Technology

Hello and goodbye to the MacBook Air

What’s new (and missing) in Apple’s new MacBook laptops, Big Tech’s future in the EU, iOS 17.4, the Elon Musk / OpenAI lawsuit, and much more on this episode of The Vergecast.

Published

8 months ago

Mar 08, 2024 05:00 AM

Web Desk

Hello and goodbye to the MacBook Air

Apple announced two new MacBook Air models this week, with spec upgrades across the board — and a bunch of confusing ideas about how your laptop can be great at AI. We’ll see how all of that shakes out in our review, but there’s little question that the Air will still be one of the best laptops you can buy. But these new models, and the final death of the wedge design, raise some questions. Questions like: what does the “Air” even mean anymore? And: was Apple right to try to kill the MacBook Air altogether a bunch of years ago?

On this episode of The Vergecast (which is a day early because we’re all about to head to SXSW — come hang with us!), we decide the new Airs don’t warrant too much discussion before proceeding to talk about them for a surprisingly long time. Then, we talk about the upcoming iPad news we’re expecting soon, along with what’s coming from Microsoft’s Surface team in a couple of weeks.

After that, we dig into the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and the new-look internet that folks are waking up to all across the EU. The DMA will affect six of the biggest companies in tech — Amazon, Alphabet, ByteDance, Apple, Meta, and Microsoft — but you’re likely to first feel the change the next time you update your iPhone. We also try to figure out why Apple appears to be torching its relationship with developers and why it can’t stop fighting with Epic.

After all of that, it’s time for a lightning round! We talk Apple Podcasts transcriptions, game emulator drama, the deeply weird Lenovo Legion Go, and all the latest Elon Musk / OpenAI drama. It’s a wonky one, folks, but that’s The Vergecast.

If you want to know more about everything we discuss in this episode, here are some links to get you started, beginning with the new MacBooks:

Apple announces upgraded MacBook Air laptops with M3 chipsThe M3 MacBook Air has a familiar lookThe MacBook Air’s wedge is truly gone — and I miss it alreadyMicrosoft to reveal Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 later this month

And the DMA rollout in the EU:

How the EU’s DMA is changing Big Tech: all of the news and updatesHow every tech ‘gatekeeper’ is responding to the DMAiOS 17.4 is here and ready for a whole new Europe Apple is bringing sideloading and alternate app stores to the iPhoneAlternative iOS app stores won’t work (for long) outside of the EUHere’s the new iOS default browser nag for iPhone users in EuropeNow Apple says it won’t disable iPhone web apps in the EU

And Apple’s fights with Spotify and Epic:

Apple hit with a nearly $2 billion fine following Spotify complaintSpotify and Epic criticize Apple’s iOS changes as ‘a mockery of the DMA’Spotify will show pricing options outside its iOS app in the EU — if Apple lets itApple kills Epic’s iOS game store plans over App Store criticism

And the lightning round:

David Pierce’s pick: Apple Podcasts now includes transcriptsDavid’s other pick: Nintendo Switch emulator Yuzu will utterly fold and pay $2.4M to settle its lawsuitAlex Cranz’s pick: Lenovo Legion Go review: the Swiss Army knife of handheldsNilay Patel’s pick: OpenAI says Elon Musk wanted ‘absolute control’ of the company