Apple's New 2018 MacBook Air vs. Old MacBook Air

[impulse462]

No, they are not nicer. In fact, they are a big step backwards. They are nice in the 15inch MBP, because a 15inch display is big enough for having immersive concentration in the display. But on a 13inch MBP, the slim bezels let your sight get distracted with the surroundings.

This is actually a pretty salient point and you summarize it well. Had a 2013 Air for 4-5 years and I wanted to get a 13" pro but the screen was just too small but I couldn't figure out why I didnt' like it. This is the exact reason. When I compared the old Air to the 15" MBP, the dimensions weren't that much larger and it was only a pound heavier. Now I swear by the 15" pro

 

[larryleveen]

They'll have to pry my 11" MBA out of my cold dead hands -- and then I'll reanimate and take it back from them. Really like having a smaller and more portable option. Why is that so rare?

I'm glad they have two USB-c ports (I disliked the Macbook for having one port). I KINDA wish they had put one port on each side though. It would have been rad to have the option of which side the power cord plugs in.

 

[floyd88]

I've been trying to decide between 2018 MBA or 2018 13" tbMBP. After going to the Apple store to do a hands on comparison, I was leaning towards the MBP. The screen was definitely better. The performance bump was something I thought would give me better longevity. I was, and still am, afraid that the MBA simply couldn't handle my occasional Adobe CS5 Suite needs. My fully licensed CS5 is one of the only reasons I am still leaning towards a Macbook. Otherwise I'd probably jump on that Matebook!

I'm still rocking a 2010 15" MBP. Upgraded the RAM to 8 and the HDD to an SSD. Saw some huge performance improvements. From a performance perspective, my MBP is meeting all my needs. My battery life is down to 2-3 hours, which is crippling. The idea of a retina screen, touch ID, and a fully supported OS is nice. And the weight and size difference is a definite plus. But are these things necessities?!

Now, instead of deciding between the MBA and the MBP, I'm stuck deciding 2018 MBP vs replacing the battery in my current MBP and getting a few more years out of it. Even a new battery would only give me 4-5 hours, while not great it would be better than 2-3 and buy me a few more years. Decisions, decisions...

 

[Apple Cart]

Would still buy the old one.

I compared the two models at the Apple Store today. I'm not sure why people don't like the bezels on the older Air. They look nice and lift the screen up a little bit. Of course, the big benefit of removing the bezels is that the new Air has a much smaller footprint. The colors did look nicer, though, especially the deep blacks.

As for the 3rd generation keyboard, I think I prefer the 2nd generation one on my 2017 MBP. It seemed to me that the one on the new Air resisted my fingers, like the keys were pushing back a little. I for one don't miss the old keyboard at all. Typing seemed a little sloppier, not as crisp. But I did like the keyboard that attaches to the new iPad Pros. I wouldn't be surprised if Apple ended up using a similar one on their notebooks.

All in all I think the new model is better than the older one. But it also costs more.

 

[WilliamG]

Function over form, you have the better machine anyway.

I’m sorry but the last-gen Air screen is a steaming, steaming pile.

 

[Tozovac]

I’m sorry but the last-gen Air screen is a steaming, steaming pile

of wonderful flexibility. A more-balanced design that doesn't focus on being a lithe fashion model first and foremost. More like Jessica Alba wearing cargo pants and a light backpack.

 

[WilliamG]

of wonderful flexibility. A more-balanced design that doesn't focus on being a lithe fashion model first and foremost. More like Jessica Alba wearing cargo pants and a light backpack.

Uh. No?

One is a laptop, and the other is a childish fantasy.

Bottom line is the screen has been dreadful for years on the MacBook Air. TN panel, 1440x900 - on the 13.3” model. Just... there are no words to anyone who can defend that.

 

[oldmacs]

Uh. No?

One is a laptop, and the other is a childish fantasy.

Bottom line is the screen has been dreadful for years on the MacBook Air. TN panel, 1440x900 - on the 13.3” model. Just... there are no words to anyone who can defend that.

I'd live with the screen for a good keyboard, SD card reader, replaceable SSD and MagSafe (amongst other benefits).

 

[Tozovac]

Uh. No?

One is a laptop, and the other is a childish fantasy.

Bottom line is the screen has been dreadful for years on the MacBook Air. TN panel, 1440x900 - on the 13.3” model. Just... there are no words to anyone who can defend that.

Jony, simply, not everyone shares your priorities.

 

[latweek]

...

 

[aleni]

Not related to the post, but I think this guy Dan looks like Pablo Escobar's son.

 

[asiga]

This is actually a pretty salient point and you summarize it well. Had a 2013 Air for 4-5 years and I wanted to get a 13" pro but the screen was just too small but I couldn't figure out why I didnt' like it. This is the exact reason. When I compared the old Air to the 15" MBP, the dimensions weren't that much larger and it was only a pound heavier. Now I swear by the 15" pro

We are pretty much with similar needs! I bought a late-2010 MBA because I wanted the lightest laptop available that would have a not too small display and with a decent RAM, CPU, and SSD at that time (2010). The MBA fitted all that in a great way (I even ran Windows XP and Linux virtual machines with VirtualBox on it, and performance was good). And I used AutoCAD as well.

Now, 8 years later, I needed a "worthy" successor for it. Of course "worthy" means an improvement in the areas that made me choose the MBA (ie: lightness/screen size/performance). There's no worthy successor.

I waited, and waited, and waited, hoping for a ultralight 14inch or 15inch MacBook.

But it's been 8 years, and I couldn't wait more (it was becoming impossible to install new software on my old MBA).

So, last month, after seeing nothing in the September event, and becoming clearer and clearer that the new rumored MBA was going to be 13inch (and I guessed it was going to have the 13inch MBP form factor, which I dislike because it's not an immersive display any longer, because of the thinner bezels), I decided to buy a 15inch MBP (i9/560X/32GB/1TB/Silver). I maxed it out in terms of RAM, CPU, and GPU, for running virtual machines, and for the sake of making the investment last.

The 15inch MBP display is the size I wanted. The 32GB RAM are also great because I can run Windows virtual machines with 16GB RAM while having another 16GB RAM for the Mac system.

...but... of course, if you are a MBA fan like me, the 15inch MBP is way too heavier. Many users say it's light. Well, it's lighter than the previous generations MBP, but noticeably heavier than my MBA.

So, it's been a sort of a bitter purchase. It's a great Mac, but... I wanted a similar form factor with a very lighter weight (which is the direction the market is taking, with related products like the new 15.6inch Swift5 or the LG Gram... people say they feel like "plastic"... but... who cares if it looks like metal, plastic, or whatever, when you got an almost 16inch display at 1kg? ).

So, I'm happy (because it's a great Mac, and the display size is what I needed), but sad at the same time (because I needed it lighter): I've already started to miss the light weight of my MBA (specially when I'm carrying it on my bag and I'm stand up talking to somebody... the MBA was like your bag was empty, while the 15inch MBP makes you feel you have a weight in the bag... I also miss the light weight of the MBA when I have to take the laptop with one hand for moving it from one place of the desk to another, etc...).... and of course, the lack of MagSafe is really really sad and annoying.

 

[clauzzz203]

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.

Your Pro does not have DCI-P3 wide colour display as the 2016-present Pros so that’s why the Air display is equally lacking

 

[clauzzz203]

As someone who suffered from a glowing apple logo on the INSIDE of the screen of my 2013 MBA after traveling around in my bag with files (pressure against the lid), I can safely say the removal of the glowing logo is, indeed, a positive.

Maybe dont damage your stuff with carelessness and we can all enjoy our niceties, ain’t that a good idea?

 

[Mw0103]

Maybe dont damage your stuff with carelessness and we can all enjoy our niceties, ain’t that a good idea?

A better idea: don’t be a jerk.

 

[BruceEBonus]

How is this in anyway functional or nonfunctional for computing purposes?

We’re you a true Apple aficionado you’d never have asked that question. Such is the changing user base.

 

[Tozovac]

We’re you a true Apple aficionado you’d never have asked that question. Such is the changing user base.

Curious, what are the upsides of being a "true Apple aficionado," and what are the downsides of the changing user base?

Or, what are the downsides of being a "true Apple aficionado," and what are the upsides of the changing user base?

Honest question!

I can't tell whether you're praising or lightly criticizing the virtues of being a "true Apple aficionado" and am just curious of of what at least one person thinks are the upsides or downsides of being one!

 

[LordVic]

Honestly, except the price, and MAYBE the CPU Choice are the only real letdowns for me. Otherwise, the MBA 2018 looks like the laptop that us old AIR users were clamouring for. To me, it makes sense ofr the ultrabook version to be weaker than the pros, with some less options. But the price doesn't match that currently. needs a $100/200 knock down in price. Same with the MacBook though. I see these two similar to the old air model. the 11" and 13" that existed before. With the MacBook taking the 11"s place and the new Air being the upgrade to the 13".

it's the Pro, especially the 13" non-touchbar that really muddies the product lineup

 

[Volleygirl7]

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.

Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.​

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

[doublepost=1542379752][/doublepost]I recently purchased the MacBook air 13.3 and it's the first time I've been disappointed with my Mac purchase. It's buggy right off the bat. Glitchy in Chrome for Mac and the screen sometimes freaks out and the display is WAY off. Stick with the old version, it was much better. Quite honestly, I can tell no difference in the "retina display" vs. the old one.

 

[Aston441]

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.

Summary of above: "Apple is downgrading every feature yet jacking the price of every product they my make. The Air is just the latest previously great thing to suffer at the hands of Cook. Quit complaining. "

 

[hudson1]

Honestly, except the price, and MAYBE the CPU Choice are the only real letdowns for me. Otherwise, the MBA 2018 looks like the laptop that us old AIR users were clamouring for. To me, it makes sense ofr the ultrabook version to be weaker than the pros, with some less options. But the price doesn't match that currently. needs a $100/200 knock down in price. Same with the MacBook though. I see these two similar to the old air model. the 11" and 13" that existed before. With the MacBook taking the 11"s place and the new Air being the upgrade to the 13".

it's the Pro, especially the 13" non-touchbar that really muddies the product lineup

Many feel, me included, the nTB MBP will either languish or simply be discontinued now that the new MBA is out. They are basically designed for the same market niche.

Future lineup:
MB -- ultra-portable designed ahead of its time for an ARM CPU (passive cooling) and probably will go that route as soon as Apple is ready
MBA -- workhorse tradeoff between portability and power... historically the biggest segment
tb MBP -- power machine

 

[Tozovac]

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.

...

Haters gonna hate.

You're finding zero value in insight from those looking for their next option but who are yet again underwhelmed and disappointed to the point that some hands-on touchy-feely test time isn't even desired? (no amount of testing the new keyboard will add flexibility of ports or ease of upgradeability of the RAM/SSD).

It's equally limiting to value insight only from those who tried/bought and kept or returned, no?

 

[LordVic]

Many feel, me included, the nTB MBP will either languish or simply be discontinued now that the new MBA is out. They are basically designed for the same market niche.

Future lineup:
MB -- ultra-portable designed ahead of its time for an ARM CPU (passive cooling) and probably will go that route as soon as Apple is ready
MBA -- workhorse tradeoff between portability and power... historically the biggest segment
tb MBP -- power machine

would it be so bad to have a 13" MBPro with the higher end performance parts and NO touchbar? that would be swell

 

[Aston441]

I'm a fast touch typist. I have an old MBA and the keyboard is fine, can't complain given the constraints.

I tried the new MBA keyboard in Best Buy yesterday. Holy moly that thing is very, very bad. One of the worst I've used in my life. The keys are too big? And the way they hit at the bottom of travel 8 knuckles hurt? I've never had that happen before. DO NOT WANT.

 

[hudson1]

would it be so bad to have a 13" MBPro with the higher end performance parts and NO touchbar? that would be swell

Of course it would be swell and probably the machine I'd prefer (an updated nTB MBP). I don't think we'll see it, though, as I believe Apple considers the MBA to fill that role. Honestly, I can't argue with the thought that there are three and not four segments to sell into.