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MacBook Air

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In 2008 Steve Jobs introduced the first ultra-thin, lightweight MacBook Air by dramatically sliding it out of an inter-office envelope. The idea of a dramatically thin, lightweight, and fully functional laptop continues on.

MacBook Air

The MacBook Air is “the default Mac” – the one you should buy if you’re not sure which model you need.

History

The MacBook Air was launched in 2008 as a premium 13-inch model, billed as the world’s thinnest laptop. It was dramatically revealed by Steve Jobs sliding it out of an office envelope.

In 2010, it was joined by an 11-inch model. By 2011, that had become the entry-level MacBook, replacing the plain MacBook in the lineup. Its combination of affordability, portability, cuteness, and suitability for most people’s computer usage saw it become a hugely popular machine with everyone from students to senior business execs.

The 11-inch MacBook Air was discontinued in 2016, leaving only the 13-inch models.

In 2018, we saw the first major update to the then-elderly design. This gave the machine a Retina display, Touch ID, USB-C ports along with a design refresh with smaller bezels, a slimmer form factor, and lighter weight.

In 2020, the MacBook Air was one of the first three machines to make the switch from Intel processors to Apple Silicon in the form of the M1 chip. In 2022, it was joined by an M2 model.

MacBook Air Specs

The 2020 M1 MacBook Air is powered by an 8-core Apple M1 chip, comprising four performance cores and four efficiency cores. It’s available in two almost-identical versions, one with an 8-core GPU, the other with a (chip-binned) 7-core one. The machine is available with either 8GB or 16GB of unified memory. SSD storage options are 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB.

The 2022 M2 MacBook Air has a 10-core GPU option, up to 24GB of unified memory, and up to 2TB of SSD storage.

Pricing

M1 MacBook Air (2020) pricing starts at $999 for the 7-core GPU with 8GB unified memory and 256GB SSD.

M2 MacBook Air (2022) pricing starts at $1199 for the 8-core GPU with 8GB unified memory and 256GB SSD.

The machine can be specced up as far as 16GB unified memory and 2TB SSD for $2,049.

Lower prices may be available from Apple’s official Amazon store.

MacBook Air Review

In our video review of the machine, we described it as game-changing.

There is very little negative to say about these MacBooks. Apple has taken a design like the MacBook Air, which it more or less perfected with the early 2020 refresh, and made it 10 times better. This is no hyperbole. These M1-powered MacBooks are such a huge improvement in performance and battery life with virtually no negative baggage. I can’t see myself ever wanting to go back to an Intel-based laptop […]

If I was using an Intel-based MacBook Air, I wouldn’t even consider using a machine with such little memory to handle my day-to-day creative workflow, but Apple’s implementation of unified memory cannot be compared 1:1 with typical RAM configurations.

Basic day-to-day usage is relatively unaffected by the amount of RAM, or lack thereof. The MacBook Air is competent with only 8GB of RAM even when running lots of apps simultaneously, even with a dozen Safari windows, and even when swapping out to the SSD […]

I can attest to the fact that these MacBooks have incredibly long battery life, so much so that it was honestly hard to believe initially. I was able to use my MacBook Air for a full workday, writing, browsing the web, chatting on zoom, and editing video and photos, and the machine was only at 50% by the end of the day. I woke up the next day, and did several hours of zoom video calls and web browsing, and the machine finally gave me a warning to plug in when it reached 10%

Jony Ive tried to discontinue the MacBook Air – Walt Mossberg

Ive reportedly wanted to discontinue the MacBook Air

A rather sketchy report claims that Jony Ive tried to persuade Apple to cease making the MacBook Air, leaving a redesigned MacBook Pro as the only portable Mac.

The story comes from Walt Mossberg, who admits that it’s based on a single source within Apple, but says that person was at “a very high level” with exceptional product knowledge …

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9to5Mac Product of the Year: The new 15-inch MacBook Air

It’s been an exciting year for Apple fans, ranging from the introduction of new MacBook Pros, an expansion of the MacBook Air lineup, and one of the best year-over-year iPhone upgrades in a long time.

This made it a tricky decision to determine the 9to5Mac Product of the Year for 2023, but we ultimately decided to crown the new 15-inch MacBook Air as this year’s winner. Here’s why.

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AirJet cooling system could make a MacBook Air perform like a MacBook Pro

AirJet cooling system running in a MacBook Air

A solid-state cooling system called AirJet was able to cool an M2 MacBook Air enough to keep with the M2 MacBook Pro when running a demanding benchmark test over a sustained period.

The bad news is that the system isn’t available for sale to consumers to retrofit, and it’s hardly likely that Apple will use it to remove a key differentiator between the two models – but the company behind the tech does think it could help Apple reduce the size of cooling fans in future MacBook Pro models …

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12-inch MacBook could return as a budget model, suggests leaker

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There has been speculation of late of Apple considering the launch of a “low cost” MacBook of some kind, and a leaker today suggests that it could take the form of a 12-inch MacBook – as well a 13-inch one specifically geared to the education market.

There have been similar suggestions from other sources, though all have been vague, and all of the sources have rather variable records …

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Supply chain report echoes reports of M3 MacBooks expected in 2024

M3 MacBooks expected in 2024 | Low-key photo of MacBook Pro

While there was once hope of the first M3 MacBooks being launched this month, more recent reporting has suggested we’re going to have to wait until next year for these. This is echoed by a new supply chain report, which says that Apple plans to make the switch to 3nm chips in 2024.

There is still some hope that we may see some M3 Macs before then, just not laptops …

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Super-sketchy report claims Apple plans low-cost MacBook to compete with Chromebooks

MacBook vs. Chromebook

A very sketchy report claims that Apple is planning to make an ultra low-cost MacBook series for the education sector, at what is implied to be a substantially lower price point than the entry-level MacBook Air.

It suggests Apple is seeking to compete with Chromebooks, and could launch the new models as soon as the second half of 2024…

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Apple stopped MacBook imports to India, after sudden license announcement [U]

Mac and iPad imports | Apple Store in Mumbai

Update: Bloomberg today reports that both Apple and Samsung have responded to the sudden announcement by halting laptop imports into India. This is likely to be a temporary pause until a license is issued, but there’s no way to know how long this may take.

A new policy announced today means that Macs and iPad imports to India will require a license. The policy takes “immediate effect.”

The move appears to be part of the country’s Made in India strategy, which uses a carrot-and-stick approach to encourage brands to set up local manufacturing plants for their products …

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Is it finally time for a 5G MacBook, as Apple patent teases the possibility? [Poll]

5G MacBook time | MacBook used on a train

A MacBook with built-in cellular data capabilities has been something some have wanted for many years. As Apple again teases the possibility in a new patent, is it finally time for the company to offer a 5G MacBook?

The latest Apple patent to refer to a 5G MacBook is one intended to ensure that mobile data connections remain stable when devices are used on high-speed trains …

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