Which one? M1 vs. M2 MacBook Air

June 23, 2022

Back in the old days, the MacBook Air used to be relatively underpowered compared to its siblings.

But the M1 MacBook Air -- the first with Apple Silicon -- changed all that. It became a powerhouse.

"If anyone’s curious if the MacBook Air is sufficient for iOS dev versus the MacBook Pro, I did a full year of development on the M1 version with a decently large project and it didn’t break a sweat, and it’ll drive any monitor you want," wrote developer Christian Selig on Twitter. "It was honestly a dream machine!"

The M2 Air will soon be on sale, creating a dilemma for potential buyers. The new M2 Air is just $200 more than the M1, which hasn't been discontinued.

So is it worth spending the extra $200? If you're shopping for a new machine, you might want to check our top post.

-- Leander Kahney, EIC.

After unveiling the M2 MacBook Air, with its sleek new design and some major upgrades, Apple surprisingly did not discontinue the M1 MacBook Air. Both laptops will co-exist, with the M2 Air commanding a $200 premium over its predecessor. So, is the M2 MacBook Air worth the additional price? Or should you save some money and go for the M1 Air? Read our comparison to find out.

The first real-world benchmark tests of Apple’s M2 chip show that the just-launched processor is about 20% faster than the original M1. That’s welcome news for anyone in the market for a MacBook or iPad in the next few years. But the newest chip does not offer better performance than Apple’s M1 Pro or M1 M1 Max from 2021. That will have to wait for advanced versions of the M2 expected to launch in 2023.

Sergii Kryvoblotsky, head of R&D at MacPaw, is raffling off a Worldwide Developers Conference 2019 pin to raise money for Ukrainian aid. The money raised will go to the MacPaw Development Fund to provide Ukrainian defenders with medicine and protective equipment.

This huge cloud storage drive lets you upload practically any file type, making the process easy and secure. And for a limited time, you can get 10TB of lifetime storage for just $89 (regularly $2,490).

You can replace the Switch dock with a more modern take that expands how easily you can game on the go. This 3-in-1 Nintendo Switch Docking Station can connect all your Switch’s cables to one hub that extends what screens you can game on. Plus, it only costs $19.99 (regularly $24) for a limited time.

Watchful eyes have spotted code in the first two iOS 16 beta versions that appears to refer to an unreleased Siri Remote for Apple TV. Information is scant, but chances are this is the new remote for a 4K Apple TV system with a updated price structure that could come out this year.

Disney Mirrorverse takes classic characters in a darker direction. Alternate-reality versions of these screen icons have to team up face a “dark, unrelenting threat.” The free-to-play action team-based action RPG debuted Thursday in the App Store.

If you’d like to take your selfie game up a notch, you can’t do much better than SwitchEasy’s EasySelfie Selfie Stick. The highly portable devices doubles as a tripod and works with your iPhone or a variety of cameras.

On June 23, 2003, Apple launched its gorgeous Power Mac G5 computer, sometimes affectionately nicknamed the "cheese grater" by Apple fans.

Tweets o' the day

One more thing ...

"There is a lot to be said for comparing [going from mainframes to the PC] to going from trains, from passenger trains to automobiles. And the advent of the automobile gave us a personal freedom of transportation. In the same way the advent of the computer gave us the ability to start to use computers without having to convince other people that we needed to use computers. And the biggest effect of the personal computer revolution has been to allow millions and millions of people to experience computers themselves decades before they ever would have in the old paradigm. And to allow them to participate in the making of choices and controlling their own destiny using these tools." -- Steve Jobs.

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