13 inch MacBook Air 2012 gets Ivy Bridge and Mountain Lion
Apple’s new 13-inch MacBook Air 2012 has got a lot better with the integration of Ivy Bridge and Mountain Lion
Apple has announced upgrades for its MacBook Air line at the recent Worldwide Developer Conference 2012 in San Francisco. Along with the MacBook Pro series, the Air series has also received nice refresh with the advanced technologies in market. The new versions of MacBook Air laptops will look innovative and powerful thanks to fresh processors, great graphics cards, enhanced memory and more, Apple claims. Both the versions of MacBook Air – the 13-inch and 11-inch – have received the hardware and software upgrade from Apple. Here we preview the MacBook Air 13-inch, which will certainly be one of the most sought after Apple laptops with its new features.
As it was widely anticipated, the new models of MacBook Air come with Intel’s fresh third-generation Core i-series chips. Codenamed the Ivy Bridge, the new generation chips from Intel are capable to boost the performance of the laptops. Well, Apple has integrated Ivy Bridge chips inside both its flagship laptop series – the Air and Pro. That means users can enjoy better computing experience. Thanks to the advanced Ivy Bridge chips, the computers will get significant battery life improvement and many other additional things.
Processor, RAM and GPU
Of course, microprocessor, RAM and GPU are the three most vital areas that Apple has reworked with the new MacBook Air. Over the last several months, there happened a huge development in computer processing technologies. The unveiling of Intel’s third generation Ivy Bridge chips has largely influenced the computer industry. Apart from Apple, all leading computer makers have announced their Ivy Bridge-based computers for the year.
The 13-inch MacBook Air features a 1.8GHz Core i5 (Turbo Boost up to 2.8GHz) processor. The step-up model of the laptop is configurable with a dual-core 2GHz Core i7 processor. The 13-inch Air will be additionally powered by 4GB of 1600 MHz DDR3L SDRAM and you can upgrade it with an 8GB RAM, however. Intel’s HD Graphics 4000 processor provides graphical power for the machine. “Intel’s integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics 4000) have already proven superior to the previous generation in terms of both aiding productive tasks and rendering low and mid-tier games,” PCMag comments.
Form factor and dimensions
The 2012 MacBook Air 13-inch touts almost the same dimensions of its predecessor, as per reports. The device is 12.8-inch wider, 8.94-inch deeper and 0.11-inch to 0.68-inch higher. In fact, the new MacBook Air 13 may likely have the same look and design. But, some changes in weight and body finishing can be expected, however.
“The MacBook Air looks nearly identical to the previous iteration, and with good reason. Apple’s designs have a lot of cachet among buyers and tech enthusiasts alike, and maintaining the sleek look and slim dimensions of the Air help the product to stand out in the crowded ultrabook category,” says PCMag.
Operating System
Well, the new MacBook Air will feature the new OS X Mountain Lion. Apple introduced the software in its developer conference with many sophisticated features. Apple has embedded many iOS features with the latest version of the operating system for Macs. Indeed, the Mountain Lion will be the most fantastic thing with the new MacBook Airs and Pros.
Price and availability
The Cupertino tech maker is to sell the MacBook Air 13-inch for $1,199 with free shipping. The price is a drop from its previous version, which was sold for $1,299. Apple also has a premium configuration for $1,499, which will feature Intel Core i7 CPU and a bigger 256GB SSD for data storage.
Conclusion
As noted above, the new MacBook Air 13-inch will be chiefly known for its integration of the advanced Intel Ivy Bridge chips, better RAM, GPU and SSD storage. As far as design aspects are concerned, the Air is almost similar to its predecessor. Anyway, it is a great chance for Apple fans to get a great laptop with advanced features and wonderful performance.
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