By Daniel Eran Dilger

Published: 05:00 PM EST (02:00 PM PST)

Apple's newly revised MacBook Air borrows design cues from iPad to deliver an even lighter and smaller design, with higher resolution displays and long battery life. The new Airs also have more ports that are easier to access and hit price points that make it difficult for buyers to choose between the new models and the existing entry level MacBook, and the faster and more expandable MacBook Pros.

The 11 and 13 inch MacBook Air models themselves are difficult to choose between, with the lighter, smaller model offering a few weaker aspects than its larger 13 inch sibling: a slightly slower CPU and system bus, smaller SSD options, and a lower resolution screen. However, the 11 inch model packs a resolution that is roughly the same as the existing 13 inch MacBook and MacBook Pro: 1366x768 vs their conventional "13 inch resolution" of 1280x800.

On the other hand, the 13 inch model has a "15 inch resolution" of 1440x900, the same as the 15 inch MacBook Pro, packed into the 13.3 inch display (although the latest 15 inch MacBook Pro now offers a higher resolution, 1680x1050 option.

This makes the 13 inch MacBook Air very competitive with the entry level MacBook and 13" MacBook Pro and a good general purpose notebook machine, although it lacks fast Ethernet (it's intended primarily for use on wireless networks, and uses the same, separately sold 10/100 Ethernet dongle as the previous MacBook Air).

The Airs also have no FireWire, no optical drive, supply less disk storage (due to exclusively using a fast SSD) and RAM (many Air models ship with a paltry 2GB, and they can only be upgraded as a build to order option for a max of 4GB; you can't add RAM after your initial purchase, as the memory chips are soldered into the logic board. Most other MacBook models can now accommodate a max of 8GB.)

For a very portable notebook, which is the intended role of the Air, the 11 inch model shaves off a little weight and significant size while retaining a full sized keyboard and trackpad. It does give up some display area, and the subtraction is most obvious in the vertical axis. So much so that you may want to reposition the Dock on the side or configure it to hide in order to have enough vertical room to work on your documents.

In the Apple Store, I spent some time agonizing over which model I wanted to get, and eventually decided on the 11 inch after discussing the pros and cons with a fellow shopper who also picked the smaller model. The store employee who sold me the notebook also noted that most customers were opting for the smaller version. It's small, particularly so for an Apple product. Note the difference in screen real-estate you get when you move or hide the Dock!





On page 2 of 3: Unboxing the Air.