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[ignatius345]

I had two or three of those 11" MacBook Airs and loved them. They were some of the best Mac laptops ever, IMO.

But, that said, it's 2024. So many of your critiques are things that have just changed across the board. Even if a 12" subcompact MacBook appears again, it's going to have many, many of the same design choices as the M2 Air you say you hate. So, it kind of sounds like you're either going to a) keep milking that ancient 11" Air forever; b) move over to PCs; or c) bite the bullet and deal with the fact that Mac hardware has changed in the past 12 years.

 

[mectojic]

...Now try the Macbook Pro with the XDR display (120hz, 1600nits) and you'll repeat your statement ("never going back")

I cannot tell the difference between 120hz and 60hz. I tried really hard but can't see it.
As for brightness, yeah that would be a little nicer I guess; but I'm rarely outside with the Macbook so it's not a pressing issue.

 

[ghanwani]

I cannot tell the difference between 120hz and 60hz. I tried really hard but can't see it.
As for brightness, yeah that would be a little nicer I guess; but I'm rarely outside with the Macbook so it's not a pressing issue.

You don't notice it when scrolling? Scrolling tends to be a lot smoother at 120 Hz. Hard to tell when staring at a steady screen or watching a video.

 

[Mike Boreham]

...Now try the Macbook Pro with the XDR display (120hz, 1600nits) and you'll repeat your statement ("never going back")

I went back from an M1 16" MBP to a 13" M2 MBA with no regrets. We are all different.

 

[HackMacDaddy]

Reviving this thread to see where OP @HackMacDaddy is at.
I was one of those who religiously used the last 11-inch MBA, i7 8GB 512GB for years and years. But now I've had an M2 Air for about 6 months, I would never go back at this stage. The performance is simply too good, and that's what I need. But the display, battery life, USB-C/Thunderbolt, fanless design, build quality, fast wake from sleep are all worth the remaining trade-offs.
Yes, I often still need USB-A, I often want it to have a smaller footprint and weigh less, I miss the old System Prefs and keyboard brightness keys. Still, it's not worth going back. The wonders of the single-cable Thunderbolt dock and desktop-grade performance are too compelling.

Hey there! Thanks for checking back. I continue to use my trusty 11“ and it is still perfect for what I do. Mail, pages, streaming. It’s lighter than my wifes iPad+keyboard case so carrying it around is great. Be it while traveling or even around the house. Since it‘s so freakin cheap I‘m less worried of it breaking. So I use it in the kitchen while preparing a meal, or in the garage while repairing something. I wouldn‘t want a 2000$ device next to a pot of boiling pasta 🥴

My wife has the M1 Air and it really is a great laptop! I even prefer it over the M2. But for me it‘s still a tad too big, no magsafe sucks, no usb-a sucks.

I am willing to wait for the rumoured MacBook (SE) which might be a 12“ again. Also very interested if some newer iteration of the iPad Pro will gain MacOS when combined with the new „MacBook-like“ Keyboard case.

But until then I have absolutely no reason to upgrade. Keep in mind: for hardcore work I‘m using a very powerful desktop. The MacBook is mainly for light work and entertainment.

But I know I’m of a dying breed: I use the iPhone 13 Mini, MacBook 11“, and if I had to pick I‘d go with an iPad Mini 😂

 

[Blueberry123]

My wife has the M1 Air and it really is a great laptop! I even prefer it over the M2. But for me it‘s still a tad too big, no magsafe sucks, no usb-a sucks.

I loved my 2013 11 inch MBA! Over 9 years I had 3 battery changes. It was the perfect size. The only negative of the 11 inch was not having a retina display. It died trying to update to Big Sur. I ordered both the M1 and M2 MBA from Apple to see which would be the best replacement. It was an easy choice for me. I preferred the smaller size and wedge shape of the M1 MBA for typing. For me the M1 had a stronger build quality and louder speakers. I needed a month with the 13 inch MBA to adjust to the size difference of the 11 inch MBA and changed the display resolution to 1280 x 800. I love it now despite the heavier weight.

The M2 MBA did feel like a nice fresh design and had magsafe, fast charge and a slightly brighter display, but the notch for me is a really big negative. In movies it shows as a dark grey, the notch only hides on the mini led pro screens. I found it too distracting, whereas I have no issues with the iphone notch and face ID gives it an actual useful purpose! The M2 does improves performance compared to the M1, on low battery mode it just felt quicker loading web pages.

I upgraded to 16gb because I use multiple tabs in safari and chrome, so I'm good for the next few years. Charging by usb c is fine, but faster with a 60w charger, it takes 2 hours, 10 - 100%. My wish for the future is for an improved display in the M1 MBA form factor. A 13 inch oled or mini led display in a light portable Macbook, with no notch.

Apple could continue to sell the M1 MBA old design as the rumoured cheaper macbook. It is now 4 years old. Apple could easily reduce the price to $799-899, if they wanted to and it would remain the best seller. Maybe with an updated cpu such as the M2, after the M3 air is released. I doubt they will bring back the 12 inch macbook.

 

[shawnforever]

11. The biggest gripe by far I have with it is the touchpad!

Why is your biggest gripe numbered 11?

 

[HackMacDaddy]

Why is your biggest gripe numbered 11?

THAT is your take away from this thread? 🥴

 

[Tagbert]

8. Notch bothers me more than it did on the iPhone. Why isn’t it aligned with the taskbar? Just shy of a couple of pixels. And the mousepointer and icons going behind the notch irritates me. You could literally "lose" a file on your desktop behind the notch. Why Apple?

One of my professors at design school was always reminding us that we are designing for human vision, not for the ruler and the protractor. We should understand how your eye sees and how the brain interprets that. I have continued to observe this in the years since. They eye is an imperfect “camera” that doesn’t take a snapshot of the scene but scans the area in view using a very narrow high resolution fovea and the brain uses that continuous scan to construct a model of what it is seeing. There are things that can trick the visual system into seeing things that a not as they were drawn but as they are reconstructed. Lines that should appear straight appear to bend toward each other. Elements that appear to be different sizes may actually be the same size. Shapes close to each other or touching each other will affect how you perceive them. A good designer will take these effects into account.

In the case of the notch and the menubar, Apple designers avoided having the curved lines of the notch exactly aligned with the straight line of the bottom of the menubar. That keeps those shapes from interfering with each other. If they were aligned, the straight menubar line would appear to be subtly bent near the notch and the notch would appear to be pulled down. That little space between keeps them from confusing your eye. Aligning the edges would also make the notch appear larger than it really is. By pulling back a little it demphasizes the size.

I know that this is an old post but it popped up today and since you were so curious why Apple chose the design they did, I thought I would offer my theory based on my own design training and experience.

I too have an 11.6” Air that I bring out now and then. I feel bad that when the power supply died I ended up getting a third party power supply that gets too hot and I don’t trust it so I only give it a little juice now and then. Maybe I should splurge on a real Apple power supply, if I can find one, just to keep it running a little bit longer.

 

[Darth Tulhu]

To each his own, but for my part the M2 MBA 13.6" is the best Mac/computer I've EVER owned.

If it had the USB-C ports on opposite sides, and ProMotion it'd be PERFECT, but I actually don't mis it. At ALL.

And I have the 12.9" iPad with the spectacular and superior miniLED screen, so...

 

[halledise]

low screen resolution - tinny speakers.
other than that, the 11" Air was the best notebook ever produced

 

[geta]

The 12” Macbook was one of the nicest they ever made, but the latest 13” MBA with it’s weight and power that packed into such a portable size is just perfect.

 

[jido]

I too have an 11.6” Air that I bring out now and then. I feel bad that when the power supply died I ended up getting a third party power supply that gets too hot and I don’t trust it so I only give it a little juice now and then. Maybe I should splurge on a real Apple power supply, if I can find one, just to keep it running a little bit longer.

You don’t need a power supply. Just get a good USB-C to MagSafe cable. Works great!

 

[Tagbert]

You don’t need a power supply. Just get a good USB-C to MagSafe cable. Works great!

Do you know of any for MagSafe 1. The 11.6” Air has been around so long that Magsafe has moved on. I hadn’t thought of this approach, but will have to do some searching. Thanks.

 

[Zorori]

...Now try the Macbook Pro with the XDR display (120hz, 1600nits) and you'll repeat your statement ("never going back")

I did this (work laptop that I had to use for a year). Was really happy to ditch that brick

 

[jido]

Do you know of any for MagSafe 1. The 11.6” Air has been around so long that Magsafe has moved on. I hadn’t thought of this approach, but will have to do some searching. Thanks.

No, I got one from SlimQ but it is MagSafe 2. Amazon lists some for MagSafe 1 though

 

[Tagbert]

No, I got one from SlimQ but it is MagSafe 2. Amazon lists some for MagSafe 1 though

I ordered this one. We'll see how it turns out.

AreMe USB C to Magnetic L-Tip Charging Cable - 5.6FT, Type C to Magnetic 1 L-Head Charge Cord for 2006-2012 MacBook Pro Air, Works with 20V 60W-100W

Compatibility: This L-Tip cable is designed for 2006-2010 MacBook, 2006-2011 MacBook Pro and 2009-2011 MacBook Air. Provide Correct Power: You must use a 20V/3A 60W or above Type-C charger, otherwise the adapter will not work. Premium Materia: The cable made of nylon material, features good flexi...

www.amazon.com

 

[HackMacDaddy]

To each his own, but for my part the M2 MBA 13.6" is the best Mac/computer I've EVER owned.

If it had the USB-C ports on opposite sides, and ProMotion it'd be PERFECT, but I actually don't mis it. At ALL.

And I have the 12.9" iPad with the spectacular and superior miniLED screen, so...

The best Mac of all times is the classic MacPro cheesegrater, especially the later ones 😜

 

[6749974]

The best Mac of all times is the classic MacPro cheesegrater, especially the later ones 😜

The Mac Pro was proof that Macs are a waste of money. That thing didn't grate cheese at all!

That's why I buy PCs. Nothing is cheesier than Windows.

 

[Euroamerican]

but which Mac is best for raclette? The hotter the better?

 

[Darth Tulhu]

The Mac Pro was proof that Macs are a waste of money. That thing didn't grate cheese at all!

That's why I buy PCs. Nothing is cheesier than Windows.

You win Sir/Ma'am.

🤣

 

[rampancy]

So here's my (very irreverent) thoughts on my base model M2 Air, from the perspective of someone transitioning from a 2017 MacBook Air 7,2 and a long-time lover of the dearly departed 11" MacBook Air (I daily drove both the original 2010 11" and a 2013):

The keyboard: I'm still rather mixed on the new post-Butterfly keyboard; it just feels so weird typing on a keyboard with so little key travel. I still prefer the keyboard on my 2017, which IMHO had just the right amount of key travel. YMMV I guess.

The display: I really like it. I guess the years of trying to crank down the brightness to eke out as much battery life as possible on the A1181 and A1151 MacBook/Pros in my Early Intel Mac collection have ruined my eyes, but...wow, this display is nice. Even with the brightness turned down, to my old and battered eyes details are crisp and text is still very sharp. Considering that I'm mainly using my MacBook Air for writing work, this is a really nice detail to have.

I'm also kind of amazed at how Apple was able to cram a larger display in here vs. the 2017 Air, even though the M2 Air's footprint is physically smaller. The aggressively cut down bezels also add psychologically to the impression that the display is bigger than it really is.

Performance: With everyone and their mother on YouTube and tech sites complaining about how lousy the M2 chip was, I had my expectations lowered, but...man, this machine is fast. Like, really fast. Not that my 2017 Air was unusably slow, but for tasks like opening large 200+ page Word files with track changes enabled, it did chug a little (and it sadly brought my plucky upgraded 2009 A1181 MacBook to its knees). Not so here. With Chrome running with 20+ tabs, a Zoom call, and a ton of MS Word documents and large PDFs/image files open, my 2017 Air also started to grind its gears. On my M2 Air, a similar workload doesn't skip a beat. It reminds me of the jump I took from my 14" 700 Mhz G3 iBook to my 2.0 Ghz Core 2 Duo MacBook.

It also brings me back to how different a machine's specs can be from how it actually feels in the real world. My original 11" 2010 MacBook Air with its 1.4 Ghz ULV Core 2 Duo, 2 GB RAM and 64 GB SSD seemed awful on paper, but it felt fast, way faster than any of my higher-clocked Macs upgraded with SSDs and more RAM.

Compatibility: Rosetta 2 really is a marvel, but GOG Galaxy barely works at all. Oh, it'll launch, but it'll often turn into a blank window, or leave me with an orphaned helper app running after I quit it. Oh, and apparently Avadon 3 is broken on the M2. Sigh. Hopefully Jeff Vogel will put out a patch soon after the release of the Geneforge 2 remake. Pity, since that was the next game on my list that I wanted to finally finish.

This is also the first Mac I have bought as a daily driver that will not natively run Escape Velocity Nova. My inner 19-year old is still crying. I guess I could try running the Windows version in CrossOver or Wineskin?

The iPhone-ification of the Mac: At first I was irked by autoboot and the notch was jarring. But honestly, the notch personally doesn't affect me as much as I thought it would. Autoboot isn't a deal breaker, but it is still annyoing when I want to open up my MacBook just to inspect or clean the screen. On the upshot, it still feels kinda trippy that I can both charge and run my computer off of the same 30W charger I bought for my partner's Galaxy S23 FE.

I also forgot to add how much I really dislike Sonoma's revamped iOS-style System Preferences app. Not only does it disrupt years' worth of muscle memory for finding things, but it just makes finding the pref pane you need unnecessarily more difficult for certain tasks, like if you want to run an app that isn't notarized by Apple.

What I don't like: Apparently the M2 MacBook Air is really fragile; if I apply a screen protector on it, it'll supposedly ruin the display. Using a hardshell case can (apparently?) potentially scratch up the surface of the computer. If I even open it up wrong (lifting it up from the corner as opposed to lifting it up from the centre?!) I'm apparently liable to crack the LCD glass by stressing the display assembly. WTF? I'm used to the MacBook Air being built like a tank - am I going to have to really baby this thing, or expect to not be able to just toss it in a backpack full of heavy books? This actually really bothers me. I purchased this to be a device I can use for writing on the go, not something I'm worrying about breaking if I even look at it funny. It's a good thing I have a well-padded sleeve for it.

And to be super irreverant, what also bugs me is that there's no really good alternative wallpapers that I can find for the Apple defaults. I've trolled places like Deviant Art, and while there's some good stuff riffing on the Big Sur, Monterey and Ventura wallpapers, I can't find anything I like for Sonoma.

 

[turbineseaplane]

What I don't like: Apparently the M2 MacBook Air is really fragile; if I apply a screen protector on it, it'll supposedly ruin the display. Using a hardshell case can (apparently?) potentially scratch up the surface of the computer. If I even open it up wrong (lifting it up from the corner as opposed to lifting it up from the centre?!) I'm apparently liable to crack the LCD glass by stressing the display assembly. WTF? I'm used to the MacBook Air being built like a tank - am I going to have to really baby this thing, or expect to not be able to just toss it in a backpack full of heavy books? This actually really bothers me. I purchased this to be a device I can use for writing on the go, not something I'm worrying about breaking if I even look at it funny. It's a good thing I have a well-padded sleeve for it.

The era of the Macbooks being "tanks" is sadly far in the past.

They are all quite fragile now -- nothing like my battle tested 2015 15" MBP, nor your indestructible 2017 MBA, both of which hail from a vastly different design era.

It's a shame -- to your point, a lot of folks like to toss these in a backpack and not have to baby it for fear of a massively expensive issue to repair.

 

[mectojic]

@rampancy good write up. I think you're like me, in that the differences compared to the 11/13 inch pre-2018 Airs compared to the M2 were initially annoying, but you eventually got over them.

As for durability, again I think people are just lying or making things up. I've had my M2 Air for 6 months now, and the solidity of it and sturdiness does make it feel like a tank. If you just dropped the old Airs once, the aluminium would cave like butter. This seems much more solid, and perhaps the form factor also makes it always less likely to be dropped in the first place. It's really nice.
And as for case protectors, I think it's a myth that you shouldn't use them. Apple literally sells 3rd party cases on their site. While I don't use one myself, it's not going to really shorten the life of the device.

Everything about these new ones feels sturdier. My old 2015 Air now has a completely loose screen hinge, many of the key caps have rubbed down and lost their black keys, and the keys have gotten shaky over time. I don't anticipate the M2 one will have any of those problems for many, many years.

 

[turbineseaplane]

many of the key caps have rubbed down and lost their black keys, and the keys have gotten shaky over time.

I don't anticipate the M2 one will have any of those problems for many, many years.

Maybe?

But I see people complain about a "shine" on modern Apple keycaps, sometimes within just weeks or months of starting to use them...and lettering wearing way way before older Macbooks would have those issues.