When it came to some tasks, the Air was no better than the previous version.
The XPS 13 came close, notching a rate of 138 MBps. This showing is also leagues better than the UX31A (51.4 MBps), not to mention the category average of 46 MBps. That's a rate of 159 MBps or 30 MBps higher than the 2011 Air (127MBps). The flash storage performed exceptionally in other tests, duplicating a 5GB folder of multimedia files in 32 seconds. The Air also sprang back to life instantly when we opened the lid. The UX31A came closest, at 23 seconds, but it was no contest. The Air booted into OS X 7 in just 12 seconds, beating last year's version by 5 seconds, and most other Ultrabooks by half. The UX31A scored a higher 6,903, but it has a more powerful 1.9-GHz Intel Core i7-3517U processor, 4GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. On Geekbench, the Air returned a score of 6,539, which bested the category average of 4,772 and outpaced last year's Air (5,860). This combination of components offered fast performance on our tests. Inside the 2012 Air is a 1.8-GHz Intel Core i5-3427U processor, 4GB of RAM, and 128GB of flash storage. When we captured our face with the old and new Air side by side, there was a much greater level of detail coming from the FaceTime HD camera. However, as with most webcams, it had trouble when there was a bright light source behind us our face became silhouetted. It's a definite step up from the VGA camera in the last Air.
While it's as secure as ever, the previous plug was more flush with the side of the notebook and had a more streamlined look.Ĭlick to EnlargeThe Air's 720p FaceTime camera delivered crisp, clear images with accurate colors. The most obvious change is the thinner MagSafe2 connector, and the T-shaped plug. The SD Card Slot on the right still doesn't let you insert cards fully, which is a bit annoying. The left side also houses the MagSafe connector for power as well as the headphone jack. The Thunderbolt port on the right is faster, but the universe of compatible devices is still quite small. The Air was more than twice as loud as the UX31A, and everything sounded much richer and fuller.Ĭlick to EnlargeIt's nice to see that the MacBook Air now houses two USB 3.0 ports (one on each side) to accommodate high-speed peripherals. When we played Van Morrison's "Brown Eyed Girl" on both the Air and the UX31A at their top volume, the difference couldn't be more stark. The notebook filled a room with plenty of bass and treble, lacking any distortion even when cranked to the max. They may be hidden underneath the keyboard, but the speakers in the Air delivered impressively loud and clear sound. Even the $898 Vizio Ultrabook offers a higher-resolution 1600 x 900-pixel screen. By comparison, the MacBook Air's display has an average brightness of 268 lux, which is better than average (239 lux). The ASUS Zenbook Prime UX31A has a resolution of 1920 x 1080, and an average brightness of 423 lux.
A 1080p YouTube Trailer for "The Avengers" showed excellent contrast, deep, true blacks and fiery red explosions.Īgain, though, others have caught up. The MacBook Air's 13.3-inch screen has a resolution of 1440 x 900, which, while not the Retina display some were hoping for, still provides the same wide viewing angles and bright colors as last year. Ditto for the RAM in the i7.Click to EnlargeNo changes here. Also note that if you want to change to an SSD, you can either keep the 750 GB drive or sell it and help fund the SSD purchase, the 750 GB drive being likely to net you more than the 500 GB drive in the i5. It's not a night and day difference, but at least now the i7 offers enough, in my view, to be worth the $300 price difference. Again, not a huge difference, but one that will be useful and noticeable to some.įor the price difference, at this point I think the i7 is a good choice. Third, the i7 is just that bit faster than the i5.
Granted, not a huge difference, but every bit helps. The extra space is a positive (at least for me), and makes the drive faster than the 500 GB drive in the i5.
With the i5 only coming with 4 GB, a RAM upgrade is needed almost out of the box. It also still provides the opportunity to upgrade to 16 GB if needed. The current 13" is the first to make me rethink that.įirst, the i7 comes with 8 GB of RAM already, which is plenty for most people both now and into the future. Usually I'm a proponent of getting the base 13" and upgrading as necessary.