9.0Reviews
The M1 MacBook Air, five years later
It is still the laptop we recommend to most people who ask. Here is what has held up, and what has not.
TA
Mac & iPad editor
Tom Akers
Tom is a software developer who reviews Macs and iPads. He has opinions about keyboards and keeps a spreadsheet of battery cycle counts.
12 articles
9.0
Buying guides
MacBook Air or MacBook Pro: how to choose
Fans, ports, displays and memory: the four questions that decide it for most people.
Buying guides
The best iPad for students
Notes, reading and writing essays: which iPad and which accessories actually make sense on a student budget.
Buying guides
Buying a used MacBook: a checklist
Battery cycles, Activation Lock, memory configuration and the models worth buying second-hand.
How-to
A simple backup plan for your Mac
Time Machine, iCloud and an off-site copy: the three layers that protect your files without effort.
Buying guides
Studio Display vs third-party 5K monitors
Is Apple’s 27-inch display worth the premium, and which alternatives make sense for a Mac desk?
Buying guides
Mac Studio or Mac mini Pro: which desktop?
Both are small, quiet and fast. The deciding factors are GPU power, ports and how much noise you tolerate.
8.8Reviews
iPad Air M3 review: the iPad most people should buy
Pro-level speed for daily tasks, Apple Pencil Pro support and a much lower price than the iPad Pro.
9.2Reviews
MacBook Air M4 review: the default laptop gets cheaper and better
A lower price, 16GB of memory as standard and support for two external displays. There is very little to complain about.
How-to
Mac keyboard shortcuts we use every day
Twenty shortcuts that save us minutes every hour, from window management to screenshots.
9.3Reviews
Mac mini M4 review: the small Mac that does everything
Five inches square, silent in daily use and $599 with 16GB of memory. The best-value Mac ever made.
Buying guides
Apple Pencil Pro vs Apple Pencil (USB-C)
Squeeze, barrel roll and pressure sensitivity: which Pencil you need depends on whether you draw or take notes.