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

[raythompsontn]

I am planning on getting the 8gb/512gb m2. Upgrading from a 2014 mbpro 16/512gb. I keep my laptops very long as well. Are you happy with your m2?

I bought a M2 Air. I opted for 16 Gig and 1 TB. That is/was a configuration that Apple had in stock in the store. The base model, 8 Gig and 256 Gig was also in stock. My experience is that more memory is generally better for some apps, Photoshop for example, MSWord not so much. I run 64 Gig on my main machine with 4 TB of SSD.

Since both of the those M2 Air were in stock at Apple I figured that is a generally good combination. Thus I opted for the larger configuration. My experience over 47+ years in IT that no software package ever reduces its memory footprint. Same goes for storage, that requirement never reduces unless the workload dramatically lowers.

There is also the brick wall that Apple products cannot have storage and memory increased, easily. With the MBA it is said to be impossible without acquiring a new machine. So I hedged my bets and opted for 16 Gig and 1 TB. That seems to be a good combination. I have already consumed 200 Gig of the storage as I have a lot of images, very large Photoshop images with dozens of layers.

 

[richard371]

16 Gb seems to be the sweet spot and even good enough for even some moderate to heavy stuff. 1tb SSD is a must just for the read write speed alone. Will help with swap files if needed. I went with the 16gb/ 1TB MBP 14.

16GB vs. 32GB MacBook Pro: How Much RAM is Enough?

Apple's high-end 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models from 2021 offer the M1 Pro chip with 16GB of RAM as standard, but you can upgrade to 32GB...

www.macrumors.com

 

[hans1972]

How much RAM and what SSD size did you choose for your M2 MBA?

16 Gb of RAM and 256 Gb SSD.

I probably could have used 8Gb of RAM too, but since the extra cost represents 45 minutes of revenue, it doesn't make sense to save on what is my most important work tool.

The virtual machine only uses 2Gb of RAM and Windows is still fast. My Windows applications do well without too much memory and I don't do any browsing or other applications in the virtual machine.

You might have read that the 256Gb SSD has half the speed compared to the 512 Gb version, but that's in sequential reads and writes. My workflow has bottleneck with random read and writes and the difference is small. Also, even if I do write a lot of data, it's loaded from a server through the Internet so the bottleneck is network speed at my customers site through their VPN.

I've been running Windows virtual machines on Macs since 2010 and I think a lot of people over estimate the resources the virtual machine needs.

I'm using iCloud Drive (+ OneDrive for clients) and iCloud Photo Library so I don't have to have every file locally but it's downloaded dynamically when needed.

 

[NeonNights]

I don't understand how the MBP 14 is considered heavy. It is 3.5 lbs, exactly the same weight as my 2015 13" MacBook Pro.

While I do prefer my 2.8 lb M1 MBA for portability, before I got the MBA I was never bothered by the weight of the 2015 MBP 13 and frequently took it on trips and used it on my lap regularly. It was an awesome laptop and still continues to serve our family in a reduced capacity. Pretty amazing how powerful the MBP 14 is, with a larger display, and yet having the same weight and similar dimensions to my 8-year-old MBP 13!

 

[karen999]

Yeah it's not like M2 Air is super lightweight compared to the pro. Air from 2012 years ago is already under 3 lbs. Shaving 0.2 pound off in 10 years is honestly unimpressive. 14 MBP is still quite portable.

 

[jerryk]

I don't understand how the MBP 14 is considered heavy. It is 3.5 lbs, exactly the same weight as my 2015 13" MacBook Pro.

While I do prefer my 2.8 lb M1 MBA for portability, before I got the MBA I was never bothered by the weight of the 2015 MBP 13 and frequently took it on trips and used it on my lap regularly. It was an awesome laptop and still continues to serve our family in a reduced capacity. Pretty amazing how powerful the MBP 14 is, with a larger display, and yet having the same weight and similar dimensions to my 8-year-old MBP 13!

Have you traveled with an Air? The difference is pretty noticeable. As is the slight difference in thickness. After carrying an Air for a bit that you start measuring every 13"/14" laptop by the size and weight of an Air. It is strange the weight and thickness differences are not big, but so noticeable after using the Air.

 

[NeonNights]

Have you traveled with an Air? The difference is pretty noticeable. As is the slight difference in thickness. After carrying an Air for a bit that you start measuring every 13"/14" laptop by the size and weight of an Air. It is strange the weight and thickness differences are not big, but so noticeable after using the Air.

Yes, I've taken the Air on a plane and other trips. The Air is lighter for sure, but I still have the 2015 MBP 13 and it was more than fine on planes, trains, and automobiles.

I am contemplating upgrading from the Air to the MBP 14 for the larger screen and 32GB RAM. I was surprised the 14 is basically the same dimensions and weight as my old MBP 13! Haven't decided if I'll sell the Air or the old MBP 13. Our kid is currently using the MBP 13 and likes the extra ports (HDMI, USB, MagSafe, etc). For sure the Air is newer and would be lighter for an 11-year-old...but she didn't complain about the weight of the MBP 13.

P.S. I prefer my daughter take the newer Air but am surprised she's kind of attached to the MBP 13. I told her to take some time and think it over but the weight difference wasn't huge to her.

 

[prospervic]

Yes, I've taken the Air on a plane and other trips. The Air is lighter for sure, but I still have the 2015 MBP 13 and it was more than fine on planes, trains, and automobiles.

I am contemplating upgrading from the Air to the MBP 14 for the larger screen and 32GB RAM. I was surprised the 14 is basically the same dimensions and weight as my old MBP 13! Haven't yet decided if I'll sell the Air or the old MBP 13. Our kid is currently using the MBP 13 and likes the extra ports (HDMI, USB, MagSafe, etc). For sure, the Air is newer and would be lighter for an 11-year-old...but she didn't complain about the weight of the MBP 13 either.

P.S. I prefer my daughter take the newer Air but am surprised she's kind of attached to the MBP 13. I told her to take some time and think it over but the weight difference wasn't huge to her.

View attachment 2162490

What are the machines in this photo?

 

[NeonNights]

What are the machines in this photo?

From left to right is:

M1 MacBook Air, 2015 MacBook Pro 13, M1 12.9 iPad Pro

The point being I have quick access to 2.8-lb vs 3.5-lb MacBooks and love them both. The Air is great but a MBP 14 that weighs a little more, with greater capability, is also nice. The weight difference between the two amounts to an iPhone 14 Pro Max with a screen protector and case. Surely, people can manage the extra weight of a phone.

 

[prospervic]

From left to right is:

M1 MacBook Air, 2015 MacBook Pro 13, M1 12.9 iPad Pro

The point being I have quick access to 2.8-lb vs 3.5-lb MacBooks and love them both. The Air is great but a MBP 14 that weighs a little more, with greater capability, is also nice. The weight difference between the two amounts to an iPhone 14 Pro Max with a screen protector and case. Surely, people can manage the extra weight of a phone.

Sounds about right. But often it’s the weight of the bag or backpack that creates the feeling of burden, especially when people (including myself) load them up with various doo-dads.

 

[drumcat]

The M2 Air is an excellent laptop that prioritises portability. It's *very* useful to me on my desk with a 4k monitor. This requires a hub for me, but that's fine. One C. That's it. I actually have a spare.

The limitations of screen space are obvious. You have to be ok with that, and because it's my secondary monitor 99% of the time, it's awesome.

I really love the silence. It's running at a nice 35º right now.

If you need to go on-the-go, but you aren't bothered by lack of screen, there's nothing better. I bet this will be working fine in 10 years; just a less than ideal battery by then.

 

[kyriostrife]

The M2 Air is an excellent laptop that prioritises portability. It's *very* useful to me on my desk with a 4k monitor. This requires a hub for me, but that's fine. One C. That's it. I actually have a spare.

The limitations of screen space are obvious. You have to be ok with that, and because it's my secondary monitor 99% of the time, it's awesome.

I really love the silence. It's running at a nice 35º right now.

If you need to go on-the-go, but you aren't bothered by lack of screen, there's nothing better. I bet this will be working fine in 10 years; just a less than ideal battery by then.

What config did you get?

 

[ilikewhey]

Have you traveled with an Air? The difference is pretty noticeable. As is the slight difference in thickness. After carrying an Air for a bit that you start measuring every 13"/14" laptop by the size and weight of an Air. It is strange the weight and thickness differences are not big, but so noticeable after using the Air.

not really, i travel to work with the air prior to getting the 14inch and the difference is negligent. really tired of ppl blowing up the .7lb of difference out of proportion.

 

[ascender]

There's very little weight difference between the 14" Pro and the 13" Air, but the Air feels lighter than the figures suggest - not entirely sure why.

 

[jerryk]

There's very little weight difference between the 14" Pro and the 13" Air, but the Air feels lighter than the figures suggest - not entirely sure why.

I noticed the same thing. It's very strange.

 

[drumcat]

What config did you get?

24gb/1T in Midnight.

 

[thecautioners]

24gb/1T in Midnight.

I got the same in starlight! Picking it up Tuesday, Apple refurb.

 

[dizmonk]

For sure. MBP14 screen is possibly its best feature. And it is light years better than the M2 MBA. I have both - not a biased MBP owner! Additionally the ability to support multiple external displays is something "non-pros" might appreciate - honestly it's annoying that Apple doesn't allow the base M1/2 machines to support dual external displays even in clamshell mode.

I would that the screen is a major improvement over the air but I greatly appreciate the speakers.