Oh, Walmart, you have no idea what you've unleashed. A $699 MacBook Air with M1 chip is the Big Mac to Hamburglar, cookies to Cookie Monster, Bonnie to Clyde. It's the antidote to MacBook Air lust without the big investment and a challenge to any affordable Wintel system Walmart has on its shelves.
The Apple MacBook Air with M1 was a surprising development. This is how I described the first Apple Silicon application on a Mac in 2020.
There was nothing exceptional about the design (it was the same as the last MacBook Air with an Intel CPU), but that ARM-based “brain transplant” produced a product with a winning, smart, ultra-efficient new personality and personality. He was in love. No wonder I was sad when Apple discontinued the M1 MacBook Air in favor of the newer 13-inch MacBook Air with M3, aka the best laptop you can buy. There's still a cheaper $999 MacBook Air M2, but it features the flat slab design that replaced the classic wedge-shaped MacBook Air.
I've grown to like that flat, arguably less sleek look, but I'll always miss the iconic, curvier design of the original MacBook Air. There's never been a thinner laptop, at least when viewed from the front edge (0.16 inches), or one that feels better in the hand. I even miss the visible speaker grills on either side of the Magic Keyboard. Admittedly, the ultraportable had only two USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports (one per side!), no dedicated MagSafe charging port (that was a major update from the M2's redesign), and the screen is a bit smaller and doesn't excellent Liquid Retina Display. update we got with the MacBook Air M2. Still, show me a classic MacBook Air and I'll break into a wistful smile.
I assumed that after Apple discontinued the model, supplies would quickly run out at other retailers where the system was selling for as little as $749. I think I was wrong.
It's not just that $699 is a great price, it's where You can buy the MacBook Air M1. “This is the first time customers can purchase a Mac directly from Walmart,” the company said in a statement. That's right, in the same place where you can buy a 55-inch 4k TV for under $300 and a complete set of nonstick cookware for under $70, you can now buy one of the best laptops ever.
I understand that this MacBook Air is now three generations old and may seem outdated, but the truth is its 3.5 GHz system, its ability to run virtually all Intel-compatible applications, and handle almost any task you throw at it (including editing multiple 4K files). streaming video at a time), a 15-hour battery life (20 hours if you just watch videos), and a weight of 2.8 pounds make it a formidable competitor to laptops that cost at least twice as much. Even with just 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, it poses a real threat to any sub-$700 Intel Windows PC that Walmart has to offer. If you never thought you could afford to switch from Windows to Mac, this could be your chance.
This deal changes the calculus of my laptop buying advice. If you're looking for the perfect laptop for work, school, or life, this is the system to buy.
Naturally, there is the question of how long the supplies will last. If you visit Walmart's website right now, this $699 M1 MacBook Air is the first thing you'll see. Apple is not going to manufacture more, it could be a short-lived opportunity.
On the other hand, this is a decisive moment for Walmart and its customers. The company said it was the first time it would sell Macs directly, but did not say it would be the last. I'm thinking that if you see a MacBook Air you really want, maybe the M2 or even the powerful new M3, you might want to wait and see when it hits Walmart's ever-eclectic shelves.
