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macbook air first thoughts and overview.

Swndlr
By Swndlr
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so recently i acquired a macbook air, the eleven inch model and i gotta say, it IS a fun thing to have laying around :P i love using osx for things like watching movies and using ms office and all the sort but really thats all i see this notebook doing (which is perfectly acceptable). but the thing that really kinda hit me when i first starting using it was the trackpad (as always from apple).

 

specs of my specific machine:

 

i5 clocked @1.4ghz and boost up to 2.7ghz + intel hd 5000 graphics

128gb ssd

8 gigs of ram @1600mhz

screen res: 1366 x 768 (which is fine @ 11 inches of screen to cover)

 

things i really like about:

 

i really like that the keyboard is nice and soft to click, not like one of those really cheap logitech keyboards that you buy at a cvs or something (we all know what those are like, dont lie) as well as apple never fails with their trackpads, i would compare it to something but theres nothing even like it, i like the trackpad on this thing more than the trackpad on my razer blade although the keyboard on the blade is better since ya know it was kinda meant for gameplaying at all that good stuff. they keyboard's backlight also impressed me :D i didnt think it was going to be that insanely good due to the fact that my brother bought a macbook back in 2012 (which he still uses today) and he said that the keyboard was really iffy and i tried it and agreed, so i figured that it would be the same thing on here and im glad to say apple has fixed all of those complaints :P the screen is also nice and before you say its too low a res to be nice and sharp for working and all, stop. the screen is perfectly fine for the size of the notebook but i really do hope in the next line on macbook air's they do add a higher res option (1600x900 AT LEAST and 1080p preferred) but thats all talk for the future and not now. so basically when i first took it out of the box and set all my stuff up on it and what have you, i realized something else, the battery life which is surpisingly as good if not better than advertised by apple. they say usually 8-9 hours of casual use and tbh the notebook lived up to those standards quite well, i never find myself needing to look for a wall charger during the day, as i would with my blade (sometimes).

 

things i really didnt like about the notebook:

 

when i opened up the notebook for the first time i noticed a few things that i didnt really appreciate. for some reason all the settings on it were wierdly configured and i had to fix a lot of them to be either normal or customized to my liking (something i didnt expect from apple) but it wasnt that big of a deal, regardless to this issue i was going to play with settings either way. another thing i didnt quite like was the macbook air branding right below the screen. it looks something like this, MacBook Air. and yes thats exactly how it looks actually, the macbook is bolder and darker than the "air". this annoyed the shit out of me and put me into an ocd attack and whatnot but i kinda see the design scheme there so i cant really complain too much, and then again, this is just a personal complaint not an actual issue with the computer itself and tbh thats all i could really find wrong with the thing. its quite straight forward for the most part, and as i was expecting from apple, it all just worked right out of the box and its a joy to use in bed when im just hanging around and all.

 

conclusion in case you didnt want to read the wall of text:

 

all in all, the thing is pretty awesome and although its aimed a specific group of people (most products are anyway) i find that it targets that group of people very well and although i dont see why people wouldnt go with the thirteen inch model instead, i can see some reason behind getting this one. so before you all start saying that this notebook is pointless, it really isnt. the ease of access and comfort level of using this computer in general is great. for the price of this and the enjoyment ive gotten out of it thus far, i can recommend this to anyone in need of something thats near tablet size and has a great keyboard / trackpad. sorry if i really didnt live up to the expectations of a great product reviewer :S just wanted to get my opinions out there. pictures soon, i hope :P.

 

4690K // 212 EVO // Z97-PRO // Vengeance 16GB // GTX 770 GTX 970 // MX100 128GB // Toshiba 1TB // Air 540 // HX650

Logitech G502 RGB // Corsair K65 RGB (MX Red)

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good review. I might get this laptop for college since it's so light and thin.

"If it has tits or tires, at some point you will have problems with it." -@vinyldash303

this is probably the only place i'll hang out anymore: http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/274320-the-long-awaited-car-thread/

 

Current Rig: Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600, Abit IN9-32MAX nForce 680i board, Galaxy GT610 1GB DDR3 gpu, Cooler Master Mystique 632S Full ATX case, 1 2TB Seagate Barracuda SATA and 1x200gb Maxtor SATA drives, 1 LG SATA DVD drive, Windows 10. All currently runs like shit :D 

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I agree, I love my Mac, and it's from 2006 :P

 

The trackpads on MacBook are absolutely impeccable. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING even comes close- even if it did, Windows has terrible support for them- weird scrolling, unnatural gestures, and every manufacturer configures it differently. The momentum-based scrolling and just solidity of them is untouchable. Sadly, I only get to use a new trackpad when my brother comes over with his new 13" MBA :(. But even my super-old one is better than most new laptops' trackpads...

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I agree, I love my Mac, and it's from 2006 :P

 

The trackpads on MacBook are absolutely impeccable. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING even comes close- even if it did, Windows has terrible support for them- weird scrolling, unnatural gestures, and every manufacturer configures it differently. The momentum-based scrolling and just solidity of them is untouchable. Sadly, I only get to use a new trackpad when my brother comes over with his new 13" MBA :(. But even my super-old one is better than most new laptops' trackpads...

I can back you up here. My HP trackpad sucks balls. It's so damn sensitive. When I have a mouse, I rest my hands on the keyboard, but the trackpad picks up my wrists' movements and moves the mouse. It's annoying as fuck. I disable it, but it's tedious. Plus, when I just touch it, sometimes it will just send the cursor to the other side of the screen.

"If it has tits or tires, at some point you will have problems with it." -@vinyldash303

this is probably the only place i'll hang out anymore: http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/274320-the-long-awaited-car-thread/

 

Current Rig: Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600, Abit IN9-32MAX nForce 680i board, Galaxy GT610 1GB DDR3 gpu, Cooler Master Mystique 632S Full ATX case, 1 2TB Seagate Barracuda SATA and 1x200gb Maxtor SATA drives, 1 LG SATA DVD drive, Windows 10. All currently runs like shit :D 

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good review. I might get this laptop for college since it's so light and thin.

i can def. see this being a great laptop for college, although i would go for the higher storage option

 

IMHO, Apple's trackpad sucks. :P

the trackpad is better than sex... well i mean, not that i would know ;)

 

I agree, I love my Mac, and it's from 2006 :P

 

The trackpads on MacBook are absolutely impeccable. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING even comes close- even if it did, Windows has terrible support for them- weird scrolling, unnatural gestures, and every manufacturer configures it differently. The momentum-based scrolling and just solidity of them is untouchable. Sadly, I only get to use a new trackpad when my brother comes over with his new 13" MBA :(. But even my super-old one is better than most new laptops' trackpads...

i hope this one lasts me a few good years :D the trackpads are god.

4690K // 212 EVO // Z97-PRO // Vengeance 16GB // GTX 770 GTX 970 // MX100 128GB // Toshiba 1TB // Air 540 // HX650

Logitech G502 RGB // Corsair K65 RGB (MX Red)

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I can back you up here. My HP trackpad sucks balls. It's so damn sensitive. When I have a mouse, I rest my hands on the keyboard, but the trackpad picks up my wrists' movements and moves the mouse. It's annoying as fuck. I disable it, but it's tedious. Plus, when I just touch it, sometimes it will just send the cursor to the other side of the screen.

I think they leaned so much from the original iPhone that they knew well to make the trackpad glass, and capacitive from the start. Most new laptops don't have either of those things. And OS X's software control over it is great. Scrolling and gestures all feel so natural in day-to-day use.

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the trackpad is better than sex... well i mean, not that i would know ;)

If your idea is sex is missing where your finger is supposed to go and hitting all the wrong things, being too slow. Yeah, it's completely like sex.

.

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I think they leaned so much from the original iPhone that they knew well to make the trackpad glass, and capacitive from the start. Most new laptops don't have either of those things. And OS X's software control over it is great. Scrolling and gestures all feel so natural in day-to-day use.

dont get me wrong, my blade has a fantastic trackpad, comfy and casual and natural and all, but this one just feels sooooo.... ooooolala

4690K // 212 EVO // Z97-PRO // Vengeance 16GB // GTX 770 GTX 970 // MX100 128GB // Toshiba 1TB // Air 540 // HX650

Logitech G502 RGB // Corsair K65 RGB (MX Red)

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the trackpad is better than sex... well i mean, not that i would know ;)

 

i hope this one lasts me a few good years :D the trackpads are god.

Agreed, and it will. Mine from '06 is still just as responsive and useable, but it has gotten a shiny strip from the wear- though, this one is plastic! The glass one will last a lot longer. That MacBook will last forever if you take care of it- just ask my 2001 iMac or 2002 PowerBook G4, both of which function 100% (though are of course way too slow for much of anything today).

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If your idea is sex is missing where your finger is supposed to go and hitting all the wrong things, being too slow. Yeah, it's completely like sex.

idk what to say to this post...

4690K // 212 EVO // Z97-PRO // Vengeance 16GB // GTX 770 GTX 970 // MX100 128GB // Toshiba 1TB // Air 540 // HX650

Logitech G502 RGB // Corsair K65 RGB (MX Red)

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If your idea is sex is missing where your finger is supposed to go and hitting all the wrong things, being too slow. Yeah, it's completely like sex.

Wow, sex must've been terrible for you.

 

What MacBook did you use? I have had nothing but great experiences with any Apple touch interface- screens, trackpads, etc.

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so you dropped around 1 grand just to do word formatting and watching movies?

k

 

They don't even cost 500 pounds, what are you talking about? 

 

I just got the same model as well! :) Fantastic little machine for internetting about and taking to and from school all the time. No major gripes from me either. The screen is kind of an annoying aspect ratio, but I'm used to it already. Also I'm noticing a couple of stupid OSX glitches. 

Feel free to message me if you want to chat!

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Wow, sex must've been terrible for you.

 

What MacBook did you use? I have had nothing but great experiences with any Apple touch interface- screens, trackpads, etc.

man this went from apple laptop review to linussextips real damn quick i can see lmao.

4690K // 212 EVO // Z97-PRO // Vengeance 16GB // GTX 770 GTX 970 // MX100 128GB // Toshiba 1TB // Air 540 // HX650

Logitech G502 RGB // Corsair K65 RGB (MX Red)

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Yeah, I want a refund.  <_<

Oh?

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man this went from apple laptop review to linussextips real damn quick i can see lmao.

Happens.

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They don't even cost 500 pounds, what are you talking about? 

 

I just got the same model as well! :) Fantastic little machine for internetting about and taking to and from school all the time. No major gripes from me either. The screen is kind of an annoying aspect ratio, but I'm used to it already. Also I'm noticing a couple of stupid OSX glitches. 

6a96c42c4a.jpg

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I might get it if I had the money (Swndlr I just saw that I am 4 days older than you :P )

Spoiler

My system is the Dell Inspiron 15 5559 Microsoft Signature Edition

                         The Austrailian king of LTT said that I'm awesome and a funny guy. the greatest psu list known to man DDR3 ram guide

                                                                                                               i got 477 posts in my first 30 days on LinusTechTips.com

 

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Wait until Yosemite- then the OS will be as beautiful as the MacBook!

 

*wipes off a tear*

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They don't even cost 500 pounds, what are you talking about? 

 

I just got the same model as well! :) Fantastic little machine for internetting about and taking to and from school all the time. No major gripes from me either. The screen is kind of an annoying aspect ratio, but I'm used to it already. Also I'm noticing a couple of stupid OSX glitches. 

Don't even cost 500 pounds? Here in America, it starts close to 1 grand. But I think it looks good for the money. No other laptop can get this slim other than an Ultrabook, but @Swndlr's description of the trackpad is sex.

"If it has tits or tires, at some point you will have problems with it." -@vinyldash303

this is probably the only place i'll hang out anymore: http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/274320-the-long-awaited-car-thread/

 

Current Rig: Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600, Abit IN9-32MAX nForce 680i board, Galaxy GT610 1GB DDR3 gpu, Cooler Master Mystique 632S Full ATX case, 1 2TB Seagate Barracuda SATA and 1x200gb Maxtor SATA drives, 1 LG SATA DVD drive, Windows 10. All currently runs like shit :D 

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Which is why you never buy from the company itself

Feel free to message me if you want to chat!

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