Summary of "MacBook Air M4 – Честно После 6 Месяцев Использования"

MacBook Air M4 — 6 months of use (Concise summary)

Quick verdict Strong recommendation for almost any non‑specialist user. Excellent balance of portability, battery life, performance and build quality — ideal for ~95% of users and “best value for money” among laptops if you don’t need heavy sustained pro performance or Windows‑only software.

Key specs & numbers mentioned

Weight: 1.2 kg; thickness: 11 mm
Screen: 13” Liquid Retina IPS, 60 Hz, 500 nits brightness, 1500:1 contrast, ~99% P3 color coverage, no HDR
Configuration reviewed: 10‑core (ambiguous phrasing) CPU/GPU, 16 GB RAM, 512 GB internal SSD
Battery life: light use 2–3 days; active work 12–14 hours; heavy use 8–10 hours
Apple battery claim: 1,000 cycles to 80% capacity
Ports: 2 × USB‑C / Thunderbolt 4
Storage upgrade cost: 512 → 1 TB ~40,000 RUB; alternative 2 TB external SSD ~15,000 RUB
Comparison price reference: Mac Studio M3 Ultra ~300,000 RUB (for contrast)

Main features / strengths

Extremely portable and light (1.2 kg) with premium build quality — opens with one hand, no creaks.
Excellent battery life — real‑world long endurance; reliable for daily travel/cafes/trains.
Very fast app launch and overall snappy performance thanks to the M‑chip and fast NVMe SSD.
Screen: excellent color accuracy (99% P3) and brightness — suitable for photo/graphics work.
Fanless (passive cooling) — silent operation, fewer moving parts → potentially more reliable and less dusty inside.
macOS ecosystem advantages: iPhone/iPad sync, universal clipboard, call integration.
Thunderbolt 4 supports external SSDs and up to 6K monitors; external SSDs can be faster than internal for some workflows.
Great “everyday” performance — feels comparable to much larger/expensive Mac Studio M3 Ultra for typical tasks.

Main drawbacks / limitations

Only two USB‑C/TB4 ports and no SD card slot — inconvenient for content creators/photographers who need direct card access; requires a hub/adapter or external SSD.
60 Hz display (no ProMotion 120 Hz) and no HDR — not a flagship OLED/120 Hz experience.
Passive cooling means thermal throttling under sustained heavy loads — not ideal for long CPU/GPU‑heavy tasks.
16 GB RAM may be limiting for heavy multitasking, large projects, virtualization, ML, or large video timelines.
512 GB internal storage fills up quickly with system files, caches, photos; internal upgrades are expensive.
External SSD workaround uses a port and slightly impacts battery; you must carry it and not lose it.

User experience notes (real‑world observations)

Carried everywhere for 6 months with no sense of weight; never felt heavy.
No battery surprises; reviewer never had the battery die at a bad time.
Rarely felt uncomfortable heat — only under synthetic extreme loads.
System will aggressively unload inactive apps when memory pressure is high (multitasking limit).
Using a 2 TB external SSD solved storage problems cost‑effectively.
Used for browsing, office work, calls, light video editing, photo editing — found sufficient for those tasks.

Comparisons made

MacBook Air M4 vs Mac Studio M3 Ultra: for many everyday tasks the Air felt comparable; not for very heavy/pro workflows.
MacBook Air M4 vs MacBook Pro: Pro better for sustained peak performance (active cooling) and higher‑end display options.
MacBook Air M4 vs Windows laptops in same price class: Air wins on battery life, performance, build quality, silence; Windows wins only for gaming or Windows‑only software.
Thunderbolt 4 vs TB5: TB5 is faster but unnecessary for most users today.

Practical recommendations / buying advice

Great buy if you don’t require sustained pro‑level performance, 120 Hz/HDR display, or heavy multi‑GB RAM/storage workflows.
If you need more storage on a budget, buy a large external SSD (much cheaper than Apple’s internal upgrade).
If you require sustained high performance (3D, ML, heavy video timelines), choose a MacBook Pro or desktop Mac with active cooling.
Content creators/photographers who rely on cards should plan for a hub or external card reader.

All unique points mentioned about the product (compact list)

New Sky Blue color: hides fingerprints, less visible scratches near ports; other colors available (Silver, Starlight, Midnight).
Build quality: premium, no creaks, one‑hand opening.
Two USB‑C / TB4 ports only.
Missing SD card slot — inconvenient for photographers/content creators.
TB4 supports up to 6K monitor; TB5 faster but overkill for most users.
13” Liquid Retina IPS: 99% P3, 500 nits, 1500:1 contrast, 60 Hz, no HDR.
Configuration used: 10‑core (?), 16 GB RAM, 512 GB storage.
SSD speed: very fast (M‑chip NVMe performance).
Multitasking limits: system unloads inactive apps under memory pressure.
512 GB fills faster than expected due to system/app caches and photos.
Cost‑effective solution: 2 TB external SSD for ~15,000 RUB vs Apple internal upgrade costly (~40,000 RUB for 1 TB).
Battery life: up to multiple days light use; full workday easily; no degradation after 6 months.
Passive cooling: silent, less dust, but thermal throttling under heavy loads.
Rarely becomes uncomfortably hot in real‑world use; only during synthetic stress.
Target audience: students, office workers, beginner content creators, many developers, designers (except heavy 3D).
Windows laptops only beat it in gaming or when Windows‑only apps are needed.
Ecosystem benefits: iPhone/iPad synchronization, calls on laptop, universal clipboard.

Speakers / perspectives

Single reviewer perspective; no multiple speakers or differing viewpoints presented.

Final short recommendation

Buy it if you want a light, silent, long‑battery, color‑accurate Mac that handles almost all everyday and creative tasks well. Choose a Pro model (or desktop Mac) only if you need sustained high‑performance workloads, far more RAM/storage, or specific pro features (120 Hz/HDR, active cooling).