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M4 MacBook Air Reviews Are Now Out, Plus Sky Blue Unboxing Videos
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I can justify one level upgrade on Apple products. But the second level makes me feel like a total sucker.
iJustine does because most of her followers are kids 🤣🤣
That's hilarious. I had to look at the screen on my MacBook Pro just now to even remember if it has a notch (it does). Not sure what that would even remotely be an issue.
CPU speaking, this thing is quite a bit more powerful than my 14” MBP M1 Pro. That laptop absolutely manhandles everything I’ve thrown at it…from gaming, to large data analytics projects, etc…it doesn’t even break a sweat. This ‘entry level’ MacBook Air is beyond capable for the vast majority of users. It’s a serious bargain at $999, even more so if you can get it for $899 on student discount.
The upgrades are always pricey. But for many average users, me included, memory and storage upgrades future-proof our Macs so that they still represent excellent long-term values. It certainly hurts at the time of purchase, but I usually get 5-8 yrs or longer from any Mac purchase for running the constellation of apps that allows me to prepare long, technical documents embedded with many high-res images. And they typically don't die due to any hardware failure but rather are retired once outmoded. And usually it's my institution's security software that renders a machine too old. Indeed, my PowerBook 180 on which I wrote my dissertation still graces the corner of my office, and I start it annually for fun and to use the last good version of Word (5.1).
BTW, My wife will buy the M4 MBA following my M4 MBP purchase. She is still using an Air so old that it may not even have a camera -- can't remember -- but it's one of my old machines that still supports accessing her work server.
Funny story about that old MBA... Inspired by Steve, I used to keep that MBA in a manilla envelope until I had a terrible experience. Standing at a bus stop, it slipped suddenly from the envelope and crashed onto the concrete from a height of approximately 4 feet, landing directly onto a hinged corner!!! I boarded the bus distraught. After 15min, I finally gained the courage to open the MBA discreetly at the back of the bus. Expecting a shattered screen and maybe loose keys, I was thrilled to find that the MBA with a now-dented corner nonetheless worked perfectly and still does today -- just one more reason I will always be an Apple loyalist!
Exactly. I barely even notice it on my MPB. I guess that some people always need something to complain about.
Yeah, I use TopNotch and it helps hide the notch. But for example Dell puts a 1080P webcam in a very thin bezel without needing a notch.
Where is your evidence for that statement. I disagree. Sorry, but it bugs me when people make these sweeping statements as if they are in a position to know this.
Well that is total rubbish... I am very much a typical user. Office, web browsing, comms, occasional minor photo editing. That's basically it. There are millions of us. We are almost certainly the majority personal computer market. My M1 does these tasks perfectly. I mean, there is really nothing more I want or need at the moment. So why, exactly are you suggesting that such people should save their money if they have an M2 or M3 but not an M1? I shouldn't care, but it really bugs me when people make sweeping statements like this based on nothing but lazy thinking (i.e. M3 and M2 are recent but M1 must be inadequate for most people now, so I'll say it's time for them to upgrade).
Chill out. I didn't bother to write down every possible version of the MBA that might or might not be worth upgrading. If you're happy with your M1 then save your money. And yes you shouldn't care. This is the internet. Maybe too much of that caustic soda?
(BTW: I never stated in my post that your precious M1 or any Mac isn't good enough and I never said what other people should do, just what I would do. You see, reading comprehension is important. I shouldn't care, but it really bugs me when people make sweeping statements like this based on nothing but lazy reading).
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I wouldn’t upgrade either, but I did buy a base M4 Mac Mini to mostly replace my built Windows desktop. I can tell it’s faster than my M1 Pro MBP when running R code or various other functions. After a post-market upgrade of the SSD (and being able to run 3 external monitors), it's become my daily driver, although I do use my MBP a lot. It's my now Windows box that's mostly just collecting dust, except when I need to do some specific tasks or play certain games (but Civilization VII runs great on the M4 Mini so I'm not playing too many other games at present).
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I pre-ordered Air 15'' in Sky Blue to replace my MBP 2015. I wanted a Space Gray but this new colour looks awesome, so we'll see.
I had to go with 1TB HD since 512 on the present laptop wasn't enough for me.
And just to make sure I won't regret in the nearby future I also went with 24 GB RAM.
Yeah, it's a robbery, these upgrades, but that's the way it is right now.
I was conteplating MBP 16'' due to the larger screen and all those ports. But the price was waaay much higher than I could afford. As for the ports - I just bought Anker hub with HDMI. USB and SD Card slot, that's all I need.
I believe this new Air will handle all my work which is mostly graphic design in Affinity apps.
I personally hate that stupid notch but there are ways to hide it so I guess it'll be ok.
So in the end, the only thing I will miss, is the Nano Texture. My older MBP had a matte display which was perfect. The MBP 2015 right now has nearly all the anti-reflective coating gone and it looks terrible. And I was babying this laptop like you wouldn't believe.
I just really hope these newer displays are of better quality when it comes to coating.
Shame they don't offer Nano Texture for Airs, I'd happily pay for that.
Looking forward to this big change! Next Friday! 🤞
I had to go with 1TB HD since 512 on the present laptop wasn't enough for me.
And just to make sure I won't regret in the nearby future I also went with 24 GB RAM.
Yeah, it's a robbery, these upgrades, but that's the way it is right now.
I was conteplating MBP 16'' due to the larger screen and all those ports. But the price was waaay much higher than I could afford. As for the ports - I just bought Anker hub with HDMI. USB and SD Card slot, that's all I need.
I believe this new Air will handle all my work which is mostly graphic design in Affinity apps.
I personally hate that stupid notch but there are ways to hide it so I guess it'll be ok.
So in the end, the only thing I will miss, is the Nano Texture. My older MBP had a matte display which was perfect. The MBP 2015 right now has nearly all the anti-reflective coating gone and it looks terrible. And I was babying this laptop like you wouldn't believe.
I just really hope these newer displays are of better quality when it comes to coating.
Shame they don't offer Nano Texture for Airs, I'd happily pay for that.
Looking forward to this big change! Next Friday! 🤞
Isn't it amazing that a $600 Mac mini or a $1000 MacBook Air is faster than pretty much any Windows desktop you could buy or build? I mean seriously. This is an incredible time to be a Mac user.
It wasn't that long ago, Jon Rubenstein was on stage gaslighting Mac users by using words like "megahertz myth"
The notch is stupid. I agree. The utility you want is called TopNotch to "hide" it.
> There's not much to hate on this computer.
I agree and I know about the fairly competitive pricing. But...
First some background. As a hardware enthusiast I have had a decent experience with my M1 Max 16" 64GB MBP I got at release for over $4K including tax. I financed it with installments, though, so it wasn't as much of a shock, not that my bank account couldn't also have just taken that hit.
I recently picked up a base model M4 Mini for $500, that one was too good value to pass up. Very capable machine (CPU wipes floor with M1 Max!! GPU is another story however) though my usual browsing habits with respect to failing to close tabs hurts performance on that 16GB machine.
I have a 4K 240Hz AW3225QF monitor on my desk. It works pretty well with the Mini. If HDR is switched on the SDR content is a bit washed out. This is probably actually a bit of intentional sabotage on Apple's part to position their own studio displays better by not making it easy to tweak HDR calibrations for third party displays.
To me I was hoping Apple would put an OLED panel into the new Air. It would increase the cost, but I would happily pay through the nose for that. I figured that this would not have 120hz since that remains a nice way to segment the Pro lineup.
I was looking forward to 32GB in the Air. We actually got that with this.
But the display has not been upgraded, which is the thing that completely deflates the considerable excitement that I had for a M4 MBA. Honestly even if it was a 120hz LCD, I wouldn't be excited because OLED is really where it's at now. But this one is the old 60Hz non-XDR IPS LCD. It will get the job done and it's okay. But I would be spending a lot of time in front of the display and I want the best tech. I also want a portable computer. My 4 pound 16" MBP is portable enough. But it would be a lot more convenient if it were half as heavy.
There is honestly a market out there of people like me who value portability and want the best tech. Give me a 13 or 15 inch MBA with 120hz OLED and people like me will be happy to pay $3k for the small chip and "only" 32GB of RAM. Practically, though, an Air Pro lineup where they're able to cram a bit more (48GB? 64GB?) RAM into it along with a midrange (40 watt or so) Pro CPU, and adding a few millimeters to hit a 2.5lb form factor... have a fan in there...
The way it's looking I guess OLED will becoming with a Pro macbook and who knows when it will land on an Air.
Overall not the worst situation. And the speakers on these chonky pro macbooks are truly something special. I rarely use them though with how good airpods are.
I agree and I know about the fairly competitive pricing. But...
First some background. As a hardware enthusiast I have had a decent experience with my M1 Max 16" 64GB MBP I got at release for over $4K including tax. I financed it with installments, though, so it wasn't as much of a shock, not that my bank account couldn't also have just taken that hit.
I recently picked up a base model M4 Mini for $500, that one was too good value to pass up. Very capable machine (CPU wipes floor with M1 Max!! GPU is another story however) though my usual browsing habits with respect to failing to close tabs hurts performance on that 16GB machine.
I have a 4K 240Hz AW3225QF monitor on my desk. It works pretty well with the Mini. If HDR is switched on the SDR content is a bit washed out. This is probably actually a bit of intentional sabotage on Apple's part to position their own studio displays better by not making it easy to tweak HDR calibrations for third party displays.
To me I was hoping Apple would put an OLED panel into the new Air. It would increase the cost, but I would happily pay through the nose for that. I figured that this would not have 120hz since that remains a nice way to segment the Pro lineup.
I was looking forward to 32GB in the Air. We actually got that with this.
But the display has not been upgraded, which is the thing that completely deflates the considerable excitement that I had for a M4 MBA. Honestly even if it was a 120hz LCD, I wouldn't be excited because OLED is really where it's at now. But this one is the old 60Hz non-XDR IPS LCD. It will get the job done and it's okay. But I would be spending a lot of time in front of the display and I want the best tech. I also want a portable computer. My 4 pound 16" MBP is portable enough. But it would be a lot more convenient if it were half as heavy.
There is honestly a market out there of people like me who value portability and want the best tech. Give me a 13 or 15 inch MBA with 120hz OLED and people like me will be happy to pay $3k for the small chip and "only" 32GB of RAM. Practically, though, an Air Pro lineup where they're able to cram a bit more (48GB? 64GB?) RAM into it along with a midrange (40 watt or so) Pro CPU, and adding a few millimeters to hit a 2.5lb form factor... have a fan in there...
The way it's looking I guess OLED will becoming with a Pro macbook and who knows when it will land on an Air.
Overall not the worst situation. And the speakers on these chonky pro macbooks are truly something special. I rarely use them though with how good airpods are.
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