The M2 MacBook Air Is Compromised
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- Опубликовано: 21 июл 2022
- The new M2 MacBook Air is being heralded for its new design and cutting-edge performance. But it doesn't come without some compromises-and I question if Apple couldn't have done more. Is Apple playing things too safe now?
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Quinn: “Now, you’re sitting on the toilet, watching this video”
me: ***looks nervously around the bathroom***
Yep
Yep
Yep
Lets be real, even a processor with half as many cores as the M2 would be more than enough to do what the 12" was designed for. A super portable, high quality office machine
Even beyond that, things like software development that require some more power really only need more memory and maybe a bit of extra CPU punch. Only when you get into heavy photo or video editing or game development do you really need a GPU and the ability to run more than ~8 threads locally. For normal software development, anything heavy can be offloaded to a CI/CD server.
a TDP of 5W corresponds to an A-series-level processor, like an A15. A 12" modern MacBook with an A15 would be unreal. Just like how the A15 iPad mini is almost universally loved, I think a 12" MacBook with that processor would get the same if not more love.
Don't get me wrong, this M2 13" MBA is sweet, but it doesn't improve *that much* over the older design M1 MacBook Air (even though it undoubtedly does).
Why are the two Thunderbolt ports still on one side instead of them being on opposing sides, so people can plug in accessories from both sides and don't have to stretch their cables to be able to reach the left side of the computer?
Why is the screen resolution still not 2x native, despite the higher-end MacBook Pros having switched to 2x, with a 254ppi pixel density or higher?
Why is the headphone jack still on the right side despite the high-end MBPs' headphone jacks being on the much preferred left side (I mean, the answer to that is because the left side is too populated, but again, why is the left side too populated)?
All of these, especially when combined, would've been such gigantic usability improvements that it would've turned this new MBA from a mildly improved successor to the M1 MBA that's got half of its SSD speed taken away, to an incredible computer. But instead, the only real improvement we got is a little bit bigger scren and MagSafe.
I've always wondered what do they do with the imperfect M1/M2 Chips,
do they discard them all if they don't have at least 7 working GPU cores for the M1 (and 8 for the M2) ?
If those "binned" chips exists they would be great for a light/cheaper (it's Apple so not holding my breath) Laptop.
@@indask8 yields are almost never that bad that you need to cut a chip down by more than 30%
@@indask8 well, if there's a significant amount of defective chips, perhaps they could utilize them in some form of future tablet. There's always motive to reduce costs and repurposing inadequate yields is a long tradition.
The a1534 was a meme. I don't know what made it worse, the fact that it used almost a dozen chips for USBC muxing and charging, any of which failing would stop it from charging, or the frequency with which the CPU or SSD controller would die for no good reason. The 2015 12-in MacBook deserves a spot on the Hall of Shame along with the beeping a1237 and a13 '04 air with it's horrible hinges, beeping MCP79U, battery that would turn the computer into a pear upon expansion and flex cable in the hinge that would fry the audio
That all may be true but it was also an engineering marvel at the time.
@@cstalt if you build a new, revolutionary, and stunning bridge that nobody has ever built before, and it keeps falling apart every few months, is it still an engineering marvel? Shouldn't an engineering marvel be something that solves ALL the problems it sets out to, rather than only the flashiest?
You missed the point on this Louis
Totally don't agree personally. I had three 12" MacBooks and the problems I had were one replaced keyboard (on a 2015) and the reflective coating problem. Both fixed FOC under warranty.
It was the perfect computer for me at the time. I was working all over the world, so needed something which would sit on one of those little tables on a plane. It had a retina screen, great sound, amazing battery, backlit keyboard, no fans and was so small I could slip it into my smallest backpack easily. It ran Office perfectly, never stuttered or struggled watching RUclips or movies, or listening to music. My later model even unlocked automatically using my Apple Watch. I still use it now frequently, and its fine.
I do appreciate I am in a huge minority with this, but for me it was almost perfect.
the 2015 version was full of issues, but the 2017 one was a very different device, most of the issues were gone, better keyboard and much more reliable, faster, up to 16GB RAM. Many still use them and love them to this day.
That 12-inch MacBook is one of my favorites and is much better than most give it credit. My wife has been using it since new without complaint and only recently thought it to be a a bit slow and upgraded to the M1 MacBook Air. As for the M2; I love the design and most will never notice any throttling or issues, but sadly it cost more and I agree on the cost cutting which is a bit frustrating. After thinking a lot about what people have been saying about it and the absence of Jony Ive, I think I miss the days when we had Jony at the helm, but with Steve Jobs to balance him out.
@@AppleReviews because even the iPad doesn't have that desktop experience
besides the peformance it would be perfect today with m1 or m2
I was using mine (running Ventura Beta) yesterday and didn't even notice I wasn't using my 14" M1 Pro as I was watching RUclips, playing music etc. It performed absolutely fine, five years later!
yes, but to be honest only the 2017 version was good, once they basically fixed the keyboard reliability and gave it more options like 16GB RAM. I bought a maxed out one this week for $500 and I am loving it
Steve Jobs balancing anyone? Almost all Apple history is "engineers trying to balance steve jobs' non-practical design decisions"
wow i’m really impressed by this review. I was expecting a standard affair like every other youtuber, but snazzy took an unconventional approach to comparing the new air to the 12in which i loved. kudos
that's why we here
Snazzy goes many steps further. He is fairly unique with his videos.
I don’t generally comment on videos, but this is a masterpiece.
Piles of research, well timed and easy to understand points, seamless B roll, and just one single overarching theme throughout the whole video. Simplicity is everything and you’ve just nailed it.
Thank you for turning into words what I was feeling, great video
Completely agree. Great insight.
Wow this is so nice. Thank you!
I couldn’t agree more! Very well said.
same here, exactly how I felt after watching this masterpiece. this video has some deep insights.
The M1 Air is still enough for most music and video production needs, I know of many pros using one, due to its weight and battery life, and importantly cost. The M2 tries to offer more, but raises the price, negating the benefits. Plus the base model M2 air is slower on SSD speeds. I know many will buy the m2 air, but practically, if you have an M1 in any variety you can smile knowing that you still own in my view the best purchase of the last few years.
4:01 Small correction: the M1 iMac definitely DOES have a fan, and sometimes two, depending on if you buy the base config or spec it up. And as someone that owns one, unfortunately it is NOT silent under load.
I bought an iMac and I’m waiting to get home before opening it, when I heard him saying there’s no fan(s) I was like hol up wait a minute something ain’t right.
How loud would you say it is compared to intel?
@@ghost-user559 Oh definitely quieter than most Intel Macs for sure, it's just not as quiet as a M1 Mac mini, which is basically silent even with a fan.
He was talking about the one he made himself, the one that shrink mac mini down even further.
@@dexopaw Huh. Good to know. Must be the added heat of the screen.
I had the first generation of this 12" MacBook with the Intel Core M, and as a student it was wonderful, I loved it so much
Is there a second gen 12"?
As did I! It was my computer when I used computers most-college! Boy, I sure did love it. And feeling it again, my love is being rekindled. It really is so cool.
Had one too! Wonderful laptop, wish I never sold it. Sure, it wasn’t the most powerful, but it handled FCPX and Minecraft just fine.
@@snazzy my dad also had one, great little machine.
The device was cool but the CPU certainly wasn’t
@@snazzy I still use mine, and despite the processor spec it works just fine, I've even run Parallels and run 2 VMs of Windows on it when travelling - and it was flawless!
Great video, totally agree!
Even iFixit showed that Apple essentially removed the proper heatsink for this weird metal shielding while leaving an empty space that would've been perfect for a heatsink.
My take, Apple reuses this exact logic board in the M2 iPad Pro. Still a great machine though for simple use.
It can still do light video editing and photo shop, maybe even some light gaming 😅
Thanks for watching, y’all!!
Didnt expect to see the two biggest Cloutchasers on RUclips here lol. You guys are disgusting.
@@snazzy we dont care. No one cares. Go find a real job buddy
@@ozordiprince9405 go outside
As a life-long PC user (who was running an absolute slab of a Thinkpad when the 2015 Retina MB came out), I do have to say that those things were the closest I'd ever been to buying a Mac. I remember seeing them around, and seriously considering picking one up just because of how small it was. I didn't end up doing it after testing the keyboard out at an Apple store, but it remains, to me, the most compelling product Apple has ever offered.
I’m still rocking mine every day it’s my main computer!
I've shed three. Oh boy.
Thinkpads are pretty solid actually. I still have one, easily upgradeable and repairable, comes with two batteries and two storage mediums.
@@ruekurei88 I still use Thinkpads as well, but they still are not what they once were.
also the M1
If Apple released this design today, with an M1, I would 100% buy one.
At what price point though? Apple seems unwilling/unable to go under $999 in the laptop space
@@crispincrunch2453 $699? Match the Mac Mini entry level pricepoint?
@@johnmckay1961 hmm 🤔 Compelling, esp when compared with Mac Mini price point. But then does that cannibalise the crowded iPad space?🤷🏻♂️
Apple's pricing psychology always seems to involve some flinch factor increase from wherever the no-brainer price excitement is. $699 would be a no-brainer price for 12". Just like $849 woulda been for M1 Air
@@johnmckay1961 $699 really?? In todays world with inflation and shortages you expect to get something cutting edge from Apple for $699. What kind of screen/speaker set does the Mac mini come with? Maybe if they ship it with a Ti-84 calculator level screen and BYO speakers.
JUST BUY THE M2
my guess with this restrained logic board design is simply so that apple can take this exact same board and place it in every other m2 device, iMac, Mac mini, iPad pro, etc, etc. without having it modified and thus driving the cost down...
I’m wondering if they’ll throw this design into the m2 iPad Pro too
@@STARSKY1313 would probably save them a lot of money
“driving costs down” starts at 1199!
but the wedge shape w a more complicated interior id imagine is less?
@@thegreypenguin5097 Did you really expect Apple of all companies to pass on those savings to consumers? Especially on a product that, even as is, is considered a great laptop?
It's not the first to thermally throttle. Verge tested M1 MBA vs M2 MBA, and the M1 version throttled more than the M2 MBA. What do I think. Snazzy making mountains out of molehills again.
Yup
I'd argue that the "simplification" of the internals is for greater repairability. Look at those generous battery pull tabs, the modular ports, the simple internal structure... Apple said that macs would also be a part of the self repair program in the near future and I think this points to that
I'd have to agree with you. It looks like so many of of the choices with the new air are in response to the consumer hostile design of previous models. Apple may be reading the writing on the wall with upcoming cases of Right to Repair and hoping to make these easier to fix.
Theoretically, I agree. Practically, ehhhhh. Pulling both of these apart, the new MBA doesn’t seem substantially more repairable. The battery tabs are nice, yes, but the iPhone demonstrates you can still have pull strips without such massive spacing around perimeter.
@@snazzy some spacing around the battery is required to deal with inevitable old age swelling. Otherwise the cells will swell with nowhere to go and might get punctured causing venting.
@@darwiniandude I’ve seen that!
@@darwiniandude And then you'll have a Note7 situation.
You are by very far the best tech RUclipsr. The quality and creativity of the analysis is just so far beyond the same old stuff everyone else is putting out
Great vid! Loved my 2015 MacBook used it all the way until last year as a content consuming device and then swapped to the MacBook Air which feels huge in comparison. Don’t get me wrong I struggled with it it was nearly unusable toward the end but loved the form factor!
My dad loves his 2017 12" MB cuz he likes carrying it around with one hand funnily 😅. But, imagine an M2 MacBook and how light it would be!
Quinn always has the most interesting and unique takes on products… so glad I found Snazzy.
Really? He complains about Jony Ive, just to ask Apple to be more like Ive again.
It’s very sad that Apple are releasing a second gen product that in terms of engineering / design is (in some ways) inferior to its predecessor. Deliberately cutting corners and yet upping the price! The lack of a heat sink makes it thermally flawed, plus the base model has slower storage than M1
You are mistaken. There is no problem with the heat spreader. It does its job fine, the problem is the M2 generates simply too much heat. The M2 is literally an overclocked/beefed up M1, which generates too much heat for the TDP of this macbook. They should have waited until the 3nm tech became available later this year, but they made a marketing decision, because they wanted to release a new macbook air before the back to school sales.
@@williamwallace410 I agree with you but the tear down I saw showed an inferior heat spreader.
The heat spreader I think was a concious decision taken by them to limit how how the chasis gets. And the chasis already gets pretty hot, anymore and might actually cause physical injuries.
@@williamwallace410 or just do it on 4nm instead.
@@chaz4510 yes it is, but if they used a heat sink the laptop would transfer more heat out of the computer thus higher surface temperature, which would be too high for regulations.
I'll never forgive Apple for ditching the cooling metal plaque that was present in the m1 air, for a flimsy bit of steel of the same dimensions without the cooling capabilities. This is where you can see them cutting costs and riding the hype wave.
I was so eager to get an m2, but in real use, theres no reason to go for it over the m1.
I completely agree! My M1 Air will not be replaced unless I see significant changes upgrades - hopefully on the M3. The M2 felt like a downgrade to me.
I don't know, I own both an M2 MacBook Air and a M1 Mac mini. I needed a laptop for the road, and I went with the M2 over the M1 not because of the processor speed, but because of Magsafe, a better webcam, and a nicer design. Those features were worth $200 for me.
@@Traegorn I think your opinion would be rather different if you owned an m1 air
@@ekasism Why? I've spent plenty of time with an M1 on the desktop, and I've used Airs of that body design. I made a pretty well informed decision on this.
This isn’t really a big deal. Besides if you have the m1 air. There is no real reason to upgrade. It’s just a better option for those who haven’t yet made the switch from an intel mac. Or buying a Mac for the first time. It’s such a minor upgrade of performance because the M1 was so ahead of its time. And still is an absolute beast of a chip compared with previous macs.
Great deep dive! I used to love the 12" MacBook. At the time I had 13" MBP Retina 2013. A powerhouse laptop, but it was really heavy sitting besides the MB 12".
Now I'm at M1 and I sincerely feel I have a device that sits between those 2 machines from back then. M1 can handle graphics fairly well and it's thin and light!
"they have increased margins rather than pushed the boundaries"
Pretty much sums up every corporation in the 21st century.
You’re spot on, Schnazzy. I have a 12” MacBook and was really hoping the new MacBook Air was going to something around that form factor and it wasn’t.
To this day, I pick that thing up and am amazed of it’s weight and design, most people also want to know what it is, as they themselves are stunned at how light and small it is.
One of the best videos I've seen this year. Well done Quinn. Solid arguments. LBH, if the new Air looked like that retina MB, the demand would be 3x.
the only problem i have with jony leaving is because the macbook wedge design was so good and iconic!
Depends on the person. It's certainly iconic, but I prefer the flat design of the Pro by far, and I would never have bought a previous Air specifically because I don't like the wedge
This video is absolutely bonkers! Loved every bit of the writing and explaining.
I remember buying a dead 12" Macbook back in 2015. Upon opening it I was shocked to see how small the logic board was!
To be fair, the 16" Intel MacBook Pro would perform MUCH better if it was installed in the 16" M1 MacBook Pro chassis and if it had USB-C PD 3.1 to supply it with more power.
Exactly!
I don't think as well as you may think. For a more comparable size, look at the 2015 15" Macbook Pro. A great machine for the time but it still gets decently loud and hot. Put 2019 Intel internals in there and it would be worse. Obviously it would do a little better in the new 16" chassis, but the question is how much.
Man that thing is just neat, an M1 version would be awesome!
The ThinkPad Nano is a pretty cool modern equivalent at least, weighs exactly the same and is pretty much compromise free.
Compromise free maybe, but it costs two and a half times what an M1 MBA does
ThinkPad nano is heavier (1st gen 940 grams vs 920, 2nd gen 970 grams vs 920) but not by much. Main issues vs new M1 Air and M2 Air are it’s considerably more expensive, maxes out at 512GB (no 1TB or 2TB options) slower / noisier and way less battery life. But the new Air’s are heavier, 1240 grams I believe.
This whole review made me smile so wide, and honestly, never would have thought I would over a review on a laptop. This was just so inspired and filled with so much strong emotion that it's really nothing short of compelling for even a casual techie like me. Absolutely loved that final line "Forget the sun, it seemed that Apple didn't even leave Earth's orbit" OOF too REAL, too good
I had the 12” MacBook and loved it. I still have it and am amazed how small it is. I used it to work offsite regularly and it was just awesome for portability. The big negatives for me were the one usb-c port and the keyboard didn’t feel right but I could overlook that due to size.
I have the 12" MacBook, it was amazing for its time and I hoped the new Air would go back to that form factor. Fanless, tiny, powerful (for the time with the M7, I did all my programming work on it) and just great to carry everywhere with you.
I've owned the 2016 Retina MacBook for a while, and while I've since upgraded to a MacBook Air M1, I miss the impossibly thin and light design so much, and if apple were to have put a m1 or m2 in a revamped version, it would be a no brainer buy for me and many people like me
Totally agree. I had a MacBook back when it came out and loved the fanless design but the processor was not good.
This is why I love your channel. You look back, ahead, put things into context and it really feels like I take away something from your videos other then the latest benchmark numbers! 🙏🙏
I still use and love my 12" MacBook - it is - without any doubt - THE best computer Apple ever designed and made.
Do you have a later-than 2015 model where they fixed some of the keyboard issues etc.?
@@MrStingray1985 I've got a 2016 model - but honestly I've never had any issues with the Butterfly keyboards - and I've had every single Macbook Pro too from 2016 onwards. In fact I *loved* those keyboards and am a bit upset they're gone... I'm *that* person.
@@SquirreliciousMe I loved the keyboard too.
Still rocking my 2017 12inch MacBook, my first MacBook that it still incredible light and also great battery life when compared to my other windows laptops.
I would instantly buy if they made an M2 (or even M1) 12inch MacBook
I bought an M3 Macbook in 2017, upgraded to the M1 Macbook Air in 2022. I was so surprised by how much bigger and heavier the computer was. I also was surprised that it didn’t feel that much faster. It is noticeably faster but I was expecting to be blown away based on reviews. Also surprisingly I never had an issue with the keyboard.
This was great! I haven’t been able to get my hands on one yet, but I’ve been wondering about these very things. I thought I’d be running out to get one straight away, but found myself stuck. I think you just nailed why. I think what I really wanted from this was for them to give the old pro chassis this kind of overhaul and just call it a MacBook. Then keep the old air shape with the M1, add some MagSafe and a better screen? Give it a midnight and starlight option. Then you keep the old price point. Part of me thinks we shouldn’t ever lose some form of that Air shape. The first Mac I ever owned was an 11” Air and I still miss it. It was an awesome size. I ran out and traded my 2016 MacBook Pro, still worked beautifully for my needs, for a gold M1 just cause they were likely to ditch the wedge. I always regret not getting the old rose gold when I had the chance…
Innovation is fine, but it’s also good to hold onto some things that really work, and it’s the very things they brought back from that orbit round the sun that I want them to try to keep
Great writing, and I really enjoyed this perspective! I hope the designers at Apple watch this.
As someone upgrading to the M2 Air from a 2018 MPB, I am still excited. But as someone who has used the 12" MacBook you're comparing against, this video is describing what I wish the M2 Air was.
I remember at the time people complaining about apples obsession with thinness, now they complain they aren't thin enough. People are never happy.
Great video! The 12” Retina was my daily driver for more than 5 years. It was the first Mac in our entire family. After a month of using this machine and MacOs, I switched the entire family to the 12” MB and ditched every Windows device we had. We are still using a couple of them today. By far the best laptop ever made for the average business person, student or normal user. The keyboard was not as bad a everyone made it out to be. Not amazing but it was good enough. The single USB port is just not an issue for 98% of users.
I would give up my 14” MBP without hesitation for a new 12” MB with an M1 and the same sub 2 lb weight, same thin design and even the same keyboard if I had to. The camera was complete garbage and would have to be much better though.
I’ve had the 14” MBP for 8 months and have never used more than 10% of it’s potential. It is an amazing laptop, amazing screen, camera, keyboard, processor and battery life, but, it’s too big and too heavy. I really only use it at my desk because I don’t want to carry it around. I don’t even bother to take it out of my bag on an airplane. I opt for an iPad instead any time I leave my desk. The 12” MB on the other hand was perfect for travel, airplanes and for lugging around in a backpack or from one meeting room to another. The new 14” Air is close to perfect and I might make the switch. Just wish they would have gone smaller and lighter.
I miss Jony Ive. Jony wasn’t the problem, Intel was.. Jony and Apple Silicon would have been an amazing combo. All the new battery powered Apple stuff is too big. They caved to the battery and port shaming from the Tech You Tubers who don’t represent the average user. 12” MB and iPhone 8 were the best size for me. Both easily lasted a full day. My iPhone 13 Pro last 2 full days. 14” MBP last 2 full days. Why? Again, iPhone 13 Pro, 14” MBP are an amazing devices, but, an iPhone 8 thinness with the screen, processor and camera of an iPhone 13 would be perfect even if the battery only lasts 1 day. Probably not possible but a worthy dream.
"Apple is at its best when it tries to fly a little close to the sun" very much true. The M2 Air just isn't remarkable. The price for the base model increased 20% while having the storage chip downgraded, and while it's thin, it doesn't feel any thinner compared to the classic wedge design. It simply looks... new. It's missing the Apple charm.
Damn, people straight up jump to the bad parts. Price increased and storage speed decreased. And you don't see what all got improved? And did the lower speed storage actually cause any noticable issues when using the laptop normally?
@@spikatrix1486 why can't we have both improvements and no downgrade in the same laptop? The M1 Air did just that in 2020. Performance is great, no fan, fast storage, all while keeping its price the same as its predecessor. The slower storage may not impact general usability *now* but wouldn't you want at least the same speed as last year's model?
@@spikatrix1486 making the newer generation worse in a significant way than the previous is a big no. Imagine the next generation of your car has plastic instead of leather on the doors, or a 6 speed instead of a 8 speed (but not any more durable).
Fantastic video, I always wanted the Retina MacBook. Never bought one due to the butterfly keyboard… Would love to see Apple give it another go with the new keyboard and Apple Silicon. (Plus I’m actually in a position now to buy one than I was 7 years ago)
4:07 speaking on that, if i'm not mistaken because obviously it actually used efficient silicone it used the core m chips, it didn''t have thermal issues like the 2020 macbook air did
I love my 2016 MacBook. No fan also means no vents to get clogged or fans to get noisy too. Does everything I need it to do.
I bought the M2 Air with the student discount and a special promo at the Apple store, which saved me $250, so it was definitely worth it for me. I’m planning to trade it in when the new M2 14 MBP comes out so I bought the cheapest model, expecting to lightly edit on LR and code for school👍🏻
it has come out, but did you buy it>?
I think you are absolutely wrong. the m2 macbook air is the first macbook air that I would buy or recommend to other people. it‘s an awesome machine and the throttle is non existent for users that use this machine. if you need a computer for heavy load you get a macbook pro, it is that simple. you can easily edit 4k videos on this without slowing down in any way. this is not noticable unless you compare apples to peas.
LOL for the spaghetto, one of the funniest way to depict the depth of a laptop
This video was a masterpiece in and off it's own right. You did a fantastic job narrating your thoughts, and boy were those thoughts interesting. This is one video I will show to everyone to show them how good of a creator you are. Have been subscribed for a long (too long )time and I can safely say this one was on a class of it's own.
I still have a 12" MacBook and can't seem to part with it even though I rarely use it. It really was and still is a marvel of technology.
BTW, this issue with thermal throttling on the M2 seems to me to be way blown out of proportion. The M2 Air was made for standard use for regular folks, not people crunching video and graphics all day. The idea was to differentiate enough that professionals or semi professionals would and should move up to the Pro line of laptops.
The point is the M1 air has always had the same audience. It's literally a newer version of the air model and it's worse. The M1 can easily be a content creators primary rendering machine, it can. The M2 is worse at it. That's a problem, they want to sell you a newer version that's worse at things the M1 could handle easily and they want to charge you more money for it.
@@sotonin that’s just wrong lol the M2 air is better in every way
@@Logan9312 Measure the temperature and get back to me. It's not. Its too powerful a processor crammed in without a fan. they need to stop at M1 until they can figure out cooling. The base model has a hard drive that is HALF the freaking speed. That's worse. So yeah. you are wrong. next
if they stop putting a crappy hard drive in the base model (base model in m1 air is twice as fast as the m2) then you have a leg to stand on as long as you ignore the increased thermals.
Then you look at price.. so they are charging MORE for a slower harddrive. You just pay for extra ports. Naw. pass. M1 is still amazing and is the BEST value period for what you get
@@sotonin why would you ever get a 256gb computer. If you’re buying the base model that’s your own fault. The M1 is definitely a better deal for the price however the M2 design and performance is much better than the M1, and it still outperforms the M1 while thermal throttling
@@Logan9312 typical apple fan boi nonsense. they sell the base model and it's the best selling model of any computer they offer. Love it when idiots try to argue against facts. This is how it's been since like the beginning of time. The base models have the best resale value cause not everybody wants to pay through the teeth for upgrades and people like to sell their used macs after they are done with them. From experience if you have the maxed out souped up mac when you go to resell it, it's a lot more difficult with the beefed up model. This is reality. So releasing a new version of the air with a WORSE base model is not a good look. But yeah in true apple fashion blame the customers who bought it. You are ridiculous. Enjoy your mac suckling bubble.
I loved the 12” and would love for Apple to try to create a successor. But let’s not forget that it was pretty expensive for what it was - comparing it to a MacBook Air now is pretty unfair, as that’s Apple’s lowest end computer.
Also Apple’s naming is super frustrating - the fact that the 12” wasn’t called the Air still grates 😫
2:35 I’m actually watching this on the can and I was startled
This video definitely got a subscription from me, enjoyed the mini-documentary presentation!
Apple has moved to a more realistic approach that focuses on what the consumer actually wants and what is practical. While this generation of the air may be underwhelming, going back to the pursuit of thinness would be a mistake.
that is a fair point.
My wife has had the 12" macbook since it first came out. She loves it. And while it's woefully underpowered for me to use I am constantly jealous of the weight of it compared to my 2022 13" MBP. She does a ton of photo processing on it and she's really really unwilling to give it up for a bigger machine.
Great great work on this video!
Really well written
I had a mid 2009 MacBook it was a beast. Still have it.
I still, to this day, think the 2015 MacBook Retina is one of the coolest laptops apple ever made. I wanted one so bad when they came out but could never justify the cost
Owned one and cannot agree more. Upgraded to an 14" M1 pro and it truly feels like a successor to the 2015 rMBP. Similar design, same ol' ports etc
I really wish that Apple had revitalized the MacBook as their fanless computer rather than removing the fan from the Air. The M1 chip in my 13" MBP is plenty for my job as a professional video editor - sure, if we were shooting raw and doing crazy VFX the 14 or 16 inch models would be a better fit, but we aren't so it's unnecessary cost. The M2 Air would have been a very nice upgrade to my 13" MBP with it's better design, lack of Touch Bar, addition of MagSafe, and of course, faster chip - if it wasn't thermally constrained. The 13" M2 MBP only has one of those benefits, and therefore isn't worth the upgrade to me, but because the Air can't cool itself, I'm left waiting until the M3 or whatever else comes next. All of this could have been avoided if Apple had left the fan in the Air and instead brought back the MacBook as their new entry level fanless option.
Realistically, there isn't a thermal throttling problem with the M2 MacBook Air's. Almost all comparisons between the M1 Air and M2 Air I've seen that aren't hyperbole, and are representative of typical workloads, show no significant difference in thermal throttling between them.
Unless you're saturating most of the cores of the machine consistently, you're not going to have a problem with the M2 Air.
And that's the thing: these machines are not designed for sustained workloads! That's what the MBP is for. Get the 14" and 16" models if you want the other benefits you mention. The 13" MBP is probably for Enterprise, also enabling Apple to sell off all their remaining chassis and Touch Bars at the same time. Enterprise doesn't care about those features.
There's no point in judging a machine in a category it isn't targeting. It's like trying to compare a car to a truck and saying the car isn't a good car because you can load up a ton of material in the boot without bottoming out the suspension. Different target audiences.
Realistically, the 14" MBP isn't painful to carry around. I carry my 16" M1 Max MBP around, and that's not a problem.
@@xaxabogbart I'm not criticizing the Air for not being a good daily driver machine, I am criticizing Apple for not having a mid-tier MacBook in the lineup.
Yes, we all know the M2 and M1 Airs handle daily workloads just fine, and we all know the 14 and 16 inch MBPs are powerhouses. But the M1 and M2 are perfectly capable chips when cooled properly. I am literally doing freelance video editing on an M1 right now - it handles several streams of 4K H.265 footage with tons of transitions and grades with no issues.
I don't need an M1 Pro or Max to do my job, and I shouldn't be expected to pay for performance I don't need. There are tons of college film students, or designers, animators, developers, etc. that would perfectly have their needs met with a properly cooled M2 computer, but if they want that computer to have the newer design and better features, they would have to unnecessarily spring for the 14" MBP.
The Air could have bridged that gap. It has the new MagSafe port, it has a standard, more useful function row, it has the new chip, and it has the new design. Sure you can get the 13" M2 MBP but it doesn't have all of that, just the new chip, which isn't worth the upgrade from M1 on its own.
Plus, if Apple wanted to make an Email and Netflix machine to compete witch chrome books and cheap windows laptops, they didn't need to put an M2 in it. They could have put one of the cheaper iPad chips in it, or made an M2 Lite or something. For an everyday computer it's overpowered, and for a mid-tier performance computer it's under-cooled. Either way, my point is valid - Apple needs a more entry-level fanless computer and a new mid-tier performer if they want to remain competitive. The entire reason M1 was so successful was because you could finally get an Apple computer that performed well for less than $1500. One generation later and they're increasing margins and pushing away new buyers and those of us who don't want to pay for an overspec'd machine.
@@spitperson69 Fair - I misunderstood your point. I completely agree, now you put it like that.
As you probably have already thought, I think they do it to encourage moving up through the models. Apple do a very good job of crafting a product line to create a near-smooth gradient of upgrades where each step up is only a small step compared to the last.
I don't use my M1 Max to the max most of the time, but I do very much love the display and having built-in speakers as good as these, and sometimes I do use the power it can provide, although I could probably get by with the M2 or M1.
I guess I'm just willing to pay for more than I really need in computers. I'm pretty frugal everywhere else except tech, though, which helps to compensate.
@@xaxabogbart And that’s fair! I just think that there’s enough constraints in the Apple ecosystem (great as it is) that I really don’t like when Apple starts acting like they know what hardware decisions are better for me than I do. I don’t want them to tell me that it’s worth it to move up to the 14”, I want them to give me a 13” that got the same feature upgrade or a be-fanned Air that I can max out. I know the screen and speakers are great on the newer Pros, but 80-90% of the time my MacBook is docked to a monitor and external speakers, and I don’t want to pay more for features im only going to use when i travel to shoots once or twice per quarter.
I have no problem dropping $2000+ on a computer but I want to do it the way I want to do it. I’d rather have the option to go crazy with RAM and storage on an M2 than be forced to pay for speakers and a screen I don’t need. And again, I recognize that I could technically do that to the current 13” pro but this chip generation isn’t worth it without those new features that come with the new design.
The problem is simply that there is no way to configure an apple computer to mid-performance without making significant sacrifices. You can get the Air, but you lose performance to heat constraint. You can get the 13” Pro but you lose features to the old design. You can get the 14” but you’re paying for features you don’t need when you could be upgrading features you do need on a less powerful machine.
I can’t leave the apple system, they do way more right than they do wrong. But i don’t think their lack of choice and customization in their hardware is beyond criticism.
@@spitperson69 I hear you. I think part of it is the unified memory architecture, there are limitations to how much RAM can be fit into those chips, as they interconnects have to be designed to accommodate the number of RAM chips.
Probably it would cost more to have more to pay a chip fabrication plant to develop multiple separate chip designs with many configuration options. With conventional computer architectures, the inherent separation of components makes configuring machines exactly a lot easier.
Having multiple chip designs also complicates the binning process. These extremely complicated top-end chips tend to have only a 60-80% yield, the rest are then sold off as lower-specced models. However, the more different designs, the more convoluted the resulting line up is in terms of variants. This makes the overall process more expensive.
I think it's a trade off between maintenance costs, development costs, marketing shenanigans, and profit.
That said, not offering the features and design of the Air in a chassis with a fan is pure marketing/sales shenanigansl.
I bought that 12in in June 2016, as stopgap until MBP 2016 was available. I used it for 9 months and it was utterly useless for iOS development. For general use, it was a bliss. A lawyer bough it off me and was super happy with it.
Man, this is the best writing and delivery I have seen on any laptop videos or reviews. Well job done, more of this please. Keep up the good work!
Such a good retrospective on the 12" MacBook, Quinn! In my opinion, since iPads have M1 chips and be just fine, I was hoping for them to put one in a 12" MacBook form factor, with a Magic Keyboard and a better webcam. 12" MacBook was so unbelivably portable, and I wish I could have it with Apple Silicon architecture.
And Thunderbolt.
@@cameronbosch1213 yeah dat too ;)
Wouldn’t that be the iPad Pro essentially?
@@ghost-user559 iPadOS ain't macOS. They're fundamentally different products.
@@Evie0133 Very true, but that is EXACTLY the device? You just want the real MacOS just like everyone else for years and years.
But you must admit besides that you literally just described the exact size and form factor and magic keyboard of an iPad Pro. Same screen too.
They just can’t let us have nice things
We’ve gone from lambasting Apple’s innovation to now missing it dearly.
I had an 11” MBA for a moment years back and it was my favorite Mac I’ve ever used, the lightness and tiny form factor made it seamless to bring everywhere. Perhaps the M2 MBA landing at $1199 indicates potential to replace the M1 MBA with a callback to the MacBook with a release of a super light M1 powered device, hopefully keeping the $999 price point and fitting nicely in the lineup.
I’ve still got my 11", and was waiting for the M2 refresh to replace it. But now I’m not so sure… I’d intended to wait 2 or 3 months after launch for any manufacturing kinks to get ironed out, so I guess I’ll still just mull it over.
But it’s definitely struggling on JS heavy websites now. Though the battery still lasts a couple hours of use, which is about 2/3 of what it was when new at those CPU loads. The main sign of ageing is it has a much higher self-discharge rate now than it did when it was new a decade ago. (Well, that and the EL keyboard backlight is _very_ dim across half the keys now.)
Absolutely love the way how you create a meaningful review every time. It’s not just “This does […] for the price of […]” but also a critical evaluation with very good and interesting comparisons. Many RUclipsrs could learn from you man!
Spot-on video! Since it’s debut I knew the 12-inch MacBook wasn’t a practical computer for me as of unfortunate compromises, but it seemed like a revolutionary and interesting computer from a technological standpoint because it was so different from every other MacBooks at the time.
This is pretty much what has been on my mind for awhile with apple. Make no mistake. The m series is amazing. I’m running adobe cc on a mba m1 with only 8gb of mem and it works great. That being said you nailed it. this came to light for me when trying to get a problem fixed via apple support. Theyare not putting $ into certain aspects of the biz and it is all about squeezing every ounce out of everything. Even the tech i talked to on the phone mentioned they hear this when people are trying to solve issues. Still enjoy my apple products and also wish they would respect their users a bit more.
They literally never have. They are the abusive relationship we all love to hate and hate to love. Seriously. Apple only listens to its customers for the sole purpose of tricking us back into the cycle of abuse.
They are amazing machines. But even under warranty or Apple care, and even with their own techs PROVING it was their fault, they will say YOU did it. Even if it was their quality control issues to begin with.
Hell of a computer, but keep your receipts and don’t back down when they bully you. Still beats Windows any day. But Apple is a horrendous abuser as soon as they get your money. It’s all about how they care about customers until you pay the bills. Then you are on your own.
I have heard they treat business customers and overseas customers with consumer protection laws VERY well no questions asked. Tells you they KNOW they can do better but actively choose to insult and gaslight their American user base.
@@ghost-user559 I was going to say I never had that experience, even when I did admit it was my fault (I dropped my 3GS, cracked the screen, and got a replacement unit in 30 minutes. Technically they weren’t supposed to do that for user-error, but because I didn’t try to BS her and waste her time with a lie, I got it). But I’m in the UK, so I guess your final paragraph covers it.
I had a 12” MacBook with top-end processor and it was amazingly slow. Last booted it almost four years ago because the battery had died after a logic board replacement and it could only be run off battery. It drove me to drink.
Looking forward to my long-awaited maxed-out MacBook Air M2 to server as my first portable Mac since then.
I’m still using a 2017 12” MacBook, and still own the 2015 model that got me through three years of school. It was a fantastic computer that I loved despite having to get the keyboard replaced 3 times.
Jony ive's loveform website is still literally just a letter.
Absolutely loved the "story"telling of this video. It felt like a scientific paper in video form!
I'm watching this on a 2015 retina MacBook. It is getting a bit old, but the only real problem it has, is that the battery isn't able to supply enough anymore to use it without a charger (but it is fine when in sleep). The performance is getting a little sluggish, but I'm still even able to use AutoCAD without major issues.
I still use my 12" macbook and i love it. I use it as just a ipad pretty much and then development when travelling. Its bloody great
I wrote my full master thesis for months on a 12“ MacBook. I was able to have hundreds of documents and tabs open at the same time without any issue. It was one of the best MacBooks I ever used, mostly only by the fact that i could carry it everywhere. It fullfilled a job that the next best small computer-like device (the ipad) never could. But it aged poorly, so i had to replace it. I would instantly buy a m1 or m2 version of it.
Finally someone said it! I love the 12” Macbook, and I’m jealous of everyone who bought it. I bought the mid-2015 15” Macbook Pro and it was heavy. I thought of future-proofing and I was right.
Buuut seeing M1’s capabilities, I was wishing that the Macbook would have a resurgence.
Thanks for this vid Quinn. I kinda needed someone to be on the same boat with me.
I think the m1 air is effectively the "12 in macbook" of this generation.
@@jblev736 but Quinn said that it was “lazy”
I absolutely loved the 12" MacBook, it was even really slow for me when I was in high school, I have even done light video editing on it.
The 12" was my only computer for several years, it was amazing - I also ran Parallels on it and heavy developer tools, it was fine speed wise.
People complaining are complaining about specs, they never used it.
I don't get all the criticism about thermal throttling with the M2 MBA. It only throttles when you push the chip to the extreme which literally no one who buys this computer will do. My 65 year old mom ordered this computer. It will handle her web browsing and emailing perfectly. Anyone who wants performance already owns a MacBook Pro.
Ehh, “to the extreme” is not quite an honest statement. It throttles pretty easily in a lot of workloads. Now, I agree this isn’t the end of the world, but it’s not insubstantial.
Just imagine if Apple would use their engineering resources to design a laptop like the Framework laptop or a Fairphone...
But that would actually require being environmental and consumer friendly, they can't do that...
I suppose when the big boys like Dell, Lenovo and HP do it then Apple may? So when these Window's OEMs become "environmental and consumer friendly" as you say, then maybe. I hope Framework survives but I would not buy it as who knows if it will exist in two years time?
At Apple, 'environmentally-friendly' is actually spelled 'GREENWASHING'.
Remember the G4/5 towers? It would definitely work like that in todays Macs
@@andyH_England Unlike Apple, those Dell and HP laptops can be disassembled and worked on. It is a pain in the ass, and sometimes even worse on then with MacBooks, but at least you can do that. Especially on enterprise grade laptops, those are very nice to work on.
@@andyH_England Apple won't do anything unless they are getting forced by the government. The problem is that Apple needs to be the first because they are known for setting industry trends, sadly for not very consumer friendly trends most of the times...
The last thing Apple will do is to get inspired by OEMs, let alone by environmental/consumer friendly design decisions.
I was so pleased when you switched to talking about the 12" MacBook. I still use my 2017 model as my main computer for light software development and for video editing in FCP. People who say it was too underpowered for general use never really used one. Here's hoping they bring it back with the M3.
I loved my 12" Macbook! I hope Apple makes another one this small and light. That is what drove me to an iPadPro, but when you add the Magic Keyboard folio it gets to thick, and too heavy.
Just love how thoughtful your videos are!
Thanks for watching!
I still use a 2017 base model retina MacBook. It still does everything I want it to and doesn’t get unbearably warm like my 2015 MacBook Pro did.
This is a really great retrospective video and a unique take. Great video!
Still have one and it continues to work very well... 7 years later...
I am happy with my M1 Macbook Air. It is a great little computer, and being silent and decently powered, is really suited for audio production. The only drawback I have with it is the lack of ports (solved with a Caldigit TB4 hub) and the wait for native Apple silicon support from a bunch of plugin devs, which is still rolling out a slower than expected.
I’m literally freaked out I had to pause the video. How did he know I was sitting on the toilet. I LEGIT just sat dow🤣
Snazzy Labs do you use that green iPod mini seen throughout the video? I think the mini is an amazing device! Thanks for the video!
The 12” MacBook is still my travel machine (companion to my once 15” and now M1 Max 16”)
The form factor and weight is unbeatable, I really wish they’d make an Apple Silicon version.
honestly as someone who hasnt owned a macbook for a bit but carries an ipad to work and almost everywhere part of me wonders if the air is almost as portable or just as much so as my aging ipad pro. still torn on the price and thermals but i love that design and loved the old macbook airs.
Just coming back here because this is one of my favorite tech videos of all time. Love the thought put into the opinions and the way they are communicated.
As a second-hand 2015 12" MacBook user myself, I said its name out loud along with you, Quinn! At first I only knew it was a Jony invention, but the shaved edges and stacked batteries gave it away. What a machine! If only...
What a well done video! Writing this from my 2019 MBP with stuck keys, I agree with the thoughts on the old MacBook. That thing was so light and you could take it anywhere but that keyboard is still the bane of my existence! I ended up getting a pc for work which I like but hate the display which led to my latest fixation being displays/monitors. I feel Apple really excels in that area.
I owned a MacBook. Within a few weeks I had the first one replaced due to graphics issues, then the second one had the same issue. I took that back and didn’t bother with a third.
I then replaced my 2015 MacBook Pro for a 2018 MacBook Pro. Thermal throttling and more graphics issues, with a failing keyboard that was honestly painful to use after a short time. The 2018 was maxed out, other than stopping at the 1tb SSD.
I still have the 2018 and have never hated a laptop so much. Until you reminded me of the MacBook.
"Increase margins rather than push the boundaries", pretty much sums up. I doubt Apple has it in them to do something like the 12' macbook now. Hard to make a case for it in the spreadsheets.
would it be possible to retrofit an m1 in the MacBook 12?
"now youre sitting on the toilet,watching this video"
me-staring to look around😂