These Rosetta apps run better than they did on the previous MacBook Air. The installation takes a few extra seconds, and the rest of the process is just business as usual. You'll see a prompt to install Rosetta when you first try to download one of these apps. The good news is that apps made with Intel in mind can still launch perfectly fine thanks to Rosetta 2, a translation process that helps apps made for the old x86-architecture work on Apple silicon. I've yet to see a single stutter or pause from them. (I like pinned tabs, OK?)Īpps like Safari, which are engineered for the new M1 processor, are fast and snappy. It's buttery smooth, handling more than 30 tabs with ease. In real-world terms, the first place I noticed a drastic improvement was Safari. In a Geekbench 5 CPU benchmark test, the new MacBook Air's single-core score (1,692) outperformed 2019's 16-inch MacBook Pro (1,207), and nearly matched it in multi-core performance (7,264 versus 7,536). The MacBook Air easily crushes its predecessor in performance.

The M1 is no Mac evolution, it's a Mac revolution.ĭoes the lack of a fan matter? For most people, no. The thing's as powerful as many of the higher-end Intel-powered Macs, blowing past the speed limits of the higher-tier MacBook Air from earlier this year. Spend a day with the new MacBook Air and the improvements are immediately noticeable. By manufacturing its own silicon, Apple gains greater control of the hardware and software-the same control it enjoys on the iPhone and iPad, which also use Apple-designed chips. But this year, it began the process of rolling out laptop and desktop PCs with in-house chips. The new model is one of the first Macs to use an Apple-designed processor, the M1.Īpple has been building its computers using Intel chips since 2006. Inside however, the two machines couldn't be further apart. It has the same recycled aluminum case, an identical (and great) Magic Keyboard and … only two damn USB-C ports-though these use the USB4 standard for speedier data transmission. On the surface, the new MacBook Air is identical to its older-by-eight-months twin. A surging pandemic hasn't stopped Apple from churning out devices-in fact, it feels like Apple's vying for the Most Products Launched in a Single Year award.

Nearly eight months after testing a new MacBook Air, I'm reviewing another one (insert DJ Khaled meme here).

M1 macbook air illustrator