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New MacBook Air with M2

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Re: New MacBook Air with M2

#101
post #9

people getting the new MBA, how much RAM would you be getting?

I have 8GB on my M1 air and will definitely be paying extra for 16 or 24 GB next time. Memory pressure is real especially because I have a second user on the laptop for my spouse - if both our accounts are logged in with apps open it can slow down and freeze for 30 seconds or more.

Re: New MacBook Air with M2

#102
post #70

Am I the only one around here that doesn't like MacBooks? The hardware is fine, yes, except the glossy screen but the software is horrible. Everything is a pain in the a*.

If you're coming from Windows or another OS it definitely takes time to get used to the "Apple way" of doing things. Also you need to expect that a lot of the applications you're used to being free in other OS cost $10-35+ each on Apple. Apps like SetApp are great for this and trying new applications out but that's a $10 monthly fee. It'd still take me awhile (a year+) to buy the apps I use at $10/mo so I just pay the monthly.

I still have to look at my (unlabeled) keyboard to figure out what the Apple Cmd Shift Up etc heiroglyphs are and it'll always be weird closing windows on the left instead of right side but beyond that after about 3 months of forcing myself to use OSX 5 years ago OSX is now by far my favorite OS. The continuity and interoperability between my other Apple devices is amazing. Yesterday I was working on my jeep and I just dragged a PDF of instructions over to my Ipad from my Macbook and immediately had it to look at downstairs. You can do that in other systems with pushbullet, dropbox, etc but it's just fluid and built in here.

I've always only owned a MBP through work, the M1 max w/64gb 14" is the first MBP I've ever bought for myself and it just hums. I hope it'll be "fast" for 5+ years for the price I paid.

Re: New MacBook Air with M2

#103
post #80
post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's to prevent people from pluralizing the product name.

Good point, should it be “iPhones” and “MacBook airs” or “is phone” and “macbooks air”? Apple needs to speak out on this issue. Why the coverup?

Definitely “MacBooks Air".

Re: New MacBook Air with M2

#104
post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is there any loss anyway? I don't see any difference between Macbook Pro M2 and Macbook Air M2.

I think the main difference (besides storage and peripherals) is active cooling. MBA's are passive cooled now (since the original M1) whereas MBP's have always had fans. The M1 & M2 chips are so cool that they generally don't need any active cooling most of the time. Where it does make a difference is under heavy sustained compute workloads. The passively-cooled MBA's will start to throttle under these workloads wher…

> I think the main difference (besides storage and peripherals) is active cooling

Haha, I read your comment, and my first thought was a dismissive, “who cares about active cooling”. Which really says something about how insanely power efficient these chips are. I’ve had the M1 Air since launch and I’ve yet to observe any thermal throttling under my workloads (I’ve yet to feel the machine even get hot)

Re: New MacBook Air with M2

#107

In promotional materials they often show pictures of the laptops without the notch. If the notch is such an obvious eye-sore, why aren't they abondoning it?

The notched area of the screen isn’t used in full screen mode. The remaining non-notched area of the screen is a standard size and ratio.

The notch is a total non-issue during normal use because it only exists in the menu bar area. It basically looks like another item occupying your menu bar. If you go full screen you still have a notch-free experience.

They probably show it that way in promotional materials because people wrongly assume that it’s a bigger deal than it actually is. Virtually nobody actually cares about it when they start using the laptop.

Re: New MacBook Air with M2

#108

I want it, but I'm not getting it until all the hardware works under Linux. MacOS is great, but someday they will stop updating MacOS for this. I see it as a device with incredible longevity because of the fanless thermals and how it sips energy. I could see myself using it 10 years later. I want to run MacOS or Fedora Silverblue, with Silverblue being my true love. Immutable OS images HAH, downvoted in seconds. Woul…

I don't think you're downvoted because of fanboys. I think you're downvoted because: 1. Linux is coming to Apple Silicon sooner or later. You can buy now, enjoy macOS, and then install Linux later. 2. It's not reasonable to expect to use it for 10 years. Even if Apple stops supporting it, you can still use it. In addition, Macs have insane resale value. So you can sell it in 5 years, and then buy a new one. This is a…

1) We are now 2 generations in without full Linux support for the hardware.

2) I used my Powerbook G4 for 12 years; this is mostly because I was a kid with no money. When I got something else, my sister used it for another 3 years. With thermals as they are in this device, instead of selling it after 4-5 years I'd rather keep it for one-off projects as a server like a Mac Mini. I know laptops aren't designed for server work, but I love that it's a server with a builtin terminal. Also a device I'd use for hiking, because I could charge it from backpack solar.

3) The worst experience I've had was telling my dad MacOS Catalina couldn't be installed on his $3.5k iMac.

As you said in your other comment, M3 will be 3nm TSMC? Maybe Linux will look good on Apple Silicon then.

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