I did some journalling 😂 I do wonder how many of my fellow UA-camrs actually do what they say they do! Anyway, thanks so much for watching! And don’t forget to check the other videos in this series: M2 MacBook Air - A DAY IN THE LIFE as a STUDENT ✨ 16GB RAM / 256GB ✨ ua-cam.com/video/GY3g5GGjnBc/v-deo.html
So that’s why you’re not responding to my written correspondence. Next time I’ll leave out the pressed flowers I find when I’m out with my Leica. 📸 Guess I’ll just have to settle for a comment.
Very refreshing to watch ! I'm a light-user who doesn't do any intensive tasks, and I am 100% happy I got this over the other models! Loving your blogging style btw 😆
Hey Alex, I really love that kind of videos. At first you are at point from user perspective with no hype, no rage, and especially your face and voice of positive vibes. Great work
Another good, no frills review. It was helpful seeing how you use the M2 Air in a practical way. I wonder how many orders were cancelled due to the hysteria caused by some of the other reviews? If someone plans to do intensive work on a daily basis they’d reach for a Pro, surely?
Right!? I wonder that too about people being worried based on those pre-launch videos. I knew it was mostly people seeking attention (and views obs 🤣). This machine can cope with a lot. Thank you for checking this one out by the way, it means a lot when viewers return 🙏🏼
@@AlexGTech Yes I got that. He is going to be a cracking fast bowler. He almost crashed your toes. So next time put more guards on 😛. I just love watching youngsters growing passion for fast bowling. It's a tough job to master. But their perseverance always outperforms all the odds. You are a Lucky Dad.
I am a visiual artist and use my base M2 to design my creative work and I must admit this laptop is a total game changer light, powerful and efficient. For the moment I dn´t need the power of a MacBook Pro and my next upgrade will be in Spring 2025 fro the same line up but with M4 and this time I will choose 16Gb it is more comfortable despite this machine do every task smooth like butter I never had any problems.and the portability is also a game changer.
Looking at upgrading my 2019 MacBook Air and found this interesting. I actually use Illustrator for producing landscape design plans. These files usually end up with multiple layers with drop shadow elements, fills and textures. Interested in you thoughts as to whether this model would suffice or go with a MacBook Pro?
Great video! I'm planning to purchase either the MacBook Air M3 or M4 next year as I save up for a 24GB/1TB model. I primarily do graphic design and occasional video editing. My graphic design work involves editing large Photoshop files (up to 400MB) for web pages (4-8 pages simultaneously) and using Figma. For video editing, I create short 1080p social media videos using Premiere Pro and After Effects. I prefer the Air's portability for frequent travel. My main concern is performance under heavy load. Will the Air handle 12-14 hours of daily use (with breaks in between) without overheating or throttling? I've considered the Pro but find it too bulky, even the 14-inch model.
I am planning to buy the same 16gb ram 256 ssd m2 air So my question is do u use any screen protectors? If not then how do u protect screen from scratches ?
Wow-this is where my video watching converges! Been watching MacBook Air M2 videos and videos about the new Instagram 360 camera…which apparently you were doing graphics and video work for.
Good video Alex 👍 real world usage and typical realistic environments both socially and at work really help those who are genuinely looking for their next purchase. I only hope even with student/teacher discount this is affordable for students as it is a very decent apple entry laptop.
Thanks Lee! I think I’m ‘Apple’d out’ now though 😂 on a serious note, this is pretty impressive at this size/form factor. I’d love to try one of the other ultra lights and see how it compares as the pricing on this is definitely on the expensive side.
Hi! I mostly use illustrator and photoshop for projects, sometimes I may work on very simple YT videos. I'm currently planning to get a Macbook with a budget. Would you recommend - MacBook air M2, with 8 core CPU, 8GB, 256SSD - MacBook air M1, 8GB, 512SSD Could you give me your opinion? Much appreciated 🙏🏻
@@AlexGTech thankyou for your reply. I've ask a few Graphic Deeigner UA-camr and they were saying M1 chip, 8GB, 512SSD. What about between the 3 below? - MacBook air M2, with 8 core CPU, 8-core GPU, 8GB, 256SSD - MacBook air M1, 8GB, 512SSD - MacBook Pro M2, with 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 8GB, 256SSD 🙏🏻
From many reports I’ve seen, RAM usage below the threshold that starts swapping is a bit deceiving. RAM is managed so well by MacOS and it’s done based on how much you have. Yes, sounds obvious, but if you have 8GB, it’s managed differently than if you have 16GB. MacOS doesn’t just leave a ton of RAM empty and takes advantage, so the same workflow on an 8GB machine will look differently for memory usage than one with 16GB, even when neither is using swap. It’s the management process so “using 13GB” doesn’t mean it had to use 13GB just to run properly and an 8GB machine may have used 7 doing the same tasks without swapping. It’s just capable of fewer background processes on the 8GB, so MacOS manages accordingly and the user likely unaware of any differences. However, memory pressure is very important because the system is telling the user that it actually needs that memory for its current tasks and pushing much further hits swap pretty hard and may be obvious in terms of performance. Just mentioning all this so people don’t think “I have to have that 16GB because the apps take up so much memory” when in reality it may be efficiency rather than pressure driving the usage.
Fair enough Mark 😊 I know you are likely to push the laptop a bit more than the typical Air owner. It's fine for little "spurts" of activity but I am with you, long periods of intensive work might become a problem...
@@AlexGTech I agree. For regular use, and especially for media consumption, the Air M2 is fantastic. A far more practical option as opposed to an iPad, especially if you don’t have much use for the Apple Pencil.
So I have an iPad Pro 11 and I want something bigger but I’m a little fed up of touch screens (I miss a keyboard) , do you think I could use a MacBook Air as my everything machine (UA-cam, Apple Arcade, social media, web searches etc.) instead of an iPad ?
Tricky one! The Air is everything I wanted the iPad Pro (12.9”) to be! I do love the Magic keyboard on the iPad but with the Air, it’s just THAT much more capable, that I kinda forget the touchscreen aspect. I still like the iPad for certain games (boring ones like chess) and some drawing or retouching photos using the Apple Pencil. But for 90% of my creative work, the MacBook Air is super capable!
@@AlexGTech I don’t draw anything and if I do any photo editing it’s like 1 a week haha. I’m torn because I know the screen quality and sharpness are better on iPad Pro’s , but I miss using a laptop and especially keyboard. I wouldn’t buy a magic keyboard if I got the 12.9 iPad because of the cost and battery drain it causes. The only games I play are from the App Store and I only use my iPad for web browsing and social media and mostly UA-cam , occasional document creation . I’ve also read bad things about the iPad Pro 12.9 display with dim edges , yellow markings , heat up on the left side where the led drivers are and blooming
I just got my new MacBook Air m2 24 ram (planning to use it for programming and I tend to have many browser tabs open). Is it normal that it's using 12 GB ram (~10 GB for app memory and ~2 GB for resident memory) with only 4 tabs in safari open? No other program is open other than the activity monitor to check ram usage. :S This feels very strange to me, coming from PC.
@@AlexGTech Standard websites I'd say. Only have one Udemy tab and one UA-cam tab open in Safari now (with nothing running). No other program open at all apart from the activity monitor, and it's still over 11 GB used (8.7 GB app memory, 1.4 GB resident memory and 450 MB compressed memory). Is it saving everything I have had opened since I booted it up in case I open those programs or tabs again? "Might as well use as much available RAM as possible".
Great video, I don't normally comment, but in this case I felt like I had to. I'm getting pretty sick of reviews for things like this which only talk about high end pro usage, usually starting by saying things like "this would be fine for normal people, but for a professional like me I need to be able to transfer 2 million gigs in 10 minutes", and; "I don't see the point in getting a really portable laptop when for an extra £500 I could get a heavier pro laptop" etc, etc. Long story short: great content, thank you.
Hahahah thank you so much!! I 100% share your feelings there! Some people need to get real, Apple don’t always do the best for customers but when it comes to MacBooks… they really deliver. The Air is a fantastic machine!
Great video - Do you notice the M2 MacBook Air ever getting warm or hot to the touch? Specifically when working in Canva, with a bunch of tabs open? Or during any of your work flow for that matter? Thanks
Really only time it got warm was when I was doing a (very silly) 100GB file transfer. Normal work, even when I was busy multitasking it was fine, temperature-wise. Check out my student video too, I tried some more relevant workflows with lots of tabs open too: M2 MacBook Air - A DAY IN THE LIFE as a STUDENT ✨ 16GB RAM / 256GB ✨ ua-cam.com/video/GY3g5GGjnBc/v-deo.html
which configuration would you suggest to someone who uses keynote, canva, adobe express for most of the time and sometimes also uses illustration, indesign and imovie?
16GB for sure and use an external SSD when you need extra storage. 8GB will be fine but multitasking might be a challenge when you got the Adobe apps running.
I am a motion designer and I am planning to switch to apple. Can you please tell me if this m2 macbook air can run after effects for a long period of time? Because it doesn't have fans i am a little concerned. My windows machine's fans kicks up pretty much all the time while i am working. Great video btw 😄
Thank you 🙏🏼 I think it will run perfectly in this config, but what you said, about a long period of time, does worry me. Sustained performance is not something I’ve tested so be mindful of that. I’ve used After Effects before and I know how it can melt even more powerful machines…
Hii I am still trying to know if it would actually be necessary to get the M2 with 16gb and 512ssd as I'm just an architecture student does anybody have advices?
For me the 16GB is a great option, if you don’t want to upgrade any time soon. 256GB is good enough for me, but 512GB will give you a bit of piece of mind. Performance-wise, there is not that much of a difference anyway. I did a similar video as a student by the way, you might get a better idea on that one of the things I was able to do…
For me you are the one who's trying that much for viewer's means you are trying for other streams for student for that thankyou sir from full of hearts ❤
I’m a graphic designer student at the University and i’m gonna buy a laptop do you think the mba m2 gonna be good for me? Or should i buy the mbp m1 pro?
Both would do the job to be honest, but if you want to be safe, in case you want to do a bit more with it, the 16GB M2 would be a decent sweetspot in my opinion.
Hi Captain, Is MacBook Air M2 With 16GB RAM best for graphic designer who work 8 hours daily in office, I'm using Photoshop and Illustrator for my design work and Premiere Pro my UA-cam channel. Please guide me with this because I don't have knowledge about MacBook hardware. Please Reply
Hi there, had a quick look at your UA-cam channel, yes the MacBook Air with 16GB will be perfect for editing those videos and doing graphic design work. Great thumbnails by the way!
@@V1FlightReport Hi, To be honest I didn’t buy that because that time I have some more doubt and I didn’t find the answer so I buy Asus Rog Strix G16 (i7 13th Gen HX variant) and it’s monster laptop I ever use for my design and editing work.
Hi Alex, thank you so much for video! that’s awesome. but i have question, really glad if you reply it. is that enough for graphic designer using MacBook Pro M2 with 8gb RAM and 256gb SSD? the software are Ps, Ai, Ae, InDesign, Canva, Gdrive, Gmail, Zoom and Ms Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and OneNote). because i just have budget for 8/256 gb.
Hey! I've recently completed my graphic design degree, and I anticipate needing to run Illustrator, Photoshop, and possibly Premiere simultaneously. I'm currently torn between two options: the 15-inch MacBook Air M2 and the 13-inch MacBook Pro 2022, both equipped with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB storage. Could you advise me on which of these would better suit my needs?
Wow, that's literally my next video that I'm uploading tomorrow!! 😆 Honestly the 15 inch will be better, especially for video and photo editing. Performance wise you already got a great spec choice, with 16GB. In my experience even the 256GB SSD is good enough but if you don't want to carry external drives around the 512GB is more convenient
@@AlexGTechhahaha that’s crazy! I'll be waiting to see it. 😊 Honestly, I don't do heavy tasks, but I need something that will work well for years and let me open multiple programs at the same time.
would you recommend this laptop for the odd Final Cut Pro project? like for a novice? meaning I don't make content for income just for leisure. This sounded like a match made in heaven until you said you use a max pro for video editing lol. But then again I won't be doing even half the work load you do. Or as fancy.
Hi, nice video, thanks for it. my daily use of a PC is listed below. Do you think if mba m2 would be enough? Would it get so hot hence throttle? • chrome with 10 Tabs • teams • outlook • 4-5 PPT File Open • 2-3 Word File Open • 2-3 Excel File Open • Spotify • SecureCrt/Terminal App • 4-5 Tab PDF
That’s great to hear! So happy that this helped! Always tricky to try and simulate a real world scenario but I think it’s a much better way of reviewing the laptop 👊🏼
This video was very helpful. As being an artist myself I also use online tools like Befunky, canvas and Canvas and do some light video editing. At home I have an Intel IMac with 1TB stockage hence it is still perform very well. So for me this MBA is perfect as I also like to work when travelling. My point of view is that it is more interesting to buy a M2 MBA than an older M1 MBA as for the rest if I need more power than I could buy à M2 Pro or an M3 Pro. And for the moment I don't have the budget and prefer to put money in other gear. Compare to Windows laptop this MacBook is incredible.
Just curious - do you feel the starlight version is too feminine for males to carry around? I really like it, but i can't tell if it's pinkish or not from videos
😊 color is very subjective but I think it’s quite elegant to be honest. In low light places like indoors at home, it’s closer to silver than pink/gold. Personally I really like it
Ulysses is the one I use the most these days but I also have Notion if the ideas are too “rough”. I write articles before making the videos so Ulysses feels just right for me
In this case 120-150GB depending on how you configure the apps. My Lightroom and Creative cloud apps use cloud storage and I use external drives for videos so it helps keep it clean
This is a great video mate. The M2 Air is looking good. I have only recently got the M1 Air though and its a great machine, so reluctant to buy something new. I do love spending money on Tech though. I should really stop watching tech reviewers on UA-cam as you guys all cost me a lot of money :)
Hi! I currently own a Macbook pro 2019 core i5 8gb ram and 256 gb, I'm looking to upgrade but I don't know if I should suffer and buy the new MacBook pro 14" or will the MacBook air M2 be just fine? I'm a branding designer ❤ mostly intensive work on illustrator and photoshop and occasionally after effects for straightforward (simple as they can be) animations. Which one would you recommend? 🥺 thanks a lot! ☺
Hey Alex, do you think 16 Gb & 1TB configuration will be good to run adobe applications simultaneously at the same time ? Really in dilemma if I should go for m2 air or pro ! I have high usage of adobe applications such as xd, photoshop, illustrator , after effects , also figma etc
I have the same question. I’m having a hard time choosing between M2 air or 14inch M2 Pro to use Adobe applications, Figma, XD, Excel, etc. I usually have open a lot of Chrome tabs plus those design apps. Not sure if I should speck out the Air with 16gb of Ram, 512 ssd, and increased graphics card or just get the base model of the 14 inch pro.
@@kristinei3801 hey Kristine , so I went with the base model of 14inch pro and the apps are running smoothly! I think you should go for it ! Pro - fans on pro avoid overheating of laptop , plus the screen size of 14 inch is better than 13 inch !
@@AlexGTech I believe the Air m2 is an excellent iPad substitute! 16MBP or studio as your main and an Air M2 for portability. As it stands IPad is “still” just a gigantic iPhone, lol
You’re absolutely right about the sensationalism part on UA-cam. Thanks for making and sharing this video. It was a definite eye opener in regards to the daily use of the laptop.
Wow. Great video. I have an intel i5 2017/8 MBA, an M1 MBP and an M1 Mac Mini with each having a specific use. No interest in the bigger more powerful MBs but I totally love the look and feel of the new M2 MBA and I am really considering switching both lap tops out for this new MBA. This is hands down the best and most realistic review on real world use I’ve seen so I’ll tip my hat to you sir and subscribe as your insight is defo most realistic and genuine
Gavin! That made my day man… thanks so much! It’s a lot harder to make these videos but I’m glad you found it useful! Yes the M2 MBA is an absolute peach! Taken out of context anything can be bad…but when used in a way that was intended for (light multitasking and creative work/entertainment) this machine is lovely! The fact I don’t need to carry my MBP when travelling or working from a cafe is such a bonus! Thanks again for the sub, and I hope you like my stuff 👊🏼
taco? just joking haha really nice video as always, just ordered the m2 16GB/512GB in midnight myself a few days ago :) Gonna have fun in fcp x with it and I appreciate that u are not jumping on the negativity train that's hating on the m2 just for the clicks. Of course you can critise it, but some youtubers really exaggerate and don't show the good sides
I’m planning on getting the M2 8GB RAM and UA-cam reviewers have made me worry that it can do more than open a few chrome browsers. I’m a UX designer and work with large Figma files. Does anyone know if this model would suffice?
@@kristinei3801If you can, definitely get 16GB. Since the SSD will act as a "shared RAM", you can still do a lot with the 8GB version, but it will constantly use the swap option and may slow down your workflow when using memory hungry programs or when doing some heavy multitasking with a lot of apps open. I’ve never used Figma but Chrome already is a big memory sucker. 10 tabs and a lot of switching between these will definitely use all of the RAM available…
@@noelaab Thank you! I am now considering getting the MacBook pro 14 inch instead to future proof as well. That comes with all that I should need. If not that then I am definitely increasing the RAM on the Air like you said.
alex ...you are missing the point of other tech reviewer....most of them are saying 8/256 has prb as macos will use swap often with 8gb ram...but since you have 16gb ram you are good to go...my 8/256 m2 mac is bit slow than my older m1 air...not drastic but i can feel it sometime while using photoshop and luminar ai
Hiya, yes some of those as I said are actually quite useful. I’m referring to the videos that were condemning the Air (especially the 256GB version) before actually using it in real world scenarios, e.g. not via benchmarks. I use benchmarks myself but I think there was quite a bit of hysteria. I hate what apple did as I said in my previous videos and been ripped off by them on the iPad Pro but on sheer user experience I think they nailed it with this one.
If you use swap often on an 8GB/256GB then you have bought the wrong config, 16GB is def needed. Swap is not a solution, it is more a backstop when you have too much running. It is 50X slower than RAM and is false economy. If people bought what they needed then the 256GB issues would be moot, but they buy 8Gb and complain when they really need 16GB, and the short answer is that was their bad choice.
thanks mate! Hope you're enjoying the lovely weather! By the way, I started running again 😆 Nothing like your levels though, just a couple of 5K runs a week to start with!
Hey Alex, my MacBook Air in starlight finally arrived!! I uploaded I short unboxing of it on my channel just for fun, and also just to test out how much better the M2 chip actually is. And I was extremely impressed. I'd love it if you could watch the video, it would mean the world to me.
do you think 8gb would be enough? i’m really short on budget, but im wondering if i can wait longer to get the 16gb one or just go with the 8gb (if it’s enough)
I’m heading to college for media, (graphic/web design and film) in your opinion would you say the upgraded air is sufficient, or should i just go for the base pro? Edit: there’s also the option to wait a few months for the m3 to eventually come out.
It honestly depends on what you’ll be filming on. If you’re going to be using an advanced camera working with high definition photos and video then the pro would probably be better for you since after a while of heavy work the MacBook Air does experience some thermal throttle which will slow down editing and make it a bit frustrating. You are gonna be in college so I don’t think your work load will be that heavy but I honestly don’t know you’d be the one to answer that
I did some journalling 😂 I do wonder how many of my fellow UA-camrs actually do what they say they do! Anyway, thanks so much for watching! And don’t forget to check the other videos in this series:
M2 MacBook Air - A DAY IN THE LIFE as a STUDENT ✨ 16GB RAM / 256GB ✨
ua-cam.com/video/GY3g5GGjnBc/v-deo.html
So that’s why you’re not responding to my written correspondence. Next time I’ll leave out the pressed flowers I find when I’m out with my Leica. 📸
Guess I’ll just have to settle for a comment.
Oh it’s not you. It’s me. I just need some time to explore and find myself you know? 😂 the journaling is helping
@@AlexGTech I’ll send you a water color kit. Or maybe you prefer colored pencils? Looking forward to your next correspondence.
😂 the best of both worlds please. A watercolour Pencil set!
Very refreshing to watch ! I'm a light-user who doesn't do any intensive tasks, and I am 100% happy I got this over the other models! Loving your blogging style btw 😆
Thanks man! I prefer to watch these sort of videos but I will be honest, they are sooooo much work!! 😂 thanks again for the support 🙏🏼
@@AlexGTech yeah it looks like a lot of effort. But at least it is more engaging 👍🏽
Love the relaxed, casual, laid back aesthetic and overall direction of this day in the life! Subscribed!
Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed my style, welcome to the channel 🙏🏼
Exactly the kind of tech review I need. Thanks a ton Alex for creating this!
Hey Alex, I really love that kind of videos. At first you are at point from user perspective with no hype, no rage, and especially your face and voice of positive vibes. Great work
That’s so nice to hear! Thank you so much 😊 It’s comments like this that really keeps me motivated to create more! Have a great week ahead 🙏
Another good, no frills review. It was helpful seeing how you use the M2 Air in a practical way. I wonder how many orders were cancelled due to the hysteria caused by some of the other reviews? If someone plans to do intensive work on a daily basis they’d reach for a Pro, surely?
Right!? I wonder that too about people being worried based on those pre-launch videos. I knew it was mostly people seeking attention (and views obs 🤣). This machine can cope with a lot. Thank you for checking this one out by the way, it means a lot when viewers return 🙏🏼
Alex I really love that you play cricket with your young son. It’s so beautiful to watch. You are so cool.
Thank you so much for the kind words! But he’s the cool one, I’m just his target 😂
@@AlexGTech Yes I got that. He is going to be a cracking fast bowler. He almost crashed your toes. So next time put more guards on 😛. I just love watching youngsters growing passion for fast bowling. It's a tough job to master. But their perseverance always outperforms all the odds. You are a Lucky Dad.
Most universities use Google Chrome and Google Meet. We need to use 3-4 Google Chrome accounts to log in to classes , side-lectures , and meetings.
Wow! I still think that’s fine. I do have multiple profiles running on Chrome but haven’t tried Google Meet yet
I am a visiual artist and use my base M2 to design my creative work and I must admit this laptop is a total game changer light, powerful and efficient. For the moment I dn´t need the power of a MacBook Pro and my next upgrade will be in Spring 2025 fro the same line up but with M4 and this time I will choose 16Gb it is more comfortable despite this machine do every task smooth like butter I never had any problems.and the portability is also a game changer.
Looking at upgrading my 2019 MacBook Air and found this interesting. I actually use Illustrator for producing landscape design plans. These files usually end up with multiple layers with drop shadow elements, fills and textures. Interested in you thoughts as to whether this model would suffice or go with a MacBook Pro?
This hands down one of the best “ Day in a Life Video”.
oh man, thank you so much!!
thank you for your detail review, your video quality is really good
My pleasure, glad it was useful 🥰 Thanks for watching!
Watches a few minutes of the video then hears "by the way I'm not a full-time graphic designer...". What a waste of time.
So true
Thanks for the heads up.
Nice to see someone use tech in a way normal people do. Subscribed !
Thank you so much!!!
Great video! I'm planning to purchase either the MacBook Air M3 or M4 next year as I save up for a 24GB/1TB model. I primarily do graphic design and occasional video editing. My graphic design work involves editing large Photoshop files (up to 400MB) for web pages (4-8 pages simultaneously) and using Figma. For video editing, I create short 1080p social media videos using Premiere Pro and After Effects. I prefer the Air's portability for frequent travel. My main concern is performance under heavy load. Will the Air handle 12-14 hours of daily use (with breaks in between) without overheating or throttling? I've considered the Pro but find it too bulky, even the 14-inch model.
Loved how you left your backpack on the chair at the coffee shop. Back in my day that would have ended in a huge cordon and a controlled explosion lol
I’m crap at this job 😂 I had to go back to get the camera everywhere too
I’m earlyyy. I love the videooo. Thank you for showing us the other side of using the M2 MBA (light usage). Keep up the good jobbb
Thank you so much Jes! Loving the support here 🙏🏼 really means a lot!
I am planning to buy the same 16gb ram 256 ssd m2 air
So my question is do u use any screen protectors?
If not then how do u protect screen from scratches ?
Same config I ordered 16gb unified memory and 256gb ssd… will deliver this week ang so freaking excited..
hows it g?
@@rupambanik6905 i super love it.. everything smooth.. i don't need a pro's. This MBA M2 is more than enough. It's beyond!
Also wondering how it went
Wow-this is where my video watching converges! Been watching MacBook Air M2 videos and videos about the new Instagram 360 camera…which apparently you were doing graphics and video work for.
Haha! Yes, I did a video about that camera and still use it. Great bit of kit!
Good video Alex 👍 real world usage and typical realistic environments both socially and at work really help those who are genuinely looking for their next purchase. I only hope even with student/teacher discount this is affordable for students as it is a very decent apple entry laptop.
Thanks Lee! I think I’m ‘Apple’d out’ now though 😂 on a serious note, this is pretty impressive at this size/form factor. I’d love to try one of the other ultra lights and see how it compares as the pricing on this is definitely on the expensive side.
Hi! I mostly use illustrator and photoshop for projects, sometimes I may work on very simple YT videos. I'm currently planning to get a Macbook with a budget. Would you recommend
- MacBook air M2, with 8 core CPU, 8GB, 256SSD
- MacBook air M1, 8GB, 512SSD
Could you give me your opinion? Much appreciated 🙏🏻
M2 base model for sure!
@@AlexGTech thankyou for your reply. I've ask a few Graphic Deeigner UA-camr and they were saying M1 chip, 8GB, 512SSD. What about between the 3 below?
- MacBook air M2, with 8 core CPU, 8-core GPU, 8GB, 256SSD
- MacBook air M1, 8GB, 512SSD
- MacBook Pro M2, with 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 8GB, 256SSD
🙏🏻
Love the all black Vapor Maxes!!! And this video was well put together.
Excellent video Alex! Hoping to see your vids regarding photo editing in lightroom!
Hi there, thank you! I covered some of that in this other video, hope you like it ua-cam.com/video/zHbfd5-P5Kk/v-deo.html
@@AlexGTech I mean editing tutorial or something similar like creating a preset if you're into it or just editing tips. 🙂
Seriously thinking about buying! Does it lag anywhere? What if im doing a big size banner in photoshop? Something like a 90x55feet?
I was hoping for this honest review. Thank you!
Thank you so much Leslie! Hope you’re having a fab weekend 😎
is it recommendable to buy the base model of M2?
18-20 Chrome tabs, brave man .. good thing you had 16gb ram :p
😂 the memory did start to creep up to worrying levels though! I wasn’t brave enough to launch Final Cut as well 😆
From many reports I’ve seen, RAM usage below the threshold that starts swapping is a bit deceiving. RAM is managed so well by MacOS and it’s done based on how much you have. Yes, sounds obvious, but if you have 8GB, it’s managed differently than if you have 16GB. MacOS doesn’t just leave a ton of RAM empty and takes advantage, so the same workflow on an 8GB machine will look differently for memory usage than one with 16GB, even when neither is using swap. It’s the management process so “using 13GB” doesn’t mean it had to use 13GB just to run properly and an 8GB machine may have used 7 doing the same tasks without swapping. It’s just capable of fewer background processes on the 8GB, so MacOS manages accordingly and the user likely unaware of any differences. However, memory pressure is very important because the system is telling the user that it actually needs that memory for its current tasks and pushing much further hits swap pretty hard and may be obvious in terms of performance. Just mentioning all this so people don’t think “I have to have that 16GB because the apps take up so much memory” when in reality it may be efficiency rather than pressure driving the usage.
what is better for music production?
8gb+512 or 16gb+256???
Heyy did you end up buying either of these? I am wondering the same thing
The most honest youtuber ever !
Really enjoyed it from start to the fin…
Awesome, thanks Aabid!!
Nice review but I think I’m going for the mbp 16 as that heating issue might be problematic in the long run
Fair enough Mark 😊 I know you are likely to push the laptop a bit more than the typical Air owner. It's fine for little "spurts" of activity but I am with you, long periods of intensive work might become a problem...
@@AlexGTech I agree. For regular use, and especially for media consumption, the Air M2 is fantastic. A far more practical option as opposed to an iPad, especially if you don’t have much use for the Apple Pencil.
i dun think heating will be issue....my m1 air used to run damn cool but stay away from 256 ssd
@@leejen.shakya unfortunately the m2 air, does heat up unlike the m1
Which software do you use?
Nice work! I just made a similar video but for UX design and it’s cool to see the overlap
Oh nice!! Thank you so much for checking it out!
So I have an iPad Pro 11 and I want something bigger but I’m a little fed up of touch screens (I miss a keyboard) , do you think I could use a MacBook Air as my everything machine (UA-cam, Apple Arcade, social media, web searches etc.) instead of an iPad ?
Tricky one! The Air is everything I wanted the iPad Pro (12.9”) to be! I do love the Magic keyboard on the iPad but with the Air, it’s just THAT much more capable, that I kinda forget the touchscreen aspect. I still like the iPad for certain games (boring ones like chess) and some drawing or retouching photos using the Apple Pencil. But for 90% of my creative work, the MacBook Air is super capable!
I am not sure I helped you 😂 I think Apple do this on purpose. They want us to buy both!
@@AlexGTech I don’t draw anything and if I do any photo editing it’s like 1 a week haha. I’m torn because I know the screen quality and sharpness are better on iPad Pro’s , but I miss using a laptop and especially keyboard. I wouldn’t buy a magic keyboard if I got the 12.9 iPad because of the cost and battery drain it causes. The only games I play are from the App Store and I only use my iPad for web browsing and social media and mostly UA-cam , occasional document creation . I’ve also read bad things about the iPad Pro 12.9 display with dim edges , yellow markings , heat up on the left side where the led drivers are and blooming
I just got my new MacBook Air m2 24 ram (planning to use it for programming and I tend to have many browser tabs open). Is it normal that it's using 12 GB ram (~10 GB for app memory and ~2 GB for resident memory) with only 4 tabs in safari open? No other program is open other than the activity monitor to check ram usage. :S This feels very strange to me, coming from PC.
That’s very strange actually! Are those tabs doing anything or are they just standard websites?
@@AlexGTech Standard websites I'd say. Only have one Udemy tab and one UA-cam tab open in Safari now (with nothing running). No other program open at all apart from the activity monitor, and it's still over 11 GB used (8.7 GB app memory, 1.4 GB resident memory and 450 MB compressed memory).
Is it saving everything I have had opened since I booted it up in case I open those programs or tabs again? "Might as well use as much available RAM as possible".
Great video, I don't normally comment, but in this case I felt like I had to. I'm getting pretty sick of reviews for things like this which only talk about high end pro usage, usually starting by saying things like "this would be fine for normal people, but for a professional like me I need to be able to transfer 2 million gigs in 10 minutes", and; "I don't see the point in getting a really portable laptop when for an extra £500 I could get a heavier pro laptop" etc, etc.
Long story short: great content, thank you.
Hahahah thank you so much!! I 100% share your feelings there! Some people need to get real, Apple don’t always do the best for customers but when it comes to MacBooks… they really deliver. The Air is a fantastic machine!
This is so dope and honest. Wow
Great video Alex keep up the good work.
Thanks Michael!! Really enjoying this machine, genuinely impressed 👊🏼
Yes I have the exact same machine I am so impressed with it, just nice to see some positive comments on YT.
I really like this video I got what I was looking for.
Great video - Do you notice the M2 MacBook Air ever getting warm or hot to the touch? Specifically when working in Canva, with a bunch of tabs open? Or during any of your work flow for that matter? Thanks
Really only time it got warm was when I was doing a (very silly) 100GB file transfer. Normal work, even when I was busy multitasking it was fine, temperature-wise. Check out my student video too, I tried some more relevant workflows with lots of tabs open too: M2 MacBook Air - A DAY IN THE LIFE as a STUDENT ✨ 16GB RAM / 256GB ✨
ua-cam.com/video/GY3g5GGjnBc/v-deo.html
which configuration would you suggest to someone who uses keynote, canva, adobe express for most of the time and sometimes also uses illustration, indesign and imovie?
16GB for sure and use an external SSD when you need extra storage. 8GB will be fine but multitasking might be a challenge when you got the Adobe apps running.
I am a motion designer and I am planning to switch to apple. Can you please tell me if this m2 macbook air can run after effects for a long period of time? Because it doesn't have fans i am a little concerned. My windows machine's fans kicks up pretty much all the time while i am working. Great video btw 😄
Thank you 🙏🏼 I think it will run perfectly in this config, but what you said, about a long period of time, does worry me. Sustained performance is not something I’ve tested so be mindful of that. I’ve used After Effects before and I know how it can melt even more powerful machines…
Hii I am still trying to know if it would actually be necessary to get the M2 with 16gb and 512ssd as I'm just an architecture student does anybody have advices?
For me the 16GB is a great option, if you don’t want to upgrade any time soon. 256GB is good enough for me, but 512GB will give you a bit of piece of mind. Performance-wise, there is not that much of a difference anyway. I did a similar video as a student by the way, you might get a better idea on that one of the things I was able to do…
Awesome vids as always Alex.. Love your work
Hey Chris!! Thanks fella! Hope you’re enjoying the sunny weekend!
@@AlexGTech Yes thanks. The UK Is actually quite warm for a change. Meeting my Brazilian friends today.
For me you are the one who's trying that much for viewer's means you are trying for other streams for student for that thankyou sir from full of hearts ❤
Can you tell me sir
You are from
It's my pleasure, and when I hear comments like this it makes all the hard work worthwhile! Thank you so much for your support!!
I'm from Brazil. But I live in England now.
I’m a graphic designer student at the University and i’m gonna buy a laptop do you think the mba m2 gonna be good for me? Or should i buy the mbp m1 pro?
Both would do the job to be honest, but if you want to be safe, in case you want to do a bit more with it, the 16GB M2 would be a decent sweetspot in my opinion.
Hi Captain, Is MacBook Air M2 With 16GB RAM best for graphic designer who work 8 hours daily in office, I'm using Photoshop and Illustrator for my design work and Premiere Pro my UA-cam channel. Please guide me with this because I don't have knowledge about MacBook hardware. Please Reply
Hi there, had a quick look at your UA-cam channel, yes the MacBook Air with 16GB will be perfect for editing those videos and doing graphic design work. Great thumbnails by the way!
@@AlexGTech Thank you so much Captain, And I'm so happy that you like my thumbnails.
@@LionixPlayZOdid you get MBA M2 16 GB ram ? How it works ? I'm also thinking for get this one
@@V1FlightReport Hi, To be honest I didn’t buy that because that time I have some more doubt and I didn’t find the answer so I buy Asus Rog Strix G16 (i7 13th Gen HX variant) and it’s monster laptop I ever use for my design and editing work.
@@LionixPlayZO I didn't saw your answer just now saw notification but I get also rog strix g16 but with i5 13 also gen also HX variant and rtx 4070 :)
Hi Alex, thank you so much for video! that’s awesome.
but i have question, really glad if you reply it. is that enough for graphic designer using MacBook Pro M2 with 8gb RAM and 256gb SSD? the software are Ps, Ai, Ae, InDesign, Canva, Gdrive, Gmail, Zoom and Ms Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and OneNote). because i just have budget for 8/256 gb.
Is the MacBook Air M2 with 8gb ram / 256 a good start for graphic design?
That’s what i want to know too.
I subscribed the moment i heard who fucking does that😂❤
😆 hahaha thank you! That tells me you have a wicked sense of humour, and I love it!
Sorry, I have not been around as much I am not that interested in Mac's. I i not know you were a graphic designer. What software do you use?
No worries, I understand 👊🏼 well, as I said I’m not a full time graphic designer but have to do graphic design as part of running the channel
Hey! I've recently completed my graphic design degree, and I anticipate needing to run Illustrator, Photoshop, and possibly Premiere simultaneously. I'm currently torn between two options: the 15-inch MacBook Air M2 and the 13-inch MacBook Pro 2022, both equipped with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB storage. Could you advise me on which of these would better suit my needs?
Wow, that's literally my next video that I'm uploading tomorrow!! 😆 Honestly the 15 inch will be better, especially for video and photo editing. Performance wise you already got a great spec choice, with 16GB. In my experience even the 256GB SSD is good enough but if you don't want to carry external drives around the 512GB is more convenient
@@AlexGTechhahaha that’s crazy! I'll be waiting to see it. 😊 Honestly, I don't do heavy tasks, but I need something that will work well for years and let me open multiple programs at the same time.
would you recommend this laptop for the odd Final Cut Pro project? like for a novice? meaning I don't make content for income just for leisure. This sounded like a match made in heaven until you said you use a max pro for video editing lol. But then again I won't be doing even half the work load you do. Or as fancy.
Why not just use the MacBook Air instead of the MacBook pro? Why do you have both, what does the pro do that the air isn’t able to do?
Which charger did you get?
The standard one. Barely use it 😂 I use a usb-c cable from my monitor or at my desk at work so never really needed the charger
Ahh you did make a video for graphic design… forget my comment on other video lol 😅
haha no worries! More to come, on the 15" version too!
It is good for Motion Graphic in After Effect?
What sleeve do you have for your MB Air?
Came for the MacBook, subscribed for cricket :)
Thank you!! I love the sport even though I’m from Brazil and I suck at it! 😂
Does it run a heavy designs on illustrator? Like shirt design or typography with a lot of elements on it?
Hi, nice video, thanks for it.
my daily use of a PC is listed below.
Do you think if mba m2 would be enough? Would it get so hot hence throttle?
• chrome with 10 Tabs
• teams
• outlook
• 4-5 PPT File Open
• 2-3 Word File Open
• 2-3 Excel File Open
• Spotify
• SecureCrt/Terminal App
• 4-5 Tab PDF
Absolutely fine, even the base model will be plenty for that usage 👊🏼
Very nice Alex great content good on you 👏😎🇮🇪
Thanks Mary!! Really enjoying this one! Think I’ve ran out of MacBook ideas now 😂
@@AlexGTech 🤣
Love the intro a lot, So Smooth 🔥🤯
You are smooth!
@@AlexGTech 😅
The video I've been waiting for. Very helpful for me who previously still hesitated to choose MBA M2 or MBA M2.
Great video, Alex! 👏
That’s great to hear! So happy that this helped! Always tricky to try and simulate a real world scenario but I think it’s a much better way of reviewing the laptop 👊🏼
Hey, would you recommend this for a hardcore digital illustrator ?? Right now using gaming laptop with jet fans 12th gen intel
Did you ever find out if itd be a good choice? In the same boat!
This video was very helpful. As being an artist myself I also use online tools like Befunky, canvas and Canvas and do some light video editing. At home I have an Intel IMac with 1TB stockage hence it is still perform very well. So for me this MBA is perfect as I also like to work when travelling. My point of view is that it is more interesting to buy a M2 MBA than an older M1 MBA as for the rest if I need more power than I could buy à M2 Pro or an M3 Pro. And for the moment I don't have the budget and prefer to put money in other gear. Compare to Windows laptop this MacBook is incredible.
Toe crunching Yorker that, love the reaction no sympathy for Dad just gets the appeal in 😂
Haha exactly mate, zero tolerance. Body bowling too sometimes… I’m like “Oi, who’s gonna drive you home if I’m injured” 😂
Just curious - do you feel the starlight version is too feminine for males to carry around? I really like it, but i can't tell if it's pinkish or not from videos
😊 color is very subjective but I think it’s quite elegant to be honest. In low light places like indoors at home, it’s closer to silver than pink/gold. Personally I really like it
What app do you use for writing down your ideas?
Ulysses is the one I use the most these days but I also have Notion if the ideas are too “rough”. I write articles before making the videos so Ulysses feels just right for me
How much free disk space is there after installing all the software you need?
In this case 120-150GB depending on how you configure the apps. My Lightroom and Creative cloud apps use cloud storage and I use external drives for videos so it helps keep it clean
As you know sir I ordered mine macbook in July . Now i got some information that withing 2 or 3 day's I'll get mine
EXCITING!!!!!
@@AlexGTech yes can't wait to see it sir
So fast? In NYC, we have to wait 4-6 weeks
@@herohour6496 no bro i order it on 16 july and now they showing expecting delivery date 8 aug it's on way of delivery. Now tell me is it fast bro 😕
@@akshitsaini1324 In NYC it's 4-6 weeks. Just gotta wait, my bro. Don't worry, be happy. Eat a cake and relax.
Jaguar XF Sportbrake. Cool car mate.
hi how much space do you get out of the box?
This is a great video mate. The M2 Air is looking good. I have only recently got the M1 Air though and its a great machine, so reluctant to buy something new. I do love spending money on Tech though. I should really stop watching tech reviewers on UA-cam as you guys all cost me a lot of money :)
Hahaha same here Chris, same here! Thanks for the kind words mate 👊🏼 hope you’re staying cool!
Hi! I currently own a Macbook pro 2019 core i5 8gb ram and 256 gb, I'm looking to upgrade but I don't know if I should suffer and buy the new MacBook pro 14" or will the MacBook air M2 be just fine? I'm a branding designer ❤ mostly intensive work on illustrator and photoshop and occasionally after effects for straightforward (simple as they can be) animations. Which one would you recommend? 🥺 thanks a lot! ☺
What did u decide?
Very helpful ❤
Thank you, really glad it’s helping 🙏🏼
Refreshingly real and pragmatic.
Hey Alex, do you think 16 Gb & 1TB configuration will be good to run adobe applications simultaneously at the same time ? Really in dilemma if I should go for m2 air or pro ! I have high usage of adobe applications such as xd, photoshop, illustrator , after effects , also figma etc
I have the same question. I’m having a hard time choosing between M2 air or 14inch M2 Pro to use Adobe applications, Figma, XD, Excel, etc. I usually have open a lot of Chrome tabs plus those design apps. Not sure if I should speck out the Air with 16gb of Ram, 512 ssd, and increased graphics card or just get the base model of the 14 inch pro.
@@kristinei3801 hey Kristine , so I went with the base model of 14inch pro and the apps are running smoothly! I think you should go for it !
Pro - fans on pro avoid overheating of laptop , plus the screen size of 14 inch is better than 13 inch !
Hello! Thank you for the video. I wanted to ask a question about adobe illustrator, does it work on this model and are there any problems with this?
You seem to be loving your Air M2. Are you switching your Pro to the Air? Lol
Erm….. no 😂 I am really enjoying this little guy though, super convenient and fills a gap I thought the iPad could be filling
@@AlexGTech I believe the Air m2 is an excellent iPad substitute!
16MBP or studio as your main and an Air M2 for portability. As it stands IPad is “still” just a gigantic iPhone, lol
@@ayshein depends on use case
@@ayshein then get the pro model. Or better get, wait for the m2 pro models which should be coming very soon
@@markaznar1979 m2air wouldn't you recommend
You’re absolutely right about the sensationalism part on UA-cam.
Thanks for making and sharing this video. It was a definite eye opener in regards to the daily use of the laptop.
Wow. Great video. I have an intel i5 2017/8 MBA, an M1 MBP and an M1 Mac Mini with each having a specific use. No interest in the bigger more powerful MBs but I totally love the look and feel of the new M2 MBA and I am really considering switching both lap tops out for this new MBA. This is hands down the best and most realistic review on real world use I’ve seen so I’ll tip my hat to you sir and subscribe as your insight is defo most realistic and genuine
Gavin! That made my day man… thanks so much! It’s a lot harder to make these videos but I’m glad you found it useful! Yes the M2 MBA is an absolute peach! Taken out of context anything can be bad…but when used in a way that was intended for (light multitasking and creative work/entertainment) this machine is lovely! The fact I don’t need to carry my MBP when travelling or working from a cafe is such a bonus! Thanks again for the sub, and I hope you like my stuff 👊🏼
taco?
just joking haha really nice video as always, just ordered the m2 16GB/512GB in midnight myself a few days ago :) Gonna have fun in fcp x with it and I appreciate that u are not jumping on the negativity train that's hating on the m2 just for the clicks. Of course you can critise it, but some youtubers really exaggerate and don't show the good sides
hahahah thanks so much! I forgot to add some 🌮 😂 Wow! I am excited for you!! That’s such a nice colour too!
I’m planning on getting the M2 8GB RAM and UA-cam reviewers have made me worry that it can do more than open a few chrome browsers. I’m a UX designer and work with large Figma files. Does anyone know if this model would suffice?
I have the same question. I want to know if the m2 Air will handle large Figma and XD files and other design software.
@@kristinei3801If you can, definitely get 16GB. Since the SSD will act as a "shared RAM", you can still do a lot with the 8GB version, but it will constantly use the swap option and may slow down your workflow when using memory hungry programs or when doing some heavy multitasking with a lot of apps open. I’ve never used Figma but Chrome already is a big memory sucker. 10 tabs and a lot of switching between these will definitely use all of the RAM available…
@@noelaab Thank you! I am now considering getting the MacBook pro 14 inch instead to future proof as well. That comes with all that I should need. If not that then I am definitely increasing the RAM on the Air like you said.
alex ...you are missing the point of other tech reviewer....most of them are saying 8/256 has prb as macos will use swap often with 8gb ram...but since you have 16gb ram you are good to go...my 8/256 m2 mac is bit slow than my older m1 air...not drastic but i can feel it sometime while using photoshop and luminar ai
Hiya, yes some of those as I said are actually quite useful. I’m referring to the videos that were condemning the Air (especially the 256GB version) before actually using it in real world scenarios, e.g. not via benchmarks. I use benchmarks myself but I think there was quite a bit of hysteria. I hate what apple did as I said in my previous videos and been ripped off by them on the iPad Pro but on sheer user experience I think they nailed it with this one.
If you use swap often on an 8GB/256GB then you have bought the wrong config, 16GB is def needed. Swap is not a solution, it is more a backstop when you have too much running. It is 50X slower than RAM and is false economy. If people bought what they needed then the 256GB issues would be moot, but they buy 8Gb and complain when they really need 16GB, and the short answer is that was their bad choice.
Part Deux.
Thanks Alex.
thanks mate! Hope you're enjoying the lovely weather! By the way, I started running again 😆 Nothing like your levels though, just a couple of 5K runs a week to start with!
@@AlexGTech 🏃♂️ 👍🏻
How to get an Indian viewer 8:00
Cricket
Hey Alex, my MacBook Air in starlight finally arrived!! I uploaded I short unboxing of it on my channel just for fun, and also just to test out how much better the M2 chip actually is. And I was extremely impressed. I'd love it if you could watch the video, it would mean the world to me.
Awesome!!! Will check it out for sure!
@@AlexGTech Thank you :) the video is up now
do you think 8gb would be enough? i’m really short on budget, but im wondering if i can wait longer to get the 16gb one or just go with the 8gb (if it’s enough)
8 gb will never be enough. 16+ gb
I now have a strong desire to watch you putting your socks on...
Hahaha 😂 will include it in the next one! (Maybe)
I’m heading to college for media, (graphic/web design and film) in your opinion would you say the upgraded air is sufficient, or should i just go for the base pro?
Edit: there’s also the option to wait a few months for the m3 to eventually come out.
It honestly depends on what you’ll be filming on. If you’re going to be using an advanced camera working with high definition photos and video then the pro would probably be better for you since after a while of heavy work the MacBook Air does experience some thermal throttle which will slow down editing and make it a bit frustrating. You are gonna be in college so I don’t think your work load will be that heavy but I honestly don’t know you’d be the one to answer that
You could also buy a referbished m1 MacBook Pro, if you’d like to save some money and have a really good laptop
Interacted!😉
Graphic designer??
Did you watch the video?
@@AlexGTech Yes, watched the whole video. I think it should be content creator instead of graphic designer.
Bro lives in ✨UK✨, I live in 👺UK👺
👀👀
😉
So basically ... You didn't do a damn thing of any substance, on your MacBook Air M2 !!!
It will be better if you use your voice more and your face less
It would be better if you fucked off.
Lol you left your mug and bag at the caffe? 1:54
haha I went back for it 😅