MacBook Air is too slow.

I'm leaning toward a hardware issue. I'd suggest you contact Apple. They can run some diagnostics remotely.

Genius Bar Reservation and Apple Support Options - Apple

You might also try downloading and running Etrecheck and posting the report here:

https://etrecheck.com/en/welcome.html

Etrecheck is a program designed by a forum regular for the express purpose of collecting useful troubleshooting information without any personally identifiable information so that it can be posted here.

You have a very old computer. The number of things that could possibly be wrong with it are myriad.

When you say it's "slow" it sounds like what you mean is that it loads webpages slowly. Is that right? What browser are you using? How much RAM does your MBA have? Do you have other applications open at the same time? Do other devices have the same problem on your network? Do you have the same problem on all networks?

Open Activity Monitor and click on the Memory button at the top. What you want to look at is the "Memory Pressure" graph at the bottom left. If it's in red, you've got too many things open and that can cause issues. Close applications other than the browser. Don't use Chrome.

You did a great job posting it. I would not that, apparently, you didn't give Etrecheck full disk access so the report it not complete. However, I do note two things. One, it says your drive is running slowly. That's not good. It could be a sign that it's failing. And two, even though you don't report issues with memory pressure, the fact that you only have 8 gigs of RAM is not going to help the situation.

I'm going to go back to my suggestion that you have Apple run some diagnostics.

I suspect there are no hardware issues with your MacBook Air**.

As others have pointed out, it's eight years old, and you've gotten years of great value from your initial investment!

It was more than adequate in 2015 as a durable, light, very portable Mac and was well-provisioned to run Mac OS X Yosemite and 2015-era apps. Unfortunately, that level of performance is no longer adequate when running 2020's-era macOS Monterey and 2020's-era apps.

So you might avoid a separate trip to the Apple store only to find out they can find nothing wrong with your MacBook Air. If you are definitely going to purchase a new iMac or other Mac very soon, I would schedule a single appointment to purchase the new Mac and arrange to have the store transfer your files from your Air to your new computer in a single visit.

Dropping into GeekBench computer benchmark jargon, the least-capable iMac 24" Apple Silicon M1 8-core/7-core processor offers nearly 3-times the single-core benchmark performance of your 2015 dual-core Intel i5, 1711 vs 611, and almost 6-times the multi-core benchmark performance, 7469 vs 1258.

Performance benchmarks are only one measure of real-life computing power, and may not adequately represent the performance a user will actually experience. Before making your purchase decision, ask your Apple rep to let you try out one of the demo units in the store, configured exactly the way you intend to buy it, and using the actual apps you intend to use.

** I also own a 2015 13.3" MacBook Air with 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, and 1.6Ghz dual-core Intel i5 processor.

I still use mine as a bedside computer for reading e-books, and not much else, with virtually no portable use. It's still running macOS Catalina, and Catalina still offers adequate performance and security for my very limited purposes, never going online. So I've intentionally ignored the System Preferences notices to update to macOS Monterey.

barneyhairball wrote:

Thank you. I’ll call Apple. I’m trying to hang on for the new iMac. Can u tell me if it would be a good idea to buy the full etre. I don’t know if AI is good enough for me to understand but I cud always post it here. Ur further advice on the full etre would be appreciated.

Unless you want to support the developer, you don't need to buy the full version of Etrecheck. The paid version is not required for you to give it full disk access. That being said, the developer is a really great person who has given an enormous amount to the Apple community.

barneyhairball wrote:

I didn’t knowingly stop full disc access with the free download, so how come full access isn’t showing?

Because you had to explicitly allow it. I believe the path is Settings> Security & Privacy > Privacy > Full Disk Access. However, I am not in front of a Mac at the moment.

Do you have the same problem an all networks? Or just one? Do other people have the same problem on your network?

kostby wrote:

So you might avoid a separate trip to the Apple store only to find out they can find nothing wrong with your MacBook Air.

Apple can run diagnostics remotely in many cases.