- This article was originally published on iMore and featured in our Back to School guide.
Most students looking for a new MacBook should get the MacBook Air. It's cheaper than other MacBooks, more powerful, and offers a larger screen than the 12-inch MacBook, while still being lightweight. And while it may not be as powerful as the MacBook Pro, it should provide enough power for the average student to get through the day.
- Our pick: MacBook Air (2018)
- More power: MacBook Pro
- Smart choice: MacBook Air (2017)
- Our pick: MacBook Air (2018)
(Image credit: future)
Macbook Air (2018)
Smooth power punch, portability, and price.
More powerful than the 12-inch MacBook and more mobile than the MacBook Pro, the MacBook Air sits in the Goldilocks area of Apple's Mac portable line, providing enough power for most of the tasks you want it to do without the weight of a MacBook Pro. Touch ID functions for simple and secure authentication. View deal
(Image credit: future)
Who should buy this computer?
Students who want a Mac for writing documents, researching, browsing the web, editing photos, and having fun should get the MacBook Air. It should also be a great computer for you when your college degree ends and you head out into the world.
Is this the right time to buy this computer?
The current MacBook Air was released in October 2018, so it's a good time to buy this Mac. Some retailers like Amazon are subject to significant discounts, and we are probably months away from a possible update. It's been a while since Apple updated any of its Macs in less than a year.
Reasons to buy
- Excellent price / power ratio
- Lightweight and portable
- Visualization of the retina.
- touch ID
Reasons not to buy
- Limited customization
- The butterfly keyboard may irritate some
The MacBook Air is an excellent Mac for students. Reconcile power and portability.
For students, portability is one of the main concerns when buying a computer. Whether you're walking the halls of your high school to get to history class or rushing across campus to make your next lecture on time, you don't want to hang around with a heavy computer. You want something light enough. At the same time, you don't want a malnourished computer. The MacBook Air occupies the middle ground of this ideal. It is more powerful than the MacBook and thinner and lighter than the MacBook Pro.
For a long time, the MacBook Air was Apple's thin and light computer. Many readers credit the MacBook Air with the advent of the "ultrabook" type of computers that grew in importance earlier this decade. But Apple has since introduced the 12-inch MacBook, which debuted with a Retina display and was even thinner and lighter than Air. If portability is your main concern, you should get the MacBook, right?
The MacBook Air is somewhere between the portability of the MacBook and the power of the MacBook Pro.
Let's now look at the modern MacBook Air. Now also (some would say "finally") a Retina display, without adding bulk. And no, it is not as small as the MacBook, but it is almost as light. The MacBook Air weighs 2.75 kilograms, less than a pound more than the 2.03 MacBook. You don't make a lot of sacrifice for weight. If computer clutter is a problem, check out the MacBook, but the width and depth only gain about half an inch. As a result, the larger air may not be a big problem.
The other consideration of the MacBook compared to the MacBook Air is power. Although the 100th generation Intel processor in the MacBook Air can't keep up with the current generation MacBook Pro, it is more than a match for the XNUMXth generation processors present in the MacBook. Be it for web browsing or photo editing, the MacBook will be outperformed by Air, the MacBook Air is priced at least US $ XNUMX with the current MacBook.
Speaking of power, the MacBook Pro is probably overkill for most students. Of course, some will be able to take advantage of their more powerful processors, but if you write for the majority, write presentations, or search the web, you probably don't need this level. to fuel the offerings of a MacBook Pro. And again, you will save a bit of money if you buy the MacBook Air, which should always be considered.
In the end, when you look at the current MacBook range through a student lens, the MacBook Air successfully crosses the line between the thin and light MacBook and the powerful MacBook Pro. It will meet the needs of most students and should follow. being a great Mac when you're ready to leave academics behind and go out into the world.
Alternatives to MacBook Air
(Image credit: Apple)
The MacBook Air is perhaps the best MacBook for most students, but different people have different needs. If you are looking for more power, check out the MacBook Pro. It will be a more powerful machine for just about anything you want to do, with more expensive models offering increasing power for tasks like photo and video editing, application development, scientific programs, illustrations. and music production. It will last longer than the MacBook Air and will perform at higher levels all the time.
If you are looking for a cheaper option, unfortunately, you will have to settle for an older Apple product. It's still a MacBook Air, but it lacks the Retina display of the newer model and its processors are older. But, you still have completely solid state storage, which is a lot in terms of startup time. If budget is your main concern and you still want a Mac, the older MacBook Air sold by Apple should do just fine, if not as good as the new model.
(Image credit: future)
Macbook Pro
More power for everything you need to do.
More powerful and versatile than the MacBook Air, the Pro series offers more customization options so you have the machine you need to work with photos and videos, science programs, music production or any other task. Intensive View offer
(Image credit: future)
MacBook Pro offers many customization options to create the computer you need. It provides everything from the 9th generation Intel dual-core processor to the 32th generation eight-core iXNUMX beast, configurable up to XNUMXGB of memory with AMD Radeon graphics for the most intense tasks. If power is what you want, that's what you'll get with the MacBook Pro.
(Image credit: future)
Macbook Air (2017)
A computer capable of making money.
Although you haven't seen anything speculated in recent years, the 2017 review of the MacBook Air is still a powerful machine. It may lack Thunderbolt and a Retina display, but it will still help you get most of your tasks done smoothly.
(Image credit: future)
Apple has quietly changed the specifications of the MacBook Air in 2017, offering two new processors to choose from. Despite its lack of Thunderbolt 3 ports or Retina display, the old MacBook Air should still be able to satisfy most of your needs. It even has an SD card reader, which many Mac owners thought was lost to the weather (or at least the Mac).
Bottom line
If you want a great "average" Mac laptop, get the MacBook Air. Offering enough power to meet most of the needs of student life while being as portable as a MacBook, the Air model strikes a good balance between other offerings in the laptop range. ; Manzana.
It is also one of the most affordable Macs among Mac laptops, especially when you start to access the higher tiers of what the MacBook Pro has to offer and even compared to the 12-inch MacBook.
(Image credit: future)
Macbook Air (2018)
Smooth power punch, portability, and price.
More powerful than the 12-inch MacBook and more mobile than the MacBook Pro, the MacBook Air sits in the Goldilocks area of Apple's Mac portable line, providing enough power for most of the tasks you want it to do without the weight of a MacBook Pro. Touch ID functions for simple and secure authentication. View deal
(Image credit: future)