While Walmart remains steadfast in offering the 2020 M1 MacBook Air at a competitive price of $549, Best Buy is taking a more ambitious approach this Cyber Monday by unveiling a strikingly attractive promotion on Apple’s 13‑inch M2 MacBook Air. This discounted model not only doubles the system’s memory capacity to a spacious 16GB—compared with the 8GB configuration of the earlier M1 version—but also introduces an enhanced, more refined design that aligns seamlessly with Apple’s current aesthetic direction. For this limited‑time event, Best Buy has reduced the laptop’s price to an exceptional $599, reflecting a savings of $200 off its standard retail cost, making it one of the most compelling offers of the shopping season.
The M2 MacBook Air holds a special place in Apple’s lineup, as it was the first iteration to introduce the modernized, slate‑like form factor that defines today’s MacBook Airs. As a result, its exterior design bears a strong resemblance to the latest M4 edition, which currently retails for $749. The M2 version showcases a 13.6‑inch Retina display with a crisp resolution of 2560 × 1664 pixels, ensuring vivid imagery, precise color reproduction, and sharp text that appeal equally to creative professionals and everyday users. Complementing this visual clarity is a 1080p high‑definition webcam—an upgrade that supports clearer, more professional video conferencing. Additionally, the machine includes two Thunderbolt 3 ports, offering fast data transfer speeds and versatile connectivity options suitable for accessories, monitors, or external storage devices.
At the heart of the device is Apple’s M2 chip, which integrates an eight‑core CPU alongside an eight‑core GPU. While this architecture is beginning to show its age when tasked with particularly heavy computational workloads, its performance still proves more than capable for the vast majority of modern computing needs. Everyday productivity, creative projects, and content consumption all run seamlessly. For instance, during extensive performance testing, the laptop exhibited no difficulty when handling sophisticated tasks such as editing and exporting high‑resolution photographs using Adobe Lightroom Classic or rendering and exporting 4K video files in Adobe Premiere. These results underscore the M2 MacBook Air’s capacity to deliver impressive real‑world performance despite its ultra‑thin, fanless design.
That same fanless engineering, however, introduces a predictable drawback: under sustained, intensive workloads, both the CPU and GPU may experience thermal throttling, reducing their output to maintain optimal operating temperatures. This behavior is an intentional trade‑off, prioritizing silent operation and portability over continuous peak performance—a balance that continues to appeal to students, professionals, and travelers who value quiet efficiency.
A notable limitation of the M2 MacBook Air—later addressed in subsequent models—is the restriction that permits connection to only a single external display at a time. For users who rely primarily on the built‑in screen or have no need for a dual‑monitor setup, this constraint is unlikely to pose an issue. Considering the significant discount, premium build quality, and dependable performance, the M2 MacBook Air remains an outstanding purchase choice for those seeking Apple’s signature combination of design elegance, speed, and reliability at a substantially reduced price. For a more comprehensive evaluation of its capabilities, interested buyers can refer to our full review, which explores the machine’s performance and user experience in greater depth.
Sourse: https://www.theverge.com/gadgets/834693/apple-m2-macbook-air-cyber-monday-deal-sale
