Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, Late 2010) vs Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, Early 2011)

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Better figure, where one is clearly better

MacBook Air (13-inch, Late 2010) compared with MacBook Pro (13-inch, Early 2011)
AppleMacBook Air (13-inch, Late 2010)AppleMacBook Pro (13-inch, Early 2011)
Overview
ReleasedOctober 2010February 2011
Display
Screen size13.3″13.3″
Resolution1440 × 900 (better)1280 × 800
PanelTN LCDTN LCD
TouchscreenNoNo
Display typeGlossy LED-backlit widescreen LCD, millions of colours; TN panel confirmed by Notebookcheck's exact-model review. Refresh rate and brightness unpublished by Apple.LED-backlit glossy widescreen LCD, millions of colours; TN panel explicitly confirmed by Notebookcheck's exact Early 2011 2.7 GHz review. No antiglare or higher-resolution option. Apple does not publish refresh rate or brightness.
Performance
ProcessorIntel Core 2 Duo SL9400 or Intel Core 2 Duo SL9600Intel Core i5-2415M or Intel Core i7-2620M
CPU cores22
CPU threads–4
GraphicsNVIDIA GeForce 320MIntel HD Graphics 3000
Memory2 GB or 4 GB4 GB or 8 GB (better)
Storage128 GB to 256 GB128 GB to 750 GB (better)
CPUDual-core Intel Core 2 Duo SL9400 at 1.86 GHz or optional SL9600 at 2.13 GHz, with 6 MB shared L2 cache and 1066 MHz frontside bus. Exact identities confirmed by Notebookcheck and EveryMac; the faster processor is offered only on the higher storage base, as documented by Macworld.Dual-core Intel Core i5-2415M at 2.3 GHz with 3 MB shared L3 cache or Core i7-2620M at 2.7 GHz with 4 MB cache. Exact identities confirmed by Notebookcheck's respective 2.3 GHz and 2.7 GHz reviews.
GPUNVIDIA GeForce 320M with 256 MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memoryIntel HD Graphics 3000 with 384 MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory
Memory type2 GB of 1066 MHz DDR3 onboard memory, configurable to 4 GB4 GB of 1333 MHz DDR3, two 2 GB SO-DIMMs; two slots support up to 8 GB
Storage type128 GB flash storage with SL9400; 256 GB base supports SL9400 or SL9600. Configurations preserve the base-specific upgrade restrictions; memory cannot be upgraded after purchase.Core i5 base has 320 GB and Core i7 base has 500 GB, both 5400-rpm Serial ATA hard drives. Configurable 500 GB or 750 GB 5400-rpm hard drive, or 128 GB, 256 GB or 512 GB SSD. Storage capacity rows use HDD for 320/500/750 GB and SSD for 128/256/512 GB; memory upgrades apply to either processor. Macworld confirms 750 GB upgrades on both bases; Apple's configure-to-order list includes it despite the shorter Storage subsection omitting it. 8× slot-loading SuperDrive supports DVD±R DL, DVD±RW and CD-RW.
Battery and size
Battery life (maker's claim)Up to 7 hoursUp to 7 hours
Battery capacity50 Wh63.5 Wh (better)
Weight1.32 kg (better)2.04 kg
Thickness17 mm (better)24.1 mm
Width × depth325 × 227 mm325 × 227 mm
Battery life detailBuilt-in 50 Wh lithium-polymer battery; up to 7 hours wireless productivity or 30 days standby under Apple's test conditions. Reference weight varies by configuration and manufacturing process.Built-in 63.5 Wh lithium-polymer battery; up to 7 hours wireless web under Apple's test conditions. Reference weight varies by configuration and manufacturing process.
Charger45 W MagSafe Power Adapter with cable management60 W MagSafe Power Adapter with cable management
MaterialsAluminium enclosure; tapered thickness from 3 to 17 mmAluminium unibody enclosure and glass trackpad
ColoursSilverSilver
Connections
Ports2 × USB-A, MagSafe, headphone jack, SD card slot2 × USB-A, Thunderbolt, MagSafe, headphone jack, SD card slot, Ethernet
Wi-Fi802.11n; compatible with 802.11a/b/g802.11n; compatible with 802.11a/b/g
Bluetooth2.1 + EDR2.1 + EDR
WebcamFaceTime camera720p FaceTime HD (Macworld)
Operating systemmacOSmacOS
Port detailTwo USB 2.0 ports up to 480 Mb/s, Mini DisplayPort output, MagSafe, SD card slot and headphone jack supporting the Apple iPhone headset remote and microphone. DVI, VGA and dual-link DVI require separate adapters.Two USB 2.0 ports up to 480 Mb/s, Thunderbolt up to 10 Gb/s, FireWire 800 up to 800 Mb/s, 10/100/1000BASE-T Ethernet, SDXC card slot, MagSafe, combined headphone/line input with digital output, and Kensington lock slot. Native Mini DisplayPort output; DVI, VGA, dual-link DVI and HDMI audio/video through separate adapters.
External displaysBuilt-in screen plus one external display up to 2560 × 1600, both with millions of colours; dual display and video mirroringBuilt-in screen plus one external display up to 2560 × 1600, both with millions of colours; dual display and video mirroring
KeyboardFull-size keyboard without backlightingFull-size backlit keyboard with 78 US or 79 ISO keys, 12 function keys and four arrow keys
TrackpadMulti-Touch trackpadGlass Multi-Touch trackpad with inertial scrolling, pinch, rotate, swipe, three-finger swipe, four-finger swipe, tap, double-tap and drag
SpeakersStereo speakersStereo speakers with subwoofer
MicrophonesOmnidirectional microphoneOmnidirectional microphone
In the boxMacBook Air, power adapter, AC wall plug and power cord; Mac OS X Snow Leopard, iLife ’11, Software Reinstall Drive and documentationMacBook Pro, display cleaning cloth, power adapter, AC wall plug, power cord, software DVDs and documentation; Mac OS X Snow Leopard and iLife ’11

More comparisons