The Air's spacious layout provides excellent travel and a snappy feel. The driving guitar in Bad Religion's 'Social Suicide' balanced well with Greg Graffin's gravelly voice, though the drums got a bit lost.Ĭlick to EnlargeWhile many Ultrabook makers continue to struggle with their keyboards, Apple's remains the gold standard.
We also played Rihanna's 'Stay,' and her breathy vocals resonated even across our hotel room. The somber piano in the 'Man of Steel' trailer was piercing. Just like the previous version, the MacBook Air's speakers reside underneath the keyboard, producing rich and loud audio. On the other hand, both the ATIV Book 9 and (284) and Kirabook (281) are brighter than the Air. Apple's notebook also beats the Sony VAIO Pro 13 (237 lux) and Acer Aspire S7 (215 lux). The Air's average brightness of 263 lux (according to our light meter) is better than the ultraportable average (231 lux). And, unlike other Ultrabooks we've tested, details didn't get lost in darker scenes.
When watching the 'Man of Steel' trailer, Russell Crowe's skin tone looked warm, and we could easily make out the folds in his ornate jacket. Despite this resolution gap, we continue to enjoy the Air's screen because it delivers superior contrast, wide viewing angles and vibrant colors.
