Apple MacBook Air unibody 11-inch Mid 2012 Pro Reviews

The Apple MacBook Air 11 Mid 2012 is the third generation of the premium subnotebook, that had to prove itself in our detailed testing. The aluminum unibody and the pleasant input devices continue to be Apple's hallmarks, which have not been updated. New is just the Intel Core i5-3317U Ivy Bridge dual core processor and two of the USB-3.0 Interfaces Intel's new chip set provides. Especially application performance and efficiency with the new processor are becoming for the new notebook. Performance under Windows shows lacking optimization, which surely is no accident. But we ignore Windows performance in our rating, since the system is sold with a different OS. Unchanged is the glare type 11.6" display with a resolution of 1366 x 768 Pixels. A higher resolution or a non reflective surface are still not available. Asus is building up pressure with the Zenbook Prime UX21A's 11,6" Full-HD IPS panel. Temperature problems under load give cause for further complaint, as well as Apple typical limitations for upgrades and repair and the small number of connectors. The lower energy consumption and hence improved battery run times on the other hand are a useful improvement over last years model.

The ultrabooks are catching up to the pioneer Apple MacBook Air 11-inch (Mid-2012) in terms of portability and capabilities, but the latest iteration is a nice system for those who want a second or third Mac around the house. However, for the price, competition is fierce.

The MacBook Air is in its third iteration of the current design and it's tangibly better than the two that came before it. The 2010 (and older) models are just plain slow by comparison. Thanks to architectural, frequency and thermal improvements, one of the cores from a 2012 MacBook Air ends up being faster than two from a 2010 MBA. In other words, the 2012 models end up being more than twice as fast as the 2010 models in many of our CPU bound tests.

When we looked at the mid-2012 model of the larger-screened 13.3-inch MacBook Air, we were quick to point out that, impressive as it is, we've seen quite a few Windows ultrabooks with similar displays and internals but lower prices. But that's not so much the case with the smaller model. We've reviewed Asus' 2011 ZenBook UX21, but as of this writing, we haven't yet seen the Asus UX21A with its newer "Ivy Bridge" processor and backlit keyboard. Samsung's Series 9 comes in an 11.6-inch model as well, but its Core i3 processor isn't up to the speed of the Air's Core i5 chip. And the base model makes do with just 2GB of RAM, which isn't great for multitasking in Windows 7. Sony seems to have a promising competitor with the upcoming VAIO T11, but as of this writing, pricing wasn't available, and Sony's T Series line lacks a backlit keyboard.

Looking beyond our misgivings over the cheaper screen, the 2012 MacBook Air 11in is an improvement in every direction for the smallest and cutest Mac portable ever made.

After a year of releases from PC manufacturers, the MacBook Air remains the ultra-thin laptop that sets the standard for the industry. Its build quality, design, and value are difficult for any PC alternative to match. Most can rival the MacBook Air in one or two areas but don’t offer the complete package. Our only serious complaint about the 11.6-inch rendition of the new Air is battery life. We received a bit less than five hours of life, which is spot-on with what Apple claims. That’s adequate, but a lot of PC alternatives offer better endurance. Potential buyers should not forget about the 13.3-inch model. Though slightly larger and more expensive it resolves the battery issues and offers a higher display resolution. The larger version will also be more comfortable for many users because of its display area and larger palm rests. No matter what Air you decide on, you’ll end up with an incredible product that remains one step ahead of Ultrabooks. This is a brilliant, beautiful and useful laptop.

The new 11-inch MacBook Air is every bit as fast as the 13-inch Air, despite its smaller size, but you'll give up 2 hours of battery life in the bargain.

This year’s MacBook Air hasn’t been reinvented in the same way as the MacBook Pro has. It’s essentially a housekeeping update that introduces Intel's Ivy Bridge platform and at long last brings in USB 3. Existing owners won’t need to rush out and upgrade, but this update should keep the MacBook Air competitive with all its Ultrabook rivals for the rest of this year.