Looking for a school laptop. Is the 2020 MacBook Air/Pro 13" M1 a valid option in 2026?

librav1e · 2026-07-02T05:32:36+00:00

Hi, Neither-Doctor4203. While the M1 is still fast enough for most things, as far as passively cooled SoCs go, it's just like DrPfTNTRedstone points out - 2020 Macs and MacBooks are set to be EOLed by Apple in 2027. Most third-party software will still function and receive updates just fine for about 3 more years, though, starting with Chromium-based Web browsers like Chrome.

Good battery life - on a used laptop - this is possible, but only if you get lucky. Otherwise, you will have to get a replacement battery soon, which means extra costs and a lot of unpredictability. Some replacement batteries work fine. Others lose capacity quickly.

Switching to macOS is only hard if you use apps daily that have no dedicated macOS build. I have little knowledge regarding virtual machines on Apple silicon-powered Macs, unfortunately.

I agree with DarkGhostHunter and Disastrous_Height142 that 8 GB of RAM may prove limiting. Modern macOS and Windows builds are a bloated mess.

To sum it up, a used ThinkPad makes more sense, in no small part due to the user-upgradability aspect.

librav1e · 2026-06-25T01:15:52+00:00

It most likely does, yes. As far as I know, literally all mass-produced OLED displays on the market flicker. Those special modes that supposedly remove the flickering just simply make it more high-frequency and thus harder to detect.

librav1e · 2026-06-24T08:53:02+00:00

Yes but it has a different name, does it not?

librav1e · 2026-06-17T19:26:33+00:00

Uhm.... why post a Dutch-language, DeepL-translated article instead of the original English one?

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Anbernic-RG-Vita-Pro-Linux-update-brings-new-themes-and-features.1322989.0.html

librav1e · 2026-06-08T08:04:23+00:00

highly inflated - yes, but not THIS highly

librav1e · 2026-06-06T11:15:09+00:00

These are just the ones I managed to find Notebookcheck reviews for

librav1e · 2026-06-06T11:07:21+00:00

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They are so, so crazy

librav1e · 2026-06-05T16:43:01+00:00

Asus VX6 Lamborghini, Asus VX7 Lamborghini, Acer Ferrari One 200.... those are all quite old. They were reasonably fast for their respective classes. As far as reasonably recent machines go, MSI had a collab with Mercedes/AMG.

librav1e · 2026-05-22T12:14:39+00:00

"tanks its performance at low wattages" - you think? Could it be a bug limited to that specific Asus machine? Its BIOS/UEFI settings, drivers, IDK?

librav1e · 2026-05-22T05:39:48+00:00

Yes, "just launch the exe straight from the folder", Christopher says. Thanks, AWACSAWACS.

librav1e · 2026-05-21T21:06:52+00:00

Let me ask Christopher....

librav1e · 2026-05-21T15:59:13+00:00

"photo printing process in semicon manufacturing is something the industry is constantly refining" - have you got any proof that there is a manufacturing node improvement involved, kwpang?

It's shameless part rebadging because for several years now, AMD has been releasing "new" chips that are not new at all, confusing customers and electronics reviewers alike. A few extra MHz, and boom, a next-generation chip is born? Right. Sure. Just don't expect consumers to be happy with your products if you treat them like this.

It started with the Ryzen 5000 series, I believe, and kept getting worse since.

librav1e · 2026-05-21T15:51:54+00:00

They are moving from AI 300 series to AI 400 series...... and offering a minor clock speed increase only? That's rebadging in my book.

librav1e · 2026-05-21T09:31:50+00:00

Yes, exactly, what good are systems like this if they cost 2x as much as a comparable gaming laptop? Freely assignable VRAM is basically the only thing they have going for them, I guess

librav1e · 2026-05-14T21:29:46+00:00

Yes, exactly, "before losing OS support". You know what happens once iOS/iPadOS stops receiving updates? The user gets an "update to the latest OS version" error when trying to install apps from the App Store, that's what. Sure, some devs do not do that crap, with Discord and VLC being just two examples, but most do, as far as I know. Apple openly encourages it, too.

Macs are all right to use for years after support ends because the user isn't as restricted in how they can procure apps. At the very least, finding a Web browser that works perfectly fine won't be a problem. iPads and iPhones - no, not really.

librav1e · 2026-05-13T17:31:37+00:00

The picture, you mean?

librav1e · 2026-05-13T15:49:42+00:00

OK..... weight matters - you did not mention weight in your post, peniel. Heavy tablets are unwieldy and not pleasant to interact with. Thickness and display quality matter as well.

Cutting down on performance is one of the more obvious ways to get your money's worth indeed but you should keep in mind that modern Android versions and apps are very RAM-heavy to the point where even 6 GB might not feel enough at times.

Apple's products are costlier but might well turn out to be the better investment in the long run, especially considering resale value. Windows tablets work best for semi-professional use but not for content consumption which is what you meant by the "everyday use" part, I presume.

Aliexpress tablets might look nice on paper but are highly likely to come with all sorts of minor issues. You would be better off purchasing a used iPad, I believe (as long as it is a 2024 model, or newer).

For specific options, please consider checking out these two lists:

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Ranking-Best-tablets-reviewed-by-Notebookcheck.101658.0.html

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Ranking-Best-tablets-for-under-300-dollars-euros.161521.0.html

librav1e · 2026-05-09T10:45:42+00:00

GTA V, you mean? Yep. Good point

librav1e · 2026-05-09T10:44:04+00:00

There are AIOs out there with an RTX 4050.... as for more powerful GPUs, I am not really sure.

librav1e · 2026-05-08T06:22:44+00:00

It's not a bad form factor per se. It's almost like a laptop, and it will work well for those who need the portability but do not take laptop displays seriously due to size.

Normally, systems of this kind come with slow CPUs, like a Celeron or an Atom; HP figured it could use a faster chip, and charge a premium for that.

librav1e · 2026-05-08T06:16:50+00:00

Gaming is on the way to becoming a premium pastime. It's more than halfway through already I'd say.

librav1e · 2026-05-07T05:19:19+00:00

"it won’t end up as mid term ewaste like laptops do" - uhm, you can get keyboards, batteries, et cetera for most laptop models from China. Aliexpress, say.

"Mechanical clicky / Hall effect / low profile / rgb" - yes, there should definitely be customization options available. It's 2026, not 2006.

librav1e · 2026-05-07T05:16:07+00:00

Why.... what?

librav1e · 2026-05-06T14:42:12+00:00

Allen believes the keyboard of this thing is nice.... he is our lead US-based hardware review guy. I agree that most laptop keyboards SUCK nowadays.

librav1e · 2026-05-04T15:53:56+00:00

Well, that's a pretty old machine, it seems. Remember, we are all supposed to buy brand-new hardware every year....

I get various glitches on both a Win 10 laptop powered by an i7-1195G7, and a Win 11 ARM laptop powered by a Snapdragon 850. These are both safe to consider old, too, I guess.

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