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M1 to M5?

I

Itza

macrumors newbie
Original poster
I don’t see this question being answered. Like many M1 owners, I’m happy with the computer I have. It has 16 GB ram and one terabyte of storage. I also got it used off of eBay so I got a good deal.

Now, the only thing I have against it is, I have a feeling that the hinges open a little wide and then worries me that it’s going to break

Still, I reason, it’s working now. Why replace it if it’s working?

I do coding, but not that demanding.

Now, this M5 has come out and I’m wondering if I should upgrade because my computer might break it any moment?

Is it worth the performance upgrade along with the chances of breaking? I really do like to have AppleCare.
 
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Itza said:
I don’t see this question being answered. Like many M1 owners, I’m happy with the computer I have. It has 16 GB ram and one terabyte of storage. I also got it used off of eBay so I got a good deal.

Now, the only thing I have against it is, I have a feeling that the hinges open a little wide and then worries me that it’s going to break

Still, I reason, it’s working now. Why replace it if it’s working?

I do coding, but not that demanding.

Now, this M5 has come out and I’m wondering if I should upgrade because my computer might break it any moment?

Is it worth the performance upgrade along with the chances of breaking? I really do like to have AppleCare.
Click to expand...
If the machine is working for you, there's no need to replace it, unless you want the faster speed of the M5.

As for breaking, you should always treat your computer as if it will break tomorrow, and that means keeping at least one current backup. I maintain two Time Machine backups. Even with AppleCare, the real threat is losing all of your data, and Apple cannot warranty against that. So, new computer or old, think as if it will break, or get stolen, tomorrow. Then, when it finally breaks, you are prepared, go to the Apple Store and get the new MacBook Air M5. Or M6, or M7... who knows?
 
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I've been on the fence for awhile as well with my M2 air and going to the M5 but I honestly am just a light user and I really dont feel much of a slow down on my M2. It's still nice to have something newer and quicker, but quicker for what? opening web pages faster? lol

My only gripe with my m2 is when I have bluetooth running, it significantly slows down my wifi speeds which is annoying and apparently a known issue with the only real fix is turning off bluetooth when you're not using it. Is that a good enough reason to upgrade? Probably not, but its still tempting

My other big reason for considering an upgrade is just the path things seem to be going in the realm of ssd and ram pricing. Yes, apple managed to keep prices relatively the same again this year so far, but will that continue to be the trend? Or will the component pricing finally catch up to them as well and we start to see future Mac pricing start to climb.

My worry is that it will, and then I'll be forced to keep my M2 longer than I had intended because I get priced out of being able to upgrade when the time comes. So then I sit here and consider going to an M5 now and then if pricing trend does keep increasing, at least I have a more capable device to hold me over for several more years
 
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Itza said:
I don’t see this question being answered. Like many M1 owners, I’m happy with the computer I have. It has 16 GB ram and one terabyte of storage. I also got it used off of eBay so I got a good deal.
Click to expand...
Kinda still on the fence myself. Have the OG M1 MBA (base model), still going strong. Only thing is that battery seems to drain more quickly these days, but performance is otherwise still pretty good. I don't feel like I am lacking for ram, I have used up roughly half the storage on the laptop, and at this point, I feel like I would be upgrading more for a larger screen (ie: the 15" MBA) than better specs.

My computing needs are clearly pretty basic as a teacher. I think for you, the issue is that you already have a model with 16gb ram, so if you were to get the M5 model with the same amount of ram, the improvements may not be all that apparent (compared to say, if I went from 8 to 16 or even 24).

I suppose - only upgrade if you plan to go all the way? 15" display, 24 or 32gb ram, the works.
 
I think it's worth the upgrade. You will get better support, access to better versions of macOS (aesthetics are subjective here), and more powerful hardware to handle just about anything. On top of that, increased battery life, enhanced display, yadda-yadda. Get one while you can, because the tech bros sucking up all the memory and storage are about to make our lives miserable.
 
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The techie/consumer in me wants to upgrade my M1 MBP to the M5 Air, but I really can’t justify it.. The only things are the battery approaching 80% health, and the USB-C ports becoming finicky (though a thorough cleaning seems to have remedied that for now). I’ll try to hold off until the Air redesign rumored for 2028.
 
Guccy said:
The techie/consumer in me wants to upgrade my M1 MBP to the M5 Air, but I really can’t justify it.. The only things are the battery approaching 80% health, and the USB-C ports becoming finicky (though a thorough cleaning seems to have remedied that for now). I’ll try to hold off until the Air redesign rumored for 2028.
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Similar situation here. The only reason I upgraded to the M5 Air is because I was financially able to do so for a short time and I wanted to get ahead of Apple's response to the RAM shortage. If your M1 MBP can do everything you need and you can't afford an upgrade, just keep it.
 
Alameda said:
As for breaking, you should always treat your computer as if it will break tomorrow, and that means keeping at least one current backup.
Click to expand...
First I thought you were suggesting a backup computer, and I thought that's a tad exaggerated 🙂
 
Guccy said:
The techie/consumer in me wants to upgrade my M1 MBP to the M5 Air, but I really can’t justify it.. The only things are the battery approaching 80% health, and the USB-C ports becoming finicky (though a thorough cleaning seems to have remedied that for now). I’ll try to hold off until the Air redesign rumored for 2028.
Click to expand...
I upgraded from the M1 MBP to the M5 Air and I have no regrets. This laptop is better in every way than what I came from, but imagine how much better the next redesign will be if you can hold out! You can't go wrong either way, but at least you have a solid upgrade path if your USB-C ports become finicky again.
 
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I would not upgrade yet, the M1 has a few more years left in it, unless something isn't working for you in particular that the M5 would fix. Apples chips are improving so fast that you are best off holding on as long as you can. I only just upgraded my 2018 MBA with just 120gb and 8 gb of ram , the only reason for upgrading was the Intel cpu.
 
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Remember you kinda have a soup-up M1 so upgrading to M5 you will likely will be spending on a soup-up M5 pricing as well.

There are tons of videos on adjusting hinges, Do It Yourself, make yourself proud.
 
On average, Apple updates MacBook design every five years. That means the Air lineup will likely get a new design very soon, and possibly a 120Hz display.

If you’re buying MacBook with the future in mind, I don’t think it’s a good idea to get the M5, which may soon become outdated in these important aspects.

In other aspects M5 Air is truly a fantastic laptop!
 
WalsallSaddler said:
On average, Apple updates MacBook design every five years. That means the Air lineup will likely get a new design very soon, and possibly a 120Hz display.

If you’re buying MacBook with the future in mind, I don’t think it’s a good idea to get the M5, which may soon become outdated in these important aspects.

In other aspects M5 Air is truly a fantastic laptop!
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It's possible, but i honestly dont mind the 60hz display at all, i thought i would since every other display i use is a high refresh display. But i don't use my macbook air for gaming, just browsing, some photo editing and watching shows. It feels a lot smoother to scroll on as well compared to a windows laptop with a 60hz display.

I just ordered a 24gb/1tb M5 air, should be here next week and i plan to hold onto it for the next 5 years atleast
 
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Itza said:
Now, the only thing I have against it is, I have a feeling that the hinges open a little wide and then worries me that it’s going to break

Still, I reason, it’s working now. Why replace it if it’s working?
Click to expand...
I think you've answered your own question there. The only thing worrying you about your current MBA is the fragility of the hinge; not the performance or features. If the hinge were to break would would be the impact? Presumably the laptop would still function, but might be harder to transport - could you live with it in that state for the 2-3 days it would take you to buy and receive an M5 MBA? If so, there's your answer.

It might be that you just want an M5 MBA, which is fine, but it now becomes a case of how the purchase price will impact you. A best of both worlds approach may be to look out for a discounted/refurbished M5 MBAs becoming available in the next 1-2 months which would soften the financial hit.
 
1BadManVan said:
I've been on the fence for awhile as well with my M2 air and going to the M5 but I honestly am just a light user and I really dont feel much of a slow down on my M2. It's still nice to have something newer and quicker, but quicker for what? opening web pages faster? lol

My only gripe with my m2 is when I have bluetooth running, it significantly slows down my wifi speeds which is annoying and apparently a known issue with the only real fix is turning off bluetooth when you're not using it. Is that a good enough reason to upgrade? Probably not, but its still tempting

My other big reason for considering an upgrade is just the path things seem to be going in the realm of ssd and ram pricing. Yes, apple managed to keep prices relatively the same again this year so far, but will that continue to be the trend? Or will the component pricing finally catch up to them as well and we start to see future Mac pricing start to climb.

My worry is that it will, and then I'll be forced to keep my M2 longer than I had intended because I get priced out of being able to upgrade when the time comes. So then I sit here and consider going to an M5 now and then if pricing trend does keep increasing, at least I have a more capable device to hold me over for several more years
Click to expand...
This.
 
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