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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 M3 15-inch deals

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%

Hands-on with the new 15-inch MacBook Air [Gallery]

Apple just announced the brand new 15-inch MacBook Air, a larger sibling to the 13-inch model. The 15-inch Air is priced at $1299 and up, and is available to order today from the Apple Store.

We went hands-on with the 15-inch MacBook Air at the demo area at Steve Jobs Theater in Apple Park. You can see the laptop in all its glory below with our photo gallery …

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JSAUX OmniCase 2 Pro blends USB-C hub with clever electronics organizer [40% off]

JSAUX OmniCase 2 Pro for MacBook

Do you haul your MacBook between the office and home or work on the go often? The JSAUX OmniCase 2 Pro is a sharp new portable USB-C hub that integrates all the I/O you need along with a magnetic lid and storage to secure SD/SIM cards, adapters, and more. Check out the details below for up to 43% off this accessory along with a look at the bonus Curve laptop stand.

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How to overhaul your iPhone, iPad, and Mac setup using this clever magnetic ecosystem

Every once and a while, a new product comes around, and I think, “How has this not been thought about before?” Since Apple introduced MagSafe in the iPhone 12 lineup, companies have been attempting to leverage that hardware to create unique and versatile accessories. We have seen everything from MagSafe batteries to chargers, car mounts, wallets, and so much more. But Rolling Square, with its new Edge Pro product, took modularity, function, and design to the next level.

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Do you plan to buy the 15-inch MacBook Air following likely WWDC launch?

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While both Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman and display analyst Ross Young originally expected Apple to announce the upcoming 15-inch MacBook Air at a spring event, that’s looking less and less likely now that we’re into May – and WWDC is approaching.

Gurman now expects the new machine to be launched at WWDC, and it would certainly make for a solid keynote headline …

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Flat Panel Haptics could hold the key to Apple’s future screen-based keyboards

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While the MacBook Pro‘s now-vintage Touch Bar may have been a misstep, it still seems likely that Apple’s long-term vision is to replace physical keyboards with touchscreen ones – and Carnegie Mellon University’s flat panel haptics could be a better bet than the approaches Apple has patented to date.

Apple’s first step in this lengthy journey was of course the iPhone, replacing the physical keyboards which were the norm on smartphones of the time with a screen-based virtual one …

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Hands-on: BenQ’s new 32-inch Ergo Arm 4k Monitor, built with designers in mind

One of the biggest complaints I hear from Apple users when it comes to creating a desk setup is that it’s tough to find an affordable monitor made for Macs. Most affordable monitors lack color accuracy and end up having a different hue or tint when compared to the displays on MacBooks. Then when you want to get a nice, color-corrected display, you need to spend $1000+. But there is finally an option that is much more affordable and gives you everything these more expensive displays give you. The new 32-inch BenQ 4k Ergo Arm is worth considering!

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Kuo: 15-inch MacBook Air won’t offer ‘M2 Pro’ chip configuration after all

15.5" MacBook Air

Rumors surrounding the long-awaited 15-inch MacBook Air are ramping up as the launch nears. Today, reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reports that the machine is likely to feature the M2 chip inside with two different configuration options.

The M3 chip, meanwhile, is expected to enter mass production during the second half of the year.

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MacBook production reportedly planned for Thailand, as well as Vietnam

MacBook production | M1 MacBook Pro shown

Shifting MacBook production outside of China for the first time is one of Apple’s key strategic goals for its supply chain, with Vietnam reported to be first in line. A new report today indicates that companies with facilities in Thailand are also preparing for MacBook assembly.

Multiple Apple suppliers are said to be involved in discussions with the company, over both production of components and modules for the machines, as well as final assembly …

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Hands-on: M2 MacBook Air desk accessories you should consider [Video]

The M2 MacBook Air has been one of my favorite recent releases from Apple. The combination of design, power, battery life, and portability puts this computer at the top of its product category. Since it is the MacBook AIR, most people consider this laptop to be an on-the-go type of computer and they disregard just how much power is in the M2 chip, even at the baseline level.

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Samsung OLED production to get $3B investment in run-up to iPads and MacBooks

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Samsung OLED production is likely to see dramatically increased demand as Apple makes the shift to OLED iPads and MacBooks – and has won government support for a $3B investment in its manufacturing capacity for the panels.

We’re expecting the next product to make the shift from LCD and mini-LED to be an iPad Pro, in the first half of next year …

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