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Apple MacBook Air 11.6 inch Summer 2011 - Core i5/i7

Based on 41 reviews

Excellent:

23
Good:

13
Average:

4
Bad:

1

Pros

Topdrawer design and build quality, small and light, powerful
Impressive performance, Simple, Elegant, Typical Apple, Design, Solid build quality, Very responsive backlit keyboard and trackpad, Lightweight and highly portable
Fast performance, Price, Thunderbolt port, OS X Lion.
Beautifully crafted, Intel Core i7 processor for fast performance, excellent multi-touch functionality, unmatched portability, great keyboard and screen.
Dramatically faster than last year's version; backlit keyboard; comes with Thunderbolt I/O port.
Very fast, impossibly thin, strong metal build, comes with Mac OS X Lion.
Thunderbolt port, Sandy Bridge CPU provide unprecedented zip. Backlit keyboard a welcome readdition. Unsoldered Flash chips make storage upgrade easy.
Intel Core i5-2467m provides improved processing and integrated graphics capabilities, Better trackpad, Thunderbolt technology enables high-speed data transfers, Attractive, lightweight construction and design.
Blazing fast performance, same lightweight and chic design as with the previous Air model, excellent value, now with backlitkeyboard too, perfect for laptop serious travelers and those always on the go, super responsive – and did we mention how fast
Thin, light, and sleek design; hugely upgraded performance over previous version; sturdy body; excellent bundled software
Small, sleek and light, Can run games in a pinch, Bestinclass trackpad, Fullsized keyboard.

Cons

No USB 3.0, expensive
No USB 3.0 and HDMI ports, Apple has done away with the previous model's Nvidia GeForce 320M graphics
Lack of ports and an optical drive, Not as powerful as other Apple laptops, Small hard drive, Short battery life
Just two USB ports.
Entry-level Air still has the same limited fixed flash storage and RAM; no SD card slot, Ethernet port, or 3G wireless option.
Not a lot of ports.
Optical drive RIP. No SD card slot on 11inch model. Extreme lightness causes frequent tipbacks when opening closed lid. You’ll have to be careful you don’t accidentally throw yours out with the recycling.
Unimpressive battery life, Other systems have more RAM, Lack of familiar amenities like Ethernet, an SD card reader, or a sizable hard drive may vex users.
Base $999 configuration only comes with 2GB of ram, lacks SD card slot, we’re not sold on Thunderbolt yet.
Shallow keyboard; some features require a learning curve; mediocre battery life
No Ethernet networking, No USB 3.0, no SD card slot, No backlit keyboard.

By RegHardware on May 12, 2012

Product round-up It took a little while for the production lines to get going, but the first few months of 2012 have seen super-slim Ultrabooks completely outnumbering every other type of desktop or laptop PC coming our way. Intel’s tight definition...

90
By PC Advisor on March 01, 2012

The 11in MacBook Air is exactly the same price as Asus' 11in contender, although with only half the RAM and SSD space. But what it lacks in these respects it makes up for in build quality – especially when it comes to the screen – and...

80
By What Digital Camera on January 11, 2012

Overall, the Macbook Air is an awesome computer that combines the power of a desktop machine with the portability of a netbook. Beautifully designed and made, the only downer is the...

92
By PCWorld New Zealand on December 05, 2011

Apple’s MacBook Air is without a doubt the most iconic ultraportable laptop. Despite that, prior to our 2011 ultra-portable laptop roundup I’d never laid hands on one. I’d always assumed that something so thin and light must sacrifice...

90
By Pocket-lint on October 14, 2011

You don't have to love, or even like, Apple to see that this is one of the nicest laptops ever made. As a tool to work or entertain yourself we've yet to see a computer balance power and portability as well as the Air does. Gone are the days of...

90
By PCWorld India on October 09, 2011

The Apple 11-inch MacBook Air is almost flawless when it comes to its build quality as well as its physical appearance and feel. Add to that the fact that Air's performance statistics trounce those of even some mainstream laptops, makes the option...

90
By NotebookCheck on September 06, 2011

As far as Apple is concerned, the widely heralded ultrabooks are welcome to come, because Apple is already well equipped in this area. The MacBook Air 11 essentially shares all the strengths and weaknesses of its 13-inch colleague. The unibody case is...

88
By V3.co.uk on September 01, 2011

Although it's technically a draw, the MacBook Air wins out in key areas of performance, interface and connectivity. The laptop is definitely the better...

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By ConsumerSearch on September 01, 2011

If you want a Mac and you're on a budget, the cheapest option is the base configuration of the 11-inch MacBook Air. Apple's entry-level laptop lacks some features found on the more expensive MacBook Pro and Air laptops, but reviewers say the...

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By Tech2 on August 25, 2011

So should you buy it? If you need a slick ultraportable for light to medium duty, if design and aesthetics weigh heavily on your mind and price is not a concern, then this one’s a no brainer. Of course, if you’re like the vast majority of...

70