If you do not have quad- core processing power , but still need a solid , comfortable keyboard to make your writing , the Apple MacBook Air 11 - inch ( Mid 2012) ( $ 999 list ) will be the carriage 're looking for. This MacBook for those who have a larger MacBook Pro , iMac , or Mac Pro at home , but needed something easier to carry . The full keyboard makes writing a better tool than simply carrying around an iPad or other tablet . Plus , it fits perfect on an airplane tray table . However , competition from Ultrabooks and other ultraportables are narrowed leading the MacBook Air once enjoyed . It 's still a nice machine to be sure , and it was improved over previous models , but now there are alternatives .
Design and Features
The 11 - inch MacBook Air chassis has not changed too much from the previous iteration . It still measures 0.68 by 8.11 by 7.56 inches ( HWD ) and tapers down still in a 0.11 - inch wedge point . It has the same updated , chiclet - style , backlit keyboard as the MacBook Air 11 - inch ( Thunderbolt ) , as well as the same glass touchpad with multitouch functions . The trackpad supports one - , two - , three - , and four- finger gestures , and while it may take a while to get used to using four fingers to bring up things like the iPad - such as Launchpad , but easy to get used to . For example , the two finger swiping from the right edge of the trackpad has emerged as the Notification Center , a new feature of OS X Mountain Lion . The keys are comfortable to type on , though understandably they have shorter key travel than you might be used to a full - sized laptop . The key travel is not as short as uncomfortable as Vizio Vizio laptops 15.6 - inch Thin + Light ( CT15 - A1 ) , but the key may feel hard if you're used to a desktop keyboard . The palm rest , like the rest of the unibody construction , is made from machined aluminum . The system weighs a feather - light just 2.36 pounds and 2.79 pounds with its AC adapter .
Screen system measured 11.3 - inch diagonal , with 1366 -by - 768 resolution and a 16:9 aspect ratio . While 1366 -by - 768 starts to feel cramped to larger 13 - and 14 - inch Ultrabooks and laptops , the screen resolution is fine for the 11 - inch form factor . Text and images look crisp without any pixilation . However , the 11 - inch laptop is still an odd size , with most Ultrabooks centering on 13 - inch form factor , such as the 13 -inch Asus Zenbook Prime UX31A - R5102F with 1920 -by- 1 , 080 display resolution time . You'll see other outliers such as our business ultraportable Editors' Choice , the 12.5 - inch Lenovo ThinkPad X230 . The X230 is the more common 1,366 -by - 768 display .
Contains the top of the screen 720p FaceTime camera , which can be used to video conference with other Mac and iOS devices like the iPhone and iPad . The left side of the system has the new Apple MagSafe 2 port , which uses a slimmer connector than the older MagSafe AC adapters with the previous MacBook laptop . It's not a bother if it 's your first MacBook , but find it to be a pain if you have an older MagSafe AC adapters lying around your house or office . Apple has $ 9.99 MagSafe to MagSafe 2 converter in the store that you can use the older AC adapters or Apple display . Shows like Apple Cinema Display 24 - inch and 27 - inch Thunderbolt display , built -in MagSafe charging for leads .
The MacBook Air has a single Thunderbolt ( 10Gbps ) port on the right , you can drive a Mini DisplayPort monitor without an adapter . You need separate adapters for HDMI , VGA , or DVI output , none of which are included . There are two USB 3.0 ports , one on each side , who themselves ten times faster ( 5Gbps ) USB 2.0 ports than the old MacBooks ' ( 480Mbps ) . Last but not least is a headset jack that works with the one that came with your iPhone . Notably absent is a SD card reader , because there does not seem room for it , ( the previous 11 - inch MBA does not have one either ) . As with all new Macs, the MacBook Air has iLife apps ( iMovie , iPhoto , GarageBand , etc. ) and iTunes for music and video . Speaking of video , displays 720p widescreen video fine on the system , and even 1080p HD video look OK ( downscaled to fit the display ) . We do not see any stuttering or missed frames while viewing 1080p trailer like for Wreck It Ralph and Star Trek .
The MacBook Air has 64GB of Flash Storage , which is not a lot . If your top - of - the- line ( 64GB ) iPhone 4S or iPad is full, you will not be able to sync it with this MacBook (you will run out of space ) . Therefore , the MacBook Air 11 - inch is best thought of as an adjunct to a more powerful MacBook Air or iMac at home or in the office . It's got enough space to load Photoshop , Office , and a couple of other programs , but it is not big enough to keep your entire iTunes music and video library , except that iTunes Match heavily used by compliance with all of the files in the cloud . Speaking of iCloud , you can use the MacBook Air to remotely access your Mac at home over Wi - Fi , 4G USB modem , or some external mobile hotspot . It has worked well in this work . The system has a dual - band ( 2.4GHz and 5GHz ) built - in 802.11 a / b / g / n Wi - Fi
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