Apple MacBook Air (11-inch, Mid 2013) Pro Reviews

Winning 5 rounds to 4 — with two draws — the MacBook Air 11-inch wins this close face-off against the Surface Pro 2. With Apple’s ultraportable, you get a better keyboard, longer battery life and good productivity software for free, plus a better front-facing camera and more robust audio — all for less money than the Surface (assuming you spring for the keyboard). On the other hand, the Surface Pro 2 is the more versatile of the two devices, featuring a lighter detachable design with pen support. The Surface Pro 2 also benefits from a sharper full HD touch screen and superior split-screen multitasking via the Snap feature. We really like both of these machines, but overall, the 11-inch MacBook Air is the better value.

The competition may be catching up, but the 2013 edition of the 11-inch MacBook Air remains a classy piece of kit. The Haswell update provides significant improvements in performance, graphics and battery life, and the premium prices charged for many Windows Ultrabooks means that it no longer looks over-priced when compared to its nearest rivals. It’s a shame that the 2013 update wasn’t a little more ambitious, but the 11-inch MacBook Air is still one of the most attractive ultraportable, netbook-size laptops currently available.

There's exactly one reason you should buy the 11-inch MacBook Air: you want the absolute smallest computer you can buy, and you don't want a Windows PC. There are plenty of reasons to buy an Air, from the fantastic battery life to the world-beating keyboard and trackpad, but only buy the $999 11-inch model if small is your endgame. If small is your endgame, though, the Sony VAIO Pro is even smaller — but you're probably better off with a device like the Lenovo Yoga 11S, because the touch- and tablet-friendly modes are so well-suited to a device this size. I’m increasingly convinced 11.6 inches is the perfect size for a tablet / laptop hybrid device like the HP Envy X2 or the Yoga 11S. But without a touchscreen, without the eminently adaptable Windows live tiles, the 11-inch Air just feels like a laptop made slightly too small. The 13-inch Air is plenty small and plenty portable, and from the bigger screen and roomier touchpad to better battery life and SD card slot, it’s just a better laptop. Spend $100 more, buy a slightly larger bag, and get the big tiny computer. That’s what I’m doing, anyway.

For most shoppers eyeing the MacBook Air, the tougher decision won't be Air or Windows ultrabook, but 11.6-inch or 13.3-inch Air. The latter is narrowly the better deal, at only $100 more with a larger screen and longer battery life, but if you're constantly on the move and aren't constantly popping a flash card into your laptop, we have no reservations recommending the smaller of the two. It requires few sacrifices for its elegant, superbly portable design.

The Apple MacBook Air 11-inch (Mid 2013) is the Haswell updated version of the iconic ultraportable laptop. It lasts over 10 hours running on battery power, so it's a highly recommended choice if you must have the thinnest possible laptop with the most battery life.

The smaller MacBook Air is one of the most affordable Macs you can buy. Upon its original launch, there was a small murmur that the 11-inch MacBook Air

So there it is, the new lightweight the Californians slipped into their portfolio. It's pretty, though outwardly it's basically the same thing we've seen for years. But the computer's inner life is new, and here Apple makes use of Intel's most current technology. The new MacBook Air notebooks are some of the first devices to possess the Intel ULV Haswell generation processors. After running our tests, we've determined that in comparison to the Ivy Bridge chips from the prior MBA generation, the new chips essentially belong to the same performance class; but when it comes to graphics performance, they do in fact eclipse their predecessors, in some areas by a substantial margin. And we mustn't forget the new Solid State Drive, as it also performed very well in our tests. We're impressed that Intel reduced the necessary cooling capacities for the chips even further and simultaneously lowered their energy consumption rates. With more than 10 hours of battery life for surfing or executing tasks with similar performance demands (Mac OS), you won't have to worry about where you're going to "fill up" during the day. You can confidently leave the power supply at home.

We were worried about that 1.3 GHz clock speed at first, but the Haswell processor proves more than a match for its faster-looking Ivy Bridge predecessor while nearly a day’s battery life. Combine that performance with the MacBook Air’s lightweight, elegant design and you’ve got an ultraportable laptop that still sets the standard for its Windows rivals to copy.

Better battery life, brilliant build quality and an amazing keyboard, but a higher resolution screen would have been nice

The mid-2013 11-inch MacBook Air remains an excellent device. The combination of Mac OS X Mountain Lion with its strong design aesthetic remains a compelling proposition. The $100 price drop helps to sweeten the deal, while the updated system architecture including new Intel ‘Haswell’ chips and faster flash make it a very attractive proposition. The keyboard is top-notch as is the trackpad hardware along with the way that Apple has implemented multi-touch gestures. The 11-inch form factor, coupled with the ability to upgrade to the faster Core i7 silicon also makes it a very powerful package in a small form factor.

Overall, I am quite satisfied with the 2013 11” MacBook Air. I think it’s a great option for people who aren’t the most demanding of their notebook, but crave flexibility from size, weight, and long battery life. If you aren’t into OS X however, the battery life results are quite disappointing, and it is difficult to recommend this machine unless we see a fix.

The 2013 MacBook Air is all about the battery. That's an area I've dreamed of huge gains in, and it's no small accomplishment at all that the new Airs are battery-life kings. But you just might see other PCs emerge throughout this year with similar battery performance. Right now, the Air is the top of the heap if you don't want to use a charger. It means this 11-inch laptop, nearly the size of an iPad, now lasts almost as long as one, too. It could tip the balance in favor of the 11 for some. For others, though, an iPad plus keyboard might have replaced this territory already. Apple now has two major computing products in the 11-inch-and-under category. The 11-inch Air trails the 13-inch in battery life, but the 128GB $999 11-inch Air will be extremely tempting to a lot of people. It's got battery galore and no performance compromises compared with the 13. It would be great to see the rest of the Air get redefined and redesigned someday in the future, bridging the gap between iPad and Mac. For now, we'll have to settle for this. If you were about to get a MacBook Air before, make sure you buy one of the new models instead; but keep in mind that new Retina MacBook Pros will be lurking around the corner sooner or later. If you're a mainstream user or a heavy traveler, it won't matter; the Air is the one for you. And now, the 11-inch Air has finally become as good as its 13-inch big brother.