Apple MacBook Pro – Apple M1 Chip (13-inch, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD Storage) – Space Gray – 2020

I purchased the MacBook Air M1, 8 core GPU, and 8 core CPU model, with 512 GB SSD and 8 GB RAM in person at the Apple Store (11-20-2020), with education pricing. I traded in my (MNYH2LL/A) – 2017 12″ Macbook with the Intel M3 processor, 256 GB SSD, 8 GB Ram. I kept my charging adapter & C-cable (which are both compatible with the M1 Late 2020 Macbook Air), so ended up with a $330 Apple Store instant credit towards the M1.

Super fast and cool

I would say that the bottom line is that if you re someone who only uses a laptop for office & basic web surfing and only has a few tabs open at once, and you never experience overheating or the dreaded beach ball “not responding” issues, or if you have non-Apple programs that have not been compiled for the M1 chip, hold off on the upgrade until more apps run natively on the M1. If however, you really need a machine that is MUCH more capable, faster and cooler running than the Intel models, it s a solid buy and an amazing upgrade from any non-upgradable Mac.

***As ridiculously expensive as Apple RAM is, when it s not upgradable, get the maximum, in this case, 16 GB.

With a delicious gold color and an overall thin, sleek design, this computer is for those who want their computer to look a bit more “fancy” than other options on the market.

Display started showing Vertical stripes within 20 days of purchase

For me, the MB Air speakers (on this and on the previous model) are quite good for movies or YouTube videos or Zoom/Facetime calls. The microphone is perfectly satisfactory, though for Zoom calls or when making my own instructional videos I usually plug in a cheap external mic which is a little better.

The one issue for me has been that I am a memory hog! I tend to have LOTS of tabs open at once (I ve caught myself with 50 (Safari) open in one browser and 39 (Chrome) in another!), while running Affinity/Final Cut Pro – and YES, the dreaded Beach Ball has reared it s ugly head. Well, this got me to assess what I will be using the machine for and for how long.

I likely would have gone with the 7 core GPU model if one had been in stock at the time of purchase, but I wanted 512 GB of SSD space, so I paid more by going with eh 8 core. From everything that I ve seen, the lack of more RAM upgrades is not nearly as important as it was with the Intel x86 processors and is really only useful when you have many GPU intensive “Pro Apps” running at the same time.

I m a Windows guy. I bought this because I am creating a few apps. The apps aren t ready; so I really haven t used it yet, beyond exploring for a few hours. It s neither fast, nor large, by today s standards, but it is solid, light, and robust with Apple s latest release. It ll last for years.

The M1 model has blown me away with its speed and smooth running with a large number of apps open, including Final Cut & Logic Pro. Admittedly the 2017 MB was the bottom of the line and I suffered under frequent overheating issues with too many things open and the single C-port fiasco.

Yup. This M1 MacBook Air is everything the online reviewers said it was–amazingly fast, agile, and smart. It blows away all earlier MacBook Airs as well as most other laptops on the market. I m not much of a tech nerd, so the specs and numbers don t mean much to me. I m a writer. So I appreciate the feel, ease, and portability of the machine. Plus, I m delighted with the keyboard–heads and tails better than the faulty “butterfly” keyboard on my old 2017 Air. All in all, this is a great small laptop. Solid, but light. Lightning fast and nimble. It is a great step up from the older Intel machines. And I m not in the least bothered that the external design is the same as the older models. It s a classic and fully functional shape, so why change? Well done, Apple.

purchase my first laptop????????

Good functional condition and item as advertised

The ApplBTCS employee who assisted me earned five stars.

Amazing features. This phone has every highlight you could want in a phone.

Nice purchase and service. This is one of the best phones I’ve ever owned.