DisplayThe first downside to get out the way is that, sadly, Apple hasnt added a Retina display to the MacBook Air. Retina screens offer a resolution up to 2880x1800 on the 15in MacBook Pro models, delivering more screen real estate with amazing colour and definition. However, adding Retina would have likely added cost to the MacBook Air, and decreased battery life.
The 13in non-Retina screen on the MacBook Air isnt a downgrade compared with other laptops, though. It has an LED backlight and comes with a maximum resolution of 1440x900, compared with the 1366x768 maximum on the 11in. You can also easily change the resolution to a range of preset options depending on your needs: 1280x800, 1152x720 and 1024x640 at 16:10 aspect ratio, or 1024x768 and 800x600 pixels at a 4:3 aspect ratio.
The display offers sharp colours and brightness, and isnt very reflective compared with many laptop models we have seen, so you wont get screen glare apart from in bright sunlight. The display is high quality for watching video or viewing images. The ambient sensor is also a great touch as it automatically adjusts the brightness of the screen and lighting of the keyboard, meaning you can use the MacBook Air in a dark room and still easily see all the keys and screen.
PortsAnyone needing a laptop with lots of native connectivity should look elsewhere. The paper-thin chassis simply doesnt allow for a wide variety of ports.
On the left-hand side of the 13in MacBook Air, youll find the power connector, a USB port, headphone socket and dual microphones. Audio quality is decent on the MacBook Air, although if youre planning on using the speakers regularly to watch films or TV, or for webconferencing, youll either want to invest in a comfortable pair of headphones or buy some extra speakers, as the maximum volume isnt very loud.
On the right, Apple has added a second USB port, a single Thunderbolt connector and an SDXC card slot, something not offered on the 11in model.
The MacBook Air has been designed for portability, so its necessary to chop features like optical drives and even an Ethernet port. However, for those not happy relying on WiFi connectivity, you can purchase an Ethernet adaptor to plug into the USB port for £25, an accesory weve found handy over our years using the MacBook Air.
The inclusion of the Thunderbolt port goes some way towards mitigating the lack of others. Not only does the port provide transfer speeds that are up to 20 times faster than traditional USB, it also allows the Air to connect with VGA, HDMI, mini Display Port and DVI devices, via adapters.
Unfortunately, only a power cable is provided in the box, with everything else needing to be purchased as an optional extra. A standard Thunderbolt cable costs £39 and a VGA adapter will set you back another £25.
StorageWhile the 11in MacBook Air received a storage upgrade with the latest batch of releases – the entry-level jumped from 64GB up to 128GB of storage for the same £849 price tag and a 256GB version appeared for £1,029 – the 13in models were missed off the upgrade list, coming in the same 128GB and 256GB formats. But the good news is that the price tags have dropped, so the 128GB model is now available for £949, down from £999 for last years model, while the 256GB model is now priced at £1,129, down from the 2012 price of £1,249.
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