(You can disable the ambient light sensor and adjust the backlight manually with the F5 and F6 keys - that’s my preference.) However, my one complaint about the panel is the shallow travel of the keys, which is ultimately caused by the thinner profile. The chiclet keyboard has gone pretty much unchanged save for the (re-)addition of the backlight and the addition of the LaunchPad and Mission Control function keys, which took the place of the Expose and Dashboard shortcuts. It’s really more of the same when it comes to the bottom deck - Apple’s simply not messing with a great thing. Of course, one minor aesthetic change that masks a major functionality change is the addition of a Thunderbolt logo on the right side of the mini-DisplayPort - but we’ll get to that later. (Seriously, why don’t hotels have Wi-Fi in the rooms?) Apple offers a USB-to-Ethernet adapter for $29 - just don’t forget to pack it.

There’s still no on-board Ethernet port, which can lead to a very frustrating experience when traveling. The Air is still stocked with two USB ports (thankfully, on opposite edges), a 3.5mm headphone jack, and an SD card reader. The minimalist aesthetic is really unmatched I carried ‘em both home from the office and together they didn’t seem to weigh as much as my 4.5-pound 13-inch MacBook Pro. 4 pounds more than the Z, but you’re absolutely not going to notice the difference on your shoulder. The three-pound 13-inch MacBook Air does weigh. 02-inches thicker than the VAIO Z, but the Air’s thinner front edge definitely gives it the illusion of being the thinnest laptop on shelves. When closed, the chassis still tapers like a tear drop, measuring 0.11 inches at the thinnest point and 0.68 at the thickest. Seriously, the rigidity of the hinge is downright impressive. (Sadly, those black MacBook Air rumors didn’t pan out this time around - next time, perhaps.) In comparison to Sony’s flimsy screen panel, Apple’s is like a brick wall. And while the all-black Sony VAIO Z might appeal to some more than the Air’s grayish aluminum, the Air’s metal build certainly feels more rigid than the VAIO’s carbon fiber case and floppy screen. The aluminum unibody construction has proved to be incredibly sturdy and the minimalist aesthetic is really unmatched there’s a reason companies like Dell and HP have moved over to building their laptops out of similar materials and cut the glossy plastics. The new 13-inch MacBook Air doesn’t look any different than its predecessor, but I don’t think anyone is going to complain - I certainly won’t.

Battery for macbook air mid 2011