$1999 M2 MBP base vs 1199 MBA base which is better value?

[FriendlyMackle]

The m2 Air would absolutely be more than enough. I have a maxed m2 air and it hasn’t let me down.

How does the 24GB RAM limit feel in daily use? My iMac (2014 quad-core i7, 27”) has 24GB RAM and uses all of it daily — I have to use a RAM-cleaner program to free up RAM when I’ve been working heavily using several different applications for a few hours. And I use Chrome browser…which I know is a horrible RAM-hog, but it is just more manageable than Safari for me (in terms of bookmarks and arranging categories of websites).

I’m going to be purchasing a new laptop in the next week or so, and I’m vacillating between an MBP (probably 16” with 32GB RAM, maybe 64), and then wishing the M2 Air would be enough with an external monitor to have adequate screen real estate (and I’ll be using a monitor withe the MBP as well).

 

[kp98077]

I prefer the heft of the pro, it feels not cheap to me, and of course the power all around is much better as is the screen. Big differences IMO

 

[FriendlyMackle]

No actually I am not against anything I just call things as I see it and when someone says something is superior I look at it objectively. If you look at a bright object in a dark background I am sure you will see blooming. It is a documented side effect of mini led technology.

Reduce Blooming Effect on new M1 Macbook … - Apple Community

discussions.apple.com

I have had several M1 MBP including the mini led screens and they have a wonderful saturation and vibrance along with great black levels. They are great screens but a bit of a stop gap between IPS and OLED or micro led.

They have their limitations just like any other screen technology so I don't see them as superior but with a set of advantages and disadvantages. If you feel the advantages outweigh the disadvantages like most people do then I understand that. I just get annoyed with general blanket statements used to justify something being better than something else.

If you like it better and as you said it is your money and worth the extra cost I have absolutely no problem with that.

I also said many good things in my posts about the MBP and I still think they are the best MBP Apple has ever made at very competitive prices.

Also to the point of this thread I expect a machine that costs several hundred dollars more to be better in general. Better specs or better at certain things, having more of something doesn't make it a better value if it is not used or needed.

The point is that unless you do really demanding things with specific use cases the Pro models are not a better value over a non Pro model. Apple has narrowed the gap with Apple silicon. Who would have ever thought you could do any type of 4k video editing on a MacBook air 5 years ago? A MacBook air is so much more powerful than Intel Pro models from from not too many years ago. All at a cost that is relatively reasonable for what you get.

A MacBook Pro 14/16" is a really incredible laptop and so much more powerful and more useful than ever before. But not everyone needs such power and it is mostly wasted in many use cases that a majority of people are using them for. It is their money to spend and their choice to make. There is nothing wrong with it.

I just get tired of the mentality that we all need a MBP, a suped up SUV or Mercedes or live in a huge house just to be happy. Sometimes less is more.

The one thing I will say about mini-LED screens from my experience with the 12.9” iPad Pro for the past 2 years is that the whole purported ‘blooming’ fracas was extremely — extremely! — overstated vis a vis my experience with this mini-LED screen.

I read the many threads and posts and watched videos examining the ‘horror’ of the mini-LED blooming and seriously considered waiting for a revision or the next model. I was so glad (once I had it in hand) that I decided to just order it!

I routinely read my iPad in the dark, or with a severely low light level environment, with white text on a black background.

And watch movies with small white subtitles on dark backgrounds.

I have rarely, if ever, seen blooming. And while I do suffer from needing eye-correction, I’m nearsighted, so my close up vision is excellent. I would notice the kind of problem people claim happens on Apple’s mini-LED screens. Though, I haven’t heard anyone complaining about it since the first ipad pro’s release (with mini-LED).

So, I do consider a mini-LED screen to be a big benefit of the MBPs vs the Air models. I wish the Airs had mini-LED as well. But, obviously, Apple needs to distinguish their product lines, and mini-LED both looks better, has better black and richer contrast, and is the newer tech, so it’s gone only into the higher end line.
I only recently read about PWM (in depth) and I was surprised to hear that some people find it to be such a concern. I wonder to what degree these are the same people who claim that ‘gluten’ is a health hazard. 😂

 

[tstafford]

Or maybe I should compare the sales price at BestBuy and others of the M2 MBA base for $999? Like everyone was doing for several months with M2 MBA compared with the M1 MBP base 14" on sale?

Is $1000 more for base M2 MBP worth it over the M2 MBA? Or heck if you get a discounted or refurbished M2 MBA with 16gb ram, 8 core GPU and 512gb ssd for $1500 is $500 more worth it?

Seems like the M2 MBA is a better value over night.

I know you can still get M1 MBP 14 base for $1599 but now we can compare Apple's to Apples. 😂 Lol

Suddenly my M2 MBA doesn't seem like such a bad deal anymore.

OP: I think it depends on what you need/want. They are both great machines. I own one of each. Both base models. And I got the MBA on the BBY sale ($999). It's not clear cut IMHO.

I've owned the MBP14 for some time and originally purchased it to replace an M1 iMac as mostly a desktop device (connected to multiple ASD). I ultimately added a Studio because I wanted a dedicated desktop and a third display. I use the MBP14 as my primary laptop.

I recently purchased the MBA to replace an iPad as my "beside the bed" device. I posted about this elsewhere. At $999 I think the MBA is far superior to an iPad Pro and keyboard. It's cheaper and runs MacOS (I pretty much hate iOS). I have enjoyed the machine each time I've used it.

IMO the most significant differences between the machines are the I/O (and associated display support), the screens and the weight. Well and the price I guess. You either want dual external display support or not. It's a requirement for me but my Studio covers that now. The weight difference might not sound like a lot on paper but it is quite noticeable.

So as to the screen, it's just not even close. The MBP14 screen is a work of art. When I first opened the MBA I was immediately disappointed about it. I pulled out my MBP14 and put them side by side and confirmed my initial take was right. It's less vibrant, less real estate, less of everything. I have it side by side with my ASDs all the time and it blows them away as well.

I probably wouldn't recommend that someone pay $500+ more money just to get the MBP14 for the screen. If you don't need the other stuff (I/O, display support, etc.) I'd go with the cheaper, lighter machine which incidentally has far better battery life. It's really nice. It's just not on the same level as the MBP14.

 

[marstan]

There is a review of the M2Air on the New York Times Wirecutter site who recommend both M1 and M2 Airs but this comment about the M2 Air concerns me: "...this laptop isn’t ideal for people who edit photos, videos, or otherwise process large media files. Our tests found the laptop would get hot to the touch even after a minute of exporting video or batch editing photos, to levels that would make the laptop uncomfortable to use."

This is not exactly a sustained load but a mere minute. Who would not infrequently process more than a minutes worth of photos which these days could easily be gigabytes in size?

 

[Student of Life]

Or maybe I should compare the sales price at BestBuy and others of the M2 MBA base for $999? Like everyone was doing for several months with M2 MBA compared with the M1 MBP base 14" on sale?

Is $1000 more for base M2 MBP worth it over the M2 MBA? Or heck if you get a discounted or refurbished M2 MBA with 16gb ram, 8 core GPU and 512gb ssd for $1500 is $500 more worth it?

Seems like the M2 MBA is a better value over night.

I know you can still get M1 MBP 14 base for $1599 but now we can compare Apple's to Apples. 😂 Lol

Suddenly my M2 MBA doesn't seem like such a bad deal anymore.

It all depends what you value and have a higher priority. If mobility and weight is the priority then the Air will always win because of its size and weight. If you want a better screen and more pro features then the Pro wins.

In the options presented I would personally go for the 14 MBP because it's 99 dollars more than a refurbished M2 Air with the same specs. I value the screen, the ports, the pro features more than the weight difference between the two but if mobility and weight is a priority the air makes more sense.

 

[Technerd108]

There is a review of the M2Air on the New York Times Wirecutter site who recommend both M1 and M2 Airs but this comment about the M2 Air concerns me: "...this laptop isn’t ideal for people who edit photos, videos, or otherwise process large media files. Our tests found the laptop would get hot to the touch even after a minute of exporting video or batch editing photos, to levels that would make the laptop uncomfortable to use."

This is not exactly a sustained load but a mere minute. Who would not infrequently process more than a minutes worth of photos which these days could easily be gigabytes in size?

I can assure you that article is incorrect. People have edited 8k video with no problem.

 

[Technerd108]

It all depends what you value and have a higher priority. If mobility and weight is the priority then the Air will always win because of its size and weight. If you want a better screen and more pro features then the Pro wins.

In the options presented I would personally go for the 14 MBP because it's 99 dollars more than a refurbished M2 Air with the same specs. I value the screen, the ports, the pro features more than the weight difference between the two but if mobility and weight is a priority the air makes more sense.

I don't know what prices you are looking at where an M2 MBP 14/16 is $99 more than an air with the same specs unless you are talking about M1 which isn't part of the thread discussion.

Of course if you are talking about M1 then you should compare it to the M1 air which is still much cheaper.

But you do you.

 

[Vazor]

No actually I am not against anything I just call things as I see it and when someone says something is superior I look at it objectively. If you look at a bright object in a dark background I am sure you will see blooming. It is a documented side effect of mini led technology.

Reduce Blooming Effect on new M1 Macbook … - Apple Community

discussions.apple.com

I have had several M1 MBP including the mini led screens and they have a wonderful saturation and vibrance along with great black levels. They are great screens but a bit of a stop gap between IPS and OLED or micro led.

They have their limitations just like any other screen technology so I don't see them as superior but with a set of advantages and disadvantages. If you feel the advantages outweigh the disadvantages like most people do then I understand that. I just get annoyed with general blanket statements used to justify something being better than something else.

If you like it better and as you said it is your money and worth the extra cost I have absolutely no problem with that.

I also said many good things in my posts about the MBP and I still think they are the best MBP Apple has ever made at very competitive prices.

Also to the point of this thread I expect a machine that costs several hundred dollars more to be better in general. Better specs or better at certain things, having more of something doesn't make it a better value if it is not used or needed.

The point is that unless you do really demanding things with specific use cases the Pro models are not a better value over a non Pro model. Apple has narrowed the gap with Apple silicon. Who would have ever thought you could do any type of 4k video editing on a MacBook air 5 years ago? A MacBook air is so much more powerful than Intel Pro models from from not too many years ago. All at a cost that is relatively reasonable for what you get.

A MacBook Pro 14/16" is a really incredible laptop and so much more powerful and more useful than ever before. But not everyone needs such power and it is mostly wasted in many use cases that a majority of people are using them for. It is their money to spend and their choice to make. There is nothing wrong with it.

I just get tired of the mentality that we all need a MBP, a suped up SUV or Mercedes or live in a huge house just to be happy. Sometimes less is more.

Been using the MBP and, since 2 years, the M1 MacBook Air for years and years now. Spend many hours on it every day (lots of reading for university), and I can honestly tell you that those retina screens are something special. They are such amazing screens and even when I read on them for 10+ hours, they won't tire my eyes. Nothing compares on other high end laptops.

 

[Technerd108]

The one thing I will say about mini-LED screens from my experience with the 12.9” iPad Pro for the past 2 years is that the whole purported ‘blooming’ fracas was extremely — extremely! — overstated vis a vis my experience with this mini-LED screen.

I read the many threads and posts and watched videos examining the ‘horror’ of the mini-LED blooming and seriously considered waiting for a revision or the next model. I was so glad (once I had it in hand) that I decided to just order it!

I routinely read my iPad in the dark, or with a severely low light level environment, with white text on a black background.

And watch movies with small white subtitles on dark backgrounds.

I have rarely, if ever, seen blooming. And while I do suffer from needing eye-correction, I’m nearsighted, so my close up vision is excellent. I would notice the kind of problem people claim happens on Apple’s mini-LED screens. Though, I haven’t heard anyone complaining about it since the first ipad pro’s release (with mini-LED).

So, I do consider a mini-LED screen to be a big benefit of the MBPs vs the Air models. I wish the Airs had mini-LED as well. But, obviously, Apple needs to distinguish their product lines, and mini-LED both looks better, has better black and richer contrast, and is the newer tech, so it’s gone only into the higher end line.
I only recently read about PWM (in depth) and I was surprised to hear that some people find it to be such a concern. I wonder to what degree these are the same people who claim that ‘gluten’ is a health hazard. 😂

I don't know? I owned 3 M1 MBP for a period of time and all of them had blooming? It looked like fog or oil smearing on a screen. It wasn't present on every image for sure but when you do see it, it is distracting.

For some PWM causes migraines, eye strain and a host of other symptoms. I don't think it is something to make fun of for those who suffer.

The mini led screen does offer more saturated colors and it is a beautiful screen but so is the IPS air screen.

Everyone is different so if it is worth the extra money I get it.

 

[Apple_Robert]

How does the 24GB RAM limit feel in daily use? My iMac (2014 quad-core i7, 27”) has 24GB RAM and uses all of it daily — I have to use a RAM-cleaner program to free up RAM when I’ve been working heavily using several different applications for a few hours. And I use Chrome browser…which I know is a horrible RAM-hog, but it is just more manageable than Safari for me (in terms of bookmarks and arranging categories of websites).

I’m going to be purchasing a new laptop in the next week or so, and I’m vacillating between an MBP (probably 16” with 32GB RAM, maybe 64), and then wishing the M2 Air would be enough with an external monitor to have adequate screen real estate (and I’ll be using a monitor withe the MBP as well).

I haven't experienced any memory pressure problems or any actual noticeable slowdown when loading the Mac.

 

[FriendlyMackle]

There is a review of the M2Air on the New York Times Wirecutter site who recommend both M1 and M2 Airs but this comment about the M2 Air concerns me: "...this laptop isn’t ideal for people who edit photos, videos, or otherwise process large media files. Our tests found the laptop would get hot to the touch even after a minute of exporting video or batch editing photos, to levels that would make the laptop uncomfortable to use."

This is not exactly a sustained load but a mere minute. Who would not infrequently process more than a minutes worth of photos which these days could easily be gigabytes in size?

Someone else may have already commented on this, but there are numerous YouTube videos (and other articles) examining in depth the processor and graphics capabilities of the Air vs the MBP in either 14” or 16” models. The short summary is that none of the other reviewers found what the Wirecutter claims. I watched sustained tests of photo and video exports (side by side comparisons with M1 MBP vs M2 Air), and while the Air was slower at longer, more complex jobs, it still performed very well — without overheating, or even heating up at all. These were tests that lasted several minutes in some cases (4-5 minutes). So, I don’t know what other factors the Times reviewer may have had…but those observations are uncommon versus hundreds of other reviewers over the past year.

I mean, for me, I will go with an MBP just for the fans, screen, additional ports and power of a Pro or Ultra chip. If the Air had the mini-LED screen and more ports (that limitation really bothers me), then I would probably choose the Air anyway. As things stand, the MBP wins out for its many additional capabilities—though that doesn’t mean the Air isn’t a great computer.

 

[FriendlyMackle]

I don't know? I owned 3 M1 MBP for a period of time and all of them had blooming? It looked like fog or oil smearing on a screen. It wasn't present on every image for sure but when you do see it, it is distracting.

For some PWM causes migraines, eye strain and a host of other symptoms. I don't think it is something to make fun of for those who suffer.

The mini led screen does offer more saturated colors and it is a beautiful screen but so is the IPS air screen.

Everyone is different so if it is worth the extra money I get it.

Sorry, I couldn’t help myself…I really didn’t mean to poke fun at people who actually do suffer from the effects of PWM. I just find that many cases of ‘problems’ with tech (and in particular Apple tech) are overstated, based on my own experience.

After reading about PWM, I DO see how OLED screens, with their extremely low pulse modulation frequencies could really present a problem for those afflicted with this perception quality (and honestly, it’s kind of amazing that some people’s brains notice and react to such a fast flicker!). OLEDS flicker in the low hundreds of herz. But any kind of LED, including mini-LEDs, flicker in the tens of thousands of herz. That’s simply not something which has been recorded as perceptible by the human eye. So, the MBP mini-LED screens will not cause this particular problem in affected individuals.

 

[marstan]

Someone else may have already commented on this, but there are numerous YouTube videos (and other articles) examining in depth the processor and graphics capabilities of the Air vs the MBP in either 14” or 16” models. The short summary is that none of the other reviewers found what the Wirecutter claims. I watched sustained tests of photo and video exports (side by side comparisons with M1 MBP vs M2 Air), and while the Air was slower at longer, more complex jobs, it still performed very well — without overheating, or even heating up at all. These were tests that lasted several minutes in some cases (4-5 minutes). So, I don’t know what other factors the Times reviewer may have had…but those observations are uncommon versus hundreds of other reviewers over the past year.

I mean, for me, I will go with an MBP just for the fans, screen, additional ports and power of a Pro or Ultra chip. If the Air had the mini-LED screen and more ports (that limitation really bothers me), then I would probably choose the Air anyway. As things stand, the MBP wins out for its many additional capabilities—though that doesn’t mean the Air isn’t a great computer.

Yes, it does appear that the Wirecutter is off base with that comment. I am testing a baseline M2 Air right now and it is an impressive performer. Alas, for me the screen is a bit too small and I may have to step up to the 14" MBP for that reason alone.

 

[1BadManVan]

Yes, it does appear that the Wirecutter is off base with that comment. I am testing a baseline M2 Air right now and it is an impressive performer. Alas, for me the screen is a bit too small and I may have to step up to the 14" MBP for that reason alone.

I honestly don’t see much to a difference at all for size between the 13.6 and 14”, you’re talking less than half an inch.

If the screen size does really bother you that much, I would really recommend a 16”. My wife is the same with the smaller screens. She barely likes her 15.6” size, but is always paired to a 27” monitor anyways.

 

[FriendlyMackle]

I honestly don’t see much to a difference at all for size between the 13.6 and 14”, you’re talking less than half an inch.

If the screen size does really bother you that much, I would really recommend a 16”. My wife is the same with the smaller screens. She barely likes her 15.6” size, but is always paired to a 27” monitor anyways.

LOL. this will be my exact situation — MBP paired to a 27” monitor for daily use, but I still can’t bring myself to purchase the smaller screen, whether the 14” MBP or 13” Air. I find a 13” screen nearly unusable for anything besides email and maybe web-browsing. Even a 15” retina screen feels small-ish compared to my 27” iMac (which is at death’s door, hence my need to upgrade to a new Apple-silicon Mac).

Even though I don‘t plan to (mostly) use the MBP other than at my desk, since it is portable, I probably will, and then I want the larger screen.

My only other question is how well it will fit on my smallish desk (40” wide) with a 27” monitor (the Apple Studio Display).

My 27” iMac takes up most of the desk width. But I expect I’ll keep the MBP in clamshell and use a dock along with the ASD for the simplicity of connecting to the monitor with just one cable.

I’ll have external backup drives I’ll want permanently connected both for backup as well as additional storage. And I don’t want to have to eject them every time I want to move my computer. That will work, right?

 

[marstan]

I honestly don’t see much to a difference at all for size between the 13.6 and 14”, you’re talking less than half an inch.

If the screen size does really bother you that much, I would really recommend a 16”. My wife is the same with the smaller screens. She barely likes her 15.6” size, but is always paired to a 27” monitor anyways.

You may be right (BTW, the 14" is 14.2"). The main problem I have with this 13.6 screen is the text size is a bit too small relative to the distance from my eyes to the screen on my lap which is how I use it the majority of the time. That 16" seems gargantuan but still a half pound lighter than my old 15" MBP. It may be that I just need a little bit of time to adjust to the smaller screen; increasing screen brightness over the auto setting helps.