Im about to buy the M3 MBA for graphic design. I’m a graphic designer (professional, daily) and still use an iMac from 2010(!). It’s got 4gb working memory and still works reasonably well, unfortunately it isn’t ideal for traveling… Going to use Affinity graphic software and some basic movie software on it. I think I’m going for the 15inch 16gb unified memory with 1gb storage. And I just love the fanless thin design and minimalistic look and feel! We humans always think we don’t have enough, but how much do we REALLY need? Great review, thanks for the enthusiasm and skipping the benchmarks.. greatings from the Netherlands Gert
I bought the 15” M2 in midnight about 6 months ago as a tertiary mac to my Office bound iMac. I went with the 8GB version this time to see if 8GB works. In my experience It does work. Not too much swap being used. I’m going to try running a VM on it to run Kali, and allocate 2GB to the VM. We’ll see what the unified memory is all about then. If it works then great! If it doesn’t I’ll know what to do next time I’m looking at a laptop.
Hello sir, I want to know if it is possible to get M3 MacBook Air with 16/256? After doing some research i came to know that only 512GB SSD can be purchased with 16GB of ram.
I am doing Ict engineering, and I am looking for a new option for a laptop and MacBook m3 looks like a really good option, but I am not sure what's your suggestion.
I have the M215in purchased back in September. Which is more than adequate for my needs. The processor upgrade and two monitor support seem the major changes. Neither which impact on my usage. I expect at least 3years from my M2. But this new M3 will what I will recommend to anyone who asks what laptop to buy.
As a happy M2 15" Air owner and user, I hope the people who become M3 Air 15" converts also enjoy their time with the new machine! This MacBook category, big screen but lightweight and more affordable, was truly a jackpot in my eyes!
Bought a 15” MBA M2 but returned and kept my “old” M1 Pro MBP. The laptop is gorgeous don’t get me wrong but the big size is too clumsy to carry around in a backpack. The 14” somehow is more backpack friendly than the 15” air.
I was waiting for the announcement and release of M3 Air for the last three weeks. But I decided to buy the 13” MacBook Pro M2 24GB/1TB brand new for $1,399. Best Buy has it on sale to pick up same day. This 13” will last me 6+ years. For those who tell me “the 13 inch screen is too small”, if i need more screen space, i would just connect it to my desk monitor.
9:53 is exactly where I am. Struggling with 8GB RAM on a cramp 13" Air. I can still put up with the screen size by hiding the dock and menu bar but the lack of RAM really cripples the Mac experience. Waiting patiently for retailers to offer a discount in the next few months 🤞
exactly the same here. I have air 2020 m1 8g and the RAM is constantly pushed to its limits with my use, like I don't need THAT much more memory because I don't run heavy programs but I multitask a lot and it's always hitting the limits of 8GB, I think just something with more space allowing for the laptop to breathe more is just for me. so I decided to go with 16gb 2023 version, arrives tomorrow
I came to watch this video to get to know about the m3 MacBook Air but I happened to find your voice is so relaxing!! Love it! I think it’s something similar to Jony Ive’s, the legendary apple designer.
I'm sold on the 15". Just sharing my use-case which might help others. I'm a web dev and I think the 15" Air + 24gb RAM would make a perfect portable workstation. I currently have the Mac M1 Pro 14" 16GB. It's just a little "beefy" and losing that 1 inch of screen space actually adds a lot of claustrophobia. From my research, moving from the M1 pro 14" to the M3 Air - i'll be about on par when it comes to graphics and multi-core performance, but the single-core performance will be MUCH improved (about 40%). So to simplify... games, compiling and rendering video... I shouldn't expect much change, but day-to-day tasks should be improved. And I don't know about other devs... but my style of web-dev mostly relies on a shit load of "day to day" tasks. Not to mention having 24GB ram will make a big difference because I'm starting to hit the limits of 16GB. Looking forward to the change as coding on the 14" just feels a little tight to me. Also looking forward to the increased portability. I'm so relieved for the dual monitor support... honestly that was a huge reason why I didn't consider the new Air's until now. Clamshell mode doesn't bother me at all... in fact I prefer it as it makes the desktop so much more tidy. A slim 15" with the modern slimmer bezels.... it really is the sweet spot for working on the go without carrying a monster sized laptop about.
it's called "greed". It’s one thing when you make an expensive product and include all the new technologies in it and for 5 years you can forget about updating the gadget. It’s another matter when they deliberately (artificially) stretch out modernization (including programmatically limiting the capabilities of equipment) in order to add some little thing every year and sell it to those who are ready to spend money on minor upgrades every year.
hi mark. i bought the macbook air m3 16GB ram , 512 storage. its my first laptop/macbook. its amazing. i got the 16GB, 512 one because i wanted one that would last. hopefully i got the right one. i couldnt afford the 1TB one.
I have an M1 16GB Macbook Air bought in 2021 and it is brilliant. Went into apple store the other day and saw the 15" M3 macbook air and fell in love with it. Needless to say I really want it. However my M1 Air does everything I need. I really want this laptop but it is a lot of money when I already have a good one. Should I just wait for another generation?
Depends a lot on how you use it. The pro can handle more demanding applications and has a better display. The MacBook air is for those who don't do a lot of video editing or sound editing, but basic office stuff.
One question: I have a MacBook Air M2 base model. I do not do these tough task like video editing but I feel it is a bit choppy when browsing RU-vid. Some videos/thumbnails take a while to show. I have a fast internet connection. Is it because of lack of RAM? I see the task manager using a fair chunk of swat. Cheers
Getting products from Apple Mark, coming up in the world. Well done, you deserve it. I have an M1 Max Mac Studio and an M2 Ultra Mac Studio and I can honestly feel zero difference in any task apart from exporting video. Photoshop etc zero difference
I upgraded from an Apple Refurbished M1 MacBook Air (256/8) base model to a new 15-in M3 MacBook Air (512/16). I had noticed a fair bit of swap memory usage on the M1 that are not evident with the M3, I'm putting it down to the doubled unified memory. It's weird going from a 13.3-in screen to one 2 inches larger as the 15-in actually seems larger than it really is.
I am doing Ict engineering, and I am looking for a new option for a laptop and MacBook m3 looks like a really good option, but I am not sure what's your suggestion.
Apple could easily rollout a software update to enable dual external display support in clamshell mode for both M1 and M2 variants, but why would they?
going from a 2015 mbp intel to the m3 mba 512 16gb in europe for around 2060 euro's. hopefully last long as the intel for this money. I find the new mbp's too thick
I’m in the market for a MacMinPro. Seeing as the laptops and the MacMini are basically the same just in a different form factor, I think I should wait for the MacMiniProM3. Hopefully it won’t be long now…
Do you think upgrading the base model to 16 gb will be ok and no need to upgrade the storage to 512? I am thinking to buy extenal storage like samsung. T7
I'm considering replacing my M1 13in MacBook pro only because I can't find any budget adapter that would give me two screens, on clamshell mode, with NO display link. I already own the keyboard, the mouse, and the second monitor but I haven't been able to use it!!!! (the monitor, I'm obviously using the mouse an keyboard) I do light editing with my vlog channel but I mostly write essays for schools.
"If you're coming from an Intel machine,.. (the performance difference) .. "It's Biblical." --- truer words. My M2 MacBook Pro recently had an unexpected Logic Board failure.. and I'm temporarily back on my 2018 Intel.... oh my. You can feel the difference (and the heat,. and the fan noise)..
Interesting review, thank you! I have the M1 Air and remain satisfied with it. The M3 Air sounds like and feels, relative to it, a Pro to me, and I have no need of a Pro. So you helped me to overcome Apple's seductive marketing and stick with my M1 Air!
Wait till M4 so that Apple fixes the hardware vulnerability. For the current generations there seem to be no software fix that would not downgrade the performance.
Don't buy the base model m3 air unless all you do is note taking and stuff and if you do that just go with m2 or refurbished M1 chip If you do creative work just go for 16 GB ram with either storage options or m2 air 16 GB ram with 512 GB ssd
have a 15” 15/512 … after long thinking i decided to try a 24g and if that works, then that will be my dev-on-the-move machine… paired with a m3 studio when it’s out… i borrowed an m2 with 16g … too snug (disclaimer: i routinely have 200/300 safari tabs). the new m3/midnight is better than before, but still a pass for me.
(Likely) stupid question from a TOTAL non-techie…. i keep reading that rather than base (8gb) MBA M2 or M3, get the 16gb. But when I look at apple sites it seems you have to upgrade the storage first (++£) to 512gb… and THEN to 16gb (++£). Can’t have 16gb and 256gb??
My Marketing Manager needs a new mobile editing device so I did what all good Bosses do! I bought an M3 Mac Air for myself so he can have my “old” M2 MacBook Air. 😊
The fact that Apple is soldering SSD onto the main board is my primary deterrent against purchasing an Apple MacBook Air. Even the RAM cant be replaced or upgraded. Also the keyboard is bolted firmly in place. How will this ultimately benefit the environment and the customer? Sorry, but i'm sticking to my 2015 upgradable Macbook pro.
One way to get a sense of where it benefits the environment from seeing how Apple promotes the amount of recycled aluminum and other materials in their new Macs. Where does that come from? Old Macs traded in for a discount on a new Mac, or just brought in through the Apple recycling program. Just because you can’t replace components doesn’t mean it automatically gets landfilled at the end. A PC is not necessarily better. You can’t replace the laptop GPU, wireless card, or even the CPU in many laptops, so those can get landfilled just as fast as spec needs change. And if those PCs don’t get effectively recycled at end of life, then they are potentially worse than Macs. For my last two Macs, I specced them out properly at purchase so I will probably not have to wish I could have upgraded the internals before I just need a whole new computer. Both are in productive use, so no waste so far. And I did replace internals on older Macs when it was possible, but to be honest it did not extend their life all that much before I needed newer components anyway, like when I needed a better GPU, which is again not typically upgradeable even on a PC laptop. And many PC laptops are also soldering memory now.
Would a MacBook Air M2/M3 with 512GB of storage be enough for some video editing? I just use iMovie and CapCut. Or... as soon as someone starts using their computer for video editing,.. does this mean that they should automatically be looking at Pro versions? Would appreciate your take on this ~~~~
I edit on my M1 MacBook Air for my RU-vid channel and for side projects using Final Cut Pro, nothing fancy but the Air handles it fine. I do have to note that I have 16 gigs of RAM, so if you have the option for more storage or more RAM I'd say go for more RAM (storage can be solved somewhat through an external hard drive, but you can't just add more RAM after buying). For iMovie and Capcut, it should be more than enough. If worst comes to worst, there's always the return policy!
I'm in the category of the crazy person speccing it out! One of the main reasons I'm buying it because it's completely silent, so while from a price /performance stand point, the pro makes more sense, those fans will defeat a big part of my reason for this purchase.
i still cant believe the base model only has 8gb ram i know its unified memory or whatever but yer common apple ffs it still restricts to amount of apps u can have open ...................................................... it just works is no good when you look at the cost of the laptop
@@MarkEllisReviews I need it ultra portable (possibly fit in a large messenger bag) but with the biggest screen possible. would you say the difference in portability is significant?
WOAH!!! 2 DISPALYS!?!?! That's crazy bonkers man :P But in all seriousness I'm glad Apple fanboys can now do what any windows laptop could do for the past 20 years.
Bit of a strange argument to say that the 8gb ram starvation (disabling it from parttaking in non web browsing workflows) is not an issue because you have a $4000+++ macbook pro already. How many people are running two laptops?
Nailed it? Really? Then please explain how is better than it's predecessor M2 Air by performances? Apple have compared it with M1! How funny. If you keep M2 and M3 Air side by side, I see no differences except so called chip number from m2 to m3!
Durable ? If a ssd (or other components ) fails, the whole device fails instead of a quick $20 ssd replacement. Apple has made it so unrepairable that even components from same model are not interchangeable. Anti-consumer devices like this should be boycotted but alas people (even tech reviewers like this one) are not aware like this.
I was fortunate when I purchased my M1 Air that the 8 core upgraded version was still available. Along with 1 tb of storage and 16 gigs ram-its a fantastic tool. Usually its connected to a wide screen monitor and a hub. I write, and make the occasional 9 min video. It's wonderful. And I love that wedge design. When it comes time to replace the battery, it will cost under 200 and last probably another 4 years. And traveling with it is a dream.
Best MBA review until now, seen like 5 the past hour, but you put the finger on it, If you are sniffing on MBP territory, you should probably go there. Thanks!
HELP please Mark. I loved your reviews. Yesterday I bought an M3 15” MacBook Air with the basic spec and have spent the afternoon and evening enjoying using my new MacBook BUT the Activity Monitor is very often in the YELLOW. Should I take it back and instead buy one with 16gb Ram instead of 8? Should I be worried? I was just using safari, RU-vid & sorting old documents in iCloud. Thank you SO much
The price and the fact you can drive 2 displays now but you have to close your MacBook so you can't use the built in display. Meaning you have to carry a keyboard and a pointing device for your laptop which already has these built in. 🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️ Essentially, fail.
