Almost all the tasks I do on my Mac I do at my desk. When I travel almost all my needs are met by my iPad. When not, my older MacBook Air is more than sufficient. That’s why I went with the 24” iMac and kept my Air for travel.
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Am I the only person who would like a larger laptop?
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Yes, it would be nice if Apple sold a 15" or 16" MacBook Air.
I have a 17 inch MacBook Pro in my room. I would buy a modern replacement in a heartbeat. I really liked the 17 inch size, and it would be a good compromise between desktop and portable. I don’t think there are any plans to make one, but a 4K screen would be lovely.
I want to thank everyone for the time they took to help me figure this out.
For now I will probably just stick with my Mac Mini until I see the next MBP 16" offering. That size will be fine for me, and I guess it can't hurt having the extra power.
I always try to not waste anything if possible, but in this situation getting the higher powered model is the only option. It's not cheap, but since I use it to make a living I can write it off and justify the cost.
For now I will probably just stick with my Mac Mini until I see the next MBP 16" offering. That size will be fine for me, and I guess it can't hurt having the extra power.
I always try to not waste anything if possible, but in this situation getting the higher powered model is the only option. It's not cheap, but since I use it to make a living I can write it off and justify the cost.
I've always had 15" laptops with a 16:10 ratio (Macs and PC) for my own use. They seem perfect for me. I finally picked up a 13" for my family and the new 13" M1 Air is excellent in terms of performance AND price. I wish we could get a 15" Air variant that was more reasonably priced. Give me the same 13" M1 Air but in a 15" chassis. Keep the 15" Pro for more features and better chips.
The 13" feels a bit small for me. Can't have things open side by side. It's a tight fit. 15 feels more relaxed visually for me. I prefer the 15" in this respect and especially my 27" iMac. That's why I've been holding on for an upgrade to my Late 2009 27" iMac.
I actually do utilize the 15" Pro's power frequently, so it's not going to waste. However, in the future, I'd definitely like to have the option for a cheaper 15" variant, so I could go light on the laptop and max out on the iMac.
Desktops can be kept around for much longer and IMO they are the better option out of the two in terms of which to spend on, unless you need your laptop professionally for a job where you need to bring it with you. Also, no need to worry about battery health on desktop over time.
The 13" feels a bit small for me. Can't have things open side by side. It's a tight fit. 15 feels more relaxed visually for me. I prefer the 15" in this respect and especially my 27" iMac. That's why I've been holding on for an upgrade to my Late 2009 27" iMac.
I actually do utilize the 15" Pro's power frequently, so it's not going to waste. However, in the future, I'd definitely like to have the option for a cheaper 15" variant, so I could go light on the laptop and max out on the iMac.
Desktops can be kept around for much longer and IMO they are the better option out of the two in terms of which to spend on, unless you need your laptop professionally for a job where you need to bring it with you. Also, no need to worry about battery health on desktop over time.
I think 17" would be too big and be too niche. I do think Apple would be well served to have a 13" and 15" MacBook (in a consumer Air form factor) and then a 14" and 16" true MacBook Pros. There is a market for people who want a larger screen without all the extra "Pro" stuff including price.
I think that would be a really good compromise, a 15 inch MacBook Air.
I believe my 13 inch MacBook Air was a 2014 model. The thing that bothered me the most about that was the 1 inch wide bezel. They could’ve almost fit a 15 inch display into that model if they had a thin bezel on it.
You should also be aware that there are portable USB plug-and-pray external monitors for use alongside laptops, some of which say are compatible with MacOS, such as https://www.amazon.com/AOC-I1659FWUX-USB-Powered-Portable-1920x1080/dp/B06X9C6XFK
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Yeah, look at it this way, at least there is a device that does meet all your needs (assuming 16” is big enough), even if it comes with more power than you need which you have to pay extra for. Better that than there not being any MacBook bigger than 13” at all, or a 16” MacBook that is too weak for your needs. In other words, having to pay for too much is a better problem to have than not being able to pay for what you need, in my opinion. (I’ve run into the latter problem with iPhones. They’re all oversized for me so I would gladly pay extra for the original small size, but it’s not likely to happen in any foreseeable future.)
All this is why we need AR glasses. If they ever get good enough, it will make screen size obsolete. Your laptop will be just a keyboard/trackpad base and you can have any size display you want!
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How much of that difficulty is a result of the screen size and how much is due to the "chrome" and widgets of the user interface of Mac OS? (for those who might not know, "chrome" is the user interface elements around the content)
The worst offender is Windows. The "classic" Windows interface was super-efficient in using screen space. XP introduced a bit of visual bloat (but manageable by using alternative themes). Vista even more. From Windows 8 and beyond, things are just off the rails. In an attempt to cater to touchscreen devices, the UI is spread out. That reduces the effective size of the screen.
As Apple iphone-ifies MacOS, the same thing is happening. When I had my 13" MBA, each update to Mac OS felt like the screen was getting more and more cramped. It was only when I was running Windows XP in a fullscreen virtual machine on it (and my favorite SimpleXP theme from deviantart) that I noticed how just how much space was wasted by the UI.
If you must stay on a MacOS device, then you are stuck. There is no solution.
LG Gram 17. 1.35KG.
I've the M1 MBA and LG Gram 16 and they have very similar performance even if their benchmarks are different.
For me the main reason to use MacOS is so that you can use Mac-only software, e.g. Final Cut Pro. If not there are so many other options out there with Windows. I used to bash Windows laptops but the 2021 models with Intel 11th gen processors are much better than I expected. LG Gram can get you 12-14 hours battery life. Not as long as the MBA sure but it's rare for Windows laptops to go beyond 8 hours.
I've the M1 MBA and LG Gram 16 and they have very similar performance even if their benchmarks are different.
For me the main reason to use MacOS is so that you can use Mac-only software, e.g. Final Cut Pro. If not there are so many other options out there with Windows. I used to bash Windows laptops but the 2021 models with Intel 11th gen processors are much better than I expected. LG Gram can get you 12-14 hours battery life. Not as long as the MBA sure but it's rare for Windows laptops to go beyond 8 hours.
Most of what I do that requires multiple windows open at the same time is using Acrobat Reader and QuickBooks, which I assume would be very similar if not the same with Windows and they are for OS X. For example, I will have a stack of PDFs open on the left side and a Quickbooks register opened above the Sales Receipt window on the right side.
A 16” Macbook Air would be great. Will get the big screen without having to spend $$$.
Maybe in the future Air will come in a bigger screen. In 2022, non Pro iPhone is rumoured to get 6.7” display. Similarly, a non Pro MacBook could get a bigger screen.
Maybe in the future Air will come in a bigger screen. In 2022, non Pro iPhone is rumoured to get 6.7” display. Similarly, a non Pro MacBook could get a bigger screen.
I like OS X because it is seamless with my iPhone and iPad. I use Photos, Notes, Calendar, Numbers, Pages, and a few others. Sure, I can find similar offerings to use in Windows, but I am happy with the Apple ecosystem.
I also like that all my MAC computers have been bulletproof, never having an issue like I used to have all the time with Windows. I don't even remember what a virus or spyware is anymore
I’m glad you brought this up because I was thinking about it as well. I have the base model iPhone 11 and I love it. The processor, memory, storage, camera, etc. are all more than adequate for my usage. But I was thinking that maybe I’ll get a iPhone with a larger display next time, just to find that it seems like the only option is to upgrade to the iPhone Pro model which has a lot of stuff that I don’t need, just like with the MacBook Pro.
Hopefully they make a non-pro model with a larger display like you mentioned.
The thing with offering a larger basic/cheaper model is, even if a lot of people want it, it takes away a prime opportunity for a company to upsell, which is a very basic and effective business strategy. So I think the only way it will happen is if the demand for a larger basic model is great enough that it outweighs the profit that they’re already getting from upselling—or coming from the other direction, if they’re not getting enough sales of the more expensive model. It’s possible, but who knows if/when it will ever happen.
Have you considered adding an iPad and using Sidecar? I use my iPad Pro as a second monitor when I need extra screen real estate. I prefer the second display over a docked window on a larger Macbook.
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Except that "base model MacBook Air" with a 17" display would cost a lot more, so you might as well get the MBP.
That would go against the portability that I would like. I don't mind carrying a 17" laptop around the house and into the backyard, I can do that with one hand while holding my coffee or lemonade in the other. But having to also carry an iPad and cable would be a pain.
I am not sure what it would cost extra. But I figure a $1,000 MacBook Air with a 17" screen might cost $1,300-1,500 vs. a $2,400 MBP.
Cable is optional. They will also connect wirelessly. And you get to use the iPad standalone when you just want to watch a movie, read a paper, etc.
FWIW, I dumped my 16" MBP for the Air and find it a much more useful system. And use the iPad when I need more screen real estate. I do software development and like to put support material/debugging/ reference windows on the iPad and the main editor on the Air. I like the extra screen real estate I get from having multiple monitors.
The problem is it seems almost all computer manufacturers increase other specs as the screen size increases, so you won't be paying for just a larger display.