Apple laptop review - pros and cons

Apple's top-of-the-line laptops cannot be categorized as inexpensive. It should be noted that not every model is justified in terms of price. But which of them is better to buy from such a wide range of products presented by the company? To make it easier for users to determine the selection criteria, this article provides an overview of Apple laptops, the advantages and disadvantages of which are also considered.

Review of the best Apple laptops

In the first quarter of last year, the popularity of MacBook models revolved around six devices, but since the developers did not even think about reducing the lineup, it became very difficult to understand the lines. Below is a rating of high-quality devices, according to user reviews and expert opinions. It should be noted that the review only covers the most important characteristics of each of the gadgets.

MacBook Air 13 Mid (2015)

Design

The shell of a reliable model is made of aluminum materials, which, of course, complements its values ​​in weight and strength. However, not everything is so beautiful, since it is quite easy to achieve a defect in the form of a dent in the corners of the case. For example, if a user on the run tries to get inside a subway car, the doors of which are closed, or hits the briefcase with a laptop on the door.

The shell is far from being able to save itself from scratching every time. Having bought the device, you should be prepared for the fact that after two months of use the owner will add a couple of scratches to the laptop's appearance. The first of these defects is most likely formed along the edges of the touchpad. These defects are caused by metal parts on a watch strap or fitness bracelet.

Display

The display is significantly different from other laptops. Here he is a kind of business card, according to which he is easily used as a standard. The viewing angles in it are somewhat similar to ordinary phones, but if we talk about the vertical position, then when the lid is tilted to the front, a slight negative is already formed in the image.

The screen has a shiny surface, due to which you can safely be sure that no matter how many people wash their hands, they are a little dirty anyway. On the other hand, the coating looks great in the sun, in combination with the activated auto sharpening mode.

Filling

The maximum version of the 13th "mid" is equipped with a Core i5 chip from Intel, the clock speed of which is 1.6 GHz. From this it follows that this version of the MacBook is hardly suitable for active games. The reason for this claim is that Air is definitely not targeted for these purposes.

Specifications

Specifications
CPU	2-core Core i5 from Intel, clocked at 1.6 GHz
RAM	4 GB 1600 MHz
Graphic arts	Intel HD Graphics 6000 built-in type
Screen	13.3 inches, TFT, resolution: 1440х900px
HDD	128 GB, SSD

Advantages and disadvantages

• Widescreen TFT display with backlighting;
• MacBook is made on the basis of an innovative generation Intel chip;
• Supports Turbo Boost, which can accelerate the chip up to 3.2GHz;
• 512GB maximum memory capacity for SSD;
• There are USB and Thunderbolt connectors;
• Built-in SDXC card reader;
• Charging is done by MagSafe 2;
• 3.5mm audio jack.

• Despite the fact that the developers attributed the cost to the budget segment, users consider it high;
• The display matrix has a low resolution;
• Low quality sound of "native" speakers.

The average price is 65,000 rubles.

MacBook Air 11 Mid

Design

The appearance of this model has hardly changed when compared with its predecessors. It is still an ultra-thin MacBook that is housed in a unibody aluminum chassis with a comfortable matte finish and a signature edge to the front.

Display

The older model is equipped with a productive and shiny matrix, the diagonal of which is 13 inches, and the resolution is 1440x900 px, the aspect ratio is 16:10. Sharpness control coverage ranges from 5 to 225 cd / m2 in 16 gradations.

In a practical 11.6-inch model, a not such a functional matrix was used, the resolution of which is 1366x768 px and the aspect ratio is 16: 9. The sharpness coverage is slightly wider and ranges from 5 to 250 cd / m2 within the same 16 gradations. In both options, there is an autotune for the current light.

Filling

The model comes in two versions, which are based on an economical Intel Core i5-3317U chip with an integrated HD Graphics 4000 video card and 4 GB of RAM. The capacity of the SSD-disk also depends on the modification and is 128 and 256 GB, respectively.

In general, if both versions have 8 GB of RAM, then ordering a 512 GB hard drive and a Core i7-3667 chip from Intel for games and better performance is really possible only for the “older” version. From an integrated battery with a capacity of 50 Wh, autonomy is about 7 hours, provided Wi-Fi is activated and surfing the network. It should be noted that this is an excellent value for such a practical and lightweight device.

Specifications

Specifications
CPU	Intel Core i5-3317U 1.7GHz
RAM (standard / limit)	4096/8192
Graphic arts	Intel HD Graphics 4000
Screen	1366x768 px
HDD	1268/256 GB, SSD

Advantages and disadvantages

• Branded and ultra-thin appearance;
• Robust and securely assembled unibody aluminum body;
• Intel's innovative Ivy Bridge hardware;
• Gorgeous indicators of the duration of work;
• Fast Thunderbolt and USB 3.0 ports.

• Relatively high price;
• At extreme settings, the case heats up, and the cooling system makes noise;
• No card reader.

The average price is 50,000 rubles.

MacBook Air 11 Early

Design

The refined EARLY, which measures 11 ", is similar in appearance to the above model. Even if you look for a difference from the debut MBA released in 2008, it is absolutely inconsequential.

Build reliability is still at a decent level, like its predecessors. The metal shell is quite sturdy, although it crumples if the laptop is dropped. The case has a chic parameters of durability, even despite the lightness (1.06 kg). This is due to the integrity of the shell itself and its electronic filling.

Display

There is no Retina in this model. It is worth noting that it is the Air series that is considered to be the last of the current ones, which have not yet been converted to enhanced-definition displays such as Retina. The gadget is equipped with a similar APP9CF3 TN matrix as the gadgets of 2012. The resolution is 1366x768 px. Traditionally, among the suppliers of the company's displays, the first places are taken by LG / Philips and Samsung.

A significant advantage of the display is that even in spite of its shiny protective glass, the number of excess glare is reduced to the lowest values.

Filling

A high-quality Core i5-5250U chip from Intel can reach, in a short time, about 2.7 GHz, and the declared frequency of its two cores is 1.6 GHz.The integrated HD Graphics 6000 graphics card with 48 shader processors guarantees almost instant response not only for watching movies, but also for most "heavy" games. The nimbleness reaches almost 8000 "parrots" in the 3DMark`06 test, which is an excellent value when compared with the average video graphics processors from NVidia and AMD.

Specifications

Specifications
CPU	Intel 2-core Core i5-5250U
RAM	4 GB
Graphic arts	800MB HD Graphics 6000 from Intel @ 800MHz
Screen	diagonal - 11 inches, aspect ratio - 16: 9, resolution 1366x768 px, type - TN
HDD	128 GB, SSD

Advantages and disadvantages

• Lightness;
• Easy to use;
• Nimble;
• Appearance;
• Practicality.

• Few USB ports.

The average price is 56,000 rubles.

"MacBook Air 13 Early"

Design

The appearance of the device is exactly the same as that of other models of the Air line. The fact is that Apple decided not to do anything with the design of this series, and this tradition has been going on for about 6-7 years. The only difference with its predecessors lies only in the filling.

The shell is still classified as ultra-thin, and the thickness is still unevenly distributed. The case is made of aluminum and is flexible, so be very careful not to hit the laptop.

Display

Most users expected this model to have a Retina display, but this did not happen. As a result, we got an excellent MacBook with only a low-quality matrix. It is worth noting that it not only stands out for its poor resolution, which is 1440x900 px, but also for its very thick bezels around the display. In addition, the latter has obvious difficulties with color reproduction and contrast, but everything is in order with the viewing angle.

Filling

The specificity of the Air series MacBooks is that the device is carefully soldered, so it is not possible to open it. Official centers are able to disassemble the gadget, but it is strongly discouraged to do this with your own hands, because there is a risk of losing the warranty.

The device operates on a fifth-generation dual-core chip (4300) from Intel, clocked at 2.3 GHz. Installed 8 GB of LPDDR3 memory and an integrated HD Graphics 4200 video processor from the same Intel. In addition, the MacBook is equipped with a fairly nimble 512 GB SSD drive.

Specifications

Specifications
CPU	2-core fifth generation (4300) from Intel, clocked at 2.3 GHz
RAM	8 GB LPDDR3 type
Graphic arts	1GB integrated HD Graphics 4200 from Intel and 2GB discrete GeForce 920M from Nvidia
Screen	Screen dimensions 13.3 inches, resolution - 1440x900 px (HD), aspect ratio - 16: 9
HDD	512 GB SSD

Advantages and disadvantages

• Gorgeous duration of work;
• Reliability and build quality;

• Large bezels;
• Cost.

The average price is 55,000 rubles.

MacBook Pro 13 with Retina Display Early

Design

By design, this MacBook is no different from previous models of this series. The device can be really identified only thanks to the marking on the bottom. Working with the touchpad, it is difficult to understand how it differs from an ordinary mechanical device, but there are differences, and significant ones. Firstly, the shell of the touchpad is balanced into the body from all angles, and therefore pressing is easily carried out at any point. Secondly, the clicks are made softer when compared to the devices of its predecessors.

If you take a closer look, you will notice that the touchpad shell, although it moves in the process of clicks, but a tiny distance. It is interesting, but if the click with your finger is replaced with a click with some hard object, the pressure is not carried out. In simple terms, the touchpad is really electronic finger pressure and creates an incredible mechanical feedback.

Display

Recently, on MacBooks with Retina display, the diagonal of which is 13 inches, it has become simply unrealistic to indicate the model and manufacturer of the matrix using the "Terminal". The one-of-a-kind identifier is the "Model" line in the display color mode parameters.

This display has stunning sharpness close to 388 cd / m2 and a contrast ratio of approximately 1000: 1. The color gamut and white balance position are well calibrated by the built-in mode, resulting in a color temperature of almost stunning 6500 K.

Filling

Most 13-inch ultra-thin laptops and similar devices are equipped with Intel's “U” series chips, which are rated at 15 watts. They are energy efficient, but not entirely productive. It should be noted that Intel processors with a power of 47 watts are much more powerful, but they also consume significantly more energy.

Apple uses 28-watt conciliation chips. It is worth noting that they guarantee an excellent harmony of energy efficiency with performance. In addition to the "apple" organization, almost no one buys them, but not so long ago a similar chip was presented in one of the elite ultra-thin ZenBook devices from Asus. In this model, buyers are given the opportunity to choose one of three modifications:

1. i5-5257U;
2. i5-5287U;
3. i7-5557U.

Specifications

Specifications
CPU	2-core fifth generation (4300) from Intel, clocked at 2.6 GHz (there are other modifications)
RAM	12 GB, DDR3
Graphic arts	1GB integrated HD Graphics 4600 from Intel and 2GB discrete GeForce 920M from Nvidia
Screen	Size 13.3 inches, resolution - 2560x1600 px (Full HD), aspect ratio - 16: 9
HDD	1 TB, HDD

Advantages and disadvantages

• Reliability of assembly and materials;
• Possibility to control the keyboard and display backlight;
• Excellent duration of work;
• Good value for money.

• 4K video format is played with slowdowns.

Average price from 100,000 to 139,000, depending on the modification.

MacBook Pro 13 with Retina Display Touch Bar Late

Design

The more expensive 13-inch gadget is almost no different from its predecessor in terms of shell and appearance. The Touch Bar and 4 USB Type C connectors instead of 2 are all that visually distinguish it from others in this series.

The reliability of the shell and assembly, the alignment of the hinges and the ergonomics are simply inimitable. The MacBook is guaranteed to work for many years, if, of course, you take good care of it.

Display

The screen of the novelty, whose diagonal is 13.3 inches, does not differ at all from the equipped model without the Touch Bar. Both devices are made according to IPS technology and have a resolution of 2560x1600 px, which on this diagonal means 227 ppi. Compared to Windows OS, mac OS has no difficulty in rescaling programs. There are several modes that make it possible to make the interface larger or smaller without changing the resolution, and, accordingly, accuracy.

Filling

This model was not only equipped with additional USB connectors, but also with power. Typically, 13-inch Apple laptops are equipped with 28-watt Intel chips. The fact is that they are considered to be a kind of compromise between the powerful ones with the "gluttonous" ones at 45 watts (the latter are used in the 15 models of the Pro line), with economical but unproductive ones at 15 watts (the Air series is equipped with them).

But in devices that do not have a Touch Bar, there are 15 Watt chips. The more expensive model escaped this fate. In a similar shell, the Touch Bar and an additional cooler, which is required for the 28-watt chip, fit in a fantastic way. In addition, it was equipped with faster LPDDR3-2133 RAM instead of LPDDR3-1866. It is absolutely clear that the company is trying to discourage users from a less "perfect" model, at the same time creating a "mirage" of the range.

Specifications

Specifications
CPU	4-core fifth generation (4570S) from Intel, clocked at 2.9 GHz
RAM	8 GB LPDDR3 type
Graphic arts	1GB integrated HD Graphics 4600 from Intel and 4GB discrete GeForce GTX 950M from Nvidia
Screen	Dimensions 13.3 inches, resolution - 2560x1600 (Full HD), aspect ratio - 16: 9
HDD	512 GB, HDD

Advantages and disadvantages

• Gorgeous PSU;
• The Touch Pad functions perfectly and quickly.

• Not detected.

The average price is 102,000 rubles.

MacBook Pro 15 with Retina Display Late

Design

Almost nothing has changed in the Late design. In the upper part, traditionally, there is the corporate logo of the company in the form of an apple, and on the front side there is still nothing. The slots with sockets are the same: on the left side there are MagSafe 2, two Thunderbolt slots, USB 3.0, and a headset jack. On the right side there is an HDMI port, a card reader and 1 more USB 3.0. They didn't add anything, but they didn't cut it either.

Display

The situation is approximately the same with the screen. I would very much like to say that it was improved in any way, but this did not happen. There is still a 16: 9 matrix with a 15.4-inch diagonal. The resolution is 2880x1800 px. The final saturation of the points is 220 ppi, and there is simply no point in making it even more.

Sharpness is still not too sharp, but not fantastically small either. The Spyder 4 has tested it at approximately 280 cd / m2. In a room, this parameter is more than enough, but for the most convenient activities, for example, in a car, it would be good to increase it by 20%. The screen is shiny as before, but with an anti-glare secondary surface that reduces glare from external light sources.

Filling

It is worth noting that all new items are equipped with Core i4-i5 chips from Intel, among advanced users such processors are called Haswell. In addition, in 15 models, only modifications of the fourth and fifth generations come across. This model was equipped with a Core i7 (4750HQ) clocked at 2 GHz. At the same time, in Turbo mode, it can overclock up to 3.2 GHz. The cached memory of the second level of the processor is 256 KB for 1 core, and of the third level - 6 MB. The maximum power consumption of this chip is 47 W.

It is noteworthy that the predecessor of the previous generation had the standard frequency of the chip much higher and amounted to 2.3 GHz, and the maximum frequency was practically the same 3.3 GHz. In addition, the TDP was less, within 45 W, but a power controller is built into the Haswell chips, which wants to "eat" tightly.

Specifications

Specifications
CPU	2-core innovative generation (5500U) from Intel, clocked at 2.7 GHz
RAM	16 GB DDR3
Graphic arts	1GB integrated HD Graphics 5500 from Intel and 2GB discrete GeForce 940M from Nvidia
Screen	Dimensions 15.4 inches, resolution - 2880x1800 (Full HD), aspect ratio - 16: 9
HDD	512 GB, HHD

Advantages and disadvantages

• New color schemes clearly refresh emotions;
• Gorgeous sound in "native" speakers;
• The color and sharpness of the display is incredible.

• From time to time it is inconvenient to use the touch key Esc.

The average price is 80,000 rubles.

Outcome

So the next review ends and at the same time the rating of high-quality MacBooks from Apple. The brand makes very reliable devices, which is why it has fantastically colossal sales every year and a lot of fans around the planet.