Apple MacBook Air 13 MD761D/B 2014-06
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Average of 13 scores (from 20 reviews)
Reviews for the Apple MacBook Air 13 MD761D/B 2014-06
Heart transplant. The new Apple MacBook Air 13 Mid 2014 is once again an evolution instead of a revolution, because there are not many differences compared to the last version. We focus on the inner values. A new Intel Core i5-4260U Haswell CPU clocked at 1.4 GHz in combination with 4 GB RAM and a large 256 GB SSD. Sounds appealing.
Source: Macworld.co.uk

In 2013, when Apple reduced the price of the MacBook Pro with Retina display range, we stopped recommending the 13-inch MacBook Air on the basis that there was only £150 difference in price. As Apple has continued to drop prices we are still looking at just a £150 difference between the two ranges at the entry level. It's great to see Apple reducing prices across its MacBook ranges, but the lower prices of the MacBook Pro Retina range do have the effect of making the MacBook Air look less attractive in comparison. However, we still love the MacBook Air, which is lighter and thinner, although a fraction bigger than the MacBook Pro with Retina display. If it's the MacBook Air that you have your heart set on, you can't go wrong with it, but if you have a little more in your budget, then consider the MacBook Pro with Retina display because it's a really good deal in comparison.
Comparison, online available, Medium, Date: 08/14/2014
Source: T3

We tried our best to find something to dislike about the new MacBook Air, but really, it’s hard to fault. The screen is still a stunner, it’s still the most premium-looking laptop around, and now it’s cheaper and a bit more powerful. The best just got better.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 06/30/2014
Rating: Total score: 100%
Source: PC Pro

Make no bones about it: the MacBook Air is no longer the top dog in the thin-and-light laptop field. With the Yoga 2 Pro packing in a high-DPI display and a similar all-round specification for only 99p more, and no shortage of fine Windows 8 alternatives, the MacBook Air has some serious competition on its hands.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 06/24/2014
Rating: Total score: 83% price: 83% performance: 83% features: 67% workmanship: 67%
Source: Stuff TV

We were sort of expecting the new MacBook to be a letdown, after all very little has changed other than the price tag and the processor speed. Instead we’ve fallen in love with it all over again – it’s simply the best laptop we’ve ever seen. Admittedly the resolution is a bit old-hat, but right now we’d still rather have the extravagant battery life. Only time will tell if we’ll change our mind when the Retina version arrives…
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 05/26/2014
Rating: Total score: 100% performance: 70% display: 80% workmanship: 100%
Source: BCW - Business Computing World

The saving grace of the MacBook remains its outstanding battery life. We generally take manufacturer’s claims with a pinch of salt, but for routine tasks such as wordprocessing and occasional Web browsing the MacBook Air really does live up to Apple’s estimate of 12 hours of battery life. It may look a little old-fashioned, but the ability to get a full day’s work from a lightweight laptop such as this makes the MacBook Air an excellent choice for business travellers.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 05/21/2014
Rating: Total score: 80%
Source: Reg Hardware

Many people will harp on about the dated display, but that £100 price cut will appeal to plenty of people who just want a lightweight laptop with good battery life. That should keep sales going for a few months yet, but this old dog needs to learn a few new tricks if it wants to keep its position as leader of the pack.
Single Review, online available, Length Unknown, Date: 05/21/2014
Source: Trusted Reviews

If you care about screen quality above all other considerations then probably not. The MacBook Air's screen isn't bad, but it isn't good either: it's just deeply average. This will be enough to dismiss the MacBook Air in some eyes, but this doesn't tell the whole story. That's because everything else about the MacBook Air remains outstanding. Its design is still unmatched and the battery life is out of this world considering the base 13-inch Macbook Air only costs £850 now. This also means it's exceedingly good value, so much so that anyone who is 'platform neutral' will find it hard to consider anything else.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 05/20/2014
Rating: Total score: 60% price: 90% performance: 90% display: 60% mobility: 100% workmanship: 100% emissions: 90%
Source: Laptop Mag

What was once a luxury ultraportable has become a bargain. For a reasonable $999, the MacBook Air boasts best-in-class battery life, fast performance and an excellent keyboard and touchpad. Plus, OS X Mavericks is easier to use and less of a hassle than Windows 8 when it comes to security updates. However, the flash storage on this Air isn't as speedy as that on the last model.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 05/19/2014
Rating: Total score: 80%
Source: Macworld.co.uk

As we anticipated Apple has reacted to the very minor price difference between the MacBook Pro with Retina display and the 2013 MacBook Air, by reducing the price by as much as £130. This means the whole MacBook Air line up is now under £1,000, which should serve to make it even more popular than it is currently. Unfortunately in some areas the 2014 Mac Air isn't quite as good as last year's model - the flash storage seems to be slower than it was in 2013. For this reason, if you can get a discounted 13in 2013 MacBook Air from the Apple refurb store, it is still be worth considering as an alternative to the newer 2014 model.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 05/15/2014
Rating: Total score: 100%
Foreign Reviews
Source: Chip.de

Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 11/26/2014
Rating: Total score: 66% price: 59% performance: 62% features: 44% display: 62% mobility: 91% ergonomy: 68%
Source: Chip Test & Kauf - Heft Nr. 5/2014

Single Review, , Length Unknown, Date: 08/01/2014
Rating: Total score: 85%
Source: Notebookinfo

Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 07/01/2014
Rating: Total score: 95% performance: 100% display: 80% mobility: 100% ergonomy: 100% emissions: 92%
Source: Mac & i - Heft 04/2014

Single Review, , Length Unknown, Date: 07/01/2014
Source: Computer Totaal

Comparison, online available, Short, Date: 09/06/2014
Source: CNet France

Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 10/11/2014
Rating: Total score: 80%
Source: Ferra.ru

Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 06/04/2014
Source: Ixbt

Positive: Slim and stylish design; very good keyboard; very high quality audio system; Negative: Modest screen.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 07/02/2014
Source: Zoom

Positive: Reliable; powerful; lightweight; energy-efficient.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 06/19/2014
Source: Dinside

Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 05/19/2014
Rating: Total score: 83%
Source: Itsvet

The only innovation MacBook Air 2014 is bringing in is the new 1.4GHz Intel Core i5-4260 Haswell processor with 4GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD. The integrated Intel HD Graphics 5000 graphics is performing well, while in terms of connectivity, there is Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi 802.11ac, but LAN is lacking again. The new processor is more efficient and with a built-in 65Wh battery, we can expect 12hrs of autonomy, which is fantastic. Although apparently there are no major changes from the previous Air model, Apple retains its leading position in the Ultra Portable segment where it is difficult to find a better model of higher quality.
Positive: Aluminum case; extremely attractive design; slim; excellent screen ; very good performance; great autonomy . Negative: Glossy screen; no HDMI and LAN port.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 07/31/2014
Comment
Model:
Once again Apple has come out with a revised version for the Macbook Air 13 in the middle of 2014. While design-wise nothing has changed, the hardware of the Macbook Air 13 has improved.
The Macbook Air 13 Mid 2014 MD761D/B now sports the latest Haswell processor, a 4th generation i5 clocked at 1.4 GHz, up from 1.3 GHz. It is coupled with 4 GB of RAM and a 256 GB SSD. While that's a lot of horsepower stuffed into its sleek and thin body, it's not a big improvement compared to the previous version. It features an integrated Intel HD 5000 GPU, which is a pretty solid card that can play newer games at low graphical settings.
This version actually retails at a slightly cheaper price compared to last year. And there is a higher-end version which comes with a 4th Generation i7 processor, double the memory and flash storage. It still uses a glossy display with 1440 x 900 resolution.
The biggest advantage of using a Macbook Air is the battery life, and it's no different here with this version. Its built-in 54Wh battery is claimed to give up to 12 hours of wireless web and up to 30 days of standby time. This version didn't improve its formula much from the last one but it’s slightly cheaper and still has all the advantages of a Macbook Air.
Series: The original MacBook Air, “the world’s thinnest notebook” was introduced at the 2008 keynote by Apple’s former CEO Steve Jobs. Key advantages are thinness, durability, high quality display especially the input device when compare with other netbook at the time. However, it was also heavily criticized for lack of Optical Disc, only one USB port, not user-removable battery among other things. At that time, nobody knows that these disadvantages of the MacBook Air series would be the pinnacle of Intel’s concept for next generation notebooks which will be the newest trend for 2012.
In 2011, Apple has introduced the latest update of the MacBook Air Series, with Intel’s latest Sandy Bridge Series, which doubling the performance. Major advantages of the 2011 MacBook Air in our reviews are the light weight, outstanding, unrivalled design and robust build quality thanks to the aluminum case, very good backlit keyboard plus glass track pad, as well as a very good performance for a subnotebook. The 2011 MacBook Air still shares some of the original’s disadvantages like limited ports, heavily reflective display, non-upgradeable memory and non-user-removable battery. Still, the MacBook Air outclasses almost every other Ultrabook out there with its advantage, save only for Samsung’s newest Series 9 model. On average, the review-ratings are very good, which always assure a place in the top 3 Subnotebook of Notebookcheck.
Rumor has it that Apple will introduce the new MacBook Air within a month during Apple’s usual WWDC with Retina-display, USB 3.0 and Ivy-bridge processor, so stay tune for the newest update of the most popular Ultrabook from the tech giant in Cupertino.
Intel HD Graphics 5000:
ULV integrated GPU (GT3) with 40 EUs (no eDRAM) found on certain Haswell processors.
Non demanding games should be playable with these graphics cards.
» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Graphics Cards and the corresponding Benchmark List.
4260U: Haswell-based ULV dual-core processor clocked at 1.4 GHz with Turbo Boost support up to 2.7 GHz. Offers an integrated HD Graphics 5000 and a dual-channel DDR3 memory controller.» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Processsors.
13.30":
There are hardly any tablets in this display size range anymore. For subnotebooks, on the other hand, it is the standard format.
The advantage of subnotebooks is that the entire laptop can be small and therefore easily portable. The smaller display also has the advantage of requiring less power, which further improves battery life and thus mobility. The disadvantage is that reading texts is more strenuous on the eyes. High resolutions are more likely to be found in standard laptops.
» To find out how fine a display is, see our DPI List.Apple: Apple is a US company founded in 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne. Headquartered in Cupertino, California, the company is known for its innovative products such as the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch, and manufactures computers and consumer electronics as well as operating systems and application software. Apple is also a leading provider of software and services such as the App Store, iTunes and iCloud.
Apple has earned a reputation as a company that focuses on design and ease of use. As for their notebooks, they are mostly in the high-priced segment, have their own operating system, but also run Windows on the newer Macbooks.
Apple is one of the most valuable companies in the world and has a loyal following of customers and fans. The company also has a strong presence in the entertainment industry, with services like Apple Music and Apple TV+. In 2023, Apple had an approximate 8% market share of global PC sales, ranking it 4th after Lenovo, HP, and Dell.
84.46%: This rating is slightly above average, there are somewhat more devices with worse ratings. However, clear purchase recommendations look different.
» Further information can be found in our Notebook Purchase Guide.