Quick-Read Review: Macbook Air 11" (2013 Edition) - Financial Express ~ Techno Hub

Nandagopal Rajan | New Delhi | Updated: Jan 13 2014, 10:27 IST

If you are looking for a laptop that combines performance, battery and portability, the Macbook Air is the best purchase right now.

SummaryNew Mac Air is powered by Intel's Haswell processor and HD5000 graphics and the performance shows.

Ever since Steve Jobs first pulled it out of a simple manila envelope, the Macbook Air has been the epitome of portable computing�a high-powered laptop that's sleek and lightweight. The 2013 edition of the Mac Air continues the tradition, boosting battery and performance.

Design: If you've seen any Macbook Air before this, then you've seen the new one. It looks exactly the same�brushed metal finish, aluminium unibody with rounded edges and that familiar Apple logo on top. Premium components mean that the lid is easy to open/shut and stays firm, without any wobble.

Screen: Some people might find the 1366x768 pixels resolution of the 11-inch screen to be low, but really, that resolution is fine for this size. I've tried 11" laptops with 1920x1080 pixels and rather than clarity, everything gets miniaturized. The one thing that is an issue, though, is that the screen is not matte. For a notebook that stresses on its portability, it would have been nice to be able to use it anywhere without screen glare. It's not as bad as the Macbook Pro, but it could have been better.

Performance: The new Mac Air is powered by Intel's Haswell processor and HD5000 graphics. And the performance shows. You can edit videos and images just as easily and smoothly as you can play games like Bioshock Infinite.

Memory: The notebook ships with a 128GB SSD, so you won't have much trouble with storage. But if you need more, unfortunately, the 11-inch model does not a memory card slot. It would have been a nice addition.

Software: The new model ships with the latest Mac OS X Mavericks, and the good news is that Apple is now giving its iWork suite free with that. Just head to the Mac App Store and download it�that's a great bonus!

Keyboard: The Macbook Air has one of

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