
Read more: Testing the entire new Apple Mac M1 lineup The differences between the Mac and Windows capabilities of most laptops have narrowed significantly with this shift, and it's rare - although not unheard of - that a casual or mainstream user runs into the old problem of not having the right OS for the tool they need. The first is that much of what we do on our computers, again especially for the typical MacBook Air buyer, is done online, through cloud-based and browser-based tools.Įmail, social media, shopping, video streaming, even workplace collaboration through Slack or other online tools - it's all cloud- or browser-based, and for the most part highly platform-agnostic. There are a couple of things working in the M1's favor when it comes to continuity of experience. No mobile broadband options, 5G or otherwise.



But that mostly comes from the new MacOS Big Sur experience, more than the hardware changes inside.

Big Mac Index information is from the Economist, click here for the Kindle version of the Economist.Going hands-on with the new M1-powered Apple MacBook Air feels very different from using any previous MacBook Air, even the early-2020 Intel version I tested alongside it. If are looking to get the entire dataset going back to 1986, click here to download the complete spreadsheet.
