Why Is EVERYONE Buying THIS LAPTOP!?

[@GregsGadgets]

This is where I bought the $300 MacBook Air: amzn.to/3mVS5Z0 (affiliate link)

[@NaraSherko]

Hi

[@835I]

This laptop is right choice for you

[@brokeandtired]

If your in college studying either music production or publishing graphic design its a cheap way to learn mac and fast enough. Both fields rely on mac legacy software.

[@stephenrimmer5629]

This link does not work

[@davidmccoy1378]

I think the biggest story here is not the machine itself-it's the fact that people think a laptop made a little over 5 years ago is "vintage." We have all been changed by rapid iteration cycles. COVID has also modified our sense of time. Of course, professional youtubers (no offense Greg) get new machines every year. It distorts the the perception of the machine cycle most people are on. My 2017 iMac is just fine.

[@JCole78]

The “vintage” feel is largely because the design language itself is actually 13 years old now.

[@BobbyWoody429]

@@JCole78 and yet it still looks modern enough to use today

[@JCole78]

@@BobbyWoody429 yep, the funny thing is what I like is the thing most hate, the bezels. I’m OCD, and the need to constantly clean the screen on my 2019 16” MBP tends to drive me a little crazy.

[@BobbyWoody429]

@@JCole78 I know EXACTLY what you mean, opening the lid of laptops and smudging the screen irritates me so much

[@blondy2061h]

You're able to use your 2017 for 6 years already. That's great! And that's 6 years of use someone buying one today won't get. I just replaced my 2011 MacBook with an M1 last year. MacBooks last a long time. You get the most of that time if you buy a current model.

[@JohnDoe-vt6zm]

I am speaking from personal experience when I say that these things last. My family bought 2 of these back in 2017 and only had to change the battery in 2022 to one of them and It still works perfectly for productivity.

[@GregsGadgets]

Awesome!

[@ashleynixon8305]

I had a 2013 Air. Basically the same as a 2017. I didn't replace the battery since 2016 then got a M1 MacBook Pro in 2020. best decision.

[@kmrogers33]

My 2013 MacBook Pro is in its 10th year, original battery. Still going strong after a busy life. Will update the battery and RAM and hand it off to stepson.

[@otto3225]

Same here. Even the battery is still good enough (and changeable).

[@mehul3227]

​@@kmrogers33sell the stepson buy the latest macbook pro

[@Marngel]

My brother still uses a 2017 MacBook Air, and he loves it for how strong and long lasting it is. What's crazy is that he has a friend who was selling a 14" M1 Pro MBP for $900, and he rejected the offer because his 2017 MBA still works perfectly well for him. Although, I'm glad he turned the offer because I ended up buying that $900 14" MBP instead lol

[@bigsur370]

Lmfaoooo L brother. That’s a massive deal he missed out on lol. Dang, that’s pretty good for M1 Pro. Good on u, u got the deal lol

[@richard6812]

Why was that guy selling so cheap?

[@Marngel]

@@richard6812 the guy couldn’t return the 14” MBP but wanted to get rid of it so he can get a higher speced 16” MBP. By selling it as a low price, he can guarantee a sale very quickly. Also, the guy is rather rich. So he can afford the loss

[@BobbyWoody429]

@@Marngel brother you got yourself a steal with that one

[@bobalex6323]

Everybody won.

[@tayjn]

Every time I see an older Mac I'm reminded how much I miss the glowing Apple logo

[@GregsGadgets]

It’s such a nice touch!

[@PUK333]

It's true, but that made the screen more fragile.

[@thomasharvey3755]

Right that part ❤

[@cheze_bun]

@@PUK333 yes but at he time it didnt matter as they still used hdd in 2016 instead of ssd so it didnt really matter anyway you still couldn't shake it or bang it about

[@byronlp]

@@cheze_bunmy 2012 MacBook Air has SSD and glowing logo.

[@studb]

I bought this for $185 on eBay. Pleasantly surprised. I used OpenCore to upgrade to macOS Sonoma 14.2. Upgraded the 128GB SSD to 1TB SSD.

[@slowedalb]

hi sir is it still fast? i wanna get a pro 2020

[@MrPotteeMouf]

Wow youre the coolest!

[@relaxingsoundsmagnet3947]

How did you upgrade the SSD isn't that soldered in or something ?

[@ramonrichie9683]

@@relaxingsoundsmagnet3947 No they started soldering in RAM first, but a lot of Macbooks you could still upgrade the SSD's. Later models have SSD soldered in as well. You can still upgrade it (even the RAM), but you special skills n parts to do so, not viable for most people

[@relaxingsoundsmagnet3947]

@@ramonrichie9683 I see, it makes sense. Thanks for the reply. :)

[@shantanusaha9746]

The school I work at has been a Mac school (for student machines) since it started in 2002. I had a big part in that decision, and it hasn't let us down. We have 10-year-old iMacs still serviceable as classroom machines, and the cart of 2018 MacBook Pros is still the one I use for my computer science class (other than the two computers that have cracked screens). The only exception is when we started using a couple of carts of Chromebooks in 2019. The Chromebooks were good for basic tasks like accessing the students' Google Workspace or the Web for research and information retrieval, and the Macs were good for everything else. We were restricted to Windows computers for administration, because all the Department of Ed Intranet apps required Internet Explorer!

[@melphillips1608]

My work uses Apple. 🎉

[@danielcooper6120]

If there Intel Macs you could have used boot camp to run windows and Mac OS alltho I’ve got a Mac Pro m1 and a windows laptop apart from the odd time I actually want to play games I always reach for the Mac to be fair half the time for gaming I’m reaching for the Mac more and more same spec machines same ram same supposed cpu speeds better cooling on the windows machine more fans vents etc yet for every task my Mac runs it smoother and cooler yes there expensive yes on paper it’s a waste of money but the reality if you keep them for the support period there still as useable at the end of there support and for a good period after

[@Gadgets20]

I have the 2013 version which looks exactly the same. It was really starting to show it's age with some lag, but still totally usable for most people who just want to browse the web and do some word processing or excel.

[@Tvj_films8452]

just change out the ssd. That’s what i did. From 128 gig to a 1tb.

[@Gadgets20]

@@Tvj_films8452 It already has a 512gb ssd inside. It won't fix the lag.

[@Tvj_films8452]

@@Gadgets20 i just use it to watch youtube and browse the web. nothing intensive. still works great for that stuff.

[@bukchoyfarmer2539]

@@Gadgets20 if you're looking for a more snappy experience and don't mind some tinkering, Linux Mint runs phenomenal on these intel macs. You can even test drive it by loading it up an external ssd and trying it out. I mostly use mine for emails, youtube, facebook, etc. Nothing too intensive. Even if it has 4gb of ram, it will run smooth.

[@acalthu]

This is the first video of yours I'm watching. Your articulation of the language is enjoyable, there are so many vloggers (here and on other platforms) whose vocabulary is either limited or they use the wrong synonyms and end up being a joke.

[@GregsGadgets]

I'm a dummy, but thank you.

[@manoelfelipe2977]

A friend of mine still has a 2013 Macbook Air. He bought it new back then. Till this day it runs surprisingly fast and recently for the first time I cleaned the fan and applied new thermal paste.

[@-xYz--nk1gm]

I will surprise you, but I use a macbook pro 2014 i7/16gb/512gb ssd. after installing os Sonoma it works even better than on BigSur.

[@cheze_bun]

@@-xYz--nk1gm and my windows 11, intel i5, 32gb ram (the ram dosent count in this), 1tb ssd (nether does the ssd count) intel uhd gpu laptop struggles to run a simple windows 7 vm or a youtube video without the fan constantly whoring its guts out waiting to die XD

[@-xYz--nk1gm]

@@cheze_bun Unfortunately, I know this feeling. I wanted to replace my MacBook with an Acer Nitro5 with Ryzen 5 32GB RAM and dedicated graphics R580X, but after 2 weeks I returned it and returned to my old MacBook with pleasure. I would sooner start using Linux than Windows. Try running Linux Mint on your laptop and you will see how fast it will be.

[@alex8thebest91]

Can you tell him how can he run it fast? Same Mac, but it’s a pain to run almost decently.

[@cheze_bun]

@@manoelfelipe2977 depending on what Mac model you have you may have to replace the hdd with an ssd and replace the ram with bigger ram too but for a 2013 Mac Im surprised on how long it lasted without choking

[@blkmamba]

I just purchased this computer-- the exact make, and model from amazon. I have a macbook pro that I got in 2014, which is still going strong, with some issues. I work from home more now so I wanted a macbook just for work from home stuff and for when I travel. Thank you for the review. It confirmed my doubts about the machine, but also reassured me that for what I need it to do it will be a great laptop!

[@iCrackr]

Software isn’t really an issue because you can actually upgrade this to the current macOS Ventura, just requires patching that an app will just do for you. It’s seamless and you’ll be updated

[@buckybucky8596]

Ya, but with each version of these faux patches, the user experience gets worse and worse. Do yourself a favour and install Linux.

[@moppi07]

"The software support concerns me" -Me with my 2012 Macbook Pro running OSX Catalina...

[@wsplatinum]

same here in 2024...

[@athanasiussebastian1836]

@@wsplatinum I am using map mid 2012, I upgraded it's ram to 16 gb, I was depressed when new version of os wasn't working, then I found out open core patcher by which you can upgrade your old Macs with newest os, I am currently running Mac OS Sonoma

[@gixxer12]

@@wsplatinum watching this on a 2009 17" c2d running Monterey... running pretty well too

[@darkwatersband]

Still use an iMac G5 on a daily basis

[@Kymaha]

My macbook air 2013 is the best investment I've made with a product. Now in 2024 I've never had to replace anything and I use it daily.

[@antonc108]

Mine is early 2014 and still using today in mint condition and performs as new.

[@mrswolls]

But the os can’t be updated to the current release right?

[@Kymaha]

@@mrswolls I don’t really use it for anything advanced.

[@antonc108]

@@mrswolls what kymaya said and you can always change it to a Linux system and get free open source Linux OS support almost indefinitely.

[@mrswolls]

@@antonc108 Okay cool, I have heard something about that. And then I assume it will be secure because of the Linux updates?

[@FigWidIt]

The keyboard on these Macbooks are iconic. Some of the best feeling laptop-keyboards of all time.

[@benas_st]

Until you encounter the ghost key issue, where random letters receive the input twice or even more times and you look like a 4 year old writing important emails. The keyboard sucking so bad is why I want to get rid of my 2018 pro. It's just painful

[@onabillchoudhury4470]

⁠@@benas_stErrrrmmm, you do realise the 2016-2018 MacBook Pros had Butterfly keyboards; right? The 2017 MacBook Air had the ‘Chiglet’ keyboard, a different keyboard to the touch-bar era (2016 - 2018) of Macs.

[@cash3612]

It’s still a very viable machine even today for things like web browsing,emails and for word processing or students looking for a budget Mac 💻 while still getting to experience MacOs and the wonderful ecosystem

[@MrSamPhoenix]

I still use my Mid-2015 15-inch MacBook Pro. It works perfectly & the battery is still pretty healthy at 97%. That’s impressive considering I bought it brand new back in 2015!

[@MrSamPhoenix]

@@iamdragonetta 🧐

[@BobbyWoody429]

15” 2015 MBP is such a good machine; 8 years old and still looks and operates like a modern computer

[@poker.4203]

@@BobbyWoody429 is it as thin as a 13 inch retina?

[@BobbyWoody429]

@@poker.4203 certainly isn’t but it most definitely isn’t thick, it’s quite a good size really

[@tomi210210210]

I'm using a 2014 one and it still works flawlessly. It just works. That's why.

[@cccc2740]

i am a developer and bought it 2 weeks back in india..so far i am loving it as my earlier window laptops used to have too many issues..BSOD, updates breaking everything, open source softwares repositories not compatible with windows etc etc..this one is pretty smooth

[@monjen]

I will get one

[@СеваПамукчиева]

I got my MacBook Air 2017 5 years ago and have been using it nonstop since. I think it works perfectly for what I look for in a laptop. I have actually dropped it a couple of times from more than 2 m height and so the metal bent a bit but there is no problem with it’s capabilities. I am contemplating getting the M1 (really dislike the M2 because of it’s design) but the charging is what keeps me questioning. I think the MagSafe has saved my laptop from major falls so many times I cannot count them.

[@SamuelLavoie]

I used this MBA for a while, the turning point was the screen when Retina display started to be mainstream. I can see this 2017 model as a very cheap but still capable machine.

[@Lr-tv3mh]

I’ve got this and used it for years. My younger brother now uses it and its still running great

[@JCole78]

One of the reasons why it’s still a big seller is because it was the last MacBook to still have a user replaceable SSD.

[@mobilesofatvwatcher1703]

What do you mean by that? In 2016 macbook air, is still possible to change/ upgrade the hard drive?

[@JCole78]

@ the video is about a 2017 MacBook Air. In 2015 the 12” MacBook came out with the storage soldered to the logic board, and in 2016 the MacBook Pro lineup received the same soldered storage. In 2017 the MacBook Air received a spec bump instead of a redesigned, and became the last time any MacBook got an update and maintained its upgradable storage. That ended the following year in 2018 when the Retina MacBook Air came out.

[@frankspark]

It’s built like a tank and the keyboard is the most comfortable out of all the MacBooks I’ve tried. TBH I wish the new models used the same chassis and keyboard.

[@Pr3ppie]

I bought a refurbished 2017 MacBook Air directly from the Apple Store Online back in 2019. I like it because of the backlit logo. I am a young corporate professional and have an iMac and Alienware at home. However, I still use my 2017 MacBook Air to this date when I'm outside of my home doing my school work as I enjoy signing up for online courses to continuously upgrade my skills and knowledge with new or updated information, and I'm still loving it!

[@paulvanobberghen]

I'm still using this very version of the MacBook Air, though I upgraded the SSD to 500GB a while back. Battery is at 78%, but it stays up quite well. This is not my main computer (M1 Pro MacBook Pro 14") though. I'm using it mainly when I'm providing MS Office training outside, where it's connected to a PJ, so the non Retina is not that of much of an issue. Also I keep it mostly because it runs Windows 10 in BootCamp, where most of my training happens. Could run it in Parallels, but that isn't the same as native. And it's a back-up in case the other one has a problem. I like it a lot. Don't plan to sell it anytime soon. Surprised to see I coud still get that kind of money out of it, if I wanted to sell it. And I DO have the original box and power brick!

[@BobbyWoody429]

I must admit I do miss bootcamp. I just upgraded to a m1 14” MBP from a 2015 and before I could use windows for free; where have to pay over $100 to use parallels. More convenient for sure but certainly more money

[@Ozzymandius1]

Hear me out: I want the light-up Apple logo back. Or at least the option to pay for it if its going to weeks to get your customized laptop.

[@parjau4554]

I really wish they had stuck with the glowing logo. Even though I have the M1 version, I still feel impressed whenever I see a MacBook with the apple lighted up.

[@flashxcate]

The glowing apple logo was not ditched because the new MacBooks are thinner. The logo used to glow because it was made of translucent plastic, and the light came from the screen backlight. If you use it in front of a windows or in direct sunlight, you will see a big spot in the middle of the screen from the light coming in from the apple logo. That’s why they ditched imo

[@songsan807]

Got this 2017 Macbook Air prior to Covid and it is pretty. The machine I got had 256GB but I still used the SD card slot to add a 512GB using this silver SD card holder so the slot is flushed to the machine. Took this with me to the Starbucks to study. Definitely worth it's price.

[@rodkoehler]

I treat my MacBook Air like a magazine. It spends half the day outside tossed from chair to bench.. I just recently changed the battery in 30 minutes. I love mine. And the used ones rock, too!

[@andresfarrera376]

My mom still using one of this and works very good for her for pretty much everything she needs. She bought it in 2017 and is still in pretty good condition.

[@kabysummit5801]

Love your sense of humor, Greg. Thanks for the opportunity to make a fool of myself at the breakfast table this morning by LOL mouth open.

[@w140chris]

I just upgraded from a 2015 to a 2020 MacBook Air last month. The 2015 was still working perfectly for daily tasks, but I found a nice deal on the 2020 and decided to upgrade. I love the new keyboard and Retina display, just makes the whole experience more pleasant.

[@zeenzw6678]

how much did you pay?

[@peterc.1419]

I still use a 2012 retina MBP 15 with 8GB RAM and 2TB OWC SSD. It's fast for Netflix, KZbin, AppleTV, social media, email, word processing, excel and even video editing up to 1080P, this was after all a machine meant to edit up to 1080P video.

[@mttfrntz]

I still use this model! I bought it in october of 2018, and it still runs perfectly !!!! i’m very happy with it just sad it doesn’t update to the latest version of mac os… but still, it’s does everything you need it to, it’s light, it’s sleek and it has usb, sd card and thunderbolt ports ! my only regret is not buying more storage at the time of purchase, otherwise i wouldn’t have a need to upgrade. I don’t even notice the screens ‘lower’ quality.

[@daveyoung6895]

Best thing about this model is the user can replace the battery and the SSD if needed. You can also use the Open Care Legacy Patcher to run the latest software

[@GH-mk3vp]

Updated my 2017 Macbook Air to Ventura with OCLP, instaledl a 1TB ssd inside with a $10 adaptor. Everyday laptop for browsing, email, youtube video viewing, screen mirroring to my tv via apple tv puck and watching movies off the sdxc card reader. Love the portability and excellent build quality. Sure its not the greatest screen out there but adequate for my needs and will keep it til it dies one day. At 70 it might just outlast me.

[@WinaPuangco]

I used to have a 2017 Macbook air and I loved it for as long as I had it (all the way until 2021--it gave up after about a year of working from home and I sold it). It was such a reliable machine. (Currently on an M1 Macbook air these days)

[@Tvj_films8452]

It gave up? What was it doing?

[@WinaPuangco]

@@Tvj_films8452 For context, I work in the space of continuing education and at that time we were doing back to back webinars, classes, etc. online and I just don't think it was equipped for that. Plus I'm from the Philippines and it's super hot here so I think the constant heat from the laptop working so hard also played a part in its ultimate demise.

[@JCole78]

My wife and my daughter both use a 2017 MBA for general use. Both have had them for a couple of year now. The one my daughter has was actually originally mine before I upgraded to the 16” MBP in 2019. My daughter even uses hers for things like Roblox, Rocksmith 2014, and DXO PhotoLab 6. I patched my wife’s using OpenCore, and it works flawlessly.

[@Jferrari427]

Great video, cool to see how older tech stacks up today. Consider doing a series on how older tech stacks up in 2023, super interesting!

[@bb1111116]

I looked at Amazon. Right now the number one selling laptop is; the Apple 2020 MacBook Air Laptop M1 Chip, 13" Retina Display, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD Storage. The price right now is $835.

[@Jerry4050]

For a student this is the perfect laptop. If I had more money I would buy this for my eldest niece that just graduated high school but I remember how bad those screens are since I first tried the 2015 MacBook air same TN display and returned it back for a MacBook Pro 2015. For a young teen this is perfect at that price.

[@mrburns7007]

I got mine from mid 2013, it does still work flawlessly. Just put in a new battery two years ago. Easy to travel with, does the job, battery last long enough, and about the ports I almost never use them though

[@mymoodz]

My first macbook was the 2016 macbook air. I now have a M2 Air but I gave that older one to a relative and he is using it. It is working for him. A friend still has this old macbook air and he is happy with it.

[@aliyigitsanl1967]

I'm using m2 now but my 2015 MA still works perfectly fine. I really wish if apple didn't make all laptops similar and reimagined the design language of iconic MacBook air

[@eldar68]

After using Apple Mac towers and laptops for over three decades, I can only say that each generation is a perfect package when it comes to the design, OS integration and overall user experience.

[@qtip919]

The real thing to do here is to compare this laptop to a public school issued chromebook. This is what parents and students are buying to avoid those junk plastic machines

[@forthehomies7043]

My 2015 Air has been a workhorse for nearly 9 years now. It's incredible the machines that Apple has engineered. Getting an M2 Air soon ;)

[@jjpc1984]

This particular machine is terrific in terms of design and included hardware, provided you don't need to perform really intensive tasks on it. It is a pity that the latest MacOS version it supports is "Monterey" (released in 2021, still supported), but given the requirements of the latest versions of MacOS it is probably for the best: once I tried running an unsupported version of MacOS on an iMac and got pretty disappointing results in the graphics department. There are two points worth considering in this machine, though: it is the last Macbook with upgradable storage (easily accomplished with an adapter): my 2017 Macbook Air is currently running Monterey on a 512GB SSD I upgraded myself. A current Macbook with non-upgradable storage is stuck with whatever capacity was built and, given SSD's limited write cycles, have a limited (probably big enough) useful life. The other point is the fact that Linux runs like a dream on this machine: incredibly fast and supports like 99% of the hardware (only the webcam is still not working, at least not out of the box). Thanks to the easily replaceable SSD it is quite straight forward to "dual boot" MacOS and Linux (which I do sometimes). So, even when MacOS completely drops support for this machine, it can still be useful.

[@jensputzlocher8345]

Nice, only seven years old. Pretty young. I used my G3Desktop (left factory in 1997) as a daily driver until 2008. Then I bought a used iMac C2D from 2006 and it was after swiching to Vista, Win7 and finally Win10 my everyday machine until 2021. Today I'm sitting in front of a tower that is powered by an i7-2600 from 2012.

[@jakreu]

I had one of them for uni, sold it in 2021 when I bought my MacBook Pro M1, but for some odd reason I sometimes regret selling it. Such a lovely machine, I had it in a case, it was 100% brand new. Went on to serve a Ukrainian refugee.

[@iSteven180]

As someone that has used a 2017 MacBook Air since 2017. The biometric is not a big deal because if you have your Apple watch hooked up you can approve stuff that way instead.

[@Neytiri092]

I still have the MacBook Air 2014 just changed the battery. It works fine for me. I use my iPad mini 6th gen for book reading and movies. My MacBook Air is used for school emailing web browsing

[@cletp758]

The display is the only bad thing about this laptop really....

[@brookeryan44]

I still use this one as well! I purchased new off of Best Buy online back in 2019, it's still super fast too. It's my first experience with apple laptops. I mainly use mine to watch Netflix, Hulu, and web browse and of course its perfect for that. I do plan to upgrade to an M2 MacBook though in the near future! Still VERY pleased with this laptop! It's great for a beginner with apple laptops like myself! The price I paid wasn't as cheap as what you paid, but I still recommend it!

[@kejames26]

That’s wild that this year/model is so sought after!

[@GregsGadgets]

I was shocked when I went back to do the research for this video that it jumped up to number #13!

[@kejames26]

@@GregsGadgets 13?! wow that’s something!

[@GregsGadgets]

Insane it's 6 years old!

[@dvdaltizer]

I used that MacBook air as my only video editing machine in 2016 for over a year. Full-time 4k everything. Even made a very 3D heavy music video all edited in Apple Motion 5. The trick was to import my footage into FCPX at the end of the night and then transcode to proxy when I went to sleep. By the time I'd wake up, get my coffee and start editing, everything was converted and editing 720p ProRes proxy on this thing was flawless. Like not even a stutter. Never had an issue with it. 3D was realtime in Apple Motion 5 as well... as long as I did it in a lower resolution. The music video I made was a retro 90's vaperwear style so we just edited the thing in 720p and it worked great! That machine was my favorite computer by far. I kind of loved the crappyness of it. It forced me to get creative in ways I never would have if I had the "top of the line" computer, and it was during the terrible touch bar mac era, so I felt like I was actually using a BETTER machine in many respects at the time.

[@WaldausZeichen]

I'm also still using a MB Pro 13 from 2014 as mostly daily driver for the light tasks and even some little editing stuff, if I'm not gonna see my workstation machine for some reason. It's crazy, how long this machines can last and what they're still able to do, even if they're getting a lil slower over time. Would've never bin so happy during such a long time with a windows laptop

[@peterc.1419]

Using a mid-2012 rMBP 15 for daily tasks. It's still fast. 8GB RAM/2TB OWC SSD.

[@Mosia_]

One fun thing, i had laptop that was able to play 4k video but the problem is that when you're trying to play it just started to be laggy...

[@Errcyco]

I’m so glad I held out and waited for a 2020 M1 Air. It’s been the best laptop I’ve ever owned. Hoping it lasts me into like 2028.

[@KevinTspirit]

I purchased a MacBook Air Mid-2013 just a few years back very inexpensively, and it runs very well. It is not my main device, as I have a Mac Mini M1 & a Galaxy Book LTE. I use the MacBook when I need to do long typing and don't want to sit at my desk. The keyboard is the main reason I really use it. 2021 I installed a new battery. Great review of an older device, just shows Apple devices last a long time.

[@findingmywingsjesse]

just bought one for $300 CAD / $220 USD locally and can confirm it is perfect for writing, youtube, casual browsing. Awesome battery and keyboard, great compliment to my full PC build for so cheap.

[@bmwman1029]

I had a 2017 MacBook Air and gave it to my mom since I upgraded to a 2015 Retina. My stepbrother gave my stepdad a 2012 Air years ago that he still uses to this very day. I literally missed my 2017 so much that I bought my grandmas 2012 she didn't use anymore and loaded Ventura on it through a patcher. Literally even though my MacBook Pro has a lot prettier display and way better trackpad these are still my favorite MacBook and maybe even the best Apple laptop ever made. It's like an old Jeep. It's so simple and barebones and does what you need to do that it just because timeless no matter how dated it seems and its super easy to work on. Literally love these and will be ashamed when we squeeze the last drop of life out of these.

[@martyp2138]

If you don't need a touch screen, I'd take this over a iPad Air any day which is about the same price. The screen is pretty bad when off-axis; however, the keyboard is fantastic, runs MacOS, battery life and speakers are decent and I believe you can upgrade the SSD internally (could be wrong). Build quality and versatility for a light weight machine to take on the go (even to for somewhat rough use) is just excellent.

[@cardboardboxification]

I used to have a iPad, got tired of holding it all the time, I prefer laptops , iPads do have their place for certain apps

[@Unterhaltung]

Junior, you can install Somona easily on this machine. This is the main reason why it is selling so crazy.

[@bluejawa]

I am watching this video on my late 2013 MacBook Pro. It is still like a new machine. It has a brand new battery & new SSD in it. Runs like a beast & it is 10 yrs old.

[@rafaeltorovip]

😂 when you said that you do not walk out of an Apple store with a laptop for $350, well, you do not walk out of an Apple store with a new 2017 computer. Entertaining 👍

[@MrGoatFish10]

Still using my MacBook Air 11 inch 2013 😂 solid af

[@ken1w]

Hey, I have that one! I use a 13-inch M1 MacBook Pro now. I miss the SD card slot; I used it with a flush-fitting adapter for a micro-SD card (1TB) to give it more storage. I like the dedicated MagSafe connector. The TB2 port is a DisplayPort connector for external display. I think the wide silver bezel looks good. Definitely inferior in battery life (compared to my M1). It’s a great deal (for $300 in good condition) for someone who needs just the “basic stuff” and can’t afford a new or refurbished M1 MacBook Air.

[@SuAmigoAlex]

Great video Greg, This 2017 MBA Model Identifier is MacBookAir7,2 which is the same as the 2015 MBA

[@Vivek2062]

This is my Main Machine that I use for development and stuff and it works awesome!! I just upgraded the storage for my Mac from 128 GB -> 2 TB and now I have a lot of space!!

[@bryans8656]

I'm surprised there is such a big market for this MBA.

[@sdrjr3562]

I have a 2013 macbook air i7, 128gb 8gb ram. I use it for work since 2013. Ive only had to change the motherboard $400, upgrade the battery $200...in 11 yrs.

[@AdmV0rl0n]

WHY if the software is the issue, do you not trial run some linux, which would get updates... ?

[@ramapragadakomal7648]

My 2017 gives me the same performance now in 2024. Not even a scratch.. no single upgrade. No charging issues.. Heavy processing (IDE development , Android studio , Deep Learning models , video editing , Netflix, KZbin + external peripherals including monitor, mouse and keyboard) No heating issues.. Slow when compared to new gen laptops.. But it has the same performance as the day I bought it.

[@OmegaSimPilot]

Wife had a 2015 Air that we just replaced with a 2023 15" Air with the M2...that 2015 was a little work horse and just worked!

[@michaelchristopher8266]

I bought a 2015 Macbook air new back in 2015. I have never replaced anything on it, and despite having over 900 cycles on the battery I still get over 8hours of screen on time.

[@cieknie]

You can buy M.2 adapter and replace original 128GB drive with good quality 512GB SSD, and then use Open Core Legacy Patcher to install Sonoma. I bought 2017 Air for my fiancee and she was able to replace the drive with just screwdriver and instructions from youtube. It's still a decent piece of hardware and - in my opinion - the best and cheapest option to get into Apple ecosystem.

[@samuraiartguy]

It’s the KEYBOARD. That’s the last Macbook Air before the much hated, and deservedly so, butterfly keyboard. Every Macbook owner i know that’s owned an butterfly keyboard has replaced either their keyboards, or their machines entirely due to keyboard failures. Next of course is the port selection, modern MacBooks don’t have much in the way of ports. But 128 GB storage is positively paltry for modern macbooks. The OS will suck up more than half of that space for its own use.

[@byronlp]

You can buy a 3rd party SSD replacement kit for it and replace it yourself. I was gifted a 64gb MBA in 2012, I upgraded the SSD to 480gb and still use the laptop to this day.

[@buckybucky8596]

Pro tip: First thing to do with that laptop is to install linux on it and make it perfectly usable again (and kiss the non-supported MAC OS goodbye.)

[@mrswolls]

Once you have Linux on it will it be more secure?

[@buckybucky8596]

@@mrswolls a lot more secure than a well out of date Mac OS.

[@gabes80]

Greg you get more entertaining by the day. Nice work mate

[@waylonnicholson371]

Love the hair dude! Grew mine out like that during COVID and FWIW found that more random women wanted to talk to me.

[@JaredJamesMunar]

Watching from my macbook air 2015 like that rn feels like "oh yeah vintage maaan!"

[@magpiemarc1962]

I am still using my 2016 entry level MacBook Pro and all I have done since then is replace the battery and upgrade the ssd to 1tb. It still dose everything I need in a laptop.

[@Xsh755]

I had and used one of these until a month ago. It had started to run out of SSD space, but it was working pretty well for basic tasks, just a bit slow sometimes. When the store offered double the normal amount in their trade-in scheme I went for it and got a new M2 MacBook Air while being pretty amazed at the fact that they would refurbish and resell the old one. I guess not only hams have 9 lives MacBook Airs do too… Generally I start feeling bad when can’t run the current OS version and it can have security implications too so… But thanks for many great videos and greetings from a subscriber in 🇩🇰😊

[@SuperSireBoyYT]

Because it strikes a good balance between being modern enough to suffice for basic use and being old enough to be cheap. A couple years ago it was the 2015 mba

[@richardayton6862]

I use a 2009 iMac for music production. This is still new man

[@niksgee3538]

Why not get a 2015 mbp if going cheap? I paid 200 excellent condition. Has more storage, Retina display.

[@williams.ritter3010]

these are great to install sequoia os with opencore legacy patcher,they run smooth

[@bryanmartin5901]

The key is this laptop is: it allows you to re-install its original OS, HIGH SIERRA. For me this is by far THE MOST STABLE version of macOS in at least a decade, maybe two. I am still using my MacBook Air (2017--maxed out specs) and I have never known a better machine. I know that after botching the MB/MBP "butterfly" keyboards, Apple did "fix" the keyboards but I have demoed the newest ones but they have less key travel than the MBA '17 keyboard, and I think the MBA '17 nails the keyboard literally perfectly. It's softer and allows more gliding with hands; I know I type with it faster. I miss having dark mode (Mojave and later?) but I never want to part with this machine and I'm sorry but the spacing and aesthetic of the macOS redesign post-Catalina. Actually before going back to High Sierra, this machine ran very well on Catalina but High Sierra is the best and it still gets WELL over 12hr battery life (17+ when I first purchased it).

[@axllebeer]

I used to have one of these several years ago and the 1 thing that I loved about it was the easily upgradable SSD. If you want to load a lot of stuff on a mac, this is the cheapest way to go right now by replacing the drive. Personally I could never go back from my M-series MacBook now, but for that use case, I could understand it.

[@lordjordan]

I'm still using my MBA 2017 now and it's usability keeps me off from buying new ones. 👌

[@carloslemare6060]

This is the best laptop you can get for Google Class. Way better than an underpower chromebook, or for people who look a cheap laptop for everyday tasks like web browsing, office, mail, music and to watch videos on youtube. Of course it is outdated, but for that price, you can upgrade the disk easily too.

[@darensamuels5208]

I gave up my MacBook Air in 2020 for a new M1. The real issue was the display…I needed retina. These were great laptops…mine was reliable and solid.

[@michaelhill6453]

If you compared a comparable 6-7 year old windows laptop, how would it fair?

[@nikkilesley2525]

Interesting how you say, No one is using anymore. Actually there are people that are using older stuff as we can’t afford the top things.

[@Saanichian]

Now that Best Buy is selling M1 base model Airs, this sort of compromise makes less sense. I think that Apple feels that they're missing out on sales due to their exorbitant pricing policies. They're essentially redefining the entry level for Apple.

[@GabrielEscobosa]

I have a 2015 11” base model, nowadays the battery is almost useless (I need to replace it) and the charging cable is extremely worn out. However, it still works almost as smoothly as it did when I first bought it. I can even do 3D modeling on SketchUp, I literally designed a house that it’s actually being built! Anyways, I also have a 2021 iPad pro and I use both at work. I’m a private English teacher so I teach using the iPad while a student use my mac air.

[@Spladoinkal]

I'm guessing they don't do security updates on this anymore? That would be my concern.

[@em8969]

It’s one of the last upgradeable SSDs on Apple macs period. That could be why. I have a few apple products, including M2 chip products but i love my Mac air!!!