I bought myself a MacBook Air a month or so ago, and pondered the possibility of speed degradation in a Tech Tails article shortly before taking delivery of the new laptop. I knew the degradation would occur over time, and in the month or so of use I’ve been pleased with the computer’s performance. As advertised, it wakes from sleep within moments—even after a week of continued use.
I’ve experienced fewer “beach balls” than on any Mac I’ve ever used, including my late 2009 i7 iMac. I’ve very much appreciated the near complete lack of heat and the complete silence that this thin and light machine produces. My usage is mostly web browsing (with numerous tabs), listening to music, editing video in iMovie, managing my photo library in iPhoto, email, and other light tasks.
It hasn’t been long enough for me to comment on the Tech Tails article a few weeks back on SSD performance degradation, but I can say that I’ve never used a Mac so responsive at the admittedly mundane but essential tasks I use my computer for on a day-to-day basis.