2023 MacBook Air Laptop with M2 chip: 15.3-inch Liquid Retina Display, 8GB Unified Memory, 256GB SSD Storage, 1080p FaceTime HD Camera, Touch ID. Works with iPhone/iPad; Midnight

First off, I'm not a student, and I don't use a computer for work; I mostly use this for writing in word and looking things up on the Internet (but I plan on doing some photo editing/video editing). So, until now, I never wanted to spend much for a laptop.Now, I'm an Apple guy--iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad etc.--but all my computers have been PC's. I'm not at all computer savvy but feel I at least understand PC's, was "raised" on them. I didn't want to completely relearn how to use a computer! My last HP Stream was VERY slow, almost right out of the box. So for a while now I've used my iPad to do what I needed to do, set up like a laptop with bluetooth keyboard and mouse. But recently I wanted something with a little more capability. So I thought, I've used Apple products for YEARS now and am essentially using my iPad as a laptop too...why not get a MacBook?!? So I went to Amazon and started to obsessively search.Initially I almost went with the 2020 13" M1 MacBook Air, because it was less than $1000 and seemed to be enough for what I needed. Now, I do not AT ALL understand what the M1 is or the M2, but I learned that before that, Intel chips were used, which I knew was also in HP computers, so I rightly or wrongly associate them with "slow".(My apologies to people who actually understand computers, because this review and my thought process probably seems really primitive and simple!)So my reasoning was, for only a couple hundred more, it would be better to just get the M2, because things become obsolete SO FAST! Having the latest technology at least assures me that I'll have some time before the next new thing comes out, and/or will be slowed down by updates.I can now honestly say I'm glad I made the switch! The Set-up kind of took a while and needed to update right after, so I was nervous that everything would be slow. But once set-up was done--ZOOM! This is easily the fastest computer I've ever had. When the computer is asleep and I wake it up, I simply put my finger on the fingerprint reader and it INSTANTLY opens to wherever I left off at. No loading or that awkward first-wake-up slowness all of my other computers have had--when I say it instantly starts I mean it! The display is crystal-clear, battery life so far has been great, and the "control area" (where you move the mouse and click) is huge (shown in picture)! And physically, the computer feels very premium, with a metal body instead of plastic.That leads to my one and only gripe with this computer. Because the body is made of metal, the edges are hard and "sharp", rather than rounded. So when I'm typing for a while, my wrists start to hurt from the edge digging into my skin. I've tried to show what I mean in the picture.That being said, it's a very minor issue, more of an irritant. Does it make me regret my decision or want to return it? Not at all! But it's something I haven't seen anyone else mention, so it's just something to be aware of if you plan on typing a lot.Anyway, if you're like me and considering to switch from a PC, I HIGHLY recommend that you do; you won't regret it. Are there things to learn? Yes, as with anything new. But if you're even a little familiar with apple products, you should be fine as they all work pretty much the same.

I bought this a week ago and finally accepted Amazon's offer for their own credit card, something I had stupidly ignored for years. My big point about Apple prices is that they are surprisingly "bouncy" at Amazon and everywhere. Today's price is very competitive with the market, still $50 less than pricing being advertised by another widely respected vendor. But a week ago, it was $250 less than today's price, which I combined with the $150 gift card promotion and so paid $400 less than today's fair and competitive price. Most notably, there was no particular promotion from Apple or Amazon and this was a couple of weeks outside Amazon's recent Prime Days. I often look at Apple prices on Amazon, and I am sure I checked them during Prime Days, although I don't remember exactly what that price was. It may have been as low, but temptation is a combination of price and my mood on any given day. Lucky for me that my endorphins were high a week ago, and I went for it!About M1 and M2: I have both models of the Mini. When the M2 was new, amazingly, it was available here and elsewhere at about a 10% discount on the M1 price. (Yes, the newer model was cheaper!). Meanwhile, reviewers where saying that the M2 advantage was minimal for ordinary users. Be careful what garbage you trust! It seemed solid, careful reviewers on Youtube NOT pushing the latest and greatest. But they were so wrong! The M2 is strikingly snappier than the M1, at least with 8 MB of memory. (Time was when I wouldn't think of less than 16 GB of memory, a habit born on Windows PCs when we were were talking ~mega~ instead of ~giga~ bytes. I am a "power user" but not a user of "power apps," i.e., no games, no video editing, etc. But I run a lot of simultaneous apps and keep a LOT of browser tabs open. On the modern Mac, I don't notice any performance difference between 8 and 16 GB. This is huge on the Mac given Apple's memory pricing and inability to upgrade.)Back to M1 v. M2, I notice that this listing from Amazon includes the claim (with Apple logo) that the M2 is 1.4x faster than the M1. Believe it! 1.4x is a huge performance boost and sure feels snappier to me (although the M1 is no slouch).Although this is my first M-series Macbook, I have owned several other Macbooks, all 13". Obviously, smaller is a bit more convenient, especially for students and other who lug them around a lot. And I have always felt that lighter laptops were more durable, because heavier ones tend to get banged around a lot more in daily use even if you don't drop them. But I had not realized how light this 15" Macbook is! A total joy that handles very easily. And, oh yea, obviously that bigger screen is great.One new feature that I considered trivial is the magic key that reads your fingerprint. It's not trivial! It is super convenient in an era when (Apple and Google) are constantly pestering you for passwords. Just love this new wrinkle.Mostly, I have written toward the Apple user, which I certainly am. But back in the day, I was in the Microsoft boat to the extent of having my ticket as a Microsoft Systems Engineer. I made the break strictly for the light and elegant Macbook and gradually got sucked into the AppleVerse. It is certainly not the cheapest way to go with laptops although the Mac minis are, imo, far the best value in desktops. As I mentioned above, you help yourself a lot on price if you are realistic about your memory needs. And external storage is so cheap and convenient that you should never consider upsizing your SSD spec on a new Macbook. Like I said, Apple prices are pretty bouncy, but it's not a day to day thing. And, to me, it seems rather unpredictable. Patience can definitely save you some money.Oh, and I am thrilled with this new Macbook! Did I say that?