MacBook Air review. Almost universal. Which MacBook Air should you choose? What is macbook air
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, the new gadget is complemented by one of the latest Intel Core i5 CPUs.
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 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 a higher screen resolution, but you prefer only Mac laptops, you will want to opt for more expensive devices - the Apple MacBook with a 2,304 x 1,400 screen parameters or the latest 13-inch Apple MacBook Pro with a 2560 x 1600 screen. 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. At the same time, this indicator is sufficient for watching videos and reading text documents, since 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'll have to use an adapter to connect an HDMI cable or other ports, but the Thunderbolt port functions at a high level with the mini-Display Port without an 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 look 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 in most third-party apps. Like all Mac gadgets, the Apple MacBook Air 13 lacks a touchscreen.
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 should be fast enough for simple games like Diablo III, but running the power-hungry GrandTheftAuto V at high quality settings won't work.
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. This way, you can watch the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy on this device, 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.
The introduction of the MacBook Air in early 2008 revolutionized the laptop market. At that time, “laptop” equaled “suitcase.” Well, or, even worse, “netbooks”. In this historical context, Apple showed the world a very compact and lightweight laptop. And, as it turned out, this is exactly what everyone was waiting for.
The warm reception of the new laptop format by the public prompted competitors to create numerous models with the same weight and thickness, but at the same time on very vigorous, albeit economical processors. Sales of the MacBook Air 13 itself are still high, but ten years later this is explained by other reasons: it is the cheapest model among Apple laptops. In Russia, the younger version of 2017 can be bought for 65 thousand rubles, while, for example, the younger MacBook Pro 13 without the Touch Bar will cost 94,000 rubles.
What's wrong with the Apple MacBook Air 13 Mid 2017?
For 65,000 rubles you can get a good ultrabook on Windows. But, unfortunately, Apple has been very skimpy on the hardware for these models. And spending so much money on them in 2017 means condemning yourself to constant ridicule from Windows book owners. And not only that. It's not just about the number of megahertz, cores and other numbers that don't always have a direct correlation with how the final product performs. Although it won’t do without numbers either. For example, Full HD screen resolution (1920x1080 pixels) has long become ubiquitous - you will find this (and even higher) in the vast majority of laptops. And the MacBook Air 13 has some 1440x900 pixels, and in 2017 this is already truly retro. And even in 2013, in my opinion, it would be doubtful to take a 13-inch laptop with such a low resolution.
Advantages: very long battery life; high-speed flash memory; improved graphics; excellent keyboard and touchpad; relatively loud speakers; great webcam.
Flaws: lower screen resolution than competitors; The fan is noisy during games; Similar ultra-compact models weigh less.
Conclusion: Apple MacBook Air 13 is the ultra-small laptop with the longest battery life (without the need for a bulky extra battery) at an affordable price, making an already great laptop even better.
The new MacBook Air 13" costs $100 less than its predecessor, but looks much more promising. Apple promises that thanks to the new Intel Haswell processor installed on it, battery life can increase by 5 hours, while maintaining the sleek design of the aluminum case. The look and display remain the same—sadly, we didn't get the retina display—but the new Air ($1,099) still boasts faster flash storage, powerful graphics, and the latest, fastest 802.11ac Wi-Fi. Find out whether the new product from Apple remains the best among its peers. 
Design
At the moment, the design of the MacBook Air can be considered a modern classic. We still like the durable aluminum unibody, sweeping lines, and decently sized lid opening. Although, we can say that this appearance is already starting to become a little boring. If anyone was hoping for a change in color, materials used, or even a smaller, lighter body, then they'll have to wait at least until the next generation of Air.
As before, on the left side of the MacBook Air there is a MagSafe 2 power connector, a USB 3.0 port, headphone jacks, and dual microphones. On the right there is a Thunderbolt port, a second USB 3.0 port and an SD memory card slot.
Although the MacBook Air is quite light (1.36 kg) and thin (31.5 x 22.86 x 0.28-1.73 cm), other 13-inch models look even more elegant. For example, Sony VAIO Pro 13 with a carbon fiber body weighs only 1.09 kg with dimensions of 32.3 x 21.6 x 1.27-1.73 cm. Acer Aspire S7 (32.3 x 22.35 x 1.17 cm, 1.27 kg) and Samsung ATIV Book 9 (31.5x21.84x1.3) are also more compact, thinner and lighter. 
Display
Perhaps in order not to reduce battery life or increase cost, the 13-inch MacBook Air left a display with a resolution of 1440x900 pixels. While other ultra-compact models already boast screens with Full HD resolution (1920x1080 pixels) or even higher resolutions, such as the $1,599 Toshiba Kirabook (2560x1440 pixels). Apple also has a model with a 13-inch retina display (2560 x 1600), but prices start at $1,499.
Even though the resolution isn't very high, we still like the screen on the Air because it's incredibly sharp, with a wide viewing angle and rich colors. When we watched the Man of Steel trailer, Russell Crowe's skin didn't look all that cold and you could easily see the creases in his colorful suit. And in dark scenes, fine details weren't lost like other laptops we've tested.
According to our light meter, the Air averages 268 lux of brightness, which is higher than the 231 lux average of other ultra-compact models. Apple's laptop also beats the Sony VAIO Pro 13 (237 lux) and Acer Aspire S7 (215 lux). On the other hand, both the ATIV Book 9 (284 lux) and Kirabook (281 lux) beat the Air in terms of brightness. 
Audio
Just like the previous model, the speakers in MacBook Air are located under the keyboard, making the sound rich and loud. The somber piano part from the Man of Steel trailer sounded even more soulful. We also played Rihanna's "Stay" and the sound of her enchanting vocals echoed throughout our hotel room. The lead guitar on Bad Religion's "Social Suicide" harmonized well with Greg Graffin's raspy voice, although the drums were a bit lost. 
Keyboard and touchpad
While many Ultrabook manufacturers continue to struggle to develop keyboards for their new models, Apple remains the gold standard. The Air model's wide keyboard makes typing feel light and fast. We also like the function keys on the top row, which are designed to adjust screen brightness, volume, and launch the Launchpad and Mission Control apps. You can also adjust the brightness of the keyboard backlight; What's also attractive is that each key is individually backlit.
While we're on the subject of gold standards, the large glass trackpad will give most Windows devices a run for their money. Two-finger scrolling works very smoothly and smoothly, and navigating the desktop is intuitive. Activating the Mission Control application by sliding three fingers simultaneously along one line also works flawlessly. The Palm Rejection function (preventing accidental activation of the touch panel) on the 13-inch Air was again not useful: when typing, the cursor did not move anywhere. Presses with both one and two fingers were always recorded clearly. 
Webcam
The 13-inch Air's HD camera with FaceTime is one of the few webcams that offers high-quality video in a wide range of lighting conditions. When we shot a short video in a dimly lit hotel room using Photo Booth, there was some grain visible in the footage, but overall it was a good combination of accurate color and smooth video playback. The sound was also clear. If you love video chat, be it FaceTime or Skype, this webcam will suit you perfectly. 
Performance
Apple has equipped the latest MacBook Air with a 1.3 GHz Intel Haswell ULT processor, 4 GB of RAM and new flash storage (PCI Express based). Although Haswell's clock speed is clearly lower than its predecessor (1.8 GHz), this processor performs many more operations per clock. In addition, if promises are to be believed, the new Air will have 45 percent faster flash memory and, thanks to the new Intel HD 5000 GPU, 40 percent better graphics.
The first impression of the new Air remains pleasant after the Mountain Lion OS installed on it starts up in just 10 seconds - 2 seconds faster than the old Air. The latest Air is also 2 seconds faster from standby mode, meaning you can continue using it immediately after opening the lid.
Even more impressive is how quickly the flash drive passed our data copy test, copying a total of 4.9GB of media files in just 21 seconds. This equates to a transfer speed of 242.4 Mbps, up from 159 Mbps on the previous Air. In this regard, the Air also beats the Samsung ATIV Book 9 (154 Mbps) and Kirabook (221 Mbps). However, this Air falls short of the dual SSD drives (318Mbps) of the Acer Aspire S7 and the VAIO Pro 13's own PCIe flash storage (392Mbps).
When tested via Geekbench, which measures overall performance, the 13-inch Air scored 6,769. This score comfortably beats the ultra-compact average of 5,970 and is slightly higher than the previous Air's 6,539. The 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display scored the same. Be that as it may, some laptops with Windows 8 OS are still faster. The Dell XPS 13 (6822) and Aspire S7 (6824) were slightly ahead of the Air in terms of points, although the VAIO Pro 13 (5507) and ATIV Book 9 (5187) were hopelessly behind the Apple laptop.
We also tested the processor using Cinebench. At this point, the Air scored 2.3 points, which is slightly higher than the VAIO Pro 13 and the category average (both 2 points). Kirabook received a higher score (3 points), but it also has a faster processor (Core i7 CPU with a frequency of 2 GHz).
To test Air's real-world performance, we matched 20,000 names and addresses using OpenOffice. The task took the laptop 5 minutes 36 seconds, beating the category average of 6:26 and more than a minute faster than the previous Air (6:42). 
Graphic arts
Because the 13-inch MacBook Air is one of the first ultra-compact laptops to feature Intel HD Graphics 5000, it's expected to deliver about 40 percent faster performance. The results speak for themselves.
In Cinebench's OpenGL test, the new Air achieved 21 fps, more than double the previous Air's 10 fps. The average result among ultrabooks is 15 frames per second, even the VAIO Pro 13 (12 fps) and Kirabook (17 fps) cannot compete with the Air in terms of graphics quality.
Air is also great for gaming. We launched World of Warcraft, and the first thing we did was switch it to 1300 x 812 pixels, which is closest to the 1366 x 768 pixels resolution we use on Windows machines. In this mode and with the image quality set to “Good”, the speed on the Air was 44.6 fps (smooth change of images), but with the quality set to “Best”, the gameplay is already difficult (27.2 fps).
For comparison, the Pro 13 achieved 30 fps at 1280 x 1024, and the ATIV Book 9 and XPS 13 achieved 33 fps at 1366 x 768 with auto-detection mode.
When we changed the resolution to the Air's native 1440 x 900 resolution, it maintained its performance, delivering 42 fps with image quality set to Good. Just don’t select “Best” image quality in the game settings at this resolution, because in this mode the machine produced only 26 fps. 
Battery life without recharging
One of the main advantages of Intel's new Haswell architecture is its long battery life, and Apple is trying to get the most out of this processor. When passing the LAPTOP Battery Test (a constant Internet connection at 40 percent screen brightness), the new MacBook Air lasted a whopping 9 hours and 34 minutes. Less, of course, than the 12 hours claimed by Apple. Still, that's nearly an hour and a half longer than the previous Air model we tested (8:10), and also much higher than the Ultrabook average (5:56).
Since we tested in a hotel room, where the Wi-Fi connection can be intermittent at times, we could expect the Air to last even longer in the lab. We ran the battery test on a more stable Wi-Fi signal, and the MacBook Air lasted even longer: 10 hours and 53 minutes. We'll run this test again to confirm our results, and we'll also run a battery test while watching the video.
In terms of battery life, other lightweight 13-inch laptops don't come close to the Air. For example, the XPS 13, ATIV Book 9 and Acer Aspire S7 can last no more than 6 hours. It is also worth remembering the bulky additional battery from Acer, which lasted 9:17. The VAIO Pro 13's standard battery (7:30) also lags behind the Air, but its optional flat battery achieved a runtime of 14:38. 
Software
The new 13-inch MacBook Air comes with , which offers an easy-to-use Notification Center, deeper iCloud integration with apps like Messages and Cloud Documents, and the ability to post content to Twitter and Facebook. from a large number of applications.
This fall, Apple will begin rolling out OS X Mavericks, which will welcome Maps and iBooks features. It will be possible to create tags for files, making them easier to find, and also reducing the number of unnecessary search results. What's more, OS X Mavericks will feature a range of energy-saving technologies, so you can expect even longer battery life.
This Air comes with the excellent iLife suite (iMovie, iPhoto and GarageBand), plus FaceTime, Mail and the Mac App Store. The App Store contains an incredible amount of useful apps and games that download directly to the iOS-like Launchpad service for quick access. 
Features of OS X Mavericks:
Most of your favorite files are stored in a folder located 4 levels away from the root. But when you want to move one of these files to another folder, it turns out that it is also several levels away. If that's enough to get you completely confused, OS X Mavericks makes working with folders a little easier.
Just like in web browsers, Finder windows will now support tab creation, so users can simply open a new tab in the Finder and start a new search without getting lost or cluttering their desktop. 
Additionally:
MacBook Air comes with a 1-year limited warranty, and you can purchase an optional 3-year Apple Care warranty. Users can get help with their computer over the phone or in person by visiting the Genius Bar at one of Apple's retail stores. Apple's warranty took 1st place in our "Rating of the best and worst brands."
Configuration options
Apple decided to keep things simple with the configuration options for its Air. The price for the entry-level model is $1,099, which is $100 cheaper than the previous model. For this price, the buyer receives a Core i5 Haswell processor with a frequency of 1.3 GHz, 4 GB of RAM and 128 GB of flash memory. The price for the model with 256 GB memory is already significantly higher: $1299.
Those who need faster speeds can upgrade to a faster 1.7GHz Core i7 processor (plus $150) and/or 8GB of RAM (plus $100). Apple also offers a wide selection of Mini DisplayPort adapters to connect to Ethernet, VGA, DVI, and more.
Conclusion
The 13-inch MacBook Air is a marathon runner among laptops, with all-day battery life and a design that's as sleek and ergonomic as ever. For $1099, the buyer also gets high-speed flash memory and improved graphics. The only thing missing is a higher screen resolution, although the Air's is still as bright and colorful as before.
Among the 13-inch ultra-compact Windows 8 laptops, you can find lighter and sleeker models with a touchpad (such as the Acer Aspire S7 and Sony VAIO Pro 13), but the battery life of their standard batteries is significantly shorter. The 13-inch MacBook Pro with retina display has a better screen, and it looks like it will also have a Haswell processor soon. But prices start at $1,499, which is quite significant. Overall, the 13-inch MacBook Air offers the best value for money of any Ultrabook on the market.
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At the beginning / middle of 2017, the Apple laptop lineup is represented by six devices, and if the Cupertino team does not plan to reduce and replace individual products, it will soon become very difficult to navigate it. We will discuss below how this is most conveniently done in today’s realities.
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All current Apple laptops in 2018
General information:
The lightest and smallest Apple laptop, the main features of which are 4 colors and the presence of only one USB-C port (which is used for charging, as well as for connecting peripheral devices using adapters (sold separately)). The laptop is popular among women.
CPU:
Option 1. 1.1 GHz dual-core Intel Core m3 processor with Turbo Boost up to 2.2 GHz. Option 2. Dual-core Intel Core m5 processor clocked at 1.2 GHz, Turbo Boost up to 2.7 GHz.
Option 3. Dual-core Intel Core m7 processor clocked at 1.3 GHz, Turbo Boost up to 3.1 GHz.
Color: Silver, Gold, Space Grey, Rose Gold.
8 GB.
SSD drive: 256 GB or 512 GB.
GPU: Intel HD Graphics 515.
Ports: One USB-C connector (including for charging) and a 3.5 mm headphone output.
Weight: 0.92 kg.
Price: from 102,990 rubles to 134,490 rubles, depending on the configuration.
MacBook Air
General information:
The cheapest Apple laptop. Since 2016, only a 13-inch version with a “non-Retina” display has been produced. MacBook Air has the best battery life of any current Apple laptop.
The lid of the MacBook Air has a “glowing apple”, unlike all new Apple laptops.
CPU:
Option 1. 1.6 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor (Turbo Boost up to 2.7 GHz). Option 2. 2.2 GHz dual-core Intel Core i7 processor (Turbo Boost up to 3.2 GHz).
Color: Silver.
Amount of RAM: 8 GB.
SSD drive: 128 GB, 256 GB or 512 GB.
GPU: Intel HD Graphics 6000.
Ports: 1 Thunderbolt 2, 2 USB 2, 1 SDXC card slot, MagSafe 2 charging and 3.5mm headphone jack.
Weight: 1.35 kg.
Price: from 76,990 rubles to 115,490 rubles depending on the configuration.
MacBook Pro
General information:
Apple's most powerful laptop. The choice of professionals (programmers, designers, photographers, editors, etc.) The laptop is available in four models: two with a 13-inch, one with a 15-inch Retina display, released in 2016, and one 13-inch model, released in 2015.
Laptops released in 2016 feature improved wide trackpads and a new butterfly keyboard. The main innovations of the MacBook Pro 2016 are the Touch Bar (instead of the F1-F12 function keys) and the Touch ID fingerprint scanner. All of the above innovations are not available in other Apple laptops.
At the same time, the cheapest version of the 2016 MacBook Pro did not receive either a Touch Bar or Touch ID.
The 2015 Macbook Pro with a 13-inch Retina display is the only current firmware that has a “glowing apple” lid.
Additionally, the new MacBook Pros lack USB and HDMI ports.
What you need to know when buying a 2016 MacBook Pro:
Macbook Pro with 13-inch Retina display (2015)
CPU:
Option 1. 2.7 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor (Turbo Boost up to 3.1 GHz). Option 2 Option 3. Dual-core Intel Core i7 processor clocked at 3.1 GHz (Turbo Boost up to 3.4 GHz).
Color: Silver.
Amount of RAM: 8 GB.
SSD drive: 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB or 1 TB.
GPU: Intel Iris Graphics 6100.
Ports: 2 Thunderbolt 2 ports, 2 USB 2 ports, 1 HDMI port, SDXC card slot, MagSafe 2 charging and 3.5mm headphone jack.
Weight: 1.5 kg.
Price: from 102,990 rubles to 193,990 rubles depending on the configuration.
Macbook Pro 13" Retina Display without Touch Bar and Touch ID (2016)
CPU:
Option 1. 2.0 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor (Turbo Boost up to 3.1 GHz).
Option 2. 2.4 GHz dual-core Intel Core i7 processor (Turbo Boost up to 3.4 GHz).
Color:
Amount of RAM: 8 GB or 16 GB.
SSD drive: 128 GB, 256 GB or 512 GB.
GPU: Intel Iris Graphics 540.
Ports: 2 Thunderbolt 3 ports (each port can be used for charging) and 3.5mm headphone output.
Weight: 1.37 kg.
Price: from 116,990 rubles to 193,990 rubles depending on the configuration.
Macbook Pro with 13-inch Retina display (2016)
CPU:
Option 1. Dual-core Intel Core i5 processor clocked at 2.9 GHz (Turbo Boost up to 3.3 GHz).
Option 2. 3.1 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor (Turbo Boost up to 3.5 GHz).
Option 3. 3.3 GHz dual-core Intel Core i7 processor (Turbo Boost up to 3.6 GHz).
Color:"Space gray" or silver.
Amount of RAM: 8 GB or 16 GB.
SSD drive: 256 GB, 512 GB or 1 TB.
GPU: Intel Iris Graphics 550.
Ports:Four Thunderbolt 3 ports (each port can be used for charging) and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Touch Bar and Touch ID.
Weight: 1.37 kg.
Price: from 137,990 rubles to 214,990 rubles depending on the configuration.
Macbook Pro with 15-inch Retina display (2016)
CPU:
Option 1. 2.6 GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor (Turbo Boot acceleration up to 3.5 GHz).
Option 2. 2.7 GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor (Turbo Boost up to 3.6 GHz).
Option 3. 2.9 GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor (Turbo Boot boost up to 3.8 GHz).
Color:"Space gray" or silver.
Amount of RAM: 16 GB.
SSD drive: 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB or 2 TB.
GPU (3 options): Radeon Pro 450 with 2 GB memory, Radeon Pro 455 with 2 GB memory, or Radeon Pro 460 with 4 GB memory.
Ports:Four Thunderbolt 3 ports (each port can be used for charging) and 3.5mm headphone jack.
Touch Bar and Touch ID.
Weight: 1.83 kg.
Price: from 179,990 rubles to 312,990 rubles depending on the configuration.
In June of this year, new generation 11- and 13-inch MacBook Air laptops (mid-2013 models) with Haswell processors, which continued this legendary family, went on sale. These models traditionally received an unofficial addition to the name Mid 2013, which makes them easy to distinguish from previous models.
Many experts rightly believe that the first MacBook Air, launched in January 2008, is the progenitor of all modern Ultrabooks and that the design of this laptop formed the basis of the specification for Ultrabooks. And although formally MacBook Air laptops do not belong to the category of ultrabooks (and why do they need this formality), they embody the entire ideology of ultrabooks. Uncompromisingly stylish, super-thin, lightweight, high-quality, productive and with long battery life - this is how you can characterize the MacBook Air line of laptops.
In general, laptops, tablets, smartphones and Apple computers are their own special world. These devices are full of fans who simply do not recognize anything other than Apple and do not buy these devices because they have some kind of super performance or super functionality. In terms of performance, Apple laptops are difficult to compete with Windows laptops, and in terms of functionality and cost, they are simply inferior to them. However, Apple laptops are extremely popular and people buy them simply because they are Apple. At the same time, everything else is secondary. It’s just that Apple is a lifestyle, it’s an image, it’s a whole infrastructure of devices compatible with each other.
However, enough hymns of praise for Apple. Today we have a very specific laptop on our agenda.
Model range and configuration
So, in June 2013, Apple introduced updated models of the 11- and 13-inch MacBook Air laptops with the Mac OS X 10.8.4 operating system. Actually, the difference between the MacBook Air laptops of last year and this year lies precisely in their hardware configuration.
The MacBook Air Mid 2013 is powered by a 22nm fourth-generation Intel Core processor (codenamed Haswell). The laptop is equipped with a dual-core processor with a nominal clock frequency of 1.3 GHz, which can be increased to 2.6 GHz in Turbo Boost mode. The L3 cache size is 3MB and the TDP of this processor is 15W. In addition, the new MacBook Air laptops can be equipped with a more powerful dual-core processor with a clock frequency of 1.7 GHz (Turbo Boost frequency up to 3.3 GHz) and 4 MB L3 cache.
| Characteristics | Intel Core i5-4250U | Intel Core i7-4650U |
| Number of Cores | 2 | 2 |
| Number of threads | 4 | 4 |
| Nominal processor frequency, GHz | 1,3 | 1,7 |
| Frequency in Turbo Boost mode when loading one core, GHz | 2,6 | 3,3 |
| Frequency in Turbo Boost mode when loading two cores, GHz | 2,3 | 2,9 |
| L3 cache, MB | 3 | 4 |
| TDP, W | 15 | 15 |
| Graphics core | Intel HD Graphics 5000 | Intel HD Graphics 5000 |
| Graphics core frequency, MHz | 200 | 200 |
| Graphics core frequency in Turbo Boost mode, MHz | 1000 | 1100 |
The fourth generation Intel Core processors integrate the Intel HD Graphics 5000 graphics core, which is used as a video card in the laptop.
The MacBook Air has 4 GB of DDR3L-1600 RAM. Moreover, the memory is soldered on the board (that is, it cannot be replaced), but, nevertheless, it operates in dual-channel mode, which is important when using a graphics core integrated into the processor. We also note that MacBook Air laptops can optionally be equipped with 8 GB of memory.
The new MacBook Air also uses new, more powerful SSD drives. Laptops can be equipped with either 128 GB drives or 256 GB and 512 GB drives. Moreover, instead of the traditional SATA interface, the PCI Express x2 interface is used to connect drives (the connection interface uses two PCI Express 2.0 lines), which allows for a throughput of up to 1000 MB/s. Naturally, the SSD drives in the MacBook Air are non-standard and can only be replaced with similar ones.
Using high-speed flash memory as a storage device allowed developers to achieve amazingly fast wake-up times for the laptop and minimize boot time.
Note that the standard configuration of the 13-inch model with an Intel Core i5 processor, 4 GB of RAM and a 128 GB drive is called MD760, and the configuration with a 256 GB drive is called MD761. Similarly, the 11-inch configuration with an Intel Core i5 processor, 4 GB of RAM and a 128 GB drive is called MD711, and the configuration with a 256 GB drive is called MD712.
Another innovation in MacBook Air laptops is a new dual-band (2.4 and 5 MHz) wireless communication module based on the Broadcom BCM4360 chip, supporting 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac standards. Let us recall that the 802.11ac standard provides for the possibility of using from 2 to 8 spatial communication channels with a width of 20, 40, 80 or 160 MHz. And the maximum theoretical speed per one 160-MHz channel is 866 Mbit/s.
The Broadcom BCM4360 chip can only use three 80 MHz spatial channels, resulting in a maximum throughput of 1.3 Gbps.
However, the MacBook Air has only two antennas, which allows the formation of two spatial communication channels and, accordingly, the maximum speed is no more than 866 Mbit/s, which, nevertheless, is still a very high speed.
In addition to the WiFi module, the MacBook Air laptop also has a Bluetooth 4.0 module.
We also add that there is a webcam (720p), located centrally above the screen, and built-in stereo speakers.
| Characteristics | 13-inch MacBook Air Mid 2013 | 11-inch MacBook Air Mid 2013 |
| operating system | Mac OS X 10.8.4 | Mac OS X 10.8.4 |
| Screen | 13.3 inches (1440x900) | 11.6 inches (1366x768) |
| CPU | Intel Core i5-4250U Intel Core i7-4650U | Intel Core i5-4250U Intel Core i7-4650U |
| Graphics core | Intel HD Graphics 5000 | Intel HD Graphics 5000 |
| RAM | 4 GB DDR3L-1600 8 GB DDR3L-1600 | 4 GB DDR3L-1600 8 GB DDR3L-1600 |
| Optical drive | No | No |
| Flash storage capacity, GB | 128 256 512 | 128 256 512 |
| Connectors | 2xUSB 3.0 1 x Thunderbolt SDXC memory card slot | 2xUSB 3.0 1 x Thunderbolt headset combo jack (3.5mm) |
| Wireless module | 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac | 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac |
| Bluetooth | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| Webcam | 720p | 720p |
| dimensions | 325×227×17–3 mm | 300×192×17–3 mm |
| Weight, kg | 1,35 | 1,08 |
Equipment
The 13-inch MacBook Air laptop has standard equipment for Apple laptops. It comes in a massive box without a handle. The overall dimensions of the box are 360 x 265 x 70 mm, and its weight is 2.2 kg.
Inside the packaging box, in addition to the laptop itself, there is a MagSafe 2 charger (45 W), an extension cord for the charger, and two booklets with operating instructions and, of course, Apple stickers. That is, the package includes only everything you need, but without additional bonuses.
Appearance
The design of MacBook Air laptops has remained unchanged for many years (there are only minor changes that are invisible to the eye). The body of the 2013 models is indistinguishable from the body of the 2012 models, and they, in turn, are no different from previous models. In general, the design of MacBook Air laptops is their calling card. Everyone has already become accustomed to this design, and if you change it, it will no longer be a MacBook Air. And there is no point in changing something that is done well and enjoys deserved popularity.
However, despite the fact that the design of the MacBook Air remains unchanged, paying tribute to tradition, we will try to describe it. So, the MacBook Air case is all-metal (aluminum) and has a noble silver color. On the lid of the laptop there is a traditional Apple logo, which is highlighted when the laptop is turned on.
And of course, the main distinguishing feature of MacBook Air laptops is their unprecedentedly thin body. In the 11- and 13-inch models of 2013, it ranges from 0.3 to 1.7 cm. Note that the thickness of the case has not changed compared to the 2012 models. The body width of the 13-inch model is 32.5 cm and the depth is 22.7 cm. The weight of the laptop is only 1.35 kg.
Well, such characteristics in terms of thickness and weight can be taken as a standard. The interior design of the MacBook Air laptop is made to match the exterior. The screen frame, like the entire body, is made of aluminum. Likewise, the surface framing the keyboard and touchpad is also metal.
Keyboard and trackpad
It is probably no exaggeration to say that MacBook Air laptops (as well as other Apple laptops) use one of the best keyboards and one of the best touchpads available today.
Island-type keyboard with increased distance between keys. The surface under the keyboard is uniform with the rest of the surface, but slightly recessed. That is, holes are simply cut into the surface of the case for each button on the keyboard.
The keyboard keys have adjustable backlighting, which is convenient when typing in the dark.
The top row of keys traditionally has two functions: either traditional F1-F12, or laptop control functions (brightness, sound, key backlight level, etc.), one set works directly, the second - in combination with the Fn function key. The rightmost button in this row is responsible for turning on/off the laptop.
Well, traditionally, Apple laptops use the typewriter keyboard layout, which takes some getting used to (especially if you are used to touch typing).
In general, typing on this keyboard is very convenient. It doesn’t flex at all, the keys don’t make an unpleasant clicking sound when typing, the key travel is slightly spring-loaded and has an easy press response.
The trackpad in the MacBook Air laptop supports the multi-touch function and has a size of 10.5 x 7.5 cm, which is quite enough for comfortable work. The sensitivity of the trackpad is not only satisfactory, but can also serve as an example to follow. Well, in passing, we note that the trackpads in the new MacBook Air laptops are exactly the same as in the 2012 models.
Connectors
As for the connectors in the new MacBook Air models, they have not changed compared to the 2012 models. There are two USB 3.0 ports (one on the left and one on the right), Apple's traditional Thunderbolt port, a combined Apple microphone/headphone/headset port, and an SDXC memory card reader.
As before, there is no RJ-45 network port (only a wireless interface). But if a network port is absolutely necessary, then you can use the appropriate adapter for a USB 3.0 or Thunderbolt port, which is purchased separately.
Screen
The 13-inch MacBook Air laptop has an LED-backlit LCD screen with a resolution of 1440x900 pixels. The exact screen size is 287x180mm (diagonal size 13.3 inches). Actually, the screen itself has not changed compared to the previous model. It has a glossy finish and is not touch sensitive.
A detailed test of the screen of the 13-inch Apple MacBook Air (MD760) laptop was carried out by the editor of the “Projectors and TV” section, Alexey Kudryavtsev. We present his expertise.
The front surface of the screen is covered, apparently, with a plastic, but relatively scratch-resistant plate with a mirror-smooth surface, which has some oleophobic (grease-repellent) properties. There is an anti-glare filter, and it is so effective that even direct reflection of bright light sources practically does not interfere with work. We did not detect any doubling of objects reflected on the screen. Note that all hardware tests were conducted on the native operating system and with color management disabled.
When manually controlling the brightness, its maximum value was 350 cd/m2, with half the brightness adjustment - 65 cd/m2, with the minimum value, the backlight turns off completely, and in the first step of adjustment from the minimum position, the brightness is 5.4 cd/m2 . As a result, at maximum brightness in bright daylight (taking into account what was said above about the anti-glare filter), the screen remains readable, and in complete darkness the screen brightness can be reduced to a comfortable level. There is automatic brightness adjustment based on the light sensor (it is located to the left of the front camera eye). In complete darkness, the auto-brightness function reduces the brightness to 18 cd/m2 (it is dark, but the text can be read), in an artificially lit office, the brightness is set to 350 cd/m2 (this is the maximum), in a very bright environment (corresponding to lighting on a clear day outdoors, but without direct sunlight) - for some reason the brightness drops to 340 cd/m2, and when moving back to office conditions, the brightness drops to 325 cd/m2. That is, automatic brightness adjustment does not quite adequately respond to external conditions - in the dark it is too dim, and in a not very bright environment the brightness immediately increases to the maximum value. At lower brightness, there is virtually no backlight modulation (up to 100 kHz), so no flicker is visible.
This MacBook Air model uses a TN-type matrix, but despite this, the screen has good viewing angles without inverting shades and without a large color shift when the gaze is deviated horizontally, but when the gaze is deviated downwards, dark shades are inverted, and when deviated upwards, light shades are inverted. When viewed from a perpendicular perspective, black field uniformity is very good - there are only faint hints of black field brightening in a few places close to the edge of the screen. The response time for the black-white-black transition is 19 ms (15 ms on + 4 ms off). The transition between halftones 25% and 75% (according to the numerical value of the color) and back takes a total of 47 ms. The matrix clearly cannot boast of high speed. The contrast is good - about 900:1. A gamma curve constructed using 32 points revealed a slight dip in the shadows (the shade 8, 8, 8 is still indistinguishable in brightness from black), but the shades are clearly distinguishable in the highlights. The power function fit exponent is 2.46, which is higher than the standard value of 2.2, so overall images on this screen will appear darker. In this case, the real gamma curve coincides well with the power-law dependence:
The color gamut is noticeably narrower than sRGB:
Apparently, the matrix’s light filters mix the components with each other. The spectra confirm this:
This technique allows you to increase the brightness of the screen with the same energy consumption for the backlight, but the colors lose their saturation (remember that most digital images - illustrations, photographs, videos and films - are optimized for display on screens with sRGB coverage or very close to it) . The color temperature balance is good - shades of gray have a color temperature close to 6500 K, which varies little over the entire relevant part of the gray scale. The deviation from the blackbody spectrum (delta E) does not exceed 7 units, which can be considered an acceptable value for a consumer device. (Dark areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since color balance there is not very important, and the error in measuring color characteristics at low brightness is large.)
The matrix type is TN, with all the ensuing consequences, the color gamut is narrow, as a result, it is difficult to recommend using this laptop for professional work with color, but the screen is bright, glossy and with a very good anti-glare filter, so working with the MacBook Air in various conditions is much more pleasant and more comfortable than the vast majority of laptops.
Battery and runtime
The nominal capacity of the battery is 7548 mAh. Of course, battery capacity itself is not an indicator. And only the combination of battery capacity with average power consumption allows us to estimate the battery life of a laptop. And in terms of battery life, the 13-inch MacBook Air Mid 2013 has a lot to be proud of. According to the manufacturer, the 13-inch MacBook Air Mid 2013 with an Intel Core i5-4250U processor allows for up to 12 hours of battery life in wireless Internet connection mode and up to 10 hours in video playback mode via iTunes. Well, in Standby mode the laptop will last up to 30 days. Today, such indicators are unprecedentedly high.
We conducted our own testing of the battery life of the MacBook Air Mid 2013 laptop. It turned out that at maximum screen brightness, a Full HD movie downloaded from the App Store can be viewed through iTunes for 9 hours 6 minutes when the laptop is running on battery power. Actually, this result fully corresponds to what the manufacturer claims.
Testing
Compared to Windows systems, there are a very limited number of benchmarks for Mac OS based systems. However, we fundamentally did not install the Windows operating system on the MacBook Air for testing, because we believe that using Apple laptops with the Windows operating system is not correct.
We will check the performance of the processor, RAM and storage of the 13-inch MacBook Air Mid 2013 laptop using the popular benchmarks Geekbench 2, and.
In Geekbench 2, which measures CPU and RAM performance, the laptop scored 6783 points. This is an average result, due to the fact that the processor here is a dual-core Intel Core i5 with a low clock frequency. For example, we note that in the same test, a 13-inch MacBook Pro Retina laptop based on a dual-core Intel Core i5-3210M processor (clock frequency 2.5 GHz, maximum frequency in TurboBoost mode 3.1 GHz) with 8 GB of DDR3-1600 memory scores 7440 points (operating system version Mac OS X 10.8.2). Still, in terms of performance, the new Haswell processors have a rather modest advantage over Ivy Bridge, which can only be revealed at the same processor frequencies. Well, there are no tests yet that could use the new instruction set of Haswell processors.
| Geekbench 2 test | MacBook Air | MacBook Pro Retina |
| Score | 6783 | 7440 |
| Integer | 5086 | 5750 |
| Floating Point | 8751 | 9896 |
| Memory | 6238 | 6199 |
| Stream | 6927 | 7247 |
In the comprehensive benchmark Novabench, the picture was generally repeated. The MacBook Air scored 587 points in this test.
And the result of the MacBook Pro Retina laptop was 713 points
| NovaNench test | MacBook Air | MacBook Pro Retina |
| NovaBench Score | 587 | 713 |
| System RAM | 130 | 174 |
| CPU Test | 357 | 446 |
| Graphics Test | 44 | 34 |
| Hardware Test | 56 | 59 |
A comparison of the results shows that the only test in which the MacBook Air beats the MacBook Pro Retina is the Graphic test. Actually, there is nothing surprising in this. The Intel HD Graphics 5000 graphics core in the Intel Core i5-4250U processor is superior in performance to the Intel HD Graphics 4000 core integrated into the Intel Core i5-3210M core.
The next benchmark is the synthetic rendering test Cinebench 11.5 from MAXON. Rendering can be done using either the CPU or GPU (OpenGL). It is clear that when rendering is done using the CPU, the MacBook Pro Retina laptop with a more powerful processor outperforms the MacBook Air laptop (2.82 pts versus 2.42 pts). But in rendering using the graphics core, the advantage is on the side of the MacBook Air laptop (21.82 fps versus 16.89 fps).
| Test CINEBENCH 11.5 | MacBook Air | MacBook Pro Retina |
| OpenGL | 21.81 fps | 16.89 fps |
| CPU | 2.42 pts | 2.82 pts |
Well, the last test is the popular Blackmagic Disk Speed Test benchmark, which measures the performance of the drive.
The results of this test are truly impressive. No modern SATA 6 Gb/s SSD is capable of providing read speeds of 730 MB/s. And the write speed of almost 320 MB/s is very high by today's standards.
In a word, the performance of the flash drive in the MacBook Air Mid 2013 laptop is currently a record high and noticeably ahead of all other solutions.
conclusions
MacBook Air is not the only line of Apple laptops. There is also the well-known 13- and 15-inch MacBook Pro series and the 13- and 15-inch MacBook Pro Retina series. And if MacBook Pro Retina laptops are not affordable for everyone, then MacBook Air and MacBook Pro laptops are more mass-produced solutions.
The updated models of MacBook Air laptops compare favorably in configuration with previous models. High-speed flash storage, a modern processor, support for the 802.11ac wireless standard, unprecedentedly long battery life, stylish design and light weight make these laptop models an indispensable assistant for users who are used to having laptops always at hand.
The 13-inch Apple MacBook Air Mid 2013 certainly deserves our editorial Original Design award.
Apple MacBook Air Mid 2013 laptop provided for testing by online store
