As an IT professional, I’m often asked “Which laptop should I buy?” Although my answer has always been Apple’s MacBook Air due to its portability, performance, and price trio, and my “customers” have always been happy with that recommendation, I’ve been met with some disapproval recently.
“The screen is too small”, I am often told. “The same laptop, but bigger, would be perfect.”
It must be said that for a long time the MacBook range was somewhat unbalanced. If you wanted a bigger screen, you had to pay more and look into the MacBook Pro line, even if the extra power and ports weren’t necessary. In short, for most of the classic uses of classic users, it was one-upmanship.
In addition to a larger chassis, the new MacBook Air 15” shares the same strengths as the 13” model
That’s why the new MacBook Air 15” model changes everything and makes my job a whole lot easier.
There are some major omissions that make this not the laptop for me, but it’s definitely the newer option I’d recommend to everyone else.
Simply put, besides a larger chassis and a few upgrades under the hood, the new 15-inch MacBook Air shares the same goodies as last year’s 13-inch model. We named this latest ZDNET Product of the Year for its performance, portability, and price. And you get the same value propositions with this new 15-inch model.
More space, yet the same number of ports as the previous, smaller model
The design of the new MacBook is sleek and modern, with new elements such as flat edges, the camera notch and the MagSafe charging port, which have been carried over from Apple’s high-end laptops. What hasn’t been taken over are the extra ports and slots for HDMI and SD cards.
Port selection comparison between the 15-inch MacBook Air (left) and the 16-inch MacBook Pro (right). June Wan/ZDNET
OK, this is a MacBook Air, not a MacBook Pro. But there’s something wrong with having more space and yet the same number of ports as the previous, smaller model.
Thus, there are two USB-C ports aligned on the left and a 3.5mm headphone jack on the right. An extra USB-C port on the right side is all I ask for! That way charging the MacBook won’t feel like a tug of war game with my power outlet anymore.
The MagSafe charging port, along with the only two USB-C ports, are on the left side of the laptop. June Wan/ZDNET
I wouldn’t go so far as to say it goes unnoticed when stored in a backpack
The model I tested was in version starlight, which shines in golden and silver hues and does not retain fingerprints, unlike the Midnight version. Overall, this is one of the nicest 15-inch laptops I’ve used, and it’s a testament to Apple’s maturity when it comes to MacBook industrial design.
Although the 15” MacBook Air is relatively light (about 1.51 kg) compared to other large-screen laptops, I wouldn’t go so far as to say that it goes unnoticed when stored in a backpack. That was the case with the 13-inch Air that I lugged around at CES earlier this year, but not with this model.
It’s still a good compromise and it hurts my back less than the 16-inch MacBook Pro that I’m used to wearing every day. I have no problem recommending it to students, mobile workers and cafe goers, which isn’t often the case with 15-inch laptops.
The 15-inch MacBook Air still has a backlit keyboard with function keys. The trackpad is bigger than ever. June Wan/ZDNET
I prefer the fuller, richer sound of the MacBook Pro’s speakers, but for a $1400 price difference, I can live with the MacBook Air
To complement the design differences, the 15-inch MacBook Air features a six-speaker audio system, up from four last year. The sound still comes from the keyboard, not the sides, but the improvement is quite noticeable. Instead of having to turn up the volume of the MacBook to the maximum, which I often did with the 13 inch when I watched movies or listened to music in the kitchen, the 15 ” gives satisfaction from 75% of the volume.
If you want to dig deeper, I still prefer the fuller, bassier sound produced by the MacBook Pro speakers, but for a price difference of €1400, I can live with the version of the Macbook Air.
As for day-to-day performance, the MacBook Air, which comes with an M2 chip, 8-core CPU, and default 10-core GPU, handled my usual tasks of multi-browsing gracefully. windows, conference calls, photo and video editing, and media streaming. The absence of fans allows the Air to be virtually silent, even when running graphics and loading or unloading large video files.
The MacBook Air’s display reaches a brightness of 500 nits, which is just enough in most well-lit environments. June Wan/ZDNET
Able to export in 4K and edit RAW files
The laptop is capable of exporting in 4K to Adobe Premiere Pro and editing RAW files in Adobe Photoshop, but anything more intense like 3D modeling and animation will likely push the Air to its limit. . At this point, the MacBook Pro, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro are the bosses.
What I missed when testing the MacBook Air was the Pro line’s 120Hz ProMotion display. It took an hour or two for my eyes to adjust to the slower, less fluid 60Hz screen. The larger 15” screen didn’t make the transition any easier. In fact, he made the difference more obvious.
Final verdict on the 15-inch MacBook Air
The 15-inch MacBook Air has the same criticisms as the 13-inch model, like missing some ports and a slower refresh rate screen, which means it’s not the laptop you’re looking for. I need.
But for the rest, it has nothing to envy at the price of 1,600 €. My parents, who prefer a bigger and brighter screen, will love it. Likewise, anyone who has to wade through spreadsheets, undergraduates who are always on their feet and writing research papers. It’s the MacBook most people have been waiting for and it’s the one most people should buy.
Source: “ZDNet.com”