Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Apple finally stopped betray the M1 MacBook Air earlier this class . With aprice cut to the M2 MacBook Airand the foundation of the M3 , I wasfinally ready to stop recommendingit as well .

But tight forward tothis week ’s WWDC announcements , and short theM1 MacBook Airjust get a whole lot more attractive . That ’s thanks to thenew Apple Intelligence featuresrolling out back multiple generations , all the direction to the M1 Macs .

M1 MacBook comes back to life

Like every twelvemonth , the introduction of a new version of macOS means an alteration to what older mack are compatible with the young version . But with late edition , macOS Sequoia , Apple ’s made a more aggressive jump . MacOS Sonoma was compatible with Macs work back to 2018,while Sequoia motion that to 2020 . But that modification is for a very salutary understanding . The M1 chip were the first Macs to get the neural locomotive engine , the on - twist AI throttle responsible for powering much of the new Apple Intelligence features .

So , while there may be some disappointed that macOS Sequoia does n’t go back as far , the fact that Apple has been able-bodied to enable AI feature on four - twelvemonth - sure-enough laptops is passably impressive . It ’s especially remarkable whencomparing to Microsoft ’s Copilot+ launch , which reserved on - gimmick AI features only for young laptops .

Of course , the AI feature do n’t suddenly make the M1 MacBook Air as tight as the M3 model — especially on the artwork front . Nor does it make the twist as tenuous and modern as the newer MacBook Air example . But considering how fast and long - lasting the M1 MacBook Air already was , these new AI feature film go a long way toward keep these old laptop computer palpate brisk . The difference of opinion inCPU functioning between the M2 and M1isn’t even great enough to be noticed in most tasks the MacBook Air is plan for anyways .

There is still a large interrogative , of course , about how the functioning of these AI features will liken on an M1 MacBook Air versus an M3 MacBook Air . According to Apple , the nervous engine on the M3 is 60 % faster than on the M1 . sure enough , that has to report for some amount of difference in public presentation .

Even so , the price difference is go to make these M1 MacBook Airs especially attractive again . you may buya refurbished M1 MacBook Airfor under $ 500 correctly now . know that you could get the latest AI features in a MacBook that cheap is mind - blowing .

But why?

You might wonder why Apple would even enable these features to get down with . After all , it ’d be an comfortable way to betray some new gimmick .

One of the trouble is that Apple does n’t in reality have any new MacBooks to trade . The M4has come to the iPad Pro , but it likely wo n’t be until 2025 that we getan M4 MacBook Air . Apple could have restricted the features just to the M3 MacBooks , but we all make love the tangible jump in AI performance comeswith the M4 , not the M3 .

There ’s a big reason for Apple ’s more generous overture though . In the close , Apple does n’t appear to be introduce AI to sell laptops this twenty-five percent like Microsoft is . It ’s investing in the long - condition future of the Mac and proving that it has n’t strike behind .

So far , the resultant role of Apple ’s proclamation has been a resounding success . After Apple ’s announcements , its stock has already risen above Microsoft , allowing it to regain the title as the creation ’s most worthful company . All the while , Microsoft is face some blowback with its own new AI feature , including being forced to make changes to Recall , its most ambitious unexampled characteristic .

In the end , converting the M1 MacBook Airinto a right AI PCwas only possible because Apple has actually been ahead in AI — not behind . Despite the merchandising hype , Apple has been investing more in AI acceleration than Microsoft or any of its partners for year already . That tenacious - terminal figure investment is what countenance it go back in time and give newfangled capabilities to these old devices in a way Windows machines just ca n’t . That ’s not to say Windows devices wo n’t have AI features , but they will miss the new Copilot+ characteristic and will mostly be powered by the swarm rather than on - equipment .

I ’m not say everyone should go and buy an M1 MacBook Air needfully . There are reasons to opt for one of Apple ’s newer MacBooks , or even one of the new Windows Copilot+ machine . But for now , it experience like the M1 MacBook Air just regain a fate of value , which is an progressively rare thing in tech .