The MacBook Air has been one of the most popular lines since it was introduced to the world over a decade ago. It became the epitome of midsized laptops and others were being judged on a scale of one to MacBook. The reputation of the model grew so much that even if Apple let the yearly upgrades fall behind the competition year by year, it would still compete. Which Apple did. Over the past few years, the MacBook Air has fallen behind the competition. We finally are receiving a notable upgrade on the widely coveted machine in their 2020 release. I would go so far as to say that the MacBook Air is the best laptop available for most people.
Previous Models
In 2018 Apple decided to redesign its laptop. It was bad. But in hindsight, this led to eyeopening needs for improvement. Apple decided to incorporate a butterfly keyboard, which is notorious for having dust and crumbs get caught underneath the keys. This results in the keys popping off and a bevy of issues. If that wasn’t bad enough, the Intel chip used was weak and struggled to perform somewhat difficult tasks. Apple stuck with the same design when rolling out its 2019 variation. This led to a tarnished reputation of cheap designs and a constant need for costly repairs. However, we can throw out all of those preconceptions with the new 2020 model.
Updated Model
As a writer, I tend to be very picky with the keyboards I work on. Overall, I really disliked the butterfly keyboard design on the previous two models. I am a huge fan of the keyboard design used on the MacBook Air 2020. Bonus points for the fact that there are physical brightness and volume adjustment keys. Personally, I don’t love the touch bar. I know many people who do and hey, you might be one of them.
If you are intending to give your MacBook Air some pretty demanding tasks, it’s internal fan will kick in and work overtime pretty quickly. The MacBook Air can handle numerous tabs being open (which I am always guilty of), zoom, and slack simultaneously. As long as you are using your MacBook Air for standard tasks, no issues will arise. However, when working with more demanding editing apps such as Photoshop, the laptop will huff and puff after a few edits. The MacBook Pro would be the better laptop for individuals that are going to be pushing their laptops to its limit more often than not.
For as much as I am a fan of the 2020 MacBook Air, there are a few noteworthy things to be wary of before purchasing. Note that the battery life is only ok. According to Apple, you can get 11 hours out of your battery life. But this is only if you are browsing through Google and reading NeedThat articles all day. During my super exciting, action packed workday, I can probably get about four or five hours out of my MacBook Air. Especially if my brightness is turned up. Additionally, the webcam has not received an upgrade on the previous models. The 2020 MacBook Air still utilizes a 720p front-facing webcam. I find it interesting how good the iPhone camera quality is, yet the MacBooks can’t seem to get an upgrade. Maybe they’re saving that for the MacBook Air 2030, who knows?
Base MacBook Air Tech Specs
- 1.1 GHz dual-core Core i3 processor
- 8GB of RAM
- 256GB of storage
- Iris Plus graphics (allowing you to run 6K display from your MacBook)
- 2 Thunderbolt 3 ports
- Headphone jack
The MacBook Air’s base model specifications are listed above. There are add ons which can be purchased to give your laptop a faster processor and more storage space. However, this can quickly drive up its competitive pricing.
Pros:
- Lower price of entry compared to previous models
- New 10th generation processor
- Improved keyboard
Cons:
- Still a 720p front-facing webcam
- Average battery life
In Conclusion, TLDR
The MacBook Air 2020 is the best laptop available for most people. The laptop itself is not the highest power laptop on the market by any means, but it handles daily tasks with ease. The external components of the 2020 MacBook Air are a much-welcomed update from the previous few models.
