I spent good half hour at the Apple store checking out both the 13" and 11.6" Macbook Airs. I am considering getting the 13" to replace my aging MBP and was wondering how the performance was relative to it and the newer more powerful MBPs in the store.
Performance:
Whoever complains about "outdated hardware" in these things doesn't know how irrelevant that is. I opened every single application simultaneously (including office, iLife and Aperture) at once on the 13" Air, and while that was happening, opened a whole bunch of tabs in Safari. Not a single beach ball, the thing coasted through it no problem. I played a 720P HD YouTube video (Iron Man trailer) on the 11.6" and it played through smoothly, even with the magsafe out.
They had a top of the line 15" MBP on display as well, and I performed the same application test on it and the thing choked almost instantly. Beach balls, graphic glitches, you name it. The Air truly is the future of notebooks.
Battery Life
Light web browsing on the 13" had the battery meter read ~5:30, while watching the 720P Youtube Iron Man trailer on the 11.6" yielded a 2:30 reading. I was a little disappointed with this (expected ~7 hours with the 13") but for a notebook of this size it is impressive none the less.
Display
Both Airs have great displays, evenly lit and high resolution. The 11.6" though was too small for my tastes, I found myself squinting at times to see things, and the 16:9 ratio did not help. The 13" had me increasing the size of web pages because of the high pixel density, but otherwise was much more comfortable.
What disappointed me about the display(s) was that they were glossy. I have a matte MBP (and the one in the store was matte too) and I much prefer it. Looking at a high res photo or HD video on a matte display is like looking at it in real life, while a glossy display is like looking at it through glass. the WOW factor greatly diminishes for me with the glossy display. Not a deal breaker, but a let down nonetheless.
Size and Form Factor
both notebooks are insanely thin, the 11.6" is very small and portable, definitely great for those who need portability. The 13" though I found was the perfect size, and still very very portable. The MBP in comparison was huge, and noticeably heavier.
Conclusion
Will I get one to replace my MBP? Well despite being a few years old, my MBP is still very capable, though a tad hefty. I will very likely get a new Air to replace it, but not immediately. I have decided to wait until Christmas or thereabouts in case Apple updates it or drops the price for the holiday season. Is it worth it for the price though? Definitely. Superb performance, tons of features, sexy design and ultra portable form factor. This is the perfect notebook
Performance:
Whoever complains about "outdated hardware" in these things doesn't know how irrelevant that is. I opened every single application simultaneously (including office, iLife and Aperture) at once on the 13" Air, and while that was happening, opened a whole bunch of tabs in Safari. Not a single beach ball, the thing coasted through it no problem. I played a 720P HD YouTube video (Iron Man trailer) on the 11.6" and it played through smoothly, even with the magsafe out.
They had a top of the line 15" MBP on display as well, and I performed the same application test on it and the thing choked almost instantly. Beach balls, graphic glitches, you name it. The Air truly is the future of notebooks.
Battery Life
Light web browsing on the 13" had the battery meter read ~5:30, while watching the 720P Youtube Iron Man trailer on the 11.6" yielded a 2:30 reading. I was a little disappointed with this (expected ~7 hours with the 13") but for a notebook of this size it is impressive none the less.
Display
Both Airs have great displays, evenly lit and high resolution. The 11.6" though was too small for my tastes, I found myself squinting at times to see things, and the 16:9 ratio did not help. The 13" had me increasing the size of web pages because of the high pixel density, but otherwise was much more comfortable.
What disappointed me about the display(s) was that they were glossy. I have a matte MBP (and the one in the store was matte too) and I much prefer it. Looking at a high res photo or HD video on a matte display is like looking at it in real life, while a glossy display is like looking at it through glass. the WOW factor greatly diminishes for me with the glossy display. Not a deal breaker, but a let down nonetheless.
Size and Form Factor
both notebooks are insanely thin, the 11.6" is very small and portable, definitely great for those who need portability. The 13" though I found was the perfect size, and still very very portable. The MBP in comparison was huge, and noticeably heavier.
Conclusion
Will I get one to replace my MBP? Well despite being a few years old, my MBP is still very capable, though a tad hefty. I will very likely get a new Air to replace it, but not immediately. I have decided to wait until Christmas or thereabouts in case Apple updates it or drops the price for the holiday season. Is it worth it for the price though? Definitely. Superb performance, tons of features, sexy design and ultra portable form factor. This is the perfect notebook
