Ultimate MacBook Showdown: MacBook Pro vs MacBook Air vs MacBook

The MacBook Air just doesn't make sense anymore...

Apple continues to make their phones, tablets, and laptops thinner and thinner each year. MacBook Air remains an underpowered laptop with a form factor that's nearly identical to MacBook Pro—and for nearly the same price. Apple's product stack is confusing as-is, but having the 12" MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro all cost the same makes things even tricker. In this video, we'll test everything—from thickness, weight, keyboard, trackpad, TouchID, I/O and USB, Thunderbolt, displays, speakers, webcam, battery, SSD speed, Geekbench, Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro, thermal performance, fan noise, and at the end... declare a victor—the BEST Apple Laptop!

[snazzy]

I've worked longer on this video than any other in history! Hope you like it because I'm never doing one this good ever again. 😅

[happybroski]

0:54 you missed the perfect opportunity to say “we are comparing Apples to Apples”

[zollotech]

Well done and I definitely agree with your conclusion.

[MayPolBeats]

The 2017 MacBook has gen 2 butterfly keyboards, not gen 1. You’re basically right on everything else 👍

[supermodes]

I'm a total Apple fanboy. I admit it. But I am so confused by their laptop lineup currently. I want a new one and can't understand which one serves what purpose.

[canoopsy]

Amazing work! Super important video subject to clear up this model confusion.

[evancrazyerror]

I feel like the only reason they still have the old MacBook Air is so they can say “hey, our laptops start at under $1000”

That or they overstocked because the factories didn’t get the memo that they were actually making a new one in a few years.

[kornar]

I am shocked that they did not add a copper heat-pipe connecting the fan to the cpu... That is simply stupid. The fan becomes almost useless in this constellation.

[realcartoongirl]

this guy with 3 apple laptops
me: slow outdated used macbook

[TheTechPerson]

Apple should just rename the 12 inch MacBook to MacBook Air, add Touch ID to it, and get rid of the current MacBook Air. Simplify the lineup. Great video!

[XIstIX]

Macbook air should be the what the MacBook Pro is. Macbook pro should be a new larger macbook with better cooling and maybe expanded storage options, IO and faster GPU.

[ankitsharma]

The MB air's cooling fan does not connect to any cooling assembly? Wtf sorta design is that?

[WarriorsPhoto]

Quinn, your videos are so well thought out. The production value of your videos is amazing.

I hope to see more videos like this soon. (:

[artemis]

thanks, I've looked at the Air differently now, at first glance it might be a great laptop, but it's not. The Pro is still on top, even the base config.

[ThisIsTechToday]

Oh, shoot, it's the big video! It's here!

[kennyward]

Pretty sure the 2018 MacBook Pro's also have the generation 3 butterfly keyboard (except the 13 inch sans touchbar), and the current 12 inch MacBook has the generation 2 keyboard.

[AndyofCT]

On point assessment for 90% of users, but the Macbook Air's keyboard is so much better comfort-wise, it's the obvious choice for significant number of individuals who type for extended periods. The wedge design makes it much more comfortable for longer typing sessions than the Pro (especially since it doesn't have the edge digging into your wrists) and the key feel is superior to the 12" Macbook. Now these barely matter for photo/video/audio, where the improved power and larger trackpad on the Pro will star, but when you'll be typing for hours at a time, this is hugely significant. When you pair the impressive battery life and the generally upgraded specs, it creates a compelling upgrade for a large segment that has been using the previous Air lineup. I personally know a few copy editors who pounced at Micro Center's $999 New Macbook Air Black Friday sale. It's the best typing experience in the macOS ecosystem and even though at retail it's probably 25-30% overpriced, that money will be easily made up in increased output/less wrist strain over the life of the machine.

Why CAN'T Apple slap the whole iPhone's camera system/FaceID on these laptops??? That's a massive product inconsistency!

[chriss]

This is no accident. It is a marketing strategy to force you into their highest price point product class.

[Mockedarchie]

WHY THE HECK ISN"T THE FAN it just doesn't even make the air could actually run cool but they i dont understand at