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MacBook Air Q&A
Published July 2, 2009
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How fast is the "Mid-2009" MacBook Air compared to earlier MacBook Air models? How fast is it compared to the "Mid-2009" MacBook Pro models?
Please note that all models mentioned in this Q&A have been discontinued. However, this Q&A is up-to-date and quite useful for anyone buying or selling one of these models on the used market.
Like all previous MacBook Air models, the "Mid-2009" MacBook Air is designed for those who place a premium on size and weight rather than performance. If performance is important one would be better off purchasing a MacBook Pro.
Naturally, as the MacBook Air is not designed for performance, Apple has not published benchmarks or real-world tests comparing the speed of the MacBook Air to other Macs. However, review a comparison of the "Mid-2009" MacBook Air models to the "Late 2008/NVIDIA" systems they replaced and one would notice that the architectures essentially are the same but the "Mid-2009" line has processors that are 16.25% and 14.5% faster, respectively. Compared to the "Mid-2009" MacBook Pro 13-Inch models, it is readily apparent that the MacBook Air models are significantly slower.
Consequently, one would expect the "Mid-2009" MacBook Air models to be around 15% faster than the "Late 2008/NVIDIA" models they replaced, but actual differences can only be determined by real-world testing.
As the "Mid-2009" models are a modest change, they did not attract much attention across the blogosphere, but the always reliable MacWorld tested these systems using their industry-standard SpeedMark 5 benchmark, and oddly, discovered:
It's important to point out that these two MacBook Air models are the two slowest Macs currently shipping. Even the [US]$999 2.13 GHz MacBook managed a Speedmark score of 198 in our tests, compared to a score of 175 for the top-of-the-line 2.13 GHz Air. The [US]$1,499 13-inch 2.53 GHz MacBook Pro scored 239, while the 1.86 GHz MacBook Air with the same price scored 156.
What's weird about the new high-end MacBook Air model is that although it cost dramatically less than its immediate predecessor, it was also slower than that model. The late-2008 1.86 GHz MacBook Air was faster than the new top-of-the-line model in 11 of our 18 tests, and as a result, the old system's final Speedmark score was slightly higher. The low-end 1.86 GHz model did a better job versus its predecessor, besting it on most tests and improving on its Speedmark score.
MacWorld speculated that perhaps the thermal-protection system in the "Mid-2009" MacBook Air models are more "aggressive" about controlling temperature than their predecessors and this negatively impacted performance but the complete article definitely should be read for all the details.
Ultimately, all MacBook Air models are designed to be sleek and lightweight rather than "speed demons". However, it is surprising that the "Mid-2009" MacBook Air models fell short in the performance department compared to earlier models with slower clockspeeds. If weight is more important than speed, the MacBook Air possibly would meet your needs, otherwise, consider another MacBook or MacBook Pro model.
In the US, site sponsor Adorama sells new MacBook Air models with free shipping. Other World Computing sells used and refurb MacBook Air models at bargain prices with free shipping, as well. On the other hand, if you need to sell a MacBook Air, A+ BBB-rated Cash for Your Mac and GoRoostr will buy your older notebook with an instant quote and prompt payment.
In the UK, site sponsor Hoxton Macs sells used MacBook Air models with a one-year warranty and free next day delivery throughout the UK. Delivery across Europe also is available starting at just £9.99 for two-day delivery to France and Germany.
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