DETAILED REVIEW OF APPLE’S MACBOOK AIR 2018
For years, the MacBook Air was the best ultrabook available, period. For the price, it was the lightest laptop available. It was also one of the most reliable machines available, providing constant performance day after day for years. But as the year 2017 came to an end, people were wondering when Apple would update the most popular ultrabook in the world. Apple finally announced the coveted update earlier this year and we’ve had a lot of time with the new MacBook Air to see if the new laptop lives up to the legacy of its predecessor.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX
MacBook Air
USB-C to USB-C cable
30W power supply
Warranty documents
Apple Stickers
SPECIFICATION
Processor: Intel Core i5-8210y
Number of cores: 2
Clock Frequency: 1.6GHz
RAM Memory: 8 GB
Memory: 128GB, based on PCIe
Screen Resolution: 2560×1600
Screen Size: 13 inch
Thunderbolt Ports: 2
CONSTRUCTION AND DESIGN
The MacBook Air 2018 has received a design update, but it’s not as radical as one. That’s what I was hoping for. Be. The chassis is now a little thinner, the overall body size is smaller, all thanks to the display with a thinner bezel. Not only the glasses around the screen became thinner, but also the thickness of the space around the keyboard was reduced. There is no touch bar in the MacBook Air 2018 that allows Apple to integrate a larger touchpad into the MacBook Air. The pair of Thunderbolt 3 ports on the MacBook Air is located on the left side of the device, the headphone jack is located only on the right side.
When you take the MacBook Air out of its packaging, the first thing you probably notice is how light it really is. Apple says that the MacBook Air has become lighter, and we verify its statement by weighing the old and the new. Of course, the MacBook Air is 100 grams lighter, and it took only three years for the laptop to lose weight. That’s how much you want to lose weight slowly now. Apple has also integrated TouchID into the MacBook Air as a square and not round button, which we have been seeing on the iPhone for so many years. The TouchID also serves as an on/off switch.
When we look at the new MacBook Air, it’s hard not to see the influence of the Macbook here. The thinned sides, the thinner glasses on the screen and not to mention the same golden finish. The other two colors are space gray and silver, which are equally stunning. When Steve Jobs took the original MacBook Air out of an A4 cover, no one would have thought that it would be possible to further refine the design, but here we are, writing this review about a thinner, lighter and visually appealing MacBook Air.
KEYBOARD AND TOUCH PANEL
The new MacBook Air 2018 is equipped with the second generation acceleration mechanism for the keyboard. The original design was badly damaged, as it was completely paralyzed by a single grain of dust. Apple has fixed this vulnerability by introducing a membrane under the buttons that prevents dust from entering. In addition, it raises the buttons slightly higher than the original throttle mechanism. The result is a slightly stronger distraction on the keys, which is pleasant to type. We also have a MacBook Pro in late 2016 with the old butterfly mechanism and these keys are pretty much one with the keyboard island and offer little to no response. On the new MacBook Air, typing is much more pleasant, especially since the keys can be strangely quiet, unless you are the guy who gets rid of your frustration on the keyboard as a cathartic parting agent. For those who have soft fingers, it is safe to type a pleasant keyboard.
On the trackpad there is a generous capacitive glass panel mounted on Apple’s Taptic Engine. There are force sensors on both sides that lead to the feedback you get when you click on the touchpad. There is no real body movement here, but it really is. We had someone who had not used a Mac in the last 5 years to test the MacBook Air. He really thought the trackpad was moving up and down. The comments are real. If you are an experienced Mac user, you know all the gestures that will help you get the most out of the MacBook Air, and Apple has implemented them perfectly for years. Every gesture is recorded with incredible ease. If you are a new user, you will get used to gesture navigation very quickly, mainly because they are intuitive and because the trackpad does not even register them correctly.