Apple Macbook Air 13.6" M2 Chip 8GB RAM 256GB SSD M2 10-core macOS MLY33LL/A Midnight
The Apple 13.6" MacBook Air now features the Apple M2 chip, which has many improvements over its predecessor, the M1. The Apple M2 integrates the CPU, neural engine, I/O, and more into a single system on a chip (soc), this time utilizing 2nd-Gen 5nm process technology. Tackle your projects with the fast 8-Core CPU and take on graphics-intensive apps and games. Accelerate machine learning tasks with the 16-core neural engine. The M2 also features 100 GB/s memory bandwidth. The M2 was also designed to speed up video work flows by adding a next-gen media engine and a powerful Pro res video engine for hardware-accelerated encode and decode. This means the M2 can play back more streams of 4K and 8K video. Complete with a silent,fan less design and up to 18 hours of battery life, the MacBook Air is still portable, but now a lot more powerful.
The Apple 13.6" MacBook Air now features the Apple M2 chip, which has many improvements over its predecessor, the M1. The Apple M2 integrates the CPU, neural engine, I/O, and more into a single system on a chip (soc), this time utilizing 2nd-Gen 5nm process technology. Tackle your projects with the fast 8-Core CPU and take on graphics-intensive apps and games. Accelerate machine learning tasks with the 16-core neural engine. The M2 also features 100 GB/s memory bandwidth. The M2 was also designed to speed up video work flows by adding a next-gen media engine and a powerful Pro res video engine for hardware-accelerated encode and decode. This means the M2 can play back more streams of 4K and 8K video. Complete with a silent,fan less design and up to 18 hours of battery life, the MacBook Air is still portable, but now a lot more powerful.
The Apple 13.6" MacBook Air now features the Apple M2 chip, which has many improvements over its predecessor, the M1. The Apple M2 integrates the CPU, neural engine, I/O, and more into a single system on a chip (soc), this time utilizing 2nd-Gen 5nm process technology. Tackle your projects with the fast 8-Core CPU and take on graphics-intensive apps and games. Accelerate machine learning tasks with the 16-core neural engine. The M2 also features 100 GB/s memory bandwidth. The M2 was also designed to speed up video work flows by adding a next-gen media engine and a powerful Pro res video engine for hardware-accelerated encode and decode. This means the M2 can play back more streams of 4K and 8K video. Complete with a silent,fan less design and up to 18 hours of battery life, the MacBook Air is still portable, but now a lot more powerful.
The Apple 13.6" MacBook Air now features the Apple M2 chip, which has many improvements over its predecessor, the M1. The Apple M2 integrates the CPU, neural engine, I/O, and more into a single system on a chip (soc), this time utilizing 2nd-Gen 5nm process technology. Tackle your projects with the fast 8-Core CPU and take on graphics-intensive apps and games. Accelerate machine learning tasks with the 16-core neural engine. The M2 also features 100 GB/s memory bandwidth. The M2 was also designed to speed up video work flows by adding a next-gen media engine and a powerful Pro res video engine for hardware-accelerated encode and decode. This means the M2 can play back more streams of 4K and 8K video. Complete with a silent,fan less design and up to 18 hours of battery life, the MacBook Air is still portable, but now a lot more powerful.
in 8 offers
The lowest price for Apple Macbook Air 13.6" M2 Chip 8GB RAM 256GB SSD M2 10-core macOS MLY33LL/A Midnight right now is $949.00 at Mobile Federation, compared across 6 retailers.
The all-time low was $22.91 on 2 May 2026 — today's price is 4042% above the lowest ever. It has been notably cheaper before — worth setting a price alert.
Prices last updated 24 June 2026.
Last updated at 24/06/2026 07:42:21
Apple MacBook Air 13" A2681 2022 M2 Chip - 8GB - Refurbished - 256GB / As New / Midnight
Free delivery between 26 June – 1 July
Apple MacBook Air 13.6" A2681 2022 | M2 Chip | 8GB RAM | 256GB/512GB SSD | Midnight 8GB / 256GB SSD / 13
Free delivery between 30 June – 8 July
Apple Macbook Air M3 8C CPU 8G GPU 13" (2024) 256GB 8GB Midnight - Excellent (Refurbished)
Free delivery
Apple Macbook Air M3 8C CPU 8G GPU 13" (2024) 256GB 8GB Midnight - As New (Refurbished)
Free delivery
Apple Macbook Air M3 8C CPU 8G GPU 13" (2024) 256GB 8GB Midnight - Good (Refurbished)
Free delivery
Macbook Air Retina M3 - Current - Midnight - 8GB RAM Fair / 256GB / 8GB
Free delivery
Macbook Air Retina M3 - Current - Midnight - 8GB RAM Fair / 256GB / 8GB
Free delivery
Macbook Air Retina M2 - Current - Midnight - 8GB RAM Fair / 256GB / 16GB
Free delivery
originally posted on bestbuy.com
This is my first Macbook and It is the best labtop that I have ever purchased. I have been a Windows and Linux user for pretty much my entire life. I decided to get a Macbook for its extended battery, lightweight, premium feel, long term support, good performance, and fanless low heat. This did not disappoint not a single bit. Running a cinebench gets slightly a higher score than a desktop R5 3600 running on battery with no fan and little heat. Absolutely incredible performance in such a small and lightweight laptop. It is a labtop I can actually use in bed laying down. This is a great laptop for anyone wanting to upgrade from an Intel Macbook, or looking for their first Macbook. I am sure this will last for years to come with the amount of Support Apple is known to ... MoreThis is my first Macbook and It is the best labtop that I have ever purchased. I have been a Windows and Linux user for pretty much my entire life. I decided to get a Macbook for its extended battery, lightweight, premium feel, long term support, good performance, and fanless low heat. This did not disappoint not a single bit. Running a cinebench gets slightly a higher score than a desktop R5 3600 running on battery with no fan and little heat. Absolutely incredible performance in such a small and lightweight laptop. It is a labtop I can actually use in bed laying down. This is a great laptop for anyone wanting to upgrade from an Intel Macbook, or looking for their first Macbook. I am sure this will last for years to come with the amount of Support Apple is known to give it. It is plenty of powerful. Only issue I can see is the storage. If you are using this as a main computer to try serious productive work and store photos and videos. You should either get a higher storage version, or be prepared to buy external SSDs. As a secondary computer for just school work, light production workloads and normal stuff , the storage space should be fine. I highly recommend this laptop. I also recommend to buy this when it is on sale. I do believe the $1200 MSRP is a little too much. For $1000 it is a great deal.
originally posted on bestbuy.com
My 7-yr.old MacBook Air's battery finally bit the big one. Since it's now too old to get a battery replacement, it was time to replace it. Made the decision to go with the M2 with MagSafe plug. Migration Assistant went smoothly and I was up and running in very little time.I'm thankful the battery died (which by the way, I learned that it's not good to leave it charging all the time) because I absolutely love this new Air. The keyboard is great and responsive, the screen resolution amazing and vivid, and battery life has surprised me. It's fast and the overall size is smaller because the bezel around the screen is almost non existent. It's light, as you would expect from an Air, but without compromising screen real estate. My first Zoom call shocked me at the ... MoreMy 7-yr.old MacBook Air's battery finally bit the big one. Since it's now too old to get a battery replacement, it was time to replace it. Made the decision to go with the M2 with MagSafe plug. Migration Assistant went smoothly and I was up and running in very little time.I'm thankful the battery died (which by the way, I learned that it's not good to leave it charging all the time) because I absolutely love this new Air. The keyboard is great and responsive, the screen resolution amazing and vivid, and battery life has surprised me. It's fast and the overall size is smaller because the bezel around the screen is almost non existent. It's light, as you would expect from an Air, but without compromising screen real estate. My first Zoom call shocked me at the resolution, clarity, and sound.I love the Touch ID. Took awhile to get used to it because it's where the Delete key used to be on the old one, but I'm surprised at how much I use it.If you're moving from an older Mac as I did, or you're new to MacBooks, watch the video. There's a learning curve because some things have changed and there's lots of new stuff. Especially if you upgrade to Ventura.The only quibbles I have is that you only have 2 Thunderbolt ports (USB-4), but it does have a headphone/speakers jack. Got a hub and that was resolved. And, the charger/cable that comes with it is only 6ft. Don't know about you, but that's a bit too short. I've been told that the extension unit that came with my old Air will connect to the block on this one. Haven't tried that yet but good to know. If you don't have an old one, they retail for $19.But you can use the USB-C cable that comes with it with other chargers.Some folks have commented that the smoke grey color shows a lot of fingerprints. It does, but they are easily wiped off by even a tissue. It's a great color.If you are considering getting this from BestBuy, get the Total Tech membership. It's cheaper than Apple Care and it includes Apple Care. This way you get help if anything goes bump during set up and you get the extra benefits. Just saying.I've wondered about whether I should have gotten the upgraded model with more Ram and storage, but I've gone this many years without that. However, if you do a lot of video/audio editing, I'd spring for the extra cost.Overall, really, really happy.
originally posted on bestbuy.com
I love iOS and iPadOS. I haven't had an iPad in a few years, so I thought that MacOS would be a great experience to dive into. However, it was not really the seamless experience I expected. I am not sure about the appeal of MacBooks themselves. They are kind of buggy, and extremely limited in what they can do out of the box unless you buy the multitude of overpriced and overhyped Apple-specific accessories.Yes, it was buggy lol. I was very surprised by this. When I say buggy, there would be minor issues with the device restarting itself in the middle of browsing. This would happen when I would try to watch a video on it. I'd never be browsing a million sites at once, just the video application (youtube, netflix, hulu, take your pick), and it would crash and reset. ... MoreI love iOS and iPadOS. I haven't had an iPad in a few years, so I thought that MacOS would be a great experience to dive into. However, it was not really the seamless experience I expected. I am not sure about the appeal of MacBooks themselves. They are kind of buggy, and extremely limited in what they can do out of the box unless you buy the multitude of overpriced and overhyped Apple-specific accessories.Yes, it was buggy lol. I was very surprised by this. When I say buggy, there would be minor issues with the device restarting itself in the middle of browsing. This would happen when I would try to watch a video on it. I'd never be browsing a million sites at once, just the video application (youtube, netflix, hulu, take your pick), and it would crash and reset. If I tried casting from it, certain screen pixels would become stuck. I have never seen that before. Seems like it happens to MacBook users, but hard pass for me.When it comes to my iPhone, I can stomach it when it is just a phone case, or mobile charger station, or a bluetooth keyboard to enhance productivity. When it becomes $400 docks or $50 cables to increase productivity and efficiency, specifically to just extend a monitor, that is just insane. It is simpler, if you dish out the $2000 for a MacBook Pro. But that's not a price jump worth it to me just so I can use, let alone simply enjoy my MacBook on two displays. Beautiful device, but it just does not live up to it's price point compared to what you could get for an FHD/QHD gaming PC or laptop, or any number of productivity laptops that are sub the $1,200 price point.I ended up going with an iPad Pro 11. I will take the touch screen capabilities and better display any day, especially when it is $500 less.
| Volatility | 8% |
Apple MacBook Air 13" A2681 2022 M2 Chip - 8GB - Refurbished - 256GB / As New / Midnight
Free delivery between 26 June – 1 July
Apple MacBook Air 13.6" A2681 2022 | M2 Chip | 8GB RAM | 256GB/512GB SSD | Midnight 8GB / 256GB SSD / 13
Free delivery between 30 June – 8 July
Apple Macbook Air M3 8C CPU 8G GPU 13" (2024) 256GB 8GB Midnight - Excellent (Refurbished)
Free delivery
Apple Macbook Air M3 8C CPU 8G GPU 13" (2024) 256GB 8GB Midnight - As New (Refurbished)
Free delivery
Apple Macbook Air M3 8C CPU 8G GPU 13" (2024) 256GB 8GB Midnight - Good (Refurbished)
Free delivery
This is my first Macbook and It is the best labtop that I have ever purchased. I have been a Windows and Linux user for pretty much my entire life. I decided to get a Macbook for its extended battery, lightweight, premium feel, long term support, good performance, and fanless low heat. This did not disappoint not a single bit. Running a cinebench gets slightly a higher score than a desktop R5 3600 running on battery with no fan and little heat. Absolutely incredible performance in such a small and lightweight laptop. It is a labtop I can actually use in bed laying down. This is a great laptop for anyone wanting to upgrade from an Intel Macbook, or looking for their first Macbook. I am sure this will last for years to come with the amount of Support Apple is known to ... MoreThis is my first Macbook and It is the best labtop that I have ever purchased. I have been a Windows and Linux user for pretty much my entire life. I decided to get a Macbook for its extended battery, lightweight, premium feel, long term support, good performance, and fanless low heat. This did not disappoint not a single bit. Running a cinebench gets slightly a higher score than a desktop R5 3600 running on battery with no fan and little heat. Absolutely incredible performance in such a small and lightweight laptop. It is a labtop I can actually use in bed laying down. This is a great laptop for anyone wanting to upgrade from an Intel Macbook, or looking for their first Macbook. I am sure this will last for years to come with the amount of Support Apple is known to give it. It is plenty of powerful. Only issue I can see is the storage. If you are using this as a main computer to try serious productive work and store photos and videos. You should either get a higher storage version, or be prepared to buy external SSDs. As a secondary computer for just school work, light production workloads and normal stuff , the storage space should be fine. I highly recommend this laptop. I also recommend to buy this when it is on sale. I do believe the $1200 MSRP is a little too much. For $1000 it is a great deal.
My 7-yr.old MacBook Air's battery finally bit the big one. Since it's now too old to get a battery replacement, it was time to replace it. Made the decision to go with the M2 with MagSafe plug. Migration Assistant went smoothly and I was up and running in very little time.I'm thankful the battery died (which by the way, I learned that it's not good to leave it charging all the time) because I absolutely love this new Air. The keyboard is great and responsive, the screen resolution amazing and vivid, and battery life has surprised me. It's fast and the overall size is smaller because the bezel around the screen is almost non existent. It's light, as you would expect from an Air, but without compromising screen real estate. My first Zoom call shocked me at the ... MoreMy 7-yr.old MacBook Air's battery finally bit the big one. Since it's now too old to get a battery replacement, it was time to replace it. Made the decision to go with the M2 with MagSafe plug. Migration Assistant went smoothly and I was up and running in very little time.I'm thankful the battery died (which by the way, I learned that it's not good to leave it charging all the time) because I absolutely love this new Air. The keyboard is great and responsive, the screen resolution amazing and vivid, and battery life has surprised me. It's fast and the overall size is smaller because the bezel around the screen is almost non existent. It's light, as you would expect from an Air, but without compromising screen real estate. My first Zoom call shocked me at the resolution, clarity, and sound.I love the Touch ID. Took awhile to get used to it because it's where the Delete key used to be on the old one, but I'm surprised at how much I use it.If you're moving from an older Mac as I did, or you're new to MacBooks, watch the video. There's a learning curve because some things have changed and there's lots of new stuff. Especially if you upgrade to Ventura.The only quibbles I have is that you only have 2 Thunderbolt ports (USB-4), but it does have a headphone/speakers jack. Got a hub and that was resolved. And, the charger/cable that comes with it is only 6ft. Don't know about you, but that's a bit too short. I've been told that the extension unit that came with my old Air will connect to the block on this one. Haven't tried that yet but good to know. If you don't have an old one, they retail for $19.But you can use the USB-C cable that comes with it with other chargers.Some folks have commented that the smoke grey color shows a lot of fingerprints. It does, but they are easily wiped off by even a tissue. It's a great color.If you are considering getting this from BestBuy, get the Total Tech membership. It's cheaper than Apple Care and it includes Apple Care. This way you get help if anything goes bump during set up and you get the extra benefits. Just saying.I've wondered about whether I should have gotten the upgraded model with more Ram and storage, but I've gone this many years without that. However, if you do a lot of video/audio editing, I'd spring for the extra cost.Overall, really, really happy.
I love iOS and iPadOS. I haven't had an iPad in a few years, so I thought that MacOS would be a great experience to dive into. However, it was not really the seamless experience I expected. I am not sure about the appeal of MacBooks themselves. They are kind of buggy, and extremely limited in what they can do out of the box unless you buy the multitude of overpriced and overhyped Apple-specific accessories.Yes, it was buggy lol. I was very surprised by this. When I say buggy, there would be minor issues with the device restarting itself in the middle of browsing. This would happen when I would try to watch a video on it. I'd never be browsing a million sites at once, just the video application (youtube, netflix, hulu, take your pick), and it would crash and reset. ... MoreI love iOS and iPadOS. I haven't had an iPad in a few years, so I thought that MacOS would be a great experience to dive into. However, it was not really the seamless experience I expected. I am not sure about the appeal of MacBooks themselves. They are kind of buggy, and extremely limited in what they can do out of the box unless you buy the multitude of overpriced and overhyped Apple-specific accessories.Yes, it was buggy lol. I was very surprised by this. When I say buggy, there would be minor issues with the device restarting itself in the middle of browsing. This would happen when I would try to watch a video on it. I'd never be browsing a million sites at once, just the video application (youtube, netflix, hulu, take your pick), and it would crash and reset. If I tried casting from it, certain screen pixels would become stuck. I have never seen that before. Seems like it happens to MacBook users, but hard pass for me.When it comes to my iPhone, I can stomach it when it is just a phone case, or mobile charger station, or a bluetooth keyboard to enhance productivity. When it becomes $400 docks or $50 cables to increase productivity and efficiency, specifically to just extend a monitor, that is just insane. It is simpler, if you dish out the $2000 for a MacBook Pro. But that's not a price jump worth it to me just so I can use, let alone simply enjoy my MacBook on two displays. Beautiful device, but it just does not live up to it's price point compared to what you could get for an FHD/QHD gaming PC or laptop, or any number of productivity laptops that are sub the $1,200 price point.I ended up going with an iPad Pro 11. I will take the touch screen capabilities and better display any day, especially when it is $500 less.
The MacBook Air with apple silicon returns with an impressive refresh. Already the king of laptops with amazing performance, battery and speed - the m2 air adds in a better display, MagSafe and design that take this premium laptop to the next level.Everyday productivity seekers will be impressed here, the fanless performance of the MBA is always stellar and consistent. Using word processors, research on the web, and seamless integration of the iPhone are all big wins here. Keyboard is the best I've ever used and rarely make mistakes with - it was noticeable from the first use. Speakers are fantastic, really everything you'd expect from Apple - premium and sets the standard for what a laptop should be. Ignore all the YouTubers making views over issues that aren't a ... MoreThe MacBook Air with apple silicon returns with an impressive refresh. Already the king of laptops with amazing performance, battery and speed - the m2 air adds in a better display, MagSafe and design that take this premium laptop to the next level.Everyday productivity seekers will be impressed here, the fanless performance of the MBA is always stellar and consistent. Using word processors, research on the web, and seamless integration of the iPhone are all big wins here. Keyboard is the best I've ever used and rarely make mistakes with - it was noticeable from the first use. Speakers are fantastic, really everything you'd expect from Apple - premium and sets the standard for what a laptop should be. Ignore all the YouTubers making views over issues that aren't a big deal, and yes there is a notch, but the improved screen real-estate makes it a non-issue as well.The only real con of the machine is the value. The m1 Air still exists and deals are frequent, the bezels are dated but everything else in this package already exists in a cheaper model that hasn't really aged at all from it's release 2 years ago. For my money, I'd go with a good deal on a m1 air or sale on an open box m2 air, or a fantastic deal on a Galaxy book for half the price.
This little machine is a workhorse. Bought it to do simple tasks - but turns out even with just 8gb RAM and the M2 chip, I am able to work on large Photoshop graphic files, and even videos with ease.The 256 gb hard drive is more than enough, and any additional storage needed can be put on an external drive or the cloud.My wife has an older model with the slanted slim design, but this redesigned shape with an even, yet still sleek base is fantastic and kind of rugged looking - a plus for me.The Liquid Retina display gives you sharp colors and image - especially when working with photos and graphics where crisp edges are essential.Going back to the Magsafe charging was the best thing Apple did - quick snap connecting, along with the fingerprint login are great ... MoreThis little machine is a workhorse. Bought it to do simple tasks - but turns out even with just 8gb RAM and the M2 chip, I am able to work on large Photoshop graphic files, and even videos with ease.The 256 gb hard drive is more than enough, and any additional storage needed can be put on an external drive or the cloud.My wife has an older model with the slanted slim design, but this redesigned shape with an even, yet still sleek base is fantastic and kind of rugged looking - a plus for me.The Liquid Retina display gives you sharp colors and image - especially when working with photos and graphics where crisp edges are essential.Going back to the Magsafe charging was the best thing Apple did - quick snap connecting, along with the fingerprint login are great when you're constantly on the go.I've never been overly impressed with the audio of any laptop - but this baby's sound is more crisp than any I've ever owned.And the price for this machine is on point making it a solid purchase. It is periodically on sale and you can save around $200. Plus, buying an open box is also a good way to save money.
This machine is wicked. I originally bought to just record rock tracks, and then my main 3090 I9 windows build started freezing every time I switched a window (yet to diagnose the issue, tried new ssd w/ fresh install, gonna replace psu) I was thinking no way this could replace my super computer… but I decided to install Fusion360 and even unreal engine, and holy crap! Fusion360 is faster on this, it runs like butter, and shockingly I can run Unreal Engine (although that’s were I hit limit / runs but a bit buggy) everything else runs amazing. I run microsoft teams, multiple browsers, and fusion 360 on it with dongle hooked up to my 49” ultra wide in clamshell mode for my remote work now. The battery runs forever too, I don’t even bring a charger with me when I hit ... MoreThis machine is wicked. I originally bought to just record rock tracks, and then my main 3090 I9 windows build started freezing every time I switched a window (yet to diagnose the issue, tried new ssd w/ fresh install, gonna replace psu) I was thinking no way this could replace my super computer… but I decided to install Fusion360 and even unreal engine, and holy crap! Fusion360 is faster on this, it runs like butter, and shockingly I can run Unreal Engine (although that’s were I hit limit / runs but a bit buggy) everything else runs amazing. I run microsoft teams, multiple browsers, and fusion 360 on it with dongle hooked up to my 49” ultra wide in clamshell mode for my remote work now. The battery runs forever too, I don’t even bring a charger with me when I hit up the studio. Also the finish is sexy that black midnight blue… I was a pc dude before, but this thing converted me, the M2 chip is insane! Apple did great. I don’t know how they do it, but I suspect it’s because they tune the OS to the hardware is why it runs so smoothly and efficient. I thought I would of needed a Mac studio or like macbook pro… no… this is great (and I’m a heavy user / enthusiast level dude) I haven’t tried gaming on it yet, but I imagine it can handle that. I got the cheapest / base level one, and it’s great… only issue I’d say is ssd space, but I can add an external if I need.
Honestly can't find a downside to this laptop - switched from windows and is the first MacBook/Apple product I've purchased, and I'm surprised by how good it is. Switching from windows is pretty easy and the Mac operating system doesn't have a big learning curve. The biggest standout by far is battery life - can watch Netflix all day and into the evening without even thinking about charging. Multitasking between many different applications (e.g. chrome, Spotify, documents, etc) at once doesn't give the battery a hit either. Another plus is the screen, it has a perfect ratio that makes the laptop feel much bigger than it really is, the small bezels make it feel very modern. It doesn't have a touchscreen yet even coming from a 2-in-1 touchscreen windows laptop, I ... MoreHonestly can't find a downside to this laptop - switched from windows and is the first MacBook/Apple product I've purchased, and I'm surprised by how good it is. Switching from windows is pretty easy and the Mac operating system doesn't have a big learning curve. The biggest standout by far is battery life - can watch Netflix all day and into the evening without even thinking about charging. Multitasking between many different applications (e.g. chrome, Spotify, documents, etc) at once doesn't give the battery a hit either. Another plus is the screen, it has a perfect ratio that makes the laptop feel much bigger than it really is, the small bezels make it feel very modern. It doesn't have a touchscreen yet even coming from a 2-in-1 touchscreen windows laptop, I don't find myself going to touch the screen at all - the trackpad and keyboard are a joy to use. The thin and light frame is a big plus too - very portable. Would recommend for students and anyone using it for everyday tasks. Consider it even if you normally would go for a windows product!
I was looking to upgrade from my trusty old 2014 27" iMac because I was at the end of the road for MacOS updates, when the internal HD finally died. It's not an easy fix to just open it up the iMac and replace the drive so I decided to use that $500 towards a new Mac. I was going back and forth between the MacBook Air and the 24" iMac and decided the mobility would be nice since I can add a 27" monitor for when I'm at home working on something that could use a larger screen.I had another dilemma, do I buy an M1 Air or go with the new M2 for a few $ hundred more? I ended up choosing the M2 simply because it was the latest model with the newest CPU and I would be keeping it for a long time and knew the M1 would become obsolete sooner than the M2. The M3 is probably ... MoreI was looking to upgrade from my trusty old 2014 27" iMac because I was at the end of the road for MacOS updates, when the internal HD finally died. It's not an easy fix to just open it up the iMac and replace the drive so I decided to use that $500 towards a new Mac. I was going back and forth between the MacBook Air and the 24" iMac and decided the mobility would be nice since I can add a 27" monitor for when I'm at home working on something that could use a larger screen.I had another dilemma, do I buy an M1 Air or go with the new M2 for a few $ hundred more? I ended up choosing the M2 simply because it was the latest model with the newest CPU and I would be keeping it for a long time and knew the M1 would become obsolete sooner than the M2. The M3 is probably not too far around the corner, but I can't chase technology and needed to make a decision.I knew to expect a huge speed improvement from my older Intel-based iMac, but WOW, this thing is incredibly responsive and fast. The SSD helped but the M2 is so much more capable than anything I've had in the past. I use an M1 MacBook Pro for work and this M2 Air is so much faster at some tasks. I can't comment on the video editing capabilities, so maybe the MacBook Pro is better at that, but for what I use it for, this is more than perfect.I ended up waiting a week longer to get the midnight color, which is nice, but now that I have it, it shows up fingerprints and oil from my hands much more than the silver or even space gray so that's something to think about if you use hand lotions or sometimes eat Fritos while using your computer.I would recommend this to anyone looking for a small but powerful Mac with an incredible screen. I realized I didn't mention the screen. At first, I thought going from a 27" iMac and a 16" MacBook Pro to a 13" (and a smidge) screen would be an issue but it hasn't been a problem. The screen is bright, crisp and has an anti-glare coating that you don't notice is anti-glare.
I got the base model M2 MBA as I move on from my 2015 i7 MacBook Air and had a bit of storage anxiety, but with ever improving iCloud drive integration I still have plenty of space after installing Office, Xojo, Rapidweaver and several other apps along with docs and photos. Changes in how other cloud services work in macOS 12.3+, including OneDrive, also improved how apps are stored. I have 2TB iCloud and 2x 1TB OneDrives and still over 100GB free on my 256GB base MBA. Anything I need just gets pulled down and anything you don't need is easily purged and left in the cloud. 10 years ago this would have been a bigger issues but with 5G phones and big tethering plans usually included (like the 40GB/mo tethering I get from T-Mobile), making use of Cloud on the go is ... MoreI got the base model M2 MBA as I move on from my 2015 i7 MacBook Air and had a bit of storage anxiety, but with ever improving iCloud drive integration I still have plenty of space after installing Office, Xojo, Rapidweaver and several other apps along with docs and photos. Changes in how other cloud services work in macOS 12.3+, including OneDrive, also improved how apps are stored. I have 2TB iCloud and 2x 1TB OneDrives and still over 100GB free on my 256GB base MBA. Anything I need just gets pulled down and anything you don't need is easily purged and left in the cloud. 10 years ago this would have been a bigger issues but with 5G phones and big tethering plans usually included (like the 40GB/mo tethering I get from T-Mobile), making use of Cloud on the go is seamless. But you do have the option to get 512+ storage if you are willing to pay the excessive money Apple is asking, but really, casual users just don't need it anymore.New MBA has a very good keyboard, much better than the old butterfly and a perfect trackpad as always. The screen, while just the regular 'liquid retina' is very bright with excellent contrast that is nearly as good as my Dell XPS 15's OLED screen. It is quite shocking really. M2 is very good on battery (on day 2 without charging) and very speedy, easily as fast as my previous i7 MacBook Air. Scaling options in macOS 12 and 13 beta make for plenty of screen space despite the 13.6" size. While the 256GB model, using a single NAND is slower than the 512GB dual NAND SSD, you don't really noticed it unless you have to move a lot of files and you aren't going to be doing that on a 256GB drive anyway, so don't let that negativity of 1400MBps vs 3000MBps storage be a distraction. Again, for casual users, you just don't hammer the SSD enough to notice any difference.With only 8GB of RAM I don't know what the longevity will be going forward as macOS gets bigger and bloated garbage electron apps continue their march overrunning native ones, but for now 8GB is plenty for casual use and basic dev work. This 8GB/256GB is perfect for casual users and students. If you are heavy in CS or video editing, then obviously this isn't the machine for you, but for the 90% that is everyone else, the new base model MBA is great.
| Volatility | 8% |
