MacBook Air ($999$ vs. 999$$999$), or is it the perfect mid-of-the-road laptop?
Some people think it’s the perfect laptop. Others, including myself, have wondered who it’s for. I’m talking about the 15-inch MacBook Air, of course—the small yet large, powerful but fanless, middle-of-the-road MacBook. I always considered it a bit niche among the lineup of the best MacBooks, squeezing a narrow tier between the 13-inch MacBook Air and the 14-inch MacBook Pro.
Typically, when a next-generation model lacks any major additions, Apple keeps the price the same as previous versions. This time, however, the price sees a welcome reduction to $999—$100 less than its predecessors. It’s what the MacBook Air costs before the M2 model, which Apple did sell for $999 after the M3 Air came out, but the M4 replaces both models. So, that means the highest configuration will cost $2,199.
I fully understand that an extensive port selection is usually reserved for the MacBook Pro, but I truly wanted Apple to add at least one extra USB-C port here—especially since you can connect the MacBook Air to up to two external monitors (we’ll get to that later). Instead, you’ll have to use a chunky USB-C hub, which is just another accessory you’ll have to buy (if you don’t already have one) and carry around.
Saying goodbye to Sky Blue: A look at what’s new in the iMac 15-inch color screen, keyboard, trackpad, and keyboard
For those who’ve seen this before, the only noticeable exterior change is the new Sky Blue color option. I’ve seen people call this underwhelming for how not-blue it is, but let’s not forget how much flack Apple took for its bolder iMac colors a few years back. I prefer this subtler approach. It mostly resembles a light silver, but in the right natural light, it sparkles with a unique bluish hue. I need to replace Space Grey, which was completely replaced. It will always be my favorite laptop color, and I’m a bit perplexed as to why it’s gone. It is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye.
There haven’t been any changes to the 15.3-inch LED 60-Hz screen, the excellent keyboard and trackpad, or the overall shape and build quality of the device, so let’s go over what else has changed.