Techie Inspire – The Technology Blog
June 2012 saw the release of the latest versions (an 11-inch and 13-inch display) of Apple’s notebook, the MacBook Air. Like almost all new products and upgrades from the computer behemoth, it was heralded with fanfare and almost universally good reviews. While some might see the wave of positivity as hyperbole, there are plenty of reasons why it is eminently justifiable. Below are five of the best.
Construction
Apple computers are renowned for their sleek, sexy design and the latest MacBook Air is no exception. The aluminum construction gives a solid feel to the laptop, despite its thin dimensions, while the full-size keypad has a good level of cushioning; meaning typing is a relatively quiet affair. An even backlight to the screen means it can be used easily even in low-light conditions, while the touch pad is multi-function and extremely responsive.
Storage
The latest version of the MacBook Air uses Flash storage. This is a more effective method of storage than the traditional moving-parts version, and means that hard disk crashes are a thing of the past. It also means that when you start up the computer, the response is instantaneous – no slow booting up. Storage ranges from 64 GB in the 11-inch model to 256 GB in the 13-inch, and there are various options for increasing the laptop’s storage potential.
Size
The MacBook Air has always been renowned for its portability. The new MacBook Air is now thinner and lighter than any previous version. With a height of 1.7 cm (0.68 inches) at its tallest, and a weight of 1.08 kg (2.38 pounds) for the 11-inch model and 1.35 kg (2.96 pounds) for the 13-inch, the MacBook Air is extremely portable.
Battery Life
With a unplugged usage time of 5 hours for the 11-inch and 7 hours for the 13-inch (and a frankly astounding 30 days on standby for each), the MacBook Air has one of the best battery life specifications in the marketplace. This, combined with its thinness and light weight makes it an ideal portable notebook.
Camera
With a 720 pixel High Definition video capture camera implanted into the shell, the MacBook Air performs very well for Skype calls, with no jumpiness or static. And its widescreen specs mean you can talk easily to a room full of people.
There are some aspects in which the MacBook Air can be outperformed by similar models. For instance, several other notebooks have a higher PPI (pixels per square inch) ration on their screens, making for slightly crisper screen resolution, while the processing speed means that hardcore games players or video editors might need to look elsewhere. But overall, the latest MacBook Air remains at the head of the pack.
