The 15" MacBook Air is Excellent! Why isn't it more popular?

[kschendel]

I have been very pleased with my 14" MBP. I like using it a lot more than the 15" MBA I had.

Care to expound? I'm not disagreeing, just curious as to what made the 14" MBP better for YOU than the 15" MBA.

After all, while preferences are subjective, there are (or, one can hope there are) objective drivers that might help others decide what might work best for them.

 

[Buadhai]

My 15 was delivered a couple of days ago but I just got around to setting it up this afternoon. Just a few surprises.

• It's lighter than I remember from my Apple Store experience. And, although it's big, it works perfectly the way I use it; sitting on the floor, leaning against a couch with the machine balanced between my legs and substantial gut. Just right.
• As is often the case with Apple gear, it came with the wrong plug:

Our outlets look like this in Thailand

This correct plug came with my M1 MBA

This abomination came with the 15" M2 MBA

It works OK if you're using a power strip on the floor where gravity holds it in, but not in a wall outlet where gravity causes it to fall to the floor. I'm sure this is intended for the European market where they have recessed outlets. We do not have such outlets in Thailand. I've complained to Apple about this many times, but, I guess they just don't care.

• Migration Assistant had to be temporarily suspended while the OS on the 15 was updated. The migration was quite fast using a Thunderbolt 4 cable. Less than 30 minutes to move everything from the M1 to the M2.
• Setup was aborted due to the same glitch that prevents me from adding my Capital One card to the Wallet on my M1. It says "Verification is required", but then says that no verification methods are available and freezes up the machine requiring a forced reboot. In the meantime, Capital One sent an email message saying that my card has been successfully added to Apple Wallet. It has not. I will give up on the Capital One card. It does however work on my Watch, iPhone, iPad and Intel iMac.
• When the machine restarted I expected the normal setup process to continue. It did not, but everything seems set up anyway.
• Command Line mail (msmtp) works; always hit-or-miss when migrating to a new machine.

One disappointment is that I still can't read the screen very well without my reading glasses. I'm just fine with my iPad and iPhone. In fact, I can read Kindle books on my iPhone with a very small typeface without glasses and without much effort.

Bottom line is that I'm very pleased with the size, weight and form factor. It's right for me; might not be right for you.

I will play more tomorrow and report any other strangeness or pleasant/unpleasant surprises.

BTW, my little M1 looks so forlorn sitting on the floor with a dark screen; unused. Fear not M1, you will be headed to the beach next week to replace an ancient (2009) White Unibody MacBook which has seen better days.

 

[Isamilis]

My 15 was delivered a couple of days ago but I just got around to setting it up this afternoon. Just a few surprises.

• It's lighter than I remember from my Apple Store experience. And, although it's big, it works perfectly the way I use it; sitting on the floor, leaning against a couch with the machine balanced between my legs and substantial gut. Just right.
• As is often the case with Apple gear, it came with the wrong plug:

Our outlets look like this in Thailand
View attachment 2323471

This correct plug came with my M1 MBA
View attachment 2323472

This abomination came with the 15" M2 MBA
View attachment 2323470
It works OK if you're using a power strip on the floor where gravity holds it in, but not in a wall outlet where gravity causes it to fall to the floor. I'm sure this is intended for the European market where they have recessed outlets. We do not have such outlets in Thailand. I've complained to Apple about this many times, but, I guess they just don't care.

• Migration Assistant had to be temporarily suspended while the OS on the 15 was updated. The migration was quite fast using a Thunderbolt 4 cable. Less than 30 minutes to move everything from the M1 to the M2.
• Setup was aborted due to the same glitch that prevents me from adding my Capital One card to the Wallet on my M1. It says "Verification is required", but then says that no verification methods are available and freezes up the machine requiring a forced reboot. In the meantime, Capital One sent an email message saying that my card has been successfully added to Apple Wallet. It has not. I will give up on the Capital One card. It does however work on my Watch, iPhone, iPad and Intel iMac.
• When the machine restarted I expected the normal setup process to continue. It did not, but everything seems set up anyway.
• Command Line mail (msmtp) works; always hit-or-miss when migrating to a new machine.

One disappointment is that I still can't read the screen very well without my reading glasses. I'm just fine with my iPad and iPhone. In fact, I can read Kindle books on my iPhone with a very small typeface without glasses and without much effort.

Bottom line is that I'm very pleased with the size, weight and form factor. It's right for me; might not be right for you.

I will play more tomorrow and report any other strangeness or pleasant/unpleasant surprises.

BTW, my little M1 looks so forlorn sitting on the floor with a dark screen; unused. Fear not M1, you will be headed to the beach next week to replace an ancient (2009) White Unibody MacBook which has seen better days.

I have both M2 13” and 15”. The charger block in 15” (same with the above picture) is larger - probably also slightly heavier even though both are same 35w, which is a bit disappointing. Also, battery health in 15” is a bit worse than in 13” (15” started with 99% while my 6 months old M2 is still 102%).

 

[Saturn1217]

The people it appeals to most, ie those who use a computer enough to value a larger screen, overlaps significantly with users who begin wondering if a MBP is a better buy. Apple gimped the 15" MBA a little too much IMO. I was really excited about it. I've always wanted a laptop in that form factor. But the lack of IO is just too limiting so I'm sticking with the 14" MBP even though I would prefer to have the 15" MBA form factor. Add in the fact that you can't buy a non-BTO version with >8gb of ram and there are a lot of reasons why the 15" MBA looks like a bad deal on paper even though the form factor is great for many.

 

[smirking]

So, what next? I like the idea of the larger 15" screen on the MBA (16/512), but would I find it awkward to balance something that large on my lap while sitting on the floor? For just a bit more money I could get the 14" M3 MBP (16/512), but that seems a bit heavy and bulky for real laptop use. On the other hand, the better performance and stunning display are impossible to ignore.

This is slightly tangential, but have you tried getting a lapdesk? Something like this one?

Multi Tasking Lap Desk with Memory Foam Cushion | Wrist Rest Cushion | Fits Lapt 313094787765 | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Multi Tasking Lap Desk with Memory Foam Cushion | Wrist Rest Cushion | Fits Lapt at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

I've had back, neck, and pelvic pain my entire life. I manage it well, but it keeps changing on my as I get older. I've moved from one chair to another, to the floor, to hard chairs only, to having to be semi-reclined. One thing I highly recommend is a lap desk for when you're not working at a proper surface. It doesn't just improve the viewing angle of your laptop, it also makes it a lot more easy to use it in different body postures.

I have several lap desks. Each serves a slightly different purpose. I have a larger one similar to the one I linked to. That shape and that hard squared wrist rest allows me to comfortably use my 16" MBP in a slightly reclined position. It also makes it much more comfortable to use it in my lap. If you've ever had the problem of the edge of the laptop digging into your palms, a lapdesk fixes that because you no longer have to rest your palm against the edge of the case to prevent it from shifting.

The lap desks are also handy as makeshift standing desks too. If I want to stand and I'm not near my standing desk, I can usually find a surface that I can place the lap desk on with a few more things to prop up the height a little more and have myself a makeshift standing workstation anywhere I go.

BTW, the lapdesk I linked to is a small lapdesk. I prefer the larger ones. It lets me add a trackball or an external SSD more comfortably.

 

[turbineseaplane]

I haven't bought one because I'd like 16GB/2TB for the config

..which adds eight HUNDRED dollars to the config

+$800 ... for what costs Apple probably $50-80

It's just mob level extortion and I refuse to participate

 

[jimmy_uk]

Is it a bad idea to get the 15" M2 right now with M3 on the horizon? I've got to eat the upgrade costs and stick with the Air as I cannot use the MiniLED MB's. I'm planning on 1TB 24GB. With the higher cost, I'm contemplating continuing to wait until the M3 to feel a bit better about the UK sticker price (get the latest & greatest). I have waited a year already.....(but I have waited a year already!)

 

[MRxROBOT]

Is it a bad idea to get the 15" M2 right now with M3 on the horizon? I've got to eat the upgrade costs and stick with the Air as I cannot use the OLED MB's. I'm planning on 1TB 24GB. With the higher cost, I'm contemplating continuing to wait until the M3 to feel a bit better about the UK sticker price (get the latest & greatest). I have waited a year already.....(but I have waited a year already!)

Why can't you use OLED and which MacBook has OLED?

 

[jimmy_uk]

Why can't you use OLED and which MacBook has OLED?

Sorry meant miniLED (causes eye strain). I've read the most positive reports from the sensitive eye folk that the 15" Air is OK. Of course the smarter money would be to get the MBP 14" if you start throwing multiple upgrades on the MBA, but as it's not an option for me 🤷‍♂️ + I like a fanless machine anyway.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Care to expound? I'm not disagreeing, just curious as to what made the 14" MBP better for YOU than the 15" MBA.

After all, while preferences are subjective, there are (or, one can hope there are) objective drivers that might help others decide what might work best for them.

1) I prefer the smaller form factor of the 14" MBP on the desk, recliner, couch, or bed over the 15" MBA.
2) I needed a bigger SSD and the release of the 14" MBP made the decision very easy with a 2TB upgrade.
3) I really didn't need more RAM but, I figured as long as I was doing a BTO, why not splurge and get 36GB?
4) The extra ports have come in handy although I haven't used them on a daily basis. I do have a OWD dock but, I do like not being tethered to the desk.
5) I readiy noticed the promotion of the 14" although the MBA not having it was never a sore point of contention in day to day use.

I could have gotten along just fine with my 15" MBA. However, I wouldn't have been 100% happy in all areas of Mac use and that was the impetus in me getting the 14" MBP.

 

[saber32au]

It works OK if you're using a power strip on the floor where gravity holds it in, but not in a wall outlet where gravity causes it to fall to the floor. I'm sure this is intended for the European market where they have recessed outlets. We do not have such outlets in Thailand. I've complained to Apple about this many times, but, I guess they just don't care.

That's a real shame. Apple (as a minimum) should have allowed you to swap the plug adapter from the euro version for the US version (which is what you need) given the plug adapter is readily removable from the charger body...

Of course Apple sells the travel adapter kit separately:

Apple World Travel Adapter Kit

The Apple World Travel Adapter Kit lets you connect to electrical outlets around the world with seven unique AC plugs.

www.apple.com

Though I suspect you could you could find a cheaper version in Thailand or via Ali express...or just buy the by the US plug adapter version only...

 

[ThomasJL]

Well, after reading through this thread and a few others I finally ordered a 15" M2 MBA (16/512). Thanks to all those who contributed. I certainly hope it's as bad/good as everyone noted.

The M1 MBA that I bought as an experiment earlier this year will replace this old beast which has clearly seen better days:

View attachment 2320386

BTW, the new purchase has been fully endorsed by my frugal, incredibly rational spouse.

Nice! The white plastic MacBooks were great machines back in the day.

On your keyboard, aside from the numeral and symbol keys, I noticed your keycaps have three different kinds of characters. One is Roman characters. What are the other two kinds of characters?

 

[woolypants]

I am surprised this computer apparently hasn't sold as well as people expected - maybe because of the timing of its release?

It is a huge screen, but very light - I can get much more of my work on the screen than on the 13". Seems like a great computer for both travel and for parking at home. When I need a portable machine with a lower footprint, I can use an iPad (say on something like an airplane).

A rule of thumb is that people prefer laptops to be small. Not too small, of course. But 14in seems to be the sweet spot and has been for years (for decades laptop screens were 12 or 13in). It allows the full viewport on desktop websites, for example.

Bigger screens are awesome but people need to learn this for themselves, unfortunately, and there's not really any mechanism for them to do so. Facts and figures in a spec sheet on, say, Amazon, will always favour the concept of smaller laptops.

 

[Amplelink]

Care to expound? I'm not disagreeing, just curious as to what made the 14" MBP better for YOU than the 15" MBA.

After all, while preferences are subjective, there are (or, one can hope there are) objective drivers that might help others decide what might work best for them.

The screen on the 14" MBP is better than the 15" MBA. Blacks are blacker, one has HDR the other one doesn't, etc. MBP also has one extra port and an SD card slot which can be helpful for those who want it. MBP has much better speakers. And it's overall a smaller footprint. There are many reasons why one would choose the MBP over the MBA.

 

[x34]

The screen on the 14" MBP is better than the 15" MBA. Blacks are blacker, one has HDR the other one doesn't, etc. MBP also has one extra port and an SD card slot which can be helpful for those who want it. MBP has much better speakers. And it's overall a smaller footprint. There are many reasons why one would choose the MBP over the MBA.

that discussion though. just be happy that variety exists.

 

[ric22]

My 15 was delivered a couple of days ago but I just got around to setting it up this afternoon. Just a few surprises.

• It's lighter than I remember from my Apple Store experience. And, although it's big, it works perfectly the way I use it; sitting on the floor, leaning against a couch with the machine balanced between my legs and substantial gut. Just right.
• As is often the case with Apple gear, it came with the wrong plug:

Our outlets look like this in Thailand
View attachment 2323471

This correct plug came with my M1 MBA
View attachment 2323472

This abomination came with the 15" M2 MBA
View attachment 2323470
It works OK if you're using a power strip on the floor where gravity holds it in, but not in a wall outlet where gravity causes it to fall to the floor. I'm sure this is intended for the European market where they have recessed outlets. We do not have such outlets in Thailand. I've complained to Apple about this many times, but, I guess they just don't care.

• Migration Assistant had to be temporarily suspended while the OS on the 15 was updated. The migration was quite fast using a Thunderbolt 4 cable. Less than 30 minutes to move everything from the M1 to the M2.
• Setup was aborted due to the same glitch that prevents me from adding my Capital One card to the Wallet on my M1. It says "Verification is required", but then says that no verification methods are available and freezes up the machine requiring a forced reboot. In the meantime, Capital One sent an email message saying that my card has been successfully added to Apple Wallet. It has not. I will give up on the Capital One card. It does however work on my Watch, iPhone, iPad and Intel iMac.
• When the machine restarted I expected the normal setup process to continue. It did not, but everything seems set up anyway.
• Command Line mail (msmtp) works; always hit-or-miss when migrating to a new machine.

One disappointment is that I still can't read the screen very well without my reading glasses. I'm just fine with my iPad and iPhone. In fact, I can read Kindle books on my iPhone with a very small typeface without glasses and without much effort.

Bottom line is that I'm very pleased with the size, weight and form factor. It's right for me; might not be right for you.

I will play more tomorrow and report any other strangeness or pleasant/unpleasant surprises.

BTW, my little M1 looks so forlorn sitting on the floor with a dark screen; unused. Fear not M1, you will be headed to the beach next week to replace an ancient (2009) White Unibody MacBook which has seen better days.

Technically both of those adapters you pictured are now incorrect, though the new one you dislike is at least compatible, seemingly. Thailand has developed its own standard connector, which was a weird thing to do when you consider how many good ones there already were...

 

[Dominican]

Agreed. I was initially really excited about the MBA 15 because I loved my M1 MBA. I bought a Starlight MBA 15 earlier this year but ultimately returned it. I upgraded to 16GB/1TB and after a week of use I realized I needed more power for just light photo/video editing. It was thin and svelte but felt a tad too big, the "lunch tray" analogy fits.

Ultimately I preferred the higher-resolution, better display, and better performance of the MBP 14.

I just saw somebody else do the opposite doing MacBook Air instead.. there’s no perfect choice it depends on individual preference …

 

[dizmonk]

Apple has truly made this incredibly confusing. I'm comfortable with my 15 Air but a private sale of it and a $100-200 would get me a base m3 14... I'm so confused.