Line of laptops MacBook Air regularly replenished, this time the 11- and 13-inch models received fifth-generation Intel processors (Broadwell), an Intel HD Graphics 6000 graphics chip and a Thunderbolt 2 port.
Laptop Apple MacBook Air 13 2016 – Reviews TehnObzor
The storage in the new MacBook Air has become much faster, and battery life is longer. But some elements have not been updated, so the ultrabook leaves mixed impressions.
But as a consumer, it has never been more difficult to choose which laptop to get. Here are the pros and cons of each model. The Air has a traditional keyboard with more travel, which some may find more comfortable. Pros: Very thin and very light, 2 lbs - ultra portable to get if you're always on the go. You will hardly notice this laptop in your bag or backpack.
While the butterfly keyboard is flat, it feels fast when typing. The multi-touch screen above the keyboard provides all sorts of context-sensitive buttons and controls when using various apps. The keyboard got a little warm after running our 15-minute video streaming test.
Apple MacBook Air design
The appearance of the MacBook Air has not changed for 5 years. And in vain, the classic design would not have been harmed by thinner frames and a general reduction in area.
The Dell XPS 13 is considered too wide, the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro takes up a lot of space on your lap, but they feel compact compared to the new Air.
Editor's note. Pay more money and you'll get a little more fast processor and more space to store files. Here are the features of each model. What is this for? And you'll barely notice it in your bag - your back will thank you. We'll start with 13-inch laptops and then list 15-inch laptops. Here are the differences between the two models. And it's also the heaviest, with 15-inch models pushing in at 4 pounds. This may not seem like much, but imagine yourself on the road, meeting people while working remotely.
Weighs on you as the day goes on. It's a good combination of speed and price. This is one of the most demanding users who will appreciate a powerful discrete graphics card. Moreover, while Touchpad is neat, we won't consider it a required feature.
The one-piece aluminum construction holds the screen firmly and does not flex when pressed. The housing can be cleaned with a regular damp cloth. The coating is easily scratched, so you should think about buying a cover in advance.
MacBook Air specifications
The 13-inch MacBook Air has better hardware than the 11-inch model, thanks largely to faster flash storage than its predecessor. Our laptop version had:
We have it to help you find the ones you need. Regardless, let's take a closer look at the exact changes and whether it's worth diving in now after going through the previous generation - or upgrading from this model. Aesthetically, there is nothing new here.
On paper, all of these 7th generation processors offer higher clock speeds, which should translate into better performance. The team writes about what you think you'll like. This is the computer you're going to use for work and play for years to come, and depending on what you need it for, you may overestimate or underestimate how many computers you'll need.
- Processor: dual core Intel Core i5 s clock frequency 1.6 GHz (Turbo Boost up to 2.7 GHz) with 3 MB shared L3 cache
- Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 6000
- RAM: 8 GB, 1600 MHz DDR3
- Screen: 13.3-inch widescreen LED-backlit (1440 x 900)
- Storage: 256GB PCIe-based flash storage (expandable up to 512GB)
- Optical drive: no
- Ports: two USB 3.0 (up to 5 Gbps); Thunderbolt 2 port (up to 20 Gbps); MagSafe 2 power port; SDXC card slot
- Connectivity: 802.11ac Wi-Fi; Compatible with IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n; wireless technology Bluetooth 4.0
- Camera: 720p FaceTime HD camera
- Weight: 1.35 kg
- Size: 32.5 x 22.7 x 1.7 cm
The apple laptop served me very well throughout my college years and well beyond, and it is an investment. If you're looking for something powerful enough for word processing, web surfing, and streaming media, this computer will be perfect for you.
Configuration and prices
His look hasn't been updated in a while, but he doesn't look bad by any means. This makes it an ideal solution for those who still want a very thin and light machine, but make a difference on a high-resolution screen. It has 9 hours battery life, while maintaining power balance and small size.
Two ultrabook configurations:
First, for $999 (57,000 rubles): with Core processor i5 with a frequency of 1.6 GHz (up to 2.7 GHz in Turbo Boost mode), 128 GB of storage and 4 GB of RAM.
And the second option, which we tested, for $1,199 (68,300 rubles): a processor with a frequency of 1.6 GHz (up to 2.7 GHz in Turbo Boost), 4 GB of RAM and 256 GB of flash storage. You can increase the RAM to 8 GB for an additional $124 (7,000 rubles).
It still has a built-in graphics card, so if you're looking for high-resolution photo or video editing, you should probably look elsewhere. Note. It may be larger and heavier than its little brother and younger cousin, but it's still smaller than the vast majority of laptops. If you work with photos a lot, this will make a big difference if you like the idea of expanding the amount of storage you've got through third party solution. It's heavy, has a low-resolution screen, has worse battery life than its siblings, and hasn't been updated in years.
Ports and updates
One of the advantages of the MacBook Air over the 12-inch MacBook is more connectors. On the left side there is: MagSafe 2 power connector, USB port 3.0 and headphone jack. Right: Thunderbolt 2, a second USB 3.0 port, and a full-size SD card slot.
The 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro has twice as many Thunderbolt ports as the Air, and adds an HDMI port.
Almost the same in appearance
But it can still be a good choice. You can even do most of them at once. You'll definitely notice this in your backpack or if you carry it by hand between classes. This a good choice for the college student who doesn't care too much about subtlety but wants power and screen slickness.
It's a premium-priced supercomputer, but for the money you're rewarded with a lot of computer under the hood. Instead, it has the same standard function keys as everyone else computer keyboards for decades. On one hand, the thinness and lightness are great, it feels like a premium laptop that's more portable than ever.
The operating system is OS X Yosemite (version 10.10) with a new colorful style - a welcome change from the cool gray tones of Mavericks.
The upgrade to X 10.11 El Capitan will be available for free and will bring a number of performance improvements, as well as features such as Split View (split screen) and Spaces Bar (additional desktops).
This is a laptop for those who want portable power. It has a beautiful screen with a wide color gamut that allows you to see more detail in your drawings than ever before. It's thin and light, with enough memory, storage, and processing power to handle a fairly large workload.
The suitable panel is a small strip located above the keyboard that contains touch screen. The screen changes dynamically depending on what apps you are using and provides you with information or shortcuts. In the Photos section, you can change different sliders for photo effects or adjust the size of certain tools. You can also use the touchpad to adjust the brightness or volume of your screen.
Software
The MacBook Air comes pre-installed with Apple's iWork and iLife suite of applications, which include Movie, Garageband, Pages, Numbers, Keynote, Safari, Mail, Messages and FaceTime. In addition to them there is Calendar, Contacts, App Store, iTunes, iBooks, Maps, Photo Booth and Time Machine.
MacBook performance
The processor of the modern 13-inch MacBook Air is built on 14 nm Broadwell architecture, and its previous model worked on the 22nm Haswell process. The upgrade made it possible to extend battery life - now the battery can last more than 13 hours when watching Full HD video via Wi-Fi.
Third-party app developers will also be able to use the touchpad to customize their apps. The trackpad on both models is also huge, making it easier than ever to use it to scroll, pinch and zoom if needed. If you are a "trackpad" you will fall in love.
This tiny screen is said to replace the function key row and provide context-sensitive commands—different "soft" buttons that can vary depending on the app you're using. If you're looking for the latest and greatest in the never-ending race toward newer and better system specifications, then a slow pace of change can be important.
In benchmark Geekbench 3, the Ultrabook Air scored 2,873 in the single-core test and 5,768 in the multi-core test - the latter figure is 9% more than the previous MacBook Air, but 20% less than the MacBook Pro Retina.
In Cinebench R15 OpenGL, new MacBook Air showed 24.91 fps. Blackmagic Disk Speed Test determined the average write speed to be 612.4 MB/s, read speed to be 1302.4 MB/s.
But real appearance the current and 15-inch models are actually more than four years old. That it's still one of the most universally useful laptops you can buy is a testament to its forward-looking design. 
This is something of a controversial opinion, but hear me out. This can become a frustrating nuisance. One of the biggest upgrades is the processors. Benefits - More efficient power management and even more high performance, which is great for multitasking users, video gamers and creative professionals.
The new Air allows you to comfortably play at low and medium settings with reduced resolution. For example, in Skyrim the frame rate was 50 fps. Needed for games good headphones, since the existing speakers, despite all Apple’s efforts, do not produce decent sound.
The design of the MacBook Air has not changed over the years, but in the case of the keyboard, this is even good - no other laptop has such comfortable keys, and the smooth surface of the touchpad allows you to operate quickly and comfortably.
This is great news for mobile professionals. Depending on the app you're using, different buttons and controls appear on the touchpad. But if you want to new design cases without a touchpad, there is a 13-inch variant with a lower end. Add this to the lineup and it doesn't leave much room for professionals who need some computing power to push their software. In other words, it would have to be a pretty significant price cut to make up the difference.
The 480p camera looked terrible on the 12-inch MacBook, but the Air's camera quality went up to HD, which is good enough for clear images on Skype and Google Hangout.
Bottom line
The new MacBook Air 13 2016 doesn't impress with its design, but it copes with most tasks. You can comfortably work on a laptop either separately or connected to an external monitor. Him best battery among 13-inch ultrabooks, the same goes for the keyboard. The addition of Thunderbolt 2 will please those who have compatible devices, and the drive's 2x faster speed will be especially useful for regularly copying information.
This product also appears to be the last to come out, with Kuo indicating that it won't go into mass production until early in the fourth quarter. When will we see some of these announcements? Colleagues always have special activities, as well as special conditions for students, pupils, teachers and professors. This is also not clear. Almost the same configuration requires more than 500 euros more compared to the previous year's model.
USB-C Multiport Digital AV Adapter
Really justify it without testing it. But let's take a closer look. Delivery is described as fast and nothing special. Space and space were clearly maintained in this series. The display is now only framed by a narrow black frame, and the dimensions have become significantly smaller than the previous one. Here you can see a comparison of the current 15 with the latest 13-inch series.
But the body has not changed, clear Retina display never added, the speakers are mediocre, and the bezels are wide. Simply put, the MacBook Air series doesn't look as cool as it used to. Much faster storage and processor with new architecture better than previous models, but not all users need it.
So, much more is not the case. Also new is the gray color, which you can admire in my test model, and of course the relatively bulky connections. The illuminated apple logo should give way to a polished logo. The designer seems to have been a bit over-saturated. This will be the appearance of the device. Nothing squeaks, everything sits where it should, and the device radiates premium quality anyway.
Everything else will be a scandal in this price category. However, you can see that the manufacturer has changed something. You can even damage your eyes at the mildest level. The colors are crisp but remain natural. If you want to get this, think carefully if you don't get the best configuration right away. Let's take a graphics card as an example. Difference between graphic cards huge depending on the model.
Advantages
- Good battery
- Fast storage
- Comfortable keyboard
Flaws
- Outdated design
- Display is not Retina
- Weak speakers
Ultrabook MacBook Air 13 2016 – video review
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Upgrading to 460 doesn't cost that much, but may be worth it since you get almost double the processing power of the 450. Depending on what you'd like with the device, 455 would be enough, but for the normal Otto consumer it's plenty. The integrated chips should be more than adequate for every current purpose. So Hardware should be quite powerful, right?
The keyboard keys are flat and very small. The pressure point is very good in itself, but it must be said that the keyboard is very familiar. It's similar to printing on a hard surface. After a short time you get along well with him. One prints quite quickly. What I really don't like is the volume. Even if you write normally, this is a real "hammer".
The period between June 5th and 9th was marked by the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (abbreviated WWDC). A lot of interesting things happened at this conference. First of all, a new iPad Pro(at 10.5 and also at 12.9 inches). Also, the world saw the long-awaited 11th iOS version. However, improved versions of MacBooks have attracted a lot of attention. In particular, an improved 12-inch MacBook, 13 and 15-inch MacBook Pro, as well as a 13-inch MacBook Air were presented. Let's find out what the updated devices will be able to please their fans.
12-inch MacBook Specifications
Anyone who was expecting something truly new will be slightly disappointed. In fact, this model is no different from previous versions, although important improvements are still present. But let's go in order.
- Delivery set, external design. This is the first point that will not surprise fans of Apple laptops. The device has retained its shape and dimensions. It's still a neat little rectangle, measuring 280.5mm long, 196.5mm wide and 13.1mm thick (3.5mm at its thinnest point). The device weighs 0.92 kg. Most likely, we can be happy about the preservation of these characteristics, because the 12-inch model in question was initially positioned as the standard of compactness. The updated Mac will also be delivered inside a neat white box, which shows the device in a closed state (an additional emphasis on its thinness). In addition to the gadget, the package contains the usual accompanying documentation, network USB-C adapter at 29 W and USB-C cable for charging 2 m long. Unfortunately, there will be no adapter for other devices - you will have to purchase it additionally. The device body will be available in colors: gold, silver, space gray and popular pink gold. On the back cover of the display, of course, the user will see an elegant bitten apple. The device keys are black. This creates a rather nice contrast. Initially, this MacBook is positioned as a universal work machine.
- Screen. There were no changes here either. The MacBook is equipped with a 12-inch Retina display with an aspect ratio of 16:10, which is based on an IPS matrix. There is LED backlighting. The maximum supported resolution is 2304x1440 pixels, but other formats are also supported: 1024x640, 1280x800, 1440x900. There are still 226 dots concentrated on one inch. The picture quality and color rendition remained at the same level.
- Interface and wireless networks. Using this device as an example, you can understand that Apple continues to dictate its terms of the “game” to users. The device supports HDMI, VGA, but there are no separate sockets for them. There is only a port for USB Type-C. And if you want to use all the features of the Mac, you will have to buy a special adapter from third-party manufacturers. But the combo output for microphone and headphones is in place, which is already pleasing. Also, the gadget supports popular types of wireless communication: Wi-Fi 802.11ac (compatible with IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n) and, of course, Bluetooth 4.2.
- Technical content. But here the engineers did a great job. The updated Mac will be equipped with Intel Core m3 or i5 processors. The initial operating frequency of the chip is 1.2 or 1.3 GHz, respectively. However, using the Turbo Boost mode, this figure can be overclocked for the m3 to 3 GHz, and for the i5 to 3.2 GHz. The video card has also improved. Now the integrated Intel HD Graphics 615 chip will be responsible for the graphics. The initial amount of RAM will be 8 GB (memory type LPDDR3) with a frequency of 1.866 GHz. Improved performance will be facilitated by updated 256/512 GB SSDs. The device runs on macOS Sierra.
- Autonomy. As for the battery, the MacBook has a lithium-polymer battery. Its capacity is 41.4 Wh. In standby mode, the device can work for about 30 days on a single charge. But you can watch videos in iTunes for 12 hours.
Description of MacBook Pro 13 inches
This technical product will also not surprise its future owner, but Apple engineers have thought through certain improvements for it too.
- Design. In short, everything remains as it was. Technical elements are housed inside an aluminum case, made in silver or space gray. The dimensions of the model are 304.1x212.4x14.9 mm. The Apple laptop weighs 1.37 kg. The location of the popular logo is unchanged - back cover screen. The device is controlled via a full-size backlit keyboard. Moreover, a real management assistant can be Touch Bar with Touch ID (touch panel). However, there are options without it.
- Display. The MacBook Pro 13 displays images on a 13.3-inch Retina screen with IPS matrix. The standard resolution is 2560x1600 pixels, but supported options are 1024x640, 1440x900, 1680x1050. The brightness indicator is 500 cd/sq.m, and the pixel density is 227 ppi.
- Performance. MacBook Pro 13 is equipped with a dual-core Intel Core i5 chip. Its starting frequency is 2.3 GHz (or 3.1 GHz in the model with Touch Bar). In addition, it is possible to overclock the cores to 3.6 or 3.5 GHz, respectively (you must agree, this is quite a high figure for laptops from Apple). As for the other technical components, they also remained almost unchanged. The Mac runs on 8 gigabytes of RAM, and information storage is provided by a pair of solid-state drives from 128 to 512 GB. The GPU in the model without Touch Bar is Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640, and with it - Intel Iris Plus Graphics 650.
- Interfaces and connections. The model without the Touch Bar has two Thunderbolt 3 ports, and the model with the panel has 4. There is a headphone jack. Wireless connection carried out via a Wi-Fi module supporting the 802.11ac standard. Bluetooth 4.2 version is also provided.
- Autonomy The MacBook Pro 13 provides a lithium polymer battery. The capacity of the version without the Touch Bar is 54.5 Wh, and with it - 49.2 Wh. However, the difference in capacity is so insignificant that both devices can be in standby mode for up to a month, and work under medium load or play video for up to 10 hours.
Improved 13-inch MacBook Air
Another product from Apple that has undergone minor changes, although they will please the potential owner.
- Designer execution- familiar to those who had previous versions of this MacBook model. The body is made of aluminum, which guarantees good strength. The dimensions of the product are 325x227x17 mm. The described device weighs only 1.35 kg. The model still looks stylish thanks to its pleasant light gray color. Command input is provided by a keyboard consisting of 79 keys. Like the previous MacBooks described in this review, this model is primarily intended for work (hence the rigor of the design).
- Screen. High picture clarity is guaranteed by a glossy widescreen display with a diagonal of 13.3 inches. The standard resolution is 1440x900 pixels. With an aspect ratio of 16:10, the screen supports resolutions of 1024x640, 1152x720, 1280x800. With a ratio of 4:3 - 800x600 and 1024x768. The display is characterized by optimal contrast and good color reproduction.
- Performance. Engineers equipped the updated MacBook Air with an Intel Core i5 chip. The nominal operating frequency of its cores is 1800 MHz. In addition, it is possible to increase performance up to 2900 MHz by overclocking. Improvements have also been made to the video card. Thus, previous versions of the MacBook Air were equipped with an integrated Intel HD Graphics 5000 card. No, GPU on the updated version it remains integrated, only now HD Graphics 6000 is responsible for the graphics (the upgrade is minor, but pleasant). RAM completely doubled. Previously, the limit of these MacBooks was 4 GB. The new Air will already have 8 GB of RAM on board. In addition, it is possible to increase the amount of physical memory. The user can order a laptop that has solid state drive for 128 or 256 GB.
- Interfaces and networks. As for compact laptop, there are quite a lot of ports here. In particular, there are a pair of USB 3.0 ports, one Thunderbolt 2 socket, a MagSafe 2 power connector, and an SDXC card slot. Of course, there is also a headphone jack. In respect of wireless networks Everything is standard: there is support for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
- Autonomy. As for the battery life, it is provided by a lithium-polymer battery with a capacity of 54 Wh. The updated version implies a slight improvement in autonomy. The MacBook Air 13 can last about 12 hours with Wi-Fi activated.
Characteristics of the updated 15-inch MacBook Pro
This model can be considered one of the leaders in terms of increasing productivity. Let's take a closer look at all the characteristics of the updated device.
- Appearance. Based on the information above, it is easy to guess that the external design remains the same. The model is 240.7 mm wide, 349.3 mm long and 15.5 mm thick. The weight of the MacBook Pro 15 is the heaviest among all the models described. It is 1.83 kg. The outer part of the aluminum case is silver, and there is also a space gray color. The surface surrounding the keyboard (including the touchpad) has a similar shade. But the keyboard itself and the frames around the display are black. The control module contains 65 buttons. The alphabetic and numeric symbols on the keyboard are made white; This contrast ensures good visibility of all characters.
- Screen- Retina with IPS matrix and LED backlight. Its diagonal is 15.4 inches. Resolution up to 2880x1800 pixels is supported. The monitor has optimal picture clarity and color rendition. The pixel density is at 220 ppi.
- Performance. In short, the improvements affected everything. First of all, it was put Intel processor Core i7. There are two versions: the first with an operating core frequency of 2800 MHz and the ability to overclock to 3800 MHz, and the second with a frequency of 2900 MHz and overclocking to 3900 MHz. previous version This MacBook had only 512 MB of integrated video memory. The 15-inch Pro can now be equipped with a discrete Radeon Pro 555 or 560 card with two or four GB of GDDR5 memory, respectively. The RAM performance has also improved, now it can reach 16 gigabytes. As for storage devices, as standard there will be a 256 or 512 GB SSD on board, although its operating speed will increase, which will have a positive effect on the performance of the entire system. The ports on the device include 4 Thunderbolt 3 and a headphone jack.
- Autonomy. A lithium-polymer battery with a capacity of 76 Wh is responsible for this parameter. The updated device is guaranteed to have 10 hours of battery life under medium load and almost a month in standby mode.
Operating system of updated MacBooks
We will talk about this point separately, since it applies to all the above-mentioned devices. The advantages of macOS Sierra include the following points:
- Introduction of Siri - personal assistant. He can find required file in folders or on the Web, send a message, play music, or notify of free space on your storage device upon request.
- Clipboard improvements. Files can be copied on one device and pasted on another.
- Sign in with Apple Watch. Mac recognizes the user if it has apple watch Watch.
- iCloud Drive. Access your files from different devices.
- Automatically transfer files to iCloud. Folders and files you rarely use will automatically move to iCloud when your storage space runs out.
- Updated Photos app. More accurate face recognition, displaying pictures by the name of the place or the name of the people depicted in them.
But as for High Sierra, which comes out this fall, it has the following innovations:
- A new one has been activated file system called High Sierra. This addition replaces the HFS system, which is three decades old. Thanks to High Sierra, improved general work macOS. In particular, files are now opened faster, and their downloading and uploading to the network has also become faster.
- The proprietary Apple Safari browser has been updated. Now its speed exceeds that of its main competitor - Google Chrome. This is an extremely important achievement for Apple as a company that positions itself as one of the leaders in the global IT industry.
- Intelligent Tracking Prevention technology has appeared. It relates directly to Safari browser, however, it is worth considering separately. The reason for this honor is that this technology does not allow tracking search queries user, guaranteeing 100% privacy. Moreover, Intelligent Tracking Prevention has become a full-fledged replacement for the AdBlock extension, as it will protect the Mac owner from annoying online advertising.
- The improvements also affected standard application called "Photo". From now on, a simple photo editor will be placed there, which will allow even an extremely inexperienced user to correct pictures without any problems. Moreover, the photo sorting algorithm has also become more convenient and understandable.
- The last pleasant moment can be called a real step into the future, because macOS received support for the HTC Vive VR headset. In other words, Apple has begun mastering full-fledged virtual reality.
