Swiping up with three fingers to activate Mission Control also worked flawlessly. Two-finger scrolling is silky smooth, and navigating the desktop just feels natural. Speaking of gold standards, the Air's large 4.1 x 3-inch glass trackpad runs circles around most Windows machines. You can also adjust the key backlight strength we love that each key is individually backlit. We also appreciate the dedicated action keys in the top row for adjusting the screen brightness, volume Launchpad and Mission Control. The Air's spacious layout provides excellent travel and a snappy feel. The driving guitar in Bad Religion's 'Social Suicide' balanced well with Greg Graffin's gravelly voice, though the drums got a bit lost.Ĭlick to EnlargeWhile many Ultrabook makers continue to struggle with their keyboards, Apple's remains the gold standard. We also played Rihanna's 'Stay,' and her breathy vocals resonated even across our hotel room.

The somber piano in the 'Man of Steel' trailer was piercing. Just like the previous version, the MacBook Air's speakers reside underneath the keyboard, producing rich and loud audio. On the other hand, both the ATIV Book 9 and (284) and Kirabook (281) are brighter than the Air. Apple's notebook also beats the Sony VAIO Pro 13 (237 lux) and Acer Aspire S7 (215 lux). The Air's average brightness of 263 lux (according to our light meter) is better than the ultraportable average (231 lux). And, unlike other Ultrabooks we've tested, details didn't get lost in darker scenes. When watching the 'Man of Steel' trailer, Russell Crowe's skin tone looked warm, and we could easily make out the folds in his ornate jacket. Apple has its own Retina 13-incher in the MacBook Pro (2560 x 1600), but it starts at $1,499.ĭespite this resolution gap, we continue to enjoy the Air's screen because it delivers superior contrast, wide viewing angles and vibrant colors. Meanwhile, other ultraportables sport full HD (1920 x 1080-pixel) screens or even higher resolutions, such as the $1,599 Toshiba Kirabook (2560 x 1440 pixels).

Click to EnlargePerhaps to save battery life or keep the cost down, the 13-inch MacBook Air continues to feature a 1440 x 900-pixel resolution display.

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