Are you satisfied with your m2 air?

[Mr. Dee]

I agree and will take time, but the base model SSD issue is far from good being a big differnce to the M1's...

Q-6

Apple I believe is not gonna relent on the SSD. They are approaching this from a cost and audience point. Zoom calls, email, YouTube, iCloud shared photo library and streaming on Spotify doesn’t require that they optimize performance with two SSDs. I’m not agreeing with it, it’s just that knowing Apple, they are gonna always hold the hard line on storage and RAM.

Apple will be very last before they make entry level models move to 512 GBs and 16 GBs of RAM as standard.

 

[Misheemee]

I think it was on the Ifixit forum someone had said the M2 MBA keyboard is the same part as the 14 MBP. Of course, they could have tweaked it nonetheless.

It may very well be - but if you look at the bottom casing on both the M2 MBA and the MBp 14”, there’s a clear difference in thickness - which likely impacts the feel and key travel of the keyboard, making it feel different

 

[ninethirty]

yes we know you keep saying this........ but real world tells us differently

No it doesn't. I'm sorry, but if you're noticing a difference it's because you own a defective unit. The keyboards are identical, with the exception of the black paint on the MBP.

 

[kp98077]

No it doesn't. I'm sorry, but if you're noticing a difference it's because you own a defective unit. The keyboards are identical, with the exception of the black paint on the MBP.

I think the issue for me anyway is the air is so think the body creates mess travel. It’s well documented - this is all subjective also. I just feel the 14 is a keeper compared to the air. Both great!

 

[erkanasu]

Update: after returning the m2 air - ended up buying a refurbished m1 air with 1TB SSD and 16gb ram, gonna sell my base m1 air. Gonna hang onto this little guy for a long time - long live the m1 air!

 

[Chateaunole-du-Pape]

Update: after returning the m2 air - ended up buying a refurbished m1 air with 1TB SSD and 16gb ram, gonna sell my base m1 air. Gonna hang onto this little guy for a long time - long live the m1 air!

I nearly did that, but for $110 more for the same 1TB/16GB configuration, I'm glad I waited for the M2 Air.

 

[Dnzilla]

Update: after returning the m2 air - ended up buying a refurbished m1 air with 1TB SSD and 16gb ram, gonna sell my base m1 air. Gonna hang onto this little guy for a long time - long live the m1 air!

I got an M1 16gb coming in mail, waiting forever

So what the reason having tried the M2 Base, that you wouldn’t go M2 instead?

I’m flip flopping and thinking about truing M2 instead

 

[teerexx52]

M2 Starlight 8gb, 512gb. Love mine but wish the price had not gone up.

 

[geta]

People in forums like this should know based on their usage how much power-memory-SSD they need, and its funny that even when they know the limitation of the base model, they still bought it, complain about it, sending it back and replacing it with more memory/bigger SSD version, or getting the M1 MBA/base 14” MBP instead…

In the real world for basic day to day usage, the average Joe will be more then happy with the new base M2 MBA.

 

[hez86]

I am torn at the moment.

Received my new MBA M2 8/10/16/512 midnight yesterday. Love the form factor and the colour. The fingerprint issue didn't actually seem to bad and a quick wipe with a damp microfibre cloth removed them with ease.

Having come from a 2013 MBA the thing is incredible in terms of speed etc.

However, my one issue is the screen. I am used to an OLED TV and my OLED iPhone X. Sat last night in a fairly dark room (TV on in the background), I could clearly see the notch even with it in full screen mode due to the backlighting making the bar at the top slightly grey. This was with the brightness at around 50%.

I used education discount here in the UK so this MBA cost £1,629. I can get the base 14 MBP for £1,708 using the same discount so only £79 more. I definitely do not need a Pro in terms of what I will be doing on the machine, but I'm wondering if that would be the better option for the screen alone. I rarely take it out the house and mainly use it on the couch so the extra weight and size probably won't be an issue.

Equally. maybe I am just looking for the notch at the moment with it being a new machine and over time it won't cause me an issue. It doesn't bother me on my iPhone X.

 

[Apple_Robert]

I am torn at the moment.

Received my new MBA M2 8/10/16/512 midnight yesterday. Love the form factor and the colour. The fingerprint issue didn't actually seem to bad and a quick wipe with a damp microfibre cloth removed them with ease.

Having come from a 2013 MBA the thing is incredible in terms of speed etc.

However, my one issue is the screen. I am used to an OLED TV and my OLED iPhone X. Sat last night in a fairly dark room (TV on in the background), I could clearly see the notch even with it in full screen mode due to the backlighting making the bar at the top slightly grey. This was with the brightness at around 50%.

I used education discount here in the UK so this MBA cost £1,629. I can get the base 14 MBP for £1,708 using the same discount so only £79 more. I definitely do not need a Pro in terms of what I will be doing on the machine, but I'm wondering if that would be the better option for the screen alone. I rarely take it out the house and mainly use it on the couch so the extra weight and size probably won't be an issue.

Equally. maybe I am just looking for the notch at the moment with it being a new machine and over time it won't cause me an issue. It doesn't bother me on my iPhone X.

Use the the tv for watching tv and shows and the notch can easily be hidden from view at all times.

 

[LeeW]

However, my one issue is the screen. I am used to an OLED TV and my OLED iPhone X.

Ok but

having come from a 2013 MBA

You have not been used to an OLED laptop for as long as you have had the 2013 MBA so why is that a problem all of sudden on the M2 MBA? I mean, you do you, the 14" is clearly an option and if you want the better screen the price of the 14" in the UK, especially on somewhere like Amazon is low at £1,745.

 

[geta]

I am torn at the moment.

Received my new MBA M2 8/10/16/512 midnight yesterday. Love the form factor and the colour. The fingerprint issue didn't actually seem to bad and a quick wipe with a damp microfibre cloth removed them with ease.

Having come from a 2013 MBA the thing is incredible in terms of speed etc.

However, my one issue is the screen. I am used to an OLED TV and my OLED iPhone X. Sat last night in a fairly dark room (TV on in the background), I could clearly see the notch even with it in full screen mode due to the backlighting making the bar at the top slightly grey. This was with the brightness at around 50%.

I used education discount here in the UK so this MBA cost £1,629. I can get the base 14 MBP for £1,708 using the same discount so only £79 more. I definitely do not need a Pro in terms of what I will be doing on the machine, but I'm wondering if that would be the better option for the screen alone. I rarely take it out the house and mainly use it on the couch so the extra weight and size probably won't be an issue.

Equally. maybe I am just looking for the notch at the moment with it being a new machine and over time it won't cause me an issue. It doesn't bother me on my iPhone X.

The ugly notch and screen quality are two separate things … as for the screen, if its bother you so much, get the base 14” MBP instead.

 

[hez86]

Use the the tv for watching tv and shows and the notch can easily be hidden from view at all times.

🤣

Ok but



You have not been used to an OLED laptop for as long as you have had the 2013 MBA so why is that a problem all of sudden on the M2 MBA? I mean, you do you, the 14" is clearly an option and if you want the better screen the price of the 14" in the UK, especially on somewhere like Amazon is low at £1,745.

I am guessing because the pitch black notch makes the backlight bleed a bit more obvious? As noted I can get the 14" for only £79 more than this cost.

The ugly notch and screen quality are two separate things … as for the screen, if its bother you so much, get the base 14” MBP instead.

They are two separate things, agreed. But maybe the lower quality screen compared makes the notch more of an issue than it is on the 14".

 

[ipodlover77]

I went through 5 14"s over the past year, trust me when I say the notch will be noticable regardless of Mini LED or LCD Backlit. Backlit might show it more but it's not as if the Mini LED makes the notch disappear on a black background.

 

[Apple_Robert]

🤣

I am guessing because the pitch black notch makes the backlight bleed a bit more obvious? As noted I can get the 14" for only £79 more than this cost.

They are two separate things, agreed. But maybe the lower quality screen compared makes the notch more of an issue than it is on the 14".

Laugh all you want at me but, it makes no sense to watch shows and movies on the Mac when you have a large 4k video right in front of you, complain about the screen quality when the tv can be used.

If are unhappy, spend more and get the 14. It really isn’t as hard a decision as you are making it.

 

[Maven1975]

Looks like everything is going to be priced higher now out of the gate. Apple jacked MSRP in several countries over the last few months.

The M1 Air is actually a steal now considering these factors.

Waiting to see the iPhone pricing…

 

[hez86]

Laugh all you want at me but, it makes no sense to watch shows and movies on the Mac when you have a large 4k video right in front of you, complain about the screen quality when the tv can be used.

If are unhappy, spend more and get the 14. It really isn’t as hard a decision as you are making it.

Thought you were being tongue in cheek. Was laughing at the joke as opposed to you. I agree if I am sat in front of the TV I wouldn't load up a show on the Mac.

And yes, might not seem like a hard decision, or even matter that much either way, but I will keep this one as long as I did my last one so want to make the right choice.

 

[hez86]

I went through 5 14"s over the past year, trust me when I say the notch will be noticable regardless of Mini LED or LCD Backlit. Backlit might show it more but it's not as if the Mini LED makes the notch disappear on a black background.

Great, thanks for that. Maybe it is just something new and I'll soon forget about it. However, pictures like this being posted showing both do make it look like it is much worse on the MBA:

 

[ipodlover77]

Great, thanks for that. Maybe it is just something new and I'll soon forget about it. However, pictures like this being posted showing both do make it look like it is much worse on the MBA:

Pictures won't paint an accurate photo. I too had my 14" side by side with my Air before shipping it out and maybe its just me but the notch was noticable on both.

 

[hez86]

Very true.

I have just read your post in the other thread comparing the two and detailing out why you kept the MBA. Very useful.

I should probably just do what you did and order the MBP too. I can then just keep the one that suits me best overall.

 

[0906742]

I have both the M2 Air and M1P MBP in front of me right now, and the Air's key travel is noticeably shallower. They might have the same design but they are definitely tweaked differently.

I guess we have to wait for rtings.com review since they seem to have a gizmo they use to measure key travel and force it needs to press the key precisely. They did not seem to have tested MBA M2 yet, but from MBP 14" they measured key travel 1.1 mm and for MBA M1 it was 1 mm. Anyway, if the MBA M2 has the same keyboard as MBP 14" that would mean it has longer key travel than MBA M1, however there are already few (you included) who tested and compared MBA M2 and MBP 14" commented MBA M2 is shallower it looks like there could be some difference if it is noticeable even without actually measuring it...

 

[chrono1081]

I bought my M2 on a whim, thinking I was going to return it and just wait for an M2 MacBook Pro even though I wanted something smaller/lighter for travel, but I'm glad I didn't.

I have hammered mine for days since I got it and have run Houdini simulations on it, Animated and rendered in Blender, worked in Logic with 20 tracks (and only stoped because I got bored adding tracks), edited and worked in Final Cut with 4K video, did lots of development in Xcode, played video games on it, and created some motion graphics in Motion. It put my $4500 MBP 16" i9 w/ 64 gigs of ram to shame in all areas except rendering, and it wasn't far behind (and that's using Blender without the M chip optimizations that are coming in the future).

This thing handled it all without even getting warm.

The release of the M2 air made me lose a lot of respect for many Youtube "tech reviewers" due to how they focus on benchmarks over real world use and act like this machine is terrible. It's not, it's utterly fantastic.

I've never put stock in benchmarks anyway because they're not remotely indicative of real world use and it's a shame so many will miss out on this great machine due to tech reviewers not understanding that real world use is very different from benchmark software.

 

[spindude]

I bought my M2 on a whim, thinking I was going to return it and just wait for an M2 MacBook Pro even though I wanted something smaller/lighter for travel, but I'm glad I didn't.

I have hammered mine for days since I got it and have run Houdini simulations on it, Animated and rendered in Blender, worked in Logic with 20 tracks (and only stoped because I got bored adding tracks), edited and worked in Final Cut with 4K video, did lots of development in Xcode, played video games on it, and created some motion graphics in Motion. It put my $4500 MBP 16" i9 w/ 64 gigs of ram to shame in all areas except rendering, and it wasn't far behind (and that's using Blender without the M chip optimizations that are coming in the future).

This thing handled it all without even getting warm.

The release of the M2 air made me lose a lot of respect for many Youtube "tech reviewers" due to how they focus on benchmarks over real world use and act like this machine is terrible. It's not, it's utterly fantastic.

I've never put stock in benchmarks anyway because they're not remotely indicative of real world use and it's a shame so many will miss out on this great machine due to tech reviewers not understanding that real world use is very different from benchmark software.

which configuration air did you get? Im doing the same thing today when I found a stock one at the store... thinking up switching from M1 MPB Base for the new form factor, lighter and battery.... my current battery is at 85%

 

[FattKingHugeman]

I bought my M2 on a whim, thinking I was going to return it and just wait for an M2 MacBook Pro even though I wanted something smaller/lighter for travel, but I'm glad I didn't.

I have hammered mine for days since I got it and have run Houdini simulations on it, Animated and rendered in Blender, worked in Logic with 20 tracks (and only stoped because I got bored adding tracks), edited and worked in Final Cut with 4K video, did lots of development in Xcode, played video games on it, and created some motion graphics in Motion. It put my $4500 MBP 16" i9 w/ 64 gigs of ram to shame in all areas except rendering, and it wasn't far behind (and that's using Blender without the M chip optimizations that are coming in the future).

This thing handled it all without even getting warm.

The release of the M2 air made me lose a lot of respect for many Youtube "tech reviewers" due to how they focus on benchmarks over real world use and act like this machine is terrible. It's not, it's utterly fantastic.

I've never put stock in benchmarks anyway because they're not remotely indicative of real world use and it's a shame so many will miss out on this great machine due to tech reviewers not understanding that real world use is very different from benchmark software.

This is what I’m talking about. The M2 MBA is fantastic to use. People trash talk like it’s some failed products yet they have not even use it before. Actually it’s damn good and even better than the M1 MBA. It’s like the in between of the MBP 14 and the M1 MBA. Apple didn’t priced this wrong.