canyonwalker (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
canyonwalker) wrote2022-06-09 09:14 am
canyonwalker) wrote2022-06-09 09:14 am
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New MacBook Air Announced
This week Apple announced its new MacBook Air. Link: Apple press release. I've been waiting for this because I love my Air but it's 6.5 years old. That's an eternity in computing!
I looked at replacing my Air in November 2020 when the M1 processor model came out but decided there were too many things I thought were the opposite of improvements in that model. I considered it again earlier this year as I'm constantly space-crunched on SSD storage for my digital photos. But still it wasn't right. In particular, I hate the loss of an SD card slot. That really simplifies my workflow for digital photography! So I waited for the next model in hope it would come back.
Now the new Air is here. Let's take a look!
The headline feature is that the new MacBook Air sports the new M2 processor. The case it comes in is slightly redesigned. The wedge shape gives way to more traditional box shape, though overall the max thickness is said to be thinner, and the weight remains svelte at 2.7 pounds. And it's available now in four colors. Rumors that Apple would offer half a dozen bright colors á lá the classic iMac didn't pan out. But in addition to silver, dark gray, and gold, there's now dark blue.
But what about that SD card slot? I was hopeful it'd be in the new M2 Air after it reappeared last year in the M1 Pro MacBook. Alas, no. Though the new Air does add one slot, a dedicated charging port in addition to two USB-C ports. Having to run power through the limited USB-C ports was a pain that made it necessary to use clunky, failure prone adapters for even relatively simple setups. Separating out the power makes things way easier, and it's a MagSafe adapter, too.
What about the new M2 MacBook Pro, then? Well, the new one— the 13" model— does not have an SD slot, either! It's the 14" model that has it. Sure, I could go with a 14" Pro... though with a comparable configuration of RAM and SSD, but with the slower(?) M1 Pro CPU, it costs $300 more than the Air. And it's larger and heavier. I'm not going to pay that kind of a premium to avoid dragging around a dongle for my photography workflow.
I looked at replacing my Air in November 2020 when the M1 processor model came out but decided there were too many things I thought were the opposite of improvements in that model. I considered it again earlier this year as I'm constantly space-crunched on SSD storage for my digital photos. But still it wasn't right. In particular, I hate the loss of an SD card slot. That really simplifies my workflow for digital photography! So I waited for the next model in hope it would come back.
Now the new Air is here. Let's take a look!
The headline feature is that the new MacBook Air sports the new M2 processor. The case it comes in is slightly redesigned. The wedge shape gives way to more traditional box shape, though overall the max thickness is said to be thinner, and the weight remains svelte at 2.7 pounds. And it's available now in four colors. Rumors that Apple would offer half a dozen bright colors á lá the classic iMac didn't pan out. But in addition to silver, dark gray, and gold, there's now dark blue.
But what about that SD card slot? I was hopeful it'd be in the new M2 Air after it reappeared last year in the M1 Pro MacBook. Alas, no. Though the new Air does add one slot, a dedicated charging port in addition to two USB-C ports. Having to run power through the limited USB-C ports was a pain that made it necessary to use clunky, failure prone adapters for even relatively simple setups. Separating out the power makes things way easier, and it's a MagSafe adapter, too.
What about the new M2 MacBook Pro, then? Well, the new one— the 13" model— does not have an SD slot, either! It's the 14" model that has it. Sure, I could go with a 14" Pro... though with a comparable configuration of RAM and SSD, but with the slower(?) M1 Pro CPU, it costs $300 more than the Air. And it's larger and heavier. I'm not going to pay that kind of a premium to avoid dragging around a dongle for my photography workflow.