The Wayback Machine - https://web.archive.org/web/20111222163154/http://www.apple.com:80/macbookair/performance.html

The new speed of light.

If a notebook is thin and light enough to carry with you everywhere you go, it should be powerful enough to handle everything you do. The new MacBook Air is more than up to the task — whatever the task may be.

Intel Core i5 and i7 Processors

Now with the latest Intel Core processors — a Core i5 up to 1.7GHz or an optional 1.8GHz Core i7 — and speedier DDR3 memory, the new MacBook Air is up to 2.5x as fast as the previous generation,1 yet it weighs next to nothing. Applications run faster and more efficiently than before. So everything you normally do on a computer you can do even quicker. Send email, write reports, create presentations, touch up photos, edit home movies, and all the little (and big) tasks in between. And since the Core i5 and i7 processors feature a graphics processor with an on-chip engine for video encoding and decoding, you’ll notice longer battery life when watching iTunes movies or making FaceTime video calls.

All-Flash Storage

“Wow, that was fast.” With MacBook Air, you’ll find yourself saying that a lot. Because flash storage is up to two times faster than a conventional hard drive,2 everything you do is more responsive and immediate — starting up, browsing a large photo library, launching applications, and opening files, for instance. When you combine the speed of flash storage with a fast dual-core processor and power-efficient graphics, your entire MacBook Air experience feels turbocharged. And flash storage doesn’t have any moving parts, which means it’s more reliable and quiet. Lightning fast, durable, silent — qualities that make sense in a notebook tasked with keeping up with you.

High-Speed Thunderbolt I/O

The breakthrough I/O technology pioneered on MacBook Pro and iMac now comes to MacBook Air, letting you connect multiple high-performance devices — such as external hard drives — through a single port. With two 10-Gbps data channels, Thunderbolt lets you transfer data at rates up to 12 times faster than FireWire 800 and up to 20 times faster than USB 2.0. Thunderbolt technology gives MacBook Air capabilities it’s never had before. Like attaching FireWire peripherals or connecting to Ethernet networks at gigabit speeds — two big gains from one tiny port.3 You can also use the Thunderbolt port to connect MacBook Air to the ultimate docking station: the new Apple Thunderbolt Display. When you do, your MacBook Air transforms into so much more. That’s because the Thunderbolt Display includes Gigabit Ethernet, FireWire 800, an additional Thunderbolt port, three USB ports, a FaceTime HD camera, 2.1 stereo sound, and a built-in microphone. Together MacBook Air and the Thunderbolt Display create a powerful setup for work or play. Learn more about Thunderbolt

  1. Testing conducted by Apple in July 2011 using preproduction 1.8GHz dual-core Intel Core i7–based 13-inch and 11-inch MacBook Air units. 2.13GHz Intel Core 2 Duo-based 13-inch MacBook Air systems and 1.6GHz Intel Core 2 Duo-based 11-inch MacBook Air systems were production units. All systems were configured with 4GB of RAM. MacBook Air continuously monitors system thermal and power conditions, and may adjust processor speed as needed to maintain optimal system operation.
  2. Testing conducted by Apple in July 2011 using preproduction 1.8GHz dual-core Intel Core i7–based 13-inch and 11-inch MacBook Air units with 256GB of flash storage and 4GB of RAM. The 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo-based 13-inch MacBook units with 250GB 5400-rpm hard drive and 2GB of RAM were production units. Application launch, file copy, system boot, and system shutdown times were measured. MacBook and MacBook Air continuously monitor system thermal and power conditions, and may adjust processor speed as needed to maintain optimal system operation.
  3. Requires adapters, sold separately.