Apple MacBook Air user reviews (13-inch, Summer 2011)

Pros - SSD drive is virtually instant on
- Multi-touch gestures on trackpad are very intuitive
- Backlit keyboard senses ambient lighting and adjusts
- Screen resolution is 1440 x 900, alot of space for a 13" screen
- i5 processor screams and is superfast

Cons - No HD on the Facetime Camera
- Text within safari seems blurry sometimes.

Pros Industrial razor esque design
3 lbs
Sturdy
Backlit keyboard
Fast SSD and quick response times

Cons Upgrades are pricey
Not up gradable in like the MBP line
Screen resolution is okay- but nothing compared to retina
Dual core i7 is good but no quad core

Summary Apples 2012 upgrades were mostly processor based, which is great because it made choosing between a MPB 13" and MBA 13" that much harder. Do you want quickness and thinness or expand ability and raw power?

Before buying the 2012 MBA I had a 11" MBA C2D. The machine still operates fine but chokes on 65% of videos I watch online and I prefer to go to a 13" now.

I went into Best Buy and saw a MBP 13" i7 edition open box for $1240 when normally it runs for $1500. Seeing that this was a good deal I instantly purchased it. Three things were wrong right out the box. The charger was last generation and it has marker all over the Apple logo. I presume some kid did this. Secondly the computer was only running Lion which is fine since I was still eligible for a free upgrade but I would need to request it from Apple. The biggest let down was my own fault and that was the fact that the MBP 13" was too heavy and thick for me. Coming from a MBA 11" the MBP felt like bricks.

I returned the MBP and got a MBA 13" i5 and 256SSD w/ 4 gigs. But after looking online I saw Apple had refurbished 13" MBA i7, 8gigs, 256SSD for the same price as the MBA I just bought. So long story short returned the MBA from best buy and got one from Apple.

One thing I don't get is why big box stores only offer MBA 13" with 4 Gigs. the i7 and maybe even the 256ssd is a bit overkill but teh ram defiantly isn't.

So for $1500 I got an almost maxed out MBA. Is it a retina no, but to be honest I don't need the quad core and the Retina seems overkill at this point

Pros Fast, Light, Amazing OS Functionality, Fluid Interface

Cons Lack of optical drive is a hassle

Summary Forget the comparisons to other notebooks, light-weight or otherwise, because there is NO real comparison. This MacBook Air delivers what Steve Jobs promises...and we all know that Steve Jobs promises a lot. It keeps pace with each and every job that I undertake, and still leaves room for performance that I don't need.

The issue with the lack of an optical drive is a little annoying from time to time, but the need for an optical drive diminishes with each progressing generation of computing devices. As such, this deficiency isn't even close to being a deal-breaker.

In short, there is nothing that the typical computer user can throw at the MacBook Air that it can't do. It doesn't matter how high your expectations are, you will only be disappointed if you had your mind made up to be disappointed before you even used the 2011 MacBook Air.

Please don't throw your PC out of any windows or off of any bridges as you rush out to get your MacBook Air...recycle them responsibly and then enjoy the freedom of a crash-free, Windows-less existence.

Pros Elegant. Fast.

Cons Poor Wifi connectivity

Summary I would recommend that potential buyers wait until the Wifi issues have been sorted.