2020 Apple MacBook Air Laptop: Apple M1 Chip, 13” Retina Display, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD Storage, Backlit Keyboard, FaceTime HD Camera, Touch ID; Gold

I should start by saying that the MacBook Air (M1) is the best computer I have ever used. Heck, it's probably the best piece of tech I've ever used, seriously.I've worked in software and systems engineering for 20+ years, so I have used a lot of computers. I know what goes on 'under the hood' and I'm familiar the challenges of designing personal (or any) technology / computers. Engineering and design is largely about compromise - a more powerful battery will be heavier, as will a tougher case, stronger higher security usually reduces user convenience etc. These challenges are universal.With this MacBook, Apple have done such a good job that it's easy to forget that such compromises are necessary. Of course, they are still there, but the quality of design and workmanship makes them seem insignificant.A laptop designer must overcome the fundamental challenges of creating a powerful device, ensuring that it runs efficiently, and fitting everything in as small a space as possible. Apple have hit the perfect spot on all of them. The MacBook Air lasts me 10-12 hours on a single charge, it's as light as a feather, it performs fantastically and NEVER gets hot (hence the good battery life). It's an absolute pleasure to use and I couldn't recommend it more, no other computer I have used comes close.For a work computer I have a high-end MacBook Pro with a 16" screen, Core i9 CPU, 16GB RAM and a 1TB SSD. It's reckoned to be the best performing portable Mac, but it's also heavy, it gets super hot and is very noisy as a result. It certainly doesn't perform better than my MacBook Air and is often much slower. It's also more than twice the price of the Air, and given a choice I would always opt for the MacBook Air.The Air is very light and super fast; it's also super quiet, it never gets hot and the battery life is simply astounding. The people at Apple have worked miracles in improving MacBook technology and much of this success is due to the new M1 CPU - which is simply fantastic.From my perspective, there is nothing on the market which even approaches the quality of the McBook Air - it really is an amazing piece of technology. I'm never usually one to write gushing reviews, like this but in this case I feel the incredible quality of the product and the people who created it deserve recognition. If you fancy one and can afford it, my advice would be to go buy one, do not hesitate. Even if you were hoping to buy two laptops for the price of this one, don't. Just buy the MacBook Air - you will be completely thrilled and delighted with it. It really is an amazing piece of kit.

I finally decided to upgrade from my 2013 MacBook Air and I'm very impressed with the M1 2020 replacement. TBH I can't really believe how good the old one is, but the trackpad got cracked, the battery was on its last legs and the screen doesn't quite measure up to modern standards. The M1 replacement is smaller, much faster, has a much wider soundstage (you'll notice the sounds difference immediately) and the screen is a beauty - not significantly brighter but far better definition. Everything is up and running within a day on the new machine - I don't push them hard but have started using a sailing simulator that only just worked on the old Air whereas its fast and snappy on the new one (admittedly it still got uncomfortably hot with all those electrons flowing). During the transfer of files I realised again how good the old one is, but I'm pleased I know have back up as well as the benefits of more speed and power.I was thinking about this for maybe two years but couldn't justify it to myself. Then the 2022 came along and the choice got harder so I put it off. There is about £250 or 25% price differential between the 2020 and the 2022 - not a huge amount, but then the key elements like memory size, weight, battery life, screen resolution are identical. There are differences, but they didn't excite me so I decided to take the budget route and I'm happy with that decision.There are very few things on Amazon that get 4.8 star average over high volumes of sails, and the M1 2020 deserves to be up there. Most people are delighted and so am I - most complaints are over cracked screens or refurbished replacements - take care and buy new with a warranty and we should be fine. Well done Apple for another great product - and a very reasonable price (it is 20% cheaper than what I paid back in 2013!).

Not much to add to what's already been said in the many 5 star reviews. Google's description of their own Pixelbook Go: "Ultra thin, lightweight, a powerful processor" is exactly what the MacBook Air M1 is. The lowest priced MacBook but will be enough for many users. Solid build, nice screen, good travel on the keyboard. Very portable, not much larger than an A4 notebook. Some reviewers complain about the size of the bezels around the screen and how it looks outdated. I disagree. Still looks modern and in my opinion is a much better design than the awful M2 notch which seemingly only serves the purpose of letting others know in a coffee shop that you have the latest MacBook! Some reviews are also quite negative about the quality of the camera. For me, it's absolutely fine for video calls/meetings.My one criticism is that there is no charging indicator on the machine so you're unable to tell if the laptop is charging when switched off.Also, just to flag, don't expect this to be a Steam machine. Only approx 20% of my library installs. Age of Empires doesn't work but Civ 6, Day of the Tentacle and everybody's favourite "it looks rubbish but actually it's great" Vampire Survivors works!Lastly, Yes it does play Roblox but shockingly it's not available on the App Store. Just sign in to Roblox using a browser, select a game and download from there. Right, back to Piggy on the M1! 🐷