If I use it to debug my React or Node app, it will be okay. I already tried to render a movie clip with DaVinci Resolve, it utilizes 100% of the CPU, thus the battery percentage level dropping rapidly. But if it is for a very specific reason you need to max out the CPU, the battery will drain fast. Don’t get me wrong, the M1 chip can handle any task without being fully loaded, thus it saves energy (battery). It won’t be an all-day laptop if you maxed out the CPU. The only I missed is VirtualBox, Parallels might just work, but it is not free. The dimensions are also still fine for my portability.Īpple’s effort to enable Rosetta 2 translations seems to works just fine, by the time I write this, almost all of my apps already support the ARM 圆4 version. The display also makes a leap over my previous laptop: namely brighter, higher-res, wide color (P3) support, and True Tone support. No fan, no worries, the CPU managed to sustain in 33–34 degrees Celcius most of the time in moderate usage. The M1 chip is awesome! Battery? Incredible, I could work all day without needing a single plug. Compiling Java code while browsing? Still fine. I was right, it is lightning fast, everything feels snappy. Leading performance per watt, Apple said. Fourth, it is the best bang for the buck, the 1000 USD that will outperform any higher price Intel or AMD configuration laptop.

Third, 8 GB RAM seems still acceptable to handle the moderate workload, moreover, the very-fast SSD will be served as a swap when memory is low. Second, 256 GB storage feels just right, while most of my files go to Google Drive or git repositories. Why did I purchase a base model? First, I need to know the limit of this infamous M1 chip to handle my workload. Sometimes I held a meeting while coding in VS Code. Browser? Yes, mostly Chrome and Safari with 10 tabs opened. I’m using a lot of tools to get the job done, namely Docker, Visual Studio Code, IntelliJ IDEA, Sublime Text, Sequel Ace, DBeaver, Postman, Figma, Vectornator, and DaVinci Resolve. I’m a full-time backend developer with an occasional job as frontend developer as well as app developer, and sometimes become a graphic designer and video editor. The reason was simply that my previous Macbook Air 2015 was as slow as snail and randomly crashed out of the blue. It’s been 6 months since I bought my Macbook Air M1.

Davinci resolve m1 macbook air