****UPDATE****
Eight months into this device and here are my thoughts: (if you want to see my original review it's at the bottom)
I recieved my 11.6 inch 1.6 GHz 4 GB RAM 128 GB flash storage MacBook Air in June of 2015, and from the unboxing I was more than satisfied.
My star rating doesn't change. The MacBook still has an extremely impressive performance based on the specs inside of it.
So far, I've had no performance problems. I can only remember ever having to restart the MacBook because of a problem once, in almost a year of having it, and it was just a small bug with QuickTime Player. It starts up fast, wakes up fast, and transfers files fast, mainly because of it's PCIe-based Flash Storage, (which is absolutely wonderful by the way). I only have 4 gigabytes of RAM and yet the machine is smooth and buttery. Even after the update to Mac OS X El Capitan, I barely noticed a change in performance. The only thing that I did notice after updating, was that it took longer to login to my account. Not that much of an issue though.
The MacBook loads pages fast, and is completely capable to do everything I need it to do. Which is about everything except for gaming. (Which is handles relatively nicely, surprisingly). I can actually run a couple of steam games on this device with a solid 60 FPS, (games like CS:GO). However, if you do try to run games that demand a lot of power from the CPU and GPU, the MacBook usually runs pretty hot. It's never overheated on me though.
I can edit videos on iMovie without a problem, or write a song on GarageBand without a problem as well. These are probably the two most bulky programs that are included with Mac OS X by default, and even those don't give my Mac a hard time.
The 720p FaceTime camera in the front is far more convenient than I thought it would be. One of the other models that Apple makes, the regular early 2015 MacBook, only has a 480p resolution FaceTime camera, so the MacBook air actually has a significantly better one. It's fun to mess around in photo booth with the camera, and actually to take good photos with as well.
The PCIe-based Flash Storage is a huge plus for this MacBook. I can transfer 1 terabyte of data from one location on my Mac to another in a matter of seconds, mind-blowing speeds for someone like me who's used to cheap slow-spinning hard drives. This storage also allows my Mac to start up in a matter of seconds too, and wake up in seconds as well.
The 1.6 GHz Intel Core i5 processor may not seem like a very powerful CPU, but I'm always amazed at how fast it actually is. It can also Turbo Boost up to 2.7 GHz, but if you do run a program that requires the CPU to do this, your computer will run pretty hot. I can't say much about it, because I've never really had the opportunity to push it to the limits, because everything I've done on my Mac has been handled flawlessly by this CPU.
The engineering behind this device is gorgeous. Apple paid attention to every little detail, and it integrates flawlessly with Mac OS X, which is something you don't really get with many PCs because the software and the hardware are made by two different companies. I can place the MacBook in the palm of my hand, and open the lid with little trouble. This is great, I hate having to pry open the lid of some laptops. The fans, and speakers are hidden in the device so everything looks seamless and pretty.
My one complaint about this device though, is a big one. The display is absolutely standard. It is a 1366x768 resolution display. Personally, I do not know of any 11.6 inch device that features a higher one. However, every other Apple MacBook features a retina display, which is positively stunning. Once you see a retina display in real life, it's difficult to go back to a standard HD one. With the new early 2015 model Apple MacBook, (not the one I'm reviewing), Apple managed to pack more than double the amount of pixels that are in my display into a display that is just 0.4 inches larger. The results are amazing, but like I said once you see that kind of display in real life it's hard to go back to a regular one. Just to clarify, there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with the display, it's just ordinary. And amongst a device where every other aspect is extraordinary, it is a little out of place.
But in conclusion, the MacBook is still amazing. Despite it having a single flaw, I would recommend it to anyone.
(Original review from day of unboxing)
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I just recieved my 11.6 inch 1.6 GHz 4 GB RAM 128 GB flash storage MacBook Air earlier today, and from the unboxing I was more than satisfied.
I wasn't QUITE what I was hoping for, I think mainly because of the MANY overly positive fanboy reviews that are also posted on this product, but it was still much more than satisfactory for the price.
I have always been a PC guy, until just recently because I desperately wanted a change. Based on how many people used the MacBook airs I thought it would be a good choice.
Originally, I was going to purchase the brand new 2015 MacBook that Apple just released, featuring a retina display as well as the new force touch trackpad, however I wasn't quite satisfied with a 1.1 GHz machine for over $1200. That model does however, include double the storage as my build as well as double the RAM, but for my uses most of this was overkill.
So far, I've had no troubles with this machine whatsoever, it setup smoothly, and it runs as smooth as butter regardless of its small amount of RAM. A lot of people say that you need 8 GB of RAM in order to fully experience Mac OS X Yosemite absolutely smoothly, but this is not true. As long as I don't have a million programs open my 4 GB build runs great.
There's a lot of power behind the 1.6 GHz, more than you would expect from a CPU clocked at that speed. I think Apple did a Stellar job of optimizing it with Yosemite as well as the rest of their engineering and integration into the knowledge board.
If I had to have ONE complaint, it would be the display. Don't get me wrong, I am more than satisfied with the display, the only thing is pretty much every apple laptop available includes a retina display. This display definitely wouldn't be a deal breaker for me, but it's definitely a good plus if you do decide to go with a more expensive model.
Some people complain about the lack of a force touch trackpad in the air model. However, it really doesn't bother me at all. The trackpad is great, really there's no advantages over the regular trackpad, except for a couple of integrations into Yosemite, (pressing harder on a fast forward button will make it fast forward faster), at least at this point, the old trackpad is absolutely fine for everything.
I don't have unlimited money, so I did purchase the base model. I would have liked the 13 inch model, but after having the 11.6 inch model for a little while I think I'd prefer the smaller one.
Overall, the Mac is great. No complaints. Completely satisfied.
| Standing screen display size | 13.3 Inches |
|---|---|
| Screen Resolution | 1440 x 900 pixels |
| Max Screen Resolution | 1440 x 900 Pixels |
| Processor | 1.6 GHz core_i5 |
| RAM | 4 GB DDR3 |
| Memory Speed | 1600 MHz |
| Hard Drive | SSD |
| Graphics Coprocessor | Intel HD Graphics 6000 |
| Chipset Brand | Intel |
| Card Description | Integrated |
| Wireless Type | 802.11bgn |
| Number of USB 3.0 Ports | 2 |
| Average Battery Life (in hours) | 12 Hours |
