The new Magic Keyboard on the MacBook Air is just as comfortable and satisfying as I remember it being on the 16-inch MacBook Pro when I reviewed it last year. The improved key travel provides much more feedback and depth to the typing experience, and it's generally much quieter than some older MacBook Pro models.
Issues aside, the butterfly keyboard felt flat, stiff, and noisy even when it worked properly, and the Magic Keyboard mitigates all of those concerns.
Weighing 2.8 pounds, the MacBook Air is slightly lighter and thinner than the 3.02-pound, 13-inch MacBook Pro, making it ideal for those looking for a laptop that they can easily carry with them regularly.
The MacBook Air also has a 2560 x 1600 resolution display just like the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Apple's True Tone technology, which enables the color temperature to adapt to the surrounding light for a warmer look.
During my brief time using the MacBook Air so far, I found that the display looked plenty sharp and crisp with wide viewing angles for comfortably reading, browsing photos, and watching video. It's not quite as bright as the MacBook Pro's display, but the difference is negligible.
The True Tone support will be particularly noticeable for those upgrading from an older MacBook laptop; the screens on my older work-issued MacBook Pro and five-year-old MacBook Air looked blueish in comparison.
The MacBook Air's lower price, improved keyboard, and lightweight design probably make it the best Mac laptop for most people, especially students and those who really only need a basic laptop for browsing the web, streaming media, and writing papers.
The MacBook Pro offers a bit more power with higher-clocked processors starting at the Core i5 level, and Apple's Touch Bar — i.e. a small touch screen strip that replaces the row of function keys just above the keyboard, offering shortcuts that may change depending on what you're doing. It's a nice addition, but certainly not a must-have.
All told, while the MacBook Air was tempting before, its butterfly keyboard has always made me feel like I was making a compromise by buying it. The new Magic Keyboard, plus the lower price, now make it a much more worthy rival to Windows rivals like the Dell XPS 13, Business Insider's current best pick for the best overall laptop, and the HP Envy 13t.
Fairfax-backed Go Digit to float IPO on May 15
Air India Express cancels 74 flights due to cabin crew shortage, to operate 292 flights
Late goals and refereeing ‘betrayal’ see Real Madrid beat Bayern Munich to reach their 18th Champions League final
Next Story