Is That A Notebook? MALIBAL's Six-Core, Dual-GPU, Speed Demon

Combining top-end desktop and notebook components, the MALIBAL Nine X7200 is the workstation you can take with you. Today we see how it compares to our fastest “desktop replacement” notebook, and how well it stands up to a similarly-configured desktop PC.
The fact that Intel's Core i7 adds an incredible level of performance to semi-portable notebooks won’t come as news to most people, with examples like the i7-720QM-powered G51J and i7-820QM-powered W860CU arriving a year ago. Yet, when Intel’s fastest mobile processor couldn’t match the performance level of its earliest desktop CPU, many enthusiasts were left to wonder, “is that it?”
Not quite.
Going back even farther, we saw Clevo making notebooks for the Core i7 architecture even before Intel was ready to announce its mobile version. These desktop-based machines certainly wouldn’t thrill the ultra-mobile crowd, yet “mobile workstation” performance makes no apologies for heft. That tradition follows through in Clevo’s latest power monster, its X7200, supporting Intel’s high-flying six-core Core i7-980X Extreme and up to two of the fastest-available mobile graphics modules.

If you want one, you’re going to have to buy it from somewhere, and white-box builder MALIBAL wants to be your source. It sent a fully-configured ultimate-performance configuration for Tom’s Hardware to look over, complete with SLI graphics and a RAID 0 configuration of two SSD drives.

MALIBAL Nine X7200 Component List
Platform	Intel LGA 1366, X58 Express / ICH10R, MXM-III Discrete Graphics
CPU	Intel Core i7-980X Extreme Six-Core, 3.33-3.60 GHz, 6.4 GT/s QPI, 12 MB L3 Cache, 32 nm, 130 W
RAM	Samsung 12 GB (3 x 4 GB) DDR3-1333 MT/s SODIMM, CL9, 1.5 V, Non-ECC
Graphics	Dual Nvidia GeForce GTX 480M, 2 GB GDDR5, SLI
Display	17.3" Glossy LED Backlit TFT, 1920x1080
Webcam	3.0 Megapixel
Audio	Integrated HD Audio
Security	Built-in Fingerprint Reader
Storage
Hard Drive	2 x Intel X25-M 80 GB SSD, Striped: MLC, SATA 3Gb/s
Optical Drive	Matshita BD-MLT UJ240AS 6x Blu-ray Reader / 8x DVD Writer Combo Drive
Media Drive	9-in-1 Flash Media Interface
Networking
Wireless LAN	Intel Ultimate-N 6300, IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n, 11/54/450 Mb/s
Wireless PAN	Optional (not installed)
Gigabit Network	JMicron PCIe 10/100/1000 Mb/s Ethernet
IEEE-1394	Optional (not installed)
Telephony	Not Available
Peripheral Interfaces
USB	3 x USB 2.0, 2 x USB 3.0
Expansion Card	Not Available
HDD	1 x eSATA 3Gb/s
Audio	Headphone, Microphone, Line-In, Digital Out Jacks
Video	1 x Dual-Link DVI-I w/VGA Adapter, 1 x HDMI
Power & Weight
AC Adapter	300 W Power Brick, 100-240 V AC to 15 V DC
Battery	14.8 V 5300 mAh (78.44 Wh) Single
Weight	Notebook 13.4 lbs, AC Adapter 3.6 lbs, Total 17.0 pounds
Software
Operating System	Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-bit Edition, OEM
Service
Warranty	3-year labor, 1-year parts
Price	$5325

Not a configuration for lightweights, this 17-pound (with adapter) behemoth “weighs in” at over $5000, yet even the least-expensive $2600 version carries MALIBAL’s three-year extended-service warranty. Far more portable than any desktop PC competitor, enthusiasts with extra heft in both their arms and wallets will definitely want to take a closer look at its performance.

One might have expected a machine with such powerful hardware to require an oversized chassis and wider screen, but Clevo managed to pack everything into a 17.3” form factor. Flogged as “THD” (for True HD)--as if that were an improvement over the older 1920x1200 resolution--LED-backlighting is the true advancement of its 1920x1080 panel.
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The base includes a fingerprint scanner to allow biometric login, while the raised-bezel top adds a three-megapixel camera.
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Audio jacks, a trio of USB 2.0 ports, and a Kensington Lock hole occupy the right side of the X7200 chassis.
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The real business happens on the left, where a DVI-I, RJ45 network, HDMI-out, two USB 3.0, and eSATA 3Gb/s ports are found. The antenna jack supports an optional tuner card, while the IEEE-1394 jack supports an optional FireWire module, not included in this installation.
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MALIBAL also didn’t add the HDMI-in feature, which adds video pass-through for the 1080p panel, but the 9-in-1 memory card interface is standard. Below those, a 6x Blu-ray Disk reader, 8x DVD writer combo drive addresses most optical media needs.
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The X7200 front panel is fairly clean, having only vents and indicator lights, while the back panel centers a power connection between its exhaust grilles.

Standard for the X7200 is the carrying bag, a power brick, an owner’s manual, and a cleaning cloth. MALIBAL adds the software, depending on hardware configuration, and left-over thermal compound from its $40 IC Diamond 7 installation option.

We included the fastest of our previously-tested notebooks in today’s comparison, though it’s really not a fair fight when the X7200 uses a desktop CPU.

Test System Configuration
MALIBAL Nine X7200 CPU	Intel Core i7-980X Extreme LGA 1366, 3.33-3.60 GHz, 12 MB L3 Cache
MALIBAL Nine X7200 RAM	3 x Samsung M471B5273CH0-CH9 (3 x 4 GB) DDR3-1333 CAS 9-9-9-24, 12 GB Total
MALIBAL Nine X7200 Graphics	Nvidia GeForce GTX 480M 2 GB 425 MHz GPU Core, GDDR5-2400, Mobile Driver Version 259.51
MALIBAL Nine X7200 Hard Drive	2 x Intel X25-M 80GB SSD, 160 GB (Striped), SATA 3Gb/s
Alienware M17x CPU	Intel Core i7-920XM PGA988, 2.00-3.20 GHz, 8 MB L3 Cache
Alienware M17x RAM	2 x Kingston KHX1333C7S3K2/4G (2 x 2 GB) DDR3-1333 CAS 9-9-9-24, 4 GB Total
Alienware M17x Graphics	2 x AMD Mobility Radeon HD 5870 1 GB, CrossFire 700 MHz GPU, GDDR5-4000, Mobile Driver Version 8..692.2-100203a1-095371C-Dell
Alienware M17x Hard Drive	Corsair CSSD-V128GB2-BRKT SSD, 128 GB, SATA 3Gb/s
AVADirect W880CU CPU	Intel Core i7-820QM PGA998, 1.73-3.06 GHz, 8 MB L3 Cache
AVADirect W880CU RAM	2 x Kingston KVR1333D3S9/2G (2 x 2 GB) DDR3-1333 CAS 9-9-9-24. 4.0 GB Total
AVADirect W880CU Graphics	Nvidia GeForce GTX 480M 2 GB 425 MHz GPU Core, GDDR5-2400, Mobile Driver Version 258.68
AVADirect W880CU Hard Drive	Corsair CSSD-V128GB2-BRKT SSD, 128 GB, SATA 3Gb/s
Sound	Integrated HD Audio
Network	Integrated Gigabit Networking
Software
OS	Microsoft Windows 7 64-bit

In order to make this a fair fight, a desktop platform had to be added to the mix. Gigabyte’s X58A-UD3R was chosen for its comparable quality and features, and we even used MALIBAL’s hard drives and CPU to test it. Manually selecting a 133.0 MHz base clock disabled Gigabyte’s auto-overclock method while simultaneously underclocking that frequency by 1/3 of 1 MHz compared to reference specification.

Here’s where things get a little strange: we didn’t have three matching 4 GB modules on hand, so we used three unmatched DDR3-1600 modules from a previous roundup to match MALIBAL’s DDR3-1333 CAS 9-9-9-24 configuration. Identical internal organization between all three modules made triple-channel mode possible in spite of the differing brands.
Yet, that’s not where the oddness ends. Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 480M graphics processor is nothing other than a 2 GB version of its GeForce GTX 465, underclocked so excessively that no high-end desktop part is slow enough to compete. Since the responsibility for this performance-to-naming disparity rests purely on Nvidia, we didn’t want to punish MALIBAL or its supplier Clevo by comparing it to a vastly-superior GeForce GTX 480 desktop card. Instead, we chose the GeForce GTS 450 for the desktop’s SLI configuration. MSI and ECS’ GTS 450 cards were paired because of their identical clock speeds.
We’re sure that some readers will view this mishmash of components as an intentional crippling of the desktop platform, but we’re equally sure that our benchmark set will prove the validity of these choices.

Benchmark Configuration
3D Games
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2	Campaign, Act III, Second Sun (45 sec. FRAPS) Test Set 1: Highest Settings, No AA Test Set 2: Highest Settings, 4x AA
Crysis	Patch 1.2.1, DirectX 10, 64-bit executable, benchmark tool Test Set 1: High Quality, No AA Test Set 2: Very High Quality, 4x AA
DiRT 2	Run with -benchmark example_benchmark.xml Test Set 1: High Quality Preset, No AA Test Set 2: Ultra Quality Preset, 4x AA
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call Of Pripyat	Call Of Pripyat Benchmark version Test Set 1: High Preset, DX11 EFDL, No AA Test Set 2: Ultra Preset, DX11 EFDL, 4x MSAA
Audio/Video Encoding
iTunes	Version: 9.0.2.25 x64 Audio CD (Terminator II SE), 53 min Default format AAC
Handbrake 0.9.4	Version 0.9.4, convert first .vob file from The Last Samurai (1 GB) to .mp4, High Profile
TMPGEnc 4.0 XPress	Version: 4.7.3.292 Import File: Terminator 2 SE DVD (5 Minutes) Resolution: 720x576 (PAL) 16:9
DivX Codec 6.9.1	Encoding mode: Insane Quality Enhanced multithreading enabled using SSE4 Quarter-pixel search
Xvid 1.2.2	Display encoding status = off
MainConcept Reference 1.6.1	MPEG2 to MPEG2 (H.264), MainConcept H.264/AVC Codec, 28 sec HDTV 1920x1080 (MPEG2), Audio: MPEG2 (44.1 KHz, 2 Channel, 16-Bit, 224 Kb/s), Mode: PAL (25 FPS)
Productivity
Adobe Photoshop CS4	Version: 11.0 x64, Filter 15.7 MB TIF Image Radial Blur, Shape Blur, Median, Polar Coordinates
Autodesk 3ds Max 2010	Version: 11.0 x64, Rendering Dragon Image at 1920x1080 (HDTV)
Grisoft AVG Anti-Virus 9.0	Version: 9.0.663, Virus base: 270.14.1/2407, Benchmark: Scan 334 MB Folder of ZIP/RAR compressed files
WinRAR 3.90	Version x64 3.90, Dictionary = 4096 KB, Benchmark: THG-Workload (334 MB)
7-Zip	Version 4.65: Format=Zip, Compression=Ultra, Method=Deflate, Dictionary Size=32 KB, Word Size=128, Threads=8 Benchmark: THG-Workload (334 MB)
Synthetic Benchmarks and Settings
3DMark Vantage	Version: 1.0.1, GPU and CPU scores
PCMark Vantage	Version: 1.0.1.0 x64, System, Productivity, Hard Disk Drive benchmarks
SiSoftware Sandra 2010	Version 2010.1.16.11, CPU Test = CPU Arithmetic / MultiMedia, Memory Test = Bandwidth Benchmark

Apple iTunes is poorly threaded and frequency-dependent, allowing the Core i7-920XM to nearly catch the Core i7-980X. MALIBAL takes the notebook lead, while the desktop edges it out only slightly.


Removing a card from the X7200 allows HandBrake to work a little faster, possibly indicating a slight amount of CPU overhead required to support the second GPU.
CPU scaling is superb otherwise, with the MALIBAL Nine X7200 tearing away from our previously-fastest notebook. Yet, even as the X7200 appears excellent by notebook standards, putting its parts on a desktop platform results in even greater performance.

Alienware looks great by mobile CPU standards, but the X7200’s desktop processor surges ahead in TMPGEnc. It’s too bad Clevo’s motherboard doesn’t perform as well as our desktop motherboard, but this could be due to thermal considerations.

A repeat performance in MainConcept might cause some buyers to look to MALIBAL for their portable-performance needs.

Adobe Photoshop loves the X7200’s super-fast desktop processor, while that same processor prefers a desktop motherboard.


What has become a predictable performance pattern remains perfectly clear in 3ds Max.

Fast processors, high memory bandwidth, and quick hard drives have little effect on AVG.

7-Zip appears well-optimized for six-core processors, while WinRAR does not. Clock speed makes an equally dramatic impact on both compression technologies.

A pair of GeForce GTX 480M graphics modules in SLI completely obliterates the lesser mobile solutions in DiRT 2, while the CrossFire configuration begins to lead a single GTX 480M as resolutions are increased. The CrossFire result is particularly significant to value seekers, since two Mobility Radeon HD 5870 modules reportedly cost less than a single GeForce GTX 480M.


The M17x continues to scale nicely with increased resolutions when compared to somewhat-costly single GTX 480M solutions, but MALIBAL’s upscale SLI configuration destroys it.

Given its moderately-high price, the M17x looks like it might be a high-end value in the Call of Pripyat benchmark, even as it falls behind MALIBAL’s flagship Nine X7200.

FPS drops so low using Call of Pripyat benchmark’s “Ultra” preset and 4x AA that we had to peek at minimum FPS to determine playability. The MALIBAL Nine X7200 survives with a minimum FPS of 22.4, while the M17x fall to 17.2. Making matters worse for the M17x is that its 1920x1200 pixel panel would have produced even lower “native resolution” frame rates, due to its higher pixel count.
We would have preferred more pixels and enough graphics power to fill them.

The MALIBAL Nine X7200 is a workstation-class notebook configured for high-end gaming, and thus contains both an extraordinarily powerful CPU and two of the industry’s most capable mobile graphics modules. We arranged today’s charts in order of GPU power, leaving the non-notebook at the bottom for comparison purposes.

Because we tested the X7200 in both single-GPU and multiple-GPU configurations, we used the single-GPU configuration as the reference point (100%). This allows us to easily see how the second GPU provides an average 82% performance gain, while our fastest-previous notebook is only 31% better at gaming than the single-GPU X7200. The inclusion of AVADirect’s W880CU makes sense for this measurement, as it shows that a weaker CPU reduces game performance by only 4%.

Our encoding programs don’t rely on GPU performance, and only two of them are able to take full advantage of six-core processing. The Core i7-980X also features a higher clock rate however, and the balance of more cores and higher frequency gives the MALIBAL Nine X7200 a big advantage over anything that contains an actual mobile processor. Desktop users will notice that the X7200’s Clevo-supplied motherboard underperforms a similarly-configured desktop board by 4-6%.

Our virus scan benchmark doesn’t scale well with Intel processor performance, reducing the i7-980X’s performance lead in our productivity suite. The MALIBAL Nine X7200 still stays significantly ahead of any notebook processor-based system, though its motherboard still falls slightly behind a standard desktop motherboard.

The fastest notebook processor-based system we’ve ever tested, Alienware’s M17x falls victim to the MALIBAL Nine X7200’s desktop CPU and twin GeForce GTX 480M GPUs.

Our power consumption numbers shed light on the energy-saving attributes of Intel’s mobile processors, with the CrossFire-equipped M17x drawing less power than the single-card equipped X7200. The tradeoff is, of course, lower performance for the mobile parts.

There is no perfect way to compare desktop and notebook platform energy, since the power supplies can never be the same. This is particularly true with the 80 PLUS Gold-rated OCZ Z1000M power supply our desktop used, which exhibits increased efficiency as load is increased. The MALIBAL Nine X7200 uses a fanless power supply that gets somewhat warm at high loads, which should result in increased efficiency as load is decreased. It appears the desktop platform’s two low-cost GeForce GTS 450 graphics cards use about the same amount of power as the notebook’s dual high-end GTX 480M modules.

And therein is the snag for both Nvidia and power users. Nvidia’s failure is that its $800 GeForce GTX 480M is neither more efficient nor more powerful than the $130 desktop GeForce GTS 450 at the resolutions supported by most notebook panels. Power users, on the other hand, must face the fact that Intel’s Core i7-980X draws big power no matter where it’s installed, resulting in a notebook that’s 2.8” thick and reaches 43 db at full load (one meter), realistically sounds closer to 50db when you’re sitting in front of it, uses a power brick that’s larger than a red facing brick, and has a combined weight greater than that of most bowling balls.
But the woes of power users don’t end at portability and noise. Those hoping to combine the X7200’s CPU and twin graphics processors in some super-duty GPU-assisted encoding tasks should consider themselves lucky if their programs can’t take full-advantage of the GeForce GTX 480M’s capabilities. A few seconds into our attempt to run eleven threads of Prime95 and one thread of FurMark across both graphics processors simultaneously pushed at-the-wall power consumption beyond 400 W, activating the power adapter’s overload protection circuit. Performance slowed to a crawl as the system went into battery-powered mode.
The good news that followed this test was that no combination of real-world programs and games was able to create the same phenomena, with Crysis and Prime95 pulling a maximum of 372 W from the wall (below the 400+ W required to trip the automatically-resetting circuit breaker).

In spite of its weight and occasional noise, the MALIBAL Nine X7200 is still far more portable than any combination of desktop PC, monitor, keyboard, and mouse. This is especially true if you consider that an Uninteruptable Power Supply would need to be added to the desktop PC’s component list in order to make it useful away from any power outlet.

There are a few things you can do with the X7200’s battery, such as checking email, surfing the Web, or viewing a presentation while you’re on that trip between the home office and corporate office. We’ve heard the argument that nobody buys a high-end desktop replacement notebook to check email, but we have to wonder who would be willing to tell their boss “no sir, I did not close that multimillion-dollar deal because my system is too good for such petty tasks.” Bottom line: notebooks do notebook things--no matter why you originally purchased them.

Conclusion

Any gamer looking for the performance of a high-end desktop processor in a notebook doesn’t have to look far to see that the X7200 is their best choice, since its available dual GeForce GTX 480M graphics cards lay waste to any other portable solution. The words hot, heavy, and noisy only apply if you have something to compare against, yet the X7200 is incomparable to other notebooks. With its combination of top-end desktop CPU and top-end mobile graphics, the X7200 is the most powerful notebook money can buy.
MALIBAL wants to be your supplier of the X7200, making a strong argument for its brand, in this case, with three years of labor coverage and US-based 24/7 tech support.

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Apple's 2010 MacBook Air (11 & 13 inch) Thoroughly Reviewed

I remember falling in love with the original MacBook Air. It wasn’t the styling that won me over, but rather the combination of performance, form factor and battery life. I needed a notebook fast enough for me to get work done when necessary, but with long enough battery life to last me through a trip across the country. Back in 2008, the MacBook Air was the perfect solution to that problem.

The original MacBook Air had three main issues. It was hot, the 1.8” HDD was unbearably slow, and it shipped with 2GB of memory that you couldn’t expand to 4GB. It was a great machine for writers as you could open up TextEdit and hammer out a document for five hours straight. And when you needed to, you had the greater-than-Atom performance to get more intensive work done.
What prompted me to stop using the MacBook Air was the second generation unibody MacBook Pro. Apple ramped up battery capacity enough where I could get much better battery life and performance out of the MacBook Pro. The combination of the two was enough for me to let my MacBook Air collect dust. I hardly ever used it after that point.
Apple updated the MacBook Air hardware since its original release, but the updates were nothing spectacular. Apple moved from an Intel supplied chipset to one made by NVIDIA, and SSDs eventually became standard issue. Battery life didn’t get any better and memory sizes never moved beyond 2GB.
Last week Apple announced the biggest upgrade to the MacBook Air since 2008, complete with a redesign, price reduction and improved internals. Let’s start at the redesign.

There Once Was One, Now There's Two

The original MacBook Air was very light on connectivity. It had an angled MagSafe power connector but that was it for visible ports. The right side of the machine was home to three hidden connectors: mini DisplayPort, USB and line out.

The new MacBook Air (left) vs. the old MacBook Air (right)

The new design forgoes the rounded nature of its predecessor and introduces more angular surfaces toward the rear of the machine. Connectors like flat surfaces so Apple outfitted the new MacBook Air with a pair of USB ports (one on each side) in addition to the MagSafe connector, miniDP out and line out. Everything is fully accessible from the start, nothing is hidden behind any secret panels.

From left to right: MagSafe Power Connector, USB 2.0 port, headset jack, microphone

Next to the headset jack on the left side is the integrated microphone. Apple states it is an omnidirectional mic, but its placement is curious given the original MacBook Air had its mic at the top of the screen bezel. The microphone’s left leaning location didn’t negatively impact audio performance in our tests. As long as you’re not sitting to the right of a horribly noisy person/animal/box you should be good to go.
There are of course now two MacBook Airs that make up the family: an 11.6-inch model and a 13.3-inch model. The two have identical port layouts however the 13-inch MacBook Air gets an integrated SD card reader like its Pro siblings.

13-inch MBA (left), 11-inch MBA (right)

There’s a 0.6 pound difference between the two models and associated difference in dimensions:

MacBook Air Size Comparison
	11-inch	13-inch
Height	0.11 - 0.68" (0.3 - 1.7 cm)	0.11 - 0.68" (0.3 - 1.7 cm)
Width	11.8" (29.95 cm)	12.8" (32.5 cm)
Depth	7.56" (19.2 cm)	8.94" (22.7 cm)
Weight	2.3 lbs (1.06 kg)	2.9 lbs (1.32 kg)

Prices and specs differ as well. The 11-inch starts at $999 while the 13-inch starts at $1299. You can get faster CPUs in the 13-inch, while GPUs and memory options remain the same across the line. SSDs are not only standard but they're the only option for storage on the Airs. Given my infatuation with SSDs, you won't see me complaining. I'll be happy when Apple ships all of its systems with SSDs in their default configurations.

MacBook Air Spec Comparison
	11-inch	13-inch	13-inch (Late 2008)
CPU	Intel Core 2 Duo 1.4GHz (1.6GHz optional)	Intel Core 2 Duo 1.86GHz (2.13GHz optional)	Intel Core 2 Duo 1.86GHz
Memory	2GB DDR3-1066 soldered on-board (4GB optional)	2GB DDR3-1066 soldered on-board (4GB optional)	2GB DDR3-1066 soldered on-board
GPU	NVIDIA GeForce 320M	NVIDIA GeForce 320M	NVIDIA GeForce 9400M
Storage	64GB SSD (128GB optional)	128GB SSD (256GB optional)	128GB SSD
Connectivity	802.11a/b/g/n Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR	802.11a/b/g/n Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR	802.11a/b/g and draft-n Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
Battery Capacity	35 Whr	50 Whr	37 Whr
Dimensions	11.8 " x 7.56 " x 0.11 - 0.68" (29.95 cm x 19.2 cm x 0.3 - 1.7 cm)	12.8 " x 8.94 " x 0.11 - 0.68" (32.5 cm x 22.7 cm x 0.3 - 1.7 cm)	12.8 " x 8.94 " x 0.16 - 0.76" (32.5 cm x 22.7 cm x 0.41 - 1.9 cm)
Weight	2.3 lbs (1.06 kg)	2.9 lbs (1.32 kg)	3.0 lbs (1.36 kg)
Price	$999	$1299	$1799

Memory & CPU Upgrades: Good News and Bad News

I always like hearing the bad news first so I’ll treat you all no differently. The new MacBook Air not only comes with a meager 2GB of memory, but it’s also soldered onto the motherboard just like in the previous generations.
Now the good news: after two years of complaining Apple has finally added a 4GB memory option. It’s not end user upgradeable, but for an extra $100 Apple will solder 4GB of memory onto the MacBook Air’s motherboard instead of 2GB.
If you’re really just going to be using this thing for writing, IMing and browsing the web - 2GB is fine. If you plan on doing more than that, you should consider spending the $100 on the 4GB upgrade. Right now I’m using 1.46GB of memory. I can edit only a handful of photos in Photoshop before I start swapping to disk.

Apple priced CPU upgrades similarly, but there’s a catch. The base $999 and $1299 (11/13-inch) MacBook Airs can’t be the recipient of an upgraded CPU. You have to go to the upgraded 11/13-inch configurations, which are both $200 more expensive before you get the option to upgrade the CPU for another $100. The upgraded models just give you larger SSDs and nothing else, so if you don’t need the space then the seemingly affordable $100 CPU upgrade actually ends up being a $300 upgrade.
If you want my advice I’d stick to the base systems so long as your needs are simple. However if you plan on doing any amount of multitasking or heavy work (e.g. content creation, editing) on this machine I’d recommend at least the $100 memory upgrade to 4GB. And if you plan on keeping the MacBook Air for a while, spring for the upgraded CPU. It’ll make the later years of its life a little more bearable.

The Trackpad

Going back to my old MacBook Air was always weird. It lacked the glass trackpad that I’d grown accustomed to. The trackpad just felt rough. The new Airs move to the same type of glass trackpad as the rest of Apple’s mobile lineup. Also gone is the traditional mouse button, the glass trackpad pivots at the top so the entire surface acts as a mouse button.

From left to right: 11-inch MBA, 13-inch MBA, 15-inch MBP

Multitouch gestures are supported by the glass trackpad.

No Optical Drive, OS X Recovery via USB Stick

The original MacBook Air didn’t have an optical drive. The new models are no different. When I bought my first Air I actually purchased the external SuperDrive, thinking I’d use it. To be honest, I’ve only used it when doing weird things to the MacBook Air for reviews on AnandTech. I won’t go as far as to say that no notebooks need optical drives, but the absence of one in the MacBook Air isn’t that big of a deal.

Unlike the original MacBook Air, Apple doesn’t bundle these two puppies with recovery DVDs. In case you get an 8GB USB stick with OS X and all bundled apps on the drive. If you need to restore your machine, pop the USB stick in and hold down the ‘c’ key while you start the Air. Apple was even kind enough to etch the version of the OS and application suite on the USB stick itself in case you accumulate a bunch of these over time.

I must say this is the ideal way to distribute OS X recovery software. The USB stick isn’t write protected so you could always do something silly like erase it, but I’m willing to take that risk for the convenience benefit. I expect that next year’s MacBook releases may bundle a similar stick if Apple is feeling particularly forward looking.

No Backlit Keyboard, No Ambient Light Sensor, Same Old Power Brick

Neither of the new MacBook Airs have a backlit keyboard. I do a lot of writing in bed at night and I do miss the backlit keyboard. For touch typists it’s not a problem, but if you switch between the MacBook Air and other computers regularly you’ll find yourself fumbling for the function keys in the dark. I'm guessing this was a cost savings measure.

The top of the screen bezel only has a cutout for the VGA camera, there’s no ambient light sensor. That means you don’t get auto adjusting screen brightness (which some may consider a good thing).

From left to right: new MBA power adapter, old 2008 MBA power adapter, 2010 MBP power adapter

Both Airs come with the same 45W MagSafe power adapter, which just happens to be the same power adapter as the old 2008 MBA (with a new connector of course):

From left to right: 15-inch MBP power connector, 2008 MBA power connector, 2010 MBA power connector

No Flash Installed by Default

So this is weird. The new MacBook Airs are the first Macs to ship in a long time without Adobe's Flash Player plugin installed by default. That's right, if you open your brand new Mac, launch Safari, visit youtube.com and try to watch a video you'll get this screen:

Apple encourages its users to go download the latest version of Adobe's Flash Player to enable the functionality, but this flies in the face of Apple's "it just works" usage model. Watching flash video no longer just works on Macs. You have to go out and download something to make it work. It sounds awfully PC like (gasp!).
Obviously Apple isn't the biggest fan of Flash. The technology isn't supported (and most likely never will be) on iOS. Removing it from the default OS X install makes Apple's intentions clear: it wants Flash dead.
There's also the security aspect. Apple wants to keep its OS as secure as possible and Flash vulnerabilities have been a problem in the past. By not shipping OS X with Flash on it, Apple avoids shipping an old, out of date and potentially vulnerable version of the player software on its Macs. And by forcing users to download the latest version they'll hopefully have a more secure copy on their Macs.
Now whether or not this next bit is a coincidence I'm unsure of. Two of our battery life tests involve loading web pages with Flash on them. My 13-inch MBA sample would throw this error almost every 60 minutes on the dot during the test:

The issue didn't happen on the 11-inch MBA, nor on any of the other MBPs I've run the battery tests on. I've looked around and can't seem to find other reports of Flash being unusually unstable on the new MBAs so it's quite possible that this is an isolated (but unusually repeatable) problem. I've alerted Apple and I'm trying to see if they can reproduce it on any other hardware aside from my 13-inch model. What bothers me is that the the error is very reproducible. I'm going to keep pounding on the system to see if I can figure out what's going on. If I find anything, rest assured I'll publish it here.
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Windows Phone 7 Ads Promise a Quick Return To 'Life'

A quick return to "life" is being promised by Microsoft's commercials for Windows Phone 7 devices, which will debut in the U.S. on Nov. 8. Microsoft insists its operating system is up to 20 percent faster than other mobile OSes. The first Windows Phone 7 devices to be offered in the U.S. will be Samsung's Focus on AT&T and HTC's HD7 on T-Mobile.

Microsoft 's commercials for Windows Phone 7 devices have hit the airwaves with a distinctive consumer message: You'll be obsessed with our phones, too, but get more done faster.
One campaign touting the Nov. 8 release of devices by Dell, Samsung, LG and HTC show people distracted by their phones while jogging, on the beach, in the shower, in the operating room, playing with kids, or even in a romantic encounter, evoking cries of "Really?!" from disbelieving companions. An announcer says it's "time for a phone to save us from our phones" and promises that the system is "designed to get you in and out and back to life." The ad does not refer to the phone system as Windows Phone 7.
20 Percent Savings
A Microsoft spokesman explained the campaign by saying, in an interview with Computerworld, that internal research shows Windows Phone 7 requires up to 20 percent fewer steps to perform common tasks than other smartphone operating systems. Microsoft didn't respond to our request for comments in time for publication.
Samsung's Focus, to be sold by AT&T, and the HTC HD7, to be sold by T-Mobile, will be the first Phone 7-based devices to premiere on Nov. 8, followed by the HTC Surround in the middle of the month. Dell's Lightning and Venue Pro are also expected in time for the holiday season, available from Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile, respectively.
Wall of Tiles
Early reviews of Phone 7 devices say the operating system is consumer-friendly with its wall of tiles that can be used to set up icons for games, applications, web sites, or social-media contacts, and it has quick access to Xbox Live and Zune. Phone 7 also includes mobile versions of Microsoft's Office, a draw for business users.
"Windows Phone 7 has been significantly updated from its predecessor, Windows Mobile," said wireless analyst Alex Spektor of Strategy Analytics. "The new user interface has been optimized for common tasks like search or social networking, potentially allowing fewer clicks or button presses by the user."
Spektor said Microsoft's tiles interface is a step apart from the interface of Apple's iOS or Google's Android, the fastest-growing systems. But he added "it remains to be seen how much the consumer masses like the new approach in the long term."
How fast the system works depends on both hardware and software. But Spektor notes that Microsoft has set minimum requirements for its hardware partners, including processor speed, random access memory, and screen resolution, "which helps to establish a baseline user experience and uniform responsiveness across different vendors' devices."
Windows 7 phones went on sale in Europe and Australia on Oct. 21, and British carrier Orange UK has struggled to keep up with demand, but it's unclear if the shortage is from high consumer interest or manufacturers' difficulty in getting touchscreens.
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