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List Price: $1,199.00
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So first I will say I am coming from a MacBook air 11' mid 2011 with 2GB ram and 64GB harddrive. This one I got has 4GB of ram and 128GB harddrive. I use this laptop mainly for browsing the internet and some programming. Now that you have a little background Ill give a quick review.
From the get go this laptop is MUCH faster then my previous Macbook air. When you open the lid you are ready to go that second. On the old one I would have to wait a little for it to load and if I left chrome up and clicked on it right away then I would get the loading wheel. I havent seen this do it once. That could be because of the harddrive being so much faster.
When I opened the box the laptop was already charged to 91% so im trying to kill it. Well I was on it ALL NIGHT last night and now its the morning and its only at 60%. That battery life is amazing and let me honest thats what we ask for in a laptop.
If you are up in the air about this laptop(no pun intended). I would say give it a go. You could even buy it from the Apple store and if you dont like it just return it.
If you are replacing an older Macbook air and have one thats because the mid 2012 then I would say get it but if you have the mid 2012 I dont know if I would suggest spending the money unless you really want battery. I hope this helps anyone trying to purchase this laptop.
I am not an Apple fan boy. My desktop is a custom build Window machine so I know both worlds. Please if you have any questions just comment and I will be happy to try things for you or just answer questions.
I am a Computer Engineer so im use to testing things so feel free to ask.
(This is my first review)
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This might look like just a minor spec bump from last years model. However, the new MBA boasts all day battery life: 11 inch (9 hours) and 13 inch (12 hours). This is a big step up from the previous generation. This is due to a larger battery and more efficient processor. The upcoming OS X Mavericks is supposed to be even more energy efficient than Mountain Lion. The MBA is also faster due to the new processor and has a faster wifi connection. The solid state drive in this computer makes it much faster than a regular hard drive computer.
This is a great computer overall. The screen is not as nice as the retina Macbook Pro, however it is not a deal breaker. The MBA is a lightweight, portable computer and the Retina screen is thicker, heavier, and more expensive. Once they manage to make a thin, lightweight Retina Display this computer might be perfect. You will probably not miss the disc drive on this computer because it is a featherweight without it and you can use an external disc drive if you have to or remotely access another computer with a disc drive.
If you are debating between the 11 and 13 inch models, it depends on what you want to use it for. The extra screen space, SD card slot, and longer battery life for $100 more makes the 13 inch a worthy choice. However, some want a truly portable machine that can fit easily in a large purse or briefcase.
If you are debating between this computer and an iPad with a bluetooth keyboard, consider the ease of use of the computer versus the portability and cost of an iPad. For students, it is nice to have a real keyboard and be able to easily create documents, spreadsheets, and powerpoints on an actual computer, but I see more and more students with iPads and a keyboard case getting by just fine.
If you are debating between 128GB and 256GB (or custom order 512GB from Apple), consider cloud storage. Flickr now has 1 TB free photo storage with no size restrictions. Google Drive and Evernote are great for documents and you can always store your iTunes library on an external hard drive if you have a massive library.
If you are debating between this and a Windows Ultrabook/ Google Chromebook, consider the operating system, reliability, customer service, and resale value. People love Apple products and you can resell the computer if you want to eventually upgrade. They hold their value pretty well. The operating system takes a little getting used to but it is a lot smoother than Windows and you will probably never want to switch back to the dark side. If you really need a Windows Program, you can run Windows on a Mac.
Best Deals for Apple MacBook Air MD712LL/A 11.6-Inch Laptop (NEWEST VERSION)
Working off formerly a 13" macbook air mid 2011, I just bought this new 2013 model with the Haswell CPU and low power consumption infrastructure.
Off a full charge, I disconnected 3 hours 40 mins and had an external drive connected the entire time, restarted 4 times, and did NONSTOP heavy application installs (Office suite, Photoshop etc.), a total of 23 applications, and ran youtube vids in the background the entire time, and after all of that nonstop heavy loading, I had 76% on my battery, of which id have around 35% on my older Macbook Air.
Further still, the entire unit has run UTTERLY COOL during this EXTREMELY heavy loading, installing and heavy 1080P video graphics play. My other Macbook Air would be almost too hot to touch underneath near back under same conditions.
Even without 802ac (new Wifi connection thru the new Air), I notice roughly 25% faster throughput on likewise file downloads using my new Macbook Air than that of my older version Macbook Air.
This new Macbook Air contains PCIe-Based Flash Storage Approaches 800 MB/s Read and Write. I notice BLAZING fast write speed on my 1.1 Gig Photoshop app, and seemed about 40% faster than my previous generation Macbook Air. Also, this new Air model contains PCIe-based SSD modules made by Samsung and is smaller than the previous Air model SSD made by Toshiba.
These new Airs also sport batteries with increased capacity driven by higher voltages: increasing from a 7.3 V, 6700 mAh power battery to a 7.6 V 7150 mAh power battery. Other changes include a redesigned expanded heat sink covering both the CPU and GPU, which must be why this unit runs SO COOL even maxed out.
ALL my apps run perfect on this new Air, including Office suite, and the entire Adobe suite and the rest of my apps, ....which it should, its still running Mountain Lion OS.
I really have to say again, that write speeds on HUGE app instals is just faster than you dare hope for; its just blazing faster than my previous gen. Air.
My Macbook Air has been without a question my most treasured gem of "go-to" Mac product hands down, I own all of them (2 Airs, Macbook Pro, MacMini etc),...I was skeptical when I shelled out $1099 today for the new Haswell Air and its presumed prognosticated "crazy long" battery life and improved speeds overall; but the hype isn't hype, its real and amazing. The mere NOTION that I can overload this Air with App installs, and have a 2.5" HD attached for nearly 4 hours, run 1080P Youtube vids,...and still be at 76% Batt life is just, well, its stunning.
Tested out the NEW dual (stereo) mic and it IS much nicer in record, additionally the camera/vid is much sharper and crisper than my other Mac Air. Considering the price point is lower on these new Airs than the older ones, I give the new Macbook Airs a "110%". Having repaired laptops (non mac) in the past, and owned at least 20X more laptops than most consumers, I don't lightly conclude this is the cornerstone workhorse for everything I dare consider doing, fast got faster, and battery life now is enough to make a crusty "hates everything" person like myself nearly cry with joy. Congrats Apple! Homerun on this lovely gem.
I didnt get this delivered in one day, I picked it up from my local Mac store, I got my buddy to sell it to me 1 day before they officially "have" them which is today 6/12. As for the questions about using this new Air with Photoshop and it lagging on heavy filtering and photo editing, Ive tested that fully and this IS the machine you want for ultimate portability, it works fantastic.
Also of great importance is that this version of Mac Air is supposed to have "nearly double" fast write speeds as the Macbook Pro Retina. And the new Hard storage on this Air has "up to 6X faster than a 5400RPM disk drive" as found in current Macbook Pro which contain 5400RPM Toshiba Hard drives (made by Hitachi for Toshiba actually). In short, YES, this is a perfect "must own" book in the field or travel use for photoshop work, with just blazing fast write speeds, and crazy long battery life.
This new Macbook Air brings TRUE definition to being "disconnected" and "portable" to those who want to do a LOT of work free of the power socket! Genuine portable is finally here, ...no more staring at the battery % to rush to shut down!
Honest reviews on Apple MacBook Air MD712LL/A 11.6-Inch Laptop (NEWEST VERSION)
A lot has been written about how great the Macbook Air is. I agree, this is a truly fine thing. Forget the "feeds and speeds" metrics so many people seize on (although the performance is pretty good on this for what most people do), I just feel that this thing is in total harmony with me. It is powerful yet light and agile. I have a 13" Macbook Pro and it is great but a bit heavy. The Macbook Air is insanely light and yet very sturdy.
The one thing I really stressed over was whether to get the 11.6 inch model or the 13 inch model. Years ago I had an early netbook. It was nice as a novelty but it was really underpowered. It turned out the 10 inch screen was just too small. The size of the screen on the netbook was just too much of a compromise (my eyesight isn't what it used to be!). I was concerned that the 11.6 inch Macbook Air screen might be too small also. I really wanted to get it instead of the 13 inch screen because to me, getting a larger Macbook Air just seemed to defeat the purpose of getting a small, light computer in the first place. I really wanted the 11.6 inch model to work out. The price difference really wasn't an issue, I just wanted to have the perfect size for me. I saw a few 11.6 and 13 inch models and I thought the 11.6 inch would be okay but I had the nagging feeling that when I started using it, I would regret getting the smaller version. You know how that goes, your first look at something is brief and you don't really get a feel for how you will use it in the real world. Sometimes your initial conclusions turn out wrong and you regret your choice. Well, I took a chance on the 11.6 inch version and after using it for a while, I am really happy with the choice. It is the perfect size for me for a portable computer. If you are struggling with the same decision, I hope this helps.
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Apple MacBook Air MD712LL/A 11.6-Inch Laptop (NEWEST VERSION)
I have been using the new Macbook Air for almost a week now. I actually started with the 11 inch because I wanted the lightest possibly laptop, and I used to have a smaller screen, but I guess it was just too small. I was noticing things like a shaking screen and I had been using a 15 inch Macbook Pro with the aluminum keyboard for the last five years. When I got the 13 inch, everything looked and felt just right.
In my opinion, a laptop battery has one major task. It should allow users to do everything they want on their laptop without having to plug it back in. I used it for about 1.5 to 2 hours two evenings in a row doing internet surfing, minimal video watching, and some word processing. The next day I used it for close to 8 hours of word processing and internet surfing. You know you have an amazing battery when the bar goes red, and you check to see that you still have two and a half hours remaining. I did not check exact times, but I think I got over 11 hours before charging it back up (including 3 days of sleeping). I was also surprised to see that it had recharged before I went to bed!
In this day and age, laptop users should understand that you never get the same amount of battery life watching non-stop high quality videos as you would using basic software and the internet. I use a laptop fairly frequently for projects/entertainment, but can not think of one instance in which I would need over 12 hours of battery life. More than 8 hours and my eyes start to blur. The bottom line is that Apple's initial estimate of 12 hours is not off, and I am happy to say that I will not be taking my charger with me anytime I plan to return to my house to sleep later that evening. I don't have to worry about battery life for the first time.
One small quirk is that the time estimates of the battery are sometimes off. For instance, I have checked my battery status and seen an estimate of 17 plus hours remaining. I admittedly got overexcited before it quickly went back down to over 12. The percentage is always accurate, however, and it's intriguing to see how long you can last with 100% battery life remaining.
As for the rest of the computer, the keyboard is great, the screen is nice, but not stellar, and there is a slight glare when I work in direct sunlight though it's nothing objectionable. I think that Apple has set a new standard with this laptop because it's obviously light, but the battery is truly amazing. It's also picking up the internet feed in my house as good if not better than my other devices.
IMPORTANT UPDATE: I have noticed an issue with volume fluctuation when watching movies on Netflix and sports on ESPN. The issue persists on Safari and Firefox. Unfortunately, other are having this issue and no one that I could find as of yet reports it as being resolved. This is a shame. This laptop is so good otherwise I am still giving it 4 stars, but this is a major issue. I have downgraded to 3 stars until this gets resolved.
