There are a few troubling technical aspects of the new
iPad that give me pause about the post-Jobs Apple.
I'll skip the obligatory praise of the new iPad's Retina display. And
for those readers who want to call me a whiner, idiot, or Apple hater,
go ahead, take your best shot.
On launch day, while I was pleased to find that the new iPad was only
slightly thicker than the iPad 2, this raised the first red flag for
me. Dilution of Jobs Doctrine? The design decisions that led to a
chunkier iPad are a little worrisome and break -- in my opinion -- one
of Steve Jobs' cardinal rules: devices should get thinner and lighter,
not bigger and heavier, as another review pointed out. Stay on this current trajectory and iPads become merely a better doorstop.
Gen 3 iPad
Chip slip As brilliant as Apple is, it's not primarily a chip
company. That means it can make mistakes with silicon design. Neither
Texas Instruments nor Intel is above reproach (and they've made their
share of mistakes), why not Apple? Case in point, the A5X. Respected
chip review site Anandtech
found the chip lacking on some key performance metrics. And there are
plenty of other examples of reviews that found that the new iPad isn't
faster than the iPad 2 in many applications. Another red flag, in my
opinion. Battery Big battery. Too big? When the battery grows
almost twofold but doesn't offer better battery life, something is
amiss. OK, so it's necessary to drive the sophisticated display
apparatus but, again, another red flag.
The processor (also called CPU, short for Central Processing Unit) is
the "engine" of a computer. It is the most important component in
determining how fast or 'snappy' the system will operate across
applications both now and in the near future. Like the engine of an
automobile, a processor can be fast, slow, power hungry or power
efficient subject to the kind of work the computer is being considered
for. It is important to round out what kind of things you will be doing
on the system to best select a computer with a CPU most suitable to your
needs.
Unlike other components of a notebook computer, the CPU is -- with
rare exception -- a fixed component. This is in contrast to RAM and hard
disk storage which can typically be upgraded. Therefore, another
consideration is the fact that (important as the CPU is) the CPU you
choose will be the same throughout the life of the system. This implies
that as programs become more sophisticated, the computer's ability to
handle such programs will be directly affected by the decision made at
purchase all that time ago. This choice may mean the difference between a
system that is useful for another year or two versus one that isn't --
much sooner. As a final consideration in choosing a CPU is the suggested
or minimum requirements of either the programs that is planning on
being run, or academic department recommendations as a guide as to the
relative kind of performance required for a particular field of study.
Currently, the two largest manufacturers of CPUs in the world are
Intel and AMD. The following provides a short profile of the companies
and the current state of their products.
Intel
The current performance and market leader at the time of this writing
is Intel. Intel is currently the sole supplier of processors for all
recent Apple computers (Macbook, Macbook Pro, Mini, iMac etc.) and are
found in virtually all major computer manufacturer's product lineups.
Intel's most current crop of CPUs are the Core iX-series processors
which include the i3, i5 and i7; as of January 2011, these series of
processors entered their 2nd generation (codenamed "Sandy Bridge" where
the 1st generation was codenamed "Nehalem", differences explained under
the special features section).
AMD
AMD is the second largest
supplier of processors for personal computers. Many of their products
are found in both high-performance and budget-oriented notebooks as well
as low-cost, enthusiast-oriented desktop builds. The Phenom II and
Fusion platforms comprise AMD's most popular and mainstream offerings at
the time of this writing. The Fusion processors are a line of AMD
processors that contain a graphics procession unit integrated with the
processor. The Fusion line offers similar processors from the energy
efficient Atom processor up to the powerhouse Core iX series. Beneath, we provide a
chart which compares the relative performance between competing product
lines within Intel's and AMD's offerings. These are organized by the
following three classes: high-end, mid-range and economy. It is
important to note that though this comparison offers a reference of
relative performance within each brand, it does not necessarily indicate
absolute rankings between competing Intel and AMD products (for
instance, the Core i7 is in the same row and category as the Phenom II
series but offers superior general performance). Further, the Core iX
Mobile series only indicate relative performance for notebook platforms
-- that is, it is generally not useful to compare them to desktop
processors such as the Intel Core i7 or the Phenom II series.
(2nd generation "Sandy Bridge")
Intel Core i7
As Intel's flagship processor, the i7 is a 64-bit
processor offering either 2, 4, or 6 cores of the highest levels of
general performance available. The i7 combines Hyper Threading and
Turbo Boost technologies for the most demanding and advanced of
applications.
Intel Core i7 Mobile
Intel's Core i7 Mobile features unparalleled
performance on notebooks, incorporating significant power savings while
implementing the same features as the non-mobile i7, Hyper Threading and
Turbo Boost. The i7 Mobile is available on notebooks with 2 or 4 cores;
currently the 4 core version offers higher performance in some respects
but heat and battery life are concerns.
AMD Phenom II X6
AMD's Phenom II X6 represents the industry's first
consumer class six-core processor. The X6 offers the highest levels of
performance ideal for the most intensive of tasks - bolstered by AMD's
new Turbo Core technology, the X6 is able to optimize performance in a
variety of situations.
(2nd generation "Sandy Bridge")
Intel Core i5
Based upon the same architecture
as the i7, the i5 is also a 64-bit processor that features 2 or 4 cores
at a similar class of performance of the i7 processor at a lower cost.
The i5 features Turbo Boost and Hyper-Threading technology but do not
possess as much cache memory as the i7.
Intel Core i5 Mobile
The Intel Core i5 Mobile while also featuring Hyper
Threading and Turbo Boost possesses a similar but lesser class of
performance than the Core i7 Mobile with less cache and available in
notebooks only with 2 cores. The Core i5 Mobile is a high performance
processor with low energy requirements.
AMD Phenom II X4
AMD's latest generation of consumer class 4 core
processors, the quad-core Phenom II X4 chips are designed to deliver
performance ideal for all kinds of multimedia as well as in the most
demanding of applications such as virtualization.
(2nd generation "Sandy Bridge")
Intel Core i3
Derived from the same
architecture as the higher end i5 and i7, the i3 is available strictly
as a dual core processor. Though Hyper Threading is available, it does
not feature TurboBoost. The Core i3 processor presents higher levels of
performance than the Core 2 at a smaller cost.
Intel Core i3 Mobile
The Intel Core i3 Mobile descends similarly from the
i3, presenting a fast, 64-bit computing experience with the intelligent
architecture of the i5 Mobile and i7 Mobile. The i3 Mobile features 2
cores and Hyper Threading but does not include Turbo Boost technology
AMD Phenom II X3 & X2
AMD's Phenom X3 and X2 processors boast 3 or 2 cores
that offer excellent performance value; great for all around usage on a
small budget all while utilizing AMD's latest architecture technology
seen in the Phenom II X4 series
Intel Core 2 Quad
The Core 2 Quad features 4
processing cores to optimize gaming, video, and image processing. Built
on the same architecture as the Core 2 Duo, this processor excels on
multi-tasking with performance hungry applications.
Intel Core 2 Extreme
Available in both 2 and 4 core
versions, distinguishing features of the Extreme series include higher
bus speeds than the non-extreme versions, and an unlocked clock
multiplier for further customization of your computing performance.
Intel Core 2 Duo
Contains two processing cores to
optimize gaming, video, and image processing. Laptops with this chip
tend to be thinner and and more energy-efficient.
AMD Phenom I X3 & Phenom I X4
AMD's first generation of
consumer class processors featuring quad and triple core performance
found in desktop builds. Features 64-bit computing performance as well
as AMD's HyperTransport bus technology.
Intel Pentium Dual Core
Dual core processor based on the
Core microarchitecture. A class beneath the Core 2 Duo and Core Duo of
Intel's processor offerings, the Pentium Dual Core is available in
current desktops and laptops.
AMD Turion II Ultra / AMD Turion II
The Turion II and Turion II Ultra are AMD's mainstream
mobile processor platform; they provide excellent all-around
performance for multimedia such as high definition video. As these are
often paired with AMD/ATI graphics, budget configurations containing
these processors are also sufficient for basic 3D graphics and gaming.
Intel Core Duo / Intel Core Solo
The Intel Core Duo and Core Solo
are dual and single core processors based on the Core microarchitecture.
The Core Duo and Core Solo offers modest performance for office and
limited multimedia oriented tasks.
AMD Athlon II X2
The AMD Athlon II X2 is a 2 core
desktop processor that is 80% faster than it's single core counterpart.
Great for multitasking and multimedia consumption on a budget.
Intel Centrino/Centrino Duo
A mobile-oriented processor based
upon Pentium M or Core Duo architectures; the Centrino also integrates
wireless networking technology allowing for smaller sized laptops.
Offers slight performance boost over simply choosing a core duo and dell
wireless card (which is typically less expensive.)
AMD Sempron
The AMD Sempron is a budget class
processor seen in low cost notebooks and desktops and are considered a
class above netbook/nettop processors such as the Intel Atom or the AMD
Neo platforms.
Intel Atom
Primarily found in netbooks and
nettops, this processor has been designed with price and power
consumption in mind. As a result, it offers much less processing power
than other current Intel alternatives. This processor is available in 1
or 2 cores, with the single core option being far more prevalent.
AMD Athlon Neo / Neo X2
The Athlon Neo and Neo X2 are
single and dual core processors seen in ultra-mobile platforms such as
netbook and nettops. They are featured with ATI integrated graphics for
reasonable multimedia playback performance.
Intel Celeron
Intel's economy model processor.
It is the most basic, and thus the slowest. It has less cache than other
Intel processors, so even if it has the same Ghz rating as another
processor, it will be slower. We usually do not recommend this processor
because it offers the least in terms of longevity.
This is not meant to be a comprehensive list, but rather a way to
identify different branches in processors. To see a more comprehensive
comparison of specific processor types, follow the benchmark links
below. Benchmark websites rank processors within and between series. The
highest rated processors are typically used for server applications and
for simplicity, those products are omitted in the set of rankings above
(eg. Intel Xeon and AMD Opteron); rather the processors that are found
in desktops and notebooks are included.
It is further important to recognize that general processor speed is
not solely atttributed by its frequency -- these are the Mhz and Ghz
numbers often seen -- of the processor when comparing between different
product lines as is the common misconception. For instance, an Intel
Pentium 4 3.8 Ghz processor is slower than an Intel Core Duo or AMD
Phenom. The primary reasons for this is a function of the architecture
and the associated features therein (particulrly additional physical
cores, advancing of bus technology, etc). It is thus, only applicable
comparing frequency ratings to ascertain relative performance within
exact product lines (eg. Core 2 Duo vs. Core 2 Duo). The chart beneath
will give a rough idea of the hierarchy of performance expected in
faring against competing product lines at the time of this writing. It
may also be helpful to understand that versions of processors found in
desktops tend to be higher in performance than their notebook
counterparts of the same product line; this is done to maintain thermal
requirements, battery life and minimize size at the cost of speed.
In this section, we breakdown the practical meaning of some important
technical features included in the various processors available. Please
not that this is not a comprehensive listing and what is described are
the most common/relevant features offered.
Special Features
Explanation
Processors Using Feature
Intel Features
Hyper Threading
The operating system treats the processor as two processors instead of one. This increases the speed of the computer.
Pentium 4, Core i7, Core i5, Core i3
Turbo Boost
Allows the processor to intelligently overclock themselves so long as thermal and electrical requirements are still met.
Core i7, Core i5
Intel QuickPath Interconnect (QPI)
A new Intel technology which replaced Front Side Bus (FSB) -- similar in purpose to AMD's competing HyperTransport technology.
Implemented in some fashion in all Intel core iX series processors
Execute Disable Bit
Prevents certain viruses from infecting the system by labeling some data "executable."
Current Intel processors
vPro
Best for IT people trying to maintain several workstations. It is
able to detect systems, even in powered-off states. Synchronizes remote
desktop, security, and other multi-station support features. Decreases
desk-side maintenance visits.
Core Duo, Core 2 Duo
ViiV technology
Intel's bundle for enhancing multimedia. Supports HD resolutions 720p up to 1080i.
It's not the iPad 3. It's not the iPad HD. It's the "new iPad", a
new Apple tablet device that the company are so confident marks a new
step forward for the slate form factor as to do away with numeric naming
conventions for the product line. As far as Apple is concerned, this is
Year Zero for the iPad. So what's so special about it? Tech Digest were invited down
to an exclusive preview event tonight to try out the new tablet. Read
on for our full initial thoughts, broken down into sections concerning
each new feature. Retina Display
Many analysts rightly predicted that the new iPad would sport a
super-high resolution screen, and as with the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S, Apple
have pushed in their Retina Display technology. Still in a 9.7 inch
form factor, the Retina Display has a 2048 x 1536 pixel resolution. That
adds up to 3.1 million pixels, approximately 1 million more than you'd
see on an average 1080p HD TV. It looks as good as that sounds; text
from iBooks content is so clear as to render individual pixels
indistinguishable, photos edited in the new iPhoto app pop with colour
and can be zoomed in for incredible definition. Sat side by side with an
iPad 2, there was a significant difference in clarity across both
screens. A5X chip
Pushing that many more pixels requires a hell of a lot of graphical
grunt, so there's a new A5X chip onboard the new iPad. Offering
quad-core graphics capabilities, Apple stated that the A5X performs 4X
better than the NVIDIA Tegra 3 mobile GPU. In some cases during our
hands on session this really wowed us; the new Sky Gamblers Air
Supremacy flight-sim game from Namco looked incredible, with graphics
now truly rivalling the latest generation of console games, with plenty
of action onscreen all at once. However, apps didn't load notably faster
than on the iPad 2, and there were a few occasions when the new iPad
would hang. It's clearly a capable chip however, and gamers have a lot
to look forward to here. With Apple claiming the new iPad is good for 10
hours worth of use from a single battery charge, they may lose a lot of
hours here. 5MP iSight camera
The introduction of the cameras in the iPad 2 proved to be a bit of a
disappointment, but Apple seem to have righted the wrongs with the new
iPad. They've introduced the iSight camera onto the rear of the tablet,
capable of shooting 5MP stills. It's more or less the same as you'd find
in the iPhone
4S, offering a five element lens, a hybrid IR filter, backside
illumination, and Apple's own ISP. There's also 1080p recording onboard
now too. Both stills and videos looked great on the iPad. Though the
low light surroundings where we went hands-on with the new iPad weren't
ideal, the resultant images we took were dramatically better than those
shot on the iPad 2, and the roll of example images pre-loaded onto the
device (which an Apple rep assured us were shot using the camera) looked
great. When paired with the iPhoto app the tablet now offers a fairly
robust shooting and on-the-go editing combo that will be irresistible to
those who want one device to rule them all. Auto-stabilisation in video
recording also helped remove shaky-hand camcorder syndrome in our brief
test, and gave a feeling similar to when motion technologies are
employed in flatscreen HDTVs. Voice Dictation
So the new iPad doesn't have Siri, but it does have voice dictation,
which is accessed simply by tapping a small microphone icon that now
sits on the iPad software keyboard. Speaking into a hands-free mic, we
said a few lines into the new dictation assistant, and were pleasantly
surprised by the accuracy of the software. In the hustle and bustle of
the launch event, it managed a 50-odd word chunk of text with only two
errors, which was no mean feat considering the ambient sound and my
cockney accent. 4G LTE support
The new iPad offers 4G LTE super-fast mobile broadband support.
That's great news for US Apple fans, but not too much of a big deal as
of yet for those in the UK, as the technology still hasn't rolled out
over here. As a result, we were unable to test the mobile download
speeds, but Apple have already confirmed US carriers such as AT&T
and Verizon in the US. At least the new iPad is future-proofed for the
upgrade once it hits here though, and with new trials rolling out this
year, that's something to look forward to. Apps
The only significant new app directly from the Apple stable was the
iPhoto app. Completing the iLife trinity on iPad (flanked by Garageband
and iMovie) it's a real showcase not only for the Retina Display, but
also Apple's keen understanding of touch-based user interfaces.
Everything from cropping to colour adjustments, contrast settings to
light and saturation enhancements can be carried out simply by tapping
and swiping away at the screen. There's even a Journal section, allowing
to create a patchwork scrapbook of your favourite photos, which can
have intelligent widgets added into them that offer info like calendar
dates and even the weather (based on date and location of the image
taken) squeezed in. It's a lovely app that scales down the complexity of
something like Adobe Photoshop so that even your Nan could produce
incredible snaps.
Garageband gets updated too, with the addition of smart orchestral
strings (that literally had us smiling like a giddy child) and a new Jam
Session feature. Jam Sessions let users connect up to four iPads
together over Wi-Fi and record separate instruments in tandem, giving as
close to a live recording experience as you're ever likely to get with
the tablet based version of Garageband.
iMovie also gets a slight update, adding new cinematic trailer options,
and a few tweaks to the UI that make editing clips together a little
easier. Considering the 1080p camera onboard, this app is now likely to
get a lot more use, and it seemed from our short test easy enough to
hobble together a few basic cuts and fades.
Third party apps included an Autodesk touch based illustration app
that also really shone on the Retina Display and a new Infinity Blade
game called Infinity Blade Dungeons which looked much like a Diablo
clone. While these two weren't available to test, we did grab a play of
Namco's new flight simulator, Sky Gamblers Air Supremacy. An arcade-y
dog fighting game, it looked stunning, with superb lighting effects
making the jet you control shimmer. The game hurtled along at an
incredible pace, with plenty of onscreen action and 3D jets all flying
around at once. Throughout all the in-game chaos, the new iPad barely
broke a sweat. Dimensions
The new iPad is slightly thicker than the iPad 2 at 9.4mm, weighing
0.64kg. It's a negligible difference, and only the weediest arms will
notice the extra strain. So close to the iPad 2 is the new iPad in terms
of design that even the old Smart Covers work fine with it. Available
in black and white, we still think the white chassis has the edge. Initial Verdict If you go through the checklist of things people had hoped to
find in the new iPad, Apple have pretty much ticked them all off.
Retina Display? Check. Faster processor? Check. Better cameras and image
editing options? Check. 4G mobile downloads? Check. It's hard to fault
the new iPad in this regard, and those sitting on the fence about
grabbing a tablet really don't have any excuses any more. With the new
iPad on sale across the globe from March 16th, expect to see many of
these tablets out and about in just over a week's time.
It's made all the more desirable thanks to the fact the pricing
structure remains unchanged from the launch of the iPad 2. In the UK
that leaves the pricing at £399 (16GB), £479 (32GB) and £559 (64GB) for
Wi-Fi only, with the 4G + Wi-Fi version landing at £499, £579 and £659
respectively. In the US that's $499 (16GB), $599 (32GB) and $699 (64GB)
for the Wi-Fi versions and 4G models at $629, $729 and $829
respectively.
Upgrading from the iPad 2 will be a slightly harder sell, but with
all the added new features of the new iPad, it's now starting to look a
little long in the tooth, and the first iPad even more so. The magic isn't as pronounced as when the iPad was
first unveiled, but when it comes to tablets Apple are still in a league
of their own. We can't wait to get some more time with the new iPad and
really put it through its paces. You faithful Tech Digest readers will
be the first to know our full overall verdict, so keep checking back for
more iPad updates!
The good:The new 11-inch Apple MacBook Air is dramatically faster than last year's version, has a backlit keyboard, and comes with a high-speed Thunderbolt I/O port. The bad:The
$999 entry-level Air still has the same limited fixed flash storage and
RAM as last year's version, which most people will want to upgrade
from--and there's still no SD card slot, Ethernet port, or 3G wireless
option. The bottom line:This
year's 11-inch MacBook Air improves on last year's model in several
significant ways and is by far the fastest ultraportable you're likely
to find, though some users will consider the limited flash storage space
to be a hindrance.
Last October, Apple's 11-inch MacBook Air
debuted. The tiny, slim ultraportable was the smallest laptop Apple had
ever made. Its combination of size and power earned it a four-star
review, with caveats: it had a last-generation Core 2 Duo processor,
lacked a backlit keyboard, and omitted an SD card slot. We're glad to
find the newly released, back-to-school-timed 2011 MacBook Air update
fixes two of our three complaints, while keeping a $999 starting price.
Both
11- and 13-inch MacBook Airs have been updated with new, faster
second-gen Core i5 processors. The new Air also, finally, has a backlit
keyboard. There are more bonuses, too: Mac OS X Lion,
Apple's brand-new operating system update, comes preinstalled. A
Thunderbolt I/O port for high-speed data transfer and HD audio/video has
been added.
Unfortunately, there's still no SD card slot, and
memory and storage configurations remain both fixed and limited: the
entry-level $999 configuration still only has 2GB of RAM and 64GB of
flash storage, which many will consider inadequate. We recommend the
$1,199 configuration, which has 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.
Perhaps
the biggest change to the MacBook Air is how it's being sold. Now that
the $999 white MacBook no longer exists, Apple has made the MacBook Air
the entry-level laptop for everybody (everybody with a grand to drop on a
laptop, at least). The $999 11-inch MacBook Air is the most affordable
MacBook in Apple's stable
.
The 2011 11-inch Air is, undeniably,
an improvement over the fall 2010 version. Is it a MacBook for everyone,
though? Not yet, unless you can live with the Air's still comparatively
limited storage space. For a more full-size laptop with even better
battery life, many might be tempted to get the 13-inch MacBook Air or even the more full-featured 13-inch MacBook Pro. But, for sheer portability and performance, nothing can beat the 11-inch Air.
Price as reviewed
$999
Processor
1.6GHz Intel Core i5-2467M
Memory
2GB, 1,333MHz DDR3
Hard drive
64GB SSD
Graphics
Intel HD 3000
Operating system
OS X 10.7 Lion
Dimensions (WD)
11.8x7.6 inches
Height
0.11-0.68 inch
Screen size (diagonal)
11.6 inches
System weight / Weight with AC adapter
2.34 pounds / 2.68 pounds
Category
Ultraportable
The new 11-inch Air is identical to last
year's model in terms of physical design. There's nothing wrong with
that; the trim, elegant Air cuts a blade-thin profile and is one of the
lightest little laptops we've ever seen. The all-aluminum body feels
rock-solid and has no flex at all, while the magnetically closed upper
lid smoothly opens on its center hinge to rest at a perfect viewing
angle. The all-metal construction keeps it from feeling too fragile,
often an issue for ultrathin systems. The body tapers at the front down
to a razor-thin .11-inch edge, creating an optical illusion of even more
thinness, although it's still only 0.68 inch thick at the rear.
The
Air feels so minimal, it almost resembles an iPad when closed, and its
dimensions, while longer, thicker, and heavier, aren't far off. The
2.38-pound chassis and tapered design make this 11-incher slip almost
unnoticed into a small bag, and with Apple's square charger it wraps up
into a neat, tiny package. The Air even feels thin and light to someone
used to working with very small laptops (such as Sony's Vaio Z). Even
the 11-inch Samsung Series 9, an impressive little ultraportable, feels thick by comparison.
The
large keyboard and trackpad (the same glass version found on other
MacBooks) both work well, although the function keys at the top are very
small. The keyboard feels excellent for such a small laptop, nearly
identical to what you'd find on a full-size MacBook, except the keys are
shorter and thus have less travel to them. The newly added (or should
we say, restored) backlighting is a huge boon for low-light work
conditions. Backlight brightness controls have been added to the
function buttons at the top, along with new Launchpad and Mission
Control hot keys. The complete use of function keys as function-reversed
media/panel controls is efficient and well laid-out.
The palm
rest below the keyboard is also generously sized, a rarity on
ultraportables. Those who might criticize the excessively large bezel
around the 11-inch Air's display need only do the math and realize that
this space was added to ensure a large keyboard/trackpad/palm-rest zone
unlike the compressed working landscape we've seen on other 11-inchers.
However, the footprint of the 11-inch Air really could accommodate a
12-inch screen. We'd like to see that in a future Air model.
Apple's
large multitouch trackpad remains the best available. The pad is hinged
at the top, allowing the entire pad to click down, but we prefer
traditional tapping (which is off by default and must be activated in
the Preferences menu). We've seen other clickpads from other
manufacturers, but none have the size, responsiveness, or construction
quality of Apple's. It's a huge amount of trackpad space on such a small
laptop, but you'll need every inch of it and then some, as Mac OS X
Lion, which comes preinstalled on the new MacBook Airs, has an elaborate
multifinger multitouch vocabulary that's much more demanding of
trackpad space than the more conservative Windows 7 multitouch universe.
However, one of the most challenging new multifinger gestures--the
four-finger squeeze to bring up Launchpad that we've come to call "the
claw,"--has a simple hot key in the F4 button. We'll be pressing that
instead in the future, thank you very much.
The new Air comes
with an impressive set of software programs installed, starting with OS X
Lion. The newest version of Mac OS X launched at the same time as these
new Airs, making the MacBook Air the first Mac laptop we've used with
the new OS. (For more on OS X Lion, read our CNET review.)
Lion maximizes screen real estate on the 11-inch Air: applications more
easily pop to full-screen, and swiping between full-screen apps
eliminates the hunt for tiny buttons. But Lion also suffers from a few
too many viewing modes, such as Mission Control, Launchpad, and Expose.
Applications
installed via other methods can't be instantly deleted from the
iOS-like Launchpad (thank goodness), and the Mac App Store, while
useful, has too many holes in its software library to be considered
comprehensive. It's the start of an iOS-like experience on the Mac, but
it still has a ways to go. You already get the standard suite of iLife
programs, iPhoto, iMovie, and GarageBand, which all include tons of
useful and fun features and are ideal for casual consumers.
Like
last year's model, the 11-inch Air boots and starts up from sleep
extremely quickly. Apple calls this Instant On, and though it's not
exactly instant, it does boot up very, very fast--faster even than an
iPad. In sleep mode, the Air can go for an extremely long time without
much loss in battery life, much like the iPad. After putting it in
sleep, we opened our Air up the next morning and found practically no
drop-off.
The 11-inch Air is still the only MacBook with a 16:9
display (the 13-incher is still 16:10), and uses the same
1,366x768-pixel native resolution as most laptops from 11 to 15 inches.
The screen area lacks the edge-to-edge glass over a black bezel found in
other MacBooks; instead the screen is surrounded by a thick silver
bezel. While small, the screen is incredibly bright and crisp. Not only
could we view video from nearly any wide angle, but text, even small
text, popped off the white space on documents. The only screen we've
seen recently that equals it is the one on the Samsung Series 9.
The
built-in speaker offers crisp sound, but its volume is limited.
Listening to a TV show in a bedroom with air conditioning on became a
nearly impossible task. In terms of overall volume output, it felt
comparable to the iPad 2. It's best to use headphones instead.
The
included Webcam, unlike the one on the new MacBook Pros, isn't HD. The
video quality in our basic tests with Photo Booth and FaceTime was a
little grainy, but serviceable. We'd have preferred an HD Webcam
upgrade, especially with Apple's focus on video calling.
Apple MacBook Air (11-inch, Summer 2011)
Average for category [ultraportable]
Video
Thunderbolt I/O with Mini DisplayPort
VGA plus HDMI or DisplayPort
Audio
Stereo speakers, headphone/mic combo jack
Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks
Data
2 USB 2.0
3 USB 2.0, SD card reader
Expansion
Thunderbolt I/O with Mini DisplayPort
None
Networking
Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
Ethernet, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, optional mobile broadband
Optical drive
None
None
Even though the 11-inch Air is small, it
still gets a Thunderbolt port, replacing the Mini DisplayPort on last
year's model. Thunderbolt is Apple's new high-speed I/O port for HD
audio, video, and data, allowing multiple hard drives and monitors to be
connected via a single cable. Thunderbolt will still work with older
Mini-DisplayPort monitors and with HDMI converters, but the added
connectivity could theoretically help restore missing ports via a dock
connector, although currently that's not the case.
Sony, in a bout of bad timing, is hosting an event on March 7 in San
Francisco for tech reporters at the same time as Apple’s reported iPad 3 unveiling and the Japanese conglomerate wants to make sure it won’t get ditched.
Sony, which some people consider to be the “Apple of the ’80s”, sent
out a helpful e-mail on Tuesday informing invited members of the
press of the scheduling conflict without mentioning the world’s most
valuable tech company.
The Sony event is a breakfast with Sony Electronics president and chief operating officer Phil Molyneux. He helped spearhead Sony’s tablet launch last year, the “S” and the “P”, which are among the many tablets chasing the iPad.
Sony isn’t the first Japanese company to get overshadowed by an iPad launch. Last year, the iPad 2 was revealed at the same time Nintendo President Satoru Iwata was speaking across the street at the Game Developers Conference.
