A Mac user wants a new computer; they're going to buy a Mac. The the MacBook Air has Apple's latest M4 chip, and it's hitting digital shelves now. This is the period in the cycle when the Air and the Pro have the same chip.

Apple's M4 MacBook Air is shaping up to be an affordable powerhouse. In newly released benchmarks, it performs almost as well as the M4 MacBook Pro, all for $600 less.

The smaller Air is the perfect student laptop, but once you're out of school you should graduate to the larger but still highly portable 15-inch model.