Did you buy a new MBP because you needed one, or because you just wanted one?

[buyusfear]

You gonna go 14 or 16?

I went with the cheapest 14” M1 Max.
With the 24 core GPU, I felt like that was future proofing it better.
It arrives this Thursday.
It’s going to completely change my workflow and I’m very excited.
I haven’t been this excited about a product since when I bought my very first Mac; the 2007 15” MBP.

The one thing that I wish they would have added, along with the MagSafe, is a battery level indicator on the side like they used to have.

Having this as my main desktop setup hooked into a couple monitors meant that when it wasn’t, it needed to be portable and as much as I wanted the 16”, I knew that getting the 14” was the right call. Same reason Why I didn’t buy the iPhone 12 pro max version. It was simply physically too big.

 

[senttoschool]

I absolutely need it.

* More screen space for coding (currently 13" M1 MBA)
* More RAM for com
* More cores for coding
* Higher nits for working outside
* HDMI port for my monitor
* More GPU power to turn up settings in Starcraft 2

 

[geejay9876]

66% wanted a MBP rather than needing one.

I also wanted one for the "pro" vanity. It turned out that my need for lightweight comfort is bigger than my vanity.

 

[Adamantoise]

Haven't bought one yet, but if I do it'll be because I wanted one.

There's absolutely nothing I do that warrants a new machine. I do most of my development on my Surface Pro... When I need a posix system WSL is there for free.

I also have a 2012 MacBook Pro that's still in great shape.

 

[Fomalhaut]

66% wanted a MBP rather than needing one.

I also wanted one for the "pro" vanity. It turned out that my need for lightweight comfort is bigger than my vanity.

If people only bought what they really needed vs what they want, western capitalism would collapse within a few years. We’re doing our bit to save the economy ?

 

[TrueBlou]

If people only bought what they really needed vs what they want, western capitalism would collapse within a few years. We’re doing our bit to save the economy ?

A very good sentiment.

In our household we’re quite split. My wife would definitely keep any product until it literally couldn’t work, or be repaired any more.

I on the other hand, suffer greatly from, ohhhh look, shiny.

 

[Chancha]

I have been a small MBP user since the G4 days, always opted for the smaller footprint while not sacrificing too much on performance. The M1 Air last year was the only time I made do with an "Air-tier" Mac due to how promising Apple Silicon was claimed to be, and that the recent Intel Macs had too much fan noise and this was fanless (my work is music related).

Was only intending to test drive the Air thinking it wouldn't last my workflow, but turned out it more or less performed like a top end 13" pro if not more, so I kept using it til last week and replaced it with a base 14". While the lightweight and fanless-ness will be missed, the extra performance envelope, the screen, the I/O and overall everything about the new Pros simply fits my needs more.

That said I could make do with another 13" Air if they update it to M2 next year, perhaps hands down some features from the 14", if I value portability and battery life more at that time. it makes a difference if a desktop class Apple Silicon Mac can appear soon enough though, I can see an iMac + Air combo being more versatile than a single MBP setup.

 

[bobcomer]

I may do work on it when I get it, and it'll have to handle my workload just in case, but need it, nah -- want it! I have other machines I can rely on for work.

Well, I wanted it, a 14" MBP Max, $3099. That last piece of data, $3099 is a LOT of money for a 32G machine that doesn't do everything I need, so I cancelled it.

My Intel Mini will have to do and I don't know what I'll do with my trade-in, an M1 MBA.

 

[jadfls]

actually both for me. needed one and just waited 2 more weeks for the new announcement

 

[CoffeeMacBook]

Dude that was Adobe's fault with a little "Intel Salty Sprinkle". I abandoned Adobe and now have to spend 3-6 months mastering Affinity. I might go back to Adobe "In like 5 years" but they slogging so far behind... But maybe by then we won't have SSDs and it'll be like 2TB of RAM and the thing runs from RAM no booting no nothing always on with a RAM Battery? "\_(ツ)_/"

Adobe Apps are TOO Big, they are like Microsoft Products...

2¢

Adobe has a problem with their applications being legacy. The GUI has certainly changed over the years, the code? Who knows.

Intel CPU's just were not powerful enough in the 2017 16" MBP. It was a struggle bus for me from 2014-2017 with my Apple MBP I actually considered moving to Windows Desktops to do my pro-level work.

The 2021 MBP is everything creative pro's have been asking for, but man it was painful for the past 5 years for MBP users, so the upgrade was a definite must.

I think Apple was trying their best to deal with Intel falling behind their agreement and tried to salvage the Pro line of laptops by making them thinner. That's my guess.

I do professional work, every studio that I've worked for also uses Photoshop. I don't have the option to abandon it. The brush ability and selection on Affinity Photo just isn't up to par with Photoshop. On my setup Affinity Photo's brushes jump around and there are issues with lag as well. Serif simply doesn't have the money to troubleshoot Affinity Suite as often as Adobe, they're a much smaller company and so support is lack luster; as evidenced by their support and help forum.

All legacy software needs to be built from the ground up as something new. My hope is that Blender overtakes Maya as the industry standard, because Maya has so much legacy code and the GUI is clunky. They've tried, but it's just not happening. I have hope for Blender with Apple patronage.

I'm not a Windows OS fan because their OS has so much bloat from years of code. There's already been a whole thread about this, I won't rehash. I'm just glad to have the 2021 MBP updates with Apple Silicon. Good direction for pros.

For non pros please see Macbook Airs. There's too many vain Apple customers creeping into the "Pro" segment. They care way too much about how their laptop looks versus how it actually functions. Probably check to make sure their wallet makes their butt look big just so everyone can see.

 

[rezwits]

...On my setup Affinity Photo's brushes jump around and there are issues with lag as well. Serif simply doesn't have the money to troubleshoot Affinity Suite as often as Adobe, they're a much smaller company and so support is lack luster; as evidenced by their support and help forum.
...

IDK, They actually have jumped up and been really on top of updating for M1 and pushing updates out like every 2-3 weeks...

That's why I decided to jump on board...

Laters...

 

[hotdogcowboy]

I’m going from a 2013 13” 16gb rMBP to a 14” 32gb Max 24. The 13” served me well but was long overdue for an upgrade. My Fusion 360 projects were dragging along so slowly. My homemade software would require running overnight for certain projects, and some of my vector artwork was impractical to work with. Looking forward to being able to throw some grunt behind my current projects and give myself some headroom for the next ones.

 

[tollickd]

Well I have a M1 MBP and MBA! Do I use them to the full potential of the chip no. Do I need the M1 Pro? No and I know I don’t need that much power for what I use it for but I want 16inch screen so Christmas I am getting the base 16

 

[3Rock]

I’ve haven’t had a notebook for the last seven years and I wanted something for my Christmas present. I went all out on this one though I don’t need it because I have an iPad Pro but I wanted to treat myself. So there. ?

 

[CoffeeMacBook]

IDK, They actually have jumped up and been really on top of updating for M1 and pushing updates out like every 2-3 weeks...

That's why I decided to jump on board...

Laters...

Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge Serif Affinity Suite supporter. I have their entire software suite and all 3 Hardcover Workbooks. I do what I can to purchase and support smaller software companies that are making great stuff for creatives, I think that's important. Market competition means better software. I don't like the Adobe monopoly, since subscription prices seem to rise every time and it's getting out of hand. I'm always looking for alternatives.

Laters! ✌️

 

[newellj]

Need, interpreted a little loosely.

2018 13” MBP is currently out for its second catastrophic repair in 2.75 years. When I get it back it’s going to find a new home ASAP.

I am not going to own another Mac with a touchbar.

Without getting into specifics, if you configure a MacBook Air as close as possible to the 14 inch MacBook Pro, and then take into consideration all of the other updates and retro-dates, I just don’t see that the M1 Air is a good choice for me. YMMV.

 

[macintoshmac]

I bought one because I would have upgraded my 2017 MBA next year anyway, and instead decided to do that this year considering a change of plans for next year, that would need a good amount of money. And, then, there are plans for the next 2 years. So, the best time became today.

And I am incredibly glad I did that. The 16" 2021 is a delight to use in all aspects.

 

[ADGrant]

I’m using a late 2013 15.4 screen. I need ports. My wife accused me of being a Luddite like my brother in law who uses a 2006 core2 duo running a wimpy version of linux. My MBP needs a new keyboard, new battery and will no longer run the most current system. Apple considers it OBSOLETE. Affinity Photo runs ok but some things are kind of slow, and I cannot load more than 6 photos before it bogs down.

I recently paid Apple $200 to replace the battery in my 2014 15" MBP. The battery replacement included a new top case and keyboard. The laptop will be obsolete in another six months and can't be upgraded to Monterey but my daughter mostly uses it for Google Classroom and a 7 year old MBP is still much better than a cheap chromebook.

 

[iamMacPerson]

A little of both. I'm a first year engineering student who does freelance video editing in my spare time, so the speed of the Max really caught my attention. Additionally, my 2018 15" was one of the models notorious for the Butterfly Plague. I didn't want to run the risk of the keyboard going out after the 4 year warranty extension expires in July, so I had the keyboard swapped one last time and sold it for as much as I could on eBay. Likewise I bought into the hype around the M1 Max and all it can do, and being the total geek I am I wanted the newest, shiniest thing.

No regrets with the purchase. Easily the best laptop I have owned in a long time.

 

[Ethosik]

While my M1 Mac Mini is doing just fine, there are times I wish I could disconnect and take my system with me. That is why I got the M1 Max laptop. I also do some very long exports from FCP so it will be nice having multiple systems!

 

[ADGrant]

Both. I didn't technically need one. I have two computers (work issued) at home already. A 2019 MBP and a 20something POS HP tablet thingie (also work issued).

However, as my firm is installing more and more spyware on corporate machines (which I understand), I decided I'd better get a "personal" computer for the first time in 10+ years. I could have gotten away with a MBA, but decided for the 14 inch MBP M1 Max 10/32 with 32GB ram and 1TB SSD. Should last me a good 5+ years.

In addition to the aforementioned spyware, my work Mac also has most iCloud functions disabled which really hurts my interaction w/ my other apple devices and those of family members. It will be nice to have fully un-nerfed MacBook.

I think anyone using a work issued computer for personal work needs to buy their own computer. By storing personal data on employer owned devices you are granting your employer access to things they should not have access to.

 

[lclev]

Bought an M1 Max/64GB/1TB for work and portability. Too many times I had videos to get done and being at work on my desktop was a problem. I am an independent contractor so I make my own hours but I have projects that have to get done. My husband has had some health issues plus covid restrictions all have created issues with being in the office for the long hours some videos require. This new M1 gives me the ability to work anywhere and anytime.

 

[ddhhddhh2]

My previous laptop was an A1466 i7, which gradually overheated when I was developing angular, although the speed was still good, when I decided to get a new one, I pick the wrong way, I underestimated the heat of the MBP 16 i9.

To keep things as cool as possible, I raised the fan detection point, which helped a bit, but the noise made me uncomfortable.

So yes, the new MBP may indeed be a need, the old MBP i9 did perform well but had too many side effects.

However, I have not yet made a decision, I need virtual machines for my work and Docker seems to have stabilized, but windows I'm still watching, maybe I'll decide after a while, for now the old MBP i9 still works fine, as long as I ignore some of the shortcomings.

 

[cubbie5150]

Ordered earlier this month because I legit need a new machine (my 2014 15" MBP is dying before my eyes, hahaha). However, I ordered more machine than I strictly "need" simply because I wanted to and I can.

 

[tonyz123456]

Needed a new computer (probably could have saved some money with a MacBook Air 16 gb M1 512gb SSD) but wanted the MacBook Pro so got the base model.