MB air, only 0.2 lbs lighter than MB pro. What does the "air" mean

[chenbaozhen]

The new MacBook air is 0.1 lbs heavier than last gen, from 2.7lbs to 2.8lbs.
A MacBook pro 13 inch is only 3.0 lbs.
So what does the air mean? A lower price??

Missing the 12inch macbook so much. I have the MacBook 2017 and MacBook Air 2019.
The weight difference between 2.0 lbs and 2.7 lbs is really significant.
Now MBA is even heavier.

Really hope the 12in production line could come back.

 

[sub150]

iPad with MacOS in 2021 is probably your 2 lb laptop.

 

[Falhófnir]

The Pro is meant to be getting bigger (and therefore presumably heavier too) up to 14.1". When that's in place the Air name will make more sense again if you feel it really has to mean 'thinnest and lightest' computer.

 

[Juicy Box]

So what does the air mean?

It means less weight.

 

[Brien]

Kind of wish they’d drop the “Air” and go to 12”/14” MB and 14/16” Pro’s.

 

[Dulcimer]

Kind of wish they’d drop the “Air” and go to 12”/14” MB and 14/16” Pro’s.

This to me would be the ideal MacBook lineup. Some overlap on the screen sizes in the middle is perfect.

But my guess is that it won’t be relevant in a year or so since rumors suggest that Apple will have their own ARM Macs. I can see them doing an ARM MacBook to replace the currently outdated 12” MacBook (maybe give it some special name like MacBook X) while leaving the rest of the lineup, including the Air, on x86.

This way, they don’t alienate their “Pro” users too soon and while treating the ARM MacBook as a testbench to gradually develop the OS before transitioning the entire lineup within a few years.

 

[aajeevlin]

The new MacBook air is 0.1 lbs heavier than last gen, from 2.7lbs to 2.8lbs.
A MacBook pro 13 inch is only 3.0 lbs.
So what does the air mean? A lower price??

Missing the 12inch macbook so much. I have the MacBook 2017 and MacBook Air 2019.
The weight difference between 2.0 lbs and 2.7 lbs is really significant.
Now MBA is even heavier.

Really hope the 12in production line could come back.

I'm actually glad you brought this up. I have been eyeing a new Mac. I either want to go big and heavy or small and light. But I didn't realize the difference between Macbook Air and Macbook pro 13 was only 0.2 LB. Um...I'll have to take a look a bit more for sure.

 

[Chundles]

Lighter to hold and lighter on the wallet.

 

[ghanwani]

The new MacBook air is 0.1 lbs heavier than last gen, from 2.7lbs to 2.8lbs.
A MacBook pro 13 inch is only 3.0 lbs.
So what does the air mean? A lower price??

Physically, it means no touch bar & wedge design.

Of course, if you dig deeper there are a lot of differences in the specs.

Yes, I too am not too happy with the 0.05 lb weight gain (not 0.1 lb as you mention, see this which shows the weight as 2.75 lb). In this day and age, computers should only get lighter, but somehow Apple has figured out how to make them heavier (first the iPhones and now laptops).

 

[Jimmy James]

Apple laptops have needed to get heavier for thermal mass.

 

[ayres]

It’s a legacy term; a prisoner of its own success

 

[Macintosh.Rumors]

It means nothing and is just a brand customers recognize and have an emotional attachment to. The 2016 MacBooks were way lighter/thinner and portable than the 2018 Airs. They should have just killed the air and stuck with the MacBooks but since the air was extremely popular with basic users, they revived it and killed the MacBook. they knew they could sell more machines using the air brand and design, at the end of the day, Apple has shareholders To appease.
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Apple laptops have needed to get heavier for thermal mass.

just the pros, and it’s not even by much. It’s thicker, which obviously adds weight. But the main reason everyone here is missing, the magic keyboard needs a bit more space than the old butterfly Keys

 

[intelligence]

Air seems to mean lackluster cooling!