Hands-On Mac 6

Leo looks at the new Macbook Air, the good, the bad, and the ugly webcam.

Starting at $999 ($899 education pricing) with dual-core 1.1Ghz i3, 8GB RAM, 256GB storage in Silver, Space Gray, and Gold.

My machine, as configured, with quad-core 1.2 Ghz  i7, 16 GB RAM, and 1 TB storage, $1849

All models include real ESC key and TouchID (no TouchBar) and two T3 ports on the left, headphone jack on the right. 

The new Magic keyboard with scissor switches isn't the best I've ever used, but it's usable, and a major upgrade from the 2018 model.

There are no surprises here. It's a Macbook Air, with a better keyboard. 

Nevertheless, if you love the Macbook Air, the first ultrabook, which I do, it's great and I'm very happy to be able to recommend it again.

Pros:

• Great 16:10 screen (2560x1600) with TrueTone
• All-day battery life
• Usable keyboard
• Super thin and light

Cons:

• Y-Series Ice Lake chips are not super fast
• No Wi-Fi 6
• Lackluster camera with no shutter
• Only two T3 ports, and they're both on the same side!
• Totally non-upgradable
• Expensive

Leo Laporte gives you helpful tips to get the most from your Mac every week on Hands-On Mac

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