M2 MBA 2 years in....

[Technerd108]

Everyone should be using external keyboards with their Air. I wouldn't use the crap Air keyboard just for preventing the keys from becoming shiny like mirrors. Each time you even touch the keys on the Air keyboard you are lowering your resale value of your laptop.

Why would anyone buy an expensive laptop and not want to use the keyboard? If all used devices are going to have shiny keys then it won't affect resale value as it is expected wear. It sucks they can't use a more durable plastic regardless of their reasoning at Apple.

The keyboard is not crap either. The keys get shiny but you can polish the keys with Vasoline on a cloth and it will help, also a tire restore product will work too. It doesn't solve the problem but makes it much less noticeable. As for accuracy and comfort I would rate this as one of the best keyboards in a thin and light?

 

[1BadManVan]

Why would anyone buy an expensive laptop and not want to use the keyboard? If all used devices are going to have shiny keys then it won't affect resale value as it is expected wear. It sucks they can't use a more durable plastic regardless of their reasoning at Apple.

The keyboard is not crap either. The keys get shiny but you can polish the keys with Vasoline on a cloth and it will help, also a tire restore product will work too. It doesn't solve the problem but makes it much less noticeable. As for accuracy and comfort I would rate this as one of the best keyboards in a thin and light?

I love the keyboard on my MacBook Air, no reason to use an external keyboard with it. Seems silly to get a laptop if you can't use its keyboard. If you're using an external keyboard all the time, then you're only using It docked or at a desk, why get a MacBook then

 

[Technerd108]

I love the keyboard on my MacBook Air, no reason to use an external keyboard with it. Seems silly to get a laptop if you can't use its keyboard. If you're using an external keyboard all the time, then you're only using It docked or at a desk, why get a MacBook then

You can use an oil based product or even bees wax and rub that on the finish of the Mac and the keys. A car rubber or plastic restore product will work on the plastic keys only and will basically make the keys appear less shiny. It is still there but not as noticeable. Makes me not mind the shiny keys as much as I did before I tried what I am suggesting and it worked very well. Makes the keyboard look a lot better. Just an idea. Also the oil based product or bees wax will help with the appearance of fingerprints on the midnight finish. Also makes a pretty big difference.

 

[Technerd108]

Just a note for those who worry about the durability of the darker finishes like Midnight.

I have a two year old Mac that was admittedly babied has little wear on the finish. On the ports and MagSafe there are areas where the finish has rubbed off but it is not bad. Obviously if you drop or scratch the finish Aluminum is a very soft metal but otherwise it is no worse than any other anodized aluminum finish I have ever used.

So I recommend buying on your personal color preference rather than worrying about the durability of the finish. The new MBA seem to be pretty durable.

 

[SnowCrocodile]

My 13" 16/512 M2 (purchased refurbished from Apple) is still as fast as it ever was, with same good battery life. I find its keyboard to be excellent, at least after a lifetime of using various Windows machines. So is the trackpad.

Sometimes I wish I had a larger screen, but a big part in me choosing this laptop was portability and it's just the perfect size. A 15" would be too bulky.

All in all, barring accidents, I fully expect to be able to use it for at least the next 5 years. No regrets.

OTOH, my business Surface Pro 9 has been nothing but one giant disappointment.

 

[Technerd108]

Apple Intelligence. I don't really want it but I signed up for it to see how Apple is implementing AI.

I am very happy to say that you have a toggle switch to turn it on or off completely. So if you want Apple Intelligence then you can turn it on and use the various features. It seems just like an amped up Siri that actually seems to work.

I tried voice commands and for the most part they work. So you can do some things hands free.

At this point I have it turned off but I may try some features here or there.

I really prefer the way Apple is introducing AI into the OS. I don't like having something I have NO control over--Looking at you CO-Pilot.

 

[Howard2k]

My M1 is still performing fantastically. My son has an M2. Also working great, obviously.

I may go for a refurb M6 or perhaps M5 when the timing is right, but so far so good. It'll be interesting to see how Apple Intelligence plays out. That's likely to have some impact on my upgrade path.

 

[Technerd108]

With a new year just about here my M2 MBA is still my favorite laptop. A year or more ago I was going to ditch Apple altogether because of my Android phone and the issues having an Android with a Mac can bring.

I ended up keeping my M2 MBA and 5th generation iPad Air base model. I am so glad I did.

I am now I a financial situation that is making me re evaluate my life, habits and spending. I have many mental health challenges and addictions and one of those addictions was tech and buying the newest devices regardless of need.

I have three laptops and the reality is I only need one. I had two phones and now I have just one.

So do I keep my more high tech Windows laptops with 120hz Amoled gorilla glass touch screens, beefy laptop speakers, and more? Or do I keep my humble M2 MBA and sell the PC's and use that money to upgrade my Mac when it no longer serves me well?

There are a lot of issues I have with Apple and MS. Neither are ideal in my personal opinion for various reasons.

At the end of the day a laptop is a tool. Which tool works best for how I use it is really the most important and which experience despite hardware do I like better?

For me my M2 MBA has exceeded my expectations despite some issues I have with it.

For me the M2 MBA is actually what I like most and use the most so it is a keeper. I have never had any laptop from Apple or various brands of PC's feel performance wise and battery wise the same as the day I bought almost 3 years later. Tech changes so fast that after 2 years most of my laptops would show their age and I would not enjoy using them as much as when I first bought them and the newness wore off. That has not been the case with my M2 MBA. It is the first laptop that has aged so well and in midnight too.

So as time goes on and the new year proceeds and people get some money I their pockets after spending too much for Christmas I am going to sell my PC's. Windows in general is a hot mess. It works well enough but MS needs a major overhaul and should ditch legacy compatibility and go all in on ARM. This will never happen. So we have a very discombobulated OS with legacy parts and modern UI parts with an ancient NT kernel. Contrast that to MacOS which is just so much more cohesive and optimized. I may not love all of Apple's software choices and if I go all in on Apple that limits some freedom and forces Apple's way on me where I have more freedom on Windows or just use Linux. But freedom doesn't equate into a better experience.

So here I go again, choosing one and running with it.

How has your M2 MBA aged? Do you pan on upgrading anytime soon? Will you keep your M2 MBA until it isn't supported by Apple anymore. That is my plan at this point.

 

[1BadManVan]

Ive taken a pause on all my tech upgrades this past year as well. I usually upgrade my phone every year or 2, and now going to hold onto my 14 PM for a 3rd year. My 2 MBA isn't going anywhere either, still my favourite laptop ive ever owned, same goes for my 5th gen iPad Air. It serves its purpose as my travelling companion for when I travel for work.

I do own a windows machine, but thats a full gaming desktop for its own particular purpose. I don't see myself upgrading anything in the near future, my phone will be the next upgrade most likely. But there's nothing my Mac or my iPad can't do perfectly well for the foreseeable future.

Just like you, my MacBook Air still feels and performs as brand new when I first got it

 

[Leading_Top_7001]

love the m2, man! even with 8gam ram, it performances so well

 

[Astuces iOS]

love the m2, man! even with 8gam ram, it performances so well

All MacBook Air with M series chips are very good (I am curious about how many years they will support the last macOS update) Task like coding or video editing where almost impossible on base MacBook Air I think… now with m series chips, all is possible… I think the m4 MacBook Air will be the perfect computer of all time… yeah M1, m2 and m3 weren’t bad but you might get some limitations… on the MacBook Air m4 with 16gb of ram… I don’t fell like someone will complain (just buy the 512gb in case you get storage limitations if you are going to do task like coding or video editing)

But anyways yeah MacBook Air m1, m2 and m3 are perfect for most people even with 8gb of ram… (people where complaining about 8gb of ram because MacBook Airs are powerful but people couldn’t benefit at 100% because coding apps or video editing apps could take the 8gb of ram)

 

[Acronyc]

When the M4 mini came out, I got the base M4 Pro model to replace my 14-inch M1 Max that was tied to my desk 99% of the time. It's been awesome. I sold my MBP and was using my M1 Air for my travel Mac.

Then my Air screen broke (it developed white spots), so I sold that and with the base M2 now at 16GB of RAM I got an M2 Air for 755 Euros a month ago as my new travel Mac.

I needed something as I was just about to travel for two weeks, but didn't want to get another M1 and the 200+ Euros extra for the M3 wasn't worth it to me. My plan was to use this M2 as a stopgap until I get an M4 Air and configure it how I want, but the M2 is really performing well for my usage I'm not sure I'll do that anymore.

The M2 is still a great laptop, and given the price compared to other models, I'm very happy with it.

 

[ubinko]

My M2 MBA has been awesome. I have written a novel on it and even ran UE4 on it for a Game Design Test.

 

[1BadManVan]

I think the M2 airs really got slept on when they came out because of all the massive hype and performance boost that the m1's got when they were released in comparison to the Intels they replaced. They dont get the credit they deserve because of all the negative press they received when first coming out, first because of the base storage speed downgrade, then because the performance upgrade wasn't as huge as some hoped. The M1 obviously had set the bar very high.

What attracted me to the M2 generation was first, because of the hype around the m series chips and how impressive they were proving to be and two, because I very much preferred the new design vs the old m1 airs. So for me, I looked at the m2 air as the more refined and upgraded version that honestly, the m1 air should have had to start with. The m1 deserved a new fresh design to go along with the massive internal overhaul that Apple gave it.

It sucks Apple did the m2's dirty with the base storage speed downgrade, that definitely killed a lot of hype that it should have gotten after the fresh new design. But im glad I went for it, I knew I was getting a larger storage one and didnt have to worry about the speed anyways.