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Description

Represents the latest - or general, in case the model cannot easily be determined - Apple MacBook Air desktop computer.

Tech Gear Talk

Tech Gear Talk

DON’T WASTE YOUR MONEY!! M1 MacBook Air in 2023

Video thumbnail for DON’T WASTE YOUR MONEY!! M1 MacBook Air in 2023 by Tech Gear Talk

DON’T WASTE YOUR MONEY!! M1 MacBook Air in 2023

Tech Gear Talk

Tech Gear Talk

Video thumbnail for WAIT! The 256GB M1 MacBook is NOT ENOUGH!? Don’t BUY the WRONG MacBook by Tech Gear Talk

WAIT! The 256GB M1 MacBook is NOT ENOUGH!? Don’t BUY the WRONG MacBook

Tech Gear Talk

Tech Gear Talk

Video thumbnail for M1 MacBook Air vs 14” MacBook Pro M1 Pro | Programming & General Use by Andres Vidoza

M1 MacBook Air vs 14” MacBook Pro M1 Pro | Programming & General Use

Andres Vidoza

Andres Vidoza

Reviews

Owner Insights

We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Apple MacBook Air (General).

Features and functionality

  • The M1 MacBook Air learns charging behavior and maintains charge at 80% if plugged in frequently, optimizing battery longevity.

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  • The MacBook Air M4 includes a 1000-nit backlight, making it suitable for outdoor use, surpassing previous models in brightness.

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  • The MacBook Air M1's battery life is highly praised, with some users experiencing up to 18 hours of use on a single charge.

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  • The fanless design keeps the device cool and quiet, even during demanding tasks.

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Comparisons

  • The M1 MacBook Air was preferred for professional software development over the i9 16" Touch Bar MacBook Pro, due to better performance and less overheating.

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  • The MacBook Pro is noted for its superior screen, keyboard, and speakers, but these enhancements are seen as non-essential for average users compared to the Air.

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  • Users note that the MacBook Air M1 operates cooler than the MacBook Air M2 during similar tasks.

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Use cases and applications

  • Despite being marketed as an entry-level product, the MacBook Air serves as a powerful portable computer, handling tasks traditionally reserved for higher-end models.

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  • Owners report MacBook Airs from 2013 and 2015 still handle basic tasks, like web browsing and Microsoft Office, with battery replacements.

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  • Suitable for light graphic design, programming, and video editing, though heavy multitasking might require more RAM.

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User experience

  • The MacBook Air's portability is favored by frequent travelers and those using it away from a desk, offering a practical balance of power and convenience.

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  • Some users experience speaker issues, like rustling or clicking noises, relatively early in the MacBook Air's lifespan.

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  • Some owners report occasional slowdowns when running multiple Chrome tabs or using dual-screen setups, suggesting Safari as a better alternative.

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Software and compatibility

  • Even older MacBooks can access recent software with workarounds, although official updates stop after about 7 years.

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  • Using ad blockers can significantly slow down performance in Chrome, as reported by some users.

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  • The M1 chip allows seamless use of apps across iOS and iPadOS, enhancing productivity for users in the Apple ecosystem.

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Setup and maintenance

  • Al Dente app can limit battery charge to prolong life, maintaining charge at 60% when plugged in to save battery health.

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Value and pricing

  • The MacBook Air M1 can be found as low as $599 new at Walmart, making it an attractive option for budget-conscious buyers.

    Source
Add

4.5 out of 5

Based on 53 Reviews and 217 Ratings

5 star
4 star
3 star
2 star
1 star
metk
metk

161

The best laptop so far, for lightweight task but also music production

This is the best laptop, if you are doing lightweight music production. Due to the SSD, it is fast and runs the music software. Of course, if you want to run like a pro, get a Macbook Pro. But with this, you can start out your music projects with little effort and sketches.

protomoderns

Not ideal

I really don't recommend trying to make music on a computer with <16 GB of RAM. Playing back only 4-8 tracks at a time each with a few plugins was enough to overload it pretty reliably.

djota

Perfect for Music Production

Perfect for music production, the fact that i can just unplug it and make music on the go without dropping in performance comparing to windows machines already made this the go-to.

Preferred Settings + Usage:

avoid intel macs, the M series chips decimated them.

jacobhoekwater

More RAM Less Storage.

This Laptop Is Extremely New To Me. Got It A Few Days Ago Through School. 8GB RAM, But Sadly, Only 120GB Of Storage. So For A Person Who Is Making Videos, Recording And Mixing 30+ Tracks On Songs, Listening To Music, Writing Essays, And Much More The Amount Of Storage Is Less Than Ideal. However 8GB RAM Is A Nice Upgrade From My Pro Which Had 4. Compared To The Pros It Feels Very Light, Which To Me Wasn't Such Huge Deal. The Weight Of The Pros Was Fine For Me. It Wasn't A Big Deal. Due To It's Weight It Feels A Bit Cheaper, But Maybe That's Just Because I Came From A Macbook Pro. I Also Noticed That The Actual Screen Is Smaller On The Air 13 Inch In Comparison. The Maybe Took An Inch Off On Every Side Of The Screen, Not Sure Why, Maybe To Make More Money, And Though I Doubt There's A Reason Better Than "It Saves Us Money Which Means More Profit" That Doesn't Mean It's Not Possible There's Some Legitimacy Behind All Of This. But I Can't Do A Super In Depth Review Of This, I've Only Had It For A Few Days. Maybe I'll Review Again Once I Have More Experience With It.

joydeeproni

Best 'budget' MacBook one can get

It is thin, light & powerful as said by every MacBook user in the world. It gives crazy battery backup, I've used this at live gigs. On 70% charge, I used Logic Pro & MainStage for 5-6hours continuous with my WiFi on, surprisingly battery dropped down only to 20%. No other laptop gives such a crazy battery backup. It has allowed me to produce music professionally at my home by simply connecting my instruments through MIDI.

neuro301

Great computer for music production

Picked this up at the Apple store for $1200, and it works wonders for making beats with things like Garageband pre-installed, and getting Ableton Live and Adobe Audition on it is a breeze. Runs my entire studio. Everything I do is done on this thing. No spinning hard drive, fan-less, dead silent, LONG-ass battery life, light and perfectly portable. I take this thing everywhere.

launchsix

Small, Easy, Awesome.

My laptop is a 2015 MacBook Air. Its served me well, allowing me to use Ableton and Serum rather seamlessly (After I freeze my tracks). Only issue I have with it is the amazingly small amount of ram (A whole 4 GB). Though, that's what I get for buying the lowest model.

vallax

M1 2tb 16gb is enough for most orchestral projects!

All working very well so far, major upgrade over all previous apple laptops. Extremely smooth and immediate in all tasks.

From Gear Setup
P

Slow

Its slow but very light. I use it for garageband and fender tone. It works but i wish i saved for a macbook pro

julian_becker

Solid

Light, easy to carry, fast processing, only drawback, no CD port and smaller storage space. You NEED a external CD drive and external hard drive

Artist usage

Add artist
See how Afrojack uses Apple MacBook Air (General)

Afrojack

Music Producer

AJXJS

...
Verified via Instagram

"Watching the #NFL #Superbowl with my friends on a laptop! #TenFeetTall and they just played #TheSpark in the stadium!"

See how Nicky Romero uses Apple MacBook Air (General)

Nicky Romero

Music Producer, DJ

...
Verified via Twitter

In a photo he posted, Nicky Romero is working on editing and mixing his radio show on Logic Pro software running on his MacBook Air laptop.

See how Steve Angello uses Apple MacBook Air (General)

Steve Angello

Music Producer

Swedish House Mafia

...
Verified via Instagram

Used by Steve Angello for "Last second 'getting sh*t done'"

See how R3hab uses Apple MacBook Air (General)

R3hab

Music Producer

...
Verified via Photo

R3hab shared a photo of him working on a track at the airport on his MacBook Air.

See how Headhunterz uses Apple MacBook Air (General)

Headhunterz

Music Producer, DJ

Project One

...
Verified via Twitter

"When I work on cpu consuming projects my Macbook air sounds more like an airplane taking off"

See how Seven Lions uses Apple MacBook Air (General)

Seven Lions

Music Producer, DJ

...
Verified via Dubspot

To make the amount of stuff he has to carry to live shows as small as possible, Seven Lions relies on a MacBook Air. He runs Traktor on it.

See how Excision uses Apple MacBook Air (General)

Excision

Music Producer, DJ

Destroid

...
Verified via Photo

Excision's Macbook Air can be seen in this photo.

See how MAKJ uses Apple MacBook Air (General)

MAKJ

Music Producer, DJ

...
Verified via Photo

MAKJ DJ set with his MacBook Air.

See how Chuckie uses Apple MacBook Air (General)

Chuckie

Music Producer

...
Verified via Twitter

Chuckie with his MacBooks - a Pro and an Air.

See how Mark Knight uses Apple MacBook Air (General)

Mark Knight

Music Producer, DJ

Mark Knight & Funkagenda

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Verified via YouTube

The item can be seen 0:20 into this video

See how Chet Faker uses Apple MacBook Air (General)

Chet Faker

Singer, Keyboardist

...
Verified via YouTube

He uses a MacBook Air during his lives.

See how Andy Morin uses Apple MacBook Air (General)

Andy Morin

Bassist, Keyboardist

Death Grips

...
Verified via YouTube

Andy Morin is confirmed to use an Apple MacBook Air, as it is clearly visible at the 10:15 mark of the NPR Music video titled "Death Grips | NPR MUSIC LIVE."

Album Usage

The Apple MacBook Air (General) has been featured on the following albums:

Genre Usage

Based on how artists on Equipboard use this gear, it is most commonly found in the following genres.

Used With

Based on how musicians on Equipboard use Apple MacBook Air (General), it is most commonly used with the following gear.

Community setups

Show yours
ugur_kozbey

ugur_kozbey

Gear IQ 227

freddie_handleymusic

freddie_handleymusic

Gear IQ 72

am_studio

am_studio

Gear IQ 780

flickysound

flickysound

Gear IQ 77

thatlkjguy

thatlkjguy

Gear IQ 4735

kevenloya

kevenloya

Gear IQ 235

avemcree

avemcree

Gear IQ 92

sunny_climate

sunny_climate

Gear IQ 661

samthomas

samthomas

Gear IQ 1239

I

idk_ok

Gear IQ 110

rythmchangesgod

rythmchangesgod

Gear IQ 68

vallax

vallax

Gear IQ 394

t00leo

t00leo

Gear IQ 98

erice549

erice549

Gear IQ 75

1 alternative for Apple MacBook Air (General), curated by the Equipboard community.

Apple MacBook Pro (General)

 

high-end alternative

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