Three years ago today, Apple’s M1 chip had a tremendous debut in the Mac mini, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and MacBook Air. Since then, those Macs have gone through their cycles and have had chip upgrades—or have been replaced altogether. But a single M1 Mac remains in Apple’s current Mac lineup: the M1 MacBook Air.
Apple keeps the M1 Air around because at $999, it’s the company’s only sub-$1,000 laptop (yes, by only a $1, but, you know, marketing). It’s actually a
