New MacBook Air has many features for multitaskers
Whether working in the office or remotely, there are times when my laptop, a 2019 MacBook Pro, sounds as if it might rocket into space.
Yes, this is probably my fault. During my work day, I may have my work email open along with Slack, Microsoft Teams, YouTube, Spotify, Apple Pages or Microsoft Word. I also may have open Microsoft Excel, Google Chrome or Apple Safari web browsers, as well as dozens of tabs, including the USA TODAY website, Google Docs, Google Sheets, Canva, the USA TODAY social media pages and other news sites. Please don't judge me.
Apple's new MacBook Air comes with the latest M3 chip and is touted as having great performance, faster Wi-Fi and support for two external displays.
The listed specs put the laptop nearly on par with the basic models of the costlier MacBook Pro. So how does it handle multitasking? I got my hands on a new 13-inch MacBook Air with an M3 chip to see how things would go.
Here's what to know about Apple's new MacBook Air:
After setting up the new laptop and moving files over, I got to work. Seriously, I opened up most of what I would routinely have open and then continued working on an interview feature with a rapidly approaching deadline.
The M3 laptop has 8 gigabytes of memory and 256 gigabytes storage. Of course, other options and upgrades are available while purchasing.
I also occasionally work on social graphics, editing videos and touching up photos, and I made sure to bring these into the mix for all the fellow creatives out there.
Some of the programs running were: Apple News; Apple Pages; Apple Podcasts (not playing, but downloading); Safari with 19 browsers open; Adobe Photoshop, with an illustration file open; Outlook; and Keynote.
While not the full scale of how much I might have going on during a day, it was enough to make many laptops start to lag or have their fans start running in exasperation.
I was initially skeptical but pleasantly surprised by how the laptop handled my workday multitasking. This was no stringent benchmark test. I simply wanted to see if a laptop at a lower price point could be a viable option for those looking to work on several tasks at once as Apple's website boasts. This laptop could be a good option to check out if you're looking for a new machine.
It's last call to consolidate your student loans and have a shot at getting your debt canceled.
The Education Department set April 30 as the deadline for borrowers to consolidate federal student loans and get a one-time payment adjustment this summer.
Consolidating debt could help anyone hurt by loan servicing failures receive credit for the time they have already spent in repayment. The April deadline was extended from Dec. 31.
Ensuring that all debt payments are counted could get borrowers' remaining student loan balances canceled or bring them closer to it. Through an income-driven repayment plan, loans can be canceled after 10, 20 or 25 years of eligible payments. If borrowers are seeking Public Service Loan Forgiveness, these extra payment periods count toward that program if they meet other eligibility requirements.
Any extra payments the Department of Education uncovers will be refunded too.
This one-time initiative “provides much-needed relief to borrowers who have been in repayment for 20 years or more and gives all other borrowers an accurate picture of their progress toward forgiveness going forward,” Richard Cordray, chief operating officer of the Federal Student Aid Office, wrote in a blog post last December. Updated payment counts have so far provided $45.7 billion in relief for 930,500 borrowers, the Biden administration said in January.
To get the adjustment, borrowers with federally held loans don't have to do anything. The Department of Education examines their loans and makes the automatic adjustment.
Borrowers with privately held Federal Family Education Loans, Perkins loans or Health Education Assistance Loans must apply for a Direct Consolidation
Loan online or with a paper form by April 30 to be eligible.
Most borrowers who made qualifying payments that exceeded the applicable forgiveness period of 20 or 25 years, will receive a refund for their overpayment, the Department of Education said.
If you have a Parent PLUS loan managed by the Department of Education and at least 25 years – or 300 months – in repayment, your loan will be automatically canceled through this onetime adjustment, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said.
Parent PLUS borrowers with fewer than 25 years should consolidate their loans by the end of April to receive the one-time adjustment benefit.
To find out what kind of loans you have visit www.StudentAid.gov. Click on “Loan Breakdown” to view your loans.
Direct Loans start with the word “Direct.” Federal Family Education Loan Program loans begin with “FFEL.” Perkins Loans use the word “Perkins” in their name.
If your servicer's name starts with “Dept. of Ed” or “Default Management Collection System,” your FFEL or Perkins loan is already held by the Education Department.
If your loan has a different servicer's name, your loan is privately held and needs to be consolidated by April 30.