Reactions to new MBA?!

Unexpected WelcomeDisappointments OverallWhat are your highlights? Your reactions?

Bummed about the Wedge

Has always been one of my favorite things about it, especially with how low to the table/desk it got the front edge of the machine

Headphone jack is on the wrong side….again….

This might seriously drive me to the 14” MacBook Pro. I don’t think I really ever use my Mac without also using headphones and having the crossed wires cause they put the jack on the wrong side just doesn’t work for me. At all.

Saturn007 said:

Unexpected

Video featured jet black MBA. 😎​

Muted, limited color palette.​

Labelling the “marginally” improved chip, M2.​

Welcome

MagSafe.​

Keeping the original M1 MBA around.​

Pretty reasonable pricing.​

Disappointments

Loss of wedge.​

Two USB-C ports on the same side.​

No colorful options.​

No SD card slot.​

Notch.​

Overall

Might have been tempted by new MBA if it had come with the cheerful, bright colors. But the loss of the wedge still might have held me back.​

So, do I go for the now “old” M1 MBA? Even without MagSafe?​

As to pricing, I see Cook's usual strategic tomfoolery — with a mere $100 increment to get the next model — i.e., the MBP.​

Crafty fellow — many will go low for the M1 MBA or will jump over the new MBA and go right to the M2 MBP. That means the M2 MBA may well go the way of the iPhone Mini!​

What are your highlights? Your reactions?

Click to expand...

Thank the heavens they did not come up with a white bezel / keyboard. Would have been a travesty.

The new M2 Air is an amazing device. The only complaint is that it doesn’t have a USB-C port on both sides. Makes no sense to have MagSafe and 2 ports on one side other than to create controversy and save it for the future.

Users: Apple you've really got to give us better web cams on your Macs to make things like video conference calls better.
Apple: We've got great news for you! Now you can spend $1000 more to buy an iPhone, and then another $100 for an overpriced magnet to improve your video conference calls.
Users: 🤦‍♂️

Disappointed that the design is literally Macbook Pro, a bit thinner/lighter. The iconic wedge design set it apart. Also the screen should have at least a paid option to go bigger/HDR/120Hz Promotion. The 24GB RAM option is nice. No USB-C on the right is just ********.

The midnight color looks awesome but, for once I'm not tempted to upgrade immediately. I just bought a refurb space gray MBA last fall and this thing not only exceeds my needs but it also looks so good given how long this design has been around. There's something about the wedge design that's very sexy to me and I'm in no hurry to give it up just yet.

parseckadet said:

Now you can spend $1000 more to buy an iPhone, and then another $100 for an overpriced magnet to improve your video conference calls.

Presumably you would use the phone you already have. Just tape it to the back of the monitor and you're done.

I was looking forward to the new MBA, and left the keynote feeling underwhelmed. While I like Midnight and Starlight, the loss of the characteristic shape would hold me back from purchasing. I'll hang onto my M1 machine for awhile. In my specific use case - I travel a lot, and take the MBA with me - the new colorways, MagSafe and the M2 are not, in and of themselves, worth the upgrade.

I am disappointed by the price. 20% more expensive. I assume it still comes with 8 GB RAM / 256 GB storage base specs. For what basically amounts to new color options and a touch more screen real estate for most MBA users who would never even max out the M1's performance.

Glad @g35 mentioned it

Big % price increase on the same spec base MBA, now with M2

That's the real news in the smoke and mirrors of the options

Great, but the pricing in EU seems crazy. 2600 euros for an air with 10 core graphics/24gb memory/1tb ssd?

g35 said:

I am disappointed by the price. 20% more expensive. I assume it still comes with 8 GB RAM / 256 GB storage base specs.

by that 20% more, you get better SoC, better design, better and brighter display, faster storage, lighter , better camera, better speakers

MayaUser said:

by that 20% more, you get better SoC, better design, better and brighter display, faster storage, lighter , better camera, better speakers

Of course it's all better, it's the latest version!

You should get the latest updates at the same price points, as the older tech that was in there got less expensive anyhow

When Apple does a move like this, they are resetting at higher base prices likely for the long term

Thanks to its different design, they could place an 53watt-hour lithium-polymer battery

So, perhaps, I have the last wedge shaped Apple laptop ever made.. Think I'll keep using it.

curnalpanic said:

Presumably you would use the phone you already have. Just tape it to the back of the monitor and you're done.

I shouldn't have to come up with some Rube Goldberg contraption just to get a good camera.

turbineseaplane said:

That's not a good justification

In tech, you've traditionally get the latest updates at same price points, as the older tech that was in there got less expensive anyhow

that only if the M1 goes away or gets a price cut
Stay tuned for the iphone 14 that will keep the price as the 13 was, but with the same of everything
So, expect the M1 Macbook Air next year to become the Macbook SE at probably 799 and the Macbook Air to take place at the 999 starting price

parseckadet said:

Users: Apple you've really got to give us better web cams on your Macs to make things like video conference calls better.
Apple: We've got great news for you! Now you can spend $1000 more to buy an iPhone, and then another $100 for an overpriced magnet to improve your video conference calls.
Users: 🤦‍♂️

Lol... People these days whine for any reason.

The new webcam of the new MBA is phenomenal if it's the same I have on my M1 iMac. A lot of people at work react to my cam quality when I turn it on in Teams.

And nothing beats being able to use iPhone cameras as webcams. It will crush even the best 4K Logitech cameras on the market. It's about time we're now able to use them without paying for Reincubate Camo or equivalent.

Overwhelming nostalgia! I feel like I'm in 2018 again! 😍

And again no SD Card for the Air.

FU Apple, where is the problem? Especially on such a portable device and if you use your device a lot while travelling, dongle fun is so annoying.

It looks great in midnight blue but ouch at the pricing. M1 8/8/512 8GB was £1,249. M2 8/10/512 8GB is £1,549. Base model is £250 up too. 😵‍💫

turbineseaplane said:

Of course it's all better, it's the latest version!

You should get the latest updates at the same price points, as the older tech that was in there got less expensive anyhow

When Apple does a move like this, they are resetting at higher base prices likely for the long term

This is what I thought sucks about the new MBA. But we're living in a crazy world with an ongoing semiconductor shortages, higher bids to secure TSMC as a supplier, and high inflation. They can be partially forgiven for these two reasons, because competitors will also do the same. I said partially.

midnight will SHOW lot of fingerprints??!