4.0 out of 5 stars
Comparison to the 2011 Macbook Pro 13" and a Wifi Drop Problem, July 29, 2011
By. Wayne N
This review is from:
Apple MacBook Air MC965LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop (NEWEST VERSION)
Updated January 9th, 2012
I've owned the machine for 5 months now and have simplified the review for your convenience.
Things I like:
+ Light weight; 2.9 lbs (1.3 kg). You can easily hold it with one hand - the MBP 13" is noticeably heavier at 4.5 lbs.
+ Solid build quality like the MBPs. Chassis is rock solid, no keyboard flex, screen housing is rigid with minor flex in the middle.
+ Better ergonomics than the MBPs; the palm rest edges don't dig into your wrists like the edges on the MBPs do.
+ Same fluid multitouch trackpad and the backlit keyboard makes a return.
+ The screen is a pleasure to use with it's high resolution (1440 x 900) and semi-gloss finish.
There is no glass cover so there will be dramatically less reflections compared to the screen of the MBPs
I personally chose the Air over the Pro because of reduced glare.
+ 18 second boot ups and 3 second shut downs. Resumes from sleep within 3 seconds.
+ The two USB 2.0 ports are on opposite sides of the laptop (less clutter than MBP)
+ Speakers are surprisingly loud; they can fill up a small room.
+ Runs extremely cool and it's so quiet that you'll wonder if the fan is running at all.
I can definitely feel heat ~ 87 degrees F on the MPB 13's underside after 6 hours of use
where as the MBA 13's underside stayed relatively cooler.
+ Runs Windows 7 just as cool and quietly. (I installed Windows 7 via flash drive)
+ Performance is almost identical to the MBP 13" 2011 on everyday tasks because the Core i5
CPU can turbo boost to 2.7 GHz and the SSD allows for instant application launching.
+ Gaming: it has the same Intel HD Graphics 3000 as the MBP 13" 2011. I was able to run
Starcraft II smoothly at low settings on native resolution. Medium settings also ran nicely but
you get less FPS during large battles. League of Legends ran smoothly at medium settings
30 FPS flat) on native resolution.
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Things I don't like:
- *IMPORTANT* Wifi drops constantly on my unit (skip to the bottom to read more)
- The keyboard is shallower and has less travel than the MBP keyboards (you'll get used to it
within a few days)
- The screen has less color gamut than the MBP 13's screen. This screen covers only 46% of
sRGB color spectrum where as the MBP 13's screen covers 77%. For image editing,
I would use an external monitor.
- The vertical viewing angles aren't so great. One minute tilt of the screen causes colors to shift
dramatically (for example: a purple color can change from lavender to light blue as you tilt
the screen backward or forward). Again, I would use an external monitor for tasks in
which accurate colors are mission critical. For everyday use it's not noticeable and is
actually easier on the eyes than the glare-prone screens of the MBPs.
- Not all models come with the same SSD. There are 2 variations; a Samsung SSD and a
Toshiba SSD. The Samsung SSD significantly outperforms the Toshiba SSD in
benchmarks (check the AnandTech review)
To check what SSD you have, click on the Apple logo -> About this Mac ->
more info/system report -> then look on the left hand side and click on "Serial- ATA".
If your SSD's serial number starts with "SM" it's a Samsung and a "TS" means it's a
Toshiba.
- I personally get 5 hours of battery life max on a single charge while surfing with 10+ tabs open on safari; I got
~7 hours doing the same tasks on the MPB 13 2011. My activities included watching
YouTube videos, viewing flash content on tech and news sites, reading/writing email,
and using AIM.
- No FaceTime HD Camera (720p) as on the MPBs. The quality difference is, unfortunately,
very noticeable.
- The integrated microphone is located on the side of the laptop instead of on top of the keyboard
as on the MBP. During Skype calls, my buddies told me that my voice sounded muffled
when using the Air. Using a headset with a mic, I was able to improve the sound quality.
- The base of the machine developed a creaking noise within the first week of use. I suspect this to be
caused by uneven tension in the screws.
- after 5 months of, a white cluster of stuck pixels developed in the bottom left corner of the screen.
The machine has been handled with care so it's not accidental damage.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Conclusion: Which one should you get?
As a college student, I would recommend the Macbook Pro 13". The Air is more than capable of being a primary machine because
of it's superb performance and overall very good screen. For everyday tasks, it should be snappy and a pleasure to use.
However, students will get a $100 discount on the Pro while the Air only provides a $50 discount. This means that there is a price
difference of $150 for students. The storage space on the Air is imited to 128GB or 256GB while the Pro comes standard with 500GB.
Plus, you can always add a SSD to the Pro later on. The Pro will be the better choice for creative students because it's screen has more
color gamut than the Air's. Lastly, you are getting a full voltage processor which can make a difference
in video encoding or other CPU intensive tasks.
If you are not a student:
If you value the extra ports (Ethernet, Firewire, optical drive), a high gamut screen (although more reflective), and the ability to upgrade
later down the line - go for the Pro. If you prioritize portability (light weight), higher screen resolution, fast boot ups/shut downs,
and less reflections - go for the Air.
In everyday performance the Air feels faster when booting up and launching applications because of its SSD. In CPU intensive tasks,
the Pro will have a slight edge but not much. (the two CPUs are actually pretty neck to neck on GeekBench benchmarks). They both
have the same graphics chip but note that the Pro will get better battery life (1-2 hours more) than the Air because the Pro has a bigger
capacity battery (63.5 watt-hours vs. 50 watt-hours)
Unfortunately, my unit is affected with a wifi drop problem. I don't know if you will encounter the same issue but if you buy an Air from an
Apple Store, make sure to test the wifi out by using it on multiple networks. If you encounter any erratic wifi drops within
the first 14 days - demand a refund or an exchange.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Update - December 27th, 2011
After installing the 10.7.2 and a firmware update, the wifi connections in my dorm room became more reliable.
However, after taking it home I experienced drops as before on the home network. I DOUBT it's a problem with my
router because ALL other connected devices work fine. The 2011 MBP 13" I previously owned worked flawlessly on my network.
This is most likely a problem with the Air's drivers. 5 months after product launch, I don't believe Apple
has acknowledged the issue or either chose to IGNORE it as other users on the official forums continue to
have similar complaints even to this day.
Hardware wise, the casing held up well except for a scratch on the side. The lid is frighteningly thin and I've read
reports of the screen's fragile nature - cracking at the slightest bump by another object. I would handle with care.
Want to know something funny? With the machine off, I can see through the Apple logo on the lid if there's light
behind it - it's that thin.
Software wise, sometimes the machine would run hot with fans blazing full throttle when watching HD YouTube videos
and would remain that way even though I close everything. Very odd. A quick reboot solves the problem.
A creaking sound developed within a week of purchase. When I lift the machine up, press on the palm rest or type on it
there would be a creaking noise produced. I suspected the screws of the bottom to be loose so I decided to tighten them.
Note that you'll have to order a pentalobe screwdriver to do this - the screws aren't the typical type.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
January 9th, 2011
A cluster of 4-5 stuck pixels developed so I went to get a screen replacement. The Apple genius confirmed it was
4-5 pixels which qualified me for a screen replacement. Service was prompt and I got the machine the next day.
However, the new screen had 2 clearly visible dead pixels in the center of the screen. I tried using it for a few days
but they were an absolute distraction.
Dissatisfied, I took it back to another genius only to be met with rude service. I stated that the dead pixels hindered
functionality as they were visual distractions. He snidely responded with, "Where? I don't even see them" and remained
adamant about not replacing it because I didn't qualify for the "minimum of 5 dead pixels for a replacement" policy.
It was a disgusting and unsatisfactory session that did not help.
So there you go folks - if you bought a shiny new Air and later down the road you get 4 dead pixels or less, then
you're out of luck my friends. No matter how much the dead pixels distract you, Apple will not care. I'm sure the
technician was just protecting his job so Apple should be blamed for their dead/stuck pixel policy.
Even with the screen replacement (the screen houses the wifi module), wifi drops still occur so it's problem with
the drivers, not hardware. It's been 5 months since release and Apple has yet to acknowledge let alone fix the issue.
With all this in mind, my new rating of the Air is now sitting at 3/5 stars. The unreliable wifi, screen anomalies, bad
service policy and silence by Apple are what caused the lower rating.
Of course, the purchase is your choice - as an early adopter, I'm just warning you.
3.0 out of 5 stars
Great Looks, Speedy Laptop. Gets hot and loud under moderate CPU load., August 15, 2011
By. Alex Green "alx779" (Toronto, Canada)
This review is from:
Apple MacBook Air MC966LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop (NEWEST VERSION)
I have been using my new 13" Macbook Air, 256GB, Core i7 for just over a week and here are my impressions...
First, the good stuff...
- The industrial design is absolutely gorgeous and rock-solid. The laptop is thin, light and pleasure to look at.
- Screen is 13" but the resolution is comparable to that of most 15"+ laptops. Perfectly usable for graphic/software development. While Macbook Air uses (supposedly) an inferior TN panel compared to Macbook Pro, I did not find a drastic difference between the two (I also own a 17" Macbook Pro). The Air has slightly smaller viewing angles and perhaps not as good colour reproduction, but the differences are subtle. Also, there's a lot less glare on Air's "glossy" display compared to glossy Macbook Pro.
- Performance is great, in some cases it bests the Quad Core i7 17" Macbook Pro, thanks to its SSD Drive. Startups/shutdowns are super fast and the applications open/close almost instantly. Having said that, do not expect to do any serious gaming on this little guy. The built-in Intel graphics chip has hard time handling even 5 year old games and is actually slower than nVidia chip on the previous generation Air.
- Expect to get about 4-5 hours of mixed use out of "7 hour" battery. That's what I average while doing some Photoshop and web dev work, browsing, listening to music and viewing a few video clips.
Now, the negatives...
Well, it's one negative really, but it is something I find extremely annoying. The laptop gets VERY hot when CPU usage approaches 50% and the fan kicks in full-blast at 6,000+ RPM.
I first noticed the excessive noise when I was transferring my data and applications from the time machine backup upon initial setup. The fan stayed on entire time, CPU temperature was approaching 90C while being only 30% utilized.
I continued to experience high heat/fan noise issues throughout the week. Sometimes it was during routine web browsing where some of the websites contained Flash elements. Starting Windows XP in Parallels would immediately set the fan in motion, again, sometimes hitting 6,000+ rpm. Playing Civilization IV, a fairly old game, had fan going full blast entire time with CPU again reaching 90C. Apple's own "Cosmos" screensaver brings the CPU temperature up to 80-85C and the fan up to 4500-5000rpm. The most annoying thing -- none of these tasks were taxing the CPU at more than 50%!
I did a fair bit of research on this issue. There are multiple discussions on Apple, MacRumours and other forums about excessive heat and fan noise. Also, many report increased heat on their older Apple laptops after upgrading to Lion, so perhaps (fingers crossed), there's a patch on the way that will improve thermal management somewhat.
The thought about returning the Air for refund did cross my mind, but I decided to keep it in the end. I am not a gamer and doing my work (web/mobile development) is not very taxing on the CPU, however, I do not think it is unreasonable to expect relatively quiet operation on such premium laptop with only 50% CPU usage. I can only hope that Apple is listening and looking to remedy the problem.
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