I swapped to the M1 MacBook Air for a solid week, so how did it hold up? Lets find out! The Best M3 MacBook Air Accessories YOU Can Buy! • The Best M3 MacBook Ai...
FOR EVERYONE approaching any Apple lineup in 2024: every single product is a marginal upgrade over the previous gen, so NO, you don't upgrade every year because that is stupid and a complete waste of materials. In every Apple lineup, the current upgrade time-frame is 3 years. I'm someone who sticks to a device for as long as possible, so to me 3 years are the minimum, but I get why others may want to upgrade more frequently. Even so, 3 years is the minimum currently required in order to get a significant upgrade over your older device, so pick your poison. I'd say 3 years for the iPhone, 2-3 years for a MB Pro used for work, 5 years for a MB Pro used for random stuff (so not work), 4 years for a MB Air used for random stuff and like 10-20 years for the iPads because their software is kinda dead....
@@colegrove00 from what I’ve seen on YT, and I’ve watched a ton of videos, YES. It’s actually the only notable upgrade in the Mac lineup right now, going from Intel to Apple silicon. I’d definitely recommend it
@@colegrove00The specs and benchmarks give an idea of the performance improvement of M series chips. But the bottom line is that you don't need to upgrade if your current device meets your needs.
@@brachiator1 I appreciate it. It was originally bought for an audio/video production machine but since I am way too busy, its just light browsing. Thanks for the tip!
@@nicolasb.henry294 I know right! I am an avid photographer and I do a lot of editing on my M2 air. It's a power house. Never had it glitch on me and I am running multiple different applications at times. I am curious to see how the M3 would be though. I am thinking of upgrading my M1 IMac soon.
M1 Macbook Air for $699 at Walmart is still the best Macbook Air out there value wise it's very hard to beat especially when the newer ones still has 8GB/256GB to start
@@Evstateofchargeaustralia some tests have shown that the M3 falls short of the M1.. not sure why, but they do even though they claim it is quicker. also the M2 and M3 only out performs the M1 in short burst. under heavy load the M2 and M3 thermal throttle down to being just slightly more efficient than a M1. having a M1 and 16 gigs of ram will actually out perform both the M2 and M3 base models.
@@cartorius interesting, should say I am a happy M1 Air owner. Still think it is good they dropped that single NAND set up. Suppose throttling will be an ever increasing issue with no fan to help thermal management and the chips likely running hotter and faster.
@@fightnight14 yeah had forgotten that, they only changed it on the M2. My understanding is 2 128GB NAND chips cost more than the single 256gb. Still pretty cheap by Apple.
That closed lid dual monitor news is music to my ears. I've been bouncing around on picking up a base refurb Pro M3 but hesitant at that one thing. I think that sealed the deal.
I had the M1 MBA until last night when it was stolen. 😭 I was super happy with it and not planning to upgrade, but having to replace it, I did the same config as you but in silver (classic, baby!).
I upgraded to the Mac M3 air 15.1 , 1 tig from a small M2 512 g, just wanted a larger computer . They both are very similar! Will keep this for at least 3 years ! I do love it!
Love these vids, I think this might be one of the most subjective topics to discuss. Some people like to buy the highest spec tools just to have them in case (even if it's a 1% chance they'll ever need the power). I have a friend who bought the highest spec Razer laptop, he uses it to check emails and run Minecraft/surf the web.. something a $200 laptop could do. I got my M1 Macbook Pro "used" basically like new from a friend who missed the return date and I paid just under $750 so I got very lucky at the time. I am still using my 11 Pro Max and it is doing great after 4.5 years. These products can last years and years if taken care of.
Still going to take a while for it to feel upgrading from my M1 Air. Got it with 16GB of RAM and it still runs everything I do extremely well. Definitely would be upgrading if I had an Intel machine though.
Hence why the m1 air has been dubbed by many as apples biggest mistake 😂 because its so damn fricking good its just hard to make a convincing argument to upgrade from one😅
RE: M2 vs. M3 and 13" vs. 15" I bought a 13" M2 MBA when it came out. I loved (and still love) the redesign, the brighter & slightly bigger display & smaller bezels, the much better webcam, and the addition of magsafe charging which frees up a USB-C port relative to the M1 MBA. If the 15" MBA was an option at that time, I would have bought it instead. The 13" display wasn't big enough for some of my most common workflows, so I plugged it into an external monitor quite often. The 15" M2 MBA did come out, and financially it was too soon for me to get another computer. When the M3 MBA was announced, I broke down and got the 15" M3 MBA model, which is perfect for me. I can now have two documents open side-by-side and they're each big enough to read. Other than the bigger display, the M3 MBA looks, feels, and works exactly like the M2 MBA. If I was in the market for a 13" Mac, I would definitely buy the M2 model and save a few hundred dollars - unless I really needed multiple display support, which I don't. My employer provided an M1 MBA to me a few years ago. The upgrade from that to either an M2 or M3 MBA is significant. Brighter display, much better webcam, and a few other niceties. That said, the M1 MBA is still a great computer, and if you don't like upgrading very often, you can definitely get another year or three of service from your M1 MBA. Each person's best option will depend on their circumstances. I'm just happy that there are so many compelling options - get an M2 model and save money, get an M3 model and get dual monitor support and more longevity, get an M1 MBA (or keep the one you have) and save a lot of money (Walmart is selling them new for $699!)
Ihave 2020 M1 8gb air. My first Apple product and it is great. Mostly because OS and how good battery life is. Only way I see myself upgrading is if they get rid of 8gb ram. 12 or 16gb should be base line.
What settings are you running in WOW, and why are you in windowed mode? AFAIK you can tab to your other windows and still get the game mode optimizations from running just that window in dedicated fullscreen.
Hey Gary, do you think you can make comparison videos between older and newer macbooks? For example, I want an M3 Pro but if I can get an M1 Pro Max for relatively the same price, it would be nice to know which is better Love your content as always.
I’m an outlier here. I’m trying to decide on an M3 iMac or M3 MBA to replace my 10 year old intel iMac. Being retired I don’t have the workflow for either machine. I’m used to both since I had a laptop with desktop docking station for work and my iMac at home. I’m thinking I’d miss the larger iMac screen if I got the MBA, even though my primary uses are media consumption, email, internet reading and research, and just random stuff.
When you were talking about gaming and frame drops, Have you tried running the game full screen? Even on my built gaming PC it will stutter on most 3D games if it is windowed like yours was.
at this point the M1 on refurbish is actually the best option. or if you can get one new on a hefty discount then go that rout.. the SSD is better for some reason on M1's, and the thermal throttle from the M2 and M3 chip in real world use drops it down to a negligible benefit over the M1.. if you can get a M1 with 16 gigs of ram you will actually find it runs much better than a M2 or M3 with 8 gigs of ram and they still cost much less. hope that helps!
The M3 is far superior to the M1 in every metric. I could never recommend that anyone with occasional intensive use choose the M1. I have seen many tests, and the M3 completes every task significantly faster.
I’m an Apple fan, but not a tech guy. I have a iPad Pro, and it’s great. Have the cool Apple keyboard too. Problem is, I’m going to have to use a computer more. Not just video watching and occasional document creation. Do I keep the iPad, or go to this? If I go to this, I’ll probably get an iPad mini too, for media consumption. I just don’t know tech enough to have a solid vision.
I have been waiting for this MacBook Air to be available so that I can get the M2 at a cheaper price 'officially'. That has been my tactic for years. I'm not a 'tech reviewer' and I don't have to impress anyone - so I can happily use the M2 chip when people are starting to use the M3 chip. What matters to me, I can still be in the zone of receiving latest updates and my workflow stays the same.
I plug my m1 air into a 144hrtz monitor and in display settings my Mac says 144hrtz and it feels 144hrtz so why do they limit the m3 to only 120 makes no sense.
I have been thinking.... for a similar configuration, the lenovo thinkpad x13 is similarly priced, has more OS compatibility, and more importantly for me, has 3 years of onsite support (for no extra price). Very likely I will again be missing my first mac purchase.
That has always been my question that I can never see answered in the internet. You can raid in WoW with the MacBook Air without throttling? Even in low settings? I was thinking of getting one just to play some dungeons here and there on the go because at home I use my desktop. Would it handle it fine? For like 1h?
eep reading advice to get the 16GB MBA M2 or M3 rather than the base 8GB. But when I look on the apple sites it seems you have to first take 512gb (+++££) and THEN upgrade to 16GB (+++£). Can I not just take 16GB and 256gb option? Insight gratefully received.
I have a M3 MacBook Pro 14in and I"ve thought about getting the 15 MBA with M3 because of the additional real estate but not sure that's worth it. I also get annoyed at the fingerprints on my black laptop. Probably silly and should just stick with what I have now.
IMO, the MBA is for the casual user. I'm still confused why anybody would compare actions people do on a Pro to the Air. Unfair to compare because those two machines are different. The Midnight color is 🔥
i have mac mini m2 base and i am think to get the m3 macbook air by selling m2 . is it a good idea? buy cuz i think i will be doing xcode and vid editing...
Looking to upgrade to a 15" Macbook Air 16gb RAM from my 13" 2020 intel MBP (which you convinced me to buy lol). How do you think it'll hold up doing light graphic design and heavy browser use considering it's fanless? Thanks for the videos!
I may not be The Everyday Dad , but trust me, its more than enough for what you're going to use it for. Only thing I would recommend is upgrading to 16gb.
I ended picking one up but got the base model. I can say 8GB of RAM is not enough for photo or video editing. I bought this to consume media so I am sure I will be happy with it. I have my M2 MacBook Pro for video and photo editing. Thanks for the video
Yeah i would say you 100% made the right choice, even though its still shitty and greedy of apple to make 8gb the base option, i also have to say that for most people the 8gb will also be more than enough if you dont do any professional workloads
@@nerd20fromdiscord 8gb is divided between cpu and gpu..so you hardly have 6gb for multitasking. It will fill up in no time just with many tabs open and a video playing. 8GB is a bad joke in 2024. There are many comparisons out there between 8gb and 16gb air. And 8gb gets slow and laggy compared to 16gb.
You neglect the fact that it only gets laggy once you start putting heavier workloads on it, and like ive said before, most people dont do that, my general rule of thumb is, if you dont know what ram does then the base model is probably good enough for you, because in the end why would someone buy ram they just arent going to use, also btw shared ram is not new, every mobile cpu with an igpu has shared the ram between cpu and gpu. You and I are different than most folks, you just have to realize that the average person who buys a base model macbook air would never feel the difference.@@abhidahiya4007
Anyone with the M3 ( or M1/M2 for that matter ) MBA having problems using zoom AND presenting your desktop, editing PowerPoint or excel files,I.e. normal remote worker stuff?
I have a m2 13 inch in midnight but cannot bare the color anymore, I’m going to trade it in and get 860$ would it be better to spend a 250$ extra to get the m3 in space black or get the m2 for only 100$ more. Although sounds dumb it’s a personal opinion.
TBH unless you have an oddly specific workload, there's still no reason to upgrade from a m1 macbook air with enough ram / SSD. If you need more, you're already on a macbook pro / mac mini / studio.
I just purchased a MacBook Air 15-inch Laptop with M3 chip: 15.3-inch Liquid Retina Display, 16GB Unified Memory, 512GB SSD Storage from Amazon and 3 Years of Apple Care plus for $1,699.00 it should be here by the 30th. This will be my first ever MacBook I got tired of Windows. On Amazon I got a full year of special financing with no interest at all.
I got the M1 for around 760$, why would I ever pay almost double the price for an M2 or M3, makes no sense at all. The M1 can even edit my 4k videos just fine.
I agree, I got an m1 for $650. Felt it was the best value route. I heavily contemplated an m2 or m3, but imo MagSafe, notch screen/body design, and slight performance upgrades didnt convince me that the $300-$500 more was worth it. Also it’s my first Mac, I’ll be able to gauge pretty well off this laptop any future needs I may need. Shit, I may hate using the thing…but atleast I’m only Chromebook price in the hole.
@@suzalreacts base variant. If I were in dire need of that much ram I’d probably look at a pro honestly. Considering all the air models are thermal limited, any scenario using that much ram probably also would benefit from active cooling. Also with the m1 having a fairly fast ssd and crossover ram usage to the ssd, it’ll get the job done in a pinch.
I’m still using the MacBook Pro 13” Early 2015 model and would’ve continued using it for the next 2-3 years at least if Apple would replace the battery but since they won’t/don’t make them anymore and I’ll be moving abroad for a few months to study, I need to get a new laptop within the next 3 months. I’m going back and forth between the M2 and M3 MacBook Air but I’m leaning towards the M3 with 16GB unified memory and 512GB SSD storage even though it’s pricey just coz of the upgrades and I can potentially use it for a good 5 years at least before my next upgrade 🥲💸
I’m thinking about buying the new M3 MacBook in the 15 inch model. I can only upgrade the RAM or the storage but I’m leaning towards the 512 gb of storage. Is this a good idea?
I bought the M3 w/512gb of storage. First apple laptop upgrading from a few years old windows laptop. Very happy so far. I spent the extra $$ for additional ram 24gb. Plan to keep her for a long time.
It is not meant for prolonged gaming because there are no fans! It will reach a thermal limit and throttle on high settings over time. If you are gaming, common sense says that you must have a fan; just try a Windows laptop on silent mode (no fan) and see what the experience is. Apple says do not buy this for sustained workloads.
That won't have any meaningful impact on performance because the macbook itself is discharging heat through it's chassis. What would have influence is the temperature of the environment in which you're using the macbook air. A cool room with air conditioner on or a cold winter day will have the machine running a little better than a hot summer day with no AC.
Can you or someone start doing comparisons all the way from the m1? Compering to last year does nothing because who does that? I am glad I bought a M3 pro unbanned first and tried it my binned M1 Pro is still plenty good for my needs.
Can the M3 Air (512gb/16gb ram) handle 8hrs of work which consists of constant 8hrs of sending emails, having 10-15 tabs open in Chrome (no video editing, just different websites, Google sheets), and occasional audio and video calls? 🤔 without slowing itself down too much (throttling)?
Yes, though the video calls may push it, if you are static, have a fan solution (laptop cooler) when using video conferencing. The noise cancellation means the cooler fans will not be a problem.
How funny...I HAD the M2 15 inch MacBook air in Starlight and I hated the color after I got it home...it also felt way to big and clunky to carry around. So when the M3's came out I took advantage of Best Buy's trade in program and went for a 13 inch M3 in Starlight and I love it. I did also bump up to the 512 SSD and it has made me very happy...I plan on hanging on to this one for quite some time.
I also totally agree with you on how easy it was to get set up on this new laptop...Apple really does make it seamless and I was up and running with my new M3 laptop within minutes. It also fit in to my docking station set up with no issues.
Now although 200 pounds is a lot to some, I do recommend going with 16gb RAM since if you do that you also save 70 quid, as the 8 core GPU automatically goes up to 10 core, so technically you spend 200 for 270 pound upgrade
I’m thinking about selling my PC laptop that i just purchased just to go fanless. I’m so tired of hearing the fans going all day while working. I just hate to lose the money it would take to sell it.
the hardware is more than capable, it's a publishing thing with developers. Apple is probably going to have to pay to get some of the newest releases on Mac until/unless the market share gets high enough for it to be cost effective for the developers.
Thank you. I totally agree, the biggest competition for the new Airs are M1 MacBook Pros with discounts. I am using the M1 Max in the 14 inch since it came out. I never had any performance issue. I bought a heavily discounted M1 Studio Ultra, it works just great (Photo and Video). Currently I have my eye on the discounts for a M1 16 inch
