After spending 5 full days with the new 2018 MacBook Air, here are my thoughts.
I upgraded from an early 2015 12” retina MacBook 1.1--8GB RAM--256 GB storage. The new 2018 MacBook Air is a clear upgrade, 8 GB/256 Storage.
The greater real estate of the 13.3” screen is easily noticeable vs. the 12” MacBook screen, which I like. It also is easier for me to present info to a client with the bigger screen.
The ¾ pound weight increase is not noticeable for me
Clearly the new MBA is faster, and I figured it was more than adequate for my use given the 2015 rMB was also adequate.
Was very concerned about the screen quality, colors, and brightness. The screen is one notch below the old 2015 MacBook in brightness, which I can live with. Then, calibrated the screen from a factory setting of 6509 up to 7000 and the colors improved a great deal to my eye. The MBA screen will work for me.
There is a very significant difference between the generation 1 keyboard and this upgraded generation 3 keyboard of the MBA. I never had issues with the generation 1 rMB keyboard.
Also think the new trackpad works with more finesse.
Battery life is much better with the MBA vs. 2015 rMB.
Speakers are an upgrade and sound pretty good.
I used Time Machine to migrate a little over 100 GB of data and the fan never came on during this process, and the process was flawless.
In my office, I use the new MBA with a LG UltraFine 4K display, used as a mirror and it works without the MBA fan coming on. However, above the F4 - F8 function keys, the metal there does get very warm to the touch when using the 4K display.
Only once, while on an interactive real estate website showing an office building’s layout, have I heard the fan come on. The rMB simply just got very warm when I went to that same website.
Will be keeping this laptop unless this new 2018 screws up in the next couple of days.