To see how much storage these other files take up on your Mac, go to Apple Menu About this Mac and tap the Storage tab Wait for the information to populate The “Other” category is a combination of files that are not recognized as one of the other file types (Music, Apps, etc.). Both the MacBook Air M1’s and the MacBook Pro 13-inch have very similar internals: M1 chip with an 8‑core CPU and 7- or 8‑core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine, 8GB unified memory, and 256GB SSD storage.
Over the past couple of months, I've been using one of the new Apple MacBook Airs based on Apple's proprietary M1 processor, and I've been very impressed. It has proven quite speedy in day-to-day use. Apple has done a surprisingly good job at getting applications to run on the new silicon.
What's really worth talking about with the new MacBook Air is Apple's M1 processor. This is Apple's proprietary design, which takes some of the items already used in Apple's A14 Bionic processor (used in the iPhone 12) and processors for the iPhone and iPad and expands them. Apple's processors use the ARM instruction set, but Apple designs its own cores for both the CPU and GPU.
My niece was running out of space on her MacBook Air. I did some digging using About This Mac under storage and found she has 78GB of “Other” storage. What kind of files does this “Other.
The M1 has 4 high-performance cores and 4 efficiency CPU cores, 7 or 8 GPU cores, and what Apple describes as a 16-core 'neural engine.' It is clocked at 3.2GHz and built on TSMC's 5nm process. I've been using the basic $999 MacBook Air, which has 8GB of RAM and 256GB of flash storage, and a 7-core version of the GPU; as opposed to the $1,249 model with an 8-core GPU and 512GB of storage.
I've tried ARM-based processors before—such as in the Lenovo Flex 5G—and found great battery life, but limited performance and compatibility. The good news about the M1 is that Apple seems to have kept the battery life, but has also done surprisingly well at performance and compatibility.
With Mac OS 11.1 (Big Sur), the M1-powered MacBook Air can run three classes of applications: native applications designed for the processor; Intel-applications that run through the Rosetta 2 emulator; and applications designed for the iPhone or iPad. I've tried all of these. (Note that Big Sur does not support 32-bit legacy apps, like Office 2011, but really those applications should have been upgraded long ago.)
Of course, all of Apple's native applications, such as Mail, Safari, and FaceTime are now native, and these were quite responsive. I was able to run native versions of the core Microsoft Office applications, Zoom, WebEx, and Firefox. All of these worked as expected, and seemed quite snappy.
For applications that haven't yet been ported, you can use the Rosetta 2 emulation mode, though when you install them you get a pop-up telling you that you are using software designed for Intel processors. In this fashion, Photoshop worked well enough, though it wasn't quite as responsive as it is on Intel-based machines. Adobe says a native version of it, and the other parts of the Creative Cloud client applications, are coming soon. (Lightroom is available in a native version.) I'd be skeptical of Rosetta for things like video editing or gaming, but for daily productivity work, compatibility isn't a problem. Note that most high-end gaming titles are not available on macOS, but there are plenty of older and casual games available.
Theoretically, you can also run iOS and iPadOS apps on the new MacBook as well, but few of these seem to be available yet. (Of course, many of those apps are optimized for touch use, which the Mac doesn't support, so they'll need some updating.)
So how fast is the MacBook Air and the M1? In PCMag's tests, the new MacBook Air did phenomenally well on GeekBench, but I'm not sure how relevant that is, as there are differences in the architectures (such as cache amounts and SMT) that may impact benchmarks more than real-world applications. But it was also quite impressive on the native version of Cinebench (R23), and while not as impressive, still quite good on Cinebench R15, the Intel version run through emulation. It was slower than other Macs on the Intel-based Photoshop benchmark, though the results were still comparable with most Windows notebooks without discrete graphics. (PCMag goes into more detail here about how the M1 does on different applications, including gaming.)
Of course, what matters is how it works in the real world. In my use, all of the native applications seemed quite impressive, and while emulated applications like Photoshop weren't as snappy, they ran well enough. I was pleasantly surprised to see that a very large spreadsheet I often use for testing completed in 39 minutes, faster than I've seen on any Windows-based laptop, including the notably larger ThinkPad X1 Extreme (where it took 44 minutes).
With numbers like this, Apple's new M1 proves to be more than competitive with the latest Intel and AMD mobile processors. It's a huge change from the last time Apple tried to design its own laptop processors, back in the PowerPC era. Some of this is now due to the fact that TSMC's 5nm node is more dense and more efficient than Intel's 10nm node, but some has to be due to the design itself—Apple has gained a lot of experience by designing chips for phones and tablets.
Also, the MacBook Air has a 50 watt-hour battery, and in its tests, PCMag got an amazing 29 hours of battery life. I didn't get nearly that, but it did make it through a full day on a charge with some battery to spare.
Machine Details
Beyond just the processor, the new MacBook Air doesn't look very much changed from previous models. With a 13.3-inch, 2,560-by-1,600 display, it measures 0.63 by 11.97 by 8.36 inches and weighs 2.8 pounds, very good for this class of machine, if no longer special. Compared to some of the newer designs I've seen lately, the bezels around the screen are a bit larger, but not enough so that it makes a huge difference. The 400-nit IPS display looks great, with a wide color gamut. For reasons I still do not understand, Apple does not offer a touch screen option, which I do find useful in Windows laptops.
The MacBook Air has two USB-C/Thunderbolt ports on the left side of the machine, which are also used for charging, and a headphone jack on the right. Of course, I wish it had more ports (HDMI in particular would be useful) but it's better than some Apple laptops that just have a single USB-C. In use as my desktop, I mostly used a dongle with an HDMI port so I could add an external monitor and a USB-A port for an external keyboard and mouse. (Since I use more Windows machines than Apple ones, I admit I changed the mouse direction settings.) As usual for Apple laptops I've used, I found the large trackpad to work quite well. Apple has updated the keyboard from the last one I used, and though it's a little shallow, I thought it was actually quite good.
The MacBook Air was fine on video conferencing. The internal 720p webcam was quite good. Of the machines I've tested recently, the only one I'd rate better would be on the Surface Pro 7, and then not by much. The audio from twin speakers on either side of the keyboard sounded quite good. It doesn't have the noise cancelling features of the latest high-end Windows notebooks, but for a basic consumer notebook, it's very nice.
It lacks some business features. There's no physical webcam cover, no LTE or 5G option, and no option for some of the features often used in enterprise management. (While many enterprises do have some Macs, they typically manage them separately from mainstream enterprise notebooks.) But none of this is surprising. It doesn't have face unlocking but does have Touch ID via a nice fingerprint reader built into the power button, and you can also use an Apple Watch to unlock.
I'm not going to review the latest version of MacOS, Big Sur (I'm running version 11.1) now (here's PCMag's review) but it adds a lot of nice but not huge improvements, such as a new Control Center and Notifications (that now look more like their equivalents in iOS), along with some more significant privacy changes in Safari. Needless to say, MacOS integrates far more deeply with iPhones than Windows does; and less well with Android phones. (I find it works quite well. Both Windows and MacOS have their advocates and have for years, and nothing in the current version of either is likely to compel users to switch.)
Overall, the M1-powered MacBook Air is a terrific laptop for the price, and a big step-up from previous MacBooks. While there are some features I'd love to have—more ports, smaller bezels, a webcam cover, and a cellular option are top of mind—the MacBook Air is a very solidly built notebook with a great display and surprisingly good performance.
Here's PCMag's full review.
Apple released not one but two MacBook Airs this year, and if you're looking to buy now, you're probably looking at the MacBook Air M1 vs MacBook Air Intel and wondering what the difference is. While Apple only sells the M1 version now, the Intel version is still available all over other stores, and both have rated among our picks of the best lightweight laptops.
Only months after releasing the Intel-powered MacBook Air 2020 with more powerful internals, bigger storage capacity, and a £100/$100 drop in price from the 2019 model, Apple couldn’t help itself, and reinvented its thinnest and lightest laptop on the inside with a revolutionary new M1 chip made by Apple to replace the Intel processor.
• MacBook Air M1 vs MacBook Pro M1 – Apple's new laptops go head to head
The result is breathtaking. Releasing the MacBook Air M1 is certainly a brilliant move on Apple’s part, with the laptop being not only the most powerful Air to date – not to mention the longest-lasting when it comes to battery – but also one of the most powerful laptops of any kind. All while inheriting its predecessors’ improved features like the Magic Keyboard and Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity. And, it’s certainly a better proposition for the same price.
Then again, the MacBook Air 2020 has something going for it that its albeit more powerful successor doesn’t: an even cheaper price tag. With the MacBook Air M1 being the newest model, remaining stock of the MacBook Air 2020 has been dropping in price in the latest MacBook Air deals. That makes it an appealing option for the budget-minded, which is the line’s target market in the first place.
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MacBook Air M1 vs MacBook Air 2020: Price
When it first came out, the MacBook Air 2020 cost £999/$999AU$1,599 for its base model, offering a nice £100/$100/AU$100 price drop from the 2019 model for more powerful specs and double the storage, among other improvements. The higher-end model, on the other hand, was priced at £1,299/$1,299/AU$1,999.
The MacBook Air M1 dropped at the same price point for the base model. However, its higher-end model is priced at £1,249/$1,249/AU$1,949. Both models tout Apple’s M1 chip, giving it even better performance and much-improved battery life. That makes it the better – perhaps even the obvious – choice for many people looking for power and value.
On the other hand, with the MacBook Air M1 taking on the mantle as Apple’s thinnest and lightest, the MacBook Air 2020 is already dropping in price, with stores like Amazon and Best Buy offering their remaining units for £100/$100 less. So, while the MacBook Air M1 may offer better value due to its price to performance ratio, the MacBook Air 2020 makes for an attractive choice for those who could use that extra bit of cash for something else.
MacBook Air M1 vs MacBook Air 2020: Design and features
There’s effectively no visual difference between the MacBook Air M1 and the MacBook Air 2020. Though Apple could have taken the opportunity to give the Air M1 a complete overhaul, it played it safe, giving it the same body and design as the Air 2020.
Both have the same 0.41–1.61x30.41x21.24cm dimensions and 1.29 kg weight, even though the Air M1 has the more compact Apple components inside. They both have a 13.3-inch 2560x1600 LED-backlit Retina display (though the M1 Mac supports the wider P3 colour gamut), 720p camera (though the M1's is slightly better), wide stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos support, Touch ID sensor, Force Touch trackpad, and that Magic keyboard that replaces those horrible-all-around Butterfly keyboards from 2019 and prior. And, they both come in Gold, Silver, and Space Grey colours.
The only thing that’s different when it comes to design is something most of us won’t notice: instead of the Air 2020’s two Thunderbolt 3/USB-C ports, the new Air M1 has opted for two Thunderbolt 4/USB-C ports instead. If that sounds foreign to you, it’s because it’s new, so new that only the late 2020 generation of Macs and MacBooks as well as Intel 11th Gen Tiger Lake laptops have it.
This next-generation port promises faster transfer speeds and improved video bandwidth management. However, to the less discerning, this change probably won’t matter as much – especially because these ports on the Air M1 are backwards compatible with Thunderbolt 3.
In any case, this lack of design updates may be great news to folks who love the Air 2020 design, as well as those Air 2019 and earlier owners who desperately need to move on from those Butterfly keys.
However, if you’re looking for a massive redesign on your next MacBook Air and you already have the MacBook Air 2020, you’re probably better off waiting until Apple finally decides to make more drastic changes.
MacBook Air M1 vs MacBook Air 2020: Specs and performance
Mac Os Other Storage
While the design remains largely unchanged, Apple has gone through great lengths to improve the MacBook Air’s internals. Make no mistake: the MacBook Air 2020 was already a capable laptop in its own right, rocking Intel’s 10th generation processors as well as Iris Plus Graphics and faster LPDDR4X RAM.
In addition, it also helped usher in the new era of bigger storage space in MacBooks, which has always been a bit of a sore spot. Previously, MacBook Air laptops started with 128 GB or 256 GB of space, depending on the configuration. Anyone looking to upgrade it would have had to pay a steep price.
The MacBook Air 2020, on the other hand, doubled its starting storage space to 256GB and 512GB, again depending on the configuration. It saves a lot of MacBook Air buyers from having to pay the upgrade costs – though bigger storage upgrades are still very much on hand for those who absolutely need more space.
The MacBook Air M1 has, thankfully, inherited these storage space changes, just as it did the Air 2020’s Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity. However, it also brings to the table a fresh batch of innards – and by fresh, we mean fresh from Apple’s own oven.
Macbook Air Storage Full
Abandoning Intel chips, this next-generation of MacBook Air laptops now use Apple’s new M1 chip, which comes with an 8-core CPU and an integrated 7‑core or 8-core GPU. Based on tests so far, it's anywhere between twice as fast and over three times as fast as the previous MacBook Air, and is actually on par with 16-inch MacBook Pros. It's a Bugatti hiding in the body of a hatchback, basically.
The graphics chip also looks to be on the same level as lower-end discrete GPUs from Nvidia, which is also a huge, huge step up from what came before.
And, so far, its performance has been quite ground-breaking while maintaining better power efficiency. That means that the MacBook Air M1 also has longer battery life – up to 18 hours of video playback, to be exact. That’s certainly a huge improvement over the Air 2020’s 12 hours.
The new version of macOS, Big Sur, is capable of running applications built specifically for the M1 chip, but can also translate legacy apps built for Intel-based MacBooks to run on it, and because the machine is so fast, these still faster than almost any other laptop. And because the chip is the same basic type as is used in the iPhone and iPad, you can also run iOS or iPadOS apps and games on the M1.
MacBook Air M1 vs MacBook Air 2020: Verdict
In terms of design, some MacBook Air users might be disappointed that Apple hasn’t given the MacBook Air M1 a proper update beyond the next-generation ports and slightly upgraded screen. We'd particularly like to see the bezels around the screen slimmed in the future, boosting screen size to 14-inch or so.
However, when it comes with the new M1 chip, you're getting not just a leap forward in performance, but also longer battery life, cooler operation, and a whole lot of versatility when it comes to the apps it can run. That isn’t to say that the Intel MacBook Air 2020 wasn't perfectly capable, but that new silicon from Apple turns its lightest and thinnest laptop into a machine capable of handling even high-end software.
How To Find Other Storage On Mac
So, when choosing between the MacBook Air M1 and its predecessor, the MacBook Air 2020, it boils down to what your needs are and how much you’re willing to pay.
Remove Other Storage On Macbook Air
With the Air M1 on the shelves, the Air 2020 laptops are dropping in price, and you could save 10-15% of the price, which you can use for something else – a new MacBook accessory, perhaps. If budget is a major factor in your decision, and you really don’t need that boost in power that the M1 chip offers, the MacBook Air 2020 is worth a serious consideration.
However, if your budget is flexible, and you’d rather get the best value for your money, the internal upgrades that the MacBook Air M1 brings to the table is well worth paying full price for.