MacBook Air – So thin, yet so loaded

What are MacBooks?

MacBooks are one of the most premium laptops, and Apple has always shown expertise in making premium gadgets. On the other hand, the MacBook Air is no exception. Be it build quality, display, performance, or features; Apple has nailed it all.

               The USP of this range of premium laptops is portability. The laptop is amazingly thin, and MacBook Air was the most delicate of all laptops ever till HP Spectre came into the picture. Although the participants in the race of making laptops thinner have increased now, MacBook air remains to be the second most lightweight laptop available in the market and a lot more popular than the HP Spectre.

MacBooks are known to be more productive than any other laptops due to their exceptional performance and reliable battery. Also, these are said to be more secure than Windows devices. So it is trendy among creators, web developers, coders, YouTubers, and many more. So let’s analyze the latest model of Apple’s MacBook Air. Is it worth all the praise? Let’s check everything about this popular notebook.

Build quality –

 Like any other Apple manufactured device, the build quality of the equipment is exceptionally premium. The MacBook Air has a complete aluminum body, and the best part is it is 100% recycled aluminum, making it the most ecofriendly Mac device ever. It is 15.6mm thin and weighs 2.75lbs or 1.247kg.  The finishing is perfect and gives a very professional and premium feel to it. The weight balancing of the device has been done correctly, and the device feels really solid to use.

Display –

               In other words, The device is equipped with Apple’s latest version of Retina Display along with True Tone technology, making it one of the best shows available in the market. Consequently, It has a resolution of 2569 x 1600 for over 4 million pixels giving a mesmerizing view. Accurate Tone technology is responsible for adjusting the white point of the display automatically to match the color temperature of your physical environment. Directly speaking, web pages and documents will look like actual printed pages. Sounds cool.

Performance –

               The device is loaded with an 8^th Generation Intel Core i5 processor, which is quite a powerful chipset and can handle almost all tasks efficiently. It is offered with up to 16GB RAM and up to 1TB SSD storage, which makes the device even better. The method may face difficulties in handling cumbersome tasks such as gaming, and tasks like video editing may not be the best on this device, but typical day to day tasks must be a breeze.

 The device is topped with Mac OS Catalina, which is clean, efficient, and feature-packed. It has some new convenience features like using the iPad as a screen of the mac. It has many more features regarding the apple ecosystem.

 Apple claims that the Lithium battery can last up to 13 hours of media output continuously and up to 12 hours of daily tasks such as checking emails, browsing, etc.

Connectivity –

 The device has Bluetooth 4.2 and 802.11ac Wi-Fi for wireless connectivity. Apart from that, the device has two Type-C ports of Thunderbolt 3 technology, which can give up to 40GB/s output.

Keyboard and trackpad –

 The device has a keyboard with a butterfly mechanism, which is said to show up to 4 times better crucial stability.

Most importantly, Along with that, the keyboard is claimed to be more comfortable and responsive. The keyboard is backlit, and ambient light sensors are available to help in typing in low light conditions. The keyboard has a touchpad too, which automatically changes as per the work you are doing hence making working on it more comfortable.

  Firstly, the trackpad is smooth and has a glossy finish. Secondly, It is responsive and quite large, making it more convenient for use. It supports gestures like pinch and zoom has a very premium appeal to it.

Camera and speakers –

 The device has a FaceTime HD camera along with a three-microphone setup for video conferencing. It also has stereo speakers, which is claimed to have two times better bass and 24% more volume than the previous generation.

Comparing with the previous generation –

 The first MacBook Air was launched back in January 2008. Since then, there has been quite a development. Let’s examine the current MacBook Air with its predecessor. The first thing to notice is the touch-bar on the keyboard. It is quite a feature in itself and has made working on MacBooks a lot easier. It has also got the touch id feature for better security.

               The second thing to note is the bezels of the screen. The bezels of the screens have decreased considerably, hence giving a modern look and compact and portable design. The stereo speakers have improved a lot, and the audio is now more amplified, clear, and crisp. The bass is also richer. The processor has also been updated to the i5 Intel Core 8^th generation processor. The device now comes with higher RAM (up to 8GB) and storage (up to 256GB).

Spec sheet:

1. Display —13.3-inch LED-backlit IPS display (Apple’s Retina Display) along with true tone technology; 2560x1600resolution at 227 pixels per inch; 16:10 aspect ratio
2. Processors —1.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5, Turbo Boost up to 3.6GHz
3. Graphics — Intel UHD Graphics 617 (External Graphics Supported)
4. Connectivity ports —Two Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt (up to 40 Gbps), and USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 (up to 10 GB/s)
5. Wireless Connectivity — 802.11ac Wi-Fi wireless networking (IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n compatible), Bluetooth 4.2 wireless technology
6. Weight – 1.25kg

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Pros and cons –

 No device is perfect. Every device, no matter how feature-packed it is, has some cons. The same is the case here, with the MacBook Air. So let us discuss the Pros and Cons before jumping to the conclusion.

PROS: –

1. The notebook is amazingly thin and has a premium yet rigid aluminum frame
2. Mac OS is known for its stability and optimization, sporadic chances of OS lag.
3. Has 8^th generation i5 intel core processor, which is a performer in itself.
4. The display is bright, sharp, and crisp.
5. Great battery life.
6. SSD storage, hence faster access to files and minimal loading time for apps.

CONS: –

1. The laptop is costly.
2. Storage is very less (Only up to 256 GB)
3. Even most basic games can cause heating issues and all due to its slim design, which minimalizes cooling.
4. There are no ports except a couple of type-C ports: no USB drive or anything.
5. There is very few free software for Mac OS. Almost everything has to be purchased.

Conclusions:

 The latest generation of MacBook Air has got all its boxes ticked. Premium and sturdy design, buttery smooth performance, and feature-loaded – it has obtained all. Taking into consideration the fact that Macs are a lot more stable than any PC, MacBook Air is a device worthy of buying, especially for those who need a laptop for productive and creative work.