137 reviews

28 reviews

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The Apple Pick

Consumer Reports · Best Laptops for College Students

Best MacBook

RTINGS · The 7 Best Laptops

#5 most mentioned

Reddit · r/thinkpad

Great portability

Strong performance with M1 processor

Up to 12.5 hours of battery life on a single charge

High quality case and good panel

Good optimization for macOS

Great physical condition and ability to be upgraded

Good Linux machine

Good keyboard

11” full HD or higher screen that can be used in direct sunlight

Highly durable, with some users having used it for up to 10 years

Not suitable for those who need more multitasking power or storage space

Windows laptops offer more performance at a lower price point

No significant design updates since 2018

Not the best GPU for gaming

No netbook form factor

No quad core CPU with hardware acceleration

Verdict

The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is a great choice for those looking for a highly portable laptop with strong performance. It features an M1 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of solid state storage. The battery life is also impressive, lasting up to 12.5 hours on a single charge. However, the base model may not be suitable for those who need more multitasking power or storage space. Additionally, some Windows laptops offer more performance at a lower price point.

Verdict

The Lenovo ThinkPad X220 is a highly regarded laptop, with many users praising its physical condition and ability to be upgraded to 16GB of DDR3 RAM and a 1TB SSD with Windows 10 Pro. It is also known to be a good Linux machine, with a good keyboard and 11” full HD or higher screen that can be used in direct sunlight. Many users have also praised its durability, with some having used it for up to 10 years. It is also known to have good warranty options.

Reviews by Topic

Our analysis shows how reviewers feel about different topics. Please note these are not full reviews.

Performance

Verdict – The Core i3 is the better choice for everyday tasks

There are also noticeable advantages in terms of the emissions, and especially the fan is much quieter with a slower maximum speed. This means the i3 MacBook Air is quieter for longer periods of time, even when you stress it.The MacBook Air with the dual-core i3 processor is the better device for basic workloads. The subjective performance impression is very good in these scenarios, the fan is quieter, and you can still enjoy the good display as well as the improved keyboard

Neutral

2 years ago

notebookcheck.net

Not sure if that's specifically something I'll have to look for or if all modern computers will be up to the task. I'm in the US, looking for something <1K.

Neutral

3 years ago

reddit.com/r/SuggestALaptop

Keyboard

Magic Keyboard makes the new $999 MacBook Air

In 2018, the system finally got a much-needed reboot, adding a high-res screen, slimmer bezels and Touch ID. But at the same time, it also added the much-maligned butterfly keyboard and kicked the price up. I always felt that was a mistake -- $999 is an important psychological and financial barrier, especially for students, writers and anyone who needs maximum reliability and usability on a budget. Keyboard evolution Now that I've had a chance to go hands-on with the new MacBook Air, the keyboard really stands out as a major selling point

Neutral

2 years ago

cnet.com

- Good Keyboard - I will spent a lot of time using it so it must be comfortable. I currently have a Thinkpad X220 and that thing is great in this regard. - 16GB+of RAM - 16GB is fine as long as it's upgradeable as I won't need more for now.

Positive

3 years ago

reddit.com/r/linuxhardware

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More Alternatives

Apple MacBook Air (2020)