2013 Macbook Air Review (From a PC User's Respective)

[CwGoh]

Preface

I've been a PC user for the past 13 years of my life. from my first Windows 95 machine to my current Windows 8 Prodigy, I've never owned a mac and had no desire to get one due to the price premium and probable learning curve to OS X. But fate plays with me, and I needed a mac for media production in my school. After failing to jiggle OS X onto my laptop, the Lenovo Thinkpad X201, I decided to hunt for a Macbook. I saw a 13" Macbook Air refurbished for $1,100 in my local currency (SGD) and decided to jump for it.

Screen

It's ironic when people who go by 16:10 are referred to as "PC Purists" when Apple is one of the few manufacturers left that make laptops of 16:10 aspect ratio. It is of 1440 x 900 resolution and definitely a TN. Colours and viewing angles are pretty good but calibrated at a rather cool white point out of the box. It also gets highly bright and very dim. I'm accustomed to the cheapo 1366 x 768 screens and the extra vertical space and resolution is of much to my satisfaction. However, the MBA's competitors (Zenbooks and Vaio Pros) have 1080p screens, so I think it would be beneficial if Apple bumped the screen to 1920 x 1200 while giving better pixel density, without encroaching into their "retina" line of Macbooks.

Keyboard

Standard Apple "chicklet" layout with bright back lighting. Key travel is a bit shallow for my taste, but it is easily one of the best keyboards money can buy currently. (On par with Lenovo's TPs and Zenbooks) However, I still prefer the longer travel and traditional layout of my old, trusty X201, but the Apple one is highly commendable nonetheless.

Trackpad

Probably the industry leading touchpad on the MBA. Large, smooth glass with gestures and scrolling that works well. Although I've not gotten it to register the more complicated gestures (but I attribute part of the blame to my OS X incompetence) and tapping two fingers for right click. But there is a option for a traditional right click, a life saver for PC immigrants.

Shell Build Quality

The Macbook's aluminium unibody design is famous, and it does live up to it's reputation. No flex in the keyboard, corners, screen or touchpad. Though it is scratch prone and not as light as I would like. I think only the older Thinkpads with the "rollcage" designs can hold a candle up to the MBs.

Audio

The speakers are bloody loud and clear. Probably the best in laptops. Integrated DAC is pretty good, but not amazing.

Battery Life

It lasted for 2 days of intensive word processing, YouTube viewing, LTT forum browsing. Best battery life I've seen on a laptop so far. Great.

Using OS X

Well, as a PC user, OS X wan not that bloody bad to get used to, although the control key switched with the alternate key was a pain, I got used to it quickly. Just try looking up a few guides, and you can get going pretty quick.

I mainly use the Microsoft Office suite on my laptop for school. The Mac version is a great departure from the "ribbon" concept with menus on the top in MO 2007-13 on Windows. I'd still prefer the windows version though for one, I'm used to the workflow and that the top menu can expand and contract easily. This contrasts sharply, where is OS X the options on the left side pane. It needs time to get used to, but the functionality is not affected.

Thanks for reading!

[Butterfish]

Had my Macbook Pro 13" for over 2 years now. I've considered many many times to switch it out for a more powerful laptop, but i always end up sticking with it.

It have never failed me and is always reliable, so i might throw in an SSD when the slowness becomes a pain..

 

Anyways, good review.

[KaareKanin]

Nice review!

 

I noticed a thing you said about the white colour in the screen, I think that's just how OSX does it, when I switch input source on my monitor from windows pc to macbook, the difference in white temperature is the same But it's definitely a point worth mentioning.

[felixbearpig]

Nice review!

 

I noticed a thing you said about the white colour in the screen, I think that's just how OSX does it, when I switch input source on my monitor from windows pc to macbook, the difference in white temperature is the same But it's definitely a point worth mentioning.

I had the same problem with mine but thankfully it has a great calibration menu in it's settings

[coen113]

battery life does degrade after about 4 years, i only get 3-4 hours now. and once/month i have to fully empty the battery and load it fully again, else it gets literally 80 degrees

[Mac]

Nice review, as soon as I bought the 13" Pro I wish I had got the 13" Air.

 

Next Mac will be an Air.

[KaareKanin]

I had the same problem with mine but thankfully it has a great calibration menu in it's settings

 

I wouldn't call it a problem as such, as I don't really mind. I think it makes the OS look a little more crisp and fresh compared to how I think the more yellow-ish white in windows makes windows look softer and more squishy. But yes, the calibration tool is most excellent! 

[CwGoh]

I wouldn't call it a problem as such, as I don't really mind. I think it makes the OS look a little more crisp and fresh compared to how I think the more yellow-ish white in windows makes windows look softer and more squishy. But yes, the calibration tool is most excellent! 

 

Yep. More extensive than Windows. But I just calibrate it with my colormunki once and forget about it.

[iWearKiltz]

recommened an air to my girlfriend (13") and obviosuly being a techie, after she had set it up (under my supervision OFC!) and had a little play, i probably spent about 10 hours on it.

 

i then opted for macbook pro when work asked me what i'd prefer.

 

before now i have never owned or really enjoyed apples experiece (damn those CRT fugly macs. had loads at school and they were just shite on a plate. really.)

 

i feel, and i am, very productive on a mac and with its os, my god can you be productive!

 

still like windows, cause i like gaming, but instead of insulting mac, im now defending mac. 

 

[even considering an iphone instead of just upgrading my android again]

[CwGoh]

recommened an air to my girlfriend (13") and obviosuly being a techie, after she had set it up (under my supervision OFC!) and had a little play, i probably spent about 10 hours on it.

 

i then opted for macbook pro when work asked me what i'd prefer.

 

before now i have never owned or really enjoyed apples experiece (damn those CRT fugly macs. had loads at school and they were just shite on a plate. really.)

 

i feel, and i am, very productive on a mac and with its os, my god can you be productive!

 

still like windows, cause i like gaming, but instead of insulting mac, im now defending mac. 

 

[even considering an iphone instead of just upgrading my android again]

 

I'm still more productive on Windows, but my friends say the same thing about OS X. I guess both have a place in the PC world.

[KaareKanin]

I'm still more productive on Windows, but my friends say the same thing about OS X. I guess both have a place in the PC world.

 

Don't worry, it won't take long

[chipsndip104]

Had my Macbook Pro 13" for over 2 years now. I've considered many many times to switch it out for a more powerful laptop, but i always end up sticking with it.

It have never failed me and is always reliable, so i might throw in an SSD when the slowness becomes a pain..

 

Anyways, good review.

I've had my pro for about 3 years and it has had a few problems (dying screen that was replaced, last week the hard drive failed) but it has been pretty soild. Mine was about 1k out of the pocket so I'm not sure why people always complained about the overpirced Macs

[ultimatemythbuster]

Finally a thread where we can talk about an Apple product without getting eaten alive?  This is great.

[CwGoh]

Finally a thread where we can talk about an Apple product without getting eaten alive? This is great.

Yep. Magic of the LTT forum. I think Apple's MacBooks's are either too hyped or underrated. But I have to give them the credit that they have stayed true to building an excellent notebook while the other manufacturers have been jumping from netbook to tablets and now hybrids.

[Guest]

Great read! You basically summed up all the things i really like about my MB (trackpad, battery life, solid speed even after 4 years too...), and pretty much hit the nail on the head with the frustrations of ms office for osx!

[legopc]

great review but now lets talk preformance

[MrSuperb]

great review but now lets talk preformance

performance in an 'ultrabook'?

[legopc]

performance in an 'ultrabook'?

... my sister has bought an ultrabook (asus) for 1000 euro and it is AWSOME i mean she can play bf4 at med settings with good fps so it is posible 

[ManOfDisguise]

... my sister has bought an ultrabook (asus) for 1000 euro and it is AWSOME i mean she can play bf4 at med settings with good fps so it is posible 

how much fps is she getting on medium settings? what res?

[Mitch Bertsch]

i had a macbook 2011 that was a good computer it served me well till i toasted it trying to run games D: 

[legopc]

how much fps is she getting on medium settings? what res?

think about 30-40 and 1080p

[Madbrood]

I moved from Windows to mac OS X in 2009 (2009 MacBook Pro 15"), and it hasn't crashed once. Removable battery is all but goosed if I'm honest, but that's probably more down to my poor care than the battery being crap. Screen is still beautiful, trackpad still works perfectly and aside from a couple of small dents (my fault!) it still looks fantastic.

 

Even once I have my new gaming rig built, it'll still have a place on my desk. Or maybe just relegated to streaming media

[voaz]

Great review! very detailed and it makes me believe OSX isn't bad at all.

 

Isn't the 13" display a bit small? I am used to a 15.6" display at the moment.

[Madbrood]

OS X is incredibly easy to use. I've found that I can do everything I could do with Windows, you just have to dig a bit more for some stuff.

[CwGoh]

Great review! very detailed and it makes me believe OSX isn't bad at all.

 

Isn't the 13" display a bit small? I am used to a 15.6" display at the moment.

 

I'm used to the ThinkPad X series which are 12 inch screens, so 13 inches is comfortable for me. Perfectly fine for unitasking or light juggling of 2 spreadsheets, but any serious using of multiple applications on the screen at once is cramped.