Still, when it comes to everyday productivity - and some light creative work - this is a machine you can rely on. The M2 Air can even handle some light gaming, though it ran a bit hot and produced some relatively low frame rates when trying to run demanding titles like Shadow of the Tomb Raider at higher settings. It also performed about 16% better than the MacBook Air M1 on general performance tests. Apple’s latest laptop produced the highest single-core result we’ve ever gotten from Geekbench 5, and came very close to the pricier MacBook Pro M2 on the multi-core and graphics tests. On top of handling our usual workload (including video calls, messaging apps and countless Chrome tabs) and some light music production without a hiccup, the MacBook Air M2 toppled virtually all competitors on our benchmarks. The Apple M2 processor that powers the latest Air delivered some of the best speeds we’ve ever tested on a laptop. But for many folks, the real selling point will be the performance. The MacBook Air M2 offers a wealth of smaller quality-of-life upgrades over its predecessor, including a sharper 1080p webcam and a richer quad-speaker system. The MagSafe connection also keeps the Air’s Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports free for accessories, which is good considering you get only two. Old-school Mac fans will be happy to see the return of the MagSafe charger, which attaches and detaches with a quick magnetic snap to make charging a little easier - and prevent your MacBook Air from hitting the ground if someone trips over the charging cable. And the Magic Keyboard feels as great as it does on any modern MacBook, with enough travel and feedback to keep us typing away comfortably for hours on end. The MacBook Air’s shaved-down bezels give the display itself a noticeable bump in real estate (13.6 versus 13.3 inches), and images and videos pop a bit more, thanks to the jump from Apple’s Retina to its Liquid Retina technology. It also remains true to its namesake, with a 2.7-pound, 11.3mm thin design that’s a breeze to pick up and take to work.

It’s basically a miniature version of the excellent 14-inch MacBook Pro chassis, but without the added power and ports that serious creatives might need. The new MacBook Air M2 offers some of the best laptop performance within a slick, practical design for a reasonable price, making it the best overall MacBook for most people.Ī bold refresh from the long-standing Air design we last saw in 2020, the latest MacBook Air mixes things up with more uniform edges, larger physical function keys and a more seamless display that lets you see more at once (as long as you’re cool with a notch). Your CNN account Log in to your CNN account

Best cheap macbook for music production