It's a horrid typing experience a huge step down from what was already a step down. I know the past is not coming back but I still have a 2005 12" powerbook G4 I use occasionally for writing and the typing experience is a hundred times better.
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Apple's New 2018 MacBook Air vs. Old MacBook Air
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Yup, that's why I returned mine and got a tbMBP. I gave the new MBA a shot. It just doesn't work for the "medium" user anymore. I'm sure it'll be fine for your average user. There's no future proofing an ultra low-power dual-core processor for 5 years in 2018.
Laptop should've been released 3 years ago. Now the 12 inch macbook looks so out of place and is terribly outdated.
Very dim screen compared to the Pro (touch/non-touch bar), Macbook, and even old Air. This laptop is overpriced, it should've started at $1100, considering they use the 128 SSD in the base.
Here's the answer to all the fanboys who cried "trolling." Many experienced users saw this issue immediately with the 2018 Air. The display is dim and dull and not worthy of the Macbook badge. It sucks.
Tried the new one, screams throwaway machine all over, another very Cook-era product. (Although less soldering is appreciated, still a massive cash grab)
Right because Safari performs so well lol.
Right because Safari performs so well lol.
I bought a gold MB Air because I have no wife and I love it.
LOL, an "upgrade"?
See also, this thread: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/gen-3-butterfly-keyboard.2127111/
I bought a "old" one in May specifically because I wanted the ports that it had vs. the new USB-C only. I have no interest in buying dongles until I have to which will probably be my next iPhone. I also bought a new iPad at the same time - similar reason. I know the future is -C but not for me yet
I still enjoy my Mid-2012 MacBook Air.. apart from the better screen (which you don't notice until you compare them side by side) there's simply NO reason to upgrade at all. Everything I use is still super fast and smooth, even Lightroom is perfectly usable.
Most people use their Airs just for mail, browsing and light office work.... nothing that the 2012 can't handle.
Most people use their Airs just for mail, browsing and light office work.... nothing that the 2012 can't handle.
Safari will be more snappy.
In all fairness, websites themselves can be poorly coded, optimized, or simply very heavy web applications, leading to a lot of CPU usage that would affect any machine.
In all fairness I used the same tabs on my trusty 2013 MBA that handled them just fine.
Ready to upgrade my daughters 2015 MBAs. The new MBA...dull screen, y series processor, shorter battery life. nTbMBP better screen and processor/Integrated GPU (although 7th gen) but second gen butterfly keyboard.
The rMB is just an overPriced fail, and always was.
So, all up it’s either the nTB MBP or a HP Spectre.
The rMB is just an overPriced fail, and always was.
So, all up it’s either the nTB MBP or a HP Spectre.
Was the loss of the illuminated Apple logo part of the “upgrade” as well?
You can just use a cable. No special adapter needed unless you really want to.
Did you seriously list "No glowing Apple logo" as a negative? Seriously, who cares. It doesn't affect the functionality in the slightest. The keyboard is fine, now that it's been fixed in gen3.
Don't forget the loss of the magsafe! That has to be the dumbest thing I have ever seen this company do!
[doublepost=1542236851][/doublepost]My take is apple is now becoming more about the money than the community- everything is now an up sell - it’s become a turnoff and will only buy new mac computers when I can’t download the latest OS
Apple in October gave us a major surprise with the launch of an entirely revamped, updated version of the MacBook Air, its most popular and affordable notebook option.
We went hands-on with the MacBook Air last week, and this week, we picked up an older MacBook Air to compare the new model to see just what's different and whether it's still worth buying the old version, which sells for $200 less than the current model.
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The previous-generation MacBook Air is a 2015 design, but in 2017, Apple introduced 1.8GHz Broadwell-generation chips that were a slight upgrade from the 1.6GHz chips the machine had previously used. No other changes were made, so technically, Apple's old MacBook Air is outdated by several years.
Design wise, the new MacBook Air features a smaller, slimmer body that weighs a bit less, and the slimmer design is noticeable. It continues to feature the same tapered design as the previous models, and we didn't think the weight difference of a quarter of a pound stood out.
Along with a slimmed down body, the new MacBook Air comes in three color options: Space Gray, Gold, and the traditional Silver. Space Gray and Gold are colors that are new to the MacBook Air lineup.
The biggest change to the 2018 MacBook Air models is the display, which is now Retina and a huge improvement over the low resolution display in the previous MacBook Air. The MacBook Air used to be the sole Apple device sans Retina display, but now Apple uses higher-resolution displays across its entire product lineup.
We thought the MacBook Air's new display offered a significant improvement over the previous MacBook Air's display, but it doesn't quite measure up to the display of the MacBook Pro because it's just not that bright. Brightness can be an issue outdoors in sunlight, so that's something to be aware of.
Design wise, the front of the MacBook Air has been overhauled. Those thick silver bezels from the previous version have been replaced with sleek, slim MacBook Pro-style black bezels that look much, much nicer.
Several other MacBook Pro features have been brought to the new MacBook Air and are upgrades over the previous model. There's a larger Force Touch trackpad, a third-generation butterfly keyboard, better speakers, a Touch ID button for authentication purposes, and a T2 chip for improved security.
Inside, the new MacBook Air is sporting a 7W 8th-generation 1.6GHz Intel Core i5 processor, and unsurprisingly, it's much speedier than the three-year-old processors used in the prior MacBook Air. Apple used to use 15W chips in the MacBook Air models, but this new, lower power 7W chip is both fast and efficient, allowing for longer battery life than ever.
The last super notable change is to the port setup. The new MacBook Air has two Thunderbolt 3 ports and a 3.5mm headphone jack, with Apple eliminating the USB-A ports and the SD card slot from the older model. The addition of Thunderbolt 3 brings the MacBook Air in line with the rest of the Mac lineup and allows it to connect to 4K and 5K displays, faster Thunderbolt 3 storage, eGPUs, and more.
All of these changes have raised the base price of the MacBook Air. Prior to the October update, the MacBook Air sold for $999, but now the base model sells for $1,199, a $200 premium. Given the scope of the revamp, the $200 upgrade fee is well worth paying for anyone thinking of purchasing a MacBook Air.
Apple is still selling the older model at the same $999 price point, but it's just not worth purchasing because the components are so outdated at this point.
What do you think of Apple's new MacBook Air? Let us know in the comments.
Article Link: Apple's New 2018 MacBook Air vs. Old MacBook Air
It's no surprise to me why Apple stock got downgraded by two major investment firms this week. They're dropping the ball with releases like this. 2-3 years too late for the specs that the machine ships with.
I'm sad they dropped usbA and Sd card reader. These were simple ways to add flush-fitting, low speed, but high capacity storage to the MB air for music and photos etc. There is no way to do this now, and the SSD upgrade prices are just too high (as is the speed) for this product (think students).
Given the redesign and loss of these ports, they should have included cheaper lower priced SSD upgrades for the MB air IMO. Those that want performance can then choose the Pro instead.
Given the redesign and loss of these ports, they should have included cheaper lower priced SSD upgrades for the MB air IMO. Those that want performance can then choose the Pro instead.
Of course they did, in order to increase profits by forcing you to pay 2008 prices for SSD storage.
Lot of negative comments here. Some from people who bought one, used it for a while, and returned it. Respect. But many from people who just want to trash it. Ask people who own one, who've spent more time with it than someone who saw it in a store.
I bought a 2018 MB Air a week ago to replace my early 2015 rMBP. I used the rMBP in all kinds of lighting conditions (though not so much outside) and I never found it wanting for brightness. I did a side-by-side comparison of the new MBA with my rMBP and the MBA display is every bit as bright as the rMBP's display (both are rated at 300 nits). Also, the colors are not washed out or otherwise any less pleasing than the colors on the rMBP. I am happy with the display. Sure, it's not as nice as the display on the 2018 MBP with Touch Bar, which has True Tone. But that computer is a lot more expensive than the MBA.
Some are complaining that the 2018 MBA doesn't have mag safe or the glowing apple logo. But neither does any MacBook or MacBook Pro launched in the past couple of years.
Some are complaining about the replacement of the almost universally loved chicklet keyboard with the divisive butterfly keyboard. Again, all current model MacBooks have this. I loved the previous keyboard, too, and thought I'd hate the new one. But after using it for a few days, I don't mind it at all.
Some are complaining about the need for dongles or USB-C hubs. I am living with this thing now and, at least for me, a single hub is all I need (the Satechi hub with USB-C pass-through, 3 USB-A, ethernet, SD-microSD card, and 4K HDMI). Carrying it around is no trouble at all.
Performance is absolutely fine for me. The fan can be noisy but it rarely comes on. Battery life exceeds my rMBP, which is partly because that computer (and its battery) is 3 years old. But I never got more than 6 hours on that computer, even when new, and I'm easily getting 8 on the new MBA.
The new MB Air isn't for everyone. The MB Pro w/o Touch Bar will be a better choice for people who need more power, and for people who don't think the new Air's screen is bright enough.
Haters gonna hate.
But the Air is a good purchase for some of us. For the rest of you, there are some great options for you. I won't criticize your choices because you know what's right for you, not me.
I bought a 2018 MB Air a week ago to replace my early 2015 rMBP. I used the rMBP in all kinds of lighting conditions (though not so much outside) and I never found it wanting for brightness. I did a side-by-side comparison of the new MBA with my rMBP and the MBA display is every bit as bright as the rMBP's display (both are rated at 300 nits). Also, the colors are not washed out or otherwise any less pleasing than the colors on the rMBP. I am happy with the display. Sure, it's not as nice as the display on the 2018 MBP with Touch Bar, which has True Tone. But that computer is a lot more expensive than the MBA.
Some are complaining that the 2018 MBA doesn't have mag safe or the glowing apple logo. But neither does any MacBook or MacBook Pro launched in the past couple of years.
Some are complaining about the replacement of the almost universally loved chicklet keyboard with the divisive butterfly keyboard. Again, all current model MacBooks have this. I loved the previous keyboard, too, and thought I'd hate the new one. But after using it for a few days, I don't mind it at all.
Some are complaining about the need for dongles or USB-C hubs. I am living with this thing now and, at least for me, a single hub is all I need (the Satechi hub with USB-C pass-through, 3 USB-A, ethernet, SD-microSD card, and 4K HDMI). Carrying it around is no trouble at all.
Performance is absolutely fine for me. The fan can be noisy but it rarely comes on. Battery life exceeds my rMBP, which is partly because that computer (and its battery) is 3 years old. But I never got more than 6 hours on that computer, even when new, and I'm easily getting 8 on the new MBA.
The new MB Air isn't for everyone. The MB Pro w/o Touch Bar will be a better choice for people who need more power, and for people who don't think the new Air's screen is bright enough.
Haters gonna hate.
But the Air is a good purchase for some of us. For the rest of you, there are some great options for you. I won't criticize your choices because you know what's right for you, not me.
- No glowing Apple logo: Although the screen chassis on the new MacBook Air is only slightly thinner, it is thinner nevertheless, and removing the hole for glowing logo makes it more rigid. I frankly don't think the loss is significant to fret about.
- Media card: Yeah I do agree that carrying an SD reader can be rather annoying. My guess is that not many people used the SD slot and removing it means more room for the speakers and Touch ID.
- USB dongles: I have replaced all my USB cables with cables with USB-C connector on one end. So I am using all of my USB devices without a dongle. Of course, some USB devices have USB port directly on them, so this is by no means a silver bullet solution. But anything that connects via cable can be replaced with an inexpensive cable.
- Keyboard: I agree that older MBA keyboard is superior. But I have since adjusted to butterfly keyboard. My only real reservation is longevity (hopefully the third generation will hold up).