I first bought the lowest-priced MacBook Air which has the lowest capacity SSD of all available. When it showed up at my house, I was surprised at how sluggish it was. I read some reviews, and realized that Apple didn't make it clear (at least to me) that the lowest-priced Air also has a slower, dual core processor. It makes sense in hindsight, but I digress. I returned that Air, and replaced it with the 500+GB SSD and quad core processor. Wow! The difference in performance is marked! Multitasking, turning on from sleep, everything is MUCH quicker and smoother than with the dual core processor. If you can afford the higher-priced model, I really recommend it!
Overall, the MacBook Air is really a beautiful machine aesthetically. I the recycled aluminum exterior is slick and high-end. The onboard speaker won't ever be confused for an external sound system, but it is the best onboard speaker system I've heard. The Retina screen looks great; vibrant and detailed. I also love the large touch pad with the gestures.
My favorite aspect of the laptop is the OS. Out of the box this runs Catalina. I haven't owned a Mac since the iBook G4, but I got back into it without much exploring required. I like how easily it works with my iPhone XR as well. Getting texts on the laptop, or pushing a webpage on my iPhone to my Air is seamless and easy. Things just work. I needed to download updated drivers so that I could print wirelessly to my Canon laser printer, but that took five minutes. I also downloaded and installed Chrome for Mac, which I use for a few things, but Safari works very well for the sites I visit. I did have to buy a converter cable that switched from the onboard USB-C to a regular USB cable for a few attachments I have, but that was pretty cheap (especially for an Apple product). I wish the Air had one more USB-C port.
Some people hate the onboard camera. At first I was disappointed with it too. With all of this COVID business, I use my laptop to play D&D online with friends via Roll20. We use cameras to interact with each other, and although I found the onboard camera to be slightly grainy, it is very fluid. One of my friends commented that everyone else's video feed stuttered as they moved, but mine looked like he was watching TV. So, although it could be better, it is NOT horrible for my purposes. For the price we pay, Apple could beef up the camera, but it is what it is.
Sustainability features
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Energy efficiency
Conserves energy compared to similar products.
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EPEAT EPEAT addresses the sustainability impacts of electronic products. An EPEAT registered product must meet required criteria and can meet optional criteria. The criteria depend on the type of product and can include energy efficiency, reduction of fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-Gases), and end of life management. Products meeting 50% - 75% optional criteria are “Silver” and those meeting more than 75% are “Gold”.
Certification Level
GOLD Part of
Climate Pledge Friendly
Sustainability features
This product has sustainability features recognized by trusted certifications.
Energy efficiency
Conserves energy compared to similar products.
As certified by
EPEAT EPEAT addresses the sustainability impacts of electronic products. An EPEAT registered product must meet required criteria and can meet optional criteria. The criteria depend on the type of product and can include energy efficiency, reduction of fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-Gases), and end of life management. Products meeting 50% - 75% optional criteria are “Silver” and those meeting more than 75% are “Gold”.
Certification Level
GOLD Part of
Climate Pledge Friendly
Compare Apple Mac products
| Price | From: - | From: - | From: - |
| Ratings | (3,869) | (1,249) | (1,768) |
| Display | 13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit Retina display | 13-inch Retina Display | 13-inch Retina Display with True Tone |
| Processor | 1.1GHz dual-core 10th-generation Intel Core i3 processor with Turbo Boost up to 3.2GHz or 1.1GHz quad-core 10th-generation Intel Core i5 processor with Turbo Boost up to 3.8GHz | 1.6GHz dual-core 8th-generation Intel Core i5 processor with Turbo Boost up to 3.6GHz | 1.4GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 with Turbo Boost up to 3.9GHz |
| Battery | Up to 12 hours wireless web battery life | Up to 12 hours wireless web | Up to 10 hours wireless web |
| Touch Bar/ID | Touch ID | Touch ID | Touch Bar and Touch ID |
| Storage | 256GB or 512GB SSD | 128GB or 256GB SSD | 128GB or 256GB SSD |
| Weight | 2.8 pounds (1.29 kg) | 2.75 pounds (1.25 kg) | 3.02 pounds (1.37 kg) |
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Apple MacBook Air
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Reviews with images
MacBook Air Review (Intel i5 and 512SSD model)
Ordered this used and was very pleased with the product condition when it arrived. No visible scratches or blemishes. Easy to set up. Even though it does warm up sometimes it doesn’t get hot enough to the point where it was uncomfortable to use. Overall it is a very good laptop and I would recommend for any wanting to by a entry level mac.
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