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Though it's received plenty of internal upgrades over the years, Apple actually hadn't touched the MacBook Air design since 2010. President Obama was two years into his first term, Russia had not yet annexed Crimea, and Tim Cook was still a year away from becoming Apple's new CEO.
Eight years later, the world is a very different place, but the MacBook Air has persisted. At its October event, Tim Cook called the MacBook Pro "the most beloved Mac ever," and announced its first real hardware upgrade in years.
If you haven't heard anything about the new MacBook Air, or if you're on the fence about buying one, here are 7 reasons to consider Apple's latest ultra-thin laptop:
1. It’s the first MacBook Air with a Retina display.
One of the best decisions I ever made around computers was upgrading my MacBook Pro in 2013 to get one of the new models with the Retina display.
The Retina display really does change the entire computer experience. Text is incredibly sharp and clear. Everything looks like it was painted directly onto the screen. You’ll be really happy with this display.
2. It has Touch ID, so you can unlock your Mac, or even make purchases, with just your fingerprint.
There’s no real need for passwords in the new MacBook Air, thanks to Touch ID. The fingerprint scanner lets you unlock your computer, access any locked data, and even make purchases without needing to enter a password. And if you have Apple Pay set up, Touch ID will automatically enter the correct shipping and billing information without sharing any of your credit card details. It’s super convenient, and also secure.
3. Apple made some big improvements to your input controls.
The MacBook Air’s keyboard has been redesigned to be more stable, comfortable, and responsive. And the trackpad, where you can click, scroll, pinch and zoom, is 20% larger than it was on the last MacBook Air, which will give you plenty of space to control your content.
4. It’s slightly thinner and lighter than the last MacBook Air.
The new MacBook Air is 2.75 pounds — the last model weighed 2.96 pounds — and it’s also 10% thinner than before.
5. It has updated internals, including eighth-generation Intel processors, and slightly improved battery life — about an extra hour or so.
There's also the option to purchase up to 16 GB of RAM.
6. The new MacBook Air features USB-C, the next-generation standard for charging and data transfer.
USB-C is slowly but surely starting to show up everywhere. Apple even replaced the Lightning connector in its iPads with USB-C. And the new MacBook Air comes with two USB-C ports, which you can use to charge the device, connect external storage devices, power external displays, or even charge your other devices like iPhones and iPads.
7. The new MacBook Air sounds way better than before, and can hear you better, too.
The new MacBook Air has stereo speakers that feature improved bass and get 25% louder than the speakers in the previous MacBook Air. The new laptop also features three microphones, which helps for dictation, Siri, or just being heard on your FaceTime calls.
