Apple MacBook Air Apple 13" MacBook Air (M4, Silver) Review

The M4 MacBook Air is the best ultraportable laptop you can buy, full stop. It's incredibly light, the battery lasts forever, and it's fast enough for basically everything except gaming. But here's the one thing you need to know: the 32GB of RAM is overkill for 99% of people. You're paying a premium for a spec you'll never use unless you're a professional video editor on the go.

The M4 chip is plenty fast for daily tasks, web browsing, and even some light photo editing. It scores in the 66th percentile for CPU, which means it's quick but not a monster. The real surprise is the GPU, which lands in the 18th percentile. That's why the gaming score is so low. This thing will chug on anything more demanding than indie games or older titles.

At $1799, it's a tough sell. You're paying for the Apple ecosystem and that sleek design. The performance is good, but you can get more power for less money elsewhere. It's only worth it if you live and breathe portability and macOS.

If you need more power, the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 Max is the obvious step up. You get a much better screen, more ports, and a GPU that doesn't suck, but it's heavier and more expensive. For a Windows alternative, the ASUS Zenbook Duo offers a similar portable form factor with a unique dual-screen setup that's great for multitasking, and it often costs less. The gaming laptops on the list, like the Lenovo Legion, are in a completely different league for performance but are also much heavier.

Buy this if you're a student, a frequent traveler, or someone who just wants a dead-simple, ultra-reliable laptop for everyday stuff. Skip it if you need to do any serious creative work, gaming, or if you're on a tight budget. It's a fantastic machine, but it's built for a very specific person.