It’s been three months since we got our hands on the 2018 MacBook Air, and our thoughts
have completely changed about it.
At first, we were disappointed with a few key problems with the new MacBook Air, and
we even recommended the 2017 MacBook Pro instead, but after three months, we’ve realized that
the Air is actually the best choice for almost everyone.
I’ll explain why in just a minute.
Before the new MacBook Air was released, thousands of people were still using the old MacBook
Air, with its extremely outdated design, low-quality display and old tech.
Those people just wanted a relatively cheap and reliable Apple laptop for everyday tasks,
and it did just that.
Now we’ve got a brand new upgraded MacBook Air that’s up-to-date with the latest technology.
It’s not perfect, but it’s worlds better than the old one.
As a video editor, there were a few things the new Air lacked that were really dissapointing,
mainly the display.
Even though it’s packing a high-resolution Retina display, the screen itself just doesn’t
get very bright, and it’s not nearly as color accurate as other MacBooks like the
2017 MacBook Pro.
That’s my biggest problem with it, but I’ve realized that it doesn’t really matter for
most people who don’t do photo or video editing.
And the display brightness is fine for almost everyone, at least until you try to use it
outside on a bright day.
The second biggest problem I had was the dual-core processor.
Most of the laptop market has already moved onto quad-core processors, and it’s disappointing
to see that the Air hasn’t.
However, after using it for 3 months, I’ve realized that it runs basically everything
you’d need on a daily basis, pretty well.
Many old MacBook Air users were completely fine with the old dual-core processors, and
the new ones even quicker.
Something that really mattered was the ports.
The old Air was loaded with ports and the new one is limited to just two.
It kind of sucks, but you can get a USB-C hub on Amazon and fix that problem for relatively
cheap.
The last thing to complain about is the price.
It’s $1199, which is $200 more expensive than the old Air, making it a bit more difficult
for many people to obtain.
However, 3 months later, you easily find a brand new 2018 MacBook Air for less than $1100.
In fact, It’s currently on sale on Amazon for $1079.
I linked that sale in the video description if you wanna check it out.
In reality, the difference in price is well worth it for everything you’re getting.
Now let’s talk what’s so special about the new MacBook Air that makes me think it’s
the best choice for almost everyone out there.
First of all, the battery life is amazing.
Apple says it lasts 2 hours longer than any other current-gen MacBook, and trust me, they’re
not lying.
It seems to last forever!
The updated design really makes it look like a modern Mac, especially now that the huge
silver display bezels are gone.
The trackpad is now much larger and more comfortable to use, and it’s now using Force touch tech,
so it doesn’t actually click, the motor beneath it vibrates to simulate a click.
This means that you get even clicking feel even at the corners of the trackpad.
The old trackpad failed in that sense.
Some users don’t like the low key travel of the new keyboard, but I personally don’t
mind it.
It was pretty easy to get used to.
It also comes with a Touch ID sensor in the corner for logging in and buying stuff online
using Apple Pay, which I don’t really care for, but it’s convenient.
One huge difference you’ll notice is in the speakers.
They sound so much better on the new Air.
The old model actually doesn’t pack any speaker grilles, the sound just comes from
under the keyboard, and it doesn’t sound good compared to the new speakers.
You can comfortably watch TV shows using just the integrated speakers on the new Air, since
vocals are now loud and clear compared to the quite dull sound of the old Air.
What’s great about the new Air is that it comes with the T2 security chip, which enhances
security, encrypts storage on-the-fly, and takes care of a bunch of different controllers
so the processor doesn’t have to.
I personally believe that in about 6 years Apple will release a new MacOS update that
requires the T2 chip to run, basically putting an end to the Hackintosh.
So if you’re wanting to keep your MacBook for a long time, this is a huge reason to
buy the new Air.
Finally, even though it only has two ports, they’re Thunderbolt 3 ports, so they can
deliver 40Gb/s of throughput to connect everything from external storage, external GPUs for gaming
and video editing, and even connect a 5k display.
The new MacBook Air basically offers everything the average user would need and more.
From battery life and reliability to speaker and display quality, it’s got you covered.
Thanks to the 8th gen processor’s modern technology, you can even do casual video or
photo editing.
It may take a bit longer than on other Macs, but it’ll get the job done.
Now, if you’re more serious about your professional work, like requiring a highly color accurate
display, you should look to the MacBook Pro instead, and if you’re doing a lot of graphics
intensive work like video editing, investing the extra cash for the 15” 2018 MacBook
Pro is a wise choice.
It’ll easily pay for itself in time savings.
Overall, the 2018 MacBook Air is the Mac almost everyone should be buying in 2019.
I’m extremely satisfied with it after using it for 3 months and I truly believe you will
too!
This has been Vadim with Max Tech, thanks for watching and make sure to subscribe for
more videos like this one.