MB to MBA?

[happy orchard]

Hello! I currently have a 12-inch MacBook that I love so much it's my second. I know there's talk of a new 12" and talk of new laptops possibly coming this Applemas season; however, I'm curious about the latest MBA and how it might compare to what I love about the MB.

I like that the MB does NOT have a fan (so is never noisy): does the MBA have a fan? If so, what's your experience with it been like?

I love the weight and the edges. I actually use the laptop in my lap, so the MBP felt heavier than I liked and old MBAs sometimes felt like they were slightly kniving my skin.

What I'm thinking I'll like about the MBA: the slightly extra screen, the Touch ID, and the upgraded specs.

If anybody has any knowledge or experience they'd like to share, I'd enjoy and appreciate it. Thank you!

 

[NeonIbis]

A few weeks ago I moved from a 2015 12-inch MacBook to the 2020 MacBook Air (i7/16/512). It is appreciably heavier when holding it one-handed but not really when used on my lap or in a backpack. The fan is a bit annoying when it comes on, but that's only occasionally and usually only for a few seconds. I slightly preferred the look of the 12-inch. But that's it for negatives (and only minor ones). The new MBA is MUCH faster, the keyboard is MUCH better (I actually use it, whereas I would always use an external keyboard with the MB), and I appreciate the slightly larger screen. Upgrading was the right choice for me... Hope that helps!

 

[Erehy Dobon]

The noise of the MacBook Air's fan is a topic that has been beaten to death in this subforum.

I went from a MacBook 2017 (with its abysmal keyboard and thermally-crippled CPU) to a MacBook Air 2019 (i7 CPU). The latter was superior in the primary key metrics that I cared about: performance, keyboard quality, screen, Thunderbolt 3 port. There are too many compromises in the MacBook 2017 and I'm not surprised that Apple discontinued it without a replacement.

The MacBook Air 2019's fan is definitely audible and it's not particularly pleasant. Compared to my current three computers (Mac mini 2018, Acer Swift 3 ultrathin notebook, and custom built Windows PC) the MacBook Air 2019 was the noisiest of all of them.

The quietest? The custom built PC.

A few weeks ago I finally ditched the MacBook Air. While the Acer Swift 3 is definitely inferior in most ways to the Air, the former is still enough to fill my needs for a mobile computer. The Acer Swift 3 does have a fan but it's much quieter than my old MacBook Air even when I max out the CPU (e.g., Handbrake transcode).

I missed the Air's trackpad, better screen, and better fingerprint ID pad. But with COVID-19 related restrictions, notebook computing is an infrequent occurence these days.

Easier on my tired old eyes to work on a 32" QHD monitor and my aging hands with a full-sized keyboard with good key travel.

The notebook computer goes unused for days.

By contrast, my aging 5th generation Retina iPad mini is getting more use than ever before.

 

[ghanwani]

...old MBAs sometimes felt like they were slightly kniving my skin.

Indeed they had really sharp edges, enough that it kept me from buying one. The new MBA is similar to the MB and the edges are smooth.

 

[ghanwani]

I went from a MacBook 2017 (with its abysmal keyboard and thermally-crippled CPU) to a MacBook Air 2019 (i7 CPU).

Do you mean 2019 with an i5 or 2020 with an i7? There was no i7 for the 2019 MBA, just the 8th gen dual core i5.

I have a 2019 with an i5 and the machine is super quiet (fan rarely turns on) and super cool. I do run on battery nearly 100% of the time. Using it while plugged in feels a bit warmer, but it's still very quiet. With the 2020's the i3 is supposed to be the best bet for a quiet & cool experience, but I can't vouch for that myself.

 

[Erehy Dobon]

Sorry, my Air was an i5 2019. My Mac mini 2018 is i7. Too many model numbers to keep track of.

The i5 2019 Air's fan didn't come on frequently but when it did the noise was grating.

My Acer Swift 3 has a 10th gen i5 (4 core/8 thread) Ice Lake-U CPU, Intel UHD Integrated Graphics 920. Quietest notebook computer I've used apart from the fanless MacBook 2017.

 

[happy orchard]

A few weeks ago I moved from a 2015 12-inch MacBook to the 2020 MacBook Air (i7/16/512). It is appreciably heavier when holding it one-handed but not really when used on my lap or in a backpack. The fan is a bit annoying when it comes on, but that's only occasionally and usually only for a few seconds. I slightly preferred the look of the 12-inch. But that's it for negatives (and only minor ones). The new MBA is MUCH faster, the keyboard is MUCH better (I actually use it, whereas I would always use an external keyboard with the MB), and I appreciate the slightly larger screen. Upgrading was the right choice for me... Hope that helps!

It does help: thank you! I'm happy to hear that the change worked well for you; I know that it hasn't for everybody. I definitely like all of your positives!

 

[happy orchard]

Indeed they had really sharp edges, enough that it kept me from buying one. The new MBA is similar to the MB and the edges are smooth.

Yay! Thank you for sharing that tidbit of knowledge: that is really helpful and good to know.

 

[happy orchard]

The noise of the MacBook Air's fan is a topic that has been beaten to death in this subforum.

I went from a MacBook 2017 (with its abysmal keyboard and thermally-crippled CPU) to a MacBook Air 2019 (i7 CPU). The latter was superior in the primary key metrics that I cared about: performance, keyboard quality, screen, Thunderbolt 3 port. There are too many compromises in the MacBook 2017 and I'm not surprised that Apple discontinued it without a replacement.

The MacBook Air 2019's fan is definitely audible and it's not particularly pleasant. Compared to my current three computers (Mac mini 2018, Acer Swift 3 ultrathin notebook, and custom built Windows PC) the MacBook Air 2019 was the noisiest of all of them.

The quietest? The custom built PC.

A few weeks ago I finally ditched the MacBook Air. While the Acer Swift 3 is definitely inferior in most ways to the Air, the former is still enough to fill my needs for a mobile computer. The Acer Swift 3 does have a fan but it's much quieter than my old MacBook Air even when I max out the CPU (e.g., Handbrake transcode).

I missed the Air's trackpad, better screen, and better fingerprint ID pad. But with COVID-19 related restrictions, notebook computing is an infrequent occurence these days.

Easier on my tired old eyes to work on a 32" QHD monitor and my aging hands with a full-sized keyboard with good key travel.

The notebook computer goes unused for days.

By contrast, my aging 5th generation Retina iPad mini is getting more use than ever before.

I keep wondering if that’s a little positive coming out of this pandemic, that we’re using some little-used devices. It’s great that you’re finding what works best for you. I wondered if the MBA fan might be that annoying.

 

[Erehy Dobon]

Actually your interpretation of what's happening regarding device utilization is not applicable to my situation.

I jettisoned the MacBook Air because I wasn't using it and a cheapo ultrathin Windows PC could do what the Air does at half the price.

The custom built PC was created a month ago. That was for pleasure, it's a really a gaming PC; I don't use it for work.

The main COVID-19 effect is that it prompted me to kick the MacBook Air to the curb.

I still have a ton of Apple devices in the house (Mac mini 2018, iPhone XS, five-year-old iPad mini 4, geriatric Apple TV 4th gen, iPod touch 6th gen). The simple fact was that the Air didn't add any real functionality in mid-2020 for my specific usage case.

Looking at all of my Apple hardware utilization the only Apple device that I am using more today than six months ago is the iPad mini 4. And that's probably a modest 10-15% increase, nothing major. I was already using it pretty heavily pre-pandemic.