🕷️ Crawler Inspector

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Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 161 (from laksa038)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa161.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://markellisreviews.com/reviews/m1-macbook-air-4-month-review/\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://markellisreviews.com/reviews/m1-macbook-air-4-month-review/\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/reviews\/m1-macbook-air-4-month-review\/","crawl_time":1776149723,"first_indexed_time":1710846803,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,markellisreviews!\/reviews\/m1-macbook-air-4-month-review\/ s443","src_root_hash":"8399950918812868561","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"M1 MacBook Air 4-Month Review - Mark Ellis Reviews","meta_descriptions":["Time for my final M1 MacBook Air review of this current generation. How has it fared since I bought it back in December?"],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"We may earn compensation from reviewed products. Learn about our \neditorial policies\n.\nThe M1 MacBook Air continues to be the bane of my YouTube audience’s life.\nHeld up against the M1 MacBook Pro, few people can differentiate the two, bar the presence of the Touch Bar and a couple of additional hours’ battery life on the latter.\nIndeed, choosing between a 16GB M1 MacBook Air and the 8GB M1 MacBook Pro is one of the most common questions raised within the comments threads of my videos.\nIt’s why I decided to put together\na series of buying guides for M1 machines\n(although, arguably, they’ve done little to help some sections of my audience).\nWhich one will last longer? Which one will result in less SSD damage? Which one will be better at 4K video editing?\nI feel their pain. But, today, I’m here to sing the praises of the absolute base-spec model of the M1 MacBook Air. It’s the one you don’t add anything to; you simply place it into your basket as it is, hit ‘checkout’ and wait for it to arrive.\nIt is an\namazing\ncomputer.\nLet’s get that 7-core GPU thing out of the way\nIt doesn’t matter. Honestly.\nI also have an M1 Mac mini and that has the 8-core GPU version of the M1 (and 16GB of RAM, versus my MacBook Air’s 8GB). Both machines can edit 4K video identically and undertake any graphics-related task without any trouble whatsoever.\nCall it a price bracketing trick on Apple’s behalf or the fact that they need to sell off the M1s which end up with 7-cores of graphics performance as a result of manufacturing processes; in real-world usage, it doesn’t make any difference whatsoever.\nSo, if you fancy that base-spec M1 MacBook Air but you’re concerned about having one less graphics core than your mate, don’t be.\nI’m so glad I bought the base spec\nPeople are often\nafraid of buying base-spec Apple Macs\n. I was one of those people until I got my hands on this M1 MacBook Air.\nA case in point: I specced up my 16” MacBook Pro in 2019 to be the most powerful laptop I could afford. Fast-forward less than two years, and it has been replaced by two machines whose combined price is still about £1,000 less than the 16” MacBook Pro.\nThat’s quite a bitter pill to swallow – trust me. And, while I have indeed specced up the Mac mini a little, the MacBook Air I’m writing this article on is the cheapest you can buy.\nI’m so glad I didn’t add anything to it. I\ndon’t need 16GB of RAM\n, and I don’t need any more internal storage than 256GB.\nIf I’d spent more money on this laptop, it would have been an absolute waste, and there’s something quite refreshing about owning the base spec version of a Mac – particularly when you’re someone like me who has upgraded to wallet-destroying levels in the past.\nThe iPad has been relegated\nApple are rumoured to announce a new iPad Pro soon, but I couldn’t be less interested.\nThe fault for this lies squarely with the M1 MacBook Air because it has completely replaced my 12.9” iPad Pro as my main writing device.\nEvery blog I’ve published since December has been written on the M1 MacBook Air. Often, that includes the editing process for the feature image, too (I use Lightroom for this task, and it runs fantastically on the Air).\nBefore December, my blogs would always start life on the iPad, complete with Magic Keyboard. Now, my big iPad Pro has been largely replaced by an iPad Air, whose role is almost solely one of consumption with the odd bit of note-taking thrown in for good measure.\nIn my world,\nthe MacBook Air\nhas completely cannibalised the iPad when it comes to productivity. That’s both impressive and a bit of a shame when you consider the significant strides the iPad has made recently in terms of becoming a genuine laptop replacement.\nThe absence of the Touch Bar\nIf you’re trying to decide between the M1 MacBook Pro and Air, I can, hands-down, tell you not to use the Touch Bar as a differentiating factor.\nThere are two reasons for this. The first is that Apple is rumoured to be discontinuing the Touch Bar on future MacBooks. The second is that it is\ntotally pointless\n.\nI welcome alternative views in the comments, as always, but my use of the Touch Bar on the 16” MacBook Pro extended as far as adjusting the volume and screen brightness and, occasionally, as a quick way to access Ulysses Markdown shortcuts.\nThe Touch Bar is either irritating or completely irrelevant, 99% of the time. It’s far too easy to hit it by mistake, and Apple has unashamedly ignored it since the introduction of this over-engineered strip of pointlessness in 2016.\nThe MacBook Air only serves to confirm just how needless the Touch Bar is.\nThe battery life needs a dose of common sense\nI’ve already covered this\nin another article\n, but it’s worth reiterating that the M1 MacBook Air’s battery life, while impressive, isn’t quite as “biblical” as I’d first suggested.\nI wasn’t alone with that initial assessment. Indeed, most reviews focused intently on the Air’s battery life which is afforded by the M1’s low power consumption. But when you use this laptop properly, the battery life\nwill\ndrain quicker than you might expect. And by ‘properly’, I mean straying beyond the apps which are considerate of your battery.\nYes, that means most third-party apps and a huge number of web services. None of them are as fine-tuned, battery-wise, as Apple’s own apps. They suffer from memory leaks and, arguably, some of the secret sauce Apple is obviously able to inject into its own code to ensure users get the absolute best experience from their Mac.\nI’m not disappointed by the battery life on the M1 MacBook Air at all, I’ve just learned that it requires a heavy dose of common sense. If, for instance, I fire up Chrome, Discord, Trello and a Safari tab running Notion and leave them all running at the same time, the Air’s battery drains relatively quickly. That’s fine. It isn’t superhuman.\nIf you’re a stock Apple app user, you’ll experience the best battery life possible on the Air. But I still maintain that the real star of the show is the standby time, which still amazes me every single day.\nThe design: genuinely timeless\nA quick note on the M1 MacBook Air’s design.\nYes, it’s identical to the Intel generation. And, yes, it hasn’t really changed for years.\nBut that doesn’t matter. There hasn’t been a single moment during my time with it over these four months where it has felt outdated or in need of a refresh. Whether it’s the tapered design, low profile or beautifully simple construction, whatever Apple did when they first designed the MacBook Air was very smart indeed.\nIt is probably the most timeless device I have, design-wise – bezels and all!\nA constant companion\nThe role the M1 MacBook Air plays in my life is one of a constant companion. The M1 Mac mini is my new daily workhorse and undertakes all of the heavy lifting, but if that computer died, I’d have no hesitation in turning to the Air.\nAlthough travel has been restricted since my purchase, the UK is gradually reopening, and the M1 MacBook Air will join me wherever I go – of that, I have no doubt.\nThat’s what makes it such a special laptop. The fact it is small, light and reliable enough when it comes to battery standby time makes it the perfect laptop. Throw in the fact that the M1 – even at its absolute base level – is capable of doubling as a production workhorse when needed, and the M1 MacBook Air is easily the best Mac I’ve ever bought.","attrs_markdown":"[Close Menu](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/reviews\/m1-macbook-air-4-month-review\/)\n\n[Facebook](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/reviews\/m1-macbook-air-4-month-review\/)   [X (Twitter)](https:\/\/twitter.com\/mellisreviews)   [Instagram](https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/markellisreviews\/)\n\npartnerships@markellismedia.uk\n\n[YouTube](https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCwwuSBYcErVlOpveYubHv4g)   [X (Twitter)](https:\/\/twitter.com\/mellisreviews)   [Instagram](https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/markellisreviews\/)   [LinkedIn](https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/markellisreviews\/)   [TikTok](https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@mellisreviews)   [Newsletter](https:\/\/newsletter.markellismedia.uk\/subscribe)\n\n[![Mark Ellis Reviews](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/MARK-ELLIS-MASTER-SCREEN-LOGO-BLACK-SMALL-200px-optimized.webp)](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/ \"Mark Ellis Reviews\")\n\n- [Home](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/)\n- [Reviews](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/category\/reviews\/)\n- [Tech News](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/category\/tech-news\/)\n- [Opinion](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/category\/tech-opinion\/)\n- [Buying Guides](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/category\/buying-guide\/)\n- [Tech Tips & Guides](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/category\/tech-tips-guides\/)\n- [YouTube](https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCwwuSBYcErVlOpveYubHv4g)\n- [Contact](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/contact\/)\n- [Newsletter](https:\/\/newsletter.markellismedia.uk\/subscribe)\n\n- [Apple](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/tag\/apple\/)\n- [iPhone](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/tag\/iphone\/)\n- [Android](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/tag\/android\/)\n- [MacBook Neo](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/tech-news\/macbook-neo\/)\n- [iPhone 17e](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/tech-news\/iphone-17e\/)\n- [M5 MacBook Air](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/tech-news\/m5-macbook-air\/)\n- [M4 iPad Air](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/tech-news\/m4-ipad-air\/)\n- [M5 MacBook Pro](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/tech-news\/m5-macbook-pro-everything-you-need-to-know\/)\n- [Best Phones](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/buying-guide\/best-phone\/)\n- [Best Headphones](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/buying-guide\/best-headphones-worn-and-reviewed-by-us\/)\n- [Best Apple Watch](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/buying-guide\/best-apple-watch\/)\n\n[![Mark Ellis Reviews](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/MARK-ELLIS-MASTER-SCREEN-LOGO-BLACK-SMALL-200px-optimized.webp)](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/ \"Mark Ellis Reviews\")\n\n[Home](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/) » [Blog](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/blog\/) » [Reviews](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/category\/reviews\/) » M1 MacBook Air 4-Month Review\n\n[Reviews](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/category\/reviews\/)\n\n# M1 MacBook Air 4-Month Review\n![Mark Ellis](https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c31ec335fb505be071db1a5208810b6fd9d4c89335c65800e5f295c2c0907fb5?s=32&d=mm&r=g)By [Mark Ellis](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/author\/mellis\/ \"Posts by Mark Ellis\")\n\nUpdated:\n\nApril 13, 2021\n\n[2 Comments](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/reviews\/m1-macbook-air-4-month-review\/#comments)7 Mins Read\n\n**We may earn compensation from reviewed products. Learn about our [editorial policies](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/editorial-guidelines\/#earning-disclosure).**\n\nThe M1 MacBook Air continues to be the bane of my YouTube audience’s life.\n\nHeld up against the M1 MacBook Pro, few people can differentiate the two, bar the presence of the Touch Bar and a couple of additional hours’ battery life on the latter.\n\nIndeed, choosing between a 16GB M1 MacBook Air and the 8GB M1 MacBook Pro is one of the most common questions raised within the comments threads of my videos.\n\nIt’s why I decided to put together [a series of buying guides for M1 machines](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/buying-guide\/m1-macbook-air-buying-guide\/) (although, arguably, they’ve done little to help some sections of my audience).\n\nWhich one will last longer? Which one will result in less SSD damage? Which one will be better at 4K video editing?\n\nI feel their pain. But, today, I’m here to sing the praises of the absolute base-spec model of the M1 MacBook Air. It’s the one you don’t add anything to; you simply place it into your basket as it is, hit ‘checkout’ and wait for it to arrive.\n\nIt is an *amazing* computer.\n\n## Let’s get that 7-core GPU thing out of the way\nIt doesn’t matter. Honestly.\n\nI also have an M1 Mac mini and that has the 8-core GPU version of the M1 (and 16GB of RAM, versus my MacBook Air’s 8GB). Both machines can edit 4K video identically and undertake any graphics-related task without any trouble whatsoever.\n\nCall it a price bracketing trick on Apple’s behalf or the fact that they need to sell off the M1s which end up with 7-cores of graphics performance as a result of manufacturing processes; in real-world usage, it doesn’t make any difference whatsoever.\n\nSo, if you fancy that base-spec M1 MacBook Air but you’re concerned about having one less graphics core than your mate, don’t be.\n\n## I’m so glad I bought the base spec\nPeople are often [afraid of buying base-spec Apple Macs](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/tech-opinion\/why-are-we-so-afraid-of-base-spec-macs\/). I was one of those people until I got my hands on this M1 MacBook Air.\n\nA case in point: I specced up my 16” MacBook Pro in 2019 to be the most powerful laptop I could afford. Fast-forward less than two years, and it has been replaced by two machines whose combined price is still about £1,000 less than the 16” MacBook Pro.\n\nThat’s quite a bitter pill to swallow – trust me. And, while I have indeed specced up the Mac mini a little, the MacBook Air I’m writing this article on is the cheapest you can buy.\n\nI’m so glad I didn’t add anything to it. I [don’t need 16GB of RAM](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/tech-opinion\/8gb-vs-16gb-m1-macbook-does-it-even-matter\/), and I don’t need any more internal storage than 256GB.\n\nIf I’d spent more money on this laptop, it would have been an absolute waste, and there’s something quite refreshing about owning the base spec version of a Mac – particularly when you’re someone like me who has upgraded to wallet-destroying levels in the past.\n\n## The iPad has been relegated\nApple are rumoured to announce a new iPad Pro soon, but I couldn’t be less interested.\n\nThe fault for this lies squarely with the M1 MacBook Air because it has completely replaced my 12.9” iPad Pro as my main writing device.\n\nEvery blog I’ve published since December has been written on the M1 MacBook Air. Often, that includes the editing process for the feature image, too (I use Lightroom for this task, and it runs fantastically on the Air).\n\nBefore December, my blogs would always start life on the iPad, complete with Magic Keyboard. Now, my big iPad Pro has been largely replaced by an iPad Air, whose role is almost solely one of consumption with the odd bit of note-taking thrown in for good measure.\n\nIn my world, [the MacBook Air](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/reviews\/m1-macbook-air-review\/) has completely cannibalised the iPad when it comes to productivity. That’s both impressive and a bit of a shame when you consider the significant strides the iPad has made recently in terms of becoming a genuine laptop replacement.\n\n## The absence of the Touch Bar\nIf you’re trying to decide between the M1 MacBook Pro and Air, I can, hands-down, tell you not to use the Touch Bar as a differentiating factor.\n\nThere are two reasons for this. The first is that Apple is rumoured to be discontinuing the Touch Bar on future MacBooks. The second is that it is *totally pointless*.\n\nI welcome alternative views in the comments, as always, but my use of the Touch Bar on the 16” MacBook Pro extended as far as adjusting the volume and screen brightness and, occasionally, as a quick way to access Ulysses Markdown shortcuts.\n\nThe Touch Bar is either irritating or completely irrelevant, 99% of the time. It’s far too easy to hit it by mistake, and Apple has unashamedly ignored it since the introduction of this over-engineered strip of pointlessness in 2016.\n\nThe MacBook Air only serves to confirm just how needless the Touch Bar is.\n\n## The battery life needs a dose of common sense\nI’ve already covered this [in another article](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/tech-opinion\/turns-out-the-m1-macbook-airs-battery-isnt-so-great-if-you-use-it-properly\/), but it’s worth reiterating that the M1 MacBook Air’s battery life, while impressive, isn’t quite as “biblical” as I’d first suggested.\n\nI wasn’t alone with that initial assessment. Indeed, most reviews focused intently on the Air’s battery life which is afforded by the M1’s low power consumption. But when you use this laptop properly, the battery life *will* drain quicker than you might expect. And by ‘properly’, I mean straying beyond the apps which are considerate of your battery.\n\nYes, that means most third-party apps and a huge number of web services. None of them are as fine-tuned, battery-wise, as Apple’s own apps. They suffer from memory leaks and, arguably, some of the secret sauce Apple is obviously able to inject into its own code to ensure users get the absolute best experience from their Mac.\n\nI’m not disappointed by the battery life on the M1 MacBook Air at all, I’ve just learned that it requires a heavy dose of common sense. If, for instance, I fire up Chrome, Discord, Trello and a Safari tab running Notion and leave them all running at the same time, the Air’s battery drains relatively quickly. That’s fine. It isn’t superhuman.\n\nIf you’re a stock Apple app user, you’ll experience the best battery life possible on the Air. But I still maintain that the real star of the show is the standby time, which still amazes me every single day.\n\n## The design: genuinely timeless\nA quick note on the M1 MacBook Air’s design.\n\nYes, it’s identical to the Intel generation. And, yes, it hasn’t really changed for years.\n\nBut that doesn’t matter. There hasn’t been a single moment during my time with it over these four months where it has felt outdated or in need of a refresh. Whether it’s the tapered design, low profile or beautifully simple construction, whatever Apple did when they first designed the MacBook Air was very smart indeed.\n\nIt is probably the most timeless device I have, design-wise – bezels and all\\!\n\n## A constant companion\nThe role the M1 MacBook Air plays in my life is one of a constant companion. The M1 Mac mini is my new daily workhorse and undertakes all of the heavy lifting, but if that computer died, I’d have no hesitation in turning to the Air.\n\nAlthough travel has been restricted since my purchase, the UK is gradually reopening, and the M1 MacBook Air will join me wherever I go – of that, I have no doubt.\n\nThat’s what makes it such a special laptop. The fact it is small, light and reliable enough when it comes to battery standby time makes it the perfect laptop. Throw in the fact that the M1 – even at its absolute base level – is capable of doubling as a production workhorse when needed, and the M1 MacBook Air is easily the best Mac I’ve ever bought.\n\n[Apple](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/tag\/apple\/) [Apple Silicon](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/tag\/apple-silicon\/) [Laptops](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/tag\/laptops\/) [MacBook](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/tag\/macbook\/)\n\n![](https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c31ec335fb505be071db1a5208810b6fd9d4c89335c65800e5f295c2c0907fb5?s=95&d=mm&r=g)\n\n[Mark Ellis](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/author\/mellis\/ \"Posts by Mark Ellis\")\n\n- [Website](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/ \"Website\")\n- [Facebook](https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/markellisreviews\/ \"Facebook\")\n- [X (Twitter)](http:\/\/mellisreviews\/ \"X (Twitter)\")\n- [Instagram](https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/markellisreviews\/ \"Instagram\")\n\nMark Ellis has been the Chief Reviewer and the driving force behind MarkEllisReviews.com since its inception in 2020 (the guy the website’s named after!). As the founder of the site, Mark has built a reputation for delivering relatable tech reviews and advice for normal people. Now Mark primarily reviews the biggest tech releases from Apple to Android and attends events across the globe to keep his finger on the pulse of upcoming developments. He also makes videos for his YouTube channel with an audience of over 260,000 subscribers.\n\n#### Related Posts\n## [Samsung Galaxy Buds4 Pro Review: Samsung Finally Has Its AirPods Pro Moment](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/reviews\/samsung-galaxy-buds4-pro-review\/)\n**9**\n\nApril 8, 2026\n\n[Reviews](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/category\/reviews\/)\n\n## [iPhone 17e Review One Month Later: Who It’s for (And Who It Isn’t For)](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/reviews\/iphone-17e-review\/)\n**9**\n\nApril 8, 2026\n\n[Reviews](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/category\/reviews\/)\n\n## [Apple Studio Display XDR Review – Worth The Extra Money?](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/reviews\/apple-studio-display-xdr-review\/)\n**9**\n\nApril 2, 2026\n\n[Reviews](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/category\/reviews\/)\n\n#### 2 Comments\n1. ![](https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/fde25cec61f04a43fc9bf44c6911a317a8ef3650e343c3e16f219be0e0a0afc9?s=45&d=mm&r=g)\n   \n   [Backup Macbook Pro](https:\/\/backup-plus.com\/how-to-backup-macbook-pro-with-seagate\/) on\n   \n   [May 8, 2021 11:17 am](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/reviews\/m1-macbook-air-4-month-review\/#comment-562 \"May 8, 2021 at 11:17 am\")\n   \n   Hai,  \n    Thank you for the information, it is very useful.visit our page  [Macbook Pro With Seagate Backup In A Best Way](https:\/\/backup-plus.com\/how-to-backup-macbook-pro-with-seagate\/ \" Macbook Pro With Seagate Backup In A Best Way\") if you know about How To Backup Macbook Pro With Seagate Backup In A Best Way?\n   \n   [Reply](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/reviews\/m1-macbook-air-4-month-review\/#comment-562)\n2. Pingback: [My Ultimate Blogging Toolkit: Ulysses, WordPress and Medium - Mark Ellis Reviews](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/my-ultimate-blogging-toolkit-ulysses-wordpress-and-medium\/)\n### Leave A Reply [Cancel Reply](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/reviews\/m1-macbook-air-4-month-review\/#respond)\n\n##### RECENT\n- [iPhone 17e vs Pixel 10a: The Differences That Actually Matter](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/buying-guide\/iphone-17e-vs-google-pixel-10a\/) April 9, 2026\n- [Your Personal Info Is Already Online – Here’s What To Do About It](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/tech-opinion\/your-personal-info-is-already-online-heres-what-to-do-about-it\/) April 8, 2026\n- [Samsung Galaxy Buds4 Pro Review: Samsung Finally Has Its AirPods Pro Moment](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/reviews\/samsung-galaxy-buds4-pro-review\/) April 8, 2026\n- [iPhone 17e Review One Month Later: Who It’s for (And Who It Isn’t For)](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/reviews\/iphone-17e-review\/) April 8, 2026\n- [Apple Studio Display XDR Review – Worth The Extra Money?](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/reviews\/apple-studio-display-xdr-review\/) April 2, 2026\n\n##### Get my free weekly newsletter\\!\nAccess my free Discord community, plus weekly behind-the-scenes content, exclusive perks, and cool finds—all in one email.\n\n##### About\nMark Ellis has been writing about and reviewing tech since 2019, amassing an audience of well over 1 million regular viewers, readers and listeners. Free from jargon and complicated benchmarks, Mark and the team deliver reliable guidance and updates about the latest technology for normal people.\n\n[X (Twitter)](https:\/\/twitter.com\/mellisreviews)   [Instagram](https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/markellisreviews\/)   [YouTube](https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCwwuSBYcErVlOpveYubHv4g)   [LinkedIn](https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/markellisreviews\/)   [TikTok](https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@mellisreviews)\n##### Join the club (it’s free!)\n\n- [Home](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/)\n- [Reviews](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/category\/reviews\/)\n- [Tech News](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/category\/tech-news\/)\n- [Opinion](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/category\/tech-opinion\/)\n- [Buying Guides](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/category\/buying-guide\/)\n- [Contact](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/contact\/)\n- [About](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/about\/)\n- [Editorial Guidelines](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/editorial-guidelines\/)\n- [Privacy Policy](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/privacy\/)\n\n© 2026 Ellis Media Group.","attrs_readable_markdown":"**We may earn compensation from reviewed products. Learn about our [editorial policies](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/editorial-guidelines\/#earning-disclosure).**\n\nThe M1 MacBook Air continues to be the bane of my YouTube audience’s life.\n\nHeld up against the M1 MacBook Pro, few people can differentiate the two, bar the presence of the Touch Bar and a couple of additional hours’ battery life on the latter.\n\nIndeed, choosing between a 16GB M1 MacBook Air and the 8GB M1 MacBook Pro is one of the most common questions raised within the comments threads of my videos.\n\nIt’s why I decided to put together [a series of buying guides for M1 machines](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/buying-guide\/m1-macbook-air-buying-guide\/) (although, arguably, they’ve done little to help some sections of my audience).\n\nWhich one will last longer? Which one will result in less SSD damage? Which one will be better at 4K video editing?\n\nI feel their pain. But, today, I’m here to sing the praises of the absolute base-spec model of the M1 MacBook Air. It’s the one you don’t add anything to; you simply place it into your basket as it is, hit ‘checkout’ and wait for it to arrive.\n\nIt is an *amazing* computer.\n\n## Let’s get that 7-core GPU thing out of the way\nIt doesn’t matter. Honestly.\n\nI also have an M1 Mac mini and that has the 8-core GPU version of the M1 (and 16GB of RAM, versus my MacBook Air’s 8GB). Both machines can edit 4K video identically and undertake any graphics-related task without any trouble whatsoever.\n\nCall it a price bracketing trick on Apple’s behalf or the fact that they need to sell off the M1s which end up with 7-cores of graphics performance as a result of manufacturing processes; in real-world usage, it doesn’t make any difference whatsoever.\n\nSo, if you fancy that base-spec M1 MacBook Air but you’re concerned about having one less graphics core than your mate, don’t be.\n\n## I’m so glad I bought the base spec\nPeople are often [afraid of buying base-spec Apple Macs](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/tech-opinion\/why-are-we-so-afraid-of-base-spec-macs\/). I was one of those people until I got my hands on this M1 MacBook Air.\n\nA case in point: I specced up my 16” MacBook Pro in 2019 to be the most powerful laptop I could afford. Fast-forward less than two years, and it has been replaced by two machines whose combined price is still about £1,000 less than the 16” MacBook Pro.\n\nThat’s quite a bitter pill to swallow – trust me. And, while I have indeed specced up the Mac mini a little, the MacBook Air I’m writing this article on is the cheapest you can buy.\n\nI’m so glad I didn’t add anything to it. I [don’t need 16GB of RAM](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/tech-opinion\/8gb-vs-16gb-m1-macbook-does-it-even-matter\/), and I don’t need any more internal storage than 256GB.\n\nIf I’d spent more money on this laptop, it would have been an absolute waste, and there’s something quite refreshing about owning the base spec version of a Mac – particularly when you’re someone like me who has upgraded to wallet-destroying levels in the past.\n\n## The iPad has been relegated\nApple are rumoured to announce a new iPad Pro soon, but I couldn’t be less interested.\n\nThe fault for this lies squarely with the M1 MacBook Air because it has completely replaced my 12.9” iPad Pro as my main writing device.\n\nEvery blog I’ve published since December has been written on the M1 MacBook Air. Often, that includes the editing process for the feature image, too (I use Lightroom for this task, and it runs fantastically on the Air).\n\nBefore December, my blogs would always start life on the iPad, complete with Magic Keyboard. Now, my big iPad Pro has been largely replaced by an iPad Air, whose role is almost solely one of consumption with the odd bit of note-taking thrown in for good measure.\n\nIn my world, [the MacBook Air](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/reviews\/m1-macbook-air-review\/) has completely cannibalised the iPad when it comes to productivity. That’s both impressive and a bit of a shame when you consider the significant strides the iPad has made recently in terms of becoming a genuine laptop replacement.\n\n## The absence of the Touch Bar\nIf you’re trying to decide between the M1 MacBook Pro and Air, I can, hands-down, tell you not to use the Touch Bar as a differentiating factor.\n\nThere are two reasons for this. The first is that Apple is rumoured to be discontinuing the Touch Bar on future MacBooks. The second is that it is *totally pointless*.\n\nI welcome alternative views in the comments, as always, but my use of the Touch Bar on the 16” MacBook Pro extended as far as adjusting the volume and screen brightness and, occasionally, as a quick way to access Ulysses Markdown shortcuts.\n\nThe Touch Bar is either irritating or completely irrelevant, 99% of the time. It’s far too easy to hit it by mistake, and Apple has unashamedly ignored it since the introduction of this over-engineered strip of pointlessness in 2016.\n\nThe MacBook Air only serves to confirm just how needless the Touch Bar is.\n\n## The battery life needs a dose of common sense\nI’ve already covered this [in another article](https:\/\/markellisreviews.com\/tech-opinion\/turns-out-the-m1-macbook-airs-battery-isnt-so-great-if-you-use-it-properly\/), but it’s worth reiterating that the M1 MacBook Air’s battery life, while impressive, isn’t quite as “biblical” as I’d first suggested.\n\nI wasn’t alone with that initial assessment. Indeed, most reviews focused intently on the Air’s battery life which is afforded by the M1’s low power consumption. But when you use this laptop properly, the battery life *will* drain quicker than you might expect. And by ‘properly’, I mean straying beyond the apps which are considerate of your battery.\n\nYes, that means most third-party apps and a huge number of web services. None of them are as fine-tuned, battery-wise, as Apple’s own apps. They suffer from memory leaks and, arguably, some of the secret sauce Apple is obviously able to inject into its own code to ensure users get the absolute best experience from their Mac.\n\nI’m not disappointed by the battery life on the M1 MacBook Air at all, I’ve just learned that it requires a heavy dose of common sense. If, for instance, I fire up Chrome, Discord, Trello and a Safari tab running Notion and leave them all running at the same time, the Air’s battery drains relatively quickly. That’s fine. It isn’t superhuman.\n\nIf you’re a stock Apple app user, you’ll experience the best battery life possible on the Air. But I still maintain that the real star of the show is the standby time, which still amazes me every single day.\n\n## The design: genuinely timeless\nA quick note on the M1 MacBook Air’s design.\n\nYes, it’s identical to the Intel generation. And, yes, it hasn’t really changed for years.\n\nBut that doesn’t matter. There hasn’t been a single moment during my time with it over these four months where it has felt outdated or in need of a refresh. Whether it’s the tapered design, low profile or beautifully simple construction, whatever Apple did when they first designed the MacBook Air was very smart indeed.\n\nIt is probably the most timeless device I have, design-wise – bezels and all\\!\n\n## A constant companion\nThe role the M1 MacBook Air plays in my life is one of a constant companion. The M1 Mac mini is my new daily workhorse and undertakes all of the heavy lifting, but if that computer died, I’d have no hesitation in turning to the Air.\n\nAlthough travel has been restricted since my purchase, the UK is gradually reopening, and the M1 MacBook Air will join me wherever I go – of that, I have no doubt.\n\nThat’s what makes it such a special laptop. The fact it is small, light and reliable enough when it comes to battery standby time makes it the perfect laptop. Throw in the fact that the M1 – even at its absolute base level – is capable of doubling as a production workhorse when needed, and the M1 MacBook Air is easily the best Mac I’ve ever bought.","meta_canonical":null}

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Meta Description	Time for my final M1 MacBook Air review of this current generation. How has it fared since I bought it back in December?
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Boilerpipe Text	We may earn compensation from reviewed products. Learn about our editorial policies . The M1 MacBook Air continues to be the bane of my YouTube audience’s life. Held up against the M1 MacBook Pro, few people can differentiate the two, bar the presence of the Touch Bar and a couple of additional hours’ battery life on the latter. Indeed, choosing between a 16GB M1 MacBook Air and the 8GB M1 MacBook Pro is one of the most common questions raised within the comments threads of my videos. It’s why I decided to put together a series of buying guides for M1 machines (although, arguably, they’ve done little to help some sections of my audience). Which one will last longer? Which one will result in less SSD damage? Which one will be better at 4K video editing? I feel their pain. But, today, I’m here to sing the praises of the absolute base-spec model of the M1 MacBook Air. It’s the one you don’t add anything to; you simply place it into your basket as it is, hit ‘checkout’ and wait for it to arrive. It is an amazing computer. Let’s get that 7-core GPU thing out of the way It doesn’t matter. Honestly. I also have an M1 Mac mini and that has the 8-core GPU version of the M1 (and 16GB of RAM, versus my MacBook Air’s 8GB). Both machines can edit 4K video identically and undertake any graphics-related task without any trouble whatsoever. Call it a price bracketing trick on Apple’s behalf or the fact that they need to sell off the M1s which end up with 7-cores of graphics performance as a result of manufacturing processes; in real-world usage, it doesn’t make any difference whatsoever. So, if you fancy that base-spec M1 MacBook Air but you’re concerned about having one less graphics core than your mate, don’t be. I’m so glad I bought the base spec People are often afraid of buying base-spec Apple Macs . I was one of those people until I got my hands on this M1 MacBook Air. A case in point: I specced up my 16” MacBook Pro in 2019 to be the most powerful laptop I could afford. Fast-forward less than two years, and it has been replaced by two machines whose combined price is still about £1,000 less than the 16” MacBook Pro. That’s quite a bitter pill to swallow – trust me. And, while I have indeed specced up the Mac mini a little, the MacBook Air I’m writing this article on is the cheapest you can buy. I’m so glad I didn’t add anything to it. I don’t need 16GB of RAM , and I don’t need any more internal storage than 256GB. If I’d spent more money on this laptop, it would have been an absolute waste, and there’s something quite refreshing about owning the base spec version of a Mac – particularly when you’re someone like me who has upgraded to wallet-destroying levels in the past. The iPad has been relegated Apple are rumoured to announce a new iPad Pro soon, but I couldn’t be less interested. The fault for this lies squarely with the M1 MacBook Air because it has completely replaced my 12.9” iPad Pro as my main writing device. Every blog I’ve published since December has been written on the M1 MacBook Air. Often, that includes the editing process for the feature image, too (I use Lightroom for this task, and it runs fantastically on the Air). Before December, my blogs would always start life on the iPad, complete with Magic Keyboard. Now, my big iPad Pro has been largely replaced by an iPad Air, whose role is almost solely one of consumption with the odd bit of note-taking thrown in for good measure. In my world, the MacBook Air has completely cannibalised the iPad when it comes to productivity. That’s both impressive and a bit of a shame when you consider the significant strides the iPad has made recently in terms of becoming a genuine laptop replacement. The absence of the Touch Bar If you’re trying to decide between the M1 MacBook Pro and Air, I can, hands-down, tell you not to use the Touch Bar as a differentiating factor. There are two reasons for this. The first is that Apple is rumoured to be discontinuing the Touch Bar on future MacBooks. The second is that it is totally pointless . I welcome alternative views in the comments, as always, but my use of the Touch Bar on the 16” MacBook Pro extended as far as adjusting the volume and screen brightness and, occasionally, as a quick way to access Ulysses Markdown shortcuts. The Touch Bar is either irritating or completely irrelevant, 99% of the time. It’s far too easy to hit it by mistake, and Apple has unashamedly ignored it since the introduction of this over-engineered strip of pointlessness in 2016. The MacBook Air only serves to confirm just how needless the Touch Bar is. The battery life needs a dose of common sense I’ve already covered this in another article , but it’s worth reiterating that the M1 MacBook Air’s battery life, while impressive, isn’t quite as “biblical” as I’d first suggested. I wasn’t alone with that initial assessment. Indeed, most reviews focused intently on the Air’s battery life which is afforded by the M1’s low power consumption. But when you use this laptop properly, the battery life will drain quicker than you might expect. And by ‘properly’, I mean straying beyond the apps which are considerate of your battery. Yes, that means most third-party apps and a huge number of web services. None of them are as fine-tuned, battery-wise, as Apple’s own apps. They suffer from memory leaks and, arguably, some of the secret sauce Apple is obviously able to inject into its own code to ensure users get the absolute best experience from their Mac. I’m not disappointed by the battery life on the M1 MacBook Air at all, I’ve just learned that it requires a heavy dose of common sense. If, for instance, I fire up Chrome, Discord, Trello and a Safari tab running Notion and leave them all running at the same time, the Air’s battery drains relatively quickly. That’s fine. It isn’t superhuman. If you’re a stock Apple app user, you’ll experience the best battery life possible on the Air. But I still maintain that the real star of the show is the standby time, which still amazes me every single day. The design: genuinely timeless A quick note on the M1 MacBook Air’s design. Yes, it’s identical to the Intel generation. And, yes, it hasn’t really changed for years. But that doesn’t matter. There hasn’t been a single moment during my time with it over these four months where it has felt outdated or in need of a refresh. Whether it’s the tapered design, low profile or beautifully simple construction, whatever Apple did when they first designed the MacBook Air was very smart indeed. It is probably the most timeless device I have, design-wise – bezels and all! A constant companion The role the M1 MacBook Air plays in my life is one of a constant companion. The M1 Mac mini is my new daily workhorse and undertakes all of the heavy lifting, but if that computer died, I’d have no hesitation in turning to the Air. Although travel has been restricted since my purchase, the UK is gradually reopening, and the M1 MacBook Air will join me wherever I go – of that, I have no doubt. That’s what makes it such a special laptop. The fact it is small, light and reliable enough when it comes to battery standby time makes it the perfect laptop. Throw in the fact that the M1 – even at its absolute base level – is capable of doubling as a production workhorse when needed, and the M1 MacBook Air is easily the best Mac I’ve ever bought.
Markdown	[Close Menu](https://markellisreviews.com/reviews/m1-macbook-air-4-month-review/) [Facebook](https://markellisreviews.com/reviews/m1-macbook-air-4-month-review/) [X (Twitter)](https://twitter.com/mellisreviews) [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/markellisreviews/) partnerships@markellismedia.uk [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwwuSBYcErVlOpveYubHv4g) [X (Twitter)](https://twitter.com/mellisreviews) [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/markellisreviews/) [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/markellisreviews/) [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@mellisreviews) [Newsletter](https://newsletter.markellismedia.uk/subscribe) [![Mark Ellis Reviews](https://markellisreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MARK-ELLIS-MASTER-SCREEN-LOGO-BLACK-SMALL-200px-optimized.webp)](https://markellisreviews.com/ "Mark Ellis Reviews") - [Home](https://markellisreviews.com/) - [Reviews](https://markellisreviews.com/category/reviews/) - [Tech News](https://markellisreviews.com/category/tech-news/) - [Opinion](https://markellisreviews.com/category/tech-opinion/) - [Buying Guides](https://markellisreviews.com/category/buying-guide/) - [Tech Tips & Guides](https://markellisreviews.com/category/tech-tips-guides/) - [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwwuSBYcErVlOpveYubHv4g) - [Contact](https://markellisreviews.com/contact/) - [Newsletter](https://newsletter.markellismedia.uk/subscribe) - [Apple](https://markellisreviews.com/tag/apple/) - [iPhone](https://markellisreviews.com/tag/iphone/) - [Android](https://markellisreviews.com/tag/android/) - [MacBook Neo](https://markellisreviews.com/tech-news/macbook-neo/) - [iPhone 17e](https://markellisreviews.com/tech-news/iphone-17e/) - [M5 MacBook Air](https://markellisreviews.com/tech-news/m5-macbook-air/) - [M4 iPad Air](https://markellisreviews.com/tech-news/m4-ipad-air/) - [M5 MacBook Pro](https://markellisreviews.com/tech-news/m5-macbook-pro-everything-you-need-to-know/) - [Best Phones](https://markellisreviews.com/buying-guide/best-phone/) - [Best Headphones](https://markellisreviews.com/buying-guide/best-headphones-worn-and-reviewed-by-us/) - [Best Apple Watch](https://markellisreviews.com/buying-guide/best-apple-watch/) [![Mark Ellis Reviews](https://markellisreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MARK-ELLIS-MASTER-SCREEN-LOGO-BLACK-SMALL-200px-optimized.webp)](https://markellisreviews.com/ "Mark Ellis Reviews") [Home](https://markellisreviews.com/) » [Blog](https://markellisreviews.com/blog/) » [Reviews](https://markellisreviews.com/category/reviews/) » M1 MacBook Air 4-Month Review [Reviews](https://markellisreviews.com/category/reviews/) # M1 MacBook Air 4-Month Review ![Mark Ellis](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/c31ec335fb505be071db1a5208810b6fd9d4c89335c65800e5f295c2c0907fb5?s=32&d=mm&r=g)By [Mark Ellis](https://markellisreviews.com/author/mellis/ "Posts by Mark Ellis") Updated: April 13, 2021 [2 Comments](https://markellisreviews.com/reviews/m1-macbook-air-4-month-review/#comments)7 Mins Read We may earn compensation from reviewed products. Learn about our [editorial policies](https://markellisreviews.com/editorial-guidelines/#earning-disclosure). The M1 MacBook Air continues to be the bane of my YouTube audience’s life. Held up against the M1 MacBook Pro, few people can differentiate the two, bar the presence of the Touch Bar and a couple of additional hours’ battery life on the latter. Indeed, choosing between a 16GB M1 MacBook Air and the 8GB M1 MacBook Pro is one of the most common questions raised within the comments threads of my videos. It’s why I decided to put together [a series of buying guides for M1 machines](https://markellisreviews.com/buying-guide/m1-macbook-air-buying-guide/) (although, arguably, they’ve done little to help some sections of my audience). Which one will last longer? Which one will result in less SSD damage? Which one will be better at 4K video editing? I feel their pain. But, today, I’m here to sing the praises of the absolute base-spec model of the M1 MacBook Air. It’s the one you don’t add anything to; you simply place it into your basket as it is, hit ‘checkout’ and wait for it to arrive. It is an amazing computer. ## Let’s get that 7-core GPU thing out of the way It doesn’t matter. Honestly. I also have an M1 Mac mini and that has the 8-core GPU version of the M1 (and 16GB of RAM, versus my MacBook Air’s 8GB). Both machines can edit 4K video identically and undertake any graphics-related task without any trouble whatsoever. Call it a price bracketing trick on Apple’s behalf or the fact that they need to sell off the M1s which end up with 7-cores of graphics performance as a result of manufacturing processes; in real-world usage, it doesn’t make any difference whatsoever. So, if you fancy that base-spec M1 MacBook Air but you’re concerned about having one less graphics core than your mate, don’t be. ## I’m so glad I bought the base spec People are often [afraid of buying base-spec Apple Macs](https://markellisreviews.com/tech-opinion/why-are-we-so-afraid-of-base-spec-macs/). I was one of those people until I got my hands on this M1 MacBook Air. A case in point: I specced up my 16” MacBook Pro in 2019 to be the most powerful laptop I could afford. Fast-forward less than two years, and it has been replaced by two machines whose combined price is still about £1,000 less than the 16” MacBook Pro. That’s quite a bitter pill to swallow – trust me. And, while I have indeed specced up the Mac mini a little, the MacBook Air I’m writing this article on is the cheapest you can buy. I’m so glad I didn’t add anything to it. I [don’t need 16GB of RAM](https://markellisreviews.com/tech-opinion/8gb-vs-16gb-m1-macbook-does-it-even-matter/), and I don’t need any more internal storage than 256GB. If I’d spent more money on this laptop, it would have been an absolute waste, and there’s something quite refreshing about owning the base spec version of a Mac – particularly when you’re someone like me who has upgraded to wallet-destroying levels in the past. ## The iPad has been relegated Apple are rumoured to announce a new iPad Pro soon, but I couldn’t be less interested. The fault for this lies squarely with the M1 MacBook Air because it has completely replaced my 12.9” iPad Pro as my main writing device. Every blog I’ve published since December has been written on the M1 MacBook Air. Often, that includes the editing process for the feature image, too (I use Lightroom for this task, and it runs fantastically on the Air). Before December, my blogs would always start life on the iPad, complete with Magic Keyboard. Now, my big iPad Pro has been largely replaced by an iPad Air, whose role is almost solely one of consumption with the odd bit of note-taking thrown in for good measure. In my world, [the MacBook Air](https://markellisreviews.com/reviews/m1-macbook-air-review/) has completely cannibalised the iPad when it comes to productivity. That’s both impressive and a bit of a shame when you consider the significant strides the iPad has made recently in terms of becoming a genuine laptop replacement. ## The absence of the Touch Bar If you’re trying to decide between the M1 MacBook Pro and Air, I can, hands-down, tell you not to use the Touch Bar as a differentiating factor. There are two reasons for this. The first is that Apple is rumoured to be discontinuing the Touch Bar on future MacBooks. The second is that it is totally pointless. I welcome alternative views in the comments, as always, but my use of the Touch Bar on the 16” MacBook Pro extended as far as adjusting the volume and screen brightness and, occasionally, as a quick way to access Ulysses Markdown shortcuts. The Touch Bar is either irritating or completely irrelevant, 99% of the time. It’s far too easy to hit it by mistake, and Apple has unashamedly ignored it since the introduction of this over-engineered strip of pointlessness in 2016. The MacBook Air only serves to confirm just how needless the Touch Bar is. ## The battery life needs a dose of common sense I’ve already covered this [in another article](https://markellisreviews.com/tech-opinion/turns-out-the-m1-macbook-airs-battery-isnt-so-great-if-you-use-it-properly/), but it’s worth reiterating that the M1 MacBook Air’s battery life, while impressive, isn’t quite as “biblical” as I’d first suggested. I wasn’t alone with that initial assessment. Indeed, most reviews focused intently on the Air’s battery life which is afforded by the M1’s low power consumption. But when you use this laptop properly, the battery life will drain quicker than you might expect. And by ‘properly’, I mean straying beyond the apps which are considerate of your battery. Yes, that means most third-party apps and a huge number of web services. None of them are as fine-tuned, battery-wise, as Apple’s own apps. They suffer from memory leaks and, arguably, some of the secret sauce Apple is obviously able to inject into its own code to ensure users get the absolute best experience from their Mac. I’m not disappointed by the battery life on the M1 MacBook Air at all, I’ve just learned that it requires a heavy dose of common sense. If, for instance, I fire up Chrome, Discord, Trello and a Safari tab running Notion and leave them all running at the same time, the Air’s battery drains relatively quickly. That’s fine. It isn’t superhuman. If you’re a stock Apple app user, you’ll experience the best battery life possible on the Air. But I still maintain that the real star of the show is the standby time, which still amazes me every single day. ## The design: genuinely timeless A quick note on the M1 MacBook Air’s design. Yes, it’s identical to the Intel generation. And, yes, it hasn’t really changed for years. But that doesn’t matter. There hasn’t been a single moment during my time with it over these four months where it has felt outdated or in need of a refresh. Whether it’s the tapered design, low profile or beautifully simple construction, whatever Apple did when they first designed the MacBook Air was very smart indeed. It is probably the most timeless device I have, design-wise – bezels and all\! ## A constant companion The role the M1 MacBook Air plays in my life is one of a constant companion. The M1 Mac mini is my new daily workhorse and undertakes all of the heavy lifting, but if that computer died, I’d have no hesitation in turning to the Air. Although travel has been restricted since my purchase, the UK is gradually reopening, and the M1 MacBook Air will join me wherever I go – of that, I have no doubt. That’s what makes it such a special laptop. The fact it is small, light and reliable enough when it comes to battery standby time makes it the perfect laptop. Throw in the fact that the M1 – even at its absolute base level – is capable of doubling as a production workhorse when needed, and the M1 MacBook Air is easily the best Mac I’ve ever bought. [Apple](https://markellisreviews.com/tag/apple/) [Apple Silicon](https://markellisreviews.com/tag/apple-silicon/) [Laptops](https://markellisreviews.com/tag/laptops/) [MacBook](https://markellisreviews.com/tag/macbook/) ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/c31ec335fb505be071db1a5208810b6fd9d4c89335c65800e5f295c2c0907fb5?s=95&d=mm&r=g) [Mark Ellis](https://markellisreviews.com/author/mellis/ "Posts by Mark Ellis") - [Website](https://markellisreviews.com/ "Website") - [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/markellisreviews/ "Facebook") - [X (Twitter)](http://mellisreviews/ "X (Twitter)") - [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/markellisreviews/ "Instagram") Mark Ellis has been the Chief Reviewer and the driving force behind MarkEllisReviews.com since its inception in 2020 (the guy the website’s named after!). As the founder of the site, Mark has built a reputation for delivering relatable tech reviews and advice for normal people. Now Mark primarily reviews the biggest tech releases from Apple to Android and attends events across the globe to keep his finger on the pulse of upcoming developments. 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Readable Markdown	We may earn compensation from reviewed products. Learn about our [editorial policies](https://markellisreviews.com/editorial-guidelines/#earning-disclosure). The M1 MacBook Air continues to be the bane of my YouTube audience’s life. Held up against the M1 MacBook Pro, few people can differentiate the two, bar the presence of the Touch Bar and a couple of additional hours’ battery life on the latter. Indeed, choosing between a 16GB M1 MacBook Air and the 8GB M1 MacBook Pro is one of the most common questions raised within the comments threads of my videos. It’s why I decided to put together [a series of buying guides for M1 machines](https://markellisreviews.com/buying-guide/m1-macbook-air-buying-guide/) (although, arguably, they’ve done little to help some sections of my audience). Which one will last longer? Which one will result in less SSD damage? Which one will be better at 4K video editing? I feel their pain. But, today, I’m here to sing the praises of the absolute base-spec model of the M1 MacBook Air. It’s the one you don’t add anything to; you simply place it into your basket as it is, hit ‘checkout’ and wait for it to arrive. It is an amazing computer. ## Let’s get that 7-core GPU thing out of the way It doesn’t matter. Honestly. I also have an M1 Mac mini and that has the 8-core GPU version of the M1 (and 16GB of RAM, versus my MacBook Air’s 8GB). Both machines can edit 4K video identically and undertake any graphics-related task without any trouble whatsoever. Call it a price bracketing trick on Apple’s behalf or the fact that they need to sell off the M1s which end up with 7-cores of graphics performance as a result of manufacturing processes; in real-world usage, it doesn’t make any difference whatsoever. So, if you fancy that base-spec M1 MacBook Air but you’re concerned about having one less graphics core than your mate, don’t be. ## I’m so glad I bought the base spec People are often [afraid of buying base-spec Apple Macs](https://markellisreviews.com/tech-opinion/why-are-we-so-afraid-of-base-spec-macs/). I was one of those people until I got my hands on this M1 MacBook Air. A case in point: I specced up my 16” MacBook Pro in 2019 to be the most powerful laptop I could afford. Fast-forward less than two years, and it has been replaced by two machines whose combined price is still about £1,000 less than the 16” MacBook Pro. That’s quite a bitter pill to swallow – trust me. And, while I have indeed specced up the Mac mini a little, the MacBook Air I’m writing this article on is the cheapest you can buy. I’m so glad I didn’t add anything to it. I [don’t need 16GB of RAM](https://markellisreviews.com/tech-opinion/8gb-vs-16gb-m1-macbook-does-it-even-matter/), and I don’t need any more internal storage than 256GB. If I’d spent more money on this laptop, it would have been an absolute waste, and there’s something quite refreshing about owning the base spec version of a Mac – particularly when you’re someone like me who has upgraded to wallet-destroying levels in the past. ## The iPad has been relegated Apple are rumoured to announce a new iPad Pro soon, but I couldn’t be less interested. The fault for this lies squarely with the M1 MacBook Air because it has completely replaced my 12.9” iPad Pro as my main writing device. Every blog I’ve published since December has been written on the M1 MacBook Air. Often, that includes the editing process for the feature image, too (I use Lightroom for this task, and it runs fantastically on the Air). Before December, my blogs would always start life on the iPad, complete with Magic Keyboard. Now, my big iPad Pro has been largely replaced by an iPad Air, whose role is almost solely one of consumption with the odd bit of note-taking thrown in for good measure. In my world, [the MacBook Air](https://markellisreviews.com/reviews/m1-macbook-air-review/) has completely cannibalised the iPad when it comes to productivity. That’s both impressive and a bit of a shame when you consider the significant strides the iPad has made recently in terms of becoming a genuine laptop replacement. ## The absence of the Touch Bar If you’re trying to decide between the M1 MacBook Pro and Air, I can, hands-down, tell you not to use the Touch Bar as a differentiating factor. There are two reasons for this. The first is that Apple is rumoured to be discontinuing the Touch Bar on future MacBooks. The second is that it is totally pointless. I welcome alternative views in the comments, as always, but my use of the Touch Bar on the 16” MacBook Pro extended as far as adjusting the volume and screen brightness and, occasionally, as a quick way to access Ulysses Markdown shortcuts. The Touch Bar is either irritating or completely irrelevant, 99% of the time. It’s far too easy to hit it by mistake, and Apple has unashamedly ignored it since the introduction of this over-engineered strip of pointlessness in 2016. The MacBook Air only serves to confirm just how needless the Touch Bar is. ## The battery life needs a dose of common sense I’ve already covered this [in another article](https://markellisreviews.com/tech-opinion/turns-out-the-m1-macbook-airs-battery-isnt-so-great-if-you-use-it-properly/), but it’s worth reiterating that the M1 MacBook Air’s battery life, while impressive, isn’t quite as “biblical” as I’d first suggested. I wasn’t alone with that initial assessment. Indeed, most reviews focused intently on the Air’s battery life which is afforded by the M1’s low power consumption. But when you use this laptop properly, the battery life will drain quicker than you might expect. And by ‘properly’, I mean straying beyond the apps which are considerate of your battery. Yes, that means most third-party apps and a huge number of web services. None of them are as fine-tuned, battery-wise, as Apple’s own apps. They suffer from memory leaks and, arguably, some of the secret sauce Apple is obviously able to inject into its own code to ensure users get the absolute best experience from their Mac. I’m not disappointed by the battery life on the M1 MacBook Air at all, I’ve just learned that it requires a heavy dose of common sense. If, for instance, I fire up Chrome, Discord, Trello and a Safari tab running Notion and leave them all running at the same time, the Air’s battery drains relatively quickly. That’s fine. It isn’t superhuman. If you’re a stock Apple app user, you’ll experience the best battery life possible on the Air. But I still maintain that the real star of the show is the standby time, which still amazes me every single day. ## The design: genuinely timeless A quick note on the M1 MacBook Air’s design. Yes, it’s identical to the Intel generation. And, yes, it hasn’t really changed for years. But that doesn’t matter. There hasn’t been a single moment during my time with it over these four months where it has felt outdated or in need of a refresh. Whether it’s the tapered design, low profile or beautifully simple construction, whatever Apple did when they first designed the MacBook Air was very smart indeed. It is probably the most timeless device I have, design-wise – bezels and all\! ## A constant companion The role the M1 MacBook Air plays in my life is one of a constant companion. The M1 Mac mini is my new daily workhorse and undertakes all of the heavy lifting, but if that computer died, I’d have no hesitation in turning to the Air. Although travel has been restricted since my purchase, the UK is gradually reopening, and the M1 MacBook Air will join me wherever I go – of that, I have no doubt. That’s what makes it such a special laptop. The fact it is small, light and reliable enough when it comes to battery standby time makes it the perfect laptop. Throw in the fact that the M1 – even at its absolute base level – is capable of doubling as a production workhorse when needed, and the M1 MacBook Air is easily the best Mac I’ve ever bought.
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