MacBook Air M2 - Is The CHEAPEST Model Worth It?

[@chilling00000]

It's not about whether anyone will notice the difference of the slower disk speed, the point is that a company should NEVER downgrade any part of a product while increasing its price

[@Richard.Cabeza]

AND do it without letting the buyer beware. This move has made the release of potentially the best laptop into a hot topic and disappointment for many.

[@slimhim]

How did they downgrade a part of it? They used the same ssd here that they use in the 512. They didn’t didn’t downgrade anything. Or is that wrong?

[@fart2003]

@@slimhim the base model now only has 1 256gb nand ssd or sonething, which affects ssd performance significantly

[@fart2003]

@@slimhim the m1 air base model has 2 128gb nand ssd, while the m2 air has 1 256gb nand ssd. something about the 2 ssds working in unison increased read and write performance, which is missing in the base m2 air. cost cutting measure by apple which is crappy considering youre paying significantly more for the m2 air than the m1 air.

[@mackan072]

The base model really should have been 512 Gb, even if it made the base model slightly more expensive as a result.

[@andrewsmith7534]

All in all the base m2 MacBook it great. It’s not meant to be pushed hard like a Pro, its meant for small tasks and light levels of work. If your worried about throttling, low memory, and so on, get the pro. If your a student or just need a reliable computer, the base M2 Air is great.

[@nasdoc1]

You're absolutely right. For the majority, the M2 air is just fine. They will hardly notice anything.

[@thetoolmat8632]

@@nasdoc1 until they do…

[@MF_OXF]

hope you dont mean the base m2 pro, because thats not aint it

[@nasdoc1]

@@veiledobserver Point noted.

[@williamwallace410]

My thoughts exactly, the 12 inch was incredible, they just had to put an M1 in it, shrink the bezels and it would have been magic. A 12,9 inch macbook that weighs 2 pounds with the power of an M1 with decent battery life?!? Are you kidding me?!?

[@blueshapti]

Purchased M2 Air in silver, will look brand new the longest. Got with top everything 2Tb ssd, 24Gb ram, top processor. Added thermal tape on inside. At low power mode CPU runs at 35C and battery at ambient temp for every day tasks. If run at normal power use thermal plate fan and CPU runs at 52C. Zero throttling. Dream portable machine two-three day battery life.

[@bklynkingsnyc]

i completely agree! it’s fast, has 1080P cam, quality design, less than 3lbs! and battery for hours!! Stack this against a dell 13XPS+ and it’s MBA M2 all day!

[@andrewshively6475]

You said it yourself, the color doesn’t necessarily scream “MacBook.” And for that reason, I’m getting space Grey. I mean,that’s why many of us are apple fanboys right? Cuz of the design? Let’s be real we all know there’s cheaper significantly more powerful cpus from other brands. I’m getting 512, 16. Not because I need it, but because the last laptop I bought was in 2009 lol I plan to keep it a while, so for future proof sake, I’m upgrading.

[@andrewshively6475]

@dany ay lol I know… stupid apple. But I have a thing for smaller and lighter even though it’s only marginally smaller.

[@mohammedalhashimi2010]

@@andrewshively6475 as an map 14 owner. I can tell you the difference is more than marginal. I'd say the mba is half as thick.

[@andrewshively6475]

@@mohammedalhashimi2010 good to know!

[@brachiator1]

Great review. Puts things into a clear perspective. I have two young cousins in college, one in graduate school. Both swear by the M1 base model Air because of portability, general performance and great battery life. It makes a huge difference, they nite, not to have to hunt down or sit near an electrical outlet during the day. I asked and they think a 12 inch laptop would be too small, just a tablet with a keyboard. The M2s are beautiful and the improved camera and microphone might be good for someone who does a lot of video meetings. Either the M1 or M2 appear to be great for people who do moderate photo and video editing. But if someone wanted to upgrade to 16GB RAM and a 512GB SSD, they might seriously consider the M1 Air. This represents the best value for the money. An M2 Air with upgrades gets very close to the price of a MacBook Pro. But again, some people strongly prefer a more portable laptop. If Apple knocked $150 off the price of a base model M2 Air, it would be a no-brainer.

[@williamwallace410]

That’s because they never used a 12 inch macbook, I have for the last 5 years and it is a full macbook.

[@brachiator1]

@@williamwallace410 I have recently heard other people talk about the 12 inch MacBook and express a desire for a new model. So I guess some long time Apple fans would appreciate this. I use laptops with 17 inch screens at work. And I use tablets of various sizes. I don’t think a 12 inch MacBook would work for me. But if a new 12 inch model was released I would read the reviews. I would be curious about thermal issues and battery life. I will probably ask my cousins about this. They have used laptops since middle school and love their MacBook Airs.

[@MaddocHarrison]

I love my base model MacBook Air. It's great I have only used it for a couple of days so I can't say its the best thing ever but I can say its much better than the base model M1 air and worth the difference.

[@annig520]

Would you say that it is enough for studying medicine? I‘m contemplating buying the base M2 MBA or the M1 with 16gb Ram for 200€ less. Both 256ssd

[@MaddocHarrison]

@@annig520 I have owned both of them and to be honest you cannot tell the difference when it comes to performance even when you use them back to back but the M2 feels a lot more premium to use and the speakers and much louder camera is much better in my opinion it’s worth getting the M2

[@neoanderson7962]

Let us recognize what Apple has done here. It is usual for ‘old tech’ or at the very least replaced tech to drop in price. However Apple has kept the M1 at its original price and priced the M2 up by $200.00. If the M2 had truly taken the place of the M1 and priced at 999 this would have been the best deal in tech.

[@nelsonmartinez3470]

I had pre-ordered the M2 MacBook Air with 16Gb and 1TB SSD but after seeing the reviews I decided to cancel the pre order and just buy a 14 inch MacBook Pro 16GB 1TB SSD. Based on how much I was spending on my MacBook Air I figured id just spend the extra couple dollars and get a performance machine. Although I do think that even with all the things people are saying about the M2 MBA it is still a great machine for most people, if you're a student and don't do extensive task on the computer this will do more than what you need and then some I just don't think its worth the price increase though.

[@mackan072]

Many students need more than 256 Gb of storage tough, especially so if this will be their only PC. Given how excessively expensive the storage upgrade is, on top of the price bump from the M1 Air, I expect this to be outside of many students price range. But yes, other than that, it's a great laptop for students.

[@nelsonmartinez3470]

@@mackan072 I think you're right but it also depends on what you're studying. There is a lot of web based tools you can use that do not make you store data in your computer like Google Docs, etc. But if you plan on keeping everything saved to your computer than yes definitely 256GB is not enough, and I think Apple definitely should've made the Base config at least 512GB. But if price is your concern, you can get an M1 MacBook Air which delivers a lot of the same performance, at a lower price and you can also get it with an education discount making the price that much more attractive. If you have the money to spend though this M2 MacBook Air would be a great choice. So it really comes down to personal need & budget.

[@universalyoutuber195]

Is the base m2air worth it? Won't SSD and thermals be an issue?

[@mackan072]

@@universalyoutuber195 Best thing you can do is to go to a store that has it on display and try it out yourself.

[@teerexx52]

I went with the Starlight and love the color.

[@gstevens6948]

And I as well…

[@fullbass1426]

Apple shoud have fused the two m2 models into 1, basically a M2 air with a fan. Apple, knowing the thermal limitations of the faster m2 chip, should have made more effort in giving the Air more air. That would have simplified the model line too.

[@pupsicle01]

That would be great! It would be a real M2 Macbook Pro.

[@fullbass1426]

@@pupsicle01 or just simply call it a Macbook, not an Air or a Pro, just like how the old 12inch macbook was called. Its for those people who want more features but dont need the pro. A macbook smacked right in the middle perfect for most people.

[@pupsicle01]

@@fullbass1426 Yeah that would be a dream! 😍

[@williamwallace410]

That’s a dumb idea. I hate fans. If you need that much power... get a pro.

[@pupsicle01]

@@williamwallace410 Good thing you don't have to buy it! Also, if you need more power but have something called a budget it would be great to have a laptop like this at a price of $1299 or something similar. That's a lot better than 2 grand...

[@christianhotter]

The webcam improvements make this a better upgrade than the M1 Air for my kid that is replacing her Intel Mac Air before heading to college. I really like your webcam shots in this video with natural light.

[@nasdoc1]

Your kid is definitely going to feel the speed, upgrading from an Intel air. You're kid is going to love it.

[@Braceface2.0]

Yeah, you can’t go wrong with either the m1 or m2. Especially after switching from an intel.

[@mish8183]

Just curious- did you get the base one or did you specced up for anythg (RAM/Memory)? Context: am gg to college/student as well

[@christianhotter]

@@mish8183 Hello Mi Sh. For my daughters needs, we went with the base model with no upgrades except the dual charger so she can charge her phone and laptop with one plug. 8-Core CPU 8-Core GPU 8GB Unified Memory 256GB SSD Storage She is not going to be doing any programing, video/photo editing, or even playing games. I wanted to up the hard drive size, but she insisted that the extra space would be wasted since she has everything she needs in the cloud.

[@smoek9458]

@@mish8183 unless ur doing some heavy editing or programs that rlly use a lot of ram, id say the base model will do

[@mightymurph550]

Starlight has become my new favorite color from apple

[@Wilbur-em1hw]

You have a gel guy. That is dope man. I am so gelous.

[@MichaelSidneyTimpson]

I doubt anyone who either owns an M1 Air or M1 13" Pro would be looking to upgrade so soon anyway. These are for people who own intel processor macs and will be happy with the better speed and battery life in comparison to intel, regardless of M2 model. But really, I cannot see why anyone would want to buy a computer with anything less than 512TB ssd or only 8GB ram (especially since it is shared with GPU) these days. Also, if you want to buy a fanless computer, don't expect to do anything significant with it other than basic tasks.

[@cadenchurchill4296]

I'm still in love with my M1 Air 🤷‍♂

[@existentialrap521]

Just bought the Macbook Pro 14in instead. Beast of a machine. Only negatives are battery life is shorter (makes sense: better screen and beefier) and just a bit more expensive. I was so excited for the M2. Waited 6 months with a crappy laptop for it. Dissapointed. Edit: I also got the MacBook Pro 14in for $1800 at Best Buy. $100 more than what I was expecting to pay for an upgrade M2. No brainer for me.

[@ron2237]

Same I spec’d out a m2 air it came to 1699, found a 14 inch pro on sale for 1799. It was a no brainer for me.

[@Salty_Biscuitz88]

I have both MBP 14 based model and 16gb/512gb MBA M2. I can tell you that the MBA M2 wins a lot in the portability form factor, it’s so much easier to bring it around coz of the weight.

[@nurnebo]

@@Salty_Biscuitz88 what about the battery life, and performance?

[@existentialrap521]

@@Salty_Biscuitz88 That is true…. But I like the weight of the 14in. Idk if it’s because I’ve worked construction and workout, but it feels like nothing to me. I wonder how light the M2 feels lol.

[@existentialrap521]

@@nurnebo My wife has the M1 MacBook Pro and it lasts a LONG time. She charges it maybe twice a week and works as a teacher. She just does simple stuff like PowerPoint and email so it can last up to 3-4 days easily. My 14in Pro has to be charged every 2 days with work use. If I’m producing music all day, it drops down to maybe 30%.

[@PlannerShop]

I still want a Macbook too!! My M2 Silver AIr 16 GB 512 SSD arrives tomorrow.

[@IvanWX88]

I just don’t understand why KZbin reviewer always want to compare MBA to MBP? They are targeted at different group of consumers

[@hummersd]

As much as I wanted iMac colors (or the next iteration of colors) for MBA (dark PURPLE!), once they introduced Midnight on MBA, and then seeing it in-person yesterday, it’s the right move to only do a couple of new colors rather than a huge range since Midnight is really strong. Starlight to some extent as the new gold, but not new-new since it’s on an iPad. Midnight on a Watch I don’t think customers knew that would be a strong possibility on a Mac. Looking forward to getting this new one!

[@kazdot1795]

it's good to know the high heat doesn't affect the surface of the computer, but I too am having trouble deciding between the m2 air and m1 pro. Argh. But is there really a wrong decision? I'm sure either would make me happy 😊.

[@gagan5344]

If you have the money for the m1 pro then go for it

[@Tiffs-bookshelf]

I just need one for graduate degree in social work. I am not a creative so I’m hoping it will be good for me

[@GregsGadgets]

It will be perfect for you!

[@GurdeepSwali]

I just went for more RAM 16GB on the M2 Air

[@jblpineda1994]

Coming from the Intel based Macbook Air, I think the M2 base model will be ok for me. 😅

[@blazeshaun1115]

How is it holding up?

[@StBernardFan]

Everyone’s got a gel guy! 😂 😂

[@edymoss3466]

Midnight best color ever Everything leaves finger prints In. The end depends what bows your mind In the end for mr me midnight is awesome

[@aquarius418]

this midnight finished macbook air reminds me of a black/slate finished iphone 5🧑🏻‍💻 well done apple

[@brandnaqua]

yess!!

[@sebastiancura559]

What your prefer, m2 16gb ram 256gb or m2 8gb ram and 512ssd?

[@ffxsam]

Ordered the midnight color, 1TB, 24GB RAM. Should be plenty powerful!

[@l337z0r]

hey big spender. But seriously, the MacBook Pro will still run rings around your machine. I'm guessing you just wanted the new Midnight color for that social cred. Same here.

[@ffxsam]

@@l337z0r I just wanted a laptop that I can code on and do basic Photoshop stuff. No need for video editing, any GPU-heavy tasks or things like that. My M1 Mac mini works great for everything I do, so no doubt the M2 will be sufficient.

[@ultragoyim1270]

Ordered 16gb with 2tb. Do a lot of photoshop design and want long term headroom. Please it’ll sell easy with great return when something better is released

[@sunitjoshi3573]

@@ffxsam How’s it working for you so far?

[@ffxsam]

@@sunitjoshi3573 Love it! Light, compact, and powerful. Does everything I need it to.

[@siggi9240]

Nice superman hair style Greg

[@itczu]

I'm torn between 8GB with 512GB SSD, and 16GB with 256GB SSD. As they are the same price, which would make more sense? I don't need the extra storage, and I'm curious if the 16GB model alone would reduce the need to swap memory enough to make the most out of the M2 chip. Which one would be faster? As I'm in Europe, I really wouldn't want to spend over 2000 euros for a 16/512 model. My heaviest use on a laptop is audio editing and light programming.

[@kab9729]

I returned the base model and ordered the 8 GB RAM and 512 SSD storage. The SSD storage can work as RAM but RAM can’t work as SSD storage.

[@gmoney187]

a lot of the reasons people buy there is just for the looks even though they don't actually need them and also they don't make any money with them either.

[@stevenford4719]

I like your fair honest review on the Air & I thought the caster-way reference at the end was a nice touch

[@andrewgnzalez]

i’m really stuck on whether i should get the 8gb or 16 gb RAM. My main use for this laptop is scriptwriting, web browsing, watching youtube/streaming services, listening to music, imessage.

[@souskumbhar]

Get the 8GB , I bought the base model for coding and KZbin and stuff and it works amazing

[@UnitCancellation]

16gb. The 8 is okay but you can’t upgrade if needed later. And it will reduce swaps to the SSD shortening its life.

[@vernearase3044]

My advice (as always) is to buy enough RAM to comfortably contain your workload, and _don't_ count on magically quick virtual memory. After that, buy enough SSD to populate both NAND slots for faster I/O performance. These machines - 13" MacBook Pro and Air - are not for heavy creator workloads - they're targeted at Harry in accounting or Sally in legal and designed as lightweight computers for normal computer users: office apps, web surfing, the applications that you normally find in offices, with enough oomph to satisfy Harry or Sally's aspirational goals like light photo or video editing _without_ breaking the bank. Unlike when MacBooks were running on Intel, you _don't_ have to buy waaayy up in the lineup to get that aspirational power - which will save the normal computer user lots of cash. For normal office users these computers will accomplish just about any task they normally do - and do it quietly (without fans blaring) with great battery life, great portability, and snappy performance. For creators and those who run heavily multithreaded workloads, there's always the heavier duty MacBook Pros which blow away their older Intel counterparts at about the same price. My 32 GPU core M1 Max 16" MacBook Pro runs workloads my 2019 16" couldn't _think_ of accomplishing and does it quietly with great battery life, a gorgeous XDR display, and nice webcam and great audio. The quality of life improvements are astounding considering there's only two years difference between the two. No longer do I have to haul around a backpack with dongles and a power brick - these new Apple Silicon Macs will pretty much run all day without having to be plugged in due to their increased efficiency. Now I just carry around my MacBook in a leather sleeve because the thermal envelope of these machines is so much more reasonable - you escape the energy trap of pushing up clocks to get enough performance (exponentially increasing heat) and furiously running fans to cool them down and keep 'em from burning up.

[@exucia669]

you old asl 😂😂😂😂

[@dendendenice1]

I am a Sally😂 thank you! Sold at mba m2❤

[@markholle3450]

Just got back from Best Buy and the demo model convinced me of one thing - Stay away from the Midnight version.

[@Chitown84]

Why?

[@markholle3450]

@@Chitown84 Fingerprints. It looked old next to a Space Gray M1 Air.

[@Salty_Biscuitz88]

Hey I agree with you. And the midnight color will show more wear such as paint chipping over time due to the contrasting color of the coating.

[@midnightsnack1306]

I feel this design should have been the chassis for the M1.

[@nasdoc1]

I wish!

[@johnz8112]

My midnight is on order just awaiting its arrival...

[@jeffhale1189]

Thanks for sharing. I appreciate your thoughts on the M2 Air. Blessings on your day.

[@emmiiirrr]

I would totally buy the M1 air but even my 4 year old Lenovo Ideapad has thinner bezels🤦🏻‍♂️ The M1 Air looks like it is from 2018

[@SpAceDrragon]

I almost went for the pro but chose the model due to what I need it for and budget , glad I went with the air , can’t wait to use it in a few days

[@jasonabhishek560]

so hows it??

[@denseslide366]

So what should I choose if I pick this laptop. Upgrade the memory or the storage? Or should I just get the m2 MacBook Pro?

[@chepito06]

Purchased the 512 GB version 💕💗💓

[@jomava]

Good review. At the end of the day, it comes down to individual affordability and use. In my case, I have a Mac 14" M1 Pro 16/256 for my tough work. The M2 MacBook basic model is fine with me to take it to Starbucks or similar and work with a light system. In these case, from view is just perfect.

[@johnroedbacting6620]

my m2 air base model can handle anything I trow at it :) Such a beast device..

[@l337z0r]

To those hesitating on midnight color: if you love the midnight color then just fucking get it, man. Life is too short. We just went through a god damn pandemic, there's a war in Ukraine, heatwaves from climate change. Just get the damn Midnight and be happy for a while.

[@brianginn1993]

So happy to hear you mention the original 12 inch MacBook. I had one of those and just gave it to my daughter and it’s still doing a great job.

[@lorenzoibz]

For speeding uo the performance is better upgrade the Ram or the SSD ??? Or maybe both?

[@Richard.Cabeza]

RAM

[@vrajpatel4847]

Can you plz suggest me what should I pick m2 air 16 gb 512 or 14 m1pro ? They are both pretty close in price so i am dilemma what to pick Just to give context i am University student studying cs and this will be my 1st laptop Ever

[@techcast2428]

If you really want the m2 macbook air, I say just stick with the air, and if you really want the pro, just jump to the pro.

[@existentialrap521]

Pasting comment: Just bought the Macbook Pro 14in instead. Beast of a machine. Only negatives are battery life is shorter (makes sense: better screen and beefier) and just a bit more expensive. I was so excited for the M2. Waited 6 months with a crappy laptop for it. Dissapointed.

[@Quandtimus]

If this helps, I ordered the air with 512 storage and 16 GBs of ram. My reason for this is I’m coming from a 2016 pro where it barely can edit 4K videos from my phone let alone export it within a reasonable time. That’s about the only heavy stuff I use. Yes the better display on the m1pro is nice but I don’t think I’d ever reach the airs limit with what I do let alone the pro. I’d personally say stick with the air as you’ll save 200-300$ and use that money for maybe a case for the computer or other external dongles if needsd

[@vrajpatel4847]

@@Quandtimus good point but idk man speakers, pro motion display,M1 pro chip Dual fans for active cooling all these stuff for extra money with extra ports also and much more better read and write speeds of ssd compared faster M1 ssd speed ik 512 m2 will holds up but all these features offering you to more intensive tasks without thermal throttling and all Ghosh But at the same time m2 air portability new midnight colour Idk 😐 i am so confused 😮‍💨

[@Salty_Biscuitz88]

@@vrajpatel4847 if you will be carrying laptop around, your back will thank you if you get the MBA M2. It is really so much more portable. With that say, I think you should really go to a store and compare both side by side and go with your heart.

[@goxious]

Would you go for the base model, the one with 512GB SSD or would you keep 256 GB SSD and upgrade the RAM to 16GB?

[@mish8183]

The best is if you were to upgrade both. If you had to choose due to tight budget- it depends on your usage... If you need to download alot of stuff/keep alot of videos etc, get the 512 storage (you hit 2 birds with 1 stone where the extra ssd can act as a stand in incase you overload the RAM and also provide you with the space for your downloads) If you dont need the storage, just get the 16 RAM where itll give a leeway in terms of your RAM

[@SpI3eR123]

@@mish8183 Would you say for someone who just uses discord, notion, several chrome tabs and watches KZbin all at once, they dont need the 16gb version and they dont need the 512gb version?

[@mish8183]

@@SpI3eR123 i wldnt say you dont need either bc it seems like in terms of usage that doesn't qt seems like "alot" . Here, in your hypothetical scenario since apps usage/multiple chrome tabs are what the usage is geared too (and not alot of apps downloaded) imo it wld be best to go with the RAM upgrade if ure worried abt future proofing. Personally as a student who downloads the bare min apps as outlook, word, ppt and zoom but whose major is geared towards essay writing and research therefore needing multiple chrome tabs bg opened, i went with RAM and it works like a dream. Nonetheless, If youre certain that that's what the com is just gg to be used for (only several tabs,, a few apps) and ure tight on budget,, ig you'll actually be qt comfortable with the basic specs as is

[@SpI3eR123]

@@mish8183 Thanks for the reply, yeh Im gonna go with the base model, dont need the extra storage.

[@FTezner]

I really don't understand this. You get something for your $200, and if you don't need that something or think its not worth $200, get the M1. No serious video editor will buy the base model, and people who think you get something for the $200 and buy it (like me) probably don't edit videos at all (like me) or can wait 20 more seconds or whatever it is. There is a reason there is a Pro line. If the base model had 512K, the additional price would be more than $200. These reviews are honest, and for that reason I won't criticize them, but I also won't criticize Apple, which is giving my niche of the market a base model that I suspect they will be very happy with.

[@gwentan8476]

Should i get the base pro 14 or the m2 with 512 gb ssd and 24 gb ram?

[@Benjamin-fu5ij]

Get the pro. If you think you’ll need 24gb ram, you’re probably better off w/ the pro. It’s better chip and much better thermals will probably be better for your workflow.

[@Dulcilady]

Will you do a video on the M2 MacBook Air with higher specs?

[@ljmzdev]

I ABSOLUTELY NEED a 12 inch Macbook with Apple Silicon, I hope they release something like that.

[@BrianWechtenhiser]

I always enjoy your videos Greg. A friendly suggestion regarding your studio set- clean up the wires dangling behind your shelf units and along the wall.

[@TillmanTech]

Thank you for the video! Your sense of humor is always welcome 🙏

[@jeffreyharrisii8190]

I’m an incoming college freshman planning on keeping this MacBook throughout my college career (up until spring of 2026 at least). Do you actually think that 8 gb of ram would be sufficient from now into 2026 or should I just bump up to 16 gb of ram to future proof?

[@dairedarcy1130]

Looooove the new MBA. That said, at €400 more than the previous model for much the same features, I would rather wait for a refurbished 14” MBP M1 Pro

[@mannylupercio8194]

Can already find open box MBA M1 Pro for $1500.

[@jjsterlingiv]

The M2 Air wasn't meant to process videos!!!!! The M2 Air was built for basic computing - web browsing, email, FaceTime, productivity apps, KZbin, and light photo editing.

[@ghail3184]

I really want to buy this m2 macbook air starlight, but daaaang these reviews are not letting me 🥲 even the upgraded 10 GPU slowed down 🙃 I am so confused now. Maybe I should just buy the M1 MacBook Pro 😭 or maybe M2 MBA 8gb GPU + 16gb Ram + 528gb ssd 🥲 Help me! I’ll be using it for casual video editing and casual simulation games like sims 4. I also do not want the M1 Pro cause 💰 I’m so confused 🫤

[@donnynguyen]

I’m a student that just does daily everyday tasks like web browsing and watching KZbin/Netflix. Should I get the m1 air or m2 air. I won’t be doing heavy tasks like photoshop, Lightroom, and video editing. Is the screen/display upgrade worth the extra $200? Is m2 faster at web browsing or are they the same?

[@sniperghost456]

The experience will basically be the same, just choose the design you prefer.

[@Salty_Biscuitz88]

Hi I have both, they are basically the same when doing the task you mentioned. You are paying $200 more for the design. The only advantage here is the MagSafe and fast charging. The rest feels the same.

[@Richard.Cabeza]

Plenty of websites listing the new changes for that $200.

[@rhk4680]

Got it on Friday, I just love it!!!!

[@Kudos2_Me]

M2 air is still a great value, even with the price increase. Getting the base model with the 512GB upgrade is still around $1,300. In that price range most Windows laptops come with a i7-1165G7, which the M2 is far superior to.

[@nasdoc1]

512 gb is 1400$. There are a lot of Intel based machines with equally good speed at that price point with more RAM. But the M2 air is an amazing machine, even the base model. So is the M1 air.

[@Kudos2_Me]

@@nasdoc1 Well if you buy a gaming laptop that may be true. But it’s going to be far heavier and have much worse battery life. For M2 Air we’d be talking about ultrabooks as a direct comparison. And best case scenario you get a i7-1260U, that’s more in line with m1 performance. And that’s even considering it doesn’t throttle frequently due to low profile fan limitations in ultrabooks.

[@nasdoc1]

@@Kudos2_Me Yeah. These M1's and 2's are amazing machines. They have shaken up the laptop industry. I only wish that Apple had made the M1 in the M2's chassis. I just love how the M2 looks and feels.

[@Kudos2_Me]

@@nasdoc1 I agree completely. The M2 looks so sleek and beautiful. I’m optimistic about the next series of AMD and Intel mobile chipsets too. The zen book S13 was pretty impressive.

[@nasdoc1]

@@Kudos2_Me Yes. I've noticed. Asus is coming up with good laptops at a competitive price. We are so stuck with Apple. Actually, the M1 chip changed the game. But it was required. Competition is so important.

[@mariajoaooliveira7210]

Mc Air M2 with 8/8-216SSD vs Mc Air M2 With 8/10-528 the performance is very hard if I do the upgrade?.

[@JTM1809]

No, Gregory, we peasants don't have our own gel man. Only youtube royalty like you can afford to employ one (sigh...).

[@clangerbasher]

I don't understand the problem with ports. If you are using it on the go you won't be using ports. And if it is on the desk you use hubs. Or am I missing something?

[@leebeeskee]

I agree. To be honest, if you're in any way concerned about the ports then this laptop isn't for you as you're surely not a casual user.

[@clangerbasher]

@@leebeeskee Down the years I have looked at mid to high end motherboards and wondered who uses all those ports because only a minority must use them all. It's consumer tech. What we are sold isn't often what we need more what we want.

[@Richard.Cabeza]

​@@clangerbasher Beyond the USB-C. One person using them all at once is probably less than 2%. Using one occasionally less than 10%. Using one constantly 40% (HDMI) - 50% (Card Reader). Using 2 constantly less than 20%. I just made up all these numbers. I used my HDMI 20 times in 8 years, card reader 30 times, never used the Thunderbolt.

[@clangerbasher]

@@Richard.Cabeza The figures sound reasonable to me. :)

[@jeanclaudedusse6176]

Would you recommend this for a web developer? I find it hard to gage what an “intense workflow” is. I usually only program for 4-5 hours at a time, so was wondering if thermal throttling is really gonna affect me

[@sweealamak628]

As a fellow web dev, M2 is a great choice. Web apps aren't SSD intensive thus you won't encounter slow load times due to the slower r/w speeds. The higher L1&L2 cache and clock speed make browser rendering/refreshing/datatransfer much quicker as shown by speedometer tests. Even over 4 hrs, the CPU should remain warm (4° higher than M1 according to other KZbinrs) but never burning hot as there's no intense 3D rendering or graphic/photo algos being applied. And even if you have the money, I won't recommend the 14" or 16" Pros. The chassis is way to thick and typing gets uncomfortable after 30 mins, especially at the wrists. Coders need to type a lot so comfort is important. M2 MBA low profile is ideal for coders.

[@sunitjoshi3573]

@@sweealamak628 Thanks for the details. So a 16/512 option should be good for Dev work?

[@sweealamak628]

@@sunitjoshi3573 16/512 is more than plenty to cover most dev roles/types. Perhaps, to really find out what's best for you, check out youtuber Alex Ziskind, his channel is dedicated to software developers.

[@sunitjoshi3573]

@@sweealamak628 Great, thanks. Yes, I’ve watched all his videos :)

[@georgezolla4580]

Great analysis. I bought the base model M2 MacBook Air and am now testing it against my base model M1 MacBook Air. It is for casual use. I just ddin’t want to pay $400 for additional RAM and storage. If i want a machine for heavy work, I would buy a refurbished 14 inch. So I think the base model will be the biggest seller. I still have 13 days to decide which I prefer.

[@Salty_Biscuitz88]

For casual use, both M1 and M2 MBA will be fine. I have the MBA M2 now and I used to have the M1. They feels the same when I’m using them. The M2’s MagSafe and faster charging is definitely an advantage.

[@georgezolla4580]

@@Salty_Biscuitz88 So far I have the found the design, display and speakers to be excellent upgrades.

[@JRtheBoy]

@@georgezolla4580 any more updates on your testing between them?

[@igschua9290]

Hope you can update us, rlly torn between the two! Planning to get one this week!

[@georgezolla4580]

@@igschua9290 I decided to keep the M2. The display and speakers are so good that I use it as a second monitor! The mics and wevam are definitely better too! Apps seem to start just a little bit faster than the M1.

[@StartedTherapy]

You know, it's weird, people say that the M2 Air has the same keyboard as the M1, but the M1's keyboard feels so much better. What stopped me from getting the M2 was actually the keyboard.

[@AD-jq7ow]

I don't like the midnight color...it just looks like a basic windows pc

[@dbtech4562]

I think if you are just doing normal stuff, then this is all you need. If you do Final Cut Pro type work then you have to get something else.

[@lmariona4568]

😆 loved the ending! You’re hilarious! 💕

[@monunits]

if i want to run minecraft & photoshop, would upgrading to 16gb ram or 512gb ssd be better? i can’t really afford both

[@Joshokitty]

thanks greg now i’m having an existential crisis watching your video

[@86figs]

How it looks shouldn’t be the main reason you buy it. It’s $200 more and a fingerprint magnet. In a year or so the M3 version will come out. So only buy it if you currently have a computer that’s 5 years and older.

[@soragranda]

M2 with a fan cool be fine... There might be people just waiting for the M2 pro Macbook pro at this point.

[@diogoteixeira9957]

If i buy the option Air M2 with 8/10/8-512SSD i solved the problem on performance and everything with this “problems”??

[@MichaelSidneyTimpson]

Put it back to back with the 13" M2 Pro, both with base and higher models. I want to see if heat and tasks are effected by that fan.

[@raymondpritchard]

Thanks Greg - another great review 🙌🏽

[@Sno_steve]

It's really good to hear how well it performs in real life use over hours.. Great review.

[@RameshKumar-ng3nf]

Greg, needed your help. I got a samsung T7 SSD today. When I use with my MacBook , Do I need to always unmount & unplug it & then close the laptop after my works completed ? Or is it fine the external SSD to stay always connected with MacBook ? . Have no idea about this ☹️

[@seyedaskar]

I always unmount & unplug when I put it in sleep or shutdown. It consumes more power for the external drives while it's in sleep.

[@saurabhagarwal6402]

M2 Macbook Air (2022) - 8 core cpu 8 core gpu 16 gb ram 512 gb storage Are these specs good enough for basic use ??

[@Salty_Biscuitz88]

Yes, totally. I have this same spec MBA M2 with me now. I ordered a silver model and it arrived yesterday.

[@nurnebo]

For basic use? Definitely, more than enough

[@Stan_sprinkle]

I don’t have a gel guy. I have a “product” guy

[@GregsGadgets]

Smart

[@iamyourleaderr2979]

I went with silver. More future proof. It’s the cleanest look to be honest

[@Hirokee_]

I really wish they kept the old design. The new design doesn't seem thin to me.

[@QuarioQuario54321]

If we got a two port 12-inch MacBook it would have no headphone Jack

[@86figs]

Remember your iPhone in the fall will be able to be your webcam with the new iOS update so unless your computer is several years old this isn’t worth it for the cost.

[@cdubbrider3740]

Is that pier 78?? San Francisco??

[@MichaelSidneyTimpson]

Apple never told us: the "pro" in the 13" model stands for "prosumer" not "professional"

[@noupot]

iJustine was there

[@VMiXEZ]

I don't care about HDMI nor USB A but just give us at least one USB C port on the other side!!

[@ClumsyPsychopath]

The base M2 air has one 256 GIGs chip for storage, and 8 GIGs chip for ram. M series processors use NAND chips when they needs ram more than what the base 8 can provide. Traditionally, M2 would have used 2 chips for swap (128+128), however now that it's got only one chip, the write cycles of the chips gonna fill up faster(SSD have fixed life cycles). And overtime it's gonna reduce the life of SSD by half. Now I know 256 chip has more write cycles than 128 but bear in mind that you'll be using the same chip for storage as well. What do you guys think? Is this another reason to get M1 over M2?

[@Richard.Cabeza]

Or get 16GB RAM

[@save400]

It looks like you’ve recorded multiple episodes all in one go

[@ed-od9sd]

if you use external hardisc, does it change the speed of reading ?

[@kuboh1471]

i just want it for productivity job and web dev do you guys think its okay to take base ?

[@saurabhagarwal6402]

Also in the midnight colour are the fingerprint marks visible besides the trackpad or they are only visible on the top or the back of the device ??

[@Luke19-66]

Don’t know why anyone would want something thinner. I’d rather have a thicker and let’s be honest, how such thicker is it really and have we gone to the WALL·E concept? Are we that weak that an extra let’s say 2lbs is really more than we can bare? Make is as thick it takes to have a good cooling system and a battery that will really last a day! That is what people should want. I have an iPhone 13 and a 13 Pro same phone but the Pro feels so much more premium because of the weight. Just my thoughts on the subject. And let’s just talk about the SSD. It’s not slower….. because Of the 2 chips, it’s in a raid 0, that is the reason for the speed difference. Chips aren’t faster just configured to perform faster.

[@ArthelasPL]

Thank you for this objective review

[@yadnyesh930]

Hi i am a student and I want to get this laptop for coding and normal collage work flow is the base varient M2 air is a good device for or should I upgrade the ssd to 512 gb ???