I just purchased my first Apple MacBook Air! I have been using windows computers for my entire life, so when it came time to get a new computer, I decided to take a leap of faith and get the 2017 MacBook Air. I couldn't be more satisfied -- it is everything I needed in a computer and it is an absolute joy to use.
For the sake of being objective, I will list out the pros and cons for any other future potential users:
Pros:
* It FEELS great. I love the smooth feel of both the computer itself and the keyboard. It feels built for the user, and I love it. Coming off working with windows computers and some of their trackpads, sometimes it felt unusable without getting another extra mouse -- but here I think I would be satisfied even if I just had the trackpad -- it feels like it fits.
* Design wise, I love the way the desktop is set up and everything makes a lot of sense. It feels very clean while being very user-friendly, and I like having the most important things already in the taskbar. Almost every app has been designed to be incredibly user friendly. It comes with some wonderful apps, so that has been great.
* Battery Life: I have been using the laptop for a while, and I rarely need to charge it! In fact, I often forget to plug it in but it still retains more than half of its battery after a day of use. I have been very impressed by this, my last laptop would run out of battery quite quickly, even when not in active use.
* Apple Integration: This has been probably one of the biggest unexpected surprises of using a Mac. I've had an iPhone for a while, but being able to do things like AirDrop, FaceTime, FindmyIphone, use iCloud and photos, iTunes, and more have been incredibly convenient.
* Support: After reading some of the other reviews about the Apple Warrenty and it not being the same date as the purchase, I wanted to call to make sure mine was. The support team was immediately helpful, friendly, and also did confirm that my laptop's date of purchase was the correct one (phew). That was a relief. I did purchase a new one, but it was great to hear that it was all good to go.
Fast: The laptop is still incredibly fast even after I uploaded a lot of my photos onto the computer. That can normally slow a computer down, so I was happy to hear that the laptop is still running as fast as ever, especially since I love photography.
Has everything I need: I did some reasearch on some of the other models, and it seemed like this laptop had basically all the things that I need: it has USB ports, headphone jacks, the magnetic lightning cord, the command strip, and more. For the life of me, I don't understand why some of the newer models would get rid of this stuff -- but if you are looking for a laptop that has everything, you are looking at the right one.
Cons:
* Price. The laptop was more expensive than other laptops that I was considering, I told myself that my budget was going to be around 500 for getting a new laptop. I purchased it off Amazon during when they had a sale where it was $699, which after taxes was about $750. After using it for a bit, I am still very satisfied with it and think it was worth it -- although you may be able to get some other used ones online.
Functionality: This may because I am used to a windows computer, but I still don't understand why some of the commands are so complicated. For instance, to show the desktop or to take a screenshot, there is no reason why that should require pressing more than two keys -- much less three simultaneously. Also why is there a command and a ctrl? I'll probably get used to it eventually and is probably a way to set up the laptop for faster shortcuts, but minor gripe.
Compatibility: There are still some apps that are not compatible with Macs. For instance, my version of Microsoft Word at home is for Windows specifically and I was not able to get it installed on a Mac. Some apps online as well may not be compatible with Macs as well. I think there are plenty of ways around it, but it's 2020 people, get with the program.
All in all, I am still very satisfied with the purchase. If you found this helpful, be sure to tell me so!
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| Price | From: - | From: - | From: - |
| Ratings | (8,368) | (2,584) | (2,584) |
| Display | 13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit widescreen display | 13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit Retina display | 13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit Retina display |
| Processor | 1.8GHz dual-core 5th-generation Intel Core i5 with Turbo Boost up to 2.9GHz | 1.6GHz dual-core 8th-generation Intel Core i5 processor with Turbo Boost up to 3.6GHz | 1.6GHz dual-core 8th-generation Intel Core i5 processor with Turbo Boost up to 3.6GHz |
| Battery | Up to 12 hours wireless web battery life | Up to 12 hours wireless web battery life | Up to 12 hours wireless web battery life |
| Touch Bar/ID | N/A | Touch ID | Touch ID |
| Storage | 128GB SSD | 128GB or 256GB SSD | 128GB or 256GB SSD |
| Weight | 2.96 pounds (1.35 kg) | 2.75 pounds (1.25 kg) | 2.75 pounds (1.25 kg) |
Customer reviews
Okay first off let me start by saying .... I AM AN AMAZON EMPLOYEE and used my employee discount on this product & my chase ultimate rewards points (if you are a chase sapphire credit card holder these points can be used) so I literally paid $500 for this MacBook which is a steal and I couldn’t pass this offer up. Secondly, like some other people have stated ... if you did not purchase your macbook from AMAZON DIRECTLY as the seller like I & some other people have done, then yes you may have gotten A used or refurbished MacBook, but if you bought the computer DIRECTLY from AMAZON then it should be brand new, in the wrapper as if you bought this product from Apple directly. This MacBook is also a 2017 model so I would suggest before buying that you guys READ THE DESCRIPTION BEFORE YOU SPEND YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY on a laptop that needs to be sent back. My laptop is under an original 1 year Apple limited warranty as all original Apple products are. I have the 90 day phone tech support warranty as well. I checked all of these on the Apple website. I also do have several Apple products ...... actually almost every Apple product there is and I’m only 28 which is kind of sad lol so I will say this .... GET THE APPLE CARE + on your products. Yes this is expensive, but if you’ve just invested several hundreds of dollars on something get it warrantied because a MacBook can last you decades from now.-Now this is my personal opinion... if you guys don’t have the money to spend $500+ on a laptop because APPLE’S prices are way over rated , Then get a more reasonably priced product that fits your budget because even though I think it’s a great product & could use a few adjustments .....the price tag just isn’t here for everyone and I’m tired of people giving bad reviews on price when you can either return the product OR JUST DON’T buy it.-Also this MacBook comes with 128gb of storage so if you do a lot of video editing , photography editing etc then this laptop is not for you. You may want to look into getting a MacBook Pro with about 256gb is storage or more. If you do light video editing , browsing , school work etc then this laptop will work great for you. You guys will also have to download Catalina which is the latest software with MacOSIn conclusion buyers please don’t be scared off by the negative reviews because most of these people didn’t buy their laptops from AMAZON directly as the seller and more then likely went through a third party. From what I’m looking at also the people who brought their laptops from amazon directly got their laptop directly from Apple .....it just was not sold or shipped by them...... it was sold and shipped by amazon . Any who best of luck to you guys on your purchase ... I’m not getting paid for this review or anything like that. I did get a discount, but other than that I spent my hard earned $500 just like anyone else who shops on amazon. I hope this review helps
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Humberto Oliveira Sampaio Neto
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Reviewed in Brazil 🇧🇷 on July 24, 2018
