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Apple’s new M3 MacBook Air models drop Friday, but you can buy them now
Apple
Apple’s newly-unveiled M3 MacBook Air models are hitting stores on Friday, March 8. The new 13- and 15-inch laptops come equipped with the powerful M3 processors that claim a performance boost that makes them “up to 60 percent faster” than the standard M1 MacBook Air. Apple also claims these new computers boast a lengthy 18-hour battery life. While they aren’t as souped-up as the brand’s MacBook Pro lineup, they’re still more than formidable options for handling all your everyday work and play.
If you’re ready to upgrade, both devices are currently still up for preorder as of today (March 7, 2024) and you can buy them ahead of their official release tomorrow. Be sure to lock yours in early if you plan on buying a new Apple laptop, because the unclaimed units will likely sell out quickly. And don’t forget the important accessories like a wireless mouse to preserve your new trackpad.
New Apple M3 MacBook Air models available now
There are two new configurations of Apple’s lightweight 13-inch and 15-inch laptop computers available for pre-order, starting with the 13-inch MacBook Air at $1,099 and the 15-inch model at $1,299. Both will come with the upgraded 16-core M3 chip as well as a built-in GPU that enables the laptops to use ray tracing, mesh shading and other demanding graphical tasks.
13″ Apple M3 MacBook Air
Apple
The 13-inch MacBook Air, the smaller of the two new MacBook models, isn’t much different from the 15-inch version. The two models are identical in every way other than the size. Let’s break down what you’re getting, though.
You get the newly-upgraded onboard M3 chip to supercharge performance, especially when it comes to more complex tasks and and GPU that can handle ray tracing and mesh shading — perfect if you use your MacBook for gaming. There’s also everything else you probably already love about the MacBook Air, with its svelte frame that weighs just 2.5 lbs.
It’s also equipped with a Liquid Retina display with 500 nits of brightness. It supports two external displays if you prefer to use a standard monitor, and it also has two Thunderbolt ports for quick transfers and MagSafe charging, too. It has an upgraded battery life of what Apple claims is 18 hours, so you can stay working or gaming all day long.
This model is available with a base of 8GB of RAM, which is upgradeable to 16GB and 24GB. Its base storage option starts at 256GB, but it’s also upgradeable to 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB. If you tend to multitask and do more at once, go for the extra RAM.
15″ Apple M3 MacBook Air
Apple
The only difference between this larger model over the M3 MacBook Air is that it comes with a six-speaker sound system, where the 13-inch version only has a four-speaker setup. Simply put, if you want slightly better sound, you’ll want to opt for the larger laptop.
There’s also a bigger screen, a Liquid Retina with 50 nits of brightness and external display support. This model also comes available in multiple configurations, starting at $1,299.
The base model comes with 8GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage, but you can opt for a 16GB or 24GB of RAM model as well. Storage options include 1TB and 2TB configurations as well.
Will the older MacBook Air models be discounted?
With the debut of the M3 MacBook Air models, Apple has discontinued the M1 version of the MacBook Air, which debuted in 2020. At the time, it was the first Apple Silicon-based MacBook Air available to buyers. Its successor, the M2 MacBook Air, is still sticking around for the foreseeable future.
With the M3 MacBook Air hitting retailers, the M2 models will see a price drop, as is often the case. The M2 MacBook Air will fall to $999, which makes it the most affordable option for anyone looking for a new MacBook Air. The base model of the 13-inch M2 model comes with the M2 chip, an 8-core GPU, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD. It’s still very much worth a buy, and the upgradable options make it a strong contender for a daily driver if you don’t need the latest and greatest models.
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Former Trump national security adviser says next couple months are “really critical” for Ukraine
Washington — Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, a former national security adviser to Donald Trump, said Sunday that the upcoming months will be “really critical” in determining the “next phase” of the war in Ukraine as the president-elect is expected to work to force a negotiated settlement when he enters office.
McMaster, a CBS News contributor, said on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” that Russia and Ukraine are both incentivized to make “as many gains on the battlefield as they can before the new Trump administration comes in” as the two countries seek leverage in negotiations.
With an eye toward strengthening Ukraine’s standing before President-elect Donald Trump returns to office in the new year, the Biden administration agreed in recent days to provide anti-personnel land mines for use, while lifting restrictions on Ukraine’s use of U.S.-made longer range missiles to strike within Russian territory. The moves come as Ukraine marked more than 1,000 days since Russia’s invasion in February 2022.
Meanwhile, many of Trump’s key selection for top posts in his administration — Rep. Mike Waltz for national security adviser and Sens. Marco Rubio for secretary of state and JD Vance for Vice President — haven’t been supportive of providing continued assistance to Ukraine, or have advocated for a negotiated end to the war.
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McMaster said the dynamic is “a real problem” and delivers a “psychological blow to the Ukrainians.”
“Ukrainians are struggling to generate the manpower that they need and to sustain their defensive efforts, and it’s important that they get the weapons they need and the training that they need, but also they have to have the confidence that they can prevail,” he said. “And any sort of messages that we might reduce our aid are quite damaging to them from a moral perspective.”
McMaster said he’s hopeful that Trump’s picks, and the president-elect himself, will “begin to see the quite obvious connections between the war in Ukraine and this axis of aggressors that are doing everything they can to tear down the existing international order.” He cited the North Korean soldiers fighting on European soil in the first major war in Europe since World War II, the efforts China is taking to “sustain Russia’s war-making machine,” and the drones and missiles Iran has provided as part of the broader picture.
“So I think what’s happened is so many people have taken such a myopic view of Ukraine, and they’ve misunderstood Putin’s intentions and how consequential the war is to our interests across the world,” McMaster said.
On Trump’s selections for top national security and defense posts, McMaster stressed the importance of the Senate’s advice and consent role in making sure “the best people are in those positions.”
McMaster outlined that based on his experience, Trump listens to advice and learns from those around him. And he argued that the nominees for director of national intelligence and defense secretary should be asked key questions like how they will “reconcile peace through strength,” and what they think “motivates, drives and constrains” Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump has tapped former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard to be director of national intelligence, who has been criticized for her views on Russia and other U.S. adversaries. McMaster said Sunday that Gabbard has a “fundamental misunderstanding” about what motivates Putin.
More broadly, McMaster said he “can’t understand” the Republicans who “tend to parrot Vladimir Putin’s talking points,” saying “they’ve got to disabuse themselves of this strange affection for Vladimir Putin.”
Meanwhile, when asked about Trump’s recent selection of Sebastian Gorka as senior director for counterterrorism and deputy assistant to the president, McMaster said he doesn’t think Gorka is a good person to advise the president-elect on national security. But he noted that “the president, others who are working with him, will probably determine that pretty quickly.”
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Sen. Van Hollen says Biden is “not fully complying with American law” on Israeli arms shipments
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Rep.-elect Sarah McBride says “I didn’t run” for Congrees “to talk about what bathroom I use”
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Former Trump national security adviser says next couple months are “really critical” for Ukraine
St. Paul partners with SPPS to expand college savings program
Sen. Van Hollen says Biden is “not fully complying with American law” on Israeli arms shipments
Former Trump national security adviser says next couple months are “really critical” for Ukraine
St. Paul partners with SPPS to expand college savings program