MacBook Air M1 for writers. Is it really that awesome?
I have watched so many tech reviewers recently that I reached critical mass and bought a MacBook Air M1. But is it any good? At least, is it as good as the reviewers say? Will you notice any difference if you have an old MacBook Air?
Quick recap
Ok, a brief bit of history is needed. All my first laptops were Window-based until 2012. My laptop was dying and I wanted something light to travel with. Ultra-lights were still relatively new back then and absolutely every review kept asking if something was a MacBook Air killer and compared all stats to that one device. In the end, I made the jump to Apple.
If you’re a Windows user scared to make the jump, I find it takes a few days to learn where everything is and it really isn’t that difficult. I guess I was helped by having an iPad, even though it has a different OS. The MacBook Air was perfect for my needs – light, great keyboard, and a huge (back then) 7-hour battery life.
In 2017 the battery died and I happened to be in Bangkok. It was too old to be fixed there and the other option was to send it to Singapore for a fortune. I looked at the newer MacBook Air and Pros but they all had butterfly keyboards and they were shite. So I got a Surface. Which was fine.
The battery life on the Surface was similar to the Air and like the Air, the battery started to die. I’d been looking at a Dell XPS 15 when the M1 chip marketing-fest happened, along with the change to the Magic Keyboard. So I limped on until I could get my hands on the new MacBook Air 13 M1. I was tempted by the Pro but literally every review on Youtube said the Pro didn’t do all that much more.
I had written previously about returning the warm hand-holding bosom of Apple. Well, I am writing this on the new MacBook Air and I have to say, as a writer, it is an absolute delight.
What is so good about the MacBook Air M1?
I’ll go through this in order of experiencing it.
Opening and software
Unboxing is always nice although some seem to enjoy it way more than others. It started the moment I opened the lid (one handed, which is always delightful). There were then a few things you have to go through to register and input fingerprints and all that crap. All pretty easy.
I already had an Apple ID so that made things a lot easier. Consequently, all the extra setting up you normally have to do was done. All the passwords I have ever had were already known, which is damned handy. I go to my usual sites and use the fingerprint button and it logs me in. Similarly, all my favourite sites were already saved in the browser.
Essentially, all the software is what you would expect, especially if you have an Apple ID. Going from first opening to using the and re-downloading all my main programs has never been easier.
It came with Big Sur installed but I have yet to explore that much.
Hardware
This is where things get even better. I am approaching this as a writer but it will be a similar experience for most.
I was familiar with the MacBook Air having previously owned one. The form factor is almost the same but there are minor differences from the 2012 version. It is strangely similar but somehow feels like a nice upgrade. It is definitely a superior product but the overall feeling while using it is familiar.
First thing is that you can pick difference colours. Mine is space grey and looks superb. It the colour Darth Vader would pick, it feels vaguely like Star Wars Empire tech.
There are speakers on either side of the keyboard which sound great. I don’t remember how good sound was on the old one but I never used it for music or films, so it can’t have been that good and I don’t remember it even being stereo.
The keyboard is phenomenal. I am writing like a demon and the keys make it such an enjoyable experience. Which is fortunate given how I spend most of my time. Obviously, you should try one out yourself but I find it to be one of the best, if not the best, keyboards I have ever used.
Of course the main thing you may have heard is true – the battery life is absolutely incredible. I worked on it for about four hours yesterday and the battery was barely dented. I write in browsers and on Word and am now questioning whether I even need to bring a charger with me when I head out. I was impressed with the seven hours of the 2012 MacBook Air and now I have 18 hours. 18! That’s mental.
If you want more demanding jobs for you laptop, I suspect the MacBook Air M1 will be more than capable. I only say this after watching 100s of reviewers showing how you can edit, compile and process 4K video on it and it doesn’t get warm even though it doesn’t even have a fan.
Conclusion
I have tried writing in Word, Google Docs, One Note and the Medium and WordPress interfaces. The experience has been a joy. Obviously they are all identical to look at, and use, as they were on my Surface. The difference is a nicer screen, better keyboard and the knowledge that I don’t have to worry about power.
If you are a writer, then I can confirm the three things you probably care most about.
- It is light and really easy to carry around. It’s just 2.8lbs.
- The keyboard is phenomenal. I love writing on it.
- The battery is… well there is nothing even close. 18 hours on The MacBook Air and 20 on the Pro.
So there you go. I suspect I won’t be looking for a new laptop for a long, long time. There will be more M1 laptops coming out, probably in March and again in the Autumn but the MacBook Air M1 2020 does everything I need from a laptop for the foreseeable future.
TL;DR – Highly recommended, especially for writers.
You can see what others have to say and buy one from this handy affiliate link. (It costs you nothing.)
