I bought a 2013 Macbook Air

A few weeks ago, I decided to pick up an old 11-inch 2013 Macbook Air on eBay. When Action Retro released this phenomenal video about putting Linux on an old Macbook Air, I was heavily inspired to do this for myself.

With the M1 being the only laptop I own right now, why would I need another one? Aside from loving older hardware, I do have a few needs for a second device.

First, I needed a small, portable, and sturdy laptop that I would use primarily for traveling. Although my M1 is perfect for this, I wanted a device that I wouldn’t be too upset if it got lost, stolen, or destroyed.

Secondly, I would use this device for physical penetration testing, wireless hacking, extracurricular hacking activities, and more. While my M1 can handle these tasks perfectly fine, having a cheap device I can throw into a bag for a competition or an engagement is something I have needed for a while.

However, I have fulfilled this need with other devices in the past. The first was my Framework laptop, but because of how expensive it was, I was stuck in the same dilemma as my M1.

After selling the Framework in March, I picked up a Thinkpad L14 for $240, which was actually perfect for a long time. Sadly, the M.2 port died, and buying a new motherboard proved more expensive than the entire device. I’ve since sold that Thinkpad and have been looking for another laptop to fill this use.

For about a month, I have been stuck between an old XPS 13 and an old Macbook Air but ultimately decided on the Macbook because of preference. I picked up this 11-inch 2013 Macbook Air for only $92, a steal in my opinion!

This configuration has a dual-core Intel i5 4250U, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of upgradable storage (although a proprietary SSD). Even more exciting, the battery only had 27 charge cycles and can easily be removed with screws! How far we’ve fallen with repairability that this is a feature nowadays. :/

After about a week of excited waiting, it finally arrived. Upon my first impressions, oh my gosh, I adore this thing. I love the tiny 11-inch footprint and its shocking sturdiness.

There’s no damage to the display, and nothing more than minor scratches on the housing. The keyboard feels great, the display looks good, and these bezels are gloriously thick. I had to pick up a third-party Magsafe 2 charger, and I’m surprised at how much I enjoy using Magsafe. I also cannot get enough of the glowing Apple logo.

I gave macOS Catalina a spin but quickly migrated over to Ubuntu 22.04.3 LTS. The installation process was seamless and the Linux experience has been wonderful. I easily get 3 to 4 hours out of this device. This is everything I have ever wanted and more.

You can tell this Macbook has received lots of love, as I’ve sticker-bombed the snot out of every surface.

I have many plans for this thing, which will be the subject of many future write ups! Right now, I could not be happier with this laptop and just wanted to share my first impressions.