The 11.6" MacBook Air Notebook Computer from Apple is an extremely portable, stunningly designed laptop computer. Apple's engineers have leveraged the lessons they learned in designing the miniaturized iPad and applied them to the design of this 2.4-pound computer.
To say that the Air is svelte is all at once stating the obvious and understating the truth. The system is defined by its sleek lines and stunning aluminum enclosure. At its thickest point the computer is only 0.68" -- it tapers down to 0.11" at its thinnest.
The system is loaded with 128GB of SSD flash storage rather than an old-fashioned hard drive. Flash storage doesn't just give you a lighter, thinner computer. It also allows for impressive battery life -- up to 5 hours of web browsing and an amazing 30 days of standby time!
The MacBook Air is housed in an aluminum unibody enclosure, which is as strong as it is light. Because it is cut from a solid block of aluminum, the housing is stronger than those found on laptops built via traditional means.
The computer's high-resolution display makes working on the go a breeze. At 11.6" in size, the 16:9 display feature a native resolution of 1366 x 768 -- delivering more pixels than the 13.3" MacBook Pro! It features a glossy finish and LED backlight technology for enhanced image quality and energy efficiency.
Computers in the MacBook Air's weight class are most often classified in the "netbook" category. Netbooks typically feature less-than-full-size keyboards, cramped trackpads, and low-powered CPUs. Not so with the MacBook Air. This computer features a standard-size backlit chiclet keyboard, the same as on the larger computers in the MacBook line. It also boasts a large multi-touch glass trackpad, giving you full control over your computer -- without sacrificing ergonomics.
The computer is powered by a dual-core 1.8GHz Intel Core i7 processor and boasts 4GB of RAM. Graphics are provided by an integrated Intel GMA HD 3000 GPU. The computer features all the amenities you expect on a Mac -- a FaceTime webcam, dual-band 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, and built-in stereo speakers.
iLife '11, a complete suite of digital creativity applications, is installed on the system. Easy enough for anyone to use, iLife will help you edit your home movies, organize digital photos, and compose original music.
The computer is loaded with Apple's Mac OS X 10.7 Lion operating system. The 64-bit OS features Time Machine backup, which automatically backs up system data to an external hard drive. It also features intuitive natural scrolling, the innovative Launchpad application launcher, and support for full screen applications. Mission Control combines the functionality of Dashboard, Exposé, and Spaces -- giving you a bird's eye view of everything that is happening on your computer.
Lion also adds Auto Save to your Mac, ensuring that you won't lose data if you forget to save a file. The OS tracks different versions of your documents, so you can go back to a previous draft of a document with ease. AirDrop makes it easy to transmit files wirelessly between computers, even if there is no central Wi-Fi network available. The revamped Mail application takes full advantage of modern widescreen displays.
And of course, you can expand the functionality of your computer system by browsing through the multitude of productivity applications, games, and other software that is available for purchase from the Mac App Store. Because the software in the store is curated by Apple, you can be sure that it is free of malware and safe to use. And, like the iOS App Store, you'll automatically be notified when updated versions of your favorite programs are available for download.
| Performance | |
|---|---|
| Processor | 1.8GHz Intel Core i7 |
| Cache | L3: 4MB |
| System Bus | Not Specified By Manufacturer |
| Memory |
Slots: Onboard Type: PC3-10600 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM Installed: 4GB Capacity: 4GB |
| Graphics Card |
Type: Integrated Installed: Intel GMA HD Graphics 3000 with 384MB DDR3 SDRAM Shared |
| Display | |
|---|---|
| Type | Widescreen |
| Size | 11.6" |
| Backlight | LED |
| Aspect Ratio | 16:9 |
| Finish | Glossy |
| Native Resolution | 1366 x 768 |
| Supported Resolutions |
1366 x 768 at 16:9 Aspect Ratio 1344 x 756 at 16:9 Aspect Ratio 1280 x 720 at 16:9 Aspect Ratio 1152 x 720 at 16:10 Aspect Ratio 1024 x 640 at 16:10 Aspect Ratio 1024 x 768 at 4:3 Aspect Ratio 800 x 600 at 4:3 Aspect Ratio |
| External Resolution | Up to 2560 x 1600 |
| Dual Display | Yes |
| Video Mirroring | Yes |
| Storage | |
|---|---|
| Hard Drive | Installed: 128GB SSD |
| Optical Drive | None |
| Input/Output Connectors | |
|---|---|
| Ports |
2x USB 2.0 (A) 1x Thunderbolt |
| Audio |
Integrated Stereo Speakers Integrated Omnidirectional Microphone 1x 1/8" (3.5mm) Headphone/Microphone Combo Jack |
| Expansion Slots | None |
| Flash Media Slot | None |
| Communications | |
|---|---|
| Network | None |
| Modem | None |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11a/b/g/n |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 4.0 |
| Webcam | Yes |
| General | |
|---|---|
| Operating System | Mac OS X 10.7 Lion (64-bit) |
| Security | None |
| Keyboard |
Type: Standard Notebook Keyboard Features: Backlight, Chiclet Style |
| Pointing Device | TouchPad with Double-Tap, Drag, Four-Finger Swipe, Inertial Scrolling, Multi-Touch Control, Pinch, Rotate, Tap, Three-Finger Swipe |
| Battery | Built-In Lithium-Polymer Providing up to 5 Hours per Charge (35Wh) |
| Power Requirements |
AC: 100-240 V AC, 50-60Hz Consumption: 45W |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 11.8 x 0.68 x 7.56" / 29.97 x 1.73 x 19.20 cm |
| Weight | 2.38 lb / 1.08 kg |
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviewsPros
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Reviewed by 7 customers
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Comments about Apple 11.6" MacBook Air Notebook Computer:
small but great screen.
good to travel when you are with a lot of photo equipments
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Comments about Apple 11.6" MacBook Air Notebook Computer:
Very nice
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Comments about Apple 11.6" MacBook Air Notebook Computer:
I wanted a portable computer that I could put in my backpack and not weigh me down. Also something that could handle editing RAW files in Adobe Lightroom 3 and Photoshop. This laptop has fulfilled both of my main requests. The backlit keyboard is great for when editing in dark. I also love Apple's iCloud features so I can update contacts and my iCal on my laptop and have it the same on my iMac at home.
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Comments about Apple 11.6" MacBook Air Notebook Computer:
Very thin, light, portable, and powerful. I have some applications that run faster on this system than on a 13 MBP 2.4ghz with 8GB of memory and an SSD installed. The backlit keyboard was a feature I've been waiting for, and 128GB is more than enough storage when you aren't dealing in a good bit of photos and music (I am using this system primarily as a writing/web machine). Only reason I'm not giving 5 stars is because I miss the battery life of the 13 inch, but watching the monitor brightness and backlit keyboard when not needed can still get 5-6 hours of use. Pairs very nicely with the G Drive slim USB drive. Now just to find a good case for it...The screen resolution is surprisingly more usable that you may thing. This system can cold boot to a desktop in about 10-15 seconds, if not faster. And coming from Snow Leopard, Lion has differences, but they have grown on me.
Very pleased with the purchase, and I would recommend it.
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Comments about Apple 11.6" MacBook Air Notebook Computer:
Very speedy performance. Favorite macbook to date.
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Comments about Apple 11.6" MacBook Air Notebook Computer:
I really didn't grasp just how small this computer was until I saw it next to my iPad. It's about as wide, and only about 2 inches longer.
There are drawbacks to it, no doubt about it - but there are no surprises. If you buy a MacBook Air, you're expecting a smaller screen, no optical drive, expensive SSD instead of cheap hard drive. But the resulting machine is small and light, and yet extremely high-powered.
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Comments about Apple 11.6" MacBook Air Notebook Computer:
Pleasure to use. Has more than enough power to run Aperture. It is faster than I5 processor, not much faster but noticeable.
Displaying reviews 1-7