Let's discuss the MacBook Air M1! Should you buy one?!

MacBook Air M1 (2020)

If I had to recommend one computer to someone who needs a do it all laptop, it would be the MacBook Air. Sure it doesn't have the best I/O available and you can't service the computer worth a damn, but it has exceptional power, speed, build quality, and features. You can grab one for around $950 and it's tremendous value.

Keyboard / Trackpad
Apple continues to be the best in the biz. Big, smooth, and flush with multi-gesture support. The keyboard is smooth and easy to type on - ney, a pleasure to type on! And without the gimmicky touchbar you'll feel right at home utilizing your function options.

Speakers
How Apple manages to squeak out such extreme performance from such tiny speakers is beyond me. But they do, and they're great. No other ultra-portable laptop on the market today can beat them.

Build
This is the kind of laptop that you don't have to think about. When buying a Dell or Lenovo you have to sift through too many options and many people get overwhelmed. For this, you decide on RAM and Storage. Most people will do just fine with the 8GB of RAM but those heavy multitaskers will want 16GB because you can't upgrade later on.

Conclusion
Apple introduced the MacBook Air in 2008 and while the platform looks largely the same, it has undergone some extreme upgrades in terms of performance. This sub-$1000 laptop can keep up with much more expensive PCs and while some people will miss having traditional USB ports, we think that most people will find a good rhythm with this laptop. Your average user doesn't need I/O or dongles anymore, though you could pop on a USB-C hub no problem. What they want is great battery, reliability and performance. And the MacBook Air delivers just that.

Pros:
- Fast
- Built well
- Good for audio processing because it's fast, but you'll need USB-C compatible devices / converters

Cons:
- Zero user serviceability

[Prof.BARAK]

Thanks for the review! I’m so sorry to hear about your grandfather.

[enriquet]

You're a no-touchbar brotha. I'm looking forward to the MBP without touchbar as well.

[BenInSeattle]

Max 16GB memory is a deal-breaker for me. That's how much memory my laptop from 2014 (Latitude e7240) has in it and it's not enough in 2021.

I understand Apple doesn't want to confuse consumers, but what's with the M1 Air not having a slot so people can add more internal storage later? External peripherals are great for use at home, but laptops are mobile. The only all-in-one option for this laptop is Apple's iCloud, which means I'd be paying rent on my own data and it'd be slower to access.

Again, I can't help comparing against the e7240. Sure, it's a relic from years ago that came with a 256GB SSD, but it has user accessible slots. I was able to add a Samsung 970 EVO 1TB SSD drive in *addition* to the current drive. Since the original drive is in the same kind of slot, I could replace that as well if I needed even more storage. You might think the M1 Air is able to be so light by leaving such features out, but the e7240 is only slightly heavier.

Honestly, the only thing the M1 Air does better (and this is undeniable) is pack a walloping fast CPU. But what is the point of editing 4K videos if you've got nowhere to store them? This is a great machine for some people, but not me.

[mrtobycook]

Great video - very helpful. You need more sunscreen on your nose - ouch! :)

[LuckyLaika]

Dude, I really love your videos. You should be an actor or something :)

Would you recommend MacBook Air or Lenovo Yoga 71 15? I'm struggling choosing :)

And sorry for your lost, man.

[vmozwtg]

Yo fuck the M1. Kernel panicked, exchanged, happened on that one too.

[ΘεοδωραΣουρλα-βξ]

Would you recommend the MacBook Air M1 or the Dell Inspiron 16 to a college student for programming?