Apple - MacBook Air® - 13.3" Display - Intel Core i5 - 4GB Memory - 128GB Flash Storage - Silver

Let me start by saying that I have, for as long as I can remember, been against Apple products. I thought they were overly priced and elitist. I was never going to be one of those Apple snobs. Yet, when I was in the market, yet again, for a new laptop, all of the highly regarded tech reviews suggested that MacBooks are in fact the most reliable and well made computers. I went to Best Buy and purchased a Macbook Air 13 inch. It's specs met all of my needs: I am a college student who needs lightweight portability; I need to be able to run multiple programs at once; I have several email accounts that I check regularly; I don't want an overly complicated interface- I want something that works well and reliably; I want the computer to last much longer than the average two year life span of my past laptops. Thus far, my MacBook Air has met all of these criteria. Although I will have to purchase Microsoft Office for Mac, since that platform is universal, I have yet to have to install any other software on my computer. All of the applications I have to use came free and pre-installed on the computer. Safari is amazing. I can browse very quickly from one page to the next. I can have many many windows open at once without crashing, something which has often been a problem with my past laptops. And, the touch pad movements, once you learn what they do, become much nicer for navigating everything, easy scrolling, swiping from one page to the next, minimizing or moving windows in order to grab another application, all of these are made easy. Mac's email integration system is also wonderful for those of us who are living in email world and have many accounts. I don't have to waste time signing in multiple accounts on different sites, all of my accounts are in once place and I can customize folders and reorganize them however I need to. The build quality of MacBook Air is very impressive to someone who has only ever has PCs (which are mostly made of plastic). The entire computer is cased in lightweight metal. The computer weighs only about three pounds, which is helpful to me because I have to carry it around so much. (side note, it was also less expensive than all of the ultra-books I looked into, and Best Buy has special discounts on Mac products for college students) This machine is quiet, it never heats up like my other laptops. There is no lag time when opening it back up, everything operates smoothly and quickly. Also, contrary to popular belief, all of the apps that I use in other devises, most notably Amazon Music Player and Kindle can be used with Mac. So far, the only inconvenience in terms of software has been my need for Office. Other than that, Mac either offers a compatible program or the programs are simply compatible with Mac. I should also mention battery life, which is a huge improvement over PCs. All of my former laptops needed constant charging. My MacBook can go for an entire day of use without needing to be charged. Furthermore, the adapter is built much nicer than PCs, an important point since I have had two laptops see their adapters broken (and the way the components are built make them expensive for the non-computer expert to have fixed). So far, I am so impressed by this computer that I am seriously considering switching to Apple products (which I cannot believe myself, nor can most of my friends since I have been so anti-Mac for so long). If you are, like me, against what appears to be the evil of the Apple hipster world, open your mind and give Apple products a shot. I am beginning to get why people really love their Macs. :)

I am a longtime computer user 30+ years and counting. This however is my first Apple product since they began using Intel chips and the Unix like OSX. I must say what a difference the hardware is top notch in every way there is truly nothing like it from a quality perspective. What I found most amazing Is how great the keyboard and trackpad are. They are both so responsive and precise that even after hours of use I do not have any of the hand and wrist pain I formerly associated with using a laptop for extended periods. The screen is simply amazing clear and bright with good color that can not be found on a Windows laptop without spending almost double the price. Seriously this screen looks better in every way than my Samsung 24" 1080P desktop display. I could keep going on and on so I won't . The bottom line in my opinion is this. Sure you can make all the arguments about Apple costing so much and I used to be one of those people but you are simply not comparing Apples to Apples when you do. To get a Windows based laptop with similar proportions, PCI flash storage that is twice as quick as a SATA SSD, AC wireless, A 17W Core i5 with Integrated graphics as capable as the HD 5000 in this MacBook, A backlit keyboard and screen this beautiful that will get 9-10 hrs or real use on one battery charge will cost you well over a thousand and in most cases you are talking closer to two grand, so that argument is bunk. The lack of expandability is however the one weak spot the MacBook suffers from but I must say on 4GB of RAM I have not had any problems even when multi tasking. As far as the flash storage I have done a little searching and found you can in fact upgrade the hard drive to nearly 1 TB and online Mac dedicated resellers like Other World Computing OWC have all the storage upgrade kits you could want. Though I have found that with a combination of cloud storage and my network drives at home the 128GB is manageable. I am however planning an upgrade to 480Gb soon that will cost $299 not so bad for cutting edge storage technology and speeds.

I've been a PC guy for most of my life, mainly because I could not afford the more expensive Apple products. I finally got sick and tired of having to deal with the constant issues that PC's have. With the crashing, and the constant pop ups, and "anti-virus" software renewals. I wanted a commuter (laptop) that would WORK!! Something that I wouldn't have to worry about replacing a year down the road due to malfunctions and error reports. This laptop was worth every penny. It is the best piece of electronic I have ever bought. The startup is lightning fast! No worries. No hassle. It just works. I was stunned at the battery life too. With normal usage such as browsing the web/watching videos I get around 10-11 hours, and if I'm just typing up a report or messing around with photoshop I've gotten as much as 14 hours out of this puppy! Woah! (Mind you if you turn the screen brightness down you can get as much as 15 hours) Btw, the macbook air speakers will blow your mind. I have no idea how they made it sound so amazing with such a compact design. All in all this is a laptop that will keep you smiling and impressed for years to come. BUY IT!! :)

Just purchased this Laptop yesterday and it is amazing. It is everything I hoped for. The MBA is very light and durable, has a long lasting battery, the ram speed is very fast and overall one of the best designs out there for an Ultra book. I was able to use the college discount for students; all you need is a valid .edu email address. I've been waiting for the perfect opportunity to switch to the MacBook and decided the Air was the way to go for school. I purchased this item brand new, added in a speck see-thru case ($49.99#, and an Incase College Compact Backpack #$21.99, on clearance# with a slot for the MBA and it fits perfectly snug with the case on. It doesn’t move around and the added durability of the case makes me feel more secure when I carry my backpack around campus. I spent about $998.00 out the door. You can't beat that deal anywhere else for all 3 items brand new and have the excellent customer service of the Best Buy Team. It will take some time getting used to since I use Microsoft for work but I am willing to take the time to learn. The 4GB RAM and 128GB Flash Storage #101GB available out the box) is more than enough to perform the functions I will use this MBA for. It’s a bummer you can’t add more RAM but I don’t see myself doing any serious video editing or anything of that nature on here…As for the flash storage, the available 101GB is more than sufficient and if you need more space then you can always buy an external HDD. Overall, I would recommend this product with the case/backpack combo to any new/continuing student.

I have been an Apple fan since the 90's. So when I was looking for a fully functional computer to take on the road I opted for the MacBook Air. . So far this one has performed admirably. It opens programs and websites quickly. McAfee antivirus which I installed plays nicely and does not adversely impact internet use. The soft wear package preinstalled on the computer works well and includes iWorks which is nice if you don't want to shell out right away for Office. (You can save iWorks files as Office files). The graphics look good. I am not a gamer so I can't judge how this computer would do with those. Battery life is amazingly good, but since this computer is new I can't tell how this will do as the computer and battery age. The keyboard is comfortable to use. This computer does not have a CD/DVD drive which is a drawback if you plan to upload from these. I purchased a SuperDrive but this will add some weight if you need to take it on the road with you. This particular model which was manufactured in November 2014 did not come with Mavericks (the most recent OS) installed which may be a negative for some people. It is, however, available as a free download. I am using OS 10.9.5. which came on the computer and so far have encountered no issues with it. One thing I don't like about this OS is the absence of scroll bars on documents and web sites. There is a transient thing that appears so you can scroll, but to me it seems quirky. There is an option in Preferences to affix permanent scroll bars which I did, but unlike the translucent blue ones of previous operating systems these are skinny and black, not Apple's usual cool design. Before getting this computer I was regularly using a 15" MacBook Pro and it is taking me a while to get used to the smaller amount of real estate that a 13" screen provides, but it is certainly sufficient. I had considered purchasing the 11" MacBook Air for decreased weight, but I think that the larger screen is worth the few ounces (and at the time I bought this computer an additional $50) compared with the 11". Regarding durability, in my experience if you take care of them Apple products' durability is legendary. I have laptops from as far back is 2005 which still work fine and I save them to use certain programs which are no longer available. The MacBook Air's thin profile likely will require extra care so I added a hardshell case. Overall I am pleased with this purchase.

Have only owned PC-based laptops in the past: Dell, Lenovo, Toshiba, and HP. The HP went on the fritz after only 3 years. Not having the best of luck with PC laptops, my nephew convinced me to try a MacBook. The pricing was a bit of a deterrent but, we decided to try it anyway. So far, I'm quite pleased with our new MacBook Air. The reason I've only given it 4 stars are as follows: 1) we've only owned it for a couple of months so need more experience (like years, hopefully). 2) There are a few functions that are different than what I'm used to with a PC, such as Ctrl+C for copy, Ctrl+V for past, etc. You can do that with the Command key but just something different (need to re-train my brain to use different key strokes). 3) The "Delete" button is actually a backspace button. It does not delete the characters in front of the cursor (at least I haven't figured out how to do it yet). Again, just something that is different that I have to get used to. 4) The keyboard isn't quite as sensitive as the PCs I've had in the past. Seems as if I have to push a bit harder to get them to work. 5) The mouse pad (or mouse) is it for clicking. No right vs. left click to perform different functions. You do this by using multiple fingers on the key pad or, you have to do it with mouse clicks (i.e. highlight the text, go up to the menu and click copy, past, etc.). I know that's how Mac's are vs. PC's but, something I wish Mac would have. 6) Once you have a Mac, iPad, and iPhone, and they're all working on the same account, it's a convenient thing to have. However, when the Mac is a family tool, sometimes I'd prefer it not to do that. Again, livable. Overall, I'm quite pleased with it so far. I only hope we can get 5+ years out of the computer without slowing down due to viruses/malware as we've had with the PC-based laptops in the past. This is one of the bigger benefits my nephew mentioned to me. Let's hope it stays that way.

I absolutely love this laptop. I bought one for myself earlier last year when my reliable, but slow Compaq laptop finally kicked the bucket. I wasn't new to Mac, but I had always been partial to PCs because of my heavy reliance on Microsoft Office for my coursework. When I decided to spend a little extra for something that would last a little longer, I did a little research and realized that I could get this computer for far less (and near comparable in price to a PC) than advertised at an Apple store from Best Buy. The purchasing process was a breeze. I printed out my coupon for Student Deals and was in and out of BB in less than 15 minutes. When I got home, I was blown away by how light and fast this computer works! I've also dropped it a few times and it hasn't skipped a beat. I was so impressed, I bought another one for my husband for Christmas when his Macbook 2010 started to slow down. Needless to say, he loves his just as much as I love mine. Some Pros: Battery Life - I charge mine maybe once every two days. I spend at least 8 hours each day responding to emails, watching shows/movies, and playing games. My husband uses his at least 12 hours a day and charges his every other day. His activities include a nice blend of work-related projects, video gaming, and plenty of time spent watching WorldStarHipHop videos. Weight - It's very light. I can carry it anywhere. It's pretty much like carrying a notebook. Appearance/Durability - It's sleek and attractive, for sure. In my case, it definitely looks more expensive than it was. As I mentioned, I typically carry it in my purse and it doesn't have a scratch! My little dog also has a knack for walking on it -- still no scratches. I definitely recommend this computer to anyone who wants a reliable computer for everyday, normal use.

I was giving a MacBook air as a loaner laptop at work about a year ago. I fell so in love with the speed and convenience of the extremely long battery life I decided to treat myself to a gift this fall 2014. Now that I own a Macbook air for myself, it is my primary Computer for everything. I use it for work, I use it for school, I use for watching movies, I use it for checking my email. And with the new Yosemite operating system you can even answer the telephone from your laptop. The battery holds a charge for at least 13 hours of continuous usage. This means I only charge the laptop battery once a day at most. Sometimes only every other day. I can take my laptop anywhere I want to go and never worry about the battery going dead. And it's so slim and quiet with the solid-state hard drive and no moving parts. I would recommend this laptop to anyone who asked. The first time I used one of these laptops Felt like the first time that I picked up a computer. It was so exciting and still is. And for all you windows users that may fear moving to a Mac, every computer I've ever used from 1996 until 2014 has always been a Windows computer. But I have to admit, the new Macs I got hooked. I still have my windows machines in my house, but my MacBook air is definitely my most prized computer possession, And I would not give it up for the world. If anything ever happened to it I would run out the next day and by another one without a moments hesitation :-)