Apple MacBook Air (M5) Review: The Goldilocks MacBook

Apple often touts the MacBook Air as the world's most popular laptop, and it earned that crown. For years, it's been the best laptop you could buy for around $1,000 and was the cheapest MacBook in Apple's lineup.

But with the introduction of the entry-level MacBook Neo, that calculus has changed. The MacBook Air is now the middle option, which means it needs to justify its $500 price difference over the Neo. To make things worse, the latest M5 refresh is one of the least exciting updates to the device in years, offering almost no significant changes other than the chip inside. It would have been easy for the MacBook Air to become lost in the mix. And yet, when considering which MacBook I recommend most people buy, the MacBook Air still has the do-it-all, Goldilocks quality that sets it apart.

The Airy Laptop

The MacBook Air is steadfast. The newer MacBook Neo might be flashier thanks to its bolder approach to color, but the MacBook Air has the all-around better design. It's the most portable MacBook in the lineup, and remains one of the thinnest laptops you can buy. Like the Neo, it's a fanless laptop, meaning it is completely silent, even under the heaviest workflows. That gives the experience of using the MacBook Air a light, weightless feel.