Articles about MacBook Air

When Apple announced the 2019 refresh of its MacBook Pro and MacBook Air, attention was focused on the reduction in price and a boost to hardware.

But while much was made of the addition of True Tone to the Retina Display and the lower starting figure, it seems that the price cut comes at the price of performance. Tests show that the 2019 MacBook Air's SSD is actually slower, significantly slower, than last year's model.

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Timed to coincide with the back to school season, Apple has announced the latest updates to its MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. There's a special promotion which includes a free pair of Beats Studio 3 Wireless headphones with a qualifying purchase too.

A price drop for the MacBook Air means that students can pick one up for as little as $999 ($1,099 for everyone else) and benefit from the addition of True Tone to the Retina Display. The entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro now features an 8th-generation quad-core processor which Apple says makes it twice as powerful as it used to be.

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Apple has launched a new service program to address the Flexgate issue that blights numerous MacBook Pro laptops. At the same time -- and coinciding with the launch of the new 8-core MacBook Pro complete with tweaked keyboard -- the company has also expanded its keyboard repair program to address problems with its butterfly keyboards.

The display issue affects the 13-inch MacBook Pro, and owners of problematic systems find that the backlight either doesn't work at, or performs strangely. It is thought to be caused by a problem with a flexible cable in the hinge, and Apple is offering free repairs.

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Apple laptops are consistently great. Even with the polarizing keyboard found on recent models, you really can't go wrong with a MacBook. With that said, in order to buy an Apple computer, you have to have a lot of disposable income. You can get a Windows 10 machine with similar specifications for far less. There's nothing wrong with paying more for Apple hardware -- if it makes you happy and you can afford it, go for it.

If you do end up buying an expensive Apple MacBook, you should definitely consider opting for AppleCare. Insurance is always a bit of a gamble, and not always the wisest move financially, but it can be worth the premium for peace of mind. In addition to AppleCare, you may want to consider a protective case too. For example, today, Urban Armor Gear launches a rugged new case for the 2018 MacBook Air as part of its popular Plyo Series. Not only does it offer protection and improved cooling, but it looks rather attractive too.

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Apple has a four-day shopping event running from today until Monday, promising shoppers "special offers when you buy select products". Running from the day that is a celebration of commercialism and capitalism, Black Friday, through the weekend and up to Cyber Monday, the Apple Shopping Event is -- unfortunately -- nothing to get excited about.

This is not entirely unexpected. Apple has form when it comes to disappointing Black Friday offers. If you were hoping for massive discounts, prepare to feel let down.

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At the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Apple today revealed a new MacBook Air. As well as a Retina Display, Apple has shrunk the bezels to near-invisibility. The screen measures 13.3-inch with four times the resolution of its predecessor.

The new model features Touch ID built directly into the keyboard. The keyboard itself has been upgraded for a better and more reliable typing experience, and the new Force Touchpad below this is 20 percent larger. But what else does the new MacBook Air have to offer?

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Chuwi is not a particularly well-known brand at the moment, but the company is starting to carve out something of a name for itself. We've already seen a handful of low-cost tablets and laptops from the Chinese brand, but its upcoming LapBook Air looks especially interesting.

That the name blends elements from the MacBook Air and Surface Book is no mistake -- this is a laptop designed to compete with both. Chuwi claims the full-metal chassis is "just like touching the real MacBook," but it's the incredibly thinness that's the real head-turner here.

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Chinese New Year 2017 starts on January 28th, and this time, the Rooster is the representative animal. On that date, there will be parties all over the world, and many collectibles featuring that fowl will be sold.

To celebrate the upcoming new year, Apple releases five free "Nianhua" folk art-inspired wallpapers for Mac, iPhone, and iPad. All of the images were created by Chinese artists using Apple hardware, such as the MacBook Pro, iMac, iPad Pro, and Apple Pencil. The software used for the creations? Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and Savage Interactive Procreate.

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As much as I tried not to spill anything on my beloved MacBook Air, last month I knocked over a cup of coffee, getting almost all of it over the keyboard. I feared this would happen, but I did not think it would happen to me. I'm super careful with any coffee, soda or water that I bring to my desk. But, the thing I dreaded the most happened.

There was coffee all over the keyboard, touchpad and the left side of my Mac. It is not a pretty sight, unless you are dying to get a new laptop -- which, really, wasn't the case. Knowing that liquid damage can be the end of it, I quickly powered it off, turned it upside down, and the coffee started to drain from it. With a bit of luck, I knew that I could fix it. And I did. Here is how I did it and what I learned from it.

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In the three years of using my MacBook Air, I have never had any major problems with it. It was totally reliable, even after I accidentally spilled coffee on it. However, updates in the macOS Sierra 10.12 and macOS High Sierra 10.13 families ruined its streak, leaving me with a blank screen that only displayed the cursor.

I initially blamed the update for this, but after I saw no similar reports from other users I started doing some digging. As it turns out, this problem predates Sierra and High Sierra by a couple of years. Apple has not addressed it yet, but, don't panic: it is pretty easy to fix it yourself.

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The Mac laptop line, following today's new announcements, looks lots less like Apple and more like Compaq—where Tim Cook worked much earlier in his career, incidentally, long before the original IBM PC clone-maker's demise. Confusing. Complicated. These are apt descriptions that might just send the ghost of Steve Jobs skyward on either—take your pick—Halloween or Day of the Dead.

Among Apple cofounder's first tasks when returning to the chief executive's chair in 1997: Simplifying product families. Jobs cut the deadweight, surprising many people by killing off Newton, for example. Complex product lines define Apple under successor Cook, by contrast.

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Next week, on October 27, Apple will hold a press event called "Hello Again". While the company has not officially announced the products to be unveiled, rumors suggest we will see new Mac computers. Apple has long neglected its desktops and laptops (it still sells a MacBook from 2012), and consumers have been eagerly anticipating refreshed machines with better specifications. It is quite likely that the wants of these folks will be met next week.

Unfortunately for some, Mac computers (and many Windows machines too) no longer have number pads (aka keypads). For those that work in the financial sector, or simply learned to type using a keyboard with a number pad, this can be problematic. Fortunately, there are many third-party options on the market. Today, Satechi releases the all-new Slim Aluminum Wireless Keypad and it looks like a winner. If you are planning to buy one of the rumored new Mac computers, this could be a godsend. Not only does it come in colors to match Apple devices, but it is slimmer than Satechi's prior offering.

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Apple's Mac computers -- MacBook, iMac, Mac Pro, and Mac mini -- are works of art. Not only is the hardware beautiful, but the included operating system is visually impressive too. Today, after a series of Beta releases, the final 10.12 version of the desktop operating system formerly known as OS X -- now known as 'macOS' -- is available for download. Apple dubs the latest version of the desktop operating system 'Sierra', after a mountain range in the company's home state of California.

While Windows 10 is a great operating system for productivity, Microsoft simply cannot match the visual beauty of macOS. Still, Microsoft's latest operating system does offer some unique features, such as the voice assistant Cortana -- something that Apple's desktop did not offer. Today, this changes, as the legendary Siri comes to macOS Sierra. Best of all? As usual, this is a free upgrade for owners of compatible Mac computers!

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For a little while now Microsoft's ad campaigns have been less about highlighting its own products, but a vehicle for knocking others'. It's something we've seen numerous times with the company's Surface ads, and now there's another one.

This time around we see the Surface Pro 4 compared to a MacBook Air. Microsoft says the former is better than the latter because it has a pen. Oh, and a detachable keyboard. But the tone of the ad is just so ridiculous, it serves only to make Microsoft look pathetic.

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The question nags as I prepare to review TarDisk Pear flash memory expansion. The doohickey is available in 128 or 256 gig capacities for either MacBook Air or Pro. It fits neatly and snuggly into the SDXC card slot, which is required; color and finish match, too. Windows users must look elsewhere, though, and many may be glad to. The tech lists for $149 and $399, respectively. But, hey, the Apple fan club is accustomed to paying more for everything.

I will test TarDisk Pear on my 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display, 3.1GHz Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB RAM, and 256GB SSD. I recently, and unexpectedly, filled up the hard disk with photos and podcast raw recordings. (Hehe, using Chromebooks for so long spoiled me and my awareness of such things.) Doubling storage, particularly with San Diego Comic-Con coming in 14 days, could prove useful for editing audio, pics, and video on the laptop. But is it necessary or contrivance?

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