Buyers remorse

[kschendel]

sure, but if you're buying a new mac today, a silicon chip is future-proofing. no point in buying a new intel mac in 2022...

I wasn't advocating a new intel mac, I was pointing out that even a relatively old machine is plenty fast enough for lots of things. Both M1 and M2 will work just fine, depending on what the OP uses the machine for. I see no objective need for buyer's remorse. (Subjective need is a different thing entirely.)

 

[1BadManVan]

The M1 will last you longer due to its good management of heat.

Wow… nope, not even going to try to respond to that ridiculous statement lol

 

[0128672]

I'm sticking with the M1 MBA for its value, design and reliability. Recently picked up an Apple refurb M1 MBA 16/512. It had 2 battery cycles on it and is otherwise flawless. For $1229 I couldn't be happier with this choice. Use what you saved for something related or put it away for the M3 or M4 you might want in a few years.

 

[cygy2k]

Where are the 20 people that normally post that any buying decision that doesn’t end in a 14” MBP is totally bonkers?

OP - only you can decide if the extra money for the M2 is worth it. Screen size is roughly the same (despite people always putting being bigger on a list like it’s a huge difference) and speed for most things will be similar enough. The rest is quality of life differences.

 

[Fatus_Asticus]

If you want to spend money on an upgraded screen and speakers go for the 14 m1 pro. If you want to save money with a few compromises get the m1 MBA. If you want to spend money and kind of be in the middle ground MBA m2.

Personally I don't find the m2 MBA to be a great value. I think they really screwed up their pricing and or base configurations. They should have upgraded the base storage for the added price change at minimum like they are planning on the iPhone 14.

Its apple, it will sell regardless.

 

[Coochie Boogs]

Honestly, you probably aren’t missing much, M1 is extremely capable and will be for years to come. Once new machines come out, FOMO comes out, in heat!

 

[DD88]

M1 MBA is a beast, you wont go wrong with that machine and you made the right choice. for me, the M2 MBA is completely overhyped

 

[1BadManVan]

M1 MBA is a beast, you wont go wrong with that machine and you made the right choice. for me, the M2 MBA is completely overhyped

Based on your personal time spent with it?

 

[DD88]

Based on your personal time spent with it?

never used it but I know people who own it in comparison to the M1 MBA. The specs are obviously better but for the OPs needs it wont be noticeable and he's got an amazing machine at a much cheaper price. people are maxing out MBA M2 models to use for Facebook and YouTube when you can do all that on a 2 year old machine which isn't a slouch

 

[Heat_Fan89]

never used it but I know people who own it in comparison to the M1 MBA. The specs are obviously better but for the OPs needs it wont be noticeable and he's got an amazing machine at a much cheaper price. people are maxing out MBA M2 models to use for Facebook and YouTube when you can do all that on a 2 year old machine which isn't a slouch

I totally get what you are saying. If I had to decide before making a purchase, I would choose the M2 Air. However if I purchased the M1 Air and I was looking to save money, that would be the logical choice because you get an Air for $749 when you consider the $150 gift card thrown in and the M1 still holds it’s own, two years later.

 

[conmee]

Going to bed every night, tossing and turning, questioning, regretting, waking up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat wondering if you made the right decision, will saving a couple bucks feel as good a month or two from now, will your MBA accommodate all your browser tabs, a tough spot to be in no doubt about it... LDSanders, you mentioned receiving educational pricing. Assuming you're enrolled in an accredited institution of higher learning, if you're one of those liberal arts students, you made the right choice, save your money (you're gonna need it after graduation). On the other hand, if you're studying any number of STEM disciplines, it's time to ignore the naysayers and bet on yourself!!! Go big, ramp up, max out, no regrets, no fears, reach for the stars, commit like your life depends on it, and live your life like there's no tomorrow!!! Thin and light passively-cooled computers are for people with thin and light bank accounts. You're in school to get a high-tech salary, so trade in that dainty MBA and get yourself a 16" MacBook Pro M1 Max and you'll never regret it and you'll sleep like a baby!!! /s

 

[Apple_Robert]

The M1 will last you longer due to its good management of heat.

The M2 has good management of heat as well. I don't know where you got the notion that the M2 is inferior to the M1 but, that notion is wrong.

 

[1BadManVan]

The M2 has good management of heat as well. I don't know where you got the notion that the M2 is inferior to the M1 but, that notion is wrong.

Very wrong.. clicked on a YouTube video with the fire graphics on it lol

 

[Apple_Robert]

I just wanted to ask this forum if I made a right decision purchasing base model MBA M1 over MBA M2. I feel like I am having a bit of buyers remorse purchasing the M1 vs M2. The reason I chose M1 was because of the education deal and I wanted to save money. Also hearing the SSD issues on the M2 made me feel like the M2 wasn’t worth the price tag. I just wanted to hear what everyone thinks if I made the right choice or not. I chose base model because I don’t feel with my usage that any upgrades would be beneficial for me. My biggest thing is I’m worried the M1 won’t last as long as the M2 and won’t be future proofed as long. Any help would be appreciated.

There is no such thing as "future-proofing." That is a forum myth.

Getting the M2 is not going to make any vast difference in noticeable speed, if all you are doing is web surfing, reading PDF, watching videos, and the usual office type apps etc compared to the M1.

Can you afford the M2 (which also offers the education discount) without worry? If you can't, the M1 is probably the route you should take. If you can afford both and just trying to get the discount, get the M2 and be done with it. Both are excellent machines and will last many years to come. Trying to keep up with the latest tech is futile. Get what you need today and worry about tomorrow tomorrow.

 

[m1maverick]

Performance wise, in real world usage, the two systems are more alike than different. IMO the performance benefit between the two is effectively negligible.

The primary differences are subjective and choosing one over the other is only a decision you can make. I do agree with those who said that by having asked the question the subjective aspects are intriguing to you and thus, if the additional money is not an issue, you may want to exchange the M1 for the M2.

 

[AbhiAchShan]

I just wanted to ask this forum if I made a right decision purchasing base model MBA M1 over MBA M2. I feel like I am having a bit of buyers remorse purchasing the M1 vs M2. The reason I chose M1 was because of the education deal and I wanted to save money. Also hearing the SSD issues on the M2 made me feel like the M2 wasn’t worth the price tag. I just wanted to hear what everyone thinks if I made the right choice or not. I chose base model because I don’t feel with my usage that any upgrades would be beneficial for me. My biggest thing is I’m worried the M1 won’t last as long as the M2 and won’t be future proofed as long. Any help would be appreciated.

Oh, Don't worry on that, there is not much of a difference in their performance, it's hardly 18 to 20% Faster (M2), which isn't going to be noticed much, and you just a get a better screen on the M2 MBA, secondly there isn't a thing like M1 MBA won't be supported as long as M2 MBA, I guess both will be supported for a long time to come, and may be M2 for a year or more

 

[KurtMann]

I get a lot of anxiety not buying the latest and greatest, sometimes it's like "this has been out for 4 months and a new model is probably on the way". But the thing is: everything will be replaced. They start development for the next next next thing before the next thing is released.

It's an insane way to think. Every computer and phone and whatnot is great now. You made a good decision waiting for the next thing to save some money. My sister is using a 10 year old Air, and she is not a power user in any way, but it works fine for what she is doing.

This resonated with my insanity a lot but I'm really trying to get past it.

 

[ThailandToo]

I just wanted to ask this forum if I made a right decision purchasing base model MBA M1 over MBA M2. I feel like I am having a bit of buyers remorse purchasing the M1 vs M2. The reason I chose M1 was because of the education deal and I wanted to save money. Also hearing the SSD issues on the M2 made me feel like the M2 wasn’t worth the price tag. I just wanted to hear what everyone thinks if I made the right choice or not. I chose base model because I don’t feel with my usage that any upgrades would be beneficial for me. My biggest thing is I’m worried the M1 won’t last as long as the M2 and won’t be future proofed as long. Any help would be appreciated.

The SSD isn’t an issue at all on the M2 MBA. It’s irresponsible reporting even if it’s factual that it’s slower than if Apple used two chips. Either way, it’s lightning fast and much faster than anything anyone would be upgrading from. If the SSD is your issue, return it and get the M2 you want.

I watched a video with tech reviewers on Linus Tech Tips and they couldn’t tell the difference from old tech spinning drives to SSD to the newer faster stuff like Apple uses here.

 

[smoking monkey]

Wow… nope, not even going to try to respond to that ridiculous statement lol

Actually, the M2 Air does run hotter and throttle faster than the M1 Air. But throttling faster doesn't mean it's not quicker, it is, even if it does throttle faster.

I don't know if the extra heat will equate to the M2 degrading faster, but I assume cooler is better in the long run. I can't imagine the M2 getting overly hot though unless you're doing sustained intensive tasks to be honest. I had an M1 and that thing was too cold in winter! Even when I pushed it, it barely got hot.

 

[TracerAnalog]

Since your purchase seems very budget conscious, I think you made the right choice. It was a great machine a year ago, and that hasn’t changed. Enjoy it!

 

[1BadManVan]

Actually, the M2 Air does run hotter and throttle faster than the M1 Air. But throttling faster doesn't mean it's not quicker, it is, even if it does throttle faster.

I don't know if the extra heat will equate to the M2 degrading faster, but I assume cooler is better in the long run. I can't imagine the M2 getting overly hot though unless you're doing sustained intensive tasks to be honest. I had an M1 and that thing was too cold in winter! Even when I pushed it, it barely got hot.

It runs hotter by design. The chip designers set the throttle limit, they determined this can go up to 108c safely before having to scale back. That certainly doesn’t mean it will effect longevity which is what the guy I quoted is implying. That’s ridiculous

 

[wilberforce]

Personally, what I would have most remorse about getting a base M1 MBA, is having got only 8GB RAM. I would exchange it for another M1 MBA but with 16GB RAM.
If your usage is light, that may not be a concern.

 

[aevan]

I just wanted to ask this forum if I made a right decision purchasing base model MBA M1 over MBA M2. I feel like I am having a bit of buyers remorse purchasing the M1 vs M2. The reason I chose M1 was because of the education deal and I wanted to save money. Also hearing the SSD issues on the M2 made me feel like the M2 wasn’t worth the price tag. I just wanted to hear what everyone thinks if I made the right choice or not. I chose base model because I don’t feel with my usage that any upgrades would be beneficial for me. My biggest thing is I’m worried the M1 won’t last as long as the M2 and won’t be future proofed as long. Any help would be appreciated.

Don't do this - it is done, you made your choice, no reason to think of the alternative. And it is a good choice - the M1 is just a great computer. And it should last very long, and very similar to the M2. You wouldn't be much more future proofed with an M2.

You have one of the best laptops ever made. Just enjoy it.

 

[smoking monkey]

It runs hotter by design. The chip designers set the throttle limit, they determined this can go up to 108c safely before having to scale back. That certainly doesn’t mean it will effect longevity which is what the guy I quoted is implying. That’s ridiculous

I get it, but it could run cooler if they'd put a better heat sink in it (and they could have). Just because it can run up to 108c doesn't mean it's optimal. Running it at higher temps has the potential to degrade it faster than if it's run cooler. Also, other components in the machine may not like the extra heat. Go take a read about it on arstechnica.

Yes the guy you quoted probably implied a bit too much, but I think the theory is a fair one.

These M2 Airs are great machines. Could they have been a little better? Of course! I think with a better heat sink on a 512 or above HD + slightly better sound and you'd be looking at the best computer Apple has made in the past 10 years. I think it's on par with the 16" M1 Pro (better for battery than Max) and the 2015 MBPr 15" at the moment. The M1 16 isn't perfect due to its bulkiness and ugly design. The design works far better on the much thinner MBA M2. And the 2015 MBP was just refined to perfection but it didn't have that killer feature.

But no Apple computer will be perfect until they release one in Metallic Racing Green. Come on, I know everyone wants one!

 

[1BadManVan]

I get it, but it could run cooler if they'd put a better heat sink in it (and they could have). Just because it can run up to 108c doesn't mean it's optimal. Running it at higher temps has the potential to degrade it faster than if it's run cooler. Also, other components in the machine may not like the extra heat. Go take a read about it on arstechnica.

Yes the guy you quoted probably implied a bit too much, but I think the theory is a fair one.

These M2 Airs are great machines. Could they have been a little better? Of course! I think with a better heat sink on a 512 or above HD + slightly better sound and you'd be looking at the best computer Apple has made in the past 10 years. I think it's on par with the 16" M1 Pro (better for battery than Max) and the 2015 MBPr 15" at the moment. The M1 16 isn't perfect due to its bulkiness and ugly design. The design works far better on the much thinner MBA M2. And the 2015 MBP was just refined to perfection but it didn't have that killer feature.

But no Apple computer will be perfect until they release one in Metallic Racing Green. Come on, I know everyone wants one!

My arguement has never been it’s perfect, just that the issues are way overblown and literally turning people away from even trying it.

If throttling is that big of a risk, I don’t think 8 degrees will be a make it or break it. The m1 air can hit 100c vs 108c for the M2. I trust the engineers that designed the chip.