MacBook Air tops Consumer Reports ratings
updated 02:20 am EST, Wed November 10, 2010
Apple takes top spots across all size categories
Apple, stung by early criticism of the iPhone 4 by Consumer Reports, was handed an unexpected triumph today as the publication's latest ratings of laptops place Mac laptops in first place overall in every size category Apple offers, including top marks for the just-released revamped MacBook Air 11- and 13-inch models. The 11-inch Air in particular scored significantly higher than its closest rival, the Toshiba Satellite T115D-S1120.
The 11-inch Air was praised for its ergonomics and display quality, as well as weight and battery life. Consumer Reports rated the Air's battery at 6.25 hours running "productivity applications." The overall ranking for the model was 67 out of 100, versus the Toshiba's 51 rating.
The 13-inch MacBook Air also won its size category with a rating of 78, beating Apple's other 13-inch MacBook and MacBook Pro configurations which won ratings of 69, 72 and 73 respectively. The previous-model 13-inch MacBook Air, also tested, did significantly worse with a rating of 59. Battery ratings for the current models all ranked at around 7.5 hours, with the previous Air's battery clocking in at 4.25 hours.
In the 15- and 16-inch category, the MacBook Pro configurations took the top two places with a rating of 78 and a battery ranking of eight to 8.5 hours depending on model. Performance on almost all the current model Mac laptops was rated as "excellent."
The MacBook Pro 17" took the prize for best laptop in the 17-18 inch category, boasting a 9.25-hour battery life more than double that of its nearest competitor and a unique pair of "excellent" ratings for both performance and display across all machines ranked.
The report is published on the Consumer Reports web site.
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Joined: May 2001
So...
When CR trashed the iP4 they were deemed lower than whale p*** by the herd. Now that they put the MacBooks at the very top are they forgiven and worthwhile again?