Macbook Air Purchase: Worth it for security reasons?

Questions
21

I appreciate your replies!

A Linux laptop sounds a bit hit and miss as far as software support goes? At least with an Apple laptop I’ll have hardware and software that are designed to work with each other?

What do you think?

I won’t be able to buy the Macbook Air M4 variant because it has been sold out anyway. I’m looking at the Macbook Air M5 range and they seem expensive, but I’m happy to pay extra knowing that I have a secure laptop.

What are the biggest advantages of using a Mac laptop over a Windows based laptop?

22

I cannot answer that, maybe @fria can.

23

I appreciate your reply!

The MacBook Neo maximum is only 512GB storage and I like storing my personal files on the local HDD/SSD. It’ll just be too much of a pain to constantly be trying to delete files so I have enough storage space…

24

Your CPU vendor covers microcode updates, and your laptop vendor covers your bios firmware updates. Apple is not that special if you don’t pay too much attention to their press releases. They’re thorough and consistent within their priorities, I’ll give them that.

Linux in it’s current state catches up with recent hardware releases pretty quick, especially on a stable rolling distribution.

There were quite a few similar discussions here with some valuable feedback (vendor choice, HSI level etc.). Please take your time and look through them.

25

do it macOS is so much better than Windows it’s not even funny. bar gaming or windows only software, I can’t think of a reason to use Windows over mac these days. Pre-silicon, sure, but their new M series macs have changed the game.

26

I appreciate your replies!

Oh okay. So you’re saying the Apple hardware and software integration is more of a PR marketing thing?

There’s still a premium to pay when buying Apple hardware but it seems like the new Apple CPUs will receive security updates for a long time compared to the old Apple Intel CPUs?

27

It is to be expected that MacBooks with M chips will receive between 8 and 10 years of updates, compared to 5-7 for Intel ones. I have a MacBook M1 from 2020 and it is still receiving updates and running like new. When Apple’s support runs out, I will install Asahi Linux, which already supports M1 and M2 chips.

28

I’m on a similar boat to you.

Can’t decide between Mac & PC

I’m on a PC with Window 10 and I have refused to update it to Windows 11 despite the former no longer being supported. I’ve had my PC long enough that I am now experiencing hardware issues, and it might be time to replace it. However, it is not clear to me if I should buy another PC or Mac. I cannot afford a high-end computer, so regardless of which system it’s on, it will have to be middle range.

The issues with Mac

I understand that MacBook Airs are considered middle range, but they are still expensive.
Moreover, I have issues with then centralization of Mac apps, and having to go through the Mac App Store.

I also have an old MacBook Pro, that is no longer updatable. A year ago I had to replace the SSD so it was like starting from scratch. I did not log into the Mac App Store to avoid being traced. However, I did use iMessage on Mac, to send a message to a friend abroad, because I didn’t want to use WhatsApp and I don’t have an iPhone. I haven’t had an iPhone in years.

Ever since I logged on iMessage, the Mac seems to have logged me on the Mac App Store. I logged out immediately. However, I have noticed that some apps like LanguageTool are not working, and I suspect it’s because it requires me being logged into the Mac App Store. I do not like that. Also, when I log onto iCloud on web on my PC, it does 2FA verification via the Mac even though I am not logged on it.

There are also many apps I use on PC that don’t exist or don’t have a FOSS equivalent I like on Mac.

This is why despite Windows 11 being shitty, I am still leaning on PC.
I also find Macs super expensive, and I worry that if I buy a Mac now, and get used to Mac exclusive apps, I will not be able to replace it when that Mac eventually dies.

That is exactly what happened with my first Mac which was a gift. When it died, I could not afford another one, so I went back to PC. It was the only Mac I ever owned. The old Mac I am currently using belongs to a relative who is no longer using it. Their profile on it is still there.

29

I appreciate your reply!

It’s awesome to hear that your M1 is still being supported. I was really upset when my Mac Mini stopped receiving security updates because it meant I couldn’t run MacOS on it anymore and I bought the Mac Mini just so I could run MacOS…

I’m not worried about receiving “Feature” Updates but I definitely want to keep receiving “Security updates” for as long as possible. My very old iPad Mini received a security update recently and that’s just over 10 years old now…

I appreciate your reply!

Like Gabriela mentioned, the new Apple M-Class CPU’s should be supported for a long time.

What kind of Macbook Pro did you have by the way? If I were you I’d stop using MacOS on it since it’s no longer receiving security updates. It’d be safer to install a Linux distro on it I think.

EDIT:
Purple, I’m looking at which Macbook to buy and you can save a lot of money by choosing the 13 inch screen MacBook Air. I was about to buy the 15 inch screen MacBook Air but it’s $400 extra.

The downside is that if you want more than 512GB storage you’ll have to pay more and get the Macbook Air 13 inch screen with the more powerful CPU. The 512GB storage MacBook Air is available with the cheaper CPU but 512GB storage just isn’t enough for me…

30

I have a 2015 MacBook Pro that runs of macOS Monterey. But like I said, it’s not mine. It belongs to a relative who rarely uses it. I have no personal files saved on it. My default computer is my PC. That’s what I do 95% of my computer activity on.

Thanks I appreciate your feedback. Yeah, I need 1 TB, and that adds to the cost. But even if I could afford it, it’s still a tough choice, because there are still a lot of apps I like on PC that don’t exist for Mac. I also don’t like that some cross-platform apps have more features or better UX on Mac than PC or vice versa.

Is it currently not possible to disable co-pilot and all the surveillance stuff on Windows 11?

Although I am open to Linux in some near future, I am not ready to move to it yet, because despite the better privacy, I know that I would have an overall significantly inferior experience compared to macOS or Windows.

31

I appreciate your reply!

I just thought that it might be possible: Buy the MacBook Air 512gb then buy an USB SSD that’s connected to one of the usb ports on the MacBook Air and then keep it plugged in constantly. This would keep the price down…

32

I feel like in a lot of cases this isn’t true anymore. If you’re spending $1000 on a laptop, from what I have seen anyway, Apple provides the best value for money. I have seen very expensive Windows computer and they are all shitty and flimsy products. Plus ARM is not there with Windows yet.

33

Few apps are distributed this way in my experience.

34

I’ve never had an app break because of that. I’ve also only seen 1 app only distributed on the Mac app store. It logs you out constantly I wouldn’t worry about it affecting apps, it’s likely a different problem.

Edit: it seems language tool is distributed on the web: Grammar Checker for macOS - LanguageTool

This seems like a good security measure. But you can definitely configure whether that Mac is trusted for 2FA or to use SMS (or hardware key?).

I think they actually outperform windows laptops in price to performance and it’s kind of agreed upon that Apple is destroying the competition on not only the quality of the M series but also the price.

I don’t think you’d have to pay significantly more for a windows laptop with equivalent power and yet it would have worse battery life.

On eBay I see renewed M2s in the 500 dollar range and those still perform great today. There’s an open box M3 with 16GB ram for 700.

Obviously this could still be too expensive, but I don’t think there’s a cheaper alternative in price per year of usage.

35

That is true. But there are still apps that force you to use the Mac App Store. Even their GitHub will redirect you to it. If memory serves me right, there was a time when you could download free apps from the Mac App Store without an account. But this is no longer the case.

You may be right. If LanguageTool is available for download on the web for Mac, it is likely I got it from there. I just downloaded it again, and it’s still not working. The app opens, but it won’t check my spelling. It is always stuck on “calculating”. I only get that on Mac.

LANGUAGE TOOL_Mac App Not Working
LANGUAGE TOOL_Mac App Not Working1600×749 102 KB

I have signed onto the Macs of relatives, and I don’t think Apple should assume I own that device. They should ask for confirmation first.

I also don’t appreciate that Apple doesn’t support 2FA via authentication app. It’s either a cellphone number or another Apple device. So basically, Apple won’t support universal forms of 2FA that are more secure. Instead, they want to lock you into their ecosystem.

Further, I don’t like that Apple doesn’t respect my preferred choice of 2FA (SMS). If I log into any Apple device, Apple will make it my default 2FA verification, despite me choosing my phone number.

Google does the exact same thing. Even though they support 2FA via authentication app and U2F, if you log into your Google account on any mobile device, Google will make it your default 2FA method every time you log on to the web.

Apple may be better in quality, but from my experience, it’s not the case in price. First of all, it depends on where you live. To me it doesn’t make sense that Apple products are cheaper in the US than, say, Hong Kong or China, when they are manufactured in China. They are also considerably more expensive in Europe and even more expensive in other regions.

If I were considering Mac again, the secondhand market might be my best option, but again, not all secondhand markets are created equal. It depends on where you are located.

36

Was in same boat as you. Laptop with Linux crapped out (hardware) and needed a new one. Ended up going with MacBook Pro M4 which is overkill for my needs but I love the 16in screen. Anyway, I already have an iPhone I hardened using PG hardening guide and Mac just works seamlessly with it. Having iMessage and Signal and iCloud with ADP on Mac has been great too.

that said, my gaming PC now runs Fedora Linux. Out of all the games I’ve played over the past year I’ve never once had to boot back into Windows to play a game (Repo, Peak, Death Stranding, Red Dead Redemption 1 & 2, Invokyr, etc.) - Steam handles all the switcheroo stuff in the background. I can’t see a reason for gamers to not have a dual boot setup on their gaming PCs. I know that’s not what u asked, but saw some people mention Linux here and have to say I’ve been blown away with how good Fedora is.

so, Fedora Linux Gaming PC + MacBook M4 has been my angle and I’m loving it.

37

Welp Apple raised prices.

38

While they’re better than Microsoft, Apple isn’t great for privacy either. Their devices have many security features and mitigations which is great for protecting you from most malware, but it doesn’t protect you from Apple or any of the various governments they work with. A Linux PC would be a much better option if you’re worried about mass surveillance or surveillance capitalism.