As another point of comparison, we ran Cinebench on the $769 ASUS U31s, a 13-inch laptop with a 2.1-GHz Core i3 CPU. The VAIO Z, however, uses a full-voltage Core i7 processor and starts at $2,000. When we ran the CPU portion of Cinebench 11.5 to render a photorealistic 3D scene, the 13-inch MacBook scored 2.09 points, which is between the VAIO Z (2.98 points) and the 11-inch Air (1.58). The 13-inch Air also isn't that far behind the MacBook Pro (6,446), which was configured with a full-voltage 2.3-GHz full-voltage Core i5 CPU. That result is nearly double what the last-generation model turned in and is also higher than the 11-inch Air (5,040). In Geekbench, for example, the 13-inch Air notched a score of 5,860. The Pegasus RAID Storage device (starting at $1,000) is another option, but more affordable peripherals are also on the way.Ĭlick to enlargeBy stepping up to a 1.7-GHz ultra-low voltage Core i5 processor, Apple has narrowed the performance gap between the 13-inch MacBook Air and the 13-inch MacBook Pro.

This includes Apple's new Thunderbolt display, which doubles as a docking station. The right side of the 13-inch MacBook Air houses a Thunderbolt port, which provides 20 times the speed of USB 2.0 and works with a new breed of peripherals. However, we kept the volume at about 80 percent to avoid harshness. 'This is War' by 30 Seconds to Mars and other tracks certainly had enough punch to keep us entertained while writing this review. The speakers located beneath the keyboard on the 13-inch Air certainly don't project booming sound, but the audio quality is better than you might expect from such a svelte design. When watching the 720p trailer for Harry Potter and Deathly Hollows Part 2, we could easily make out Voldemort's eerie eyes from a couple of feet away. In addition, the panel is quite bright and provides wide viewing angles. Having this extra real estate-whether it's for surfing the web or just seeing more of a document-goes a long way toward making the 13-inch Air feel more like a primary computer. It's not only larger but provides more resolution (1440 x 900 vs 1366 x 768). If you're torn between the 11-inch MacBook Air and the 13-inch model, you'll want to take a good look at this display. A pinch with three fingers and your thumb automatically launches the iPad-style Launchpad menu for accessing your apps, while a three-finger swipe up launches Mission Control (which provides a birds-eye view of open programs).Īs expected, clicking down on the trackpad with one or two fingers always felt sure and accurate. Plus, with Mac OS X Lion, you can pull off lots of neat little shortcuts. We easily executed two-finger scrolling and pinch-to-zoom gestures. The 4.1 x 3-inch glass touchpad on the 13-inch MacBook Air is simply second to none.

Macbook air 13 inch battery life