Thoughts on Apple’s new MacBook Air (mid-2011)

By on Jul 27, 2011 at 1:33 PM
Computers July 27, 2011

I’ve been using Apple’s mid-2011 MacBook Air for almost a week now and even though it’s physically the same unit that it replaced (for the most part) on the exterior, this is an entirely different beast. For starters, Apple’s second-generation MacBook Air improved greatly on the first model by offering up a redesigned case complete with two built-in USB ports, an SD card reader and SSD hard drives as the only available options. The older Intel Core 2 Duo processors however, severely limited the computer. It was functional enough for me to replace a Core i7 MacBook Pro, but it was slow; normal tasks would bog the system down, and the computer would heat up at the drop of a dime. All this has changed with the latest MacBook Air, however. Read on for my thoughts.

No longer is the MacBook Air a netbook-comparable laptop (if it ever was). It has rightfully earned its spot as the more portable, lighter, thinner, more streamlined version of what an Apple laptop in 2011 should be. Compared to the existing MacBook Pro, it’s just in a different league, hardware-wise and specifications-wise.

One of the biggest changes the improved processor has made in my everyday usage is the fact that I can run Windows 7 in a virtual machine without the unit heating up whatsoever. I’m an Outlook 2010 junkie combined with our BGR Exchange server, and being able to run this side by side with my system is necessity. Additionally, while the previous MacBook Air was reasonably fast, I haven’t experienced any slow downs or hiccups with the mid-2011 model, even while running Photoshop CS 5.1, VMware, iPhoto and Final Cut Pro X at the same time, while a dozen tabs are open in my web browsing.

The fact that Apple has finally brought back the keyboard backlighting and auto-brightness capability is a welcome change as well. Add on a Thunderbolt port (currently useless save for about three accessories), a bumped up Core i5 or Core i7 processor and 4GB of RAM, and the new MacBook Air isn’t just a light, travel-ready laptop as it has been since its release. It’s now a full-fledged mobile workstation that’s capable of replacing your current laptop and doing everything better (and sexier). It’s no wonder Apple has discontinued the plastic MacBook, there’s just no place for a plastic mid-range computer in Apple’s lineup nowadays — not when the entry price for a full-fledged MacBook Air is $999… before the student discount.

This is the best laptop Apple has ever made, and the cost of entry is lower than it has ever been before. It completely blows away anything else in its price range, and if you’re in the market for a laptop, this would be my number one choice.

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  • Anonymous

    BGR, how much is Apple paying to give it a good review?

    • Anonymous

      I’m guessing more than you’re paid to come here and make a fool of yourself. But since the latter is “zero,” that wouldn’t be too hard. 

    • F1

      This was no review, just “thoughts”!
      I can’t wait for a complete review!

      Thank You

  • Steveonline

    So you have to run 2 OS’s ? Aren’t these unnecessary cost , memory , disk space and licensing issues ?  I thought the MAC platform was now finally mature enough not to be tethered by any vm’ing or dual booting ?

    Not hating on it though . Device looks stunning , and the fact that Apple (FINALLY) got some Core I processors in there makes it very appealing.

  • Anonymous

    “The fact that Apple has finally brought back the keyboard backlighting”
    So let me get this straight. They ship one cycle of units without backlighting, and you think that merits a “finally”? Nice. I can only imagine future quotes: 

    “After one year of the iPad 2, Apple finally releases the iPad 3.”

    “After almost 3 weeks without releasing a new handset, HTC finally reveals the new Thunderbolt 2.”

    “After nearly two weeks of the original TouchPad, HP finally brings out the TouchPad 2.”

  • adams

    “This is the best laptop Apple has ever made, and the cost of entry is
    lower than it has ever been before. It completely blows away anything
    else in its price range, and if you’re in the market for a laptop, this
    would be my number one choice.”

    Bold statment.

  • Dx01dx

    It has 2usb ports??? Awesome. Magical. Amazing. Earth shattering!!!!

  • slaz84

    Any reason you’re running VMware and not Parallels? I’m trying to decide between the two myself.

  • GTFO

    hey i just bought the 13 inch base model…

    whenever i scroll slowly, the screen blurs, it is so strange.

    Anyone else have this problem? Is it common?  Am I over analyzing?

    • F1

      Known issue with LION!

      • GTFO

        Damn!

        Do you have a link to an article about this?  I have been looking to no avail.

        Thanks!

  • paul

    I agree with this article.  This is the best laptop I’ve ever used.  My well worn iMac is sitting in a corner unused and I look forward to saying goodbye to it.

  • Anonymous

    after a year you’re now admitting that you overrated it:”The older Intel Core 2 Duo processors however, severely limited the
    computer. It was functional enough for me to replace a Core i7 MacBook
    Pro, but it was slow; normal tasks would bog the system down, and the
    computer would heat up at the drop of a dime”.
    Yet you gave the 1st gen  9/10

    • Bringit

      um – technology tends to change these days in a years time or so.

      • QNX Please

        His point was that the core 2 duo was already an old processor when the first gen air came out. it limited the computer even though other laptops didn’t suffer from this, and Geller still gave it a 9/10.

  • F1

    Not a word on Lion vs Snow Leopard?
    Could you run XP vs 7 ?

    Thank You

  • Sonya

    What’s sad is I knew what Johnathan was going to say before I even read the article. The problem isn’t you loving Apple, that’s fine, but you can’t run a tech blog with that mentality, especially because you can’t hide your bias. Get some writers who love Android, WebOS, and Blackberry. Maybe they can help you so it doesn’t sound so obvious in your articles.

    BTW this is coming from someone who owns several Apple products so no I’m not an Apple hater.

    • Bringit

      How is it bias if the review is correct? 

      • Sonya

        This isn’t a review. This is a “I love Apple products” article. The problem isn’t this specific article, it’s all his articles as a whole, if you don’t see the bias in his articles then I don’t know what to tell you. I’ve been reading this site for some years now and lately it’s just been pretty bad. But I continue to read out of habit, oh well.

      • QNX Please

        How is the review “correct” when Geller proclaims “It’s now a full-fledged mobile workstation that’s capable of replacing your current laptop and doing everything better” …. My laptop blows this Macbook out of the water in everything except thickness, so how can he possibly say a statement like this.

         An objective writer would have stated “It’s now a full-fledged mobile workstation that’s capable of replacing your old MacBook Air, or MacBook Pro and doing everything better” or “It’s now a full-fledged mobile workstation that’s capable of running at par with the best laptops on the market”

  • Jess

    If this takes off the copycats will do what they do best and call it innovation.  Super Ultra (copycat) portable laptops are coming later this year.  In a few years everyone (Apple haters) will be saying that Apple didn’t make this category what it is and should innovate instead of litigate when they start suing the copycats.  

  • Gensor

    Do you use Boot Camp to run Outlook? If not, what ddo you recommend?

  • Anonymous

    Gellar, we get it.  Besides being toe-up in love with Apple, you’re rich.  Congratulations.  When you do the full review, make sure you wear your AP watch while in your Aston in front of your Greenwich house.  That will really drive it home.

  • Carmon

    macs are built for the type of people who watch jerry springer, king of the hill & steve wilkose show.. basically yehaw hillbilly inbreed newbs.

    • http://twitter.com/housewarmer mark mcdonald

      Well holy shit! I didn’t know that all my mac using scientist, doctor, lawyer, executive and such acquaintances were all the product of inbreeding. And I use a mac too… so a guess my parents are siblings or something. If it weren’t for you I’d never have figured it out. Thanks!

      Oh BTW, it’s spelled Wilkos

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  • Doug

    Instead of this new one, I went for the older model with 4gb RAM and a 256GB drive…and paid about $600 less than list.  Even without the back light and only a C2D chip, I don’t know what I could have found better for right at $1000.

  • Blahonga

    No doubt this is a nice machine but how a Core 2 Duo can be considered slow and performing badly is beyond me. That generation of CPUs are plenty fast and fun on laptops running Linux :-)

    • Mobile Me

      They need the new chips to run their Virtualized instances of Outlook Blah.

      Get with the program.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_YUFMRZR353MU35T5ADC7KKT7IQ Josefina Nixon

    I just paid $22.87 for an iPad2-64GB and my girlfriend loves her Panasonic Lumix GF 1 Camera that we got for $38.76 there arriving tomorrow by UPS. I will never pay such expensive retail prices in stores again. Especially when I also sold a 40 inch LED TV to my boss for $675 which only cost me $62.81 to buy. Here is the website we use to get it all from, WildCent.com

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