M2 fan to fanless takes 32% performance hit on 30 minute sustained load vs 22% for M1

[haralds]

With a “minor” fix, the MacBook Air M2 can do as well as the MacBook Pro13" M2.

 

[bcortens]

Sure…if you were simply buying a CPU, but you’re not.

Got any other oversimplifications for us?

But for most people the new screen and new design don’t matter much… so really they’re not buying much…
MagSafe is the only significant improvement from a non CPU perspective. If the new air was a drop in replacement for the old one it would be a no brainer. With the M1 air around offering far better value for the money (especially here in Canada) I think the m2 air is poorly priced and positioned.
I wouldn’t be surprised if sales are lower than the m1 air to be honest.

 

[russell_314]

Yeah pixelbook go is a very strange comparison, I nearly bought one too because that was back when I had faith in Google’s product strategy, but most non-techies have never heard of that notebook. He could’ve compared it to like a razer blade.

I think it was just because of the squared sides and rounded corners. I'm not sure what's going on with Google and their product strategy and I don't think they know. It's like they have a bunch of high school kids working on different things because sometimes they come up with decent stuff and others you just scratch your head and think "is that from the same Google?". If they came out with a new Pixelbook go and it looked and was similar to the current but a bit outdated one I would buy it.

 

[russell_314]

With a “minor” fix, the MacBook Air M2 can do as well as the MacBook Pro13" M2.

This is what happens when you ask someone who doesn't have a clue about laptop design to modify it.. You get steaming hot 💩

 

[NT1440]

But for most people the new screen and new design don’t matter much… so really their not buying much…
MagSafe is the only significant improvement from a non CPU perspective. If the new air was a drop in replacement for the old one it would be a no brainer. With the M1 air around offering far better value for the money (especially here in Canada) I think the m2 air is poorly priced and positioned.
I wouldn’t be surprised if sales are lower than the m1 air to be honest.

Do you really believe that outside of a tech forum, that if you put the old design next to the new design, and listed off the improvements in screen, camera, etc. that a *regular* person would choose the former over the latter?

Taken one step further, do you really think a *regular* person’s eyes don’t glaze over when you start using terms like CPU, RAM, or SoC?

Techies need to realize that we’re the exception, not the rule. Your average person still thinks “memory” means storage.

 

[russell_314]

Do you really believe that outside of a tech forum, that if you put the old design next to the new design, and listed off the improvements in screen, camera, etc. that a *regular* person would choose the former over the latter?

Taken one step further, do you really think a *regular* person’s eyes don’t glaze over when you start using terms like CPU, RAM, or SoC?

Techies need to realize that we’re the exception, not the rule. Your average person still thinks “memory” means storage.

Exactly. People want the new design. Apple could have released the new Air with the M1 chip and it would have sold. I would have bought one. I wanted a new design, better screen with 500 nits brightness, and MagSafe. Those items mean I'm buying it. M2 was just icing on the cake! If they had an M1 option for $200 cheaper but the same everything else I probably would have went with that.

 

[camotwen]

Sure…if you were simply buying a CPU, but you’re not.

Got any other oversimplifications for us?

Sure, you are also buying a slower SSD.

The comment I replied to was about M2 MBA being 1 frame/s above M1... talking about oversimplifications. Moreover, at the same time the M2 MBP was much above the M1 analogue, making it fairly obvious that the M2 MBA's performance is (probably intentionally) artifactually hindered. Though for some reason people also criticise thermal pad modding suggestions, so go figure.

What else are you buying here? The M2 MBA basically offers a different design, magsafe and much faster video rendering. If any of these matter to you and it is all worth the big price difference, it is something you buy from an M2 vs M1. Otherwise there is little more in the basic model level.

 

[camotwen]

Do you really believe that outside of a tech forum, that if you put the old design next to the new design, and listed off the improvements in screen, camera, etc. that a *regular* person would choose the former over the latter?

Taken one step further, do you really think a *regular* person’s eyes don’t glaze over when you start using terms like CPU, RAM, or SoC?

Techies need to realize that we’re the exception, not the rule. Your average person still thinks “memory” means storage.

For the price difference of currently probably around 300$? I seriously doubt that any of these would matter to a "regular person" (as opposed to one that is blindly into apple) with low-end usage expectations for the price. But paid unboxing videos and, in general, advertising could convince them maybe.

 

[Apple_Robert]

With a “minor” fix, the MacBook Air M2 can do as well as the MacBook Pro13" M2.

After spending over $2k on my M2 MBA, you are suggesting I watch another video from one of the offending clickbait artists on YouTube, open my M2 and make changes to my M2 thus voiding my warranty, because Max said to place pads in x,y,z areas.

Open your M2, take pictures of you having done what Max suggested, and then post here so we can see your new warranty voided handy work.

 

[bcortens]

Do you really believe that outside of a tech forum, that if you put the old design next to the new design, and listed off the improvements in screen, camera, etc. that a *regular* person would choose the former over the latter?

Taken one step further, do you really think a *regular* person’s eyes don’t glaze over when you start using terms like CPU, RAM, or SoC?

Techies need to realize that we’re the exception, not the rule. Your average person still thinks “memory” means storage.

Given the price? Probably, I definitely think that the SoC specs don’t matter to most people, I think price is going to be the most important factor. The extra money gets you a slightly better webcam, a slightly better screen, a slightly faster processor and MagSafe.

The M1 MBA is likely to outsell the M2 for the same reason the M1 MBA outsold the M1 MBP. It’s a great machine and was already capable of meeting most peoples needs. The M2 air is, as I said, continuing the unfortunate tradition of keeping the old things around at the same price and launching a new thing at a higher price.

Edit:
I’ll add that the 500 nits brightness, 1080 vs 720p webcam are exactly the kinds of things that most people won’t know what to do with.