Lightroom On Macbook Air
The Air is sufficient for basic video editing operations, especially when its processor, RAM, and storage are all at their maximum capacities. The entry-level MacBook Pro, which you may as well think of as the standard MacBook Pro, might be yours if you pay the M1 MacBook Air extra to update.
I have been using a fanless MacBook Air extensively for a variety of tasks, including running Lightroom Classic CC. Thanks to a far cooler, power-efficient 10W chip, the fanless MacBook Air produces little heat, making it a fantastic laptop to use on your lap.
That is because it now comes equipped with Apples own hand-based M1 chip, which is also found in the pricier MacBook Pro 13-inch. We loved the original M1 MacBook 13-inch, but at 16GB of RAM max, it never really managed to overtake the older, Intel-powered MacBook Pro to become a true image/video editing/futureproofing powerhouse. We love the original 13-inch M1 MacBooks, but with a maximum 16GB RAM, it could never quite topple the older Intel-powered MacBook Pro to be a truly futureproofed image/video-editing powerhouse. It can also handle 4K video editing, if you are primarily looking at stitching together shots, but is not built to do deep, complex 3D work. Adobe Photoshop is totally optimized for MacBooks M1 After months of beta testing, Adobes super-popular Photoshop application is now running natively on Apple devices running on M1 chips.
This 14-inch version can be configured with Apples more powerful M1 Max system-on-chip, giving you 32 graphics cores and up to 64GB RAM. The catch is, according to Apples footnotes, that will only work on the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, with its glorious Liquid Retina XDR display, and that Mac has to be powered by either the M1 or the M2. Third-party testing results from Pfeiffer Consulting suggest Apples M1-based 13-inch MacBook Pro trounces Intels similarly-sized, quad-core Core i5-powered model in many tasks.
If you are rocking an Intel machine like our 14-inch, quad-core MacBook Pro (which, incidentally, has double the RAM1 of our most expensive Intel-based Mac, and costs $700 more than an equivalent M1 MacBook Pro), you can expect bigger gains: an impressive 20 percent to 25 percent faster imports and exports. When comparing the 16GB M1 MacBook Pro with the Intel MacBook Pro with 16GB of RAM and the Core i5 CPU, Adobe found a 54 percent increase in performance. In short, the new M2 CPU is faster and better than the M1, which in turn is a dramatic improvement over Intel-based CPUs that Apple used prior to switching to their custom silicon, the M1.
Apple started selling the new M1 CPUs on MacBook Airs and 13-inch MacBook Pro notebooks in 2020, and brought the chips to the new iMacs in May. The new Apple MacBook Air and 13.3-inch MacBook Pro machines, powered by Apples M1 silicon chip, were revealed to a great deal of typical Apple fanfare, promising significantly better performance, longer battery life, and virtually fanless operations. While I had previously ignored MacBook Air-series laptops because of their comparatively lackluster performance and RAM limitations, the new M1 MacBook Air, which Apple revealed earlier this year, caught my eye.
| MacBook | Chip |
| 13.3 inch Mac | M1 silicon chip |
| 14 inch MacBook | Powerful M1 Max system-on-chip |
| 16 inch 2021 | M1 System-on-a-Chip |
| 2022 MacBook Air | M2 chip |
As you can see, the MacBook Air M1 was able to beat my 2016 MacBook Pro by a wide margin when using native apps optimized for Apple silicon. Despite the smaller footprint and fanless design, the MacBook Air M1 is clear evidence of Apples success with the new architecture from Apple, one that has not only upended Apples very own laptops powered by Intel, but some of its higher-end, workstation-class machines. The new 13-inch MacBook Pro benefits from Apples stunner, M1 System-on-a-Chip CPU (it is not strictly a CPU — it bundles almost every major aspect of the computer into one chip, just as it does phones or tablets).
Even with less computing power and less storage, you can still get away with using it for basic tasks and editing. The unveiling of the original MacBook Air was one of the most iconic moments in technology history, and as someone whose first Mac was this original design, I can attest to just how slim and portable it is, and what a pleasure it is to use. This morning, Adobe unveiled a much-anticipated version of Lightroom Classic, which is completely optimized for the Silicon Devices of Apple. Lightroom Classic, we had the opportunity to check out ahead of its release. Adobe released the first Lightroom Classic version adaptable to Macs powered by Apples new M1 processor on Tuesday, which is a boon to photographers looking to make the most out of Apples power-efficient hardware.
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If you are interested in buying a laptop with a bit of extra horsepower just for editing photos, you will want to check out more recent MacBooks or PCs that are currently on the market. Plus, MacBooks are generally pretty light and thin, making them a good choice for photographers that need to edit images while on the move. If you are someone who does a lot of your work or photo editing on the new MacBook Air, then having support for external displays gives you a little bit more breathing room.
Unfortunately, only an external display is supported (6K, and 60Hz when used in tandem with the built-in display) at the resolutions, so you need to step up to an M2 MacBook Pro if you are planning on working clamshell-style with more than one monitor. At 13.3 inches, the thin screen on the new MacBook Pro makes it incredibly portable, but the drawback is that photo editing space can feel a little cramped, particularly once you get the expanded selection pallets in Photoshop. The new MacBook Pro for 2021 not only breaks down any RAM limitations with its new M1 Max chip, which is available with 64GB RAM, it comes in at a 16-inch screen size, which is considerably more usable for longer editing sessions than a 13-inch panel.
The 2021 16-inch MacBook Pro, with its Apple M1 System-on-a-Chip, represents Apples latest tech, and there is a lot going for that older, Intel-powered MacBook Pro. The 2022 MacBook Air comes with Apples new M2 chip, featuring an 8-core CPU with four performance cores and four efficiency cores, 8-core or 10-core GPU, a 16-core neural engine, and 100GB/s of memory bandwidth. Capabilities are limited to models that have an M1 CPU, which currently includes iPad Pro and iPad Air.
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Aside from one area of the laptop in the center getting hot, the laptop is consistently relatively cool to the touch, a major departure from my MacBook Pro, which got uncomfortable warm after only 30 minutes of moderate use.
Is the MacBook air powerful enough for Photoshop?
Although the new 2022 model, which has an improved M2 chip, is now available (and is higher on our list), the MacBook Air (M1, 2020) is still a great laptop for Photoshop photo editing and is now more affordable than ever.
Can MacBook Air M1 handle Photoshop?
Yes, the MacBook Air M1 can handle Photoshop thanks to its powerful M1 chip and optimized software. However, users who work with large and complex files may experience some performance issues and may want to consider a more powerful MacBook Pro or desktop computer.
How much RAM do I need for Lightroom on Mac?
The amount of RAM required for Lightroom on Mac depends on the size and complexity of your images. Basic editing can be done with 8GB of RAM, while larger files and multitasking require 16GB or more. Having more RAM can also improve overall system performance.