25+Pros and Cons of Macbook Air (Explained)

The MacBook Air has become one of Apple’s most successful laptops ever. It was introduced in 2008, and since then, more than 100 million laptops have been sold worldwide. It’s basically amongst the affordable models from Apple.

The base model starts at $999, but you can get a refurbished unit for as little as $599.

But if you’re looking to buy a new MacBook Air, there are some things you should know before making your decision. We’ll cover everything from what features it offers to how much it costs

Pros Of Macbook Air	Cons Of Macbook Air
It is Environment-friendly and Recyclable	Slower performance
Versatile Benefits of MacOs	High Price
Long Battery Life	Traditional Scissors Switches
Last-generation keyboard	Outdated webcam solution
Security via Touch ID	No touchscreen
Thin and Light Macbook	lImited hardware upgrade
Better Sound as compared to other Macbooks	No Type-C USB
Fast Processor	Outdated CPU
Retina Display
Limited Software Support
Useful Apps
Internal Storage

Pros Of Macbook Air

It Is Environment-Friendly and Recyclable

The latest model of the 2018 MacBook Air, it is a fully green computer, so if you’re concerned about the environment and want to contribute to it, then you should buy this laptop.

The iconic laptop is made from 100 percent recycled aluminum, which makes it thinner than most laptops. You’ll feel good about contributing to nature, even if you don’t get paid for it.

Versatile Benefits Of macOS

There are too many reasons to just love macOS. Windows is more likely to be infected by viruses and malware than Mac OS X. You get the best software-hardware optimization to see ever in the laptop world.

Apple isn’t only a computer manufacturer but also a software developer. Their specialized proprietary Operating system macOS is specially designed to complement their hardware devices.

Not to forget their system interface gives ultimate experience in accessibility, ease of use, and simplicity.

If you are familiar with the interface of iOS that you see on iPhones and iPads, then macOS will feel at home.

There is also an integrated experience between the macOS and iOS apps. It makes switching between devices easy.

You can use an iPhone or iPad to start a task and then continue it using your MacBook Air without having to sync them using other cloud-based storage services such as Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive.

Long Battery Life

One of the biggest advantages of a MacBook Air for users is its long battery lifespan.

There was a Laptop Magazine Battery Test conducted where Apple seemed to survive for 14 hours including using it for multiple activities such as web surfing.

Only a few laptops offer this kind of battery power. It could be a great point if you need to use a laptop all the time but don’t want to have to recharge it every few hours.

However, the Battery life depends on various factors including the type of work you do, apps you use, and external temperature as well. Better you test this for yourself and see how it goes for you.

If you compare between all the released models of MacBook Air, the latest model has the most long-lasting battery. It provides up to 12-13 hours of continuous battery life, way more than usual laptops in the category.

Latest-Generation Keyboard

There are few complaints about MacBook keyboards still out there but many people love them.

The unique touch bar gives you more room for the other keys. Though the new layout might be difficult to get used to at first, it is really appreciated because the keys are not too loud.

There are some things you can’t change, so don’t worry too much about them.

The new MacBook Air doesn’t have a touchscreen display; instead, they’ve added an improved version of the trackpad with a size of 4.7″ x 3″. This makes the device very user-friendly for everyone.

Security via Touch ID

The new MacBook Air comes with this great Touch ID feature. There’s a small sensor that turns fingerprints into passwords.

When you have Touch ID on your laptop, you don’t have to put your password all the time to open your laptop or get access to Mac settings.

Even if you’re using Apple Pay for online shopping, you can still use this fingerprint sensor to verify the transaction.

Thin and Light Macbook Air

The new MacBook Air has an incredibly thin profile and weighs just 1.2 kilograms, which is the same weight as three iPhones! It’s extremely portable.

The USP of a Macbook Air is a device that is ultra-slim, compact, and lightweight. It is 0.6 inches thick and weighs 3.1 pounds.

If you’re a student, this laptop may be useful if you need to carry a laptop around all the time since it won’t add any extra weight.

It is also a good thing if you’re a business professional because it is easier to carry with you, everywhere you go.

Better Sound As Compared To Other MacBook Models

With mode latest Macbooks coming, the sound in them is getting better than ever. There is 2X more bass and high-quality sound in Macs that gives you a great sounding experience.

This actually makes Macbook’s sound experience much more detailed and crisp with at least 25 per cent more volume than previous model.

And when you compare it with other laptop models in this range, it is even better.

Faster Processor

Recently launched the upgrade model of MacBook Air comes with Intel’s 10th generation core processors up to 2.3GHz quad-core. And you are also getting that with turbo boost speeds up to 4.5GHz.

This proves the faster processing and higher efficiency, saving you lot of time on your work as compared to other laptops.

Retina Display

If you are going with the latest MacBook Air model, you will certainly getting high resolution of 2560×1600 with 4 million pixels, making every display image way more detailed and sharp.

It’s simply jaw-dropping. It has 48% more colors than the previous version.

The text is also quite impressive and praiseworthy. The borders on the screen are 50 percent thinner which makes for a better display.

The razor-sharp clarity of the text is really commendable. It has fifty percent thinner borders than its predecessor and it provides an excellent display experience.

Limited Software Support

It’s hard to find Apple Macbooks software when compared to Windows computers.

This issue is undoubtedly one of the most significant drawbacks of Macbooks because the software is not compatible with Windows.

Certainly there are lots of Mac apps available for users but if you see it as an overall experience, it is not as good as windows laptops. This is particularly because many apps and software doesn’t have Mac versions.

Useful Apps

Macbooks come with apps for both playing and working. These apps include word processing apps like Numbers, Pages, and Keynote, presentation apps like Keynote, notes apps like Notes, calendar apps like Calendar, maps apps like Maps, and reminders apps like Reminders.

They also come with applications like the well-known iMovie which is a movie-making application and the music-producing app called GarageBand.

Internal Storage

One additional selling point of a MacBook Pro is an internal SSD in both the 11-inch and 13-inch versions.

It has a flash storage capacity of 128 GB. It’s an advantage where the SSD (solid-state drive) based internal storage means that the performance and lifespan of a device are improved since they are 25 to 100 times faster compared to a traditional hard disk drive.

This results in faster file transfers and shorter boot times. An SSD is also less susceptible to damage because there are no moving parts.

The Elegant Look

The sleek look of Apple’s new MacBook Air which is only 15.6mm thick, has been a great addition to business personalities.

The latest redesigned keyboard has created an exceptional feature that makes MacBook Air stand above the competition.

Cons Of Macbook Air

Slow Performance

One of the biggest disadvantages of Apple’s MacBook Air laptops is their comparatively slower performance.

When it comes to high-end performance, Macbook Air is still more of an average comparing other feature-rich models out there in this budget.

Even there are some cheaper laptops than Macbook which can give you better performance, especially for tasks like editing, designing, gaming or heavy-duty tasks.

However, Macbook Air is considered to be specially designed for day-to-day tasks and not very good at intense work, it is still known to manage very well.

High Cost

This is perhaps the biggest disadvantage of a MacBook Air! There are lots of extra features and added specifications added to the newest model but that only increased the price.

The latest model you get for Macbook Air only starts at $999. There are various variants you can buy which have different specifications but are not very different from each other.

It is better that if you don’t have high budget, look for other laptops in the market.

For a 13-inch Non-Retina display, the cost of the MacBook Air price of the complete series got hiked to $1199 for a 13-inch display due to increasing demands.

Traditional Scissor Switches

Switching from butterfly keyboards to traditional scissor switches.

With the new MacBook Air featuring the same Magic Keyboard as its larger sibling, the 16-inch MacBook Pros, Apple has made sure that the new laptop is just as comfortable to use as its older brother.

The new Magic Keyboard features an improved scissor mechanism that provides 1mm of key travel, making it easier to type.

Limited Storage Capacity

There isn’t enough storage capacity for the price they’re asking. The base model that you get at the lowest price range comes with only a 128 GB storage which is quite less.

This becomes even more problematic for creative professionals such as videographers, freelancers and other because then you will need more and more space to store data.

So, either you get yourself digital cloud storage spaces like iCloud, Google Drive or Dropbox or you have to buy an external hard drive as you go.

Outdated Webcam Resolution

With one exception, Macbooks‘ disadvantages include a low-quality webcam.

A MacBook Pro usually has 720p video even though several design and hardware changes have occurred since its inception.

720p web cameras are not as good as 1080p ones, but they’re still better than nothing.

Even the latest MacBook Air has the same resolution, directly affecting video quality during conferences.

Considering how expensive they are, the camera quality is very disappointing. Unless Apple takes notice of this problem, 720p webcams will consistently disappoint their buyers.

No Touch Screen

A touchscreen is not even uncommon now. It is part of our lives where you are using it on your phone and in fact various digital interactions within devices.

And it is very useful in lots of different cases, especially if you are a student, artist or a creative person, or simply prefer the touchscreen feature.

If you want something that’s portable enough to use for writing papers, taking notes in class, or watching movies in bed, then you’ll probably want an iPad rather than a Macbook Air.

It makes the price go up, so it might be better for you to look into some other options instead. There are many more on the market.

Limited Hardware Upgrade

Another downside of a MacBook Air is its limited upgradability.

There is a limitation with hardware upgradability even with the latest model here. The memory and the processor are soldered together within a single circuit board.

This is a single circuit board consisting of an integrated processor and RAM.

If you need to replace your laptop or computer, you might have to buy one with more advanced features because of its low storage, memory, and processor capacity.

There are a few settings that you change or customize before buying, but you are not getting enough space for any kind of upgrades, so it becomes highly limited.

Windows, on other hand, comes with lots of features, but there are other options like Linux if you want to customize things after purchase.

It is clear from these advantages and disadvantages that a MacBook Air is unsuitable for everyone.

If you’re a student without any funds or a corporate professional looking for a sleek and easy-to-use device, a MacBook Air would be the best choice.

On the other hand, if you’re on a tight budget, there are plenty of options in the market that offer laptops with higher specifications for less money.

No USB Type-C

The MacBook Air has two USB Type-A ports, no Type-C port, and no Thunderbolt 3 port. This is a disadvantage since, in the future, new peripherals will come with Type-C connectors that don’t work with the Air.

USB Type-C allows laptop charging, connecting to peripherals, and outputting to multiple monitors via a single wire.

Thunderbolt 3 ports are the latest generation of USB Type-C ports. They’re faster than previous generations and can charge two devices simultaneously.

With a single port, you can connect to a single docking station and use it to charge your laptop and connect external monitors with a single cable.

More Focussed Toward Work Productivity

The MacBook Air is capable of managing your day-to-day work or general computing tasks. It can also handle audio projects and video production.

However, if you don’t plan to configure your MacBook Air with the advanced processor, memory, or storage specifications, this device will be limited in its computing capabilities.

If you wish to play high-end games, it would not go very well with the base model Macbook Air. It’s also true for resource-intensive tasks like 4K video editing and photo retouching.

You have to understand that Macbook Air is never meant for heavy task works or niche professionals but rather an efficient device for general productivity. It’s better suited for beginners and intermediate users.

Especially in gaming, Windows remains the winner amongst gaming communities due to the availability, universal approach, and diversity of the games available for this particular platform.

Outdated CPU

For students who are looking for a laptop, their needs will probably be different than someone who wants a computer for work.

You’re getting an Intel 5th Generation processor with the 2015 model release of the Macbook Air whereas in the 2017 MacBook Air, you can find the Intel 7th Generation processor.

So that’s not actually what’s latest right now in the laptop performance arena comparing other competitors.