If your on the fence: This is why I chose the M2 MBA over 14" or 16" M1 MBP

[marstan]

I have recently tried both the base versions of the M2Air and M2MBP 14". I like them both and will probably end up getting both: the Air for my wife and MBP for me.

I think the 14" MBP covers the widest number of use scenarios, though. It is heavier and slightly larger in footprint than the Air but much lighter and smaller than the 16" MBP but still very portable. (I just picked up the MBP with the screen open by the corner with one hand and carried it to the dining room table effortlessly). The battery life on the M2 MBP seems to be on par with the M2Air. The M2 MBP is just as quiet as the fanless Air; in fact, the fan is turned off when doing the things you would do on an Air and even when working on photos in Lightroom and Photoshop but is there in case you want to do something very demanding. The screen on the MBP makes it an extraordinary pleasure to view photos and videos something which I value highly. And the MBP could work as a desktop replacement for awhile until I deal with that.

So, for me, the MBP is more versatile than the Air combining most of the virtues of the Air with the power of the Pro. If I could only buy one machine it would be the 14" MBP.

 

[Technerd108]

I have recently tried both the base versions of the M2Air and M2MBP 14". I like them both and will probably end up getting both: the Air for my wife and MBP for me.

I think the 14" MBP covers the widest number of use scenarios, though. It is heavier and slightly larger in footprint than the Air but much lighter and smaller than the 16" MBP but still very portable. (I just picked up the MBP with the screen open by the corner with one hand and carried it to the dining room table effortlessly). The battery life on the M2 MBP seems to be on par with the M2Air. The M2 MBP is just as quiet as the fanless Air; in fact, the fan is turned off when doing the things you would do on an Air and even when working on photos in Lightroom and Photoshop but is there in case you want to do something very demanding. The screen on the MBP makes it an extraordinary pleasure to view photos and videos something which I value highly. And the MBP could work as a desktop replacement for awhile until I deal with that.

So, for me, the MBP is more versatile than the Air combining most of the virtues of the Air with the power of the Pro. If I could only buy one machine it would be the 14" MBP.

I understand your opinion.

What configuration did you get? How much did it cost?

Considering the difference in cost, weight, and the fact that I will never use the extra GPU or push the device to it's limits on the Pro model I just don't see why I would spend hundreds more for the few times I might push it?

If you got the model just above the base model that is $2499. If you got anything above that the cost just goes up.

The base model air can be found for $999 and I have seen middle configuration for $1399 with 512gb SSD and 16gb ram. So we are talking somewhere in the area of $1000. Or at the very least several hundred.

I like having extra horsepower and better screen and more ports. But I don't like the extra weight which is significant even if it is fine for you. The screen size is so close I don't see a big difference there.

So I am paying $1k for mini led with Pro Motion and extra GPU cores and extra CPU cores and a few more ports.

I already have an Anker dongle that I have had since my M1 MBP 13" so extra ports are not a big deal. I will never need the extra CPU or GPU cores since the single core speed is the same. I don't do anything GPU wise that the M2 can't handle.

Besides the screen there is literally no real use advantage for me to get the M2 Pro. Instead I would have a heavier bulkier device that would be doing everything my air can already do.

Oh I forgot the speakers those have a lot more bass and slightly louder Max volume on my air which would be nice. But it is not worth the cost.

No the only thing I am looking forward to is the new M3 MBA in a possible 15" configuration. Or maybe the same model I have now. The M3 will be faster in single core and should be 3nm which will hopefully translate into even better battery life and less throttling than the M2.

For me single core speed still matters and 8 core CPU is still good enough in multi core.

Only 4-6 months and the M3 MBA should be announced. Depending on cost, what I can sell my M2 MBA for and how much improvements are made will determine my next Mac and I can gaurantee it will be an air.

I just don't see the benefits of buying something based on things that are great specs and selling points but that I don't use in real life. The things I do like about the Pro I don't think are worth the added cost.

You said,

"So, for me, the MBP is more versatile than the Air combining most of the virtues of the Air with the power of the Pro. If I could only buy one machine it would be the 14" MBP."

What is it that you can't do on the air that you can do on the Pro? How often do you do that? What is the versatility that you are getting?

Just wondering. Anyway it sounds you are happy with the two devices and I am sure they are great. I am happy you like what you have.

 

[marstan]

I understand your opinion.

What configuration did you get? How much did it cost?

Base 14" - $2000 at Apple store.

Considering the difference in cost, weight, and the fact that I will never use the extra GPU or push the device to it's limits on the Pro model I just don't see why I would spend hundreds more for the few times I might push it?

And YOU shouldn't.

If you got the model just above the base model that is $2499. If you got anything above that the cost just goes up.

The base model air can be found for $999 and I have seen middle configuration for $1399 with 512gb SSD and 16gb ram. So we are talking somewhere in the area of $1000. Or at the very least several hundred.

M1 or M2? Where? (NB: I like to buy from Apple or major retailer where I can return easily) I definitely want the M2 series because there are some architectural improvements over the M1 especially in the GPU so I have heard.

I like having extra horsepower and better screen and more ports. But I don't like the extra weight which is significant even if it is fine for you. The screen size is so close I don't see a big difference there.

Weight not a problem for me. Not screen size that matters to me but quality especially for photo work.

So I am paying $1k for mini led with Pro Motion and extra GPU cores and extra CPU cores and a few more ports.

I already have an Anker dongle that I have had since my M1 MBP 13" so extra ports are not a big deal. I will never need the extra CPU or GPU cores since the single core speed is the same. I don't do anything GPU wise that the M2 can't handle.

Besides the screen there is literally no real use advantage for me to get the M2 Pro. Instead I would have a heavier bulkier device that would be doing everything my air can already do.

Oh I forgot the speakers those have a lot more bass and slightly louder Max volume on my air which would be nice. But it is not worth the cost.

Don't care about speakers esp. on a laptop; I use high quality headphones instead. And please, don't judge speakers by how loud they play; more important how accurately they produce source signal. And if you are going to judge loudness don't forget about distortion. That said, at least the Pro speakers have some bass and are not tinny like the Air.

No the only thing I am looking forward to is the new M3 MBA in a possible 15" configuration. Or maybe the same model I have now. The M3 will be faster in single core and should be 3nm which will hopefully translate into even better battery life and less throttling than the M2.

Might be nice in terms of size (but then added weight) and quality won't be as good as pro model.

For me single core speed still matters and 8 core CPU is still good enough in multi core.

It very well might be; I am new to Apple silicon so still feeling my way.

Only 4-6 months and the M3 MBA should be announced. Depending on cost, what I can sell my M2 MBA for and how much improvements are made will determine my next Mac and I can gaurantee it will be an air.

I can't wait for that given the age of my current MBP especially since Apple just rendered iCloud services inoperable on Yosemite.

I just don't see the benefits of buying something based on things that are great specs and selling points but that I don't use in real life. The things I do like about the Pro I don't think are worth the added cost.

For me it doesn't feel right to pay $1600 for an upgraded Air that was designed for internet surfing and some light amateur multimedia. Unless it has far more capabilities than that. That is the question. Does it? And then there is the screen; I love a high quality screen. (Note: I am used to a EIZO 27" 4k monitor and the MBP screen matches it very well; maybe even exceeds it in some respects).

You said,

"So, for me, the MBP is more versatile than the Air combining most of the virtues of the Air with the power of the Pro. If I could only buy one machine it would be the 14" MBP."

What is it that you can't do on the air that you can do on the Pro? How often do you do that? What is the versatility that you are getting?

I use Lightroom, Photoshop and Pixemator Pro somewhat frequently. I loaded them up along with Firefox running and a few other things and looks like about 8GB ram used for some simple operations;more complex images will demand more. Load up a few more programs and you are in swap territory. But maybe with these fast SSDs not as much a concern as before. Anyway, they ran very well; native Apple arm apps I think. I did not get to try them on the base Air but look like they would run just on the edge of swapping but, even so, probably ok. Now I also do some recording in Logic/Reaper but nothing complex; just 2-6 track acoustic with some light mixing/mastering. Haven't tested that yet. But screen quality won't matter with audio recording but audio can make big demands on system resources depending on what you are doing.

Just wondering. Anyway it sounds you are happy with the two devices and I am sure they are great. I am happy you like what you have.

I am still within my 14-day return period on the Pro and testing as much as I can. (I am a little irritated at the 512 SSD controversy and had thought about returning it for that but it may not make any difference in actual use). I may have to go and get that Air for my wife so I can compare in real time. My sense is, so far, that I am willing to pay a premium for the MBP screen and the most likely faster, smoother performance of the Pro now and a bit into the future. I don't like getting more than I need but I also know from experience it is good to have a little headroom than to always operate on the edge. Of course there is a cost for that but there is also a cost for buying inadequate things that don't perform well (time wasted, frustration, hassle of returns and repurchase, lost income if you do it for a living which I do not).

I am glad you raise all these points because it is good to think these things through rather than make impulsive purchases. So we'll see.

 

[Technerd108]

Base 14" - $2000 at Apple store.

And YOU shouldn't.

M1 or M2? Where? (NB: I like to buy from Apple or major retailer where I can return easily) I definitely want the M2 series because there are some architectural improvements over the M1 especially in the GPU so I have heard.

Weight not a problem for me. Not screen size that matters to me but quality especially for photo work.

Don't care about speakers esp. on a laptop; I use high quality headphones instead. And please, don't judge speakers by how loud they play; more important how accurately they produce source signal. And if you are going to judge loudness don't forget about distortion. That said, at least the Pro speakers have some bass and are not tinny like the Air.

Might be nice in terms of size (but then added weight) and quality won't be as good as pro model.

It very well might be; I am new to Apple silicon so still feeling my way.

I can't wait for that given the age of my current MBP especially since Apple just rendered iCloud services inoperable on Yosemite.

For me it doesn't feel right to pay $1600 for an upgraded Air that was designed for internet surfing and some light amatuer multimedia. Unless it has far more capabilities than that. That is the question. Does it?

I use Lightroom, Photoshop and Pixemator Pro somewhat frequently. I loaded them up along with Firefox running and a few other things and looks like about 8GB ram used for some simple operations;more complex images will demand more. Load up a few more programs and you are in swap territory. But maybe with these fast SSDs not as much a concern as before. Anyway, they ran very well; native Apple arm apps I think. I did not get to try them on the base Air but look like they would run just on the edge of swapping but, even so, probably ok. Now I also do some recording in Logic/Reaper but nothing complex; just 2-6 track acoustic with some light mixing/mastering. Haven't tested that yet. But screen quality won't matter with audio recording but audio can make big demands on system resources depending on what you are doing.

I am still within my 14-day return period on the Pro and testing as much as I can. I may have to go and get that Air for my wife so I can compare in real time. My sense is, so far, that I am willing to pay a premium for the MBP screen and the most likely faster, smoother performance of the Pro now and a bit into the future. I don't like getting more than I need but I also know from experience it is good to have a little headroom than to always operate on the edge. Of course there is a cost for that but there is also a cost for buying inadequate things that don't perform well (time wasted, frustration, hassle of returns and repurchase, lost income if you do it for a living which I do not).

I am glad you raise all these points because it is good to think these things through rather than make impulsive purchases. So we'll see.

Sounds like you got a perfect laptop for your use case. The work you do fits perfectly.

I think you made the right choice. I understand that for the cost and use case the MacBook pro M2 is a better fit. It costs more but you will actually use the features to make the cost worth it. Considering what I paid for mine the base model M2 MBP is still $650 more for my mid range M2 MBA. But if I were going to get a Pro the base model 14" would work best.

Future proofing is really hard to accomplish. I think the base M2 MBP is perfectly capable and would be my choice because the return on investment diminishes quickly on these the higher up you go.

But as I said M3 MBA is what I will be interested in later this year!

I think you will really enjoy the M2 MBP over your old Mac. M series chips are really nice for laptops!!

 

[marstan]

Yes, future proofing is not going to work for the consumer but only for Apple. You will over pay for hardware and Apple will just obsolete it by software.

 

[Mike Boreham]

For me it doesn't feel right to pay $1600 for an upgraded Air that was designed for internet surfing and some light amateur multimedia. Unless it has far more capabilities than that. That is the question. Does it?

My conclusion from the two hour maxCPU tests I reported in this post was:

Main conclusion is that the fanless M2 MBA is capable of sustained high load task at a performance level similar to most recent cooled Intel Macs.

 

[marstan]

My conclusion from the two hour maxCPU tests I reported in this post was:

Main conclusion is that the fanless M2 MBA is capable of sustained high load task at a performance level similar to most recent cooled Intel Macs.

That is interesting; I hadn't seen your tests. I seem to recall the NotebookCheck people found the opposite. I may need to get that Air back and test it. As much as I like the screen of the Pro I can always use my desktop monitor.

 

[Mike Boreham]

That is interesting; I hadn't seen your tests. I seem to recall the NotebookCheck people found the opposite. I may need to get that Air back and test it. As much as I like the screen of the Pro I can always use my desktop monitor.

I think my Cinebench throttling tests were broadly consistent with Notebookcheck. Yes the M2 Air throttles by about 15%, which is slightly more than the M1 MBA does, but the point is that even at this throttled level it is outperforming most recent Intel Macs and is operating at a CPU temperature similar to those Intel Macs.

The fanless M1 and M2 MacBook Airs are grossly misunderstood by many people. They suffer from a perception problem due to the fact that there is the MacBook Pro range sitting above it, which creates the impression that the MacBook Air range is for grannies and kids. Any serious user needs a Pro model. I believe many people buy MacBook Pros unnnecessarily for their needs because they don't understand the capability of the MBAs, or they want bragging rights .....or the big screen of course.

 

[Technerd108]

I think my Cinebench throttling tests were broadly consistent with Notebookcheck. Yes the M2 Air throttles by about 15%, which is slightly more than the M1 MBA does, but the point is that even at this throttled level it is outperforming most recent Intel Macs and is operating at a CPU temperature similar to those Intel Macs.

The fanless M1 and M2 MacBook Airs are grossly misunderstood by many people. They suffer from a perception problem due to the fact that there is the MacBook Pro range sitting above it, which creates the impression that the MacBook Air range is for grannies and kids. Any serious user needs a Pro model. I believe many people buy MacBook Pros unnnecessarily for their needs because they don't understand the capability of the MBAs, or they want bragging rights .....or the big screen of course.

This right here! Spot on. Totally agree.

 

[marstan]

I think my Cinebench throttling tests were broadly consistent with Notebookcheck. Yes the M2 Air throttles by about 15%, which is slightly more than the M1 MBA does, but the point is that even at this throttled level it is outperforming most recent Intel Macs and is operating at a CPU temperature similar to those Intel Macs.

The fanless M1 and M2 MacBook Airs are grossly misunderstood by many people. They suffer from a perception problem due to the fact that there is the MacBook Pro range sitting above it, which creates the impression that the MacBook Air range is for grannies and kids. Any serious user needs a Pro model. I believe many people buy MacBook Pros unnnecessarily for their needs because they don't understand the capability of the MBAs, or they want bragging rights .....or the big screen of course.

I just reread NotebookCheck reviews and they just remark that the Airs are not for sustained performance but good enough for ordinary tasks like vacation videos. But you are saying it is good for much more than that, namely whatever the last Intel MBP could do, right? I don't have any experience with the latest Intel macs but I imagine more than vacation videos. As to the screen, the 14" screen is not big but you have to admit it is better than the Air screen. So you paid $2400 for a loaded up Air? You certainly walk the talk of what your saying.

 

[marstan]

This right here! Spot on. Totally agree.

Well it does seem too good to be true but, unlike a lot of people, I do not draw lines in the sand and am always open to new information. I will check this out more thoroughly now.

 

[Mike Boreham]

I just reread NotebookCheck reviews and they just remark that the Airs are not for sustained performance but good enough for ordinary tasks like vacation videos. But you are saying it is good for much more than that, namely whatever the last Intel MBP could do, right? I don't have any experience with the latest Intel macs but I imagine more than vacation videos. As to the screen, the 14" screen is not big but you have to admit it is better than the Air screen. So you paid $2400 for a loaded up Air? You certainly walk the talk of what your saying.

If I was doing sustained high load tasks every day I would get an MBP. There is no question it is more suitable. But what is not appreciated is that the MBA is actually capable of sustained task when required. It does not throttle back so much, or get so hot that it is unusable. (The machine case was no more than warm after two hours). The way it is often reported is that it is not capable of such at all.

I usually hate car analogies but the MBA is sometimes portrayed as like a car with a top speed of 50 mph. If you want to go at 80 mph you need an MBP. An MBA can go at 80mph (or a bit slower) for sustained periods. I would not have got an MBA if it was really limited to 50 mph.

The one caveat I would mention, as in one of the threads, is that Cinebench and Chess analysis are CPU tasks, and do not load the GPU. The story may not be same for GPU loading tasks. I am looking for a simple way to assess this.

Yes I bought a fully loaded M2 MBA. I had a 512/16 M1 MBA which I loved but wanted 2TB internal. I buy all my Macs used but nearly new from CEX in the UK and this one was £2065 (UK Applestore price £2549). DriveDx showed it had 2 hours power on time. From the one year support date it was only a few weeks old, and I had no trouble adding Applecare.

 

[ascender]

The new Air is a really capable machine, so like @Mike Boreham says, don't rule it out, even if you are occasionally are doing those things which put a sustained workload on the CPU. They won't finish as quickly as on a MBP, but it probably won't matter to you. If you're doing those workloads all the time for your job, you'll probably have bought a MBP in the first place.

The new Air is so lovely to use thanks to its size and weight. I really hoped they would make a new 12" MacBook, but if you were a fan of that machine, definitely check this one out.

There's definitely too much emphasis and analysis on geekbench scores these days IMO.

 

[Mike Boreham]

The one caveat I would mention, as in one of the threads, is that Cinebench and Chess analysis are CPU tasks, and do not load the GPU. The story may not be same for GPU loading tasks. I am looking for a simple way to assess this.

Just as a quick ad hoc test involving GPU, I just exported 1000 RAW (mostly 20Mpx) in 19m 30secs from Lightroom. The CPU temp settled back to 70-80 C. I don't know how fast an MBP would take for this, no doubt quicker but the point is that the MBA is able to do it without fuss.

 

[Yebubbleman]

The 14-inch MacBook Pro and the M2 MacBook Air are night and day different machines for completely different use cases. If you are served just fine by an M2 Air, you have no need to buy a 14-inch Pro.

Furthermore, if you actually NEED the performance of a 14-inch MacBook Pro (because a standard M1 or M2 really won't cut it), you are better off getting the 16-inch as you will have a better cooling system (to enable you to do more without the thing throttling you down) and better battery life (due to having more room for a bigger battery). These chips (and I include the M1 Pro, M1 Max, M2 Pro, and M2 Max in this) were very clearly engineered for the 16-inch chassis first and foremost.

It is for this reason that I generally don't recommend 14-inch MacBook Pros to people. Those that want them despite all that weren't ever going to listen to me suggest against it to begin with.

 

[dmr727]

I have a large huge 32GB RAM desktop at home.
M2 MBA is a computer on go, really gets no heavy workload.
In the bed, iPad mini 6 until I fall asleep.
This is my setup

Funny, that's exactly my setup as well, although my MBA is an M1.

 

[marstan]

Just as a quick ad hoc test involving GPU, I just exported 1000 RAW (mostly 20Mpx) in 19m 30secs from Lightroom. The CPU temp settled back to 70-80 C. I don't know how fast an MBP would take for this, no doubt quicker but the point is that the MBA is able to do it without fuss.

Thanks. This is specific information I can use. That is better performance than I would have thought.

What I really like about the Pro is the screen. But it is a luxury for me as I have a very color accurate EIZO 27" 4k at my desktop for color accurate work. The pro just allows me to do on a laptop what I can do on the desktop. But, again, not a necessity.

I am going to order an Air w more ram and storage and give it a go as I was going to get one for my wife anyway. What I end up with for myself I don't know yet. But the 14" is going back to Apple if for no other reason than the "gimped" 512 ssd. Besides if I am going to get two laptops and really want that screen it might make more sense to get the 16". I am a 15" laptop guy having used one for the last 15 years.

I really appreciate the advice and work you put in to back it up.

 

[marstan]

The 14-inch MacBook Pro and the M2 MacBook Air are night and day different machines for completely different use cases. If you are served just fine by an M2 Air, you have no need to buy a 14-inch Pro.

Furthermore, if you actually NEED the performance of a 14-inch MacBook Pro (because a standard M1 or M2 really won't cut it), you are better off getting the 16-inch as you will have a better cooling system (to enable you to do more without the thing throttling you down) and better battery life (due to having more room for a bigger battery). These chips (and I include the M1 Pro, M1 Max, M2 Pro, and M2 Max in this) were very clearly engineered for the 16-inch chassis first and foremost.

It is for this reason that I generally don't recommend 14-inch MacBook Pros to people. Those that want them despite all that weren't ever going to listen to me suggest against it to begin with.

Thanks. I am rethinking all of this right now.

 

[Mike Boreham]

The 14-inch MacBook Pro and the M2 MacBook Air are night and day different machines for completely different use cases. If you are served just fine by an M2 Air, you have no need to buy a 14-inch Pro.

Agree completely! My message (at the risk of over repetition) is that I believe many people do not understand which they really need. People who really need a Pro know it. At the other end light users know an Air is plenty for them.

In between are a lot of people who may make the wrong decision for lack of appreciation of the Air's capabilities.

 

[marstan]

Agree completely! My message (at the risk of over repetition) is that I believe many people do not understand which they really need. People who really need a Pro know it. At the other end light users know an Air is plenty for them.

In between are a lot of people who may make the wrong decision for lack of appreciation of the Air's capabilities.

There is one thing though. The quality of the MBP screen is something anyone can appreciate, not just pros.

 

[Piscestg]

I think my Cinebench throttling tests were broadly consistent with Notebookcheck. Yes the M2 Air throttles by about 15%, which is slightly more than the M1 MBA does, but the point is that even at this throttled level it is outperforming most recent Intel Macs and is operating at a CPU temperature similar to those Intel Macs.

The fanless M1 and M2 MacBook Airs are grossly misunderstood by many people. They suffer from a perception problem due to the fact that there is the MacBook Pro range sitting above it, which creates the impression that the MacBook Air range is for grannies and kids. Any serious user needs a Pro model. I believe many people buy MacBook Pros unnnecessarily for their needs because they don't understand the capability of the MBAs, or they want bragging rights .....or the big screen of course.

Yes, yes and YES!! 👍🏻

 

[Yebubbleman]

In between are a lot of people who may make the wrong decision for lack of appreciation of the Air's capabilities.

I think a lot of it is leftover thinking from the Intel era in which the 13-inch MacBook Pro was the baseline Mac laptop for the average everyperson. Most people don't realize that an Apple Silicon MacBook Air is now that Mac and then some and that pretty much any Apple Silicon MacBook Pro that has been released thus far is overkill for the vast majority of users.

 

[Mike Boreham]

There is one thing though. The quality of the MBP screen is something anyone can appreciate, not just pros.

That is definitely a factor, which will be more important/noticeable to some than others.

 

[Technerd108]

Agree completely! My message (at the risk of over repetition) is that I believe many people do not understand which they really need. People who really need a Pro know it. At the other end light users know an Air is plenty for them.

In between are a lot of people who may make the wrong decision for lack of appreciation of the Air's capabilities.

Kind of the entire point of my original post. Exactly what I have been saying. Completely agree.

 

[dmr727]

That is definitely a factor, which will be more important/noticeable to some than others.

I don't dislike the screen on my MBA, but I definitely resist playing with the MBPs in an Apple store for exactly that reason!