We'd like to see that in a future Air model.Īpple's large multitouch trackpad remains the best available. However, the footprint of the 11-inch Air really could accommodate a 12-inch screen. Those who might criticize the excessively large bezel around the 11-inch Air's display need only do the math and realize that this space was added to ensure a large keyboard/trackpad/palm-rest zone unlike the compressed working landscape we've seen on other 11-inchers. The palm rest below the keyboard is also generously sized, a rarity on ultraportables.

The complete use of function keys as function-reversed media/panel controls is efficient and well laid-out. Backlight brightness controls have been added to the function buttons at the top, along with new Launchpad and Mission Control hot keys. The newly added (or should we say, restored) backlighting is a huge boon for low-light work conditions. The keyboard feels excellent for such a small laptop, nearly identical to what you'd find on a full-size MacBook, except the keys are shorter and thus have less travel to them.

The large keyboard and trackpad (the same glass version found on other MacBooks) both work well, although the function keys at the top are very small. Even the 11-inch Samsung Series 9, an impressive little ultraportable, feels thick by comparison. The Air even feels thin and light to someone used to working with very small laptops (such as Sony's Vaio Z). The 2.38-pound chassis and tapered design make this 11-incher slip almost unnoticed into a small bag, and with Apple's square charger it wraps up into a neat, tiny package. The Air feels so minimal, it almost resembles an iPad when closed, and its dimensions, while longer, thicker, and heavier, aren't far off. 11-inch edge, creating an optical illusion of even more thinness, although it's still only 0.68 inch thick at the rear. The body tapers at the front down to a razor-thin.

The all-metal construction keeps it from feeling too fragile, often an issue for ultrathin systems. The all-aluminum body feels rock-solid and has no flex at all, while the magnetically closed upper lid smoothly opens on its center hinge to rest at a perfect viewing angle. There's nothing wrong with that the trim, elegant Air cuts a blade-thin profile and is one of the lightest little laptops we've ever seen. The new 11-inch Air is identical to last year's model in terms of physical design.

Apple store macbook 11 inch