Flip open the screen, and you reveal a full-size, backlit keyboard--even on the 11-inch model--that uses the same low-profile, flat keys as Apple's current desktop keyboards. (The differences? The Air's F-key row uses half-height keys compared to the desktop keyboards, and its bottom row of keys is ever-so-slightly shorter.) There's also the large, Multi-Touch trackpad that's ideal for using gestures in OS--it remains the best trackpad I've used on any laptop--and an LED-backlit, widescreen, glossy display surrounded by an aluminum bezel.

The screen is, as before, great. With a resolution of 1366 by 768 pixels on the 11-inch model and 1440 by 900 on the 13-inch, it's not a Retina display, by any means, but it's bright and clear with outstanding colors and viewing angles. As with previous Air models--and the new Retina MacBook Pro--the new Air's display suffers much less from glare than the standard MacBook Pro models, which have a large, reflective layer of glass over the entire screen and frame. (One minor difference I noticed when comparing the screen of the 2012 11-inch Air with that of the 2010 version is that the 2010 screen tilts back an additional 5 degrees. I didn't have a 2011 Air on hand to measure.)

The Air still includes tiny stereo speakers just in front of the hinge, positioned so their sound is reflected off the screen bezel and towards you. Apple hasn't advertised any speaker changes, but compared to my 2010 MacBook Air, audio produced by the 2012 Air's speakers is much clearer with much better detail--it sounds less like an old transistor radio. (.)

Inside the case is a multi-cell, custom-fit--yes, and still non-user-replaceable--battery system that gives the Air line excellent battery life, despite its slim profile. The 11-inch Air has a claimed battery life of up to 5 hours, with the 13-inch Air boasting up to 7 hours. Apple's battery estimates are based on "wirelessly browsing 25 popular websites with display brightness set to 50%." We test using tasks designed to drain the battery more quickly, but our results show roughly four hours of battery life for the 11-inch Air (slightly better than the 2011 model's battery life), and around five hours of use for the 13-inch Air (about the same as its predecessor).

There is one change to the Air's enclosure, though: The built-in camera is now, in Apple's parlance, a 720p FaceTime HD camera. In other words, the camera can record video at 1280 by 720 resolution. In my testing, the new camera still produces grainy images and video with less-than-optimal color accuracy, but it's noticeably better than the camera on my 2010 MacBook Air.