the only reason I ask, is because I do notice stutters even just browsing the web. I think it's mainly graphical, but it often doesn't feel 'buttery smooth' that the M1 air is suppose to feel. But maybe it is just the OS?

I guess the main question is, will I notice a difference in speed and performance?

shenfrey said:

the only reason I ask, is because I do notice stutters even just browsing the web. I think it's mainly graphical, but it often doesn't feel 'buttery smooth' that the M1 air is suppose to feel. But maybe it is just the OS?

I guess the main question is, will I notice a difference in speed and performance?

Depends on your usage. If you are just web browsing and doing office then you might not notice much.

But for pretty much everything else the M1 is a huge jump up in performance, thermals (big one) and battery life.

BootLoxes said:

Depends on your usage. If you are just web browsing and doing office then you might not notice much.

But for pretty much everything else the M1 is a huge jump up in performance, thermals (big one) and battery life.

That is pretty much my usage case. General purpose. Browsing, Media and photos. The only issue I have with my current Air is certain websites it's such a slog, again I think this is due to the limitations in the graphics.

I think it really depends on how much of a price hit you are willing to take. You also would probably make up some of that price hit on the backend when you sell it as I'd expect the MBA M1 to be worth significantly more than the i5 MBA if you go and sell it in 3+ years.

shenfrey said:

That is pretty much my usage case. General purpose. Browsing, Media and photos. The only issue I have with my current Air is certain websites it's such a slog, again I think this is due to the limitations in the graphics.

If you are only seeing the problems with certain sites, it could be the sites and how they were designed.

I traded in my 2018 Air to Apple for $550 and turned around and purchased a base M1 Air for $999. So yeah, I took a bit of a hit, but I couldn't be happier. This little M1 Air is a such a joy to use: way way faster, no stutter, no lag, near instant boot up. Plus, it's got Wi-fi 6, Bluetooth 5, a better keyboard, etc.

If I was you, I'd probably dump the i5 air while you can get something for it because I think they're eventually going to be worthless. or near worthless. The M-based Airs and Pros are going to take over the Apple computing world, IMO, and all the Intel-based MacBooks will be paperweights. But what do I know.

Well, my 6 year-old 13" rMBP is still perfectly fine for everyday usage. Except for the battery (which can be replaced relatively cheaply) everything else is pretty good.

However of course the new M1 is a best and blows everything else out of the water. But that doesn't mean you have to switch just because something better was released.

lambertjohn said:

I'd probably dump the i5 air while you can get something for it because I think they're eventually going to be worthless. or near worthless.

Interesting point. I asked a similar question yesterday, but hadn't realized that the resale worth of my i5 MBA could likely plummet.

The newer your existing Intel Mac is, the more you stand to lose.

If I had anything 2015 and newer, I'd sell it or trade it in and get my money off the table, ASAP.

I have the same exact question. Like the OP, I've also noticed that my 2020 i5 Air seems slow at times, gets hot when doing Zoom calls, has generally weak battery life. I think I could get enough for it to get within $400 or so of buying the M1 Air.

ignatius345 said:

I have the same exact question. Like the OP, I've also noticed that my 2020 i5 Air seems slow at times, gets hot when doing Zoom calls, has generally weak battery life. I think I could get enough for it to get within $400 or so of buying the M1 Air.

Do it - asap

I sold my 2020 core i5 Air and bought a 16Gb M1 Air. I was unhappy with the way the fan would go off on the core i5 during zoom and Teams calls and the overall sluggishness of the machine. I really dislike fans in laptops, had upgraded to the i5 from a 12" MacBook. The M1 Air is a wonderful machine, I did not want to take any changes and so got the 16Gb but that may not be necessary for most people. I would thoroughly recommend the M1 Air to one and all!!