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MacBook Air 2020 USER reviews
- Thread starter Untapped Potential
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Much slower is relative, those speeds are still incredibly fast, a large majority of users won't even be able to tell the difference in those speeds with SSD's.
Exactly. SSD speeds have gotten to the point where it’s hard to tell the difference between a “slow” SSD and a fast one in everyday usage.
Be as that may, we're still paying top dollar for these machines. Their SSD's should at least come close to NVME 1TB SSD speeds that are 2500-3000 Mb/s that routinely sell for $100 on sale. The speed difference is notable when off loading GBs of data to TB3 SSD, which is noticeable for me. It wasn't that long ago when MBA's SSDs were on par with MBP's...
I'm under quarantine here in NYC as well -- never more than 10 feet from an outlet and yet... I still manage to run my battery down like an idiot.
Though that was more because SATA was the limiting factor, and then NAND speeds. Now NAND and NVME allow for more differentiation. QLC is cheaper but slower for higher capacities than TLC, for instance.
Consider that there is a $400 difference between the i5 MacBook Air with 512GB and the base MacBook Pro upgraded to 512GB (at least right now). Apple makes up for that by using a lower quality display, a slower processor, and a slower SSD.
I purchased a i5/8/512 MBA 2020
I have a MBPR TB 2016 i7/16/1To and wanted to go with a lighter computer with overall good performance for May Day to day duty (web, mail, movies, some games (not AAA), and photo editing
Verdict :
+++ : the computer is very nice, light, finition perfect, very nice keyboard (better than my actual one), nice display luminous enough
--- : gets too hot very quickly, throttles very often, Slow SSD, lesser performance than my MBP (normal !) I expected a smaller difference, fan blows too often
Result : th MBA is into the box, and UPS picks it tomorrow. I Stay with my old MBP R
I can't say that the MBA is a bad Macbook, but not enough powerful for me to replace a 3,5 years old MBP as I expected.
It can be a very nice computer for a student or a "light" user, who won't need a powerhouse or a large display, and a very portable computer
What motivated my decision was mainly the fact that the screen definition was too little at standard setting for my old eyes (I'm 56), and letterings/font were too small with "more space" option. I wasn't at ease on both setting.
I will take my chance again at MBP 14 release, if any.. but afraid of the potential future price for an equal capacity as my big MBPR TB
I have a MBPR TB 2016 i7/16/1To and wanted to go with a lighter computer with overall good performance for May Day to day duty (web, mail, movies, some games (not AAA), and photo editing
Verdict :
+++ : the computer is very nice, light, finition perfect, very nice keyboard (better than my actual one), nice display luminous enough
--- : gets too hot very quickly, throttles very often, Slow SSD, lesser performance than my MBP (normal !) I expected a smaller difference, fan blows too often
Result : th MBA is into the box, and UPS picks it tomorrow. I Stay with my old MBP R
I can't say that the MBA is a bad Macbook, but not enough powerful for me to replace a 3,5 years old MBP as I expected.
It can be a very nice computer for a student or a "light" user, who won't need a powerhouse or a large display, and a very portable computer
What motivated my decision was mainly the fact that the screen definition was too little at standard setting for my old eyes (I'm 56), and letterings/font were too small with "more space" option. I wasn't at ease on both setting.
I will take my chance again at MBP 14 release, if any.. but afraid of the potential future price for an equal capacity as my big MBPR TB
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Ah dang - I’ve only had one graphical glitch with safari on the screen and one out of tons of wake from sleeps that wasn’t responsive and required a reboot in a week of use
smooth sailing overall with i5 upgraded base, 10.5.3
I was expecting many more gripes from what I’ve heard about Catalina but this is the first and only build Catalina I have tried. My other MacBook Pro is on the last Sierra build
After 24 hours since receiving it I'm still not sure if going to keep it
Pros: lightweight spiritual successor to my 2016 M5 MacBook 12 which was getting long on the tooth, quad core allows me to still surf the net while Lightroom is batch processing 45megapixel DSLR RAW files (MB 12 would struggle and significantly slow down), finally 2 ports!!, BUH BYE buttercrap keyboard!!, No Touch Bar, slope shape much easier to type on than my MBP 16, battery life is decent
speakers are much better than MB 12-of course not as good as MBP 16-IMHO best MBP speakers
Finally 16gb option as it definitely helps as my 8gb MB 12 would page out often
Cons: SSD still significantly slower than MBP modes, but much faster than my MB 12, battery life is just ok, much bigger and heavier than MB 12, obviously much louder than my fanless MB 12 (but it's less annoying fan noise)
screen washed out with less contrast than MBP 16 screen and noticeably dimmer
I'm still on the fence as I would prefer brighter screen with faster SSD of the pro and of course can never have enough CPU when processing large RAW files. It's also not much lighter than the MBP 13. Then again if it goes to 14" it will likely gain weight also
Someone posted earlier they wanted LCD panel model
from IOREG command: FMX0112044WJQLWAF
From system preferences display:
Manu: 00000610
Model: 0000A042
Going to run some Cinebench later for the i7 to compare...
Pros: lightweight spiritual successor to my 2016 M5 MacBook 12 which was getting long on the tooth, quad core allows me to still surf the net while Lightroom is batch processing 45megapixel DSLR RAW files (MB 12 would struggle and significantly slow down), finally 2 ports!!, BUH BYE buttercrap keyboard!!, No Touch Bar, slope shape much easier to type on than my MBP 16, battery life is decent
speakers are much better than MB 12-of course not as good as MBP 16-IMHO best MBP speakers
Finally 16gb option as it definitely helps as my 8gb MB 12 would page out often
Cons: SSD still significantly slower than MBP modes, but much faster than my MB 12, battery life is just ok, much bigger and heavier than MB 12, obviously much louder than my fanless MB 12 (but it's less annoying fan noise)
screen washed out with less contrast than MBP 16 screen and noticeably dimmer
I'm still on the fence as I would prefer brighter screen with faster SSD of the pro and of course can never have enough CPU when processing large RAW files. It's also not much lighter than the MBP 13. Then again if it goes to 14" it will likely gain weight also
Someone posted earlier they wanted LCD panel model
from IOREG command: FMX0112044WJQLWAF
From system preferences display:
Manu: 00000610
Model: 0000A042
Going to run some Cinebench later for the i7 to compare...
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I don't think its fair to pit the Air against the 16" much bigger footprint and price. you can buy 2.4x base MacBook airs, for a 16"
While the CPU temperatures are higher on the Air, the system feels very cool during use and the fan noise is minimal when in use. Using some material shared on other threads, I have stress tested the system under 4K video and have yet to get the machine to an uncomfortable temperature or obnoxious fan speed. It actually is faring much better than my older Pro, which under strain would be uncomfortable to use with blazing fans.
When you had the Air, did you find it uncomfortable to use? While I have been avidly watching the temperatures and listening to the fans, the machine overall has been discernibly cooler than my older MacBook Pro.
I meant to compare against the i5 model of the 2020 MBA. The reason I'm comparing between the MBA 2020 and the MBP 16 is I want a "mini 16" as the 16 is not a good companion for air travel. I was using the MB 12 for travel and it's barely adequate for my heavy Lightroom use. The MBP 13/14 might be the better machine for me. Hence why I'm waffling on returning it...
What’s weird is that 10.15.4 was a disaster on my now sold 2019 MacBook Pro and my in-the-shop 12” MacBook but has been OK (fingers crossed) on my 2020 MacBook Air.
[automerge]1587003422[/automerge]
If you want a mini 16” I’d wait for the 13” Pro update. The base 13” Pro is considerably faster than the 2020 i7 Air.
Hi all. I have the base MBP 2015 w/ 8gb RAM, 128gb SSD, and 5th gen i5 2.7 GHz. I have my eyes on the MBA 2020 to replace my MBP. My needs will be mainly for school work (research, papers, presentations), Tableau, Excel, emails, web browsing, social media, streaming videos, playing music, and other basic stuff.
My current Pro has served its purpose and has seen its fair share of issues like 2 screen replacements, IO port replacements, a battery replacement, etc.
I was looking at the 16gb RAM, 256gb SSD, i5 quad core model for $1179 w/ a student discount. My main concerns are future proofing, battery life, and thermals.
I am into the ecosystem with an iPhone, Apple Watch, and iPad. However, I am also looking at Windows options like the Surface Laptop 3 (base, for $899), Dell XPS, or HP Spectre. With Windows, I would opt to go for more modest specs like my current MBP and get a touchscreen enabled device to save some $ over the staggering prices ($1500) Microsoft would want for a similarly spec'd MBA I am looking at.
Could you please advise me if the MBA 2020 is the best option for me at the spec line? Or should I just do a base at $899? I really think the $1179 is a wiser investment long-term, but that's just my initial thoughts. Thanks.
My current Pro has served its purpose and has seen its fair share of issues like 2 screen replacements, IO port replacements, a battery replacement, etc.
I was looking at the 16gb RAM, 256gb SSD, i5 quad core model for $1179 w/ a student discount. My main concerns are future proofing, battery life, and thermals.
I am into the ecosystem with an iPhone, Apple Watch, and iPad. However, I am also looking at Windows options like the Surface Laptop 3 (base, for $899), Dell XPS, or HP Spectre. With Windows, I would opt to go for more modest specs like my current MBP and get a touchscreen enabled device to save some $ over the staggering prices ($1500) Microsoft would want for a similarly spec'd MBA I am looking at.
Could you please advise me if the MBA 2020 is the best option for me at the spec line? Or should I just do a base at $899? I really think the $1179 is a wiser investment long-term, but that's just my initial thoughts. Thanks.
I think for all these things i3 base would be good but if you want some kind of upgrade, split down the middle with your dilemma and get the i5 upgrade for overhead. with edu it brings you right back to $999 price point.
pretty sure the MBA would be competent enough for all the casual tasks you listed in general
What about going i3/16gb RAM over the i5/8gb RAM combo? With more RAM, does that help the battery life at all since the computer has to work less to keep more things going?
ive seen some people go with that config not a bad idea either, but for me I valued the $100 i5 upgrade over the $200 ram upgrade for my uses. 8gb was never an issue.
16gb is nice overhead. but I wanted to break the quad core threshold, and lots of apples use multi core. so double performance is worth it for me, even on paper.
faster ram speed should help significantly too
$1179 doesn't sound bad for the i5/16gb/256gb SSD combo, right? I was going to start budgeting now and then wait till about August to possibly scoop one up w/ tax free holidays and Apple promos (free Beats or gift cards, something I can sell on eBay lol).
Given that Apple uses a certain version of the i5 in their Airs, will it be a huge difference in an upcoming Pro? I think the Pro might be too costly with the spec sheet I envision being more future proof. I regretted not getting 16gb of RAM back in 2015.
Given the discount, I’d go for the i5 and 16GB.
go for it then!
can't go wrong by having more ram!
I just think ill upgrade in another couple years, so I'll get some upgrades next go round. i5 was enough for me
but $1179 aint bad at all
The 1.4GHz processor in the base 13”
Pro for 2019 is considerably faster in sustained tasks than the i7 in the Air, and I expect the 2020 Pro to widen that lead. But since you are coming from the 2015 Pro the Air may be sufficient.
If I did substantial coding and video editing, I think the Pro would be more up my alley. Reason why I didn't get the Air in 2015 was for the retina display and RAM. The poor base model at the time had a non-retina display and a paltry 4gb of RAM.
I am excited to get the Air in a few months. I appreciate everyone's help so far. I'll keep tabs on this topic for further reviews. I am a little nervous about the thermal complaints I see on YouTube. I am still looking to get one and will just be more modest about usage, like avoiding too many Chrome tabs.
I haven't used a Mac in years, so was excited about the newly updated MBA, which I thought would be able to run parallels effortlessly. Unfortunately, not only parallels disappoint, I'm now frantically trying to re-install Catalina as we speak.
Model: i5 - 16 GB - 512 GB
I initially assigned 256 GB to Parallels and left the rest in Mac.
Clearly the performance is severely handicapped due to its virtualization aspect. For reference my 4-year-old Surface Book was slightly faster then MBA 2020 doing Vlookups / Indirects.
This is after allocated 8 cores and 12 GB of RAM to Parallels. Not also mention, whenever I have windows open the fan is running non-stop, and only after exiting parallels did everything return to normal.
So I decided to go with Bootcamp instead, and uninstalled Parallels.... this is where things get interesting.
The available space on my MBA still showed 256 GB, after I dragged Parallels into the trash bin and rebooted. It for some reason kept all my windows apps and continued to block off storage. After a few reboots, I decided to just go straight into recovery and reformat.
Perhaps I'm new to Mac, but completely frustrating on the instructions how to wipe the hard drive and install. After I wiped my "Mac HD - DATA", I was unable to do so for Mac HD. I then was locked out of MAC HD (the main drive) and now it shows the space as "inaccessible". No matter what I do (repaid utility, etc) I can't gain access to MAC HD.
Trying to recover via wifi proved futile, as the computer would just send it back to the globe and pick another wifi.
Eventually, I just said screw it and now am installing Catalina on Mac HD - Data drive, and it says 2 hours to go!
Overall, with the hype on the new processors, this MBA definitely ain't cut for parallels if you need to switch back and forth.
If there was no CoVid, probably make the trek to the apple store. But, for now will hope that the reinstall is successful, and I can install Windows afterwards. Probably return this MBA once the stores re-open.
Is the fan on 24/7 while running parallels common with the Macbook Pro?
Model: i5 - 16 GB - 512 GB
I initially assigned 256 GB to Parallels and left the rest in Mac.
Clearly the performance is severely handicapped due to its virtualization aspect. For reference my 4-year-old Surface Book was slightly faster then MBA 2020 doing Vlookups / Indirects.
This is after allocated 8 cores and 12 GB of RAM to Parallels. Not also mention, whenever I have windows open the fan is running non-stop, and only after exiting parallels did everything return to normal.
So I decided to go with Bootcamp instead, and uninstalled Parallels.... this is where things get interesting.
The available space on my MBA still showed 256 GB, after I dragged Parallels into the trash bin and rebooted. It for some reason kept all my windows apps and continued to block off storage. After a few reboots, I decided to just go straight into recovery and reformat.
Perhaps I'm new to Mac, but completely frustrating on the instructions how to wipe the hard drive and install. After I wiped my "Mac HD - DATA", I was unable to do so for Mac HD. I then was locked out of MAC HD (the main drive) and now it shows the space as "inaccessible". No matter what I do (repaid utility, etc) I can't gain access to MAC HD.
Trying to recover via wifi proved futile, as the computer would just send it back to the globe and pick another wifi.
Eventually, I just said screw it and now am installing Catalina on Mac HD - Data drive, and it says 2 hours to go!
Overall, with the hype on the new processors, this MBA definitely ain't cut for parallels if you need to switch back and forth.
If there was no CoVid, probably make the trek to the apple store. But, for now will hope that the reinstall is successful, and I can install Windows afterwards. Probably return this MBA once the stores re-open.
Is the fan on 24/7 while running parallels common with the Macbook Pro?