It's a common question: Eh bro you got 'lobang' (opportunity) for Apple laptop or not ah?

Most of the time, the answer is some variation of "well, it depends." The polite ones anyway. But for once, Apple has made it easier — the new M4 MacBook Air is cheaper than its predecessor while also being better. If you've been waiting for a 'sweet spot' MacBook to pull the trigger on, now might just be the time.

Like most tech companies, Apple almost never lowers prices when introducing a new laptop — this is only the third time in recent history that it has lowered its MacBook price. But now, it's happening again.

More base RAM (at last), less money

For years, Apple's base MacBooks have started with 8GB of RAM, which in 2024 is stretching it for heavy multitasking (ask me how I know).

Now, 16GB is the new standard. That means smoother performance, better responsiveness, and reduced slowdowns (within reason) when juggling demanding apps like Photoshop and Final Cut Pro. More RAM at no extra cost makes this upgrade a big plus.

The big 'minus' here is that the starting price is $1,499, which is lower than the M3 model at launch ($1,599). which would cost even more with the additional 8GB RAM. More laptop, less money, same build quality-can't argue with that.

Compelling option if you're not set on Windows

The new M4 MacBook Air also addresses a longstanding limitation of the Air series-one significant enhancement for multitaskers is its support for up to two external displays on top of the built-in screen, which will probably be a godsend to many who need the extra screen estate; no need to look at the MacBook Pro lineup just for this.

The M4 MacBook Air also introduces a Sky Blue colour, an upgraded 12MP Center Stage webcam, and slightly better battery life. While these are welcome refinements, the real draw here is you get a more capable laptop for a lower price.

CoPilot+ PCs are the apples-to-oranges-but-I-have-to-pick-one-anyway alternative, mainly because they finally have proper full-workday battery life. However, the mixed-bag integration of AI features might make you feel you're paying for things you don't need.

That said, companies like Acer offer comparable and appealing options below $1,499, which is probably why Apple can't realistically price the new model at $1,599.  All the same, the M4 MacBook Air is a compelling package of looks, build quality, performance and battery life.

This article was first published in Potions.sg.