Upgrading to the MacBook Air M5: Speed, Space, and a Creator’s Perspective
If you’ve followed my TechRadar musings, you’ll know I’ve been itching to upgrade for ages. My trusty MacBook Pro 13-inch from 2017 has started to creak under demanding tasks, and swapping to Apple’s silicon felt overdue—especially after watching Intel-era performance fade into the rearview. When the MacBook Air M5 landed, it looked like the perfect leap forward: phenomenal reviews, and a genuine step up from my old rig that would deliver serious value for the money.
Two weeks of decision paralysis later, I locked in my spec: 24GB of RAM to keep pace with growing software demands, and a 1TB SSD to finally banish the storage bottlenecks I’d fought for years in music production and large sample libraries. The price tag was not insignificant—$1,499 / £1,499 / AU$2,399—but the upgrade from the base $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$1,799 edition and the jump to the M5 chip felt worth it. With the extra memory and storage, I figured I’d have a laptop that’s not just fast today but ready for the next wave of apps and projects.
Later that week, I pulled the trigger and ordered. And then… the package landed at my doorstep two days later. It wasn’t a glamorous unboxing moment so much as a small, practical thrill—this was the tool I’d been waiting for.
! [unboxing MacBook Air M5](/image1.jpg)
Starting up Not going to lie: unboxing the MacBook Air M5 sent a jolt of excitement through me. The sky blue finish is striking in a subtle, metallic way, giving the device a hint of personality without shouting. And yes, I’m in my 40s, so a little tech joy goes a long way.
Getting everything ready was straightforward. I used Migration Assistant to move over apps and files after configuring region and language, then connected to Wi‑Fi to complete the transfer. The whole migration took a little time, but I was up and running in roughly 90 minutes and ready to start my real work.
! [MacBook Air M5 booting up](/image2.jpg)
Speed and everyday use Boot times are shocking in the best possible way. A clean 30 seconds from power-on to desktop, with password entry taking a mere few seconds, means apps—from Apple Music to Safari—open in under a second. That’s a far cry from my previous machine, which often needed a slow warm-up to tackle even light tasks.
In everyday browsing and cloud work, the MacBook Air M5 feels exceptionally snappy. Even with a slew of browser tabs open and multiple apps in play, the transition between tasks is smooth, and there’s no perceptible lag when switching between windows.
Performance artistry Where the M5 truly shines is in more demanding apps. Photoshop now launches in about 10 seconds, and I can work on high-resolution projects with more than 20 layered elements without noticeable lag. A quick test with macOS’s Image Playground showed a hi-res image generated in under five seconds, which is a striking improvement over the old machine.
For someone who uses music production software extensively, the difference is even more pronounced. Before the upgrade, even mixing a third of a project’s channels would push CPU usage into the 100%+ zone and push RAM well beyond the installed 8GB. With the Air M5, even when running multiple MIDI channels and real-time effects, CPU usage stayed well under peak demand—around 60%—while RAM hovered around 130% of the installed 24GB. It’s a meaningful upgrade that translates into real, tangible headroom for creative work.
The 1TB SSD also makes a meaningful difference. The previous 512GB baseline felt restrictive after years of accumulating samples, projects, and large media files. The extra storage provides breathing room and reduces the constant pass‑down of files to external drives or the cloud.
! [photoshop on macbook Air M5](/image3.jpg)
Why the upgrade was worth it I’m not just chasing speed for speed’s sake. The combination of Apple’s silicon efficiency and a generous amount of RAM, plus a far larger internal drive, means more headroom for my creative workflow. Photoshop and music production are not just faster to boot; they’re more comfortable to use over long sessions, with fewer micro-stalls that disrupt timing and flow.
Bottom line: after a little over a day of hands-on use, I’m utterly convinced the upgrade pays off. The MacBook Air M5 isn’t just a newer model; it’s a platform that unlocks more ambitious work with less friction. If you’re a creator who relies on a blend of photo editing, music production, and content creation, this is a machine worth considering.
In short, I’ve got zero regrets about this purchase. I’m excited to push the MacBook Air M5 further, knowing it’s built to keep up with my evolving creative engine.
Follow TechRadar for more updates and hands-on impressions as I push this machine deeper into real-world projects.
Josh is Reviews Editor at TechRadar. With a decade of coverage across print and online, he writes about everything from breakthrough gadgets to Silicon Valley startups. When he’s not testing gear, he’s exploring new music and seeking out the perfect cold brew coffee.
If you’re posting a comment, please set your public display name.