Key takeaways:
- The M3 MacBook Air offers a 10-20% performance improvement over the M2, with more significant gains in graphics and ray tracing capabilities.
- Apple lowered the price of the M2 MacBook Air by 00, making it a compelling option for basic computing tasks.
- The base specs of 8GB RAM and 256GB storage may be sufficient for light usage but upgrading can be very expensive.
# Performance and Battery Life
- The M3 chip delivers expected performance gains of around 10-20% over the M2, with more noticeable improvements in graphics and ray tracing applications.
- Both the M3 and M2 MacBook Airs offer excellent battery life, with the M3 model supporting dual external displays when the lid is closed.
- Apple appears to have addressed the slower base storage issue present in the M2 MacBook Air.
# Pricing and Base Specs
The base price and the base spec has almost become like this weird fallacy... the base price is really more to give you an idea of how much you're about to spend when you actually option it up the way you want to.
- The M3 MacBook Air starts at 099, while the M2 model is now 99 after a 00 price drop.
- Upgrading from the base 8GB RAM and 256GB storage can be very expensive, with 00 for 16GB RAM and another 00 for 512GB storage.
- For basic computing tasks like web browsing, music, and light work, the base specs may be sufficient, making the cheaper M2 model a better value option.
# Recommendations
- For users with lightweight computing needs (web browsing, music, basic work), the M2 MacBook Air at 99 or even the discounted M1 models around 00-700 can be a great value choice.
- For more demanding workloads like video editing, coding, gaming, or heavy photo editing, the higher-end M3 MacBook Air or MacBook Pro models are recommended to take advantage of the performance gains.
# Formatting and Usability
The M3 MacBook Air brings useful improvements like MagSafe charging, a brighter display, and better external display support. However, these may not be essential for users with basic computing needs, further strengthening the case for the more affordable M2 or M1 models. )))
Summary for: Youtube