I got the new MacBook Air #affiliate after my 2014 MacBook Air decided to shut down on me for no apparent reason – five times in a row. Since I use my laptop for work, I absolutely couldn’t end up without one so I finally bit the bullet. Normally, I’d save up for a $1,000 purchase but I had to buy it immediately or risk falling behind on my assignments. Luckily, I found a ‘used-like new’ version for $799 on Amazon. Needless to say, it looks brand new, has zero damage and it was love at first sight. However, I do have complaints.
Old MacBook Air
I’ve mentioned that I’m thrifty with my tech and always go for a used version if it’s in good condition. Well, my old MacBook Air wasn’t just used, it was also old. At the time of purchase it was already two years old and refurbished so it only cost me about $400. I bought it on Amazon too and it was labeled as ‘used-good,’ however the reviews were mixed. Half the people who bought it were over the moon and the other half said ‘DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY.’ Since I used it for three years, I can confidently say that it was not a waste of money. I should also mention that after a glitchy day that made me buy a new laptop, it started working again without any issues… but hey, I am so glad I have a new laptop!
New MacBook Air Upgrade: Expectations
After using a five-year-old laptop every day, I had high expectations for getting a shiny new MacBook Air. Some of the things I was hoping for were a sleeker design, longer battery life and less glitches. I was a little worried that it would be a lot bigger since my old laptop was 11.6 inches and this new one is 13.3. Despite the larger size, I expected it to be just as light or lighter because the whole point of the ‘air’ is for it to be tiny AND lightweight. Oh, and finally, I was excited about having more storage since my old laptop could literally fit about 40 minutes of 4K GoPro video footage.
Reality
I have now had this laptop for about two weeks and we currently have a love-hate relationship. It is definitely sleeker, the battery life is superb and it runs perfectly at a speed that I did not expect. But all that is expected from a new MacBook Air…
What I Love
One of the reasons I put off getting a new laptop for so long wasn’t just the steep cost; I was also worried about size. Most MacBook Air laptops are 13 inches which already seemed a lot larger than my old 11.6. This one had an extra 0.3 on top of that which is 1.7 inches larger than I’m used to. Since it’s the diagonal measurement of the display, I expected this new laptop to be huge – it’s not! In fact, the previously-mentioned sleek design makes the actual display larger and the frame smaller so this laptop new laptop is almost the same size as my old one.
It also has some fun features, such a fingerprint scanner on the on/off button that can help you skip the password step at login. Not only that, but it can help you log into websites, etc. as long as iCloud has your password saved. It’s like the Face ID on the new iPhones, except it’s more convenient because it works even if you’re wearing a mask.
I also like that the camera has a light that shows if it is on, although I’m sure this isn’t new to just this MacBook Air Model. I have never been one to cover my camera in case I’m being spied on, although I probably should since I bring my laptop into the bath with me. But the other day I pressed some button and suddenly the light was on and I had no idea why. I now have a sticker with a sliding cover on it’s way – check it out by the way, it has amazing reviews.
What I Don’t Love
It is typical to be obsessed with a new device because it takes a while to get familiar with it. First, as I should have expected, but didn’t, there is a new charger for it. I was really excited to have a spare charger and it turns out that I don’t – but that’s not all. Creating a new, faster charger is fine. But they took away the light that tells you if it is charging or not. I also have the new iPhone 11 and it also isn’t always clear if it is charging or not – in fact, I recently wrote a how-to about it for iPhone Life. Why is Apple determined to make it harder for me to figure out if my devices are charging? #bringbackthelight
Not only is the charger different, and smaller, there are also no USB ports. Once again, this is expected since they’re trying to make these computers smaller yet faster with more storage. I get it. But I hate that I now have to buy a device just to plug a USB in #affiliate. This sort of thing is why people are so anti-Apple. If they are going to make a change like this, they should sell at least a basic converter. Now I need to spend more money on something I didn’t need a week ago, then I need to make sure to not misplace the tiny thing or I can’t connect my hard drive.
More Complaints
Even though I have had this new laptop for almost two weeks, I have still been using my old one a lot. I find it super frustrating that the click-and-drag isn’t as sensitive (yes, I’ll get used to it, but still) and there is some sort of setting if not software issue that doesn’t allow me to use command+shift+V to erase previous formatting when pasting. It is yet another example of why so many people hate Apple. Changing basic functions that work on all computers and making them not work on Apple devices makes zero sense. I’m still hoping there’s an easy fix, but my point is it shouldn’t require a fix.
Finally, and obviously this is not a real complaint – the new MacBook Air, just like my old one, doesn’t have the emoji keyboard cover. Before you mock me for using keyboard covers in the first place, I live with two big dogs and a clumsy husband. If I am drinking coffee and using my laptop in my lap, it will be spilled. So, I plan ahead and use covers – they come in beautiful colors and designs but the emoji one is my favorite. Since I can’t have it, I use this one instead. The thing is, they are pretty much universal unless you are me and always buy whatever laptop that it doesn’t fit.
Summary: New MacBook Air
I am so glad I got a new laptop and I do, in general, love the new MacBook Air #affiliate. There isn’t that much that has changed and all the changes have, unfortunately, made my life harder. They are frustrating but not horrible enough for me to trade in my MacBook for something non-Apple. I have been fully converted and love my iPhone 11, Apple Watch, iPad and iMac. But as an ex-Apple hater I do see the reasons why so many people are so against these devices. However, it is 100% true that once you go Mac, you never go back.
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