Critics have pointed out that the new Macbook Air machines are using dated processors with Intel's older Core 2 Duo chips instead of the current Core i5 or i7 models. But to take advantage of NVIDIA's integrated GPU they need to use the Core 2 Duo CPUs. Another sticking point is these machines have no user replaceable parts including memory, SSD and battery making these machines doomed to eventual obsolescence.
Today we will look at the 13.3″ base version Macbook Air which features a 1.86GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 6MB on-chip shared L2 cache, 128 GB SSD, 2GB of DDR3 @ 1066 MHz, Nvidia GeForce 320M using 256 MB of DDR3 SDRAM with Mini DisplayPort output and a 13.3″ display capable of 1440 × 900 resolution..
All-Flash Storage.Instant-on gratification.
If you have an iPod, iPhone, or iPad, you’re already taking advantage of all that flash storage has to offer: reliability, speed, and efficiency. So the decision to use flash storage in an ultracompact notebook like MacBook Air makes perfect sense. Flash allows you to access data quickly, and it gives MacBook Air the astonishing ability to remain in standby mode for up to 30 days.1 Which means your MacBook Air snaps to in an instant, whether you open it tomorrow, next week, or next month.
Multi-Touch Trackpad.
It’s love at first click, tap, and scroll.
The new MacBook Air includes a spacious Multi-Touch trackpad with a buttonless design, so you can click anywhere. The Multi-Touch trackpad also lets you pinch, swipe, or rotate to adjust an image, zoom in on text, or advance through a photo album. Try the four-finger swipe, swiping up or down to use Exposé and swiping left or right to switch among active applications. Or perform the new three-finger drag to move your windows from one place to another.
High-Resolution Display.
Millions of pixels. Millimeters thin.
Corner to corner and pixel by pixel, the display on the new MacBook Air is both an engineering feat and a design breakthrough. It measures a mere 4.86 millimeters (0.19 inch) thin, yet the resolution is so high, you’ll feel like you’re looking at a much larger screen. And with good reason. The 11-inch MacBook Air features a widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio and a resolution greater than that of a typical 13-inch notebook, while the 13-inch MacBook Air wows with a resolution equivalent to a typical 15-inch notebook.
FaceTime Camera.
Hello, iPhone. (You too, iPod touch.)
Hidden inside the wafer-thin MacBook Air display is another engineering achievement — the FaceTime camera. It’s so thin (even thinner than the camera on iPhone 4) you barely notice it, but it’s incredibly capable. Using the new FaceTime for Mac application, currently in beta, you can make FaceTime calls over Wi-Fi with anyone who has a Mac, an iPhone 4, or the new iPod touch. And the video quality is so good, you can even chat in low-light conditions.
Stereo Speakers.
Heard but not seen.
Despite its compact form, MacBook Air delivers full stereo sound. Space-efficient design inside the enclosure allows for the placement of left and right speakers that project sound through the keyboard. So you’re able to enjoy a richer audio experience while chatting online, watching TV shows, listening to music, or playing games.
NVIDIA GeForce Graphics.
Power in motion.
MacBook Air features the NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics processor — the same one used in the 13-inch MacBook Pro. With a performance boost of over 2x that of the previous-generation MacBook Air,2 the NVIDIA graphics processor provides outstanding speed and power for browsing photos, watching movies, or playing games. It also makes all the everyday things you do on MacBook Air — like writing email and surfing the web — fast and energy efficient.
Intel Core 2 Duo Processors.
Small in size. Big on performance.
MacBook Air weighs less than three pounds Description: Review Apple MacBook Air 13" MC503LL/A Notebook Rating: 4.5 Reviewer: dev ItemReviewed: Review Apple MacBook Air 13" MC503LL/A Notebook
