Notebook MacBook Air Detailed Review - Think thin, learn from the iPhone
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A year after announcing the iPhone, Apple presents its latest laptop: the MacBook Air, which they say is the thinnest laptop in the world. It is the MacBook Air really the dream laptop for all travelers or does not conceal irreparable gaps?
Overview
The MacBook Air has a 13.3-inch widescreen LED-backlit, the MacBook Air has similar dimensions to those of the MacBook, but its maximum thickness not exceeding 0.76 inches. Like its predecessor, has agreat keyboard, integrated webcam and the latest operating system Mac OS X "Leopard". In its basic version is equipped with a Core 2 signed Duets Intel and rhythmical to 1.6 GHz, the MacBook Air is powered by 2 GB of RAM, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi 802.11n, and a 80 GB Hardrive.
Look, keyboard, touchpad
The MacBook Air is immediately enticing. Out with the design of the MacBook and MacBook Pro, which are relatively straight, Apple has chosen todesign a chassis with slightly rounded edges, which contributes to reinforce its thinness impression. The overall size is fixed at 12.8 inches wide and 8.95 inches deep, as the MacBook, which has a 13.3-inch widescreen LED-backlit, which has a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels.
The MacBook Air weighs a little "less than 3 pounds. The body shell of the MacBook Air adopts a gray anodized surface similar to that found onMacBook Pro or the posterior surface of the iPhone. Rather rigid, this shell makes good impression in that adorned the MacBook Air significantly less fragile than one might first think. However, this soft surface to the core brands rather easily, the true nomadic will need a form of protection coverage.
How about MacBook Pro, the keyboard uses a backlight, rather pleasant when you use the device in the dark, whose intensity can be adjusted independentlyscreen. After several days of usage, and moments of necessary adaptation, the keyboard of the MacBook Air reveals itself very nice.
Screen
The MacBook Air has a webcam (640 x 480) of poor quality and a microphone. It has a light sensor that automatically adjusts the backlight LED when one is in a dark area. In this case, the intensity of the backlight decreases. When you put your finger onSensor: one detects instantly obscurity, and the screen intensity diminishes. With a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels, the screen of the MacBook Air offers a work surface less important than some 11 inch models, with which these climbs to 1366 x 768 pixels, but Apple guarantees a certain vision health, with a definition that fits completely most users. Type bright the LCD is luminous, and returns hot colors, ratherfaithful. Increasing the brightness, use the MacBook Air in the outside light.
The MacBook Air inaugurates a new generation of touchpad, inspired by the iPhone, the first mobile phone from Apple. It is wider, a traditional touchpad. With three fingers, you can use the Safari browser … but not with Firefox. Most of these small features is not radically transform the user experience, but part of the appeal of Apple products.
Connections
Threeproposed by the MacBook Air connectors are located on the left side, protected by a small hatch that once opened, leaves little room for their achievement. Specifically, if the connector is thick, or if you use a USB line, you will not be able to connect directly. To remedy this problem, Apple suggests a continued expansion. They are inexpensive, but is now obliged to multiply the cables, which reduces a look of ultra-small portable machine.
WiFibut not DVDs
The absence of DVD is voluntary (there is not enough thickness anyway). U.S. Marketing Apple at a time when the son is going, you still need a DVD player? Apple plays the network card with an application compatible with Mac and Windows XP and Windows Vista that allows DAV and CD use wirelessly. The reader of your main machine is able to serve to install applications, transfer contents towards the MacBookAir and even resettle your operating system, but it may take more than 5 to 10 times than using a DVD player. If it is a big problem, you must purchase a $ 99 external USB 2.0 based DVD player.
Speed
Powered by an Intel Core 2 rhythmical Duets to 1.6 GHz, engraved in 65 nanometers, the MacBook Air is not a speed demon, and is slower than other Apple laptops. The choice of Apple and should therefore provide an acceptable level of performance for small and medium holdersusers.
If you're willing to pay more for the MacBook Air has a more powerful processor to send a frequency of 1.8 GHz but also and especially a hard disk to flash memory type SSD of 64 GB, similar to one that incorporates standard Lenovo's ThinkPad X300. To take advantage of these improvements, you still must pay a surcharge of about $ 1,300, bringing the final price of the MacBook Air at about $ 3098.
Performance
Certain applications extremely resource intensive work clearly slowly on the MacBook Air because of its 1.6 GHz processor. In other words, handling large images with Photoshop or video editing will put your patience to a test given.
Moreover, manipulation of photographs and video footage through iMovie works smoothly and without inconvenience. The interface preserves the fluidity that you can expect of Leopard in spite ofpoor performance of the processor. Web browsing, office, music and video use do not suffer from the problem. As for games, let's keep it simple, just choose another device.
Battery Life
Apple talks about an autonomy of about five hours with WiFi. When you select the eco mode proposed by Mac OS X and the screen brightness at 75% capacity, the MacBook Air was able to work at 3:15 the first low battery warning showedon.
Conclusion
One might think that with his MacBook Air, stretched Apple to create a new market segment in the laptop. Its impeccable design, light weight and extreme thinness makes it a good candidate for the ultra portable category. But the inability to change the battery or very limited connectivity will stop many professionals who generally like this type of machine. The performance of the MacBook Air will suffice for light IE users Travelerbloggers, connected fanatics, journalists and other sales representatives. They will have no difficulty working with photos, letters and compose articles or prepare and then receive a presentation, all benefited from his excellent flagstone LCD screen.
Apple has attempted to circumvent some of the handicaps of the MacBook Air. The absence of DVD is offset by the ability of management to network drives on a remote machine, PC or MAC. The idea is interesting, thoughfacts, we can not imagine installing something substantial in this sense. The touchpad is improved, integrating more functionality from the iPhone. Although these improvements do not revolutionize the way we interact with a computer are quite pleasant.
You'll need to add the MacBook Air to an external DVD and a USB hub and a USB to Ethernet to provide true comfort in use and put on an equal footing with other equivalent machinesprice and functionality. So how this diminishes the charm of the MacBook Air: its thinness. The alternative would be to accede to the idea that the MacBook Air is conceived only as an auxiliary machine, a portable lamp and an elegant complement to your workstation for days of travel and only do light work.
This beautiful machine suffers from cruel limitations that other computers, sometimes lighter or less expensive, do not. Despite the goodlines and the usability of the MacBook Air, does not deliver the Promise Ultra Portable as expected. The previous MacBook performs better, is more functional and practical!
