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11-inch MacBook Air video review

#175 | 3:45 |

Gadget TV

Wednesday November 17, 2010

The 11-inch MacBook Air is the first MacBook that could actually fit into the defacto definition for a netbook... if not for the $1,000 price tag. Like netbooks, the MacBook Air could be used as your primary computer... provided your use isn't going to be overly taxing.

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Show Notes

MacBook Air 11-inch
$999 - $1,199

13-inch
$1,299 - $1,599

- Small enough to fit into a purse or a European styled man bag.

- Up to 5hr battery life.

- Can be used as a primary computer, provided you're looking for something for basic web browsing and office type apps.

- Not ideal for heavier use.

- 64 or 128 GB flash storage is ideal for saving battery life and making the MacBook Air more robust (spinning mechanical hard drives are an achilles heel in both of these categories). However, it won't take long before you bump into the limitations of such a small capacity.

- DisplayPort allows you to dock the MacBook Air at your desk for a better experience when not mobile.

- 16:9 format screen is a deviation from typical laptop screens.

- 16:9 screen is fantastic for watching widescreen movies.

- 16:9 screen hampers web browsing and word processing etc. however. You'll find yourself wishing you had the extra real estate across the bottom of the screen.

MacBook Air specs
1.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
2 GB RAM
64 GB flash HDD, option to upgrade to 128 GB
NVIDIA 320M graphics chipset

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