As a purchaser of the 2020 i3 MBA, many people are asking me after the M1 announcement whether I regret it? Absolutely not! I love this device, works flawlessly with Big Sur, and nothing I use my Air for requires more power than I have (As you can imagine I'm a fairly light user).
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The 2020 MBA buyers' no regrets thread!
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I love my early 2020 i3 MBA. It has been flawless. I am also very excited about the new M1 Macs. The new 2020 M1 MBAs look like terrific machines. So, I can hold two ideas in my head without having regrets.
For my needs, I will probably wait a couple of years to upgrade. I want to give Apple some time to work out any issues with the new processors. Also, I want to see how Apple leverages the M1 technology into a new form factor for the MBA. I envision an edge to edge screen and lighter device that takes advantage of the M series power efficiency to use a smaller lighter battery but still maintains exceptional life. A better camera would be nice too.
Anyway, I can wait without having any regrets. In the meantime, I am excited for others who are buying new M1 MBAs now. I am sure they will love their computers as much as I love mine.
For my needs, I will probably wait a couple of years to upgrade. I want to give Apple some time to work out any issues with the new processors. Also, I want to see how Apple leverages the M1 technology into a new form factor for the MBA. I envision an edge to edge screen and lighter device that takes advantage of the M series power efficiency to use a smaller lighter battery but still maintains exceptional life. A better camera would be nice too.
Anyway, I can wait without having any regrets. In the meantime, I am excited for others who are buying new M1 MBAs now. I am sure they will love their computers as much as I love mine.
No regrets here either - this computer literally saved our family during COVID; it enabled me to work at home, watch the kids while my wife was hospitalized for 6 weeks during the first, hard lockdown period.
I'll happily, as I've already done, upgrade to the m1 variant - it's time to replace a school laptop anyway.
I'll happily, as I've already done, upgrade to the m1 variant - it's time to replace a school laptop anyway.
U saved $79? Don’t get me wrong but that would not trigger me
It triggered me. That's 50 Junior Chickens at McDonalds.
It's not just an M1 thats different. Its lower power requirements which gives alot more battery life, lower power keeps your lap cooler, P3 color gormet screen which alone is worth the price difference any clearanced intel macbook air that you might get and the biggest difference is with the CPU and GPU
You are getting a 410.158% increase in multicore CPU processing, and 78.8971% increase in single core processing speed. This difference is like having a Corvette vs a Civic. This also doesnt even include the big GPU upgrades that are also with the M1 macbooks.
M1
I3
By the end of the year all the old intel laptops will see a drastic reduction in resale value. The differences between the new computers is huge, more than people realize. Anyone that still has a chance to return theirs for an M1 should really consider it. This laptop is more powerful than any previous macbook. I have a strange feeling that once the next set of macbooks come out with the M10 (12 core) processors apple will really take over a lot of the laptop marketshare.
You are getting a 410.158% increase in multicore CPU processing, and 78.8971% increase in single core processing speed. This difference is like having a Corvette vs a Civic. This also doesnt even include the big GPU upgrades that are also with the M1 macbooks.
M1
MacBookAir10,1 - Geekbench
Benchmark results for a MacBookAir10,1 with an Apple Silicon processor.
browser.geekbench.com
I3
MacBook Air (Early 2020) - Geekbench
Benchmark results for a MacBook Air (Early 2020) with an Intel Core i3-1000NG4 processor.
browser.geekbench.com
By the end of the year all the old intel laptops will see a drastic reduction in resale value. The differences between the new computers is huge, more than people realize. Anyone that still has a chance to return theirs for an M1 should really consider it. This laptop is more powerful than any previous macbook. I have a strange feeling that once the next set of macbooks come out with the M10 (12 core) processors apple will really take over a lot of the laptop marketshare.
I beg to differ, this is all pure conjecture right now, nobody outside Apple has really put the M1 through real world tests, synthetic benchmarks don’t mean much, we will know more over coming weeks. Also I remember the ppc to Intel transition, how running software on Rosetta slowed things to a crawl and how buggy the first native release of applications were, if you are willing to be a beta tester and go through a potentially “bumpy” transition process, good for you.
I got such a great deal on my i5/512 at launch, its hard to REALLY have any regrets.
and its served me well all year
ill get an Apple silicon laptop probably sooner than the next 3 years, but my 2010 still has plenty of life left in it as it is haha
plus I don't wanna pay for a 512gb Air near msrp again soon, and it's a nice to have. I'm glad I opted for it
and its served me well all year
ill get an Apple silicon laptop probably sooner than the next 3 years, but my 2010 still has plenty of life left in it as it is haha
plus I don't wanna pay for a 512gb Air near msrp again soon, and it's a nice to have. I'm glad I opted for it
I regret not sticking with the base i3 - the i5 has caused me quite a lot of problems, particularly with thermals and fan noise.
I've spoken to Apple CS about ongoing issues, but if they're not willing to exchange, I'll move it on via eBay then pick up a replacement i3 or M1 MBA.
I've spoken to Apple CS about ongoing issues, but if they're not willing to exchange, I'll move it on via eBay then pick up a replacement i3 or M1 MBA.
I've had both the i3 and i5 Air and I couldn't tell a difference in either as far as speed goes. Both ran flawlessly. I ended up refunding both of them and just sticking with my 2018 Air. Other than the keyboard, the 2018 Air gave me the same computing experience as the 2020 Air. Of course, now that the M1 Air is out, I might be changing my tune...
Nothing to worry about. Macrumors just posted about the early adoption emulation and how it works on the M1.
Apple Silicon M1 Emulating x86 is Still Faster Than Every Other Mac in Single Core Benchmark
The first native benchmarks of Apple's M1 chip appeared on the Geekbench site last week showing impressive native performance. Today, new...
www.macrumors.com
This i fully agree with and anyone who pays the current price for any intel mac is really shooting them selves in the foot. As techguy9 said, "Apple M1 Macs: Fastest Intel Mac you will ever have".
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I just bought an i3 and have heard a few people say this about the i3 vs i5. Do you know the reason ?
Again, synthetic benchmarks, we will know what reality is like very soon!Nothing to worry about. Macrumors just posted about the early adoption emulation and how it works on the M1.
Apple Silicon M1 Emulating x86 is Still Faster Than Every Other Mac in Single Core Benchmark
The first native benchmarks of Apple's M1 chip appeared on the Geekbench site last week showing impressive native performance. Today, new...
This i fully agree with and anyone who pays the current price for any intel mac is really shooting them selves in the foot. As techguy9 said, "Apple M1 Macs: Fastest Intel Mac you will ever have".
Still love my Air 2019 hardly use it these days only use my Air for Netflix and youtube and uploading videos to youtube....will upgrade this Air in 2022....
I bought a i5/8/512 at launch. Been a great little machine. I wanted a new Mac so I went with it. At the time the M1 wasn’t announced yet and if you wait for the next one to be better, you’ll always be waiting.
I'm glad you guys feel good about it, but I have to be honest...
The news ones are SMOKING the old ones.
I'd seriously consider selling your units ASAP and jumping on the new train.
This is a wildly different scenario than the usual "there's a new one that's a little better"
The news ones are SMOKING the old ones.
I'd seriously consider selling your units ASAP and jumping on the new train.
This is a wildly different scenario than the usual "there's a new one that's a little better"
I understand your point, but I think it really depends on how you use your computer. If I bought an i5 or i7 MBA with the hopes of using it for video editing and coding, then it might be worth bitting the bullet and jumping on the train. In my case, I bought the base i3 for basic productivity and "everyday" use: Mail, Safari, Notes, Photos, iWork, MS Office, Preview, etc.. I don't render video. I might do an occasional short simple iMovie, which are really glorified slide show of family photos. Anyway, I almost never hear the fan on my MBA. I wouldn't notice the performance enhancement that much for what I am doing. I mean, right now Apps load almost instantaneously on my current MBA as it is, so the M1 won't change my life that much. Better battery life would be the biggest benefit to me, but after 3 months of use, I have yet to run my battery down below 50% during the day.....so, this is not that compelling for my use right now.
Bottom-line: I am willing to wait until Apple refines the M processor and optimizes the MBA form factor with edge to edge screen. Perhaps a better camera as well.
In no way am I knocking the new M1 MBAs. I think they are great. If I needed a new computer right now, I would buy one. But, I have a new computer that does everything I want/need. Ergo, no regrets.
I guess I look at it from a resale point of view..
I think in a couple months time, Intel Macs that have been replaced by M1 versions are simply going to tank in value.
If I had one that was as new as a 2020, I'd sell it ASAP simply to not get hammered on resale value.
Re: Camera -- Totally agree. A complete miss by Apple not doing any kind of upgrade to that.
I'm sorry, but I simply don't believe there is not a better camera they could fit in that space/thin area.
resell is probably already tanked
unless there are buyers out there just skeptical of the new chip transition and want the last of the previous architecture
When it comes to resell, I am super lazy. I either give my older laptop to a family member that doesn't care about owning the most current tech, or I trade-in at the Apple or Big Box store. I am not sure how this new processor is going to affect trade-in value at large retailers. In the past, trade-ins have felt kind of formulaic. Anyway, I wouldn't rush my decision to upgrade over resale or trade-in value. I just as soon wait to see how Apple refines the battery, form factor, and passive cooling of future MBAs with the next generation M processors. Exciting times.