You know that feeling when you find a pair of boots that just fit right? They aren't the flashiest, and they certainly aren't the newest tech on the shelf, but they refuse to quit. That is basically the macbook air 13 inch 2017 in a nutshell. It’s the Toyota Corolla of laptops.
Honestly, it shouldn't still be this popular. By all modern standards, the screen is kind of a disaster. We’re talking about a 1440 x 900 resolution TN panel in an era where even budget phones have OLED displays. And yet, if you walk into a crowded coffee shop or a university library today, you are almost guaranteed to see that glowing Apple logo—the last one ever made—staring back at you.
It was the end of an era.
When Apple updated this specific model in 2017, they didn't really "update" it so much as they gave it a slight nudge. They bumped the base processor from a 1.6GHz Intel Core i5 to a 1.8GHz Broadwell chip. That’s it. That was the whole "big change." But in doing so, they accidentally preserved everything people loved before the "Butterfly Keyboard" disaster nearly ruined the MacBook brand's reputation for a few years.
The port situation is actually a dream
Let's talk about the ports because this is where the macbook air 13 inch 2017 really wins. You get two USB-A ports. Real, rectangular ports. You don't need a dongle to plug in a thumb drive or a wired mouse. It has an SDXC card slot, which photographers still swear by.
But the real MVP? MagSafe 2.
There is a specific kind of peace of mind that comes with a magnetic charging cable. If your dog trips over the cord, the laptop stays on the table. The cord just snaps off safely. Apple brought MagSafe back recently, but for a long time, the 2017 Air was the only way to get that security without buying ancient hardware.
It also has a dedicated Thunderbolt 2 port and a headphone jack. Remember when we didn't need adapters for every single aspect of our lives? This machine remembers.
That keyboard is the real reason people stay
If you've ever typed on a MacBook Pro from 2018, you know the pain of a keyboard with zero travel. It feels like typing on a glass table. The macbook air 13 inch 2017 uses the classic scissor-switch mechanism.
It's clicky. It's tactile. It has 1.5mm of key travel.
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It is, quite frankly, one of the best typing experiences Apple ever put in a mobile device. Writers, students, and coders often hunt down these specific 2017 models just so they don't have to deal with sticking keys or expensive repairs. It's a workhorse. It doesn't try to be thin just for the sake of being thin; it tries to be a tool.
A quick look at the internal muscle
Under the hood, things are... vintage.
You’re looking at an 8th-generation Intel Core i5 or i7. It came standard with 8GB of 1600MHz LPDDR3 RAM. You couldn't upgrade the RAM after buying it—Apple soldered it to the board, which started a trend we all love to hate. However, the SSD is technically replaceable if you have the right adapter, which is a rarity for MacBooks these days.
Battery life was rated at 12 hours. In the real world, seven or eight is more realistic if you’re actually working. But for a machine that’s nearly a decade old in design, that’s still impressive.
The screen is the big "but"
I have to be real with you: the display is the weakest link.
If you are used to a Retina display or even a decent 1080p monitor, the macbook air 13 inch 2017 will look a bit fuzzy. The viewing angles are pretty bad. If you tilt the screen too far back, the colors start to invert and wash out. It’s a TN (Twisted Nematic) panel, which was standard in 2012 but felt ancient by 2017.
Also, those bezels. They are huge. Silver, brushed aluminum borders that take up a massive amount of real estate. Modern laptops are all screen; this one is a screen inside a frame.
Is it still usable in 2026?
This is the million-dollar question. Or more like the $200 question, which is what these usually go for on the used market.
Software support is the main hurdle. The 2017 Air officially supports macOS Monterey, but it was dropped for Ventura and Sonoma. This means you aren't getting the latest Apple features. Security patches will eventually dry up.
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However, for basic tasks—Web browsing, writing your first novel, managing emails, or light photo editing—it still moves along surprisingly well. It doesn't feel "slow" in the way a cheap Windows laptop from the same year feels slow. This is largely due to Apple’s optimization of the file system and the fact that the SSDs they used were actually quite fast for the time.
Who should actually buy this?
- Students on a budget: If you have $250 and need a Mac to get through school, this beats a Chromebook any day.
- The "Distraction-Free" Writer: Because it can't handle heavy gaming or intense video editing, it’s a great focused machine.
- The Nostalgic Professional: People who hate USB-C and miss the glowing Apple logo.
It isn't for power users. If you try to open 40 Chrome tabs while on a Zoom call, the fans will start sounding like a jet engine taking off from O'Hare. The Intel chip gets hot. That’s just the nature of the beast.
Maintenance and Longevity
One thing nobody tells you about the macbook air 13 inch 2017 is how easy it is to clean. You can pop the bottom case off with a P5 Pentalobe screwdriver. If your fans are dusty, you can literally just blow them out. You can't do that with the new M1 or M2 Airs because they don't even have fans (which is cool, but different).
If the battery dies, you can buy a replacement kit for about $50 and swap it out in twenty minutes. It’s one of the last "fixable" MacBooks.
There's a certain charm to that. In a world of disposable tech, this thing was built like a tank. It survives drops that would shatter a modern MacBook Pro. It survives being tossed into a backpack without a sleeve. It's rugged in a way that modern, thin-and-light laptops just aren't.
Real-world performance check
Let’s look at the benchmarks, but let's keep it simple.
In Geekbench 5, you're looking at a single-core score of around 600 and a multi-core score of 1400-1500.
To put that in perspective, a modern iPhone is significantly more powerful than this laptop.
But benchmarks don't tell the whole story.
The tactile feel of the keys, the reliability of the ports, and the sheer familiarity of the OS make it feel faster than the numbers suggest.
What to check before buying one used
If you’re scouring eBay or Facebook Marketplace for a macbook air 13 inch 2017, you need to be careful.
First, check the cycle count on the battery. Go to "About This Mac" > "System Report" > "Power." If it's over 800, you’re going to need a new battery soon.
Second, look at the screen for "white spots." These are pressure marks common on this model where the keys press against the display in a backpack. They look like little bright clouds on a white background. They aren't a dealbreaker, but they are annoying.
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Third, check the corners. Dents in the aluminum corners often mean the laptop was dropped, which can sometimes loosen the display hinges.
Practical Steps for Owners
If you already own one of these and it's starting to feel sluggish, don't throw it away. There are things you can do to breathe new life into it.
Start by doing a clean install of macOS Monterey. It wipes away years of digital junk. If you're feeling adventurous, look into "OpenCore Legacy Patcher." It’s a community-driven project that allows you to install newer versions of macOS (like Sonoma) on unsupported hardware. It’s not perfect, but it works surprisingly well for people who want the latest security features.
Another tip: replace the thermal paste. The factory paste Apple used often dries out after five or six years. Replacing it can drop your operating temperatures by 10 or 15 degrees, which stops the processor from throttling and keeps the machine quiet.
The macbook air 13 inch 2017 represents a specific moment in tech history. It was the bridge between the old world of utility and the new world of aesthetics. It might be old, it might be grainy, and it might be "obsolete" by Apple's standards, but it's still one of the most reliable tools ever built.
If you value a great keyboard and a magnetic charger over a high-res screen, it’s still a valid choice. Just don't expect it to edit 4K video. It’s a writer’s tool, a student’s companion, and a survivor.
To keep your machine running at its peak, prioritize these three actions:
- Audit your startup items: Go to System Preferences > Users & Groups > Login Items and remove anything you don't absolutely need. This saves precious RAM.
- Invest in a Mini DisplayPort to HDMI adapter: This lets you plug into a modern monitor at home, bypassing the built-in low-res screen when you're at a desk.
- Check your SSD health: Use a tool like DriveDx to see if your storage is nearing the end of its life, as these older flash modules can fail without warning after a decade of use.
Regardless of its age, this laptop remains a testament to a time when "pro" features like diverse ports and reliable keys were available to everyone. It’s not just a laptop; for many, it’s the best computer they’ve ever owned.