Apple MacBook Air user reviews (13-inch, Summer 2012)

Pros Sleek, simple design. USB 3.0 update makes a smaller SSD less of a problem because you can use any of the hundreds of external drives for storage. Battery life is truly all day. Looking forward to OS X 10.8 for added software features.

Cons The only thing that I can't stand about apple products is the premium price. $1200 for the base 13" model is a lot of money for an entry level laptop. That said, the price to pay for having everything just work is worth it in the end.

Summary I've owned each generation of the Macbook Air, save the original 2009 version. In April I sold my 2011 Air to buy the new iPad and an older MBPro. Thought it would work and I was wrong. Thankfully I was able to resell both and buy the new Air. This is definitely a spec bump from the 2011 version, but I can't say enough about the USB 3.0 ports. As someone who does a lot of video editing on the go for school, having a 1TB external HD that transfers 10x faster than USB 2.0 is a huge convenience . The Air, in my opinion is apple's best laptop(if you don't throw down 2200 for the new MBPro 15"). If you don't have last years 2011 MBA and you're looking for a great portable machine, the 2012 13" Air is for you...

Pros Light
Durable
Backlit
Good multitasking
Great for basic gaming
Easy-to-use graphical interface
Good battery life
Better screen resolution than Macbook Pro's

Cons Vulnerable to dents and scratches
Low quality front camera and doesn't look like 720p
Speakers are softer than 15 inchers
Annoying charger
Lacks ports
Lacks 15" model
Extremely pricey compared to others
Low screen resolution compared to others

Summary This year's Macbook Air is one of the best I've seen performed. The only thing that bugs me is the charger that is point front-first rather than last year's left/right pointer. The price also really annoys me as you could get a i7 processor Ultrabook like Vizio for about the same price, but that is normal for Apple. Great for work, play and internet browsing. Good battery life. This is definitely an Ultrabook recommended for students. And using it for 5 years shouldn't be an issue.

Pros Fast SSD
Quick performance
Build quality
Backlit keybaord
Thin and light

Cons Lacks raw power
Soldered parts
Pricey for some options
Weird big box store options

Summary I sold my recent iMac because I never used and I decided between three computers.

Macbook Pro 13" Retina
2.5GHz dual-core Intel Core i5
8GB
128GB
Intel 4000
$1700

Macbook Pro 13" i7 Edition
2.9GHz dual-core Intel Core i7
8GB
750GB
Intel 4000
$1500 ($1240 open box)

Macbook Air 13"
1.8GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor
4GB
256GB
Intel 4000
$1500

Macbook Air 13" i7 Edition
2.0GHz Intel Dual-Core Core i7
8GB
256GB
Intel 4000
$1700 ($1450 refurbished)

First got the MBP open box for $1240 and just hated the size and weight. Went to Best Buy and got the MBA 13" i5 edition but was hesitant on the 4GB. Saw the i7 8GB 256GB MBA 13" refurbished and was sold!

I highly recommend refurbished. Same great 1 year warranty. Comes in perfect condition besides original box. Save hundreds of dollars!

I thought of Macbook Pro but for $250 more, I would be loosing 128 in memory and gaining half a pound in weight. The Retina is a great computer and wows but is un needed for the most part. I would have rather scene a MBP slim but with quad core.

Overall 13" has right balance of speed/quickness,durability and etc. If you need raw power go with the MBP line but if you just doing streaming video and basic stuff the MBA is perfect.

Pros 1.Sexy, Thin and Portable
2.Ultra high performance, yet still has a great battery life ( I am not joking, this machine is very capable)
3.Great OSX

Cons Value, at the same price, I could have the macbook pro with more horsepower, more Ram, more space for entertainment, and more ports.