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we need an app that monitors Activity Monitor, and simulates the sound of fans ramping up when such a thing would occur if there were fans in the Air. would give a 'macbook pro' vibe to our (lowly) macbook airs...
 
Without a fan, does it get too hot to be comfortable to touch?

Will it get worse if I add a case?
 
Without a fan, does it get too hot to be comfortable to touch?
From what I understand (and from my experience with the also fanless M1 Air) the outside does not get uncomfortably hot. If the workload gets too high, the processor will throttle itself to prevent overheating. My M1 Air will occasionally start to feel somewhat warm but absolutely nothing like the lap-roasting Intel MacBooks we've had in the past. Lack of heat is a massive advantage to the M-series chips.

Will it get worse if I add a case?
My hunch is that anything that impedes heat dissipation will just hasten that throttling mentioned above. I could be wrong but I wouldn't put one on, myself.
 
Wow, some of the comments on here. A person has questions and maybe has never owned or used a Mac before. Maybe he did a long time ago. Point being why assume anything and not just help?

As others have said there is no fan on the M2 Air. It is like a big iPad with an included keyboard and better thermals. You will never hear fans ramping up. Even the M1 MBP uses fans and if pushed you can hear them but the air is different and you will not hear any noise from the cpu under load.

If you really push the laptop it will get warm and the longer you push it the warmer it will get to a point. Everyone has a different perception of things so I can't tell you if it will be uncomfortable for you but for most people doing normal tasks it is not a problem at all.

If you mean a case that you snap onto the Macbook like a shell then it would possibly stop the flow of dissipation of heat since plastic is not a good thermal conductor but an insulator. It might hold more heat in and make throttling worse.

If you mean a case you put it in after you use the device it should not be a problem.
 
I always put a case on MacBook Pros upon purchase for 20+ years. Never have had a problem with trapping heat. However, I have never used a MacBook Air as I always use the highest-end ones with big screen.

I was considering to keep using my MacBook Pro 2010 until Apple releases the M2 Pro/Max MacBook Pro 16" but a sudden change in workflow requires me to buy new hardware right away. So I cannot wait for one more month. However, it is kind of stupid to buy a 11-month old M1 Pro/Max MacBook Pro 16" right now as the trade-in value of such already 11-month old laptop will drop a lot after only one month of use. Given that the Air is cheaper, I am consider to use it as a stepping-stone machine.
 
...my MacBook Pro 2010...
It's going to be impossible to explain to you how much has changed in 12 years.
The processing power of the M2 Air is so immensely superior to the performance of the antique you're currently using, you're gonna feel you're living in the 22nd century. While we don't know what you currently use your computer for, nor what your 'sudden change in workflow' is, there can be nothing, and I mean literally nothing, you can be using a 2010 MacBook Pro for that will cause an M2 Air to break into even the slightest indication of a sweat, case or no case.
 
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It's going to be impossible to explain to you how much has changed in 12 years.
The processing power of the M2 Air is so immensely superior to the performance of the antique you're currently using, you're gonna feel you're living in the 22nd century. While we don't know what you currently use your computer for, nor what your 'sudden change in workflow' is, there can be nothing, and I mean literally nothing, you can be using 2010 MacBook Pro for that will cause an M2 Air to break into even the slightest indication of a sweat, case or no case.

I had a M1 Pro MacBook Pro 16" next to my MacBook Pro 17" 2010. The images on the screens looked the same (I know it is strange to say that) and most of my apps don't have native Silicon version support yet so I decided to return it. Problem with my MacBook Pro 2010 is that it does not support 4K display. I need such high resolution for my work and I am too used to such resolution that I cannot get new work done with this old machine. If I buy a M2 Air or a 11-month old MacBook Pro 16", I will hook it up with a large screen 4K display.
 
My new work does not require the use of those apps. I just need something temporary, have high trade-in value with Apple, and be able to hook up to a 4K display in extended screen mode.

One thing I don't want to see is to buy a 11-month old M1 Pro/Max MacBook Pro 16" now and a month later the trade-in value drops by 30+ percent.
 
My new work does not require the use of those apps. I just need something temporary, have high trade-in value with Apple, and be able to hook up to a 4K display in extended screen mode.

One thing I don't want to see is to buy a 11-month old M1 Pro/Max MacBook Pro 16" now and a month later the trade-in value drops by 30+ percent.
Nothing has high trade-in value with Apple. Just checking that you have realistic expectations. If you want high value, trade-in is not the way to get it.
 
Nothing has high trade-in value with Apple. Just checking that you have realistic expectations. If you want high value, trade-in is not the way to get it.
Exactly. Selling directly to some other person is the way to get decent price, also some companies buy these for somewhat decent price too. However, trick to buy an "old" model like MBP 14"/16" today, is not to buy full retail price but to find a bargain. Also depending on your location MBP 14/16 may still have old price (not yet currency depreciation value against USD adjusted), so the next model is likely priced higher than before anyway.
 
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