The MacBook Air pairs killer performance with a beautiful design. But with more options available than ever, especially with budget Chromebooks, is it still the best choice for students?
Here’s all the reasons why the MacBook Air is the laptop you need on campus.
1. It Won’t Break the Bank
Apple’s 14-inch MacBook Pro starts at $1999, and a 16-inch MacBook Pro will run you a whopping $2499. That’s firmly out of most students’ budgets.
Thankfully, the MacBook Air allows you to get a powerful, new Apple laptop at a reasonable price. Starting at only $999, the MacBook Air is Apple’s cheapest laptop, making it a great option for those on a budget.
But let’s face it, $999 isn’t a drop in the bucket for most people either, let alone someone with a negative net worth. Thankfully, with Apple’s education pricing, if you’re an eligible college student or educator, you’ll get another $100 slashed off the price.
$899 isn’t bad for a brand-new MacBook.
2. It’s Packing the Powerful M1 Chip
In 2021, Apple updated the MacBook Air with its M1 processor. The Intel chip in the previous Air definitely wasn’t a slouch, but this new M1-equipped model offers amazing performance.
Apple says the M1 MacBook Air is over three times faster than the Intel-powered models, with up to five times faster graphics performance. In the real world, this means it’ll boot up faster, projects will load quicker, and games will play better. That means more doing, and less waiting around.
Everyone knows that feeling when your laptop that was once blazing fast starts operating at more of a crawl. Picking up a MacBook Air with the M1 chip under the hood means getting killer performance for years to come.
3. It’s Your iPhone’s Best Friend
Did you know there are other uses for AirDrop besides sending memes to your classmates? With a Mac, you can use your iPhone’s camera to scan notes and assignments, and then AirDrop them straight to your MacBook.
Do you have Apple Music on your iPhone? It’s also built right into the Mac. Pairing your iPhone with your Mac gives you quick access to your photos, messages, and reminders. You can also share Safari tabs, sync your Apple News feed, and even copy and paste between devices. And that’s just scratching the surface.
Pairing your iPhone with a Mac takes it from just being a device to being part of an entire ecosystem. Over 87% of US teens have an iPhone in their pocket, so picking up a MacBook Air just makes sense.
4. You Can Take It Anywhere
There are some laptops that might as well be folding PCs. They’re huge, bulky, and the last thing you want to lug around campus. While there’s some people who love their desk weights, most students are probably going to want something a little more sleek.
While all of Apple’s laptops are pretty light, the MacBook Air wins this competition, hands down. At only 2.8 pounds (1.27 kg), it’ll never slow you down when you’re on the go. Whether you’re headed to your morning lecture, the library, or your favorite coffee shop, you’ll likely want to bring your laptop along.
5. It Will Actually Last You All Day
The most powerful laptop in the world won’t do you any good if it’s out of juice. There’s nothing worse than a laptop that’s always dying on you. With the MacBook Air’s 2021 refresh, Apple took the already legendary battery life of the Air to new heights.
That powerful M1 chip in the MacBook Air? It’s also super efficient. Apple claims the MacBook Air will get you up to 15 hours of web browsing, and up to a whopping 18 hours of video playback.
That’s more than enough for your next all-night cram session or Netflix binge.
6. It’s Finally Got a Great Keyboard
If you’ve got a 2019 or older MacBook, you’ve probably suffered at the hands of the infamous butterfly keyboard. While Apple claimed the butterfly keyboard would bring more “precision, stability and responsiveness,” to the MacBook, it didn’t work out so well in practice.
Many people disliked the butterfly keyboard because of the short key travel and lack of responsiveness when typing. Even worse, they were prone to breaking, leading to expensive repairs.
Thankfully, the 2021 MacBook Air has a much nicer keyboard. After years of complaints, Apple finally brought back a more traditional keyboard design to the MacBook lineup.
If you pick a MacBook Air today, you’ll be treated to an extremely responsive keyboard with a comfortable amount of key travel, making it a great option whether you’re texting on iMessage, writing emails, or working on that last-minute essay.
7. It Runs macOS
Macs are beloved by artists, musicians, and students, and it’s more than just because they’re pretty. If you’re a creative, you’ll want a Mac.
Bedroom musicians love GarageBand, and aspiring music producers love Logic Pro X. If your dream is to go to film school, starting out with iMovie is great practice for putting together movies in Final Cut Pro.
Macs are also secure and are regularly updated, with new features rolled out every year.
Should You Buy a MacBook Air?
If you’re in the market for a laptop for school, there are more options on the market than ever before. But a lot of students are still searching for that all-in-one device that will fit into their lifestyle, give them the performance they need, and won’t break the bank while doing it.
The MacBook Air answers that call.
With a portable design, a great keyboard, and the blazing-fast M1 chip under the hood, investing in a MacBook Air will get you a sleek and powerful laptop that will last for years to come. Apple has once again delivered that elusive combo of price, performance, and features, reminding us why the MacBook Air is still the king of campus.
