The base 13″ model now runs a 1.8 GHz Core i5 processor (with Turbo Boost to 2.8 GHz) with 4 GB of system memory and a 128 GB SSD at $1,199, and the “better” version ups that to a 256 GB SSD at $1,499.įor the first time ever, you can double system memory to 8 GB (for just $100 more) on any model, and there are more SSD options than ever.Ī few things are missing: The MBA has no built-in optical drive, but you can add an external USB 2.0 SuperDrive for $79.

The base 11″ model now runs a 1.7 GHz Core i5 processor (with Turbo Boost to 2.6 GHz) with 4 GB of system memory and a 64 GB SSD at $999, and the “better” version ups that to a 128 GB SSD at $1,099. The 2012 MacBook Air (MBA) adopts Intel’s newest, even more efficient Ivy Bridge processor technology, which incorporates Intel HD Graphics 4000 (up to 60% faster, according to Apple) in the CPU. The new HD camera also supports today’s widescreen displays, and the native screen resolution of 1366 x 768 is the same as last year. There’s also an improved webcam, the 720p FaceTime HD camera with three times the resolution of previous MacBook FaceTime cameras. Best of all, Apple uses the same port for USB 2.0 and 3.0, while the standard in the PC world is separate ports for each protocol. There are already a lot of USB 3.0 drives on the market, and they are far more affordable than Thunderbolt drives. The improved USB specification is over 10x as fast as USB 2.0 and has half the bandwidth of Thunderbolt.

The MacBook Air firmware update is a much more svelte 1.09MB.For the first time, Apple has Macs with built-in USB 3.0 support. Note that the firmware download for MacBook Pro is huge, at 703MB. Affected models should also have the updates in the Mac App Store under Updates in Mountain Lion, or under Software Update in Lion. You can find download links at the URLs above. This update addresses rare issues where the battery unexpectedly stops functioning, the system does not recognize the battery, or the system hangs when the battery charge reaches less than one percent. This update is recommended for MacBook Air (mid 2012 and mid 2013) models. This update addresses rare issues where the battery unexpectedly stops functioning or the system hangs when the battery charge reaches less than one percent. This update is recommended for MacBook Pro (mid 2012) models. Apple released firmware updates for MacBook Pro (mid 2012) and MacBook Air (mid 2012 and mid 2013) to address an issue with battery performance.

Mid 2012 oem mac air battery