Apple announced updates to its MacBook Pro and MacBook Air laptops, as well as an all-new MacBook Pro with a Retina display. Updates to the Air series are fairly mundane with new processors, USB 3.0, and up to 512GB of storage.
The screen sizes available remain 13 inches with a 1,440x900 resolution and 11 inches with a 1,366x768 resolution, each with two default configurations.
As widely expected, these new systems include Intel's new third-generation Core i-series processors. Formerly known under the code name Ivy Bridge, these new CPUs offer modest performance and battery life improvements over the previous generation, but much better graphics performance, via Intel's new HD 4000 integrated graphics. That's especially important for a laptop such as the MacBook Air without a discrete GPU.
The default 11-inch CPU is now a 1.7GHz Intel Core i5 (Turbo Boost up to 2.6GHz), while the 13-inch default CPU is a 1.8GHz Core i5 (Turbo Boost up to 2.8GHz). The step-up models of each size are configurable with a dual-core 2GHz Core i7 CPU for $150 extra on the 11-inch or $100 for the 13.
The chipset for Intel's Ivy Bridge platform has support for USB 3.0 built in, so it's included here as well, in addition to Apple's underutilized Thunderbolt port.
First introduced in 2008, the most recent refresh of the MacBook Air was in July 2011. The design of the MacBook Air changed slightly in 2010, and an 11-inch model was added, but the overall look has remained consistent. While ultra-thin laptops were rare at the time, with the rise of ultrabooks -- an Intel-promoted platform for thin Windows laptops -- the MacBook Air now has a lot of look alike competition.
Like previous MacBook Air models, the new versions include only solid state storage options. The available base SSD sizes (which represent storage hardware attached directly to the motherboard, not a standard removable SSD drive) are 64GB and 128GB on the 11-inch and 128GB and 256GB for the 13-inch version. The 128GB 11-inch Air is configurable with a 256GB ($300) or 512GB ($800) drive, while the 13-inch 256GB model can be bumped up to 512GB ($500).
It's nice to see the availability of the 512GB SSD, but a little surprising to see a 64GB still being used because after the operating system overhead there is precious little room for actual file storage.
The default RAM for all Air models is 4GB 1,600MHz DDR3L with 8GB available as a $100 upgrade.
Ports remain sparse, but serviceable. Two USB 3.0/2.0 ports, a headphone jack, SD card slot (13-inch only), and a Thunderbolt port that also acts as a mini-DisplayPort video output. Long-hoped-for additions, such as HDMI or an SD card slot for the 11-inch model, are not included.
The Air's FaceTime camera has also been updated to a 720p HD resolution.
The 11-inch MacBook Air starts at $999, with an upgraded $1,099 version, while the 13-inch starts at $1,199, with a $1,499 upgraded version. All are to be available immediately.
No comments:
Post a Comment