Electricpig reports that early benchmarking data obtained by Laptopmag.com from Apple's new MacBook Air models released today demonstrate significant performance improvements over the previous generation and even other Apple notebooks. Testing was performed using the Geekbench benchmarking tools.
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According to the report, not only do the new MacBook Air models at least double the scores of the previous generation in testing with Geekbench, but the new machines also compare extremely favorably to even high-end MacBook Pro models from last year.
The new 13-inch MacBook Air earned a Geekbench score of 5860, a bump in performance of over 100 percent compared to last year’s model. The 11-inch MacBook Air was even more impressive, skyrocketing from 2024 to 5040 for 149 percent increase.
To put these benchmarks into perspective, the 2010 17-inch 2.67 GHz Core i7 MacBook Pro scored 5423. For £849 the 11-inch MacBook Air offers a benchmark on par with last year’s £2099 17-inch MacBook Pro.
Geekbench testing focuses on processor and memory performance, providing comparisons of raw power between machines but only telling part of the story. Consequently, it remains to be seen how the new MacBook Air models will stack up in real-world situations, but early indications suggest that Apple's ultraportable lineup has indeed received a major increase in performance.
Top Rated Comments
But you’re flat-out crazy if you’d consider an Air for serious work: I’ve done that (Photoshop, Flash, OpenOffice) for 3 years on my Air, and it means that ALL MY WORK is right there, ready to grab with one hand and run out the door! No synching needed, nothing to think about. I just have all my projects with me SO much more of the time than I used to with my 15” bulkmonster. And yet I can do everything I need right on the Air.
That means I’m never away from work :( My clients can get me to do stuff all the time!
Do yourself a favor: if you do pro work, get the bulkiest laptop you can, or a giant tower, and tell your clients you’ll "deal with it" when you get back to the office :)
Don’t get addicted to the Air like me. Save yourself.
Everyone should keep in mind that Ivy Bridge is next year. This is when we should see a quad-core MacBook Air (and Mac Mini), and 8-core iMacs. Additionally, there will also be the move to 22nm fabrication processes in addition to 3D transistors, which should be comparable to a fabrication shrink itself.
If you think this year was a big boost, wait until you see what Intel has in store for next year.
Keep in mind that the resolution of the 13" MBA is equal to that of the 15" MBP.
Anyways, I'm mostly curious as to the IGP's performance.