My Tech Gear Check-In: Mac

Part two of my check-in covers my Mac of choice.

I started the year with a MacBook Pro 14-inch in Space Black, and what a gorgeous and powerful laptop it is. One could argue it is too much computer for me since I would never be able to push it to its peak performance for what I use a computer for. I don't think this should be a deterrent for anyone though, just my personal view for what I need and want.

After selling the MacBook Pro and getting an iPad Pro, I was again so happy using that device. The OLED display and 11-inch size were the perfect portable computer for me. I used the Magic Keyboard for a while before ditching it and using the iPad by itself with just a Smart Folio and Apple Pencil USB-C.

I will go into more detail about why I didn't go back to getting another iPad Pro again, but I sold that iPad to get through some financial stuff and decided that instead of going back to the iPad-only life, I would get myself a Mac. I contemplated getting a MacBook Pro again but ultimately decided on a MacBook Air.

M2 MacBook Air

My wife received a brand new M3 MacBook Air for her new job, and after helping her set it up and using it a bit, I knew it was going to work perfectly for me. Not only did I really like the Midnight color, but the display wasn't as bad as I predicted it would be compared to the MacBook Pro.

Coming from a Micro-LED display on the MBP and the OLED display on the iPad Pro, I was worried that the difference in display of the MacBook Air would be noticeable. I am a sucker for really good displays and find that it is worth it to me to pay more to get the best. But I was pleasantly surprised by how great the MacBook Air display was.

A couple of things I was concerned about in going to the MacBook Air besides the type of display were brightness and ports (mostly the SD card slot). I know the iPad has even fewer ports, but since the MacBook Pro had an SD card slot to use with my Fujifilm camera, I contemplated if it was worth switching to the Air. But again, the brightness is perfectly fine and is so much brighter than I expected it to be, and I also sold my Fujifilm camera, so needing an SD card wasn’t necessary.

Which led me to getting an M2 MacBook Air. I got the M2 because I took advantage of saving a bit of money but still being able to get myself a 512 GB SSD due to the SSD speed loss you get in the 256 GB SSD (it is also nice to have a little breathing room with storage). I went with 8 GB of RAM, since Apple Intelligence doesn't require more on an M-series computer, and I don’t see myself really needing it for what I plan to use this laptop for.

My wife and I have been talking about getting a home computer (or server) which I plan to make pretty powerful. Either a Mac Mini with an M2 Pro (or M3 Pro if that is available soon), an M3 iMac, or maybe even an older Mac Studio. Either way, I am going to get 16 GB or more of RAM and a ton of storage. This will be the computer I will use, or remote into, if I need to do more powerful tasks. But the MacBook Air should be able to handle most of what I need most of the time.

For writing, this MacBook Air is amazing. I loved the 11-inch iPad Pro with the Magic Keyboard and will continue to argue that it is a great machine for anyone who wants to write, but this MacBook Air is also really good. The 13-inch display, as stated earlier, is really great, and the keyboard on this MacBook is just fantastic for typing for long periods. I am currently writing on the MacBook Air now at a Starbucks and am already 2,000 words in.

Not only was I excited about the display and keyboard, but a couple of other great things about the MacBook Air are the larger trackpad (compared to the iPad’s Magic Keyboard), MagSafe charging allowing me to have two USB-C ports available, and the outstanding battery life. I charged this MacBook Air fully on Friday when I upgraded to macOS Sequoia, and I have yet to plug it back in.

I got to Starbucks with about 48% battery, and after almost 3 hours of use, I am still at 32% battery left with the display set to full brightness. I have only been browsing the web (grocery shopping) and using MarkText to write, but the lack of fear of running out of juice is pretty incredible.

One last thing I want to talk about regarding the MacBook Air is macOS Sequoia. I haven't had too much time using the new macOS yet, and I plan to read both MacStories and Six Colors reviews to get a better idea of all the features available. One cool thing I am really enjoying, though, is the iPhone mirroring.

I know many have argued that a version of this has already been available for some Android phones, and I also know that this feature may seem a bit silly when you literally have your iPhone right next to you or in your pocket to just pull out if you need it. I also will agree that with Apple's ecosystem offering Continuity, Handoff, and the fact that I share all the same apps that sync together, it can seem like, "What is the point of this feature?" – even though these ecosystems offerings are helping with this feature.

So far, the coolest experience for me is being able to keep my headphones connected to my iPhone but still change the music I am listening to on the iPhone without having to open Apple Music on my Mac. It seems minor, but it is really neat to just keep my headphones that are already connected to my iPhone playing something, and for me to change it on my iPhone without having to pick it up.

Another neat experience is getting notifications from my iPhone on my Mac and being able to click them, bringing me back to my mirrored iPhone screen. Right now, I have some players on my Fantasy Football team that are playing, and when I get a notification that one of them is in the red zone, I can click the notification, and it brings up my iPhone screen with the app showing me what player and what is happening all on my Mac.

It is these small things that make me happy to be back on the Mac. Apple continues to offer small features that may not be for everyone but do add a bit of joy to those who use them. As I build my tech stack back up, I am happy with my choice in going with the MacBook Air and can't wait to try out more Apple Intelligence features on it soon.