Help before purchasing M1 Air

[agregson]

I have always liked the Air - bought the first one that appeared from an envelope. In fact my sister still uses it! For a number of years I ran an Air with two 27" Cinema Display and loved it.

I moved to 5k iMac in 2015 as I wanted retina displays. I briefly tried the Dell 2415Q monitors with Air then Pro and did not like them - sleep/wake issues, lack of build compared to Apple, lack of desktop size from 2560 non-retina or 5120 retina. I have wanted to move to ARM for a while but could not find a solution. Tried the iMac 24 and loved it but just a little small compared to 5k iMac for me. Now that Studio Display has appeared the option is there to change to ARM now.

I briefly considered Studio and then Mini (have several minis - late 2012 and late 2014 that run secondary roles and are great) but idea of Air came back up as I love the form factor. A single cable to tether, a silent computer with amazing battery and performance and a price that is not that bad - what is not to like?

I have a few questions before purchase and wonder if anyone would be so good to offer comment.

My workload is quite light. Safari, a few smaller apps. All my code work is in terminal VIM or macVIM with occasional use of Arduino and Processing. No heavy graphics editing. Photos are mainly in Apple Photos, occasional use of Affinity apps. Email is in Apple mail, browser is Safari with occasional use of Firefox. My current iMac is i5 3.4Ghz with 32GB. Memory was added "in case" I run heavier apps or virtualisation (I never needed too as completely broke link with any Linux or Windows a few years back and exclusively Apple)

Storage wise I have always bought 500GB SSD for as long as was available. I have never gone much beyond 160GB used! I have an external SSD 1TB for Time Machine and 1TB for backups, archives, files and so on. I am quite organised in moving things around. Also have 2TB Apple and 2TB Google Drive (works very well with Infuse and handy for second store for backups).

I will likely change the Air when/if a new M2 variant appears as my sister could do with an upgrade on her Air so a good chance to do that for her. I don't want to spend more than needed on things I won't use but don't want to hamper the experience by under-specifying.

So, finally, to the questions.

Has anyone tried or have comments on how Air would work with Studio display? If not direct experience has anyone tried the Air with 5K such as LG?

Memory wise I always increase over 8GB as Intel always seemed a bit heavy. I have seen reports on 8GB Arm is a different experience and the speed of SD also makes memory less of an issue especially for users like me who may keep apps open but tend to focus on one or two at a time. Should I spend £200 on upgrade to 16GB or would 8GB be okay? I am almost tempted to run 8GB just to find out so I can advise others.

Given I use 160GB on SSD and can likely reduce this a bit when move to a new machine would there be any unseen reason to go for 512GB SSD?

I assume the Apple keyboard with touchID will work as will trackpad? I am not committed to going for them as touch is a mixed thing for me (or was on phones) due to very dry fingers and endlessly retraining (FaceID was a boon and I hope the A13 and camera can add to studio at some point). I do like the Apple keyboard and trackpad though also like Logitech MX now they have mini (I do not like full size keyboards and have a mech keyboard that has many stripped off I use on mini - no functions, cursors and so on). I would like to keep option open.

That is it (phew!). Thanks to anyone for helping with any comments. It is much appreciated.

A

 

[StoneJack]

yes
go 16/512 (at least my setup)
works with Dell 27 inch 2k display just fine (Display Port to USB-C)
I use Logitech keyboard and mouse.

 

[velocityg4]

I'd stick with the 512GB SSD. Since you are currently using 160GB. My recommendation is that a new computer is always at least double your current usage. For room to grow. Plus you should keep at least 20-25% of an SSD storage space unused.

The Air, 13" MBP, Mini and iMac are essentially the same computer in different form factors. Differences being, cooling, case, ports, included screen, &c. Trivial differences from a compatibility standpoint. So, any of them will be just as reliable with the Studio Display. If the MBA is your preferred form factor. I'd get that.

 

[agregson]

I'd stick with the 512GB SSD. Since you are currently using 160GB. My recommendation is that a new computer is always at least double your current usage. For room to grow. Plus you should keep at least 20-25% of an SSD storage space unused.

The Air, 13" MBP, Mini and iMac are essentially the same computer in different form factors. Differences being, cooling, case, ports, included screen, &c. Trivial differences from a compatibility standpoint. So, any of them will be just as reliable with the Studio Display. If the MBA is your preferred form factor. I'd get that.

Thanks for comments. I have a 8/256 MBA refurb out for delivery today. It popped up on UK store for £849 and that has to be a lot of value. If nothing else I will find out what can be done and if I later upgrade to 16/512 I can upgrade my sister's ageing MBA (from 2012 and still running perfectly albeit on older OS).

I am considering monitors now. I have a Studio Display on order (delivery early June). I have 5k iMac 2017 at present. My eyes lately are not as good they were and wondering if I should look at an Ultrawide and larger display. I spend a lot/most of day in terminal or text apps (all my work is in text even formatted docs as I am not keen on GUI tools and taking hands off keyboard). One of my minis has a LG 21:9 25" 2560x1080. It has 111ppi and it is a lot more pleasant to use than the spec suggested which surprised me. In some ways the wide display is a serious benefit (I don't like dual display). I may even use the gap from MBA to SD to grab a 34" 3440x1440 just to see what MBA can do with it. Go for a decent value rather than premium as long as it has IPS as I am not sure if VA would suit me (not a gamer etc).

Thanks for all the feedback and help. Much appreciated.

 

[StoneJack]

Thanks for comments. I have a 8/256 MBA refurb out for delivery today. It popped up on UK store for £849 and that has to be a lot of value. If nothing else I will find out what can be done and if I later upgrade to 16/512 I can upgrade my sister's ageing MBA (from 2012 and still running perfectly albeit on older OS).

I am considering monitors now. I have a Studio Display on order (delivery early June). I have 5k iMac 2017 at present. My eyes lately are not as good they were and wondering if I should look at an Ultrawide and larger display. I spend a lot/most of day in terminal or text apps (all my work is in text even formatted docs as I am not keen on GUI tools and taking hands off keyboard). One of my minis has a LG 21:9 25" 2560x1080. It has 111ppi and it is a lot more pleasant to use than the spec suggested which surprised me. In some ways the wide display is a serious benefit (I don't like dual display). I may even use the gap from MBA to SD to grab a 34" 3440x1440 just to see what MBA can do with it. Go for a decent value rather than premium as long as it has IPS as I am not sure if VA would suit me (not a gamer etc).

Thanks for all the feedback and help. Much appreciated.

Tell us later about your mba impressions

 

[agregson]

I have not long setup. So far I am very impressed. Super fast setup - I install almost all via iCloud and Brew with brewfile. All went very smoothly.

The machine is superb. Very light, very fast. The display is very impressive. Keyboard is excellent. First experience of touchID on keyboard and so far very fast and very helpful.

Everything is installed and running. All data has synchronised. A few initial checks with some apps is very promising. One app opened on Intel iMac and MBA M1 shows same app with same simple file using 99MB on ARM and 279MB on Intel. In Safari same web pages show at least 50% less memory compared to Intel. Hardly conclusive but so promising.

WiFI6 running very well and very fast. File transfer runs Mac to Mac at around 100MB/s. Speedtest to net runs at solid 910Mb/S - flat out on my 1Gbps connection. Not really any need for ethernet adapter at those rates as my LAN is only 1Gbps switching! iPad and iPhone also show stellar performance as does AppleTV on WiFi6. iMac is only computer that is not WiFi6 (apart from older minis that connect via ethernet).

I will report back more as I test some more. I can't imagine I will be disappointed.

 

[McScooby]

I have not long setup. So far I am very impressed. Super fast setup - I install almost all via iCloud and Brew with brewfile. All went very smoothly.

The machine is superb. Very light, very fast. The display is very impressive. Keyboard is excellent. First experience of touchID on keyboard and so far very fast and very helpful.

Everything is installed and running. All data has synchronised. A few initial checks with some apps is very promising. One app opened on Intel iMac and MBA M1 shows same app with same simple file using 99MB on ARM and 279MB on Intel. In Safari same web pages show at least 50% less memory compared to Intel. Hardly conclusive but so promising.

WiFI6 running very well and very fast. File transfer runs Mac to Mac at around 100MB/s. Speedtest to net runs at solid 910Mb/S - flat out on my 1Gbps connection. Not really any need for ethernet adapter at those rates as my LAN is only 1Gbps switching! iPad and iPhone also show stellar performance as does AppleTV on WiFi6. iMac is only computer that is not WiFi6 (apart from older minis that connect via ethernet).

I will report back more as I test some more. I can't imagine I will be disappointed.

If you find it doesn’t fit the bill checkout Costco UK’s website, most if not all models are available new at equal to or less than refurb prices, for customisable models.

 

[agregson]

If you find it doesn’t fit the bill checkout Costco UK’s website, most if not all models are available new at equal to or less than refurb prices, for customisable models.

Thanks for the pointer. I have not used CostCo before. I tend to like Apple as the delivery is flawless, very fast and returns are simple (and free). I ordered the MBA at 4pm on Sunday and it was delivered at 11:55 on Monday - that is hard to beat!

I will have to check out how to monitor memory use. My iMac has 32GB and 512GB SSD. I purposely purchased 8/256 MBA to see what base spec can do. I have never really fussed with memory (other than a shock in Activity when I see what simple text editor apps use!) but keen to find a way to monitor usage and compare with same workload and apps on Intel iMac. Would anyone have any pointers? I have license for iStat and also looked at a few others - menubar stats, ipulse and istatistica are on list.

 

[agregson]

MBA still looking very good. Now connected to LG 25" 21:9 2560x1080. Monitor has 111ppi. Works flawlessly in native resolution. What really surprises me is just how good macOS looks on the LG. I can see the difference but the display on the LG is not remotely offensive. I could work with it with little hesitation. I do prefer the higher PPI on Retina display but it has really surprised me.

I was playing around with some of my own code. I have an immediate mode GUI system for games based on SDL2 and C. The frame is rendered on each display frame much as GUIs like ImGUI also do. Works well for what I want and avoids all of the programming overhead of retained state GUI programming which can get in the way for simpler UIs, simple tools and fun games I like to write. I noticed a slight flicker in the display on MBA and was evident on either display. There is zero flicker on iMac 5k. I cap the frame rate at 60fps and on iMac that means a long wait for each of 50 frames. I uncapped frame rate on iMac and MBA. iMac flew up to over 400 frames per second when not limited. The MBA remained around 60. Not sure what is going on (yet) and not had much time to investigate. Will try and find out more.

 

[StoneJack]

Glad you find mba m1 good. It is a small computing gem indeed. M1 is very good and powerful enough for 95 percent of computing tasks, even for 4k and 8k video.

 

[agregson]

The MBA M1 is proving exceptional. I am very surprised. Ran a few video encode tests and was surprised. iMac 5k ran at around 25fps on 1080p30 in Handbrake transcoding a 1080p MKV. It ran at 5fps encoding same file to x265 MKV. MBA managed over 100fps and 30fps. What is to complain about?

With numerous apps open I noticed memory pressure never went much above 50%. I had CodeRunner, Handbrake, Typora, BBEdit, Safari with around 15 tabs, Transmit, Dash, Mail, Messages, App Store and a few others plus a few menu bar apps - menu bar stats to keep an eye on memory for one. Never felt remotely sluggish and memory pressure was reported around 50% at peak in stats and in activity was around middle of bar and always in green.

Display is amazing - it really is. Battery is scarcely believable. Keyboard feels fine to me and I am fussy on keyboard - can switch easily from Magic Keyboard. Trackpad is nice and tactile.

WiFi performance is amazing. Runs solid 920mbps on Speedtest on my 1Gbps connection. Router shows in same room connecting at 1600mbps. Two rooms away still runs at 920mbps.

I have a dilemma now. It feels enough for what I do. Do I need more? I thought I did now I am not so sure.

I have a studio display on order for delivery early June at latest. I had planned to pair this with an 8/256 mini and see if that was enough and if not replace with a base studio.

The MBA was planned to replace two desktops - my old 2012 mini with Dell 1440x900 display, 16GB/500GB SSD 10.14 and my 2014 mini on LG 2560x1080 with 4/500GB and 12.3.

I am now wondering if the MBA would be suitable as my primary (and maybe only Mac to save all the sync hassles) and simply connect to studio display on my main desk and use as MacBook on other two desks when I move.

I have to admit I did not expect to conclude the MBA was so good. I figured it would be a good secondary machine. I knew my workload was not huge but did not expect an air to be not only viable but more than capable as my primary machine. Last time I tried that was with 2010 air then 2012 air on Cinema Display which was okay but a little under powered. A later MBA 12 was a lovely secondary machine but quickly struggled under pressure. This MBA has been the complete opposite. It feels snappier than my 5k iMac 2017 and I suspect with Studio Display removes need for a 5k iMac.

That concludes my findings. Now just to make a decision. Hopefully my findings help others.

Finally ... one take away for me is the MBA is so fast even on 8/256 for even moderate workload just don't look at activity monitor or stats tools as they are no longer as relevant as they once were. If it feels okay in use it probably is!

 

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

The 8/256 mini has the exact same specifications, short of a fan that is not used, as your MBA so it will perform exactly the same.

good to hear of your positive experience!

 

[BeatCrazy]

I’m (temporarily) using the base model M1 Air with the Pro Disply XDR. Everything is just fine. So you’ll be fine using it with the Apple Studio Display.

 

[agregson]

The 8/256 mini has the exact same specifications, short of a fan that is not used, as your MBA so it will perform exactly the same.

good to hear of your positive experience!

I had tried an M1 mini early on but had untold issues with wake from sleep on an Acer X34P monitor I was using at the time. Apple tech advised me to return it and either try a replacement or refund. I decided to wait as I had seen others report the issue.

The main reason for considering a mini on main desktop is I quite like the convenience of a desktop that is always on and maintains my work apps and state. If I unplug the windows all jiggle around. I do not yet know if they restore as don't have the studio display yet and forgot to try when was plugged into LG 21:9 for tests (note to self - test this!). This was also based on my previous experience where I had a 27 iMac on desk and either an older Air or rMB which could not match the capability of the desktop. Now the only really way to exceed the MBA on desktop is a Studio which I am not really sure my workflow justifies (however much I try to justify it to myself!).

That said given how good the MBA is and improvements in macOS I am very tempted to consider one computer across my three desks (I only work at one at a time!) with the (hopeful) pleasure of a studio display on my primary desk and the very adorable MBA screen on the other desks - no matter how nice the 21:9 2560x1080 is the crisp text on hiDPI sort of wins out every time now for me.

Safe to say I am very impressed and would recommend the MBA to anyone. Apple have and continue to push things in impressive directions and that can only be good.

 

[agregson]

I’m (temporarily) using the base model M1 Air with the Pro Disply XDR. Everything is just fine. So you’ll be fine using it with the Apple Studio Display.

Brilliant! Thanks for confirmation. I have looked at every monitor combination and just like the computer I end up concluding it is hard to beat what Apple offer. I am only grateful they now (again) sell a display that is justifiably within my budget and use case. Once I have gone 5k hiDPI it is hard to look at anything smaller or lower PPI. Apple have a habit of spoiling tech for me .... unless it is Apple!

 

[Ensar]

Brilliant! Thanks for confirmation. I have looked at every monitor combination and just like the computer I end up concluding it is hard to beat what Apple offer. I am only grateful they now (again) sell a display that is justifiably within my budget and use case. Once I have gone 5k hiDPI it is hard to look at anything smaller or lower PPI. Apple have a habit of spoiling tech for me .... unless it is Apple!

Glad that you are happy with your new device. Could you please check the swap usage, tbw so far?

 

[agregson]

Glad that you are happy with your new device. Could you please check the swap usage, tbw so far?

A friend needed a replacement MB urgently and delivery times have extended lately so I reset and passed this one to him. I have another on order for delivery next week.

I went for same 8/256 again as I want to see how usable the base MBA is. Will be keen to see how memory use looks on 5k monitor.

Also ordered a 16/512 mini (refurb as delivery for new was towards end of May!) to replace my iMac 5k - at least it will if/when the Studio display order progresses. I was so impressed with MBA I went for mini as I thought I would not use the extra on Studio.

When the new one arrives I will check and watch swap use. One thing did occur to me. Storage was so fast it changes the concept of swap and memory. I have not yet checked memory speed. I guess the storage is as fast as memory I was using 10-12 years ago! What is the reason for asking? Wear rates?

I am not too fussed on lifespan of the storage. One reason to go to Mini and MBA from iMac was to have a modular setup. I wanted to reduce hassle of change and environmental impact. It also allows me to speed up my upgrade cycle and I can then pass on models at discount to friends/family who cannot necessarily afford/justify new prices and recycle their models with updates and eBay. I tend to have AC+ on all my devices and plan to change computer(s) as I do iOS devices - within AC+ time. Any issues with the SSD will be Apple's problem. A modular computer setup makes any repairs via mail-in easier and having an MBA and mini means I always have a backup as well as my second desk setup covered.

Super impressed with MBA and M1. Incredible performance on the MBA and Mini and the price is impressive generally and exceptional when considered in conjunction with the performance it delivers. For me and my workloads anyway (not complete lightweight but not heavyweight either) MBA and Mini cover it perfectly and will likely do for many years. Suddenly pushed my plans along and changed my usual rotation to replacement as I want the Intel machines moved on. 5k already has a buyer, two minis for eBay soon!

I just hope Apple do not take refreshes on the range as an opportunity to push price up. In UK £999 for base MBA and £699 for base mini is a compelling price as each allow a working, quality and exceptionally powerful computer for just under £1000. Given what each offers it places Apple firmly in position to seriously (finally) challenge any remaining "justification" for buying Windows and cheap computers. I can recommend the MBA and Mini options and people now consider it rather than recoil at the ticket price. I suspect this has also occurred to Apple given they have a very affordable iPad (the £329 base iPad is unbeatable at price) and affordable iPhones. Cost is no longer a reason to pass by Apple and miss out on all the advantages Apple kit brings.

 

[Ensar]

What is the reason for asking? Wear rates?

I am not too fussed on lifespan of the storage.

Yes, that's the reason. I agree that the price/performance is quite good in MBA base model but the price is still a significant amount in the country i am living in and i just want to make sure it can work for years.

For example 3-4 years of working time would be too less in terms of return on investment. Many windows and mac laptops still work after many years and make the job done for browser based tasks.

 

[agregson]

Yes, that's the reason. I agree that the price/performance is quite good in MBA base model but the price is still a significant amount in the country i am living in and i just want to make sure it can work for years.

For example 3-4 years of working time would be too less in terms of return on investment. Many windows and mac laptops still work after many years and make the job done for browser based tasks.

I am not sure I would be too concerned about longevity. When I get MBA and Mini in use I don't plan on looking at the stats too much. If it looks and feels okay I will just use it and enjoy it.

I can offer some encouragement based on past devices. As mentioned I tend to upgrade and help friends and family upgrade their tech - in some cases we have a little bit of a generation chain of devices. A little history of past devices I still track.

MBA (original) bought 2010. 4/64 original spec. My friend's wife still uses this for mail, social media, web, shopping, video chat. No recent OS updates but still fine. No issues with SSD or other components. When I had it for several years it was pushed quite hard and did suffer a little with swap - no surprise with 4GB.

MBA upgraded to 8/128 in late 2011. I used this with Cinema Display then two Thunderbolt displays as my main machine until early 2015. Worked flawlessly and was pushed quite hard. My sister still has this computer and running perfectly. Not on latest OS and never needed any service work.

MBP bought in April 2015. 8/256. Used with two Dell 2415Q on two desks to replace TB display as retina was the thing. The monitors were never a patch on the Apple displays. Kept this for a year and changed to iMac 5k 2015 spec. MBP went to a friend and he is still using it. He is a network engineer and pushes things quite hard, loads of apps and tabs, not that well looked after. Never needed any service and SSD dine.

Added rMB 12" in July 2017 as I wanted portable. 8/256 spec. Processor a bit underpowered but otherwise I loved the form factor and silence. I used this until 2021 as backup machine. Never an issue with SSD. A friend purchased it when I went all in for iPad Pro as my portable. It still runs perfectly and never an issue with SSD.

iMac 2015 developed a fault in 2019. OS update damaged the flash chip for firmware (a common issue on i7 5k - see other threads). Apple retrieved it for service under AC+ after much diagnosis. Concluded it was damaged and offered me a replacement iMac 5k with similar spec - they match the processor speed so I came off well. Still using that machine. No issues with SSD - it is 32/512.

I had a white MacBook bought in 2007. 4GB memory - DIMMs you could change, imagine that! Sold to a friend after I upgraded to SATA SSD in 2011. They recently gave it back to me as no modern OS would run. I installed Linux just to get browser (Firefox) with security standards that would work today (if Linux and FF can develop an OS and browser that can support an old MB why on earth can't Apple do something???). Ran the machine for a few years and just gave it before Christmas to a family who could not afford one. Linux allowed me to look into hardware and I was able to check the SSD in detail - it was over 10 years old at this point. Write count and on time was huge yet the SSD passed all SMART tests and showed no errors.

Would I be worried about buying a machine now with SSD given the modern memory they use? No. Would I be worried about workload and swap usage? No, within reason. I would not worry about swap if the machine broadly matched my workload. I would not be trying to run multiple resource hungry programs and/or take on large files/large 4k video editing and so on - I do believe in reasonably matching the machine to the workload.

My conclusion is, gor general use even over an extended period of 5-7 years I would have no hesitation buying an MBA or any other Apple computer. I would not over-specify the RAM or storage just to guard against some hypothetical failure though I would make sure there was enough head room to allow for 5-7 years. Given my experience with older machines and Apple I would think 8/256 is fine for general use for next 5-7 years especially as Apple continue to improve efficiency of software, drop the storage burden of universal binaries and so on.

In my own case I had an interesting thought. I could over-specify the memory to 16GB to "protect" the SSD. I could over-specify the SSD to 512GB to "spread the wear". Each would add £200 to purchase price. AppleCare+ cost £189 and gave 3 years protection, all sorts of extras. I know which I think was the better option to protect the longevity even allowing for the AC+ at almost 20% of purchase price (though either upgrade was exactly 20% of base price).

I hope that offers you some assistance. MBA and Mini are super machines. More than enough even in base spec for general every day use. Upgrade to 16GB for higher end "normal" user. My own view is there is nothing to touch the value that Apple present in their devices in terms of performance, support, reliability and longevity. I am often very critical of Apple (and the many annoyances they seem determined to add in and fail to remove) and often look at alternatives even trying some. I always come back to Apple if for no other reason than it offers the best value and least hassle.

 

[Ensar]

I am not sure I would be too concerned about longevity. When I get MBA and Mini in use I don't plan on looking at the stats too much. If it looks and feels okay I will just use it and enjoy it.

I can offer some encouragement based on past devices. As mentioned I tend to upgrade and help friends and family upgrade their tech - in some cases we have a little bit of a generation chain of devices. A little history of past devices I still track.

MBA (original) bought 2010. 4/64 original spec. My friend's wife still uses this for mail, social media, web, shopping, video chat. No recent OS updates but still fine. No issues with SSD or other components. When I had it for several years it was pushed quite hard and did suffer a little with swap - no surprise with 4GB.

MBA upgraded to 8/128 in late 2011. I used this with Cinema Display then two Thunderbolt displays as my main machine until early 2015. Worked flawlessly and was pushed quite hard. My sister still has this computer and running perfectly. Not on latest OS and never needed any service work.

MBP bought in April 2015. 8/256. Used with two Dell 2415Q on two desks to replace TB display as retina was the thing. The monitors were never a patch on the Apple displays. Kept this for a year and changed to iMac 5k 2015 spec. MBP went to a friend and he is still using it. He is a network engineer and pushes things quite hard, loads of apps and tabs, not that well looked after. Never needed any service and SSD dine.

Added rMB 12" in July 2017 as I wanted portable. 8/256 spec. Processor a bit underpowered but otherwise I loved the form factor and silence. I used this until 2021 as backup machine. Never an issue with SSD. A friend purchased it when I went all in for iPad Pro as my portable. It still runs perfectly and never an issue with SSD.

iMac 2015 developed a fault in 2019. OS update damaged the flash chip for firmware (a common issue on i7 5k - see other threads). Apple retrieved it for service under AC+ after much diagnosis. Concluded it was damaged and offered me a replacement iMac 5k with similar spec - they match the processor speed so I came off well. Still using that machine. No issues with SSD - it is 32/512.

I had a white MacBook bought in 2007. 4GB memory - DIMMs you could change, imagine that! Sold to a friend after I upgraded to SATA SSD in 2011. They recently gave it back to me as no modern OS would run. I installed Linux just to get browser (Firefox) with security standards that would work today (if Linux and FF can develop an OS and browser that can support an old MB why on earth can't Apple do something???). Ran the machine for a few years and just gave it before Christmas to a family who could not afford one. Linux allowed me to look into hardware and I was able to check the SSD in detail - it was over 10 years old at this point. Write count and on time was huge yet the SSD passed all SMART tests and showed no errors.

Would I be worried about buying a machine now with SSD given the modern memory they use? No. Would I be worried about workload and swap usage? No, within reason. I would not worry about swap if the machine broadly matched my workload. I would not be trying to run multiple resource hungry programs and/or take on large files/large 4k video editing and so on - I do believe in reasonably matching the machine to the workload.

My conclusion is, gor general use even over an extended period of 5-7 years I would have no hesitation buying an MBA or any other Apple computer. I would not over-specify the RAM or storage just to guard against some hypothetical failure though I would make sure there was enough head room to allow for 5-7 years. Given my experience with older machines and Apple I would think 8/256 is fine for general use for next 5-7 years especially as Apple continue to improve efficiency of software, drop the storage burden of universal binaries and so on.

In my own case I had an interesting thought. I could over-specify the memory to 16GB to "protect" the SSD. I could over-specify the SSD to 512GB to "spread the wear". Each would add £200 to purchase price. AppleCare+ cost £189 and gave 3 years protection, all sorts of extras. I know which I think was the better option to protect the longevity even allowing for the AC+ at almost 20% of purchase price (though either upgrade was exactly 20% of base price).

I hope that offers you some assistance. MBA and Mini are super machines. More than enough even in base spec for general every day use. Upgrade to 16GB for higher end "normal" user. My own view is there is nothing to touch the value that Apple present in their devices in terms of performance, support, reliability and longevity. I am often very critical of Apple (and the many annoyances they seem determined to add in and fail to remove) and often look at alternatives even trying some. I always come back to Apple if for no other reason than it offers the best value and least hassle.

Thank you very much for your detailed reply. I appreciate it

 

[agregson]

Thank you very much for your detailed reply. I appreciate it

You are welcome. When I have the replacement MBA and Mini next week I will report back on SSD and memory usage. As I said above it is not something I will be paying a lot of attention to as even under memory pressure MBA remains very responsive to point where swap was not perceptible. Keeping to sensible daily use and not trying to load it to point it stresses I think 8/256 in either is fine for most mainstream users. I will certainly recommend folk I know to save the multiple +£200 and spend on AC+, a case, a HomePod or whatever else they want to accessorise with!