I stopped by my local neighborhood Apple Store to pick up my mom’s iPhone SE 3 for her birthday. After completing that purchase I used the opportunity to segway to the MacBook table and check out the new Air on display. Initial impressions I have to say were underwhelming. I honestly couldn’t tell the difference between old generation 13.6 MacBook Pro with USB C only. They both look indistinguishable. Even the Apple store rep who helped with my check out, while escorting me over to the table mentioned, the best way to tell difference is by the Notch.
The streamlining of the design with its larger siblings (14 and 16 inch) is aesthetically welcome. One of the immediate contrast though is how thin it is to the Pro MacBooks. The 16 inch for instance looks gargantuan, almost like a grotesque ‘Dude You’re Getting a Dell’ Latitude 8200. The Air serves a middle ground for users who don’t want the added expense, power and weight of a 14 inch, but at the same time, its not an answer for those who might want something a little bit more. A bigger screen for instance, say, 15 inch.
Of course, this is a notebook for a specific audience, basic office productivity, streaming music and videos and the occasional video editing - which I even rarely do on my M1 MBP anyway. But, the relief is that you are not gonna be locked into mediocre performance if you have a system like this. Sure, its not a replacement for a editing bay like its higher end siblings, but it does hit a sweet spot.
I tried out my usual Apple Store visit test runs, which includes typing in MS Word and I must admit, the keys feel a bit shallow. Its not a detracting experience and you will get enough tactile feedback not hesitate using it everyday. Of course, its super fast, opening up Safari felt instantaneous, browsing Macrumors, and zipping between Photos and Finder. My M1 MacBook Pro two years later feels just as fast. The web cam looks great but then again, this is the Apple Store; with great lighting, everything in there looks great.
The Charlie Chaplin Notch is apparent when you first interact with the MacBook Air and something about the Monterrey wallpaper makes it stand out a bit, but subconsciously it fades away when you start using it. The Midnight color is nice, its not anything special to be honest. At certain angles, it looks like a dark navy blue. Its quite hard to capture on camera. At the times, you might mistake it for a deep space gray. If you want this color though, do expect finger prints will make it every crime investigators paradise.
During my tour of the new Air, a couple came by and started checking out the new models as well as the older tapered M1 model still on sale. The spouse didn’t seem impressed with the new models and even said she preferred the older design. The cost for both was also deterrent with her partner further recommending the M1 Air as a better choice based on what she is doing anyway.
Eventually, the MacBook Air will become the new defacto standard for many and within time, we will see many of them popping up at coffee shops, campuses, airports and light rail. For many today, the M1 MacBook Air still makes a lot of economical sense. It will still be supported for years with numerous macOS releases being developed for it. But if you are looking for a convincing tangible reason to jump off the older design, especially those still on much older Intel models, this is a great start. For personally, I am not looking at another Apple MacBook until 2025. I just hope by then a 15 inch model is introduced for those who just don’t want the expense compromises of todays MacBook Pros.
Related:
forums.macrumors.com
Of course, this is a notebook for a specific audience, basic office productivity, streaming music and videos and the occasional video editing - which I even rarely do on my M1 MBP anyway. But, the relief is that you are not gonna be locked into mediocre performance if you have a system like this. Sure, its not a replacement for a editing bay like its higher end siblings, but it does hit a sweet spot.
I tried out my usual Apple Store visit test runs, which includes typing in MS Word and I must admit, the keys feel a bit shallow. Its not a detracting experience and you will get enough tactile feedback not hesitate using it everyday. Of course, its super fast, opening up Safari felt instantaneous, browsing Macrumors, and zipping between Photos and Finder. My M1 MacBook Pro two years later feels just as fast. The web cam looks great but then again, this is the Apple Store; with great lighting, everything in there looks great.
The Charlie Chaplin Notch is apparent when you first interact with the MacBook Air and something about the Monterrey wallpaper makes it stand out a bit, but subconsciously it fades away when you start using it. The Midnight color is nice, its not anything special to be honest. At certain angles, it looks like a dark navy blue. Its quite hard to capture on camera. At the times, you might mistake it for a deep space gray. If you want this color though, do expect finger prints will make it every crime investigators paradise.
During my tour of the new Air, a couple came by and started checking out the new models as well as the older tapered M1 model still on sale. The spouse didn’t seem impressed with the new models and even said she preferred the older design. The cost for both was also deterrent with her partner further recommending the M1 Air as a better choice based on what she is doing anyway.
Eventually, the MacBook Air will become the new defacto standard for many and within time, we will see many of them popping up at coffee shops, campuses, airports and light rail. For many today, the M1 MacBook Air still makes a lot of economical sense. It will still be supported for years with numerous macOS releases being developed for it. But if you are looking for a convincing tangible reason to jump off the older design, especially those still on much older Intel models, this is a great start. For personally, I am not looking at another Apple MacBook until 2025. I just hope by then a 15 inch model is introduced for those who just don’t want the expense compromises of todays MacBook Pros.
Related:
Checked out the Mac Studio at the Apple Store
Hands on with the 2021 MacBook Pro | MacRumors Forums
M1 MacBook Pro Review - One Year Later | MacRumors
Show off your 24" iMac (Apple Silicon)
I was able to play with all the colors at Apple, the best are Blue, Purple and Green. The red if you are looking at it from behind is too loud, orange feels the same but is tolerable, yellow is probably the fourth safest choice along with silver. If I didn’t purchase the M1 MacBook Pro last...
forums.macrumors.com
