6/27/14
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (2014) reconsider
A little things execute acquire better with age. Whilst the at the outset ultra-thin MacBook Air debuted back in the sphere of 2008, its design blew away all other Windows laptops. But with the aim of device cost $1,799 and lasted a lesser amount of than five hours on a charge. Fast-forward six years, and a run of improvements maintain made the Air the gold standard in favor of ultraportables. The hottest 13-inch Air packs a earlier focal point i5 workstation and a battery with the aim of lasts longer than 12 hours, all in favor of $999. That's $100 a lesser amount of than the prior version, which income the gold standard is at present in addition the superlative 13-inch notebook quantity.
Design
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (2014)
The 13-inch Air looks the same the same as the carry on hardly any models, fair a svelte and elegant unibody aluminum skeleton with rounded corners. The structure in addition feels vigorous. We've used one more 13-inch Air in favor of a hardly any years in the sphere of a row with no so much the same as a dent or else worn-down basis. Apple's logo glows on the smooth lid, which doesn't pick up fingerprints.
We still like the silver medication on the Air, but we'd like to see to it that Apple get behind the aesthetic envelope added, with color options or else perhaps various resources. In favor of illustration, the clearing XPS 13 has a soft-touch deck with the aim of feels comfy on the wrists.
The Air remains very portable. You'll barely notice this logic in the sphere of a backpack. It weighs recently under 3 pounds and measures 12.8 x 9 x 0.11-0.68 inches.
By comparison, the Acer Aspire S7 (3 pounds, 12.7 x 8.8 x 0.51 inches) is more or less the same size and burden, while the XPS 13 (12.4 x 8.1 x 0.7 inches) and HP Spectre 13t (12.8 x 8.7 x 0.59 inches) are narrower but heavier. To be present carnival, though, all of these Windows tackle maintain tap screens, which the Air lacks.
Ports and Webcam
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (2014)The 13-inch Air continues to keep ports to a smallest amount, but by the side of smallest amount it includes an SD tag slot on the real region (unlike the 11-inch version). This region of the logic in addition houses USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt ports. The MagSafe 2 adapter in favor of power, a succeeding USB 3.0 docks, earphone jack and two mics line the gone region of the Air.
While nearly everyone Windows PC makers seem to maintain agreed up on their webcams, the 720p FaceTime camera on the Air delivers reheat ensign and bracing allocate. Our blue-and-green shirt looked accurate in the sphere of a self-portrait. The camera did maintain a tough occasion dealing with a window behind us (our look was near covered in the sphere of shadow), but it performed well otherwise.
Demonstrate
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (2014)Someday, Apple strength of character be present able to wrench inedible a Retina demonstrate on the Air, but in favor of at present you'll maintain to settle in favor of a 1440 x 900-pixel 13-inch panel. (Stepping up to by the side of smallest amount round HD would be present good by the side of this indicate.) On the plus region, the screen is still equally sharp, with ample viewing angles.
Whilst we watched the "Godzilla" promo, the jungles looked a opulent conservational, and we may well progress to dazed each line on Bryan Cranston's horrified look. However, a little details, such the same as the chunks taken dazed of the Treasure Island lodge, looked a smidgen soft.
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (2014)The screen's be more or less brightness of 288 nits outshines the be more or less ultraportable (251 nits) but is not the superlative in the sphere of seminar. The clearing XPS 13, in favor of illustration, averaged 356 nits. However, the HP Spectre 13t mustered recently 231 nits.
According to our colorimeter, the 13-inch Air produces 63.3 percent of the color breadth (closer to 100 percent is better). The Acer Aspire S7, by contrast, clash with 98 percent. The MacBook fared better on the color accuracy test, notching a Delta-E rating of 2.5 (closer to 0 is better). The same Acer scored 6.1 on this test, and the be more or less ultraportable gets an even privileged rating of 6.6.
Audio
The Air's speakers, which are located beneath the baby grand, got loads loud whilst streaming Alex Care's "Too Close." However, the instruments and vocals weren't the same as marked the same as we'd like. The chanting by the side of the introduction of Bastille's "Pompeii" had large oomph agreed the Air's slim profile.
On our audio test, the 13-inch Air registered 73 decibels by the side of a distance of 23 inches. That's lower than the kind be more or less of 83dB and behind the Spectre 13t (84dB), but lone to some extent decrease than the clearing XPS 13 (74 dB).
Baby grand and Touchpad
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (2014)Perfectly spaced and sized in favor of a 13-inch notebook, the MacBook Air's baby grand remains a strength. It provides snappy criticism, allowing in favor of comfortable typing in excess of prolonged stretches. The top of the explain has shortcut keys in favor of brightness, Mission Control, Launchpad, the baby grand backlight, and media and volume controls.
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (2014)We measured basis travel of 1 mm in favor of the MacBook Air, which is a petty smidgen a lesser amount of than we'd like, but that's balanced by an actuation burden of 55 grams (the force vital in favor of strokes to register).
Apple's Trackpad makes navigating OS X Mavericks a breeze. Not lone does the pad provide pinpoint accuracy and a satisfying click, it in addition permissible us to smoothly go gestures like a three-finger swipe-up in favor of activating Mission Control.
