To Taper or Not to Taper?

[MICHAELSD]

Should the MacBook Air be designed with a taper? It's iconic and a key element of the design.

While more practical and perhaps more solid, thinner even, without the wedge-shaped design I can't help but miss it on the M2 MacBook Air not having owned a MacBook Air before.

I envisioned owning a MacBook Air once it was practical to do so performance-wise and while I'm not disappointed by the fantastic M2 MacBook Air I do still think of the Air as having a design that becomes ridiculously thin at its edge.

 

[Chateaunole-du-Pape]

The M2 Air would still easily fit in a manila envelope - far better than the original Air, in fact.

 

[MICHAELSD]

The M2 Air would still easily fit in a manila envelope - far better than the original Air, in fact.

Fair point. The reference to the manila envelope was more a nod to the original presentation of the classic design.

 

[dmr727]

I think the tapered design looks significantly nicer than the M2 MBA, but of course that's an entirely subjective opinion.

 

[jav6454]

Should the MacBook Air be designed with a taper? It's iconic and a key element of the design.

While more practical and perhaps more solid, thinner even, without the wedge-shaped design I can't help but miss it on the M2 MacBook Air not having owned a MacBook Air before.

I envisioned owning a MacBook Air once it was practical to do so performance-wise and while I'm not disappointed by the fantastic M2 MacBook Air I do still think of the Air as having a design that becomes ridiculously thin at its edge.

It should look like the original design, not the boxy crap design from the early 2000s.

 

[1BadManVan]

Well, it took the m2 MacBook Air design to finally entice me enough to give the Mac a try and im not looking back now lol

 

[fisherking]

just got my M2 air, and i prefer the 'box' to the wedge of the M1 air (which i returned after 2 days).

but yes, it's all subjective. and also yes, apple is in control, so in the moment (and probably a moment that will last for some time)... the 'box' it is.

 

[ManuCH]

I prefer the new design by a lot. If it still had the tapered design, I wouldn't have bought the Air and gone with a Pro instead. The tapered design is one of the reasons why I never bought an Air before.

 

[srexy]

New boxy design is nicer to hold but harder to pick up. I'm fine with the M2 - it's a jewel-like object much as the iPhone 4 was back when it came out.

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

Pros of the tapor:
Looks more impressive.
Allows for the actual computer to be called thinner than it actually ends up being.
Easier to pick up from a table.
Pros of the box:
Allows more components to fit in throughout the entire design.
Uniform thinness throughout the entire body, the thinnest point is the entire computer.
Lifts off the desk.
Easier to open the lid, since the slot is a lot deeper.

 

[fisherking]

Pros of the tapor:
Looks more impressive.
Allows for the actual computer to be called thinner than it actually ends up being.
Easier to pick up from a table.
Pros of the box:
Allows more components to fit in throughout the entire design.
Uniform thinness throughout the entire body, the thinnest point is the entire computer.
Lifts off the desk.
Easier to open the lid, since the slot is a lot deeper.

so subjective! i personally think the box looks more impressive, and don't care if someone 'calls' the wedge air 'thinner'. i have no problem picking up the M2 air from a table. i think it's just all what we like or don't like, and it's fine either way.

 

[AbhiAchShan]

Should the MacBook Air be designed with a taper? It's iconic and a key element of the design.

While more practical and perhaps more solid, thinner even, without the wedge-shaped design I can't help but miss it on the M2 MacBook Air not having owned a MacBook Air before.

I envisioned owning a MacBook Air once it was practical to do so performance-wise and while I'm not disappointed by the fantastic M2 MacBook Air I do still think of the Air as having a design that becomes ridiculously thin at its edge.

I am pretty sure, most of those who have never looked M2 MacBook Air in person and compared with the M1, are voting for the Uniform Design
An Ideal MacBook Air, in my opinion would be the one with Wedge, Thin Bezel and a real good SoC like the new Apple Silicons, this would really look good

 

[fisherking]

I am pretty sure, most of those who have never looked M2 MacBook Air in person and compared with the M1, are voting for the Uniform Design
An Ideal MacBook Air, in my opinion would be the one with Wedge, Thin Bezel and a real good SoC like the new Apple Silicons, this would really look good

pretty sure? and that's based on what information?

is there anyone who is unfamiliar with the air wedge design at this point in time? and anyone who has seen a picture of the new air, and/or seen it in person can have an opinion.

the people voting for the 'box' prefer the box, the people who vote for the 'wedge' prefer the wedge. considering there are currently 26 total votes, this in no way represents mac users (or anybody) out in the real world.

i prefer the M2 design to the M1 air i had (for 2 days). others may feel differently. and it still doesn't matter. we can like what we like, poll or no poll.

 

[jdb8167]

When I originally heard that Apple was updating the MacBook Air case and removing the taper I wasn’t very inclined to like it. My fear was that Apple was going to replicate the boxy, unsexy design of the MacBook Pro. They didn’t do that. Instead they actually improved the MacBook Air chassis a lot. The new M2 MBA design all the way!

 

[BanjoDudeAhoy]

I’m a huge fan of the tapered design and I’m somewhat sad they got rid of it.

However, I saw the new MBAs at the local Apple Store and, to my surprise, they were nice. I like them and if I was in the market for a new laptop, I’d buy one.

(I still voted taper, though)

 

[AbhiAchShan]

pretty sure? and that's based on what information?

is there anyone who is unfamiliar with the air wedge design at this point in time? and anyone who has seen a picture of the new air, and/or seen it in person can have an opinion.

the people voting for the 'box' prefer the box, the people who vote for the 'wedge' prefer the wedge. considering there are currently 26 total votes, this in no way represents mac users (or anybody) out in the real world.

i prefer the M2 design to the M1 air i had (for 2 days). others may feel differently. and it still doesn't matter. we can like what we like, poll or no poll.

Okay, Sorry Mate for being Harsh👍

 

[fisherking]

Okay, Sorry Mate for being Harsh👍

don't think you were being harsh, just thought you were making an assumption... but all good. it's a jungle here (macrumors forums) 🤣

 

[Sleix]

Honestly, I'm glad the taper is gone. Its design language was falling behind the times compared to the rest of the lineup and needed a refresh. While it did serve a purpose in attracting people to the machine, it was time to move on to showcasing its true strength, what it could do with that slim form factor under the keyboard. Anybody who clings to the past designs should remember that Apple does things to shake up the industry, to drive perceptions of what the future design should be aiming for. I mean without them, we'd still be lugging beige metal boxes all about town.

 

[jav6454]

Honestly, I'm glad the taper is gone. Its design language was falling behind the times compared to the rest of the lineup and needed a refresh. While it did serve a purpose in attracting people to the machine, it was time to move on to showcasing its true strength, what it could do with that slim form factor under the keyboard. Anybody who clings to the past designs should remember that Apple does things to shake up the industry, to drive perceptions of what the future design should be aiming for. I mean without them, we'd still be lugging beige metal boxes all about town.

News flash, the taper isn't gone. It's still being sold.

 

[Sleix]

News flash, the taper isn't gone. It's still being sold.

News report, yes, it's being sold, but not with M2 silicon. It's old stock being exhausted.

 

[unrigestered]

both look great in their own way: the new design looks modern and i'm preferring it too, while the old one has a classy classic look to it.

since i'm new to Macs and i also have that new design with my 16" MBP, i'm happy to have that "old" design too so that i can now pretend that i'm a longtime Apple user 😇😛

 

[Super Angulon]

To each his own, I think that m1 looks modern but m2 looks vintage.

 

[Dealmans]

Should of kept the wedge

 

[sjperformance]

Step son has m1 and I have m2. Prefer box design. I like the uniformity. I can pick up my m2 from table with no issues.

 

[litmag01]

I really like the old sleek tapered design, for personal use. When dealing with stacks of these machines nothing beats the box design.