I have been watching a bunch of Sesame Street on pbs today. I have come to the conclusion that if everything is the same but is made bigger it will mostly likely be heavier. Also I have come to the conclusion that Cookie Monster should go get his A1C checked.
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15" M2 MacBook Air is too heavy
- Thread starter Zest28
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Is the OP some kind of bot or just here to create some traffic?
Good strategy: create click bait title and some semi controversial 1st world complaints about what Apple should do. Then let the ball roll and don’t come back.
None of Apples MacBooks are heavy. I have a pro m1 13” and I barely notice it when it’s in my bag. Actually I often have to check if it’s there.
So a 15” MacBook Air is only 90g less heavy than a 14” MacBook Pro? If Apple should go where you want they would most likely sacrifice battery life, make it all wireless (including charging) or increase the price beyond the base price of a Pro. Then you would make the next click bait thread complaining about that.
Except the rare occasions in #political when where the materials come from, how the factories treat workers, what the actual environmental impact is and where the ”recycled” devices actually end up is discussed.
I disagree.
Works out at 10% appx heavier than the 12" Air per sq inch according to a quick calculation. BUT has almost 2x the battery capacity.
So they "could" have given you that 10% off I suppose .... at a substantial hit to battery life.
Way late to the party but tbch if you think the 15" Air at 3.3 pounds is too heavy, I think maybe you need to eat your Wheaties.
The old 15"/16" Intel MBP is essentially the same form factor, but well over half a pound heavier. And it was completely comfortable for me on my lap and around the house, and I'm a pretty weak dude. 😭
The old 15"/16" Intel MBP is essentially the same form factor, but well over half a pound heavier. And it was completely comfortable for me on my lap and around the house, and I'm a pretty weak dude. 😭
Don't be hard on yourself. Strength comes from the inside.
Obviously this guy was never a pot head because 90 grams is a massive difference.
Whoever is complaining about the size needs to watch the classic movie “ MAJOR PAYNE”
I don't see any problem with the colors. The way I thought about it was this. The screen and speakers on the 15" were 10-15% worse than the 14... but for me, the size, weight, and especially the increased battery life of the 15 were more important than the slight decrease in speaker and screen quality. I hope that makes sense.
The MBA 15 and MBP 14 are indeed close in weight on paper, but the 14 is denser and feels heavier than the difference suggests. In-store I was very impressed with how the weight is distributed across the MBA 15 and makes it feel much lighter than the spec sheet.
After returning a MBP 16 and MBP 14, I am awaiting delivery of a 24GB/1TB MBA 15 in Starlight.
After returning a MBP 16 and MBP 14, I am awaiting delivery of a 24GB/1TB MBA 15 in Starlight.
Well done... I'm working on a 16gb/1tb 15 but would have wanted the 24GB but I can't wait three weeks for delivery.
Coming from a 2018 MBP 15-inch, I can say (after my third visit to Apple Store and playing around) that the 0,30 grams makes a huge difference!! I cannot wait for my '15 Air to arrive so I can get rid of this heavy MBP, and to think my old Pro was the lightest ever produced. That says something.
I know, my 15” Compaq is twice that. I still have it, curious if it still boots….
I already have a 12” MacBook and 11” iPad Pro. I’ve been reluctant to move to the MacBook Air M2 13” because it’s not light enough ;-)
So how is a machine with the same performance but probably only 0.5lbs lighter b/c it uses carbon & magnesium, etc but is $500-$750 more *and* likely much less durable a good idea in this market segment/use case?
It's an "Air" because it is significantly lighter than a 15" MBP would be, and thinner. And, besides, "Air" is not meant to be taken literally (anymore, at least), it's a brand of a line of machines that also now implies "value" and not just "light".
Also, for any healthy, able bodied human (I am saying this seriously to avoid being ableist and acknowledge there are legitimate situations where 3lbs is too much for someone by no fault of their own), a 3lbs 15" laptop should not be too heavy for even all day carry, and if it is that maybe more a reflection of your own choices rather than Apple's. Also, if it is too heavy, you really should see an athletic trainer rather than fault Apple for a 3lbs 15" machine.
It's an "Air" because it is significantly lighter than a 15" MBP would be, and thinner. And, besides, "Air" is not meant to be taken literally (anymore, at least), it's a brand of a line of machines that also now implies "value" and not just "light".
Also, for any healthy, able bodied human (I am saying this seriously to avoid being ableist and acknowledge there are legitimate situations where 3lbs is too much for someone by no fault of their own), a 3lbs 15" laptop should not be too heavy for even all day carry, and if it is that maybe more a reflection of your own choices rather than Apple's. Also, if it is too heavy, you really should see an athletic trainer rather than fault Apple for a 3lbs 15" machine.
It's the sum of everything in the backpack that counts. Laptop, charger, bunch of dongles, water bottle, whatever you might want to carry around. That's why the focus on biceps in this thread is a bit odd, people don't usually carry their laptops around with their hands all day.
I am not at all saying you need to go develop enormous biceps or even any muscle at all, just baseline movement and core strength a few days a week for most people without certain conditions or the like of most age groups* shouldn't have any problem with a 15lb backpack (that's 12lbs of accessories including the bag, which is WAY more than nearly anyone needs for all day use and then some with a 15" MBP).
But, yes, you're absolutely right, so the problem is *not* actually the 3lbs MBA (b/c how much more are you going to pull out of that without hiking the price, killing the durability, or the battery life?): it's all the other stuff people carry around. Outside of the extreme edge cases, please, tell me what one would need that a basic, baseline level of fitness most individuals* can very easily (almost without any real work) can achieve that is going to be more than 4-5 additional lbs? Even carrying a 26000mAh powerbank (I would argue one does not even need this, though, because inside that 3lbs is a generous battery that will run it for most of a day unless you're blasting After Effects with simultaneous ProRes renders, etc, etc - in which case, uh, well, maybe don't use an MBA and check your expectations on what 3lbs can give you b/c, well, physics....), a notebook, the weight of a bag itself, charging brick, lightning cable, and a lunch you aren't getting much over 5lbs unless your notebook is made of lead, your bag is soaking wet with mercury, you're using lead-acid batteries, your lunch consists of a 48oz porterhouse and 2lb baked potato, and carry all your currency only in pennies. Then, well, yeah, you got me there!
So your point about carry and accessories is well taken: which is why I said consult an athletic trainer, because even the most enormous biceps aren't going to be useful with a 15 lb backpack all day (not just the wrong muscle, but strength vs basic functional fitness/endurance), because for an "able"-bodied person*, carrying even 15lbs in a backpack should not be a problem with even the smallest attention to their health, wellness, and fitness even just three days a week.
I think those pointing out the fitness aspect of this* are actually the only sane ones here and have a good point that at some point, spending nearly all our time hunched over screens on our rear ends in the most sedentary of lifestyles is actually the problem, not a 3lb MBA in a 15lb backpack (and if you're not sedentary and have no problem carrying a 15lb backpack in your day to day, then, well, you're not part of this subpopulation, so don't worry!).
*Again, this intentionally excludes those who have suffered accidents, health issues, or born outside the "normal" idea of "able" and that is something that we should intentionally ensure we make accessible all the ways we can, and I think Apple does pay attention here
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It’s bigger, yet thinner and lighter. Still pretty “Air”.
At this point, Air is a product line. If it’s an iPad or MacBook in that particular chassis, it’s an Air.
At this point, Air is a product line. If it’s an iPad or MacBook in that particular chassis, it’s an Air.
I like the fact that the regular MBA (and even more so the 12" MB) are so light that I sometimes have to check my bag to make sure I haven't forgotten it somewhere. It's lighter than an ipad air with its magic keyboard!
I agree with those saying the weight of these systems makes a difference, and a key reason is the weight of all one would carry in the bag. Rare is the individual who would travel with the laptop and not bring the charger too.
So, it's not just the MBA13's 43.7-oz weight, it's that the 35W charger is only 3.7 oz as well, bringing the total in the bag to a fairly tiny 47.7, which is just a hair under 3 lbs.
Now take the MBP14, which is indeed strikingly light for the sheer power/capabilities/connectivity it brings to the table. The laptop itself is 56 oz, but now add the 8 oz of the 96W charger that comes with it, and you're up to 64 oz, which is 4 lbs.
End result, what initially on paper seemed like a nominal difference is now a *full pound* once you include the chargers. Yes, you could use a smaller 67W charger with the MBP14, but likewise you could get the Anker 713 for the MBA13, which weighs just 2.4 oz.
Personally... I absolutely love the thought of my 43.7-oz MBA13 + 2.4-oz Anker 45W being a combined 46.1 oz in the bag. And this coming from a longtime IT/engineering guy for a couple decades who mostly uses Dell laptops and Linux for his work. I really -- really -- assumed I'd want the MBP14, it seemed clear as day initially. But like so many others here, I went to the Apple Store to do my due diligence, and lo and behold the MBP14 really does feel thick, chunky, and heavier-than-it-"should" for its size. The MBA13 felt astoundingly light, and I loved it. Did I *need* that lightness because I'm weak and frail? At 6'2 and 230 lbs, no. And yet that lightness absolutely rocks nonetheless.
End of the day... if I need ports, I can just attach a Satechi Pro Slim hub in space grey to match, which itself is just 1.4 oz, and still come out way ahead in the weight dept. But the MBA13's thin/slim/light form factor means that if I *want* to travel or move it around unburdened by excess weight, I can -- bringing the charger or the Satechi only as needed. But with the MBP14, there is no shedding that extra heft/ports when not needed -- it's built-in and that weight stays with you, forever, everywhere you go. In effect, the MBA13 is modular -- add to it when needed, keep light/thin when not needed -- while the MBP14 is monolothic (and with far more power, better screen, etc.)
To my engineering self's surprise... I appreciated the modularity of the MBA13. Light on its feet when I want that, and lots of connectivity available when that is needed too. Win-win.
So, it's not just the MBA13's 43.7-oz weight, it's that the 35W charger is only 3.7 oz as well, bringing the total in the bag to a fairly tiny 47.7, which is just a hair under 3 lbs.
Now take the MBP14, which is indeed strikingly light for the sheer power/capabilities/connectivity it brings to the table. The laptop itself is 56 oz, but now add the 8 oz of the 96W charger that comes with it, and you're up to 64 oz, which is 4 lbs.
End result, what initially on paper seemed like a nominal difference is now a *full pound* once you include the chargers. Yes, you could use a smaller 67W charger with the MBP14, but likewise you could get the Anker 713 for the MBA13, which weighs just 2.4 oz.
Personally... I absolutely love the thought of my 43.7-oz MBA13 + 2.4-oz Anker 45W being a combined 46.1 oz in the bag. And this coming from a longtime IT/engineering guy for a couple decades who mostly uses Dell laptops and Linux for his work. I really -- really -- assumed I'd want the MBP14, it seemed clear as day initially. But like so many others here, I went to the Apple Store to do my due diligence, and lo and behold the MBP14 really does feel thick, chunky, and heavier-than-it-"should" for its size. The MBA13 felt astoundingly light, and I loved it. Did I *need* that lightness because I'm weak and frail? At 6'2 and 230 lbs, no. And yet that lightness absolutely rocks nonetheless.
End of the day... if I need ports, I can just attach a Satechi Pro Slim hub in space grey to match, which itself is just 1.4 oz, and still come out way ahead in the weight dept. But the MBA13's thin/slim/light form factor means that if I *want* to travel or move it around unburdened by excess weight, I can -- bringing the charger or the Satechi only as needed. But with the MBP14, there is no shedding that extra heft/ports when not needed -- it's built-in and that weight stays with you, forever, everywhere you go. In effect, the MBA13 is modular -- add to it when needed, keep light/thin when not needed -- while the MBP14 is monolothic (and with far more power, better screen, etc.)
To my engineering self's surprise... I appreciated the modularity of the MBA13. Light on its feet when I want that, and lots of connectivity available when that is needed too. Win-win.
If you don’t need built-in feature to drive 2 externals for day job, I don’t see a reason why not to go for Air.