Can we talk about the fanlessness

[ThomasJL]

Those who praise Tim Cook's anti-consumer actions of removing the fan in order to maximize profits, will likely regret it in a couple of years when their MacBook Air is running slow on one of the last versions of macOS that supports it, since those versions will demand significantly more system resources.

 

[za9ra22]

I think a big problem is people tech YouTubers who don't understand tech as well as they pretend to that just run useless benchmarks and then base their opinions off of it and people suck it up like it's fact...

There's knowledge, conventional wisdom, and stupidity.... I'm pretty sure you make more money out of YouTube from the latter, based solely on the middle one.

Those who praise Tim Cook's anti-consumer actions of removing the fan in order to maximize profits, will likely regret it in a couple of years when their MacBook Air is running slow on one of the last versions of macOS that supports it, since those versions will demand significantly more system resources.

Pointless blather. Not least based on the fact my M1 Air (with no fan) is now over 3 years old and isn't running any differently in any way than it did when it was new. I guess I have to thank Tim Cook personally for that.

 

[raythompsontn]

MacBook Air is running slow on one of the last versions of macOS that supports it

I have heard that statement on every iPad, iPhone and Mac that I have ever owned. Ten year old machines are running just fine doing the same things I have always been doing.

I have a Surface laptop that was greeted with your same wisdom. Windows bloat would eventually make the machine so slow to be unusable. Never happened, the machine still runs fine. On W11, the latest version, imagine that!

 

[shadowboi]

In my humble opinion, coolers are dogcrap. Period.

They collect dust, they create noise, over time system fails to cool device properly and… you end up getting new laptop or do servicing to your existing one.

I specifically purchased Macbook Air M1 because it was first ever fanless Macbook. And I didn’t regret. It does not even heat whatever I do to it, whether I am emulating GameCube games with Dolphin at 3x resolution, making some fun tracks in Logic or just watching movies online in 4K.

Fanlessness is future. And items that have no fans are basically BIFL. I still have all my old iPads – these got no fans! And these are still capable of doing many tasks without issues.

People in PC world are constantly cleaning their laptops, buying the compressed air to clean fans, replacing thermal paste while I just use my device however I want to.

Sure it does not run modern game titles, but is that laptop’s fault?

For a moment I was thinking of buying Windows gaming laptop with those fancy Nvidia card and Intel processor just to play NFS Unbound and Hogwarts Legacy. But then I realized this laptop would just become loud dust collector that holds battery for 2 hours at max

 

[BanjoDudeAhoy]

The M1 MBA not having a fan was one of the things that sold me on it.
The fan on the Intel MBP I had previously would constantly whine under load, my Windows laptop (and desktop before that) are just constantly whining no matter what, and basically sound like jet engines when under load.

A laptop without fans that still stays cooler than my previous fan-equipped laptop doing the same tasks and then some? Yes, please!

 

[ignatius345]

I have heard that statement on every iPad, iPhone and Mac that I have ever owned. Ten year old machines are running just fine doing the same things I have always been doing.

I do not buy this. One example is my iPad Mini 4. It's running iPadOS 15 and barely hanging on. Everything I do takes absolutely ages. It was incredibly snappy once upon a time, but updates have taken their toll.

I had an iPod Touch back in the day that became completely and totally useless over time when it hit some iOS version it could no longer handle.

Then there was my 2014 iMac 5K, which was grumbling about Big Sur when I got rid of it. Again, totally fast and capable machine when I got it, but it got slower over time. 24 gigs of RAM in there, too.

 

[DanneP]

OP has left the building...at least he admits he was wrong
I was very surprised for him not to know the 12" was fanless since it was a big PR back then..so lack of knowledge on your main topic basic tech

Nah, I was just taking a well earned break since my fingertips got burned from the keyboard of my MacBook Air.


So, basically we have two arguments against a fan:
1) "Fanless is good because I watch Netflix on my Air while laying on my couch."
2) "It might lower the temperature of the device while doing computationally intensive work, and that seems a little too wonky for my liking!"

Okay, okay, both are really good arguments, no question about it. I could of course buy a Pro device but I don't really need (or want) any of the things I pay extra for. It's dead meat. I just want a small simple computer that I from time to time can run some intensive work on. Nothing more than that.

The MacBook Pro 13" M1 and M2 might be the greatest mobile devices since the dawn of time.

 

[za9ra22]

So, basically we have two arguments against a fan:
1) "Fanless is good because I watch Netflix on my Air while laying on my couch."
2) "It might lower the temperature of the device while doing computationally intensive work, and that seems a little too wonky for my liking!"

Nope, and nope.

If you have to interpret the arguments, you're not even beginning to get it. Presumably on purpose.

 

[6749974]

Those who praise Tim Cook's anti-consumer actions of removing the fan in order to maximize profits

I'm going to tattoo these very words of yours on the inside of my left thigh—so that each and every evening—after arriving home weary of a workday's hardships—and as I sit on my bed and remove my legs from my work-pants—can be reminded of the dystopian fact that these traitors have praised Tim Cook's anti-consumer actions of removing the fan in order to maximize profits.

 

[za9ra22]

I'm going to tattoo these very words of yours on the inside of my left thigh—so that each evening—after arriving home weary to change—and as I remove my legs from my work-pants—can be reminded of the dystopian fact that these traitors have praised Tim Cook's anti-consumer actions of removing the fan in order to maximize profits.

I never thought of doing that. Oh my, how could I have not thought of this myself!

Thanks!!

 

[bigheaddoug]

Better than the MacBook Wind, I suppose.

“Hello, AppleCare support. How may I help you?”

Customer: “I need some help. I broke Wind.”

 

[6749974]

I could of course buy a Pro device but I don't really need (or want) any of the things I pay extra for. It's dead meat. I just want a small simple computer that I from time to time can run some intensive work on. Nothing more than that.

You're contradicting yourself.

• You "don't really need (or want)" a more computationally performant device
• But you're mad the Air isn't a more computationally performant device

Problem solving this is not challenging. Lets walk through this:

• Want an M3 chip and don't mind throttling? → Buy a MacBook Air with M3
• Want an M3 chip and do mind throttling? → Buy a MacBook Pro with M3
• Want to compress the time it takes to process large tasks? → Buy a MacBook Pro with M3 Pro/Max

Either way, the Air's throttling isn't bad at all. Let's take a look:

It's slowing down only by 6% at the 10 minute mark, 11% at the 20 minute mark, and then staying at about 15% slow-down at 23 minutes to the 30 minute mark.

See? It's not a big deal.

Or if it is—buy something with more CPU/GPU cores because that will double or triple your speeds—something fans can't do.

EDIT: Source of chart

 

[G5isAlive]

Those who praise Tim Cook's anti-consumer actions of removing the fan in order to maximize profits, will likely regret it in a couple of years when their MacBook Air is running slow on one of the last versions of macOS that supports it, since those versions will demand significantly more system resources.

Really? I am not here to defend Tim Cook, but the sky is not falling down. Cook has been CEO for almost 13 years now and over that time Apple's record for supporting older devices is well documented. What specific system resources are you aware of that will tax a system to the point people will regret not having active cooling?

 

[G5isAlive]

I could of course buy a Pro device but I don't really need (or want) any of the things I pay extra for. It's dead meat.

Good we agree. We don't want to pay extra for a fan we don't need. Dead meat spinning.

 

[NT1440]

Those who praise Tim Cook's anti-consumer actions of removing the fan in order to maximize profits, will likely regret it in a couple of years when their MacBook Air is running slow on one of the last versions of macOS that supports it, since those versions will demand significantly more system resources.

This is one of the funniest posts I’ve seen in a while.

A new chassis and screen were developed, manufacturing lines brought to life to pump out millions of units, requiring tens of millions (hundreds?) in Capital expenditures…but a fan was left out to save a few bucks instead of being fundamental to *the point* of this design?

🙄

 

[6749974]

This is one of the funniest posts I’ve seen in a while.

A new chassis and screen were developed, manufacturing lines brought to life to pump out millions of units, requiring tens of millions (hundreds?) in Capital expenditures…but a fan was left out to save a few bucks instead of being fundamental to *the point* of this design?

🙄

 

[TheWraith]

I specifically purchased Macbook Air M1 because it was first ever fanless Macbook.

Heads up: it is not.

 

[idkwhat]

I ended up going with a MacBook Pro partly because I was a little dissatisfied with the port options and screen support since I like to feel like I can keep a computer for a solid 7-10 years like I have with my previous ones.

However, the design of the Air is in many ways superior for certain cases and the fanless design is part of that. I live in a very dusty place and it would have been nice to feel like that dust was gonna be a lot less likely to get sucked into my computer. Aesthetically too the idea of a powerful computer with no moving parts is pretty nice.

 

[ThomasJL]

A new chassis and screen were developed, manufacturing lines brought to life to pump out millions of units, requiring tens of millions (hundreds?) in Capital expenditures…but a fan was left out to save a few bucks instead of being fundamental to *the point* of this design?

Precisely. Tim Cook is actually willing to do that. He knows that a few bucks adds up over millions of units, and his primary goal is to maximize revenue instead of providing the best user experiences.

 

[CraigJDuffy]

Those who praise Tim Cook's anti-consumer actions of removing the fan in order to maximize profits, will likely regret it in a couple of years when their MacBook Air is running slow on one of the last versions of macOS that supports it, since those versions will demand significantly more system resources.

This is now how this works, it contains the same processor as the base model pro and mini of the same generation and does not significantly thermal throttle under max load. It’ll be fine for years to come.

 

[JustAnExpat]

As an owner of a MacBook Air, M1 8GB, either the poster:
1. Does not understand that most people use computers for different purposes then he does OR;
2. Does not understand the power the M1 processor has (which I'm sure applies to the M2 and M3).

The MacBook Air machines are for users who want to use a machine with long battery life (moving parts will reduce battery life) and who won't be doing sustained processor intensive work for money. Most consumers don't make long (30+ minute) videos, process a lot of photos at once frequently, or do memory/ processor intensive work for fun. Consumers use their computer as a communication tool, and a tool to make simple home movies, to make small modifications to photos, etc.

Even when intensive work is being performed, the machine still holds up. Last night I was playing with a recently banned emulator playing a game where you are a plumber having to throw his hat at things. I was getting about 45 to 50 FPS, and it was perfectly playable. Did the machine throttle? Maybe, but if it did, I didn't notice.

 

[adamlbiscuit]

I tend to think of the time Steve Jobs said something along the lines of ‘what would happen if an iPad and a Mac hooked up?’ - the answer was the then-new 2010 MacBook Air. Getting rid of the fans is just one step further towards that concept.

It’s not like people buy it in spite of it having no fans - a lot of people, myself included, buy it because it has no fans, and they appreciate total silent operation.

Those who claim the removal of the fan is a cynical attempt to price gouge and be all anti-consumer are reaching, sorry.

 

[6749974]

Precisely. Tim Cook is actually willing to do that. He knows that a few bucks adds up over millions of units, and his primary goal is to maximize revenue instead of providing the best user experiences.

If you can answer these two questions, you'll understand why the MacBook Air doesn't have fans.

• Why doesn't the iPad have fans?
• Why doesn't the iPhone have fans?

 

[6749974]

Am I the only one who hates that Apple removed the fans on the MacBook Airs when they transitioned to Apple Silicon?

How could any one see it as a "feature" having no active cooling at all, what is the good in that? I only feel that people has been tricked into thinking that this is a good feature.

I don't like computers that makes unnecessary noise, sure, but even with our 2015 Air noise isn't really a problem (even though it has an old Intel processor). During light work you never hear the fan. Imagine it having a M{1,2,3}, the computer would handle much heavier work before you would notice the fan.

To me, the real reasons for Apple to remove the fan and market it as a feature are (1) forcing people to buy more than what they need (MacBook Pro) and (2) save 1 or 2 bucks in the manufacturing of these laptops.

Of course no. 1 is more important to Apple.

What do you think?

As an owner of a MacBook Air, M1 8GB, either the poster:
1. Does not understand that most people use computers for different purposes then he does OR;
2. Does not understand the power the M1 processor has (which I'm sure applies to the M2 and M3).

Thats a great point that begs the question.

OP—do you even own a MacBook Air with Apple silicon?

 

[ThomasJL]

If you can answer these two questions, you'll understand why the MacBook Air doesn't have fans.

• Why doesn't the iPad have fans?
• Why doesn't the iPhone have fans?

A personal computer is meant for heavier, more resource intensive tasks than a tablet and smartphone (which is essentially a miniature tablet). Secondly, the iPhone and iPad both run slower and hotter a couple of years after they were released if they are running one of the last versions of iOS/iPadOS that support them.