Expect everything from a notebook that weighs almost nothing. With the latest-generation Intel Core i5 and i7 processors, high-speed Thunderbolt I/O technology, and all-flash storage, MacBook Air isn’t thin on features.
Intel Core i5 and i7 ProcessorsThe Apple MacBook Air MC968LL/A comes with 1.6GHz Intel Core i5 processor for up to 2.5x the processing performance over the previous generation. MacBook Air also features the Intel HD Graphics 3000 processor, which includes an on-chip engine for video encoding and decoding. That means you experience video playback and FaceTime calls that are smoother, more responsive, and more true to life.
High-Speed Thunderbolt I/OWith one port, MacBook Air gives you access to a world of high-speed peripherals capable of transferring data up to 12 times faster than FireWire 800 and up to 20 times faster than USB 2.0. Or use the Thunderbolt port to connect the new Apple Thunderbolt Display and transform your ultracompact MacBook Air into a complete desktop workstation. Power over 4 million eye-popping pixels while enjoying some major benefits: Gigabit Ethernet, FireWire 800, an additional Thunderbolt port, three USB ports, a FaceTime HD camera, 2.1 stereo sound, and a built-in microphone. The display even charges your MacBook Air, so there’s no need to unpack and unravel your power adapter. With two quick connections — the MagSafe power cord and the Thunderbolt cable — you’re up and running in seconds. Unplug them, and you’re on your way just as fast.
All-flash storageDevices like iPhone and iPad have already demonstrated the advantages of flash storage: reliability, speed, and efficiency. So the decision to use flash storage in an ultracompact notebook like MacBook Air made perfect sense. With flash, your computer starts up in almost no time and accesses data quickly. Flash also gives MacBook Air the astonishing ability to remain in standby mode for up to 30 days. Which means your MacBook Air snaps to in an instant, whether you open it tomorrow, next week, or next month.
Backlit keyboardAs incredibly compact as MacBook Air is, it still manages to fit a full-size keyboard that makes typing as natural as it is comfortable. And now the keyboard is backlit, so you can type with ease in even the dimmest light. A built-in ambient light sensor detects changes in lighting conditions and adjusts the display and keyboard brightness automatically. From a seat in a sunny café to a seat on a cross-country red-eye, you’ll always have the perfect lighting for any environment.
Multi-Touch trackpadThe Multi-Touch gestures in OS X Lion make everything you do on MacBook Air more intuitive, direct, and fun. And the spacious Multi-Touch trackpad is perfectly designed for them, whether it’s a three-finger swipe to activate Mission Control or a four-finger pinch to see all your apps in Launchpad. Gesture responses in Lion are smooth and realistic. So when you’re scrolling up and down a web page or swiping from one full-screen app to another, it’s almost like you’re touching what you’re seeing.
Long-lasting batterySince space-saving flash storage leaves room for a bigger battery, you can devote more time to the things you enjoy most. Things like browsing the web, editing photos, and watching videos. Get up to 5 hours of battery life on a single charge on the 11-inch model and up to 7 hours on the 13-inch model. Put MacBook Air to sleep, and it enters standby mode to conserve battery life for up to 30 days.3 When you come back to your MacBook Air and open it up, it’s on in an instant.
Pros: -Very very very light/thin -Extremely fast -Crystal clear display -Responsive -Awesome OS -Great apple perks -Multi-Touch gestures make conventional track pad methods for navigation a thing of the past. (Swiping right to go back on a webpage and vice versa for forward.) And many more which make navigation within your system fun and fluent. -Little to no worry about viruses
Cons: -Have to buy a thunderbolt display out to connect to an external display
Overall Review: I don't know why anyone would down rate a laptop just because you can buy alternative parts and build a better one. While that is true, it won't be a mac! You buy a mac for the great OS and features. I bought mine to build iOS apps.