The World of MacBooks: A Review of the 2020 MacBook Air

As I sat down to review my new MacBook Air, I couldn't help but think about how far technology has come. The latest iteration of this iconic laptop boasts impressive upgrades that make it a solid choice for anyone looking for a powerful and portable computing experience.

One of the standout features of the 2020 MacBook Air is its CPU options. Gone are the days of limited processing power; instead, we now have a quad-core Intel chip to choose from, including a Core i5 model that I've opted for in my review unit. This represents a significant upgrade over previous versions of the MacBook Air, which often relied on dual-core processors.

While the extra $100 may seem steep, especially considering the cost of upgrading storage or RAM, I believe it's well worth the investment. The quad-core CPU provides a noticeable boost in processing power, making it ideal for tasks like video editing, photo manipulation, and gaming. And with the inclusion of Intel Iris graphics, which are integrated directly into the chip, we can expect improved performance in these areas.

In terms of storage, the MacBook Air has doubled its capacity to 256GB, providing ample space for users who need it. Of course, this is still a relatively modest amount of storage, and I would have preferred to see more options in the upgrade path. Nevertheless, for most users, 256GB should be sufficient for several years, especially considering the efficiency of the operating system and hardware.

Another area where we've seen improvements is in terms of RAM. The standard configuration now starts at 8GB, which may seem like a decent amount, but I firmly believe that 16GB or more is essential for most users. As Windows laptops often come with this level of RAM as standard, the extra cost of upgrading to 16GB on a MacBook Air feels steep. However, if you're serious about using your laptop for heavy-duty tasks, it's worth considering the upgrade.

One area where we don't see much change is in terms of ports and connections. The MacBook Air still sports just two USB-C ports, which handle power and accessories as well as data transfer. While this may seem limiting compared to some Windows laptops that offer multiple USB-A ports, I've grown accustomed to carrying a range of adapters and dongles anyway. And with the headphone jack – a feature that's all too rare in modern laptops – we can still enjoy high-quality audio without having to resort to third-party solutions.

In terms of design and features, the MacBook Air has undergone a significant makeover compared to its predecessors. The new keyboard is a particular highlight, offering a more comfortable typing experience than the old model. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed using this new keyboard style once I'd gotten used to it – in fact, it's now hard for me to go back to my older MacBook Air.

Of course, not everyone will be blown away by these changes. The 2020 MacBook Air is an incremental upgrade rather than a revolutionary overhaul. It doesn't break new ground in terms of design or features, but it does offer some welcome improvements that make it an attractive option for those looking for a solid laptop experience.

Ultimately, whether or not the 2020 MacBook Air is worth the investment depends on your specific needs and priorities. For most users, the improved CPU options and storage will be more than enough to justify the slightly higher price point. And if you're willing to spring for the upgrade to 16GB of RAM, you'll find that this laptop can handle even the most demanding tasks with ease.

As I conclude my review of the 2020 MacBook Air, I'm left feeling impressed by Apple's efforts to improve this iconic laptop. While it may not be a game-changer, it does represent a solid upgrade for those looking for a powerful and portable computing experience. Whether or not you'll choose this particular model depends on your individual needs – but one thing is certain: the MacBook Air has never looked better.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enHere I am working from home just like everybody else but I did get something fun in the mail it is this right here the brand-new 2020 version of Apple's 13-inch MacBook Air and now that I've had a day to play around with it I understand it I think a lot better than I did even earlier this week when Apple announced a whole bunch of upgrades to both the air and the iPad pro so when I got the new MacBook Air in the mail from Apple the first thing I did was take it out of the box and then I put it right next to the 2019 version of the MacBook Air I looked at them side-by-side frankly from the outside you can't really tell the difference they're completely identical then you put them next to each other you open up both lids that's where you start to see the difference it's something very subtle you're gonna have to look closely but the keyboard on the new version is notice ly different than the keyboard on the old version and that is because probably the single most important update here is that the MacBook Air has now moved to what they call the magic keyboard style that is the style of keyboards that's in the 16 inch MacBook Pro and it's also in the standalone magic keyboards that Apple sells separately or they come with an iMac they're meant for desktop use but you can really hook them up to anything they're just bluetooth keyboards and they have a better version of the Apple keyboard than we've seen on pretty much all of the laptops for the last three four five years where they all switched over to that butterfly keyboard that's the super super flat one that started in the late great 12-inch MacBook and then promulgated itself throughout the entire MacBook line everybody always hated it they were fixing it they were making it better but people still had Tom's with it the buttons wouldn't press right they would get stuck a little bit of dust would to get in there I'll be honest with you it was never quite as bad as everybody said but it wasn't good so the fact that they're now moving everybody this new magic keyboard designed that frankly looks and feels a lot like the classic MacBook keyboards from years and years ago not quite that thick and chunky but a good halfway point between the two I think that's a big step forward the problem is the Sene inch MacBook Pro has this keyboard now now the air has it the 13-inch MacBook Pro does not have it that's a little bit the odd man out right now I'd be hard-pressed to tell someone to buy a 13-inch Pro right now if we're waiting for that new keyboard it really solves a lot of people's MacBook problems that's not even however the most interesting or biggest news about the MacBook frankly the biggest thing is it's gone back to that classic $9.99 price that's what the MacBook Air always was for many many many years college students loved it people starting out in their careers loved it because it was it was $1,000 a hefty investment but not as much as a lot of other premium laptops but you got a very premium experience out of it frankly it would last for years they were built like tanks over time they didn't update it as much as they should have and a lot of Windows laptops leapfrog did especially around that $9.99 price so when Apple finally decided to do a big overhaul of the air and I think 2018 they did a very nice job made it very much like the current MacBook Pro line but they raised the price by a couple hundred dollars and you really lost that psychological satisfaction of saying oh I got an awesome laptop for 999 dollars so now it's back to $9.99 but there's a catch there's always a catch in this case that base model doesn't come with the standard Core i5 Intel CPU that you would expect instead it trades down to a core i3 a dual-core version that usually what heirs have but I'm a little hard for us to say I feel comfortable spending $1000 on a core i3 CPU laptop throwing off and you see those chips in in lower or mid tier laptops especially ones that go on sale around you know Black Friday for doorbuster specials however you can upgrade to the core i5 that's the version that I have right here it's got a quad core Core i5 so we're getting a quad core Intel chip in a MacBook Air which is great it's an extra hundred dollars now that does give me some pause however if you really want to get a MacBook Air that does seem like $100 is very well spent I would definitely invest in that if you want to upgrade the storage space of the RAM that's going to be more expensive fortunately the storage space has already doubled for many many years MacBook Airs had 128 gigs of storage now to the fault is 256 I think that's much more in the comfort zone you could still get the upgraded model from that and go up to 512 I think most people don't need that 256 is perfectly adequate and will be at least for a few years until we start getting into a more 8k video and other really big you know high file size items now if you want to play games on your back book you know there are some that games a bunch more games now especially through Steam you have the ability to do that this guy has built-in iris graphics from Intel it's not the same as having a dedicated graphics chip from Nvidia or Andy you'll get AMD parts in in the MacBook Pros it's better than the standard built in Intel graphics so that should hopefully help you with a little bit of gaming or with video editing or with high-end photo editing you know I run Photoshop and illustrator and even Adobe Audition on my older macbook air all the time certainly works pretty well but I like the idea of having some more power both in the quad-core CPU and in the iris graphics for that if you want to upgrade the RAM these all start with 8 gigs of ram for a macbook you could probably get away with it because of how efficient it is and how well optimized the operating system is with that with the hardware and the components on a Windows laptop especially for $1000 or more you really want 16 gigs of ram or better here that's an expensive upgrade to 16 gigs it's it's $200 extra which is kind of a bummer so I would rather spend the hundred dollars on the CPU although you could spend $200 on the RAM 2 then you might as well buy the higher end version of this then you might as well buy a MacBook Pro cuz you're up to $1,500 already even though there are a lot of differences about the new 2020 version of the MacBook Air a lot of things are the same the screen is the same the basic design is completely the same one area where we don't see any upgrades is in the ports and connections to still got right here just the two USB sea ports those handle power and accessories and pretty much anything else you want to plug into here video output you need a dongle or an adapter or something you do still have a headphone jack unlike most phones so laptops have not rid of those headphone jacks yet but it's the only thing on there besides the two USB C ports more and more Windows laptops are moving to USB C for just about everything is becoming more Universal people still chafe at having to carry on a bunch of dongles our adapters or extenders and we're going to continue to live in that world until all the accessories are also USB C although that will probably happen within a few years anyway this is not the most revolutionary overhaul the MacBook Air ever the big change happened a couple years ago where they updated the design and the screen and really just everything else to bring it in line with all of the other current Mac books that said for something that dropped in the middle of the week would no notice this is a pretty substantial upgrade primarily because of one the price drop number two the CPU options I love being able to get a quad-core chip in there I wrestle a little bit about spending more for the core i5 but you know that's the world we live in and of course the biggest and best of that keyboard I didn't realize how much of an improvement the new style really was until I got a chance to take the new MacBook Air put it directly next to the old MacBook Air type on one and then type on the other I'm gonna find it really hard to go back to the old style now so kudos to Apple for taking this new keyboard style and rolling it out to more products hopefully we'll see it on every MacBook soonHere I am working from home just like everybody else but I did get something fun in the mail it is this right here the brand-new 2020 version of Apple's 13-inch MacBook Air and now that I've had a day to play around with it I understand it I think a lot better than I did even earlier this week when Apple announced a whole bunch of upgrades to both the air and the iPad pro so when I got the new MacBook Air in the mail from Apple the first thing I did was take it out of the box and then I put it right next to the 2019 version of the MacBook Air I looked at them side-by-side frankly from the outside you can't really tell the difference they're completely identical then you put them next to each other you open up both lids that's where you start to see the difference it's something very subtle you're gonna have to look closely but the keyboard on the new version is notice ly different than the keyboard on the old version and that is because probably the single most important update here is that the MacBook Air has now moved to what they call the magic keyboard style that is the style of keyboards that's in the 16 inch MacBook Pro and it's also in the standalone magic keyboards that Apple sells separately or they come with an iMac they're meant for desktop use but you can really hook them up to anything they're just bluetooth keyboards and they have a better version of the Apple keyboard than we've seen on pretty much all of the laptops for the last three four five years where they all switched over to that butterfly keyboard that's the super super flat one that started in the late great 12-inch MacBook and then promulgated itself throughout the entire MacBook line everybody always hated it they were fixing it they were making it better but people still had Tom's with it the buttons wouldn't press right they would get stuck a little bit of dust would to get in there I'll be honest with you it was never quite as bad as everybody said but it wasn't good so the fact that they're now moving everybody this new magic keyboard designed that frankly looks and feels a lot like the classic MacBook keyboards from years and years ago not quite that thick and chunky but a good halfway point between the two I think that's a big step forward the problem is the Sene inch MacBook Pro has this keyboard now now the air has it the 13-inch MacBook Pro does not have it that's a little bit the odd man out right now I'd be hard-pressed to tell someone to buy a 13-inch Pro right now if we're waiting for that new keyboard it really solves a lot of people's MacBook problems that's not even however the most interesting or biggest news about the MacBook frankly the biggest thing is it's gone back to that classic $9.99 price that's what the MacBook Air always was for many many many years college students loved it people starting out in their careers loved it because it was it was $1,000 a hefty investment but not as much as a lot of other premium laptops but you got a very premium experience out of it frankly it would last for years they were built like tanks over time they didn't update it as much as they should have and a lot of Windows laptops leapfrog did especially around that $9.99 price so when Apple finally decided to do a big overhaul of the air and I think 2018 they did a very nice job made it very much like the current MacBook Pro line but they raised the price by a couple hundred dollars and you really lost that psychological satisfaction of saying oh I got an awesome laptop for 999 dollars so now it's back to $9.99 but there's a catch there's always a catch in this case that base model doesn't come with the standard Core i5 Intel CPU that you would expect instead it trades down to a core i3 a dual-core version that usually what heirs have but I'm a little hard for us to say I feel comfortable spending $1000 on a core i3 CPU laptop throwing off and you see those chips in in lower or mid tier laptops especially ones that go on sale around you know Black Friday for doorbuster specials however you can upgrade to the core i5 that's the version that I have right here it's got a quad core Core i5 so we're getting a quad core Intel chip in a MacBook Air which is great it's an extra hundred dollars now that does give me some pause however if you really want to get a MacBook Air that does seem like $100 is very well spent I would definitely invest in that if you want to upgrade the storage space of the RAM that's going to be more expensive fortunately the storage space has already doubled for many many years MacBook Airs had 128 gigs of storage now to the fault is 256 I think that's much more in the comfort zone you could still get the upgraded model from that and go up to 512 I think most people don't need that 256 is perfectly adequate and will be at least for a few years until we start getting into a more 8k video and other really big you know high file size items now if you want to play games on your back book you know there are some that games a bunch more games now especially through Steam you have the ability to do that this guy has built-in iris graphics from Intel it's not the same as having a dedicated graphics chip from Nvidia or Andy you'll get AMD parts in in the MacBook Pros it's better than the standard built in Intel graphics so that should hopefully help you with a little bit of gaming or with video editing or with high-end photo editing you know I run Photoshop and illustrator and even Adobe Audition on my older macbook air all the time certainly works pretty well but I like the idea of having some more power both in the quad-core CPU and in the iris graphics for that if you want to upgrade the RAM these all start with 8 gigs of ram for a macbook you could probably get away with it because of how efficient it is and how well optimized the operating system is with that with the hardware and the components on a Windows laptop especially for $1000 or more you really want 16 gigs of ram or better here that's an expensive upgrade to 16 gigs it's it's $200 extra which is kind of a bummer so I would rather spend the hundred dollars on the CPU although you could spend $200 on the RAM 2 then you might as well buy the higher end version of this then you might as well buy a MacBook Pro cuz you're up to $1,500 already even though there are a lot of differences about the new 2020 version of the MacBook Air a lot of things are the same the screen is the same the basic design is completely the same one area where we don't see any upgrades is in the ports and connections to still got right here just the two USB sea ports those handle power and accessories and pretty much anything else you want to plug into here video output you need a dongle or an adapter or something you do still have a headphone jack unlike most phones so laptops have not rid of those headphone jacks yet but it's the only thing on there besides the two USB C ports more and more Windows laptops are moving to USB C for just about everything is becoming more Universal people still chafe at having to carry on a bunch of dongles our adapters or extenders and we're going to continue to live in that world until all the accessories are also USB C although that will probably happen within a few years anyway this is not the most revolutionary overhaul the MacBook Air ever the big change happened a couple years ago where they updated the design and the screen and really just everything else to bring it in line with all of the other current Mac books that said for something that dropped in the middle of the week would no notice this is a pretty substantial upgrade primarily because of one the price drop number two the CPU options I love being able to get a quad-core chip in there I wrestle a little bit about spending more for the core i5 but you know that's the world we live in and of course the biggest and best of that keyboard I didn't realize how much of an improvement the new style really was until I got a chance to take the new MacBook Air put it directly next to the old MacBook Air type on one and then type on the other I'm gonna find it really hard to go back to the old style now so kudos to Apple for taking this new keyboard style and rolling it out to more products hopefully we'll see it on every MacBook soon\n"