The benefits of a slim and light notebook have often been debated, and the positives far outweigh the negatives. Still, I would like to summarize them, before we get down to the crux of this article. Slim and light laptops are the need of a wide demographic of users – students, professionals who travel a lot, and anyone who doesn’t want that machine for gaming. This is exactly why Intel laid down strict guidelines for the ultrabooks. Manufacturers had to stay within a particular outer limit of thickness and weight for the machine to be categorized as an ultrabook. The result: dedicated GPUs were striped out of most affordable ultrabooks.
It has often been said that the Apple MacBook Air has been the inspiration behind the ultrabook idea. We are not debating that, but actually looking at how the MacBook Air might just be the perfect ultrabook-type slim and light machine you have always thought of buying.
The Deal: This is a steal
At the time of writing this, Flipkart.com is offering the MacBook Air 13 (MD760HN/A) at a price of Rs 63,900 against the actual market price of Rs 74,900. This particular version packs in the Intel Haswell Core i5 processor, 4GB RAM, a super fast 128GB SSD and the Intel HD 5000 graphics. The 13.3-inch screen has a resolution of 1440 x 900 pixels, and is one of the most well-balanced screen in terms of resolution, quality and color performance.
We would recommend considering the offer by WS Retail: they offer the same above mentioned configuration at Rs 64,490. Apart from the discount on the MRP, there are a couple of other discounts that you could get. The first is the Rs 1,599 additional discount on select Intel powered laptops (the MBA 13 qualifies), which brings the in-cart price down to Rs 62,821. Second discount applies to anyone who is paying with an AXIS bank credit or debit card, with Rs 1,500 as cash-back.
The table below shows the discount structure and what you will pay in-cart for the MacBook Air 13.
| Discounted price of MacBook Air 13 | Rs 64,490 |
| Special discount for select Intel powered laptops (MBA 13 is eligible) | Rs 1599 |
| In cart price now | Rs 62,821 |
| Additional discount for AXIS Bank credit/debit card holders | Rs 1,500 cash back. (Effective price of the MacBook Air 13 now becomes Rs 61,321) |
Reasons why this is a steal deal
Simply put, here is why we would advise you to buy the MacBook Air 13, if you are considering buying a slim and light laptop.
1. Perhaps one of the best built laptops ever to grace Mother Earth, the MacBook Air 13, is far ahead of any of the ultrabooks you will get at this price. No cost cutting with cheap plastic, no flex on the panel to betray thoughtless build and a premium look.
2. The latest generation specifications are what will future proof your purchase, particularly with the Intel HD 5000 graphics. Yes, it is not a dedicated GPU, but the performance is definitely better than the likes of the Intel HD 4400 chips that seem to be on most Windows laptops these days.
3. It has been said many a time that the MacBook is the best machine to run Windows on. If you are still resisting a change to OS X Mavericks, simply Boot Camp the machine and install Windows 7 or Windows 8 on it, in another partition.
4. Despite all the claims of the Windows based ultrabooks regarding battery life, we have tested a lot of the ultrabooks and our experience tells us otherwise. The best you will get from a Windows based machine is about 7-8 hours, while the MacBook Air claims and delivers on the 13-hour battery life promise. This could be a massive point for those who travel a lot, and need the laptop on the move more often than not.
All in all, we would strongly recommend the two MacBook Air deals we have mentioned above.