Apple's 11-inch MacBook Air was revised in
June, and now benefits from a faster Ivy Bridge processor, 4GB of memory and
USB 3.0 ports. It's available with a 64GB SSD for $1333, or a 128GB SSD for
$1458. Both versions run Intel's 1.7GHz Core i5-3317U dual-core processor, with
various CPU, memory and storage upgrades also offered.
The 11-inch model isn't just the cheapest
Air, it's also the Mac maker's most affordable laptop. While 64GB is a
relatively paltry amount of storage space, Thunderbolt and now USB 3.0 ports
allow you to easily add fast external storage. And you still get the same
peerless build quality and features as with any other MacBook Air.
We noticed a few other changes around the
Air. The built-in webcam is now specified for 1280x720 HD use, and the power
connector has been revised to MagSafe 2 - a slimmer take on Apple's original
magnetic power connector.
Far less welcome is the loss of the
reflection-reducing coating on the glossy screen. While shiny screens are the
enemy of comfortable viewing, every Air until now had a thin optical coating
that helped mitigate against the worst of mirror reflections. Without this
coating, reflections are an annoying reality for 2012’s MacBook Air.
An upgraded processor and more memory
inevitably introduce better application performance - and much improved
graphics too, thanks to Intel’s HD Graphics 4000 integrated processor.
Tested while running Windows 7, the 2012 11-inch
Air scored an impressive 129 points in World Bench 6. When we benchmarked the
2011 64GB 11-inch model we saw a more than useful 111 points, so this is a
significant step up on an already fast laptop.
The graphics are also improved, and the Air
recorded 28fps in our basic Fear gaming test against its predecessor’s 17fps.
Battery life has also received a boost,
according to the Mobile Mark 2007 Productivity test. We recorded 370 mins here,
while the previous Air lasted just 278 mins. As ever, with Mac portables, the
runtime is likely to be longer when running native OS X.
Verdict:
Looking beyond our misgivings over the cheaper screen, the 2012 MacBook Air 11-inch
shows improvements in every direction and is the smallest and cutest Mac
portable ever made.
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Information
Price: $1,333
Contact: apple.com
Ratings
Build: 8/10
Features: 8/10
Performance: 8/10
Value: 8/10
Overall: 10/10
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