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Reactions to new MBA?!

The MBA series is for the masses, students, etc. For sure there is a lot of opportunity still out on the table. For us 12" MacBook owners seeking a replacement, we just have to be patient. For sure the whole idea of switching to Apple Silicon is that finally we will get a laptop less than the current 2.03 lbs that the MacBook weighs. The idea here I'm sure is to deliver another true executive (email/web use) laptop that blows our socks off. Its coming, and its coming because they can and Steve would have it no other way. Its just a bummer that supply chain issues and manufacturing are in the way right now. Remember, Apple always under promises and over delivers....so, easy does it because they don't want to push the constraints of manufacturing right now anymore than they already are. For sure the design is done and Tim is probably using the prototype model. The new MBA is only 0.1 lbs lighter than the old one, so then for sure they can make it under 2 lbs with AS....patience my friends. I don't like it either but good things await in due time!
 
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Reactions: Makisupa Policeman, Saturn007, MajorFubar and 1 other person
whitby said:
The escalating prices of new technology, poor availability and terrible trade in values on <2 year old machines has me thinking that Apple has, indeed, lost its way.
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Apple has always been about making money so how did it lose its way, haha?

escalating prices: inflation (still better than food prices)
availability: COVID
trade-in value: market is flooded w/ Apple products (blame popularity)
 
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Reactions: AlexMac89
I like the new MacBook Air M2.

But I think it's one MBA generation too late, it's what the first Apple Silicon MacBook Air should have been.

When comparing the M1 and the M2 MBA, I feel the spec and design upgrades to the MBA M2 are too close to the M1 version. And the design differences are something Apple easily could have pulled off two years ago.

But overall, I like the MBA M2. It's just a little underwhelming and doesn't stand out enough design and spec wise from MBA M1 or the MBP M1s "notch display" design. I wish it looked more different from MBPs.
 
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Reactions: Makisupa Policeman
I like the new MacBook Air, I would have liked the colours and white keyboard and bezels personally but that’s just me.

However, I do have a theory on why those leaks seemed so prevalent…

We heard rumours of loads of new colours, white bezels and an M1 chip…

I have a feeling that colourful MacBook Air is likely going to end up being a MacBook with M1 and will be the replacement for the current M1 Air…

I also think the reason why the old MacBook Pro is pointlessly sticking around is because that is going to be replaced with a larger sized MacBook Air.

So the line up will go something like…

M1 MacBook - $999
(White bezels/colours replacing the current M1 Air)

M2 MacBook Air 13.6” - $1199

M2 MacBook Air 15.?” - $1499
(Replacing current 13” MBP with Touch Bar)

MacBook Pro 14” - $1999
MacBook Pro 16” - $2499
 
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Reactions: Saturn007, Makisupa Policeman and TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️
James Godfrey said:
I like the new MacBook Air, I would have liked the colours and white keyboard and bezels personally but that’s just me.

However, I do have a theory on why those leaks seemed so prevalent…

We heard rumours of loads of new colours, white bezels and an M1 chip…

I have a feeling that colourful MacBook Air is likely going to end up being a MacBook with M1 and will be the replacement for the current M1 Air…

I also think the reason why the old MacBook Pro is pointlessly sticking around is because that is going to be replaced with a larger sized MacBook Air.

So the line up will go something like…

M1 MacBook - $999
(White bezels/colours replacing the current M1 Air)

M2 MacBook Air 13.6” - $1199

M2 MacBook Air 15.?” - $1499
(Replacing current 13” MBP with Touch Bar)

MacBook Pro 14” - $1999
MacBook Pro 16” - $2499
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The white M1 Macbook air was just Kuo being wrong again. Apple will never do an white bezel M1 macbook air, too late for that,since the M1 is already a generation behind, apple never invest much in older SoC generation devices
But yes, i would love to have a green colour Mba, like the imac. Since they already have blue and red substitions of the core blue red and green pallet. I think space grey and midnight are closer, and Apple should replace the space grey with a green colour for more diversificate color palette
On your line up you should change that M1 white bezels with an Macbook SE 799 and the standard MBA 999 and you are good
 
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parseckadet said:
Users: Apple you've really got to give us better web cams on your Macs to make things like video conference calls better.
Apple: We've got great news for you! Now you can spend $1000 more to buy an iPhone, and then another $100 for an overpriced magnet to improve your video conference calls.
Users: 🤦‍♂️
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Incredible. There’s a new 1080p camera, and they claim it performs 2x better in low light. Doesn’t qualify as “better web camera”?

Also, they just gave you the option to use the top-notch iPhone camera with a $1 clip (search Amazon in a week), with a useful desktop view trick and you complain?

Holy…
 
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Reactions: AlexMac89
TL;DR: very nice machine, but too pricey in my opinion and I don't feel it brings significant improvements for my use case.

Well, having the last Intel MBA I'm always on the look for improvements, but, just my two cents:
  • pricing, at least in €, is ludicrous, we're talking 1529 € for the base model, 1759 € if you buy the base model with 16 GB of RAM, +230 € to get 512 GB of hard drive, the 10 GPU cores with 512 GB drive and 8 GB of RAM starts at 1879 €, this is absurd, at this price point in 2022 16 GB of RAM should be the norm, not only for Apple, but for every manufacturer selling a premium product, the same goes for Dell for their XPS line, still coming with 8 GB of RAM, but at least their base model does come with a 512 GB drive;
  • personally, I don't care about many features of this new laptop, I don't care about the improved webcam - just my opinion, but I don't think videoconferencing is here to stay or, at least, it won't be as big going on - or better microphones and speakers - at least for me, I use my laptop with AirPods Pro -, I would have loved an internal DAC, but I have no idea if this is even feasible;
  • my current Air's screen is plenty good for me, I've never felt the need to have more brightness, even its full brightness is too much for me, I just let MacOS set it automatically;
  • Magsafe is very nice to have;
  • unless the M2 chip does bring some revolutionary improvement regarding battery life and performance and, for my use case I highly doubt it - web browsing, word processing, e-mail, phone calls, video and music playback, some light presentations and flyer creation - I think I'll keep eyeing the M1 256/16 which would set me back 1459 € - at the moment I don't know how much money Apple would give me for my current Air -;
 
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Reactions: Saturn007
I think the new MBA hits everything it needed to. More robust design. Brigther screen (crucial). Better digital camera. It's a win, it's exactly what I would have done if I were trying to update it.
 
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Reactions: polee
I’m in the slightly underwhelmed group for this one. The screen size increase is marginal and will it really help for films, given the new aspect ratio and notch? My guess is we will have pretty much the same size image for 16:9 content. Yes it’s better for productivity but won’t those people just pay the £200 and get a pro?

Coming from an m1 air I don’t think I’ll be upgrading, which makes sense I suppose as these MacBooks aren’t meant for 2 year cycles!
 
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Reactions: Makisupa Policeman
No gold, I’m out. This color pallet is crap. Same old same old. Give us a blue or red or something. How about the iMac colors? Always so boring and dull with the laptops. The gold was the best color choice they offered….stands out really well…oh well.
 
Price is just wrong (in EU). My daughter desparately needed a new laptop (hers is over 5 yrs old and she's going to university). Plan was for myself to buy the M2 air and give her my M1 air. But I just can't justify paying 1.519 euro (!) for the base model M2 when the M1 is 999 new over here. So I bought my daughter a M1 Air (in gold of course) which she wanted anyway. The M1 is still a great little computer and perfect for a student at the 999 price point, no way I can even for myself justify 1.519 for the base M2. Should've been 1.199 for the base M2, 999 for the M1 base.
 
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Reactions: Saturn007, Geekett, mbp17forever and 3 others
Like the new version, but the price increase getting crazy (in EU) -
M2 MBA with 8CPU/10GPU, 16GB, 1TB cost 2300€,
while 14” MBP 10CPU/16GPU,16GB, 1TB cost 2450€ (full price 2750€), and M1 MBA 8CPU/8GPU, 16GB, 1TB 1740€.

Still wondering how the performance will be against the 14” MBP…
 
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Reactions: mbp17forever, avalon68 and calstanford
SkyFly78 said:
I’m in the slightly underwhelmed group for this one. The screen size increase is marginal and will it really help for films, given the new aspect ratio and notch? My guess is we will have pretty much the same size image for 16:9 content. Yes it’s better for productivity but won’t those people just pay the £200 and get a pro?

Coming from an m1 air I don’t think I’ll be upgrading, which makes sense I suppose as these MacBooks aren’t meant for 2 year cycles!
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it won't help for movies ,idts .horizontal res remains the same 2600 pixels you see.

MacBook aren't meant for 2 years cycle but it seems apple may want to give us only a mere 5 years updates...so the MBA only has 3/4 years of updates remaining
 
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cstm said:
Great, but the pricing in EU seems crazy. 2600 euros for an air with 10 core graphics/24gb memory/1tb ssd?
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Tell me about it, by the time you add 8 gb of ram from the € 1.879,00 model you are at 2109 euros vs the 14 with Pro chip at 2349

For 340 you are getting a faster CPU , 4 more GPU cores, 0.4 inches, more screen, 1 slot SDXC, 1 HDMI port, 1 thunderbolt port.

I feel good getting the 14 at Amazon for 2.010,85 in March.
 
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Reactions: avalon68
kc9hzn said:
I’m not sure to what extent VAT factors into the list price, but, if VAT has gone up, wouldn’t that mean that the list price has increased? I’m just spitballing reasons why the MBA might be so expensive in Europe.
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The prices in the EU/UK are always ridiculously overpriced. Look up the 16inch and it would make your head spin. They are starting to price themselves out of the mass market here. Even with phones. Most of my circle either have the SE models or have switched to android. I myself switched to a PC 15inch laptop, as have several colleagues. The thing is Macs used to be light years ahead in terms of usability, but thats just not the case anymore and there are many really nice non-mac laptops around for a fraction of the cost.
 
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Reactions: MajorFubar
Pricing is through the roof though on this side of the pond. $1199 in the states while the starting price here is £1249, despite the fact the exchange rate is allegedly $1.25 = £1 and the average salary in the US about $56K a year while ours is £31K.

In the States the MBA is almost a cheap notebook, while over here it's firmly in the premium-price range, biting at the heels of some seriously-spec'd competition. Its pretty screen and marginally-increased performance over the M1 don't make up for the fact it's priced itself out of the market here.
 
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