 | Apple USB Ethernet Adapter |
 | Apple Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter |
 | Apple Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter |
 | Apple Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter |
Product Description
The new MacBook Air is up to 2.5x faster than before. It features the latest Intel Core i5 dual-core processor, high-speed Thunderbolt I/O, a backlit keyboard, and OS X Lion, the next major release of the world's most advanced desktop operating system. MacBook Air also comes standard with flash storage, so it boots up in seconds, launches apps quickly, and wakes from sleep in an instant. And a long-lasting battery powers MacBook Air for up to 7 hours and offers up to 30 days of standby time. All in a durable unibody design that's thin, light, and ready for anything.
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
525 of 547 people found the following review helpful
By Wayne N
Size Name:128GB
*2012 Pro and Air models are available but the designs remain the same meaning the physical aspects covered below are the same as well.
The primary features of the 2012 13" MacBook Air are:
- Ivy Bridge processor + HD 4000 graphics (60% better performance)
- USB 3.0
- 720p webcam
- 2x SSD read speeds. Write speeds didn't change.
- $100 price drop
I've owned the machine for 10 months now and have simplified the review for your convenience.
Things I like:
+ Light weight; 2.9 lbs (1.3 kg). You can easily hold it with one hand - the MBP 13" is noticeably heavier at 4.5 lbs.
+ Solid build quality like the MBPs. Chassis is rock solid, no keyboard flex, screen housing is rigid with minor flex in the middle.
+ Better ergonomics than the MBPs; the palm rest edges don't dig into your wrists like the edges on the MBPs do.
+ Same fluid multitouch trackpad and the backlit keyboard makes a return.
+ The screen is a pleasure to use with it's high resolution (1440 x 900) and semi-gloss finish.
There is no glass cover so there will be dramatically less reflections compared to the screen of the MBPs
I personally chose the Air over the Pro because of reduced glare.
+ 18 second boot ups and 3 second shut downs. Resumes from sleep within 3 seconds.
+ The two USB 2.0 ports are on opposite sides of the laptop (less clutter than MBP)
+ Speakers are surprisingly loud; they can fill up a small room.
+ Runs extremely cool and it's so quiet that you'll wonder if the fan is running at all.
I can definitely feel heat ~ 87 degrees F on the MPB 13's underside after 6 hours of use
where as the MBA 13's underside stayed relatively cooler.
+ Runs Windows 7 just as cool and quietly. (I installed Windows 7 via flash drive)
+ Performance is almost identical to the MBP 13" 2011 on everyday tasks because the Core i5
CPU can turbo boost to 2.7 GHz and the SSD allows for instant application launching.
+ Gaming: it has the same Intel HD Graphics 3000 as the MBP 13" 2011. I was able to run
Starcraft II smoothly at low settings on native resolution. Medium settings also ran nicely but
you get less FPS during large battles. League of Legends ran smoothly at medium settings
30 FPS flat) on native resolution.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Things I don't like:
- *IMPORTANT* Wifi drops - have been less frequent in the wake of more updates from Apple.
- The keyboard is shallower and has less travel than the MBP keyboards (you'll get used to it
within a few days)
- The screen has less color gamut than the MBP 13's screen. This screen covers only 46% of
sRGB color spectrum where as the MBP 13's screen covers 77%. For image editing,
I would use an external monitor.
- The vertical viewing angles aren't so great. One minute tilt of the screen causes colors to shift
dramatically (for example: a purple color can change from lavender to light blue as you tilt
the screen backward or forward). Again, I would use an external monitor for tasks in
which accurate colors are mission critical. For everyday use it's not noticeable and is
actually easier on the eyes than the glare-prone screens of the MBPs.
- Not all models come with the same SSD. There are 2 variations; a Samsung SSD and a
Toshiba SSD. The Samsung SSD significantly outperforms the Toshiba SSD in
benchmarks (check the AnandTech review)
To check what SSD you have, click on the Apple logo -> About this Mac ->
more info/system report -> then look on the left hand side and click on "Serial- ATA".
If your SSD's serial number starts with "SM" it's a Samsung and a "TS" means it's a
Toshiba.
- I personally get 5 hours of battery life max on a single charge while surfing with 10+ tabs open on safari; I got
~7 hours doing the same tasks on the MPB 13 2011. My activities included watching
YouTube videos, viewing flash content on tech and news sites, reading/writing email,
and using AIM.
- No FaceTime HD Camera (720p) as on the MPBs. The quality difference is, unfortunately,
very noticeable.
- The integrated microphone is located on the side of the laptop instead of on top of the keyboard
as on the MBP. During Skype calls, my buddies told me that my voice sounded muffled
when using the Air. Using a headset with a mic, I was able to improve the sound quality.
- The base of the machine developed a creaking noise within the first week of use. I suspect this to be
caused by uneven tension in the screws.
- after 5 months of, a white cluster of stuck pixels developed in the bottom left corner of the screen.
The machine has been handled with care so it's not accidental damage.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Conclusion: Which one should you get?
As a college student, I would recommend the Macbook Pro 13". The Air is more than capable of being a primary machine because
of it's superb performance and overall very good screen. For everyday tasks, it should be snappy and an ease to use.
However, students will get a $100 discount on the Pro while the Air only provides a $50 discount. This means that there is a price
difference of $150 for students. The storage space on the Air is imited to 128GB or 256GB while the Pro comes standard with 500GB.
Plus, you can always add a SSD to the Pro later on. The Pro will be the better choice for creative students because it's screen has more color
gamut than the Air's. Lastly, you are getting a full voltage processor which can make a differencein video encoding or other CPU intensive tasks.
If you are not a student:
If you value the extra ports (Ethernet, Firewire, optical drive), a high gamut screen (although more reflective), a 720p webcam
(it's a lot better), and the ability to upgradelater down the line - go for the Pro.
If you prioritize portability (light weight), higher screen resolution, fast boot ups/shut downs, and less reflections - go for the Air.
In everyday performance the Air feels faster when booting up and launching applications because of its SSD. In CPU intensive tasks,
the Pro will have a slight edge but not much. (the two CPUs are actually pretty neck to neck on GeekBench benchmarks). They both
have the same graphics chip but note that the Pro will get better battery life (1-2 hours more) than the Air because the Pro has a bigger
capacity battery (63.5 watt-hours vs. 50 watt-hours)
Unfortunately, my unit is affected with a wifi drop problem. I don't know if you will encounter the same issue but if you buy an Air from
an Apple Store, make sure to test the wifi out by using it on multiple networks. If you encounter any erratic wifi drops within
the first 14 days - demand a refund or an exchange.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Update - December 27th, 2011
After installing the 10.7.2 and a firmware update, the wifi connections in my dorm room became more reliable.
However, after taking it home I experienced drops as before on the home network. I DOUBT it's a problem with my
router because ALL other connected devices work fine. The 2011 MBP 13" I previously owned worked flawlessly on my network.
This is most likely a problem with the Air's drivers. 5 months after product launch, I don't believe Apple
has acknowledged the issue or either chose to IGNORE it as other users on the official forums continue to
have similar complaints even to this day.
Hardware wise, the casing held up well except for a scratch on the side. The lid is frighteningly thin and I've read
reports of the screen's fragile nature - cracking at the slightest bump by another object. I would handle with care.
Want to know something funny? With the machine off, I can see through the Apple logo on the lid if there's light
behind it - it's that thin.
Software wise, sometimes the machine would run hot with fans blazing full throttle when watching HD YouTube videos
and would remain that way even though I close everything. Very odd. A quick reboot solves the problem.
A creaking sound developed within a week of purchase. When I lift the machine up, press on the palm rest or type on it
there would be a creaking noise produced. I suspected the screws of the bottom to be loose so I decided to tighten them.
Note that you'll have to order a pentalobe screwdriver to do this - the screws aren't the typical type.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
January 9th, 2011
A cluster of 4-5 stuck pixels developed so I went to get a screen replacement. The Apple genius confirmed it was
4-5 pixels which qualified me for a screen replacement. Service was prompt and I got the machine the next day.
However, the new screen had 2 clearly visible dead pixels in the center of the screen. I tried using it for a few days
but they were an absolute distraction.
Dissatisfied, I took it back to another genius only to be met with rude service. I stated that the dead pixels hindered
functionality as they were visual distractions. He snidely responded with, "Where? Read more ›
The primary features of the 2012 13" MacBook Air are:
- Ivy Bridge processor + HD 4000 graphics (60% better performance)
- USB 3.0
- 720p webcam
- 2x SSD read speeds. Write speeds didn't change.
- $100 price drop
I've owned the machine for 10 months now and have simplified the review for your convenience.
Things I like:
+ Light weight; 2.9 lbs (1.3 kg). You can easily hold it with one hand - the MBP 13" is noticeably heavier at 4.5 lbs.
+ Solid build quality like the MBPs. Chassis is rock solid, no keyboard flex, screen housing is rigid with minor flex in the middle.
+ Better ergonomics than the MBPs; the palm rest edges don't dig into your wrists like the edges on the MBPs do.
+ Same fluid multitouch trackpad and the backlit keyboard makes a return.
+ The screen is a pleasure to use with it's high resolution (1440 x 900) and semi-gloss finish.
There is no glass cover so there will be dramatically less reflections compared to the screen of the MBPs
I personally chose the Air over the Pro because of reduced glare.
+ 18 second boot ups and 3 second shut downs. Resumes from sleep within 3 seconds.
+ The two USB 2.0 ports are on opposite sides of the laptop (less clutter than MBP)
+ Speakers are surprisingly loud; they can fill up a small room.
+ Runs extremely cool and it's so quiet that you'll wonder if the fan is running at all.
I can definitely feel heat ~ 87 degrees F on the MPB 13's underside after 6 hours of use
where as the MBA 13's underside stayed relatively cooler.
+ Runs Windows 7 just as cool and quietly. (I installed Windows 7 via flash drive)
+ Performance is almost identical to the MBP 13" 2011 on everyday tasks because the Core i5
CPU can turbo boost to 2.7 GHz and the SSD allows for instant application launching.
+ Gaming: it has the same Intel HD Graphics 3000 as the MBP 13" 2011. I was able to run
Starcraft II smoothly at low settings on native resolution. Medium settings also ran nicely but
you get less FPS during large battles. League of Legends ran smoothly at medium settings
30 FPS flat) on native resolution.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Things I don't like:
- *IMPORTANT* Wifi drops - have been less frequent in the wake of more updates from Apple.
- The keyboard is shallower and has less travel than the MBP keyboards (you'll get used to it
within a few days)
- The screen has less color gamut than the MBP 13's screen. This screen covers only 46% of
sRGB color spectrum where as the MBP 13's screen covers 77%. For image editing,
I would use an external monitor.
- The vertical viewing angles aren't so great. One minute tilt of the screen causes colors to shift
dramatically (for example: a purple color can change from lavender to light blue as you tilt
the screen backward or forward). Again, I would use an external monitor for tasks in
which accurate colors are mission critical. For everyday use it's not noticeable and is
actually easier on the eyes than the glare-prone screens of the MBPs.
- Not all models come with the same SSD. There are 2 variations; a Samsung SSD and a
Toshiba SSD. The Samsung SSD significantly outperforms the Toshiba SSD in
benchmarks (check the AnandTech review)
To check what SSD you have, click on the Apple logo -> About this Mac ->
more info/system report -> then look on the left hand side and click on "Serial- ATA".
If your SSD's serial number starts with "SM" it's a Samsung and a "TS" means it's a
Toshiba.
- I personally get 5 hours of battery life max on a single charge while surfing with 10+ tabs open on safari; I got
~7 hours doing the same tasks on the MPB 13 2011. My activities included watching
YouTube videos, viewing flash content on tech and news sites, reading/writing email,
and using AIM.
- No FaceTime HD Camera (720p) as on the MPBs. The quality difference is, unfortunately,
very noticeable.
- The integrated microphone is located on the side of the laptop instead of on top of the keyboard
as on the MBP. During Skype calls, my buddies told me that my voice sounded muffled
when using the Air. Using a headset with a mic, I was able to improve the sound quality.
- The base of the machine developed a creaking noise within the first week of use. I suspect this to be
caused by uneven tension in the screws.
- after 5 months of, a white cluster of stuck pixels developed in the bottom left corner of the screen.
The machine has been handled with care so it's not accidental damage.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Conclusion: Which one should you get?
As a college student, I would recommend the Macbook Pro 13". The Air is more than capable of being a primary machine because
of it's superb performance and overall very good screen. For everyday tasks, it should be snappy and an ease to use.
However, students will get a $100 discount on the Pro while the Air only provides a $50 discount. This means that there is a price
difference of $150 for students. The storage space on the Air is imited to 128GB or 256GB while the Pro comes standard with 500GB.
Plus, you can always add a SSD to the Pro later on. The Pro will be the better choice for creative students because it's screen has more color
gamut than the Air's. Lastly, you are getting a full voltage processor which can make a differencein video encoding or other CPU intensive tasks.
If you are not a student:
If you value the extra ports (Ethernet, Firewire, optical drive), a high gamut screen (although more reflective), a 720p webcam
(it's a lot better), and the ability to upgradelater down the line - go for the Pro.
If you prioritize portability (light weight), higher screen resolution, fast boot ups/shut downs, and less reflections - go for the Air.
In everyday performance the Air feels faster when booting up and launching applications because of its SSD. In CPU intensive tasks,
the Pro will have a slight edge but not much. (the two CPUs are actually pretty neck to neck on GeekBench benchmarks). They both
have the same graphics chip but note that the Pro will get better battery life (1-2 hours more) than the Air because the Pro has a bigger
capacity battery (63.5 watt-hours vs. 50 watt-hours)
Unfortunately, my unit is affected with a wifi drop problem. I don't know if you will encounter the same issue but if you buy an Air from
an Apple Store, make sure to test the wifi out by using it on multiple networks. If you encounter any erratic wifi drops within
the first 14 days - demand a refund or an exchange.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Update - December 27th, 2011
After installing the 10.7.2 and a firmware update, the wifi connections in my dorm room became more reliable.
However, after taking it home I experienced drops as before on the home network. I DOUBT it's a problem with my
router because ALL other connected devices work fine. The 2011 MBP 13" I previously owned worked flawlessly on my network.
This is most likely a problem with the Air's drivers. 5 months after product launch, I don't believe Apple
has acknowledged the issue or either chose to IGNORE it as other users on the official forums continue to
have similar complaints even to this day.
Hardware wise, the casing held up well except for a scratch on the side. The lid is frighteningly thin and I've read
reports of the screen's fragile nature - cracking at the slightest bump by another object. I would handle with care.
Want to know something funny? With the machine off, I can see through the Apple logo on the lid if there's light
behind it - it's that thin.
Software wise, sometimes the machine would run hot with fans blazing full throttle when watching HD YouTube videos
and would remain that way even though I close everything. Very odd. A quick reboot solves the problem.
A creaking sound developed within a week of purchase. When I lift the machine up, press on the palm rest or type on it
there would be a creaking noise produced. I suspected the screws of the bottom to be loose so I decided to tighten them.
Note that you'll have to order a pentalobe screwdriver to do this - the screws aren't the typical type.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
January 9th, 2011
A cluster of 4-5 stuck pixels developed so I went to get a screen replacement. The Apple genius confirmed it was
4-5 pixels which qualified me for a screen replacement. Service was prompt and I got the machine the next day.
However, the new screen had 2 clearly visible dead pixels in the center of the screen. I tried using it for a few days
but they were an absolute distraction.
Dissatisfied, I took it back to another genius only to be met with rude service. I stated that the dead pixels hindered
functionality as they were visual distractions. He snidely responded with, "Where? Read more ›
167 of 178 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
Great Looks, Speedy Laptop. Gets hot and loud under moderate CPU load.
August 15, 2011
By Alex Green
Size Name:256GB
I have been using my new 13" Macbook Air, 256GB, Core i7 for just over a week and here are my impressions...
First, the good stuff...
- The industrial design is absolutely gorgeous and rock-solid. The laptop is thin, light and pleasure to look at.
- Screen is 13" but the resolution is comparable to that of most 15"+ laptops. Perfectly usable for graphic/software development. While Macbook Air uses (supposedly) an inferior TN panel compared to Macbook Pro, I did not find a drastic difference between the two (I also own a 17" Macbook Pro). The Air has slightly smaller viewing angles and perhaps not as good colour reproduction, but the differences are subtle. Also, there's a lot less glare on Air's "glossy" display compared to glossy Macbook Pro.
- Performance is great, in some cases it bests the Quad Core i7 17" Macbook Pro, thanks to its SSD Drive. Startups/shutdowns are super fast and the applications open/close almost instantly. Having said that, do not expect to do any serious gaming on this little guy. The built-in Intel graphics chip has hard time handling even 5 year old games and is actually slower than nVidia chip on the previous generation Air.
- Expect to get about 4-5 hours of mixed use out of "7 hour" battery. That's what I average while doing some Photoshop and web dev work, browsing, listening to music and viewing a few video clips.
Now, the negatives...
Well, it's one negative really, but it is something I find extremely annoying. The laptop gets VERY hot when CPU usage approaches 50% and the fan kicks in full-blast at 6,000+ RPM.
I first noticed the excessive noise when I was transferring my data and applications from the time machine backup upon initial setup. The fan stayed on entire time, CPU temperature was approaching 90C while being only 30% utilized.
I continued to experience high heat/fan noise issues throughout the week. Sometimes it was during routine web browsing where some of the websites contained Flash elements. Starting Windows XP in Parallels would immediately set the fan in motion, again, sometimes hitting 6,000+ rpm. Playing Civilization IV, a fairly old game, had fan going full blast entire time with CPU again reaching 90C. Apple's own "Cosmos" screensaver brings the CPU temperature up to 80-85C and the fan up to 4500-5000rpm. The most annoying thing -- none of these tasks were taxing the CPU at more than 50%!
I did a fair bit of research on this issue. There are multiple discussions on Apple, MacRumours and other forums about excessive heat and fan noise. Also, many report increased heat on their older Apple laptops after upgrading to Lion, so perhaps (fingers crossed), there's a patch on the way that will improve thermal management somewhat.
The thought about returning the Air for refund did cross my mind, but I decided to keep it in the end. I am not a gamer and doing my work (web/mobile development) is not very taxing on the CPU, however, I do not think it is unreasonable to expect relatively quiet operation on such premium laptop with only 50% CPU usage. I can only hope that Apple is listening and looking to remedy the problem.
***Update: March 28, 2012***
It has been several months since I purchased the Air, so I thought I'd write a quick update.
There were no software updates from Apple that would fix the overheating issue. Some claim in the comments that the thermal problems are limited to Macbook Air Core i7 version, however, I got to play with friend's Core i5/120Gb Air and got the fan hitting 6,000+ rpm simply by opening two browser tabs with YouTube videos in them. The playback has become choppy pretty quickly as well. The fan was also audible on pages with a few Flash elements in it (like newspaper sites). It seemed slightly (very slightly) less prone to heat issue, but it's definitely there.
I also played around with an 11" Macbook Air Core i5 at the Apple Store and, interestingly enough, it handled Flash far better than (supposedly) more powerful 13"... I opened 5! 1080p YouTube videos and still wouldn't hear the fan... Quite amazing actually. The difference seems to be the i5/i7 processors in the 13" Air that can hit higher clock speeds but nearly frying the internals in the process.
If you find your Macbook Air fan going off like a jet engine every time you visit YouTube or any page with Flash content, here are a couple of browser plugins that I found helpful (they block movies until you specifically click on them):
- FlashBlock for Firefox
- ClickToFlash for Safari
There's a model refresh coming sometime this summer, apparently, and I hope Apple will figure out the way to solve this problem. Of course, much depends on Intel chips that they're going to use in new models.
First, the good stuff...
- The industrial design is absolutely gorgeous and rock-solid. The laptop is thin, light and pleasure to look at.
- Screen is 13" but the resolution is comparable to that of most 15"+ laptops. Perfectly usable for graphic/software development. While Macbook Air uses (supposedly) an inferior TN panel compared to Macbook Pro, I did not find a drastic difference between the two (I also own a 17" Macbook Pro). The Air has slightly smaller viewing angles and perhaps not as good colour reproduction, but the differences are subtle. Also, there's a lot less glare on Air's "glossy" display compared to glossy Macbook Pro.
- Performance is great, in some cases it bests the Quad Core i7 17" Macbook Pro, thanks to its SSD Drive. Startups/shutdowns are super fast and the applications open/close almost instantly. Having said that, do not expect to do any serious gaming on this little guy. The built-in Intel graphics chip has hard time handling even 5 year old games and is actually slower than nVidia chip on the previous generation Air.
- Expect to get about 4-5 hours of mixed use out of "7 hour" battery. That's what I average while doing some Photoshop and web dev work, browsing, listening to music and viewing a few video clips.
Now, the negatives...
Well, it's one negative really, but it is something I find extremely annoying. The laptop gets VERY hot when CPU usage approaches 50% and the fan kicks in full-blast at 6,000+ RPM.
I first noticed the excessive noise when I was transferring my data and applications from the time machine backup upon initial setup. The fan stayed on entire time, CPU temperature was approaching 90C while being only 30% utilized.
I continued to experience high heat/fan noise issues throughout the week. Sometimes it was during routine web browsing where some of the websites contained Flash elements. Starting Windows XP in Parallels would immediately set the fan in motion, again, sometimes hitting 6,000+ rpm. Playing Civilization IV, a fairly old game, had fan going full blast entire time with CPU again reaching 90C. Apple's own "Cosmos" screensaver brings the CPU temperature up to 80-85C and the fan up to 4500-5000rpm. The most annoying thing -- none of these tasks were taxing the CPU at more than 50%!
I did a fair bit of research on this issue. There are multiple discussions on Apple, MacRumours and other forums about excessive heat and fan noise. Also, many report increased heat on their older Apple laptops after upgrading to Lion, so perhaps (fingers crossed), there's a patch on the way that will improve thermal management somewhat.
The thought about returning the Air for refund did cross my mind, but I decided to keep it in the end. I am not a gamer and doing my work (web/mobile development) is not very taxing on the CPU, however, I do not think it is unreasonable to expect relatively quiet operation on such premium laptop with only 50% CPU usage. I can only hope that Apple is listening and looking to remedy the problem.
***Update: March 28, 2012***
It has been several months since I purchased the Air, so I thought I'd write a quick update.
There were no software updates from Apple that would fix the overheating issue. Some claim in the comments that the thermal problems are limited to Macbook Air Core i7 version, however, I got to play with friend's Core i5/120Gb Air and got the fan hitting 6,000+ rpm simply by opening two browser tabs with YouTube videos in them. The playback has become choppy pretty quickly as well. The fan was also audible on pages with a few Flash elements in it (like newspaper sites). It seemed slightly (very slightly) less prone to heat issue, but it's definitely there.
I also played around with an 11" Macbook Air Core i5 at the Apple Store and, interestingly enough, it handled Flash far better than (supposedly) more powerful 13"... I opened 5! 1080p YouTube videos and still wouldn't hear the fan... Quite amazing actually. The difference seems to be the i5/i7 processors in the 13" Air that can hit higher clock speeds but nearly frying the internals in the process.
If you find your Macbook Air fan going off like a jet engine every time you visit YouTube or any page with Flash content, here are a couple of browser plugins that I found helpful (they block movies until you specifically click on them):
- FlashBlock for Firefox
- ClickToFlash for Safari
There's a model refresh coming sometime this summer, apparently, and I hope Apple will figure out the way to solve this problem. Of course, much depends on Intel chips that they're going to use in new models.
71 of 75 people found the following review helpful
By R. Chapman
Size Name:256GB|Amazon Verified Purchase
Background:
For the past two years or so I've gone through numerous brands/models in an incessant search to find a laptop that was easily portable and had enough horsepower to match or exceed the performance of a solid $500 desktop with enough battery life to last over four hours of real world use. In this time span I've gone through over a dozen laptops or netbooks that were eventually returned, sold, donated to family or friends, modded and repurposed, or are currently sitting collecting dust awaiting a similar fate. A short list of the more memorable laptops/netbooks that I've previously owned/used that I can remember off hand include: HP TM2T(Core 2 Duo); HP TM2T(Core i3), Asus T101MT, MacBook Air (2009), Acer 4820TG, HP Envy 14, HP dv7t Quad Edition, ASUS U36JC, MacBook Pro 13, and two lower cost laptop models made by Gateway and Acer that I won't mention because they really didn't fit the criteria I was looking for when I acquired them.
I can truly say the 2011 MacBook Air 13" is the most satisfied I've been with any laptop I've used. Although I do find some quirks with the 2011 MBA lineup they are passable and this product still deserves a full five stars. I will probably echo some of the same pros and cons that others have stated, but let's move on with my review so I can tell you my impressions of this.
HARDWARE PROS:
- Weight/Form Factor: I've always considered portability to be important in a laptop but I can't emphasize this enough. If you've never held and used a MacBook Air before you should be impressed by its weight and form factor alone. Mostly anyone could easily hold the 13" MacBook with one hand. It means I can be watching a video and if I need to move to another room in the house and can easily walk with the laptop in one hand. However, I don't think it is light/comfortable enough to hold while standing for prolonged periods of time. I've demonstrated how light it is to several people under 5 feet tall by stand and watch a YouTube video holding the MBA with one. So, if you're concerned about the 13" size because you're short you shouldn't let that deter you until you actually try it.
- Core i5 2nd Generation Sandy Bridge Processor/ 4GB RAM Standard: When I first got the 2009 MBA I was extremely impressed by its form factor and weight as stated above, but after trying to use the 2009 MBA for productivity and multitasking you realize that something is amiss in the hardware and this eventually leads to frustration. The 2009 and 2010 MacBook Air base models only included 2GB of RAM and missed an entire generation of Core i-series processors, and despite having a solid state hard drive and a dedicated graphics card their of value in price to performance was very underwhelming compared to what was available for much less at the time. I currently have 16 tabs opened across four windows in Firefox, 5 tabs in Chrome, two applications(Silverlight and Java) streaming live financial quotes, DropBox, iTunes and a P2P application running while I am typing this review. I haven't noticed any noticeable hitches in performance. I have read about others complaining about issues with various Adobe software (especially Flash) with the latest version of OS X Lion. I have only experienced some sluggishness once when resuming from deep sleep. For testing I used a downloaded Flash game. It took a little more than 10 seconds to re-render. However, this may have more to do with the integrated graphics and could possibly be corrected in the future with an update.
- Solid State Drive: There's not much to say here. If you've never experienced the performance leap from using a SSD then you will probably be more than a little impressed by the much faster load/boot times. I've installed SSDs on a few computers after talking up the performance boosts. I guess they were expecting everything to be instantaneous. Anyway, it's very noticeable in Bootcamp running Windows over the MBP 13 I've been using or when transfering/copying larger files. You can read more about the much faster load/boot times from other reviews online.
- Trackpad: Quite often, previous MacBook owners don't mention this as a Pro. However, the trackpad is the biggest reason why I prefer a MacBook as my laptop of choice. I grew tired of the jumping cursors, crappy drivers, and erratic touchpad gestures. For some reason Synaptic and most PC vendors overlook or can't seem to get it right. How do you neglect its importance as the primary functioning hardware you use to actually interact with your computer. The trackpad on the MBA just works. It works so well and is far more than accurate enough that I actually prefer not using a mouse with my laptop because of it.
- Backlit Keyboard: The keyboard itself may take some getting used to if you've never used a MacBook before. However, once you grow accustomed to the layout you will enjoy the amount of travel and "clickiness" to it. Thankfully, the backlight was brought back for the 2011 lineup. I don't understand why this feature was removed to begin with since it doesn't impact battery life that much. It's clutch and greatly appreciated in low lit environments.
- Build: It's the same aluminum casing material used in all the MacBook models and the same chassis design that was used in the 2010 model. Solid construction
HARDWARE CONS:
- No USB 3.0: Although USB 3.0 is not as ubiquitous USB 2.0 it is quickly growing and peripherals are far more abundant and less expensive than Thunderbolt peripherals. USB 3.0 will likely remain far more popular than Thunderbolt after Apple's exclusivity expires next year because USB 3.0 is more cost-effective to produce and is backwards compatible with the millions of USB 2.0 devices already available. I agree with other reviewers in that this reduces the future proofing of this model, and it seems like Apple's Firewire vs USB 2.0 situation repeated. (I digress that at least there are two USB 2.0 ports on opposite ends. My original 2009 MBA had one.)
- Facetime Camera not High Definition: I try not to show my mug on camera but sometimes I have to use it to speak to clients via remote connections and occasional video conferencing. Again, considering the profit margins on each MBA sold I don't understand the reason to exclude this feature other than Apple being Apple and including this as an improved feature for next year.
- Power Button: The power button is placed in the keyboard layout right above the delete key!!! It's where the eject button is on my MBP right above the Delete key. Yes, I just praised the keyboard in the Pros. Until you grow accustomed to this your chances of accidentally hitting the power button by mistake in the beginning is likely. It won't shut your computer down or put the computer to sleep. It simply brings up the power down dialog, but it's still a questionable button placement.
- Memory is not upgradeable: Not much more to add here. 4GB is enough for me and the SSD is definitely a huge boost to hard drive caching.
- Need adapters for HDMI, VGA, DVI. At this price and considering the profit margins on each unit sold the adapters at least an adapter for HDMI or VGA should be included. Meh...
OS X LION PROS: (because it deserves its own section)
- Mission Control and Spaces: I really like it. I used spaces on Snow Leopard with full screen apple(via third party apps) and this makes using it that much easier. You can drag windows from Space to Space to re-arrange your groups. It's a great improvement that can be improved.
- Cloud/App Store Operating System Installation: No 50 character CD Keys, scratched backup disks, or corrupt files on your thumb drive. Cheaper prices.
- Automatic Resume: It seamlessly automatically saves the last state of your applications. Some users don't like that applies universally to every open app, but it's very simple to prevent from occurring. If you are done with an and want to prevent said app from automatically restoring simply right click its icon in the dock press option and select force quit. Another app I've used is Flexiglass which adds the functionality of right clicking the red X to completely close an app and all its windows.
OSX LION CONS: (because it deserves its own section)
- Launchpad: This was a poor, not well executed integration into OS X. Out the box the Launchpad replaces the App Folder in the dock that used to be next to documents and the trash bin. I actually stared at the screen for a few moments until I dug through the search results. I've tried to use it. It keeps the desktop icon less cluttered for me and I moved many of the icons I typically place there in the Launchpad. However, customizing the Launchpad has its quirks. For instance, adding and renaming folders/icons in the Launchpad isn't just easily done on the Launchpad by right clicking the icon. You have to open it in Finder to rename it. There are no options to change the gesture in System Preference to view the Launchpad. I truly feel like the default gesture was tested using the midgets or elementary school kids. My hands are too big to consistently do the gesture. You'd think I could palm two basketballs with one hand.
Right now, the launchpad is quirky and somewhat redundant. I understand the direction Apple is heading and are thus slowly blending touch-based iOS and traditional Mac OS X, but the way Apps for OS X are distributed and the complete integration is definitely not with us today in any of Apple's lineup. Hopefully, things will improve with future updates. My hopes is that the launchpad serves as a replacement for Show Desktop in the future.
- Natural Scrolling: By default scrolling is inverted. Read more ›
For the past two years or so I've gone through numerous brands/models in an incessant search to find a laptop that was easily portable and had enough horsepower to match or exceed the performance of a solid $500 desktop with enough battery life to last over four hours of real world use. In this time span I've gone through over a dozen laptops or netbooks that were eventually returned, sold, donated to family or friends, modded and repurposed, or are currently sitting collecting dust awaiting a similar fate. A short list of the more memorable laptops/netbooks that I've previously owned/used that I can remember off hand include: HP TM2T(Core 2 Duo); HP TM2T(Core i3), Asus T101MT, MacBook Air (2009), Acer 4820TG, HP Envy 14, HP dv7t Quad Edition, ASUS U36JC, MacBook Pro 13, and two lower cost laptop models made by Gateway and Acer that I won't mention because they really didn't fit the criteria I was looking for when I acquired them.
I can truly say the 2011 MacBook Air 13" is the most satisfied I've been with any laptop I've used. Although I do find some quirks with the 2011 MBA lineup they are passable and this product still deserves a full five stars. I will probably echo some of the same pros and cons that others have stated, but let's move on with my review so I can tell you my impressions of this.
HARDWARE PROS:
- Weight/Form Factor: I've always considered portability to be important in a laptop but I can't emphasize this enough. If you've never held and used a MacBook Air before you should be impressed by its weight and form factor alone. Mostly anyone could easily hold the 13" MacBook with one hand. It means I can be watching a video and if I need to move to another room in the house and can easily walk with the laptop in one hand. However, I don't think it is light/comfortable enough to hold while standing for prolonged periods of time. I've demonstrated how light it is to several people under 5 feet tall by stand and watch a YouTube video holding the MBA with one. So, if you're concerned about the 13" size because you're short you shouldn't let that deter you until you actually try it.
- Core i5 2nd Generation Sandy Bridge Processor/ 4GB RAM Standard: When I first got the 2009 MBA I was extremely impressed by its form factor and weight as stated above, but after trying to use the 2009 MBA for productivity and multitasking you realize that something is amiss in the hardware and this eventually leads to frustration. The 2009 and 2010 MacBook Air base models only included 2GB of RAM and missed an entire generation of Core i-series processors, and despite having a solid state hard drive and a dedicated graphics card their of value in price to performance was very underwhelming compared to what was available for much less at the time. I currently have 16 tabs opened across four windows in Firefox, 5 tabs in Chrome, two applications(Silverlight and Java) streaming live financial quotes, DropBox, iTunes and a P2P application running while I am typing this review. I haven't noticed any noticeable hitches in performance. I have read about others complaining about issues with various Adobe software (especially Flash) with the latest version of OS X Lion. I have only experienced some sluggishness once when resuming from deep sleep. For testing I used a downloaded Flash game. It took a little more than 10 seconds to re-render. However, this may have more to do with the integrated graphics and could possibly be corrected in the future with an update.
- Solid State Drive: There's not much to say here. If you've never experienced the performance leap from using a SSD then you will probably be more than a little impressed by the much faster load/boot times. I've installed SSDs on a few computers after talking up the performance boosts. I guess they were expecting everything to be instantaneous. Anyway, it's very noticeable in Bootcamp running Windows over the MBP 13 I've been using or when transfering/copying larger files. You can read more about the much faster load/boot times from other reviews online.
- Trackpad: Quite often, previous MacBook owners don't mention this as a Pro. However, the trackpad is the biggest reason why I prefer a MacBook as my laptop of choice. I grew tired of the jumping cursors, crappy drivers, and erratic touchpad gestures. For some reason Synaptic and most PC vendors overlook or can't seem to get it right. How do you neglect its importance as the primary functioning hardware you use to actually interact with your computer. The trackpad on the MBA just works. It works so well and is far more than accurate enough that I actually prefer not using a mouse with my laptop because of it.
- Backlit Keyboard: The keyboard itself may take some getting used to if you've never used a MacBook before. However, once you grow accustomed to the layout you will enjoy the amount of travel and "clickiness" to it. Thankfully, the backlight was brought back for the 2011 lineup. I don't understand why this feature was removed to begin with since it doesn't impact battery life that much. It's clutch and greatly appreciated in low lit environments.
- Build: It's the same aluminum casing material used in all the MacBook models and the same chassis design that was used in the 2010 model. Solid construction
HARDWARE CONS:
- No USB 3.0: Although USB 3.0 is not as ubiquitous USB 2.0 it is quickly growing and peripherals are far more abundant and less expensive than Thunderbolt peripherals. USB 3.0 will likely remain far more popular than Thunderbolt after Apple's exclusivity expires next year because USB 3.0 is more cost-effective to produce and is backwards compatible with the millions of USB 2.0 devices already available. I agree with other reviewers in that this reduces the future proofing of this model, and it seems like Apple's Firewire vs USB 2.0 situation repeated. (I digress that at least there are two USB 2.0 ports on opposite ends. My original 2009 MBA had one.)
- Facetime Camera not High Definition: I try not to show my mug on camera but sometimes I have to use it to speak to clients via remote connections and occasional video conferencing. Again, considering the profit margins on each MBA sold I don't understand the reason to exclude this feature other than Apple being Apple and including this as an improved feature for next year.
- Power Button: The power button is placed in the keyboard layout right above the delete key!!! It's where the eject button is on my MBP right above the Delete key. Yes, I just praised the keyboard in the Pros. Until you grow accustomed to this your chances of accidentally hitting the power button by mistake in the beginning is likely. It won't shut your computer down or put the computer to sleep. It simply brings up the power down dialog, but it's still a questionable button placement.
- Memory is not upgradeable: Not much more to add here. 4GB is enough for me and the SSD is definitely a huge boost to hard drive caching.
- Need adapters for HDMI, VGA, DVI. At this price and considering the profit margins on each unit sold the adapters at least an adapter for HDMI or VGA should be included. Meh...
OS X LION PROS: (because it deserves its own section)
- Mission Control and Spaces: I really like it. I used spaces on Snow Leopard with full screen apple(via third party apps) and this makes using it that much easier. You can drag windows from Space to Space to re-arrange your groups. It's a great improvement that can be improved.
- Cloud/App Store Operating System Installation: No 50 character CD Keys, scratched backup disks, or corrupt files on your thumb drive. Cheaper prices.
- Automatic Resume: It seamlessly automatically saves the last state of your applications. Some users don't like that applies universally to every open app, but it's very simple to prevent from occurring. If you are done with an and want to prevent said app from automatically restoring simply right click its icon in the dock press option and select force quit. Another app I've used is Flexiglass which adds the functionality of right clicking the red X to completely close an app and all its windows.
OSX LION CONS: (because it deserves its own section)
- Launchpad: This was a poor, not well executed integration into OS X. Out the box the Launchpad replaces the App Folder in the dock that used to be next to documents and the trash bin. I actually stared at the screen for a few moments until I dug through the search results. I've tried to use it. It keeps the desktop icon less cluttered for me and I moved many of the icons I typically place there in the Launchpad. However, customizing the Launchpad has its quirks. For instance, adding and renaming folders/icons in the Launchpad isn't just easily done on the Launchpad by right clicking the icon. You have to open it in Finder to rename it. There are no options to change the gesture in System Preference to view the Launchpad. I truly feel like the default gesture was tested using the midgets or elementary school kids. My hands are too big to consistently do the gesture. You'd think I could palm two basketballs with one hand.
Right now, the launchpad is quirky and somewhat redundant. I understand the direction Apple is heading and are thus slowly blending touch-based iOS and traditional Mac OS X, but the way Apps for OS X are distributed and the complete integration is definitely not with us today in any of Apple's lineup. Hopefully, things will improve with future updates. My hopes is that the launchpad serves as a replacement for Show Desktop in the future.
- Natural Scrolling: By default scrolling is inverted. Read more ›
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