MacBook Air M3 After 3 Months: Value You Won't Believe!

[@billb8262]

I just used my MBA M3 16GB/512GB for work all day yesterday. Screen was on solid for 8 straight hours with me actively doing regular work stuff. Most of it in Microsoft 365 via Azure Virtual Desktop. It never stopped being used except for restroom breaks, but I did not power down or put to sleep. 8 complete hours of wifi connected use. Started at 100% battery and ended at 64%. I've had it for several months and remain amazed at such battery life. I charge about every 3 days.

[@y1k3ss]

Did you get the regular or fast charger?

[@ChromeJob]

@@y1k3ss My 2¢, having a spare charger and spare Magsafe cable is very handy … either in different areas of the house, or one for home and one to go. I have 65W chargers from Anker and Amazon Basics, but got a bargain on a 96W Apple charger. With Optimized Battery Charging, the MBA will pause charging (or charge to 80% and pause) so the brutish 96W charger really isn't necessary UNLESS I need to top off really really fast.

[@leifdux7277]

Wow thanks for sharing your experience! Can it be charged from a normal USB-C external portable battery?

[@ChromeJob]

@@leifdux7277 That depends upon the battery.

[@billb8262]

@@leifdux7277 probably but I haven’t tried. Would be very slow to charge I think.

[@bryans8656]

I really appreciate how your videos always focus on your actual experience on not just benchmarks.

[@MarbsMusic]

I sold my my 16"M1 for a 14" M3 and been very happy, my wife got the M3 Air, her first Mac since the 90s, and loves it. She isn't doing video editing but is doing a of photo editing and hasn't had any issues while also loving the integration with her iPhone. You really hit on the differences we have seen and I'm with ya, for most people the Air is probably all they need!

[@mitchellalan]

Thank you for adding this comment! I am very much thinking of the same thing. I know my 16 MBP is a beast, but the Air is more than enough, particularly with the M3 (vs M1 MBP). And I so crave an easier time lugging it around.

[@MarbsMusic]

@@mitchellalan Most welcome, I’ll note that we got the 16GB/512 model, I think that is the one to get!

[@armingeiss1281]

Thanks for this Video. I moved from MacBook Pro 2015 to MacBook Air M3 15" and I am happy about it. Both machines uses 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD. My current workspace is software development by Visual Studio Code. It was an absolute enrichment and I have never regretted the switch.

[@riptyt9234]

if you had to choose one would you choose 16gb ram or 512gb ssd bcz i can only afford one upgrade

[@studymainia]

Go for 16gb ram you can get an external SSD for cheap

[@y1k3ss]

Did you choose the fast charger or no?

[@armingeiss1281]

@@y1k3ss no i did not

[@riptyt9234]

@@studymainia is base model good enough if im a college student and will only ever need to have multiple office apps and lots of tabs open with anki (flashcards app)

[@kevinsturges6957]

I bought my first Mac last August. An Apple MacBook Air M3. 15”, 16 gigs ram and 512 SSD. It replaced my Windows i7 desktop for my music studio. I cannot believe how efficient and fast this little M3 Air runs Steinberg Cubase and all my instrument and fx plugins!!! I had no idea a computer could run this clean and fast. There is zero perceptual latency while using drum and guitar amp software. I can change sampling rates and usb sound cards on the fly….and it just says “ok” and does it. That right there would have caused my Windows computer to blow it brains out, crash and then lose all of its drivers for a day. Last week I tested running a 4K Netflix movie out the remote monitor and studio speakers WHILE I was doing a cpu intensive project in Cubase. This little computer could have cared less, and never missed a beat or became warm. I am astonished! I LOVE this sleek portable workstation computer!

[@sushhemai1774]

I really like your content, they are honest and we connect more to them than other KZbinrs.

[@KyleErickson]

I appreciate that!

[@jaketst465]

Getting my first Macbook tmrw! Thanks for the vid

[@vishwantpatil4607]

me too

[@Visualisebyali]

how has it been and do u do editing?

[@MuscularMan008]

Any updates?

[@JamesMarshall13]

I just bought the base midnight model. I come from a MacBook Air 11” from 2015. So it’s been a huge upgrade, I just use it for browsing and managing my iPhone and IPad.

[@davids.9789]

8gb is criminal tho

[@JamesMarshall13]

@@davids.9789 my old MacBook had 4gb and it worked perfectly fine for my low tasks, this 8gig model has been a huge upgrade for my needs.

[@beauburton_08]

@@davids.9789not really

[@danielli9046]

@@davids.9789 honestly if the literal only thing they're using the laptop for is web browsing, and they aren't a tab hog opening like 20+ tabs at once they're totally fine

[@mohammadal-hassan602]

What specs

[@mattdagger1480]

I have the m3 air 15"-16gb ram 512ssd. I use it for cyber security school currently. I run VMs mostly and do network reconnaissance for school right now through nmap and metasploit and haven't noticed anything as far as a slowdown. I did the thermal mod using thermal pads to make the bottom shell a heatsink day one. I've kept a super close eye on bottom panel temps and battery temps and haven't noticed any changed in the few months of pretty heavy use. I'm just starting my cyber journey but to this point I'm extremely happy with my air. Tons and tons of power compared to me previous 13th gen Intel based laptop. And battery life is on a different planet all together. So far other than utilizing a dongle for extra ports I am extremely happy. Well worth the tradeoffs in my opinion vs windows systems.

[@yusufbaksh1452]

I am also majoring in cybersecurity and this has definitely reassured me thank you so much.

[@patanasoff7]

I'm working on a master's degree in cybersecurity. I have an M1 MacBook Pro, and I can't get VB to work.

[@KevinArikkatt]

Even I’m going for cybersecurity for my CS engineering, but I’m afraid I can’t afford the m3 16gigs ram and 512gigs ssd , for now I can afford the 8gigs and 256 gigs ssd , I just wanted a suggestion, will 8gigs and 256 gigs ssd go out fine ? For like next 3-4 years ? Coz until then I could afford a better one .

[@site.x9448]

I would look for sales/refurb/used M1 Pro Macbook (14 or 16 inch) - they have 16 gigs of ram in base models. Because 8 gigs of RAM is already not enough for any kind of professional work (I'm fullstack web dev, and 16 gigs for me was fine, but my friends with 8gigs often experienced lags due to lack of ram, and extensive swap usage)

[@VanshShrawankar]

Well you just commented what i wanted to know thank you now i can clearly go with air m3. i am also a cyber security student and i hope there will be dual boot optioin on ARM based processors also in the future.

[@bahman9]

I have recently found your channel. your videos are amazing. So practical and easy to understand. I decided which MacBook to buy based on your videos. Thanks Kyle, you’re awesome.

[@Rise9192Against]

Very well explained and thorough review. I like that you’re a programmer, graphic designer, and video editor.

[@ubaiiiiddd]

I've been searching for such a review for weeks now. Thank you for summing it up. Looking forward to the macbook vs surface video.

[@center_stage8]

I got mine last month, and it's absolutely amazing. I'm just getting into editing and content creation. And I have not seen any issues. I came from a Macbook Pro 2011😅 I have the 15-inch as well as the ipad pro 12.9 that I use as a second monitor. So far, I'm super excited and loving the M3 15-inch 🎉

[@astronmr20]

MBP 2014 here- have always bought the pro, but the M chips are so good, my next will be an Air. It's about time to make the jump.

[@niilousnelson3771]

What editing software are you using? Are you editing 4k timelines with basic effects too? Would like to know how the air handles this.

[@fltrn154]

I just ordered one the midnight 16 GB in 512 GB SSD. I too am upgrading from an older MacBook Pro 2014 so like you big upgrade, I’m looking forward to see how it works. I like your comment. It makes me excited to get my new one.

[@ddpworld1064]

What apps are you using for editing

[@sharingmatters]

Dziękujemy.

[@KyleErickson]

Thank you very much!!

[@dominicflick2661]

I just got a refurbished Air M3 16gb/512gb from the apple site. It is absolutely stunning. By far the best computer I've personally used. Also the best looking computer I've used too. It's just an absolute joy to use. I am a historic windows user, this is my first mac. There is a learning curve, but nothing you can't figure out.

[@60andSane]

I am a windows person too wanting a Mac, tried it once with the 27 inch all in one in 2017 ish. I just didn’t figure Mac OS out and sold it. But wanting to try again so why not the cheaper model.

[@dominicflick2661]

@@60andSane There are good deals on the M3 line and even more so for M2 right now. I would recommend watching KZbin tutorials over MacOS. It helped me out a lot.

[@alexandrumarina2527]

Same

[@sharingmatters]

Kyle, thank you for your recommendation. I am surprised by how strong MBA M3 is. It is enough for 80% of content creation usage. Amazing. I love the aesthetics of your videos and your calm narration. Your channel and Byte Review are one of my top tech channels. Congrats on passing the 100k mark.

[@siriusmac]

The dual monitor support has been great. I do manage web sites and design graphics. So none of that is super intensive. This is the perfect machine for me. I did opt to go with the 15 inch for the additional screen real-estate. Overall I couldn't be happier. I actually bought mine open box for $200 less than new, but there was 1 charge on the battery and you could tell it has never actually been used. Lucky me! I think 16gb and 512 is the sweet spot. If all you are doing though if looking at KZbin videos, sending email, doing some work on text documents, then the base model will be perfect. Thanks for the video Kyle! :)

[@QuantumCanvas07]

Do you notice any excessive heat/lag in clamshell mode when you hook those dual monitors? I'm planning to get my hands on this machine and It'd be great if it manages to handle my continuous workflows of 7-8 hours in clamshell mode. I'd like to hear more from you about the experience.

[@siriusmac]

@@QuantumCanvas07 No I did not find that there was much more heat at all. Mine sits upright in the rack I have so it gets plenty air circulation.

[@johntyandersen1925]

Prior to buying the 15 inch MacBook Air I was using a 16 inch MacBook Pro most of my work tends to Centre on email correspondence and check our websites and things like that. I frankly have not found any difference between the two devices in my opinion the biggest plus for me is that when I’m in a hotel or something and having to work like tonight, I don’t have to worry of the fan that I had on the Lenovo carbon which is my windows laptop. I debated for several months as to whether to go for the new MacBook Pro or go for the air because even though it’s not substantially smaller and lighter, it had some degree of appeal if I was able to go back again and make the decision I would still opt for the air versus the pro.

[@astronmr20]

Great video, not just parrotng specs from benchmarks- but real world use. Really like your workspace too.

[@PHILDRICK]

watching on my MBA M2 16GB/256GB just got today for 750$ at best buy, it's my first MacBook :)

[@itssremon]

can you give me where did you buy it

[@mohdrasid6737]

Where have you got this pricing. pls suggest with link to buy with the same price. Thanks 🙏

[@itssremon]

@@mohdrasid6737 the offer is gone it was black friday offer

[@Yotadude2025]

What a great video. I just picked up the same spec you have, 13-inch M3 MBA with 16GB/512GB (but in silver). I was thinking of taking it back and getting a 14 inch MBP M3 Pro. Glad I didn't. I'm just starting out and getting into Final Cut Pro. It sounds like it will be perfect for my needs. Thank you again!

[@0vercast7]

Hey, I just read your comment. How is the editing going with it? I'm thinking of purchasing an MBA with 16GB/512GB myself, as I own a 2020 i3 intel... Awful, I know. But yeah update me

[@Yotadude2025]

@@0vercast7 it’s going exceptionally well. I haven’t hit any situation where it wasn’t powerful enough. With Final Cut Pro it’s so so smooth

[@TarotQueenBee]

I wanted to ask you if you can go LIVE on YT, TikTok and stipuff with the MBA - I just ordered the M3, but am scared that I won’t be able to go LIVE with it. 😢

[@abrahamrosario3318]

Hey, can I ask how's it going? I'm thinking of buying the MBA m3 16/512 or 24/256, u think 256 is not enough ssd?, considering I will need external storage because I will do video editing too?

[@FlatEarthPhotography]

​@@abrahamrosario3318 if you didn't buy yet, get 512gb SSD. It is faster due to the architecture. The 215GB is slower

[@skirmantasjankauskas8656]

Rocking my 2013 Macbook air, still all right for web browsing and youtube... Would love to go for upgrade, and M3 is on my mind:)))

[@sabbanco]

Thanks!

[@KyleErickson]

thanks so much dude!

[@HOPGamingZone]

Few months ago, I was shopping for a new laptop for my work (slight video editing, but mostly audio podcast editing) and I was thinking about spending my extra savings on a MacBook Pro 14 M3 Pro. But in the end I decided to go for M1 MacBook Air (8GB/256GB) for $750 and told myself I'm just gonna use the Air for now while I save up for a Pro. Turns out, the Air does all of my workflow just fine and I honestly don't need the Pro. the only concern for my M1 Air is the 256GB, but I have a 1TB external SSD. Next time I buy a laptop (probably during the holiday season), I'll probably go for a 16GB/512GB M3 Air. I like how portable and light this is. The only time I'll get a Pro is if I find a deal with the same price as an Air.

[@highdesertbiker]

dude this video is so awesome , amazing editing and camera footage

[@nafisfuad400]

Thanks for this detailed review on M3 Air.

[@lamarsheridan6030]

Thanks for the fluidly clear and informative video. I ‘m looking forward to your comparison between The M3 Air and Snap Dragon !

[@Swedeninthahood]

Very nice relaxing video with great information. Like your narrative style and reminds me a lot of mkbhd. And great editing skills, you have a good eye for detail

[@Wanted797]

I have the M2 Air that I bought earlier this year to replace a 2011 MBP. For work I recently got a 14" MBP M2 Pro. I definitely love the air design so much more. It feels nice in the hand. The pros fan vents feel bad when you pick it up and same with the 'MacBook Pro' inlayed text on the bottom. The ONLY thing I wish the Air had, is a HDMI port.

[@bartmuz]

Yeh...Hdmi would be usefull, but I use hdmi hub and it really work great with my MBA.

[@GD99-p7u]

Great review stumbled upon your video doing some searching on the M3 Air. You're a fellow Oilers fan too - that earns you a follow!

[@LAGAP]

Thanks to your advice and other videos I bought the M3 Air but the only strange thing to me is that the lid sticks together with the main part and makes it difficult to open when I didnt use the laptop for a few hours, a bit strange. Otherwise, it's a great laptop!

[@starzenno]

Yes, I feel the same thing in my Macbook Air M2. I got it 3 week ago. I clean it and close its lid before going to bed. The next day, when I open it, the lid feels stuck/requires a little more effor to open. But, I do not feel this later during the day. Why does this happen?

[@LAGAP]

@@starzenno Thanks to your input, honestly I'm not sure. I guess it's the rubber part that gets sticky

[@DFlos]

Thank you for this! Purchasing the 15 inch version tomorrow!

[@heroicmonkey714]

Can’t wait for the head to head between the arm window computer and the m3! I’d like to get an idea of how capable both are with large excel spreadsheets with lots of random variables (eg running my own Monte Carlo simulation). My personal laptop is a 2015 MacBook Pro and I’m upgrading this year. The work-issued laptop is a 12th gen intel evo i5 Lenovo (16gb ram) and it can’t handle excel when I start manipulating data.

[@Dalmado]

I just purchased my new MacBook Air M3 15" Iin Midnight. I replaced my 2017 13" MacBook Pro with the Intel processor and so far I'm loving my new Air.

[@canadianmaestro7228]

Decision time: M3 or M2 15" at 8/256? Watching videos and web surfing. No heavy stuff like editing.

[@CesarRodriguez-vp7ew]

I have the same one but the 15 inch ,bought mine last week and I don’t edit videos or pictures, just some light use , but I’m happy to know that if I ever need to do some stuff like that I can get it done so thank you

[@indeezr2816]

The most useful video from all that I check, thanks a lot ❤

[@kss1521]

Shout out to Oilers merch! Wasn’t expecting to see my favorite team in this video.

[@ianmedium]

I have the same spec as you have but I have the 15" version and in the starlight colour. I have never had an issue with overheating with mine. It is a super fast computer for me (I came from a 2 year old HP) I do the same as you with external drives though mine are disc drives which I will soon replace with an SSD drive. One has music, the other entertainment I have downloaded over the years but they are getting on a bit now. One funny thing is I thought I had something wrong with my M3 as I could hear a noise similar the disc drive. Call me stupid as I did myself when I realised this but of course it was the external drives when I was using them! I now have a total Apple eco system, and old iPhone 10 which still works perfectly, an iPad Pro M2 and now this air. I got fed up with my other laptops as they always broke down and I am a really gentle user with my things as they cost a lot of money! So fed up with the antiquated way PC´s always seem to work and all the hassle one has with updates and so on I got this air. Night and day the Mac is, beautifully finished, pretty much no updating and it just runs from the get go when opening the lid and even when it boots up it is almost instantaneous compared to my old PC´s which I swear were steam powered. I could and have done, easily recommend this to my friends. One last thing, I really appreciate what you say about plugging in. I use mine exclusively at home and I thought I had to keep plugging and unplugging it to preserve the battery so I really appreciate your experience and leave it plugged in which is good for me as I have Parkinson's and boy, is that magnet hard to pull out!

[@aaronboyle789]

Repping the Edmonton Oilers Gear! Love it! A fellow Edmontonian!

[@BenchSantosMusic]

Bought mine with the same specs but in Starlight 2 weeks ago. I love it so much! It never lagged nor did the rainbow wheel. I didn't regret getting the one with 16GB memory as I am planning to keep this for a long time. :)

[@vident4341]

Pretty similar situation here but I bougth mine a week ago to replace my 2018 13" MBP. My main reasons for the upgrade were the vastly better batterylife and cooler machine. Did quite a lot of pondering whether to get a used 14" M1 MBP or the M3 Air, but in the end decided to go with the Air as I don't need the extra power. Honestly the screen and speakers are totally fine and it's still amazing how quiet this thing is (for obvious reasons). I'm one of those 95 % of people who really uses the computer for light browsing, photo and video editing and content consumption and for that I've been more than happy so far. The reason to get a bit better configuration was that I like to have multiple programs open at the same time and jump between them frequently.

[@BenchSantosMusic]

@@vident4341 same usage for me :) both for work and personal use

[@alessandrosarais2719]

i’m also gonna by an air but i’m still don’t know if i should choose a 13 or a 15. How is your experience? i mean don’t you think that 13” has a too little screen?

[@vident4341]

@@alessandrosarais2719 For my use the 13" has been more than enough. But if you're planning to do a lot of multi-tasking with two or more windows open side-by-side or if you're mostly going to use it at home and you don't have an external monitor then maybe you should consider the 15". Hope this helps!

[@SabboMeister]

i like the way you edit your videos, its unique and creative, Keep it up.

[@VanshShrawankar]

I recently tried my friend's MacBook Air, and I can't resist it! I'm planning to get the MacBook Air M3 with 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD for college. I'm a second-year student studying Linux programming, video editing, and cybersecurity. I have the budget for a gaming laptop, but I’m not interested in gaming and prefer something with a great display, long battery life, and solid design. I also want to use it for video editing, coding, and learning Linux with VMs. Do you think the MacBook Air M3 is a good choice for me? I'd really appreciate your feedback. Thanks!

[@sahil6567]

You can never go wrong with MacBook air

[@JamesOConnor-oi4vx]

Hey Kyle, I’m on the fence between the 15” MBP 8/10 16gb and the new surface so I’m excited to see your comparisons on this. I’m subscribed so hopefully that’ll drop as soon as you have a good hands on impression. Segue, I’m in an unenviable position of splitting my work between CAD/BIM and Graphics and Artwork, these are unfortunately at odds with each other from an operating system standpoint. I’d love to stick with Mac for convenience but if the new surface is as good as it says then I’ll suffer through windows for a while longer i suppose. Great work on the channel, love your content brother!

[@TwinkleStars-g2k]

imagine having your laptop vertical to increase airflow but it has no fans

[@PeterEmery]

I went from an Apple Refurbished M1 MacBook Air (256/8) to a new 15-in M3 MacBook Air (512/16). Massive improvement, amazing how one perceives the screen as being so much bigger despite being a mere 2 inches greater.

[@alex20776a]

Indeed!!!

[@TravisBasson]

This video was equal parts tech love, and Oilers support, and I am all for it!

[@Anthony-kp7sf]

hey friend. if you're not using a ton of apps - iCloud has been my solution with the air. I am a musician, and my files in logic are typically pretty massive. plus all the samples.. etc.. iCloud just works so well once you get used to it. just feels like everything is on your laptop as long as you have internet. and you can just download whatever you'll be working on it if you won't have internet. its super cheap too. I have a 2tb external ssd and I haven't touched it because I decided to give iCloud a real try lol. super amazing and worth it. I love how mobile this laptop is now.

[@kemdo123]

I had the 2020 MacBook Pro M1 and recently swapped it for the M3 air. I mainly just edit pics on Photos and upload my GoPro footage so hopefully this will give me a bit of extra kick when doing all that!

[@woonyboogie]

The best real life review for macbook air. Thank you really helpful

[@CollaterOlney]

Do you have a link or name of the port extender you use at 2:28? Looks super clean! I don't think I missed it in the description, thanks in advance

[@lastmanoffthefield4572]

Yeah, what is the name of it??

[@ThunderStruck94660]

Still rocking my M1 Macbook Air and will still be rocking it 5 years from now:)

[@Franciunico_]

Cool eheh

[@CS-pg4go]

i forget my m1 mba is 4 years old... its still insane. Haven't had any problems and it runs so smooth. Im still tempted to upgrade to the m3 because im going back to school but its more of a want than a need lol

[@kinnyode3171]

amazing video, please what camera do you use in shooting your content?

[@petset77]

December 24. I just an hour ago got a 512 16gb version as a holiday gift from my wife for recording music (nice gift). I still have to learn it, then the DAW. BUT, my question is if the thunderbolt ports will support a multi outlet hub including older USB ports. I'm old (67) and have been a PC person. Research I've done only shows that the thunderbolt ports are faster than USB-C which are the same physical size, so in theory, shouldn't introduce latency or issues with my audio interface or other outboard gear I already own. Audio only will be my purpose for this laptop, not video. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance, and Happy Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or whatever you celebrate.

[@miloandme4536]

I just ordered this laptop with the base features after having an honour magic book windows laptop since 2019. I am getting it for starting school which is mainly course work such as typing, im doing media, so i will be editing videos and photos, sound editing. I do have a more powerful pc, but while im working in class or in the library im hoping this macbook will work well for photography and basic typing etc, more powerful things can be done on my desktop

[@en2ec]

I keep pondering the MBA with 16gb/512gb. But once I'm ready to pay that, then the MBP M3 with 16gb isn't that much more. Then the MBP M3 pro isn't that much more. And before long I think I need a maxxed out M3 max. And then I also think that M4 is a big step above M3, and I don't NEED to buy one now. So I may wait to see if the MBP M4 base model is released this fall.

[@zaryl2k]

i just got Mac mini M2 Pro base model recently. Already had iPad Pro 12.9 M1 5G and airpods 2. not sure if i wanted to invest in Macbook Air/Pro as I already have a Lenovo P14S Gen 2 workstation level laptop. I guess i already had enough iDevices to complete my Apple ecosystem. Been watching your previous videos before. Great channel by the way. Subscribed.

[@vinyalonde]

This is a very helpful review -- thank you.

[@Wanted797]

The B roll of this video is beautifully shot by the way.

[@ugottabekiddin_]

Love your videos, Kyle.

[@RandomRighteous]

Just had this video in my recommended after I recently bought an M3 air, while I cheer on the Oilers in the Stanley Cup Finals… coincidence? I think not.

[@MarvinChery]

Let’s go panthers 😊

[@lino100x100]

I suggest everybody to buy an used or refurbished macbook pro 14, with M1 pro. It’s a beast, and you get one more usb c port, sd card reader, far better screen and speakers 🔊 👋🏻

[@brianmiller1077]

Isn't the M1 the old form factor?

[@ganderthepanda8146]

Gotta take into account software support too

[@vladmihai306]

14 inch is too small

[@lino100x100]

@@brianmiller1077 nope

[@kennordsfan1494]

The one big issue is battery life on the 14 inch. I had the 14 inch M2 and it was a beast fast and nothing slowed it down that I used. But got an MacBook air M2 13 inch and really no performance issue the only thing is the Air does get warm for certain tasks but not bad at all. The pro got me 6 to 7 hours of use at work where I had to charge at some point during the day at my desk or on the go. But he Air will go all day long M3 has 2 monitor support now and much easier to haul around.

[@carlosmcse]

6 months ago it was such a value. Then the M4 MacBook Pro comes out and makes this a very silly waste of money. This is only $100 bucks less than a base Pro with 16/512, a much better screen, faster processor, better battery life, better speakers, more ports, more everything.

[@supajaco]

This video helped a lot! 👌🏼

[@justdoyourthing1419]

Helpful review with all the use cases. Since you had the M2 as well, how big would you say are the differences between M2 and M3 Air? I’m currently thinking of upgrading to one with 16GB RAM and would appreciate your input.

[@barathv3060]

I agree but I feel the M2 Air feels the same way. Buying it refurbished with 16GB memory should be the best IMO. what are your thoughts?

[@KyleErickson]

refurb is the way to go if it's available - basically brand new with reduced cost.

[@thenext9537]

I just got the m3 24gb ram 512 ssd, it's snappy. I use final cut pro and logic pro. It can run a lot and not really slow down. I think if someone did some Blender, that would probably do it I'm not cool like that.Maya as well, or any of those 3d modeling progs out there.

[@EShelby2127]

Thanks for the great review! I've got a 2020 M1 8/8 core MBA with a failing keyboard, so I'm looking to upgrade. I've borrowed a 2020 i7 2.3 MacBook Pro with 32 GB of RAM and realized there is no going back to an Intel Mac. I had to pull out an old laptop lap-fan to keep from burning myself! BTW, I did a battery usage test on a 2020 i7 2.3 MacBook Pro yesterday (cycle count 146), surfing and watching videos... 100% to 20% in 2.25 hours. Abysmal. I make sure to drain my M1 MBA down to 20% once a month, but basically have it on the charger 95% of the time.

[@ArminSteiner]

I want to replace my M1 MacMini with a MacBook and went crazy what to get 🤪. Most Channels concentrate only on Benchmarks and I was pretty close to decide getting a M3 Pro. Then I found your latest MacBook Air videos. Since my main interest is photography and I edit my images with LR and PS the Air will do a good job. I do some video editing now and then but nothing to fancy. A lot YT reviews said that alone for the display the Pro is a better choice but now I do t think that should not be the deciding factor for me since I use a BenQ Photopro Monitor anyway. Only remaining question is should I wait for a M4 Mac?

[@toneloc79]

I get mine later today I got the 15 inch with 16 and 512

[@abobusbestplayer957]

I just got mine and I love it!!!

[@toweringmother]

Hey, thanks so much for this thoughtful review. Subscribed to your channel. I trust it would be just fine for music production, sometimes my sessions can be quite large but the Air makes a lot of sense for travelling. I noticed my M1 MacBook have heating issues with the ports when plugged into my Apollo interface. Have you had any issues with the ports overheating when having something plugged in for a prolonged period?

[@yash2d-fl2kq]

Been looking for this spec model review & your video is spot on. I've been planning to switch to mac but surrounded by windows & android ecosystem. Could you tell me what are the challenges I'd face if I switch?

[@KyleErickson]

for me, it took quite a while to get used to how things worked - I initially found it off-putting coming from Windows because of this, but I think the most important thing is just always remember it's not supposed to work the same and just live with the discomfort for a little while. Things are gonna be in different places, done differently, that kinda thing. Other than that, experience will be pretty specific to the person, but I found once I really got into it, I much preferred it.

[@JonDaiello]

Thanks for the overview! I’m looking at different options for a MacBook. My portable device is a 11” iPad Pro with an M1. It does most of what I need, but I still struggle to enjoy editing video on it in FCPX and I can’t really use Figma either. I’d like to have a proper laptop and don’t really want to shell out for a MacBook Pro. It sounds like an Air might be a good option with a few spec bumps. Thanks!

[@afonsocaboz5359]

Hello Kyle, excelent video. I have a question for you, how does MacBook Air handle running multiple containers at the same time? Is it enough or should I invest in the PRO version?

[@strengthbydesign]

I was trying to make my mind up for quite some time whether I should get a 14" MacBook Pro or the new M3 MacBook Air, I eventually went for the air and I'm not disappointed at all, for my work Photoshop illustrator it's more than powerfully enough the screen is great! I was originally envious of the 14 inch MacBook Pro screen, but I'm more than happy with this one, the blacks are black and it's really almost perfect.. I do think I should've gone for space grey option though, because I do tend to find myself cleaning this midnight colour a lot. It shows a quite a bit of dust and fingerprints as you know, but having said that I love this dark blue colour. I'm getting into blender now but for my level I have no worries at all about its power for that. I went for a fully specked version 24/2tb Love the lightness of this laptop

[@djerikfox]

me too bro...m3 air 16g ram 500ssd..its just amazing for music production....

[@apolitis1]

Cool review....I'm thinking of buying one but can you tell me if it'll be good at CAD software like AutoCAD etc?

[@JamesOConnor-oi4vx]

I’m in the same boat, CAD interface is different on Mac so prepare for a learning curve. it’s also a slimmed down version so there’s a lot of tools not even there

[@Abyssinian0]

The algorithm gods did it again you deserve a subscribe

[@pratikmurari8182]

hey kyle, love your work, i was wondering how about comparing m3 or upcoming m4 mac book air when it get released with m1 MacBook pro???

[@Makinghappymoments]

I'm so happy I got the link to your channel from a friend who is all about Chrome OS and Linux. I shall watch all episodes for beginners here and would love to learn how to make MBA M3 safe and resistant for bugs.I also wonder what external drive to buy. Machine has 16 and 512 GB and I shall use it for psychology studies. I came from Pixel Chrome world. Could you please comment on this, saying what type of external drive to buy and what safety programs and settings to use? Best regards.

[@TeslaSoCal]

Solid review. 15" seems like the perfect size for a laptop. Can you Daisychain Monitors with the M3 Air?

[@dominikslansky]

Hello, thanks for beautiful video! I really like it… and if i understand well, do you recommend Macbook Air M3 for graphic design? I am not sure if it’s good for me. I wanted Macbook Air M3 with 16GB RAM but now i have some questions in my mind. The main question is about overheating. I am going to do graphic design every day, not only sometimes. Can anyone help me please? Thanks!

[@iikatinggangsengii2471]

i kind of do it everyday nowadays, lol, they just never stop trying haha

[@dc_verax7456]

It does overheat, I had one for like 1 week and I returned it because it overheated (and due to the scaling issue with external monitors)

[@ag17314]

Im a animator and use after effects, photoshop illustrator etc. how does this hold up to running those kind of apps? I currently am custom build windows laptop but its more of a portable workstation and generates enough heat to cook a egg 😅 considering buying the m3 air as my first mac but would love it to be able to animate on and am looking for something that has a good battery life, appreciate any advice :)

[@thomas0086]

Your videos are wonderful mate 🫡

[@The.BlackJackal]

I’m on my way to go buy a 15” now!

[@SciFicAdventures]

I got the 8gb version. It was $899 brand new at BestBuy. I need to learn MAC so that I can software troubleshoot them for work. It has gotten to the point in my career where not knowing MAC is a problem. Let me tell you one thing, this is the highest quality laptop I have ever had. The build quality really is premium, the laptop is very thin yet nothing bends or dents in when you press, the screen doesn't move at all when you quickly grab laptop with one hand while open and swing it to a table. I thought about returning this one for a 16gb laptop but the price difference is over $400 more and I do not believe that would be worth it. I also do have a Desktop with an RTX 4070 . This MAC will be my new overall daily driver with creating images, some video editing, learning how to use programs etc. I am running 8gb Swap Memory right now and am doing fine.

[@SciFicAdventures]

I have this laptop financed through BestBuy, I may decide to return it and use my Apple financing for the 16GB model just to not have to worry about getting another laptop at all for years. It's hard telling what the right move is here.

[@TeChNoYmE]

11:44 Windows driver compatibility issues like sleep\hibernate - wake still haunt AMD processor powered machines. Snapdragon X Elite would be a very long journey to match with how well the Mac HW & SW are tuned together.

[@phillean]

A very useful review and discussion. You are using 16gb of memory, do you think the 24gb is not needed on the Air for video processing with DaVinci Resolve. ?

[@KyleErickson]

no, it should run with 16 fine. 24 will obviously be a little nicer for some things, but 16 is still more than capable.

[@phillean]

@@KyleErickson thanks

[@MultiDreamer1979]

I’m getting one today I had a MacBook Air from 2013 I know crazy isn’t it..anyway I’m excited to get it but hell that price on this is crazy though

[@iikatinggangsengii2471]

considering asus lenovo and razer selling twice as much, its dirt cheap

[@iikatinggangsengii2471]

surely its not rtx 4070 and 13700 but for non gamers thats nonfactor

[@mkcnz]

Kylle, Your M3 Air is driving a single monitor via the dock, do you know whether the M3 Air connected to a dock will drive dual 27" monitors? Appreciate your advice.

[@ogBravo1]

great review. thank you

[@vanillachoux1770]

Thanks for good video 😃

[@markockwell]

Still use the M1 Macbook Air for mobile Video Editing and still going fine - At home I use both Mac Mini M2 Pro and Mac Pro Trash Can 2016 ( Still able to Keep Up )

[@doctorsora]

How much difference is there in display quality in real life, especially when watching videos, between the MacBook Air M3 and the MacBook Pro XDR display models? I'm torn between the two. The MacBook Air M3 is a great budget option, but the superior display on the 14-inch MacBook Pro is making me hesitate. I'm not a coder or graphic designer, but I do care about display quality. My Microsoft Surface Laptop 4's display doesn't feel good on my eyes, and even my previous 13-inch MacBook Pro from 2018 had a better display.

[@fasrnunes11]

I would like to see how surface and Mac would work with software like Revit or Robot Structural

[@bazboyuk9602]

Thanks for the video 👍 With regards to Xcode, is there any noticeable difference between the M2 Air and the M3 Air in your experience?

[@upasanaroy6878]

Do you feel like the typing experience is different on the pro versus the air?

[@KyleErickson]

Not at all, personally.

[@RightWingRadioShow]

it's exactly the same

[@adrianjenkins2447]

Another interesting, thus great video, Kyle. Thank you. What software are you using to monitor the system specs, please?