Coming from my work computer, which has a quad-core Core i7 chip and 16GB of RAM, I didn’t notice a significant drop in performance for most tasks. Things like Slack, Spotify, browsing, email, Messages, Notes all work smoothly on the Air; no Core i7 chip needed.

Occasionally, there were small little annoyances. Like when I tried to rotate images in Apple’s Photos app. There was just a tiny delay, but letdowns like that were the exception, not the rule. If I were going to be doing a lot of work editing photos and video, I’d probably still go for the Pro. But I make my living as a writer and editor, so the Air would be fine the majority of the time. I’d say the same is probably true for most people.

That said, I can’t help but feel like Apple could have been even more generous with specs. In addition to offering a USB-A port on the Surface Laptop 3, Microsoft offers a Core i5 processor for $999, albeit with 128GB of storage, not 256GB. (For the record, that configuration is sold out on Microsoft’s site, but I mention it anyway to make a point about what a tech giant can afford to include at a $999 price point.)

In fairness to Apple, it does seem to have bested Dell’s offer with the newest XPS 13, whose $999 configuration has a piddly 4GB of RAM and Intel UHD graphics (as opposed to Iris Plus, which is saved for higher-end configurations). Like the Air, the $999 2020 XPS 13 has a Core i3 processor and 256GB of storage, so they’re well matched on those specs, though that 4GB of RAM would make this a configuration a non-starter for me.

If you have money to invest in up-sells, both the $999 and $1,299 configuration can be upgraded with a 1.2GHz quad-core Core i7 CPU, 16GB of RAM and either a 1TB or 2TB SSD. The graphics don’t get better, so if you think you want a discrete GPU, consider a MacBook Pro instead.

As for battery life, Apple is still claiming 12 hours of video playback or 11 hours of web browsing. I came pretty close to that. I put together a 13-hour playlist in the Apple TV+ app just to be safe, but in fact, the machine went dark after 11 hours and 34 minutes. Close enough, I’d say. It’s also worth noting this falls in line with Microsoft’s own claims for the 13.5-inch Surface Laptop 3, which is rated for eleven and a half hours of “typical device usage.” Neither of these machines come close to the new Dell XPS 13, however, which clocked 15 hours and 55 minutes.

In daily use, your mileage is obviously going to vary. Apple’s official 11-hour stat assumes you’re browsing in Safari. I use Chrome out of habit, even though I know it’s a battery hog. That said, the drain wasn’t so bad, at least not until I started doing calls in Hangouts. At one point the battery plunged by 13 percent even during a brief meeting. Once I finished the call, the battery continued to drain at a slower rate. All that said, I’d sooner expect a workday of unplugged use – maybe not the full 11 hours under most circumstances.

If you’re shopping for a lightweight laptop and don’t plan on using heavy-duty apps or doing serious gaming, the Air is one of a small group of favorites, including the Dell XPS 13 and Surface Laptop 3. The MacBook Air isn’t just a solid choice for Apple fans. Thanks to the lower starting price, increased storage and vastly improved keyboard, it’s worth considering for most people.

Not even NASCAR is taking chances with the health of its athletes and fans. The racing league announced last week that it will replace its marathon-length live events with 90-minute competitions with its marquee racers competing in “simulation-style” esports contests. This is the Rugby 7s of motorsports and we’re here for it.

The FIFA 2020 season, like the rest of sports, has been canceled. But that hasn’t stopped football fans from watching their heroes compete on a virtual pitch. More than 60,000 people tuned in to switch last week to watch Borja Iglesias for Real Betis and Sergio Reguilon for Sevilla compete head to head in lieu of their canceled derby.

Only one of America’s top five late-night talk show hosts has the courage, conviction, and wherewithal to keep filming their series in the plague era. And that host is Conan O’Brien who will be coming to America’s living rooms via his living room (and a Skype connection) in the coming weeks.

Given our newfound reliance on take-out and delivery orders, it would have been easy for DoorDash to continue enforcing its predatory 30 percent per order commissions. But the situation is so dire these days that the company has announced that it will forego up to $100 million in revenue over the next 30 days in order to give local restaurants a financial break. Such largesse.

I can’t think of a more clear-cut sign as to the seriousness of the coronavius outbreak than the fact that Apple unveiled its brand new $1000 MacBook Air model boasting a 12-hour battery life and i3 (upgradeable to i7) Intel chipsets last week and barely anybody even noticed.

Display

One of the features that most impressed both Dana and our readers was the improved 2,560 x 1,600 screen. Dana called the display more vibrant despite the glossy finish’s occasional glare. Various e readers agreed that the screen was a step up, with Vlad deeming it “a breath of fresh air … The Retina display is bright and rich in colors, with generous viewing angles and plenty of screen real estate.” tonyae198 likewise felt the “display compared to the original MacBook is like night and day.” Michael said it was great, though he “keeps it under half brightness except in direct sunlight.”

Ports

While it still features two USB-C Thunderbolt 3 ports and a headphone jack, the new Air lacks an SD slot and a full-size USB port. While this minimalist approach makes for a slim profile, it also garnered mixed feedback from reviewers, with myob saying two ports “are very limiting and are never enough.” Ori thought two ports were fine, but “would prefer placing them on each side for various flexibility.” Meanwhile, Brent wished for another Thunderbolt 3 socket so he could use more peripherals while charging. Vlad wrote extensively about this, overall giving the Air a 10 out of 10 for expandability, as “full use of Thunderbolt 3 … turns the MacBook Air into a surprisingly decent gaming system or GPU programming terminal.”

Keyboard

The butterfly keyboard and Touch ID were also popular: S called the setup “great and quieter than previous butterfly keyboard versions,” while myob said that “having physical function keys and Touch ID makes this notebook a winner in my book.” Reviewer Nope was more pragmatic, stating the keyboard “is nowhere near as bad as people like to say and is entirely passable,” and that they “really enjoy the Touch ID unlock, overall keyboard layout and similar but better form factor.” cf was also a fan, deeming Touch ID “really nice for waking it up and unlocking 1Password. I also like having real function keys vs the Touch Bar!”

Software

It’s no surprise that reviewers showered the Air’s software experience with praise; most people who buy an Apple product understand what they’re getting there. Vlad felt that “macOS continues to shine and compare very favorably with Windows in most domains. Key are: ease of use, compatibility with apps and hardware, and a stellar backup system.” S stated that macOS “has been more reliable and dependable,” and its inclusion is “an underrated benefit.”

Performance

In practice, Dana felt her hands-on experiences with the Air went well. The new model is quieter than previous iterations, and the Intel Core i5 processor and 8GB of RAM handled day-to-day tasks well. Readers had mixed results. S said the Air “surprised me with its speed, capability and battery life. Haven’t experienced slowdowns, even using some more resource intensive programs. The processor has held up well.” But Nope thought that “drive space on the low end is crazy small,” and cf said “whenever the CPU load is high, the fan sounds like a jet and the battery life goes to nothing. Not a good idea to run things that tax the system.”

Vlad summed it up by saying that, “on paper, although it seems underwhelming, the custom Intel chips optimized for short bursts of activity suggest that the laptop would perform well in everyday tasks, and for the most part it does so well. Problems arise for users who like to have several apps open, or are hoarders with many browser tabs. App performance may degrade noticeably in such circumstances, but it varies from app to app.”

Comparisons

Given how the Air fits into the refreshed Apple laptop line-up, Dana spent a good amount of time examining the alternatives. So did some of readers: Ori noticed battery improvements compared to the MacBook Pro but their experience was “far from what Apple claims, especially when you have to lower the level of brightness.” cf, who upgraded from a 2011 17-inch MacBook Pro to the new Air, noted the battery “lasts eight to 12 hours versus two hours on the 17.” cf also mentioned they “use it way more than my 17 since it is so portable.” Dario deemed the new Air “a huge update over the old version. Although not as powerful as the Pro, it is perfect for its target audience, basically web browsing, light photo editing, a few light games, multiple programs running in parallel.”

While there wasn’t a lot of negative feedback from readers Matthew mentioned “it’s really a bit telling and sad that Apple’s new MO is to skimp on certain parts across their product lines in order to expand their bottom line.” Nope added that they “really dislike the lower battery time, the higher price and the limited drive space in 2019.” However, first-time Mac owner forestdonkey said they like it a lot, though they admittedly “haven’t been using it for anything too strenuous.” cf said they are “very happy with my purchase — I already bought a second one for my wife and she loves it!”