a month long assessment of the book:

-starting to get a little creak in the chassis similar to the 2 11" airs ive had. guess its impossible to make it super stiff like the thick Pro model. probably just need to tighten the torx screws.

-95% do not notice any performance issues. would say it performs similar to current or recent air models... as benchmark confirms. in the 5% of the time it inexplicably pegs the cpu to stutter HD youtube streams.... i assume is due to heating issues... i shut down all other apps, restart the browser, goes back to being okay.

its at the edge of what i consider acceptable performance. doesnt feel like a step forward, but not enough of a hindrance for my usage. (photoshop composites, stitching, etc)

-1 key went sticky... popped the key, cleaned the contact, and everything was alright

-single usb port still hasnt become an issue


would i purchase again? absolutely. it was exactly what i wanted: essentially the 11" air that i was using, but with retina screen instead.

for most people, of course, the 13" retina pro, is the value purchase with better longevity