Apple's 11-inch Air gets a CPU speed bump and a decent price cut over the already excellent 2013 version. If you have a recent model there's no need to upgrade, but for anyone else, it's now a better deal than ever.

The new 11-inch MacBook Air is a little faster and runs even longer; thanks to a small spec bump.

The new CPU is a very minor upgrade over last year's Air and the system is still lacking an SD card slot

The Good Fantastic battery life - Faster flash architecture - Much improved graphics performance - Wi-Fi 802.11ac connectivity - Excellent keyboard, trackpad - Better value The Bad TN panel not a match for the PC competition - Third year with unchanged design - Relatively large bezel starting to...

Fantastic battery life - Faster flash architecture - Much improved graphics performance - Wi-Fi 802.11ac connectivity - Excellent keyboard; trackpad - Better value

TN panel not a match for the PC competition - Third year with unchanged design - Relatively large bezel starting to look dated - No SD card slot

Even Apple's cheapest laptop is head and shoulders above most of its competitors, and in terms of build, battery life and usability the MacBook Air 11 is an all-round winner. It's also that most unusual of items: an Apple product which represents good value for money.

So small and light it's barely there; Reasonably priced; Great performance; Loads of free software

Disappointing screen

There's not much new about Apple's updated MacBook Air lineup. Fortunately, the Air was already a top-notch portable computer. The subtle increase in processor speeds, along with a respectable decrease in price, are obvious positive steps for consumers.

Long battery life; light and compact, Long battery life; light and compact

Sluggish write speeds; Flash storage speeds not as fast as we've come to expect

I DONT LIKE APPLE NORMALLY FOR MOBILES BUT I HAVE GAVE IT A TRY ON LAPPY LETS SEE HOW IT WORKS TILL NOW I AM VERY ANNOYED WITH ITS KEEP ON ASKING PASSWORDS FOR EVERYANOTHER THING LIKE I AM MYSELF A THIEF APPLE ARE YOU LISTENING SECURITY MUST BE OPTIONAL NOT MANDATORY

Fast; Lightweight; Quiet

Freezes Up

Netbook? No thanks. The smallest and cheapest notebook that Apple currently has to offer is called the MacBook Air 11. It weighs in at less than a kilogram and is just 1.7 cm at its thickest point. On the outside: an aluminium unibody case.

Low weight and small size; Outstanding aluminium case; Very good input devices; Keyboard backlighting; Very good application performance; This is exactly what an "entry-level" model should look like

Not so many ports; Reflective display; RAM is soldered down

Last October, Apple's 11-inch MacBook Air debuted. The tiny, slim ultraportable was the smallest laptop Apple had ever made. Its combination of size and power earned it a four-star review, with caveats: it had a last-generation Core 2 Duo processor, lacked a backlit keyboard and omitted an SD card...

Dramatically faster than last year's version; Backlit keyboard; High-speed Thunderbolt I/O port

Entry-level Air still has the same limited fixed flash storage and RAM as last year's version; Still no SD card slot; Ethernet port or 3G wireless option

If you're looking for optimal portability, and you're willing to lose some power for it, then this is tough to beat. It comes in at just over two pounds, about half the weight of the 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display, and the smaller screen means the casing on this MacBook is smaller overall.

Apple's previous MacBook Air, an ultraportable laptop designed primarily for travelling, was widely criticised for its high price and lack of features. Apple has responded with an upgraded version of the MacBook Air; like most Apple products, it once again features a superb design that is marvellously thin and light, but it now comes with fast, flash-based storage, a full size keyboard and trackpad, and a claimed standby battery life of up to 30 hours.

Apple's latest MacBook Air still lacks replaceable components, still has an annoying glossy screen and remains relatively expensive. However, its performance upgrades with new Core i5 processors give it the extra grunt previous models were missing. Combined with a superb design and great battery life, the MacBook Air is an excellent notebook for any user after a combination of speed and portability.

Excellent performance; Superb design; Great battery life;

RAM isn't replaceable; No matte screen option; Still pretty pricey;

This is a niche device, suitable for Apple users that need both portability and power. While it’s tempting to compare it to other Ultrabooks, it actually has a lot in common with the Surface Pro 2, which has very similar specs and is built for a very specific type of Windows user.

Excellent design, Terrific performance, Quiet and cool, Superb trackpad and keyboard

Display quality merely adequate, Lousy port selection, Aluminum construction prone to dents and scratches