undefined | Better HN

0 pointsMeetingsBrowser14d ago0 comments

I have a macbook air from 2022 and it is easily the "best" computer I have ever owned.

Its portable. It has a great keyboard, screen, and battery life. No fans or overheating. No issues with the operating system or installing software I need.

I can even use it for some lighter software development directly, and for everything else I can ssh back to a beefier machine.

If I weren't already so happy with this macbook air, I would be ecstatic for the neo.

0 comments

ProllyInfamous14d ago

Same. I got the 2024 15" Macbook Air when CostCo had it for $849.00*

Hadn't purchased a laptop new since college scholarship decades ago. This machine continues to make an immediate impression. The entire thing is thinner than just the bottom of my college CoreDuo. It also lasts 8x longer, on battery.

I just use mine as a tertiary machine (i.e. bedtime reading/podcast), but if you ever want to run the machine hard long-term, you can use 1mm thermal pads between the heatsink and bottom of external case (and then it'll never throttle).

zuhsetaqi14d ago

> if you ever want to run the machine hard long-term, you can use 1mm thermal pads between the heatsink and bottom of external case (and then it'll never throttle).

That will spread the heat to the battery and degrade it much faster.

ProllyInfamous13d ago

The inverse is true:

This removes heat from the internal compartments (which logic board heat sink and battery co-habitate [0]) by transferring it outside via heat conduction through the case. There is no detectible heat increase (to touch) — consider the heat masses relative sizes (processor v. entire metal case).

[0] See <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXY9tCBpf48&t=188> — thermal pad placement goes between four central screws (above processor)

As a thought experiment: how would ejecting heat from the inside increase its temperature?

ant6n14d ago

Nice hardware (except for the reflective screen). Software is okay, fiddly, often fights with the user, bugs surprisingly often.

globular-toast14d ago

The best computer, but with the worst software (well maybe Windoze is even worse these days). If you could run Linux on them, without compromises, it would be perfect.

tim33314d ago

It's not that bad really. Windows was always a bit flakey and crashy and Linux has a job running the software I use. I'll give you Apple can be a bit control freaky as to what you do with your own machine - getting rid of 32 bit annoyed me - but nothing's perfect.

replwoacause14d ago

Same here. I've been buying Airs ever since they came out and they always exceed my expectations. I use them as primary dev machines.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse