FURTHER READING
MacBook Air 2020 review: The most boring Mac is among the best
Today’s Dealmaster is headlined by a couple of early deals on the entry-level models of Apple’s latest MacBook Air and Mac Mini. The former is down to $950 at Amazon, a $50 discount, while the latter is down to $699 at B&H, a $100 discount. These offers are fairly modest, but they’re still noteworthy considering Apple only launched the new computers a couple weeks ago.
MacBook Air 2020 review: The most boring Mac is among the best
We gave the new MacBook Air a favorable review earlier this month, calling it “a really good laptop, and easy to recommend.” Have a look there for the full rundown, but the new Air is still very well-built, now comes with more base storage at 256GB, and most importantly, comes with a new “Magic Keyboard” that should be much more agreeable and durable than the ultra-low-travel “butterfly” keyboards of recent models.
The new Mac Mini, meanwhile, is essentially identical to the refreshed model Apple released in 2018, but with the base storage bumped from 128GB to 256GB. Otherwise, it remains the lowest-cost and most compact way to bring macOS into a desktop environment for more casual tasks. This offer is $200 cheaper than the previous-gen 256GB Mac Mini’s current going rate.
It’s important to put these deals in context, though. Both of the entry-level Macs here run on Core i3 chips and 8GB of RAM, so their performance levels won’t give spectacular value compared to what you can get from similarly priced Windows Ultrabooks and mini PCs. We recommend jumping up to at least the Core i5 models of each if you can afford it, and even then the MacBook Air can run hot and loud if you stress it over time. You may also have to pick up a USB-C dongle either way—the Mac Mini comes with two USB-A ports and four Thunderbolt 3 ports, while the new MacBook Air has just two Thunderbolt 3 ports.
That said, we realize that it’s macOS or bust for a big swath of the computer-buying population, so if you’re in the market for a new Mac today and can’t stretch your budget too far, it’s worth knowing that you can save some cash here instead of buying directly from Apple.
If you don’t need a new PC, though, we also have great deals on refurbished Bose noise-cancelling headphones, several discounts on Nintendo Switch accessories, and a buy-two, get-one-free sale at Amazon that includes a number of board games and video games we’ve previously approved of. Have a look at the full rundown below.