M2 Air for fulltime coding vs 14" Pro

[EugW]

What makes the MBP M2 screen better than the MBA M2 screen?

Most people were talking about the M1 Pro 14" MBP screen vs. the M2 MBA screen.

The 14" Pros have higher pixel density with proper 2X scaling. The MBA does not use 2X scaling by default, meaning that some people can notice differences in font sharpness, especially some coders who like small fonts or those who use complex script like traditional Chinese. Also, the M1 Pro screens are super bright while also have better blacks, using mini-LED. They also support 120 Hz ProMotion. However, to be honest, IMO most of those latter advantages are more targeted towards creatives working in Final Cut or Photoshop than to coders.

 

[rmadsen3]

Most people were talking about the M1 Pro 14" MBP screen vs. the M2 MBA screen.

The 14" Pros have higher pixel density with proper 2X scaling. The MBA does not use 2X scaling by default, meaning that some people can notice differences in font sharpness, especially some coders who like small fonts or those who use complex script like traditional Chinese. Also, the M1 Pro screens are super bright while also have better blacks, using mini-LED. They also support 120 Hz ProMotion. However, to be honest, IMO most of those latter advantages are more targeted towards creatives working in Final Cut or Photoshop than to coders.

In your prior post, EugW, you wrote M2 MBP. That's why I asked for detail. Is the 'M2' in that post just a typo?

 

[EugW]

In your prior post, EugW, you wrote M2 MBP. That's why I asked for detail. Is the 'M2' in that post just a typo?

Yeah, it was a typo. Fixed now.

Actually, I had typed "M2 Pro MBP", which doesn't exist. Looking forward though, I would assume the new 2023 M2 Pro MBP would have a similar screen to the 2021 M1 Pro MBP.

 

[ilikewhey]

It is just that so many people have said the screen on the air is utter garbage in comparison to the Pro and I just don’t think that is a fair comparison.

the m2 mba has a uniformity issue, you may think their opinion doesn't justify your screen since you have claimed your mba has perfect uniformity, but on the flip side, are you dismissing their claim solely based on your anecdotal?

And using a third party app to get a higher SDR brightness is also not a fair comparison. I would have reservations about using SDR in higher brightness for extended periods of time because it was not designed for that and since mini led is a new tech there is no way to know if it would cause damage by overheating the screen, etc.

its a fair comparison, there are plenty of 3rd party apps that mac users utilize on a daily basis to improve their lifestyle, i don't see how using an app to achieve the mini led's full potential should be excluded.

Also why do you need more than 500 nits? I have had many laptops over the years and I like bright screens and I never even use max brightness on my Mac. Maybe 2/3 in bright environments.

I guess if you are in direct sunlight it would help but I would move my position?

cause my office faces the southwest, plenty of sunlight gets flooded for majority of the day, vivid allows me to do work no matter how bright the environment gets, can't say the same for my colleague with his m2 mba.

I respect your personal preferences.

you say that yet you have ad hominem me and others so many times in the past lol.

And I will admit at times in response to other people’s arguments when trying to bash something I have responded in kind which I shouldn’t have.

that is one way to sugar coat it, you and couple other individuals have demonstrated a level of toxic behaviors that i haven't seen for the past decade i been on macrumor. anytime i recommend the 14inch in a thread, you and others have called me a troll, stating my comment is irrelevant, off topic, and other foul languages that the mods had to delete and ban. and lets not forget, you started the bashing on many occasions, not just responding.

 

[Technerd108]

the m2 mba has a uniformity issue, you may think their opinion doesn't justify your screen since you have claimed your mba has perfect uniformity, but on the flip side, are you dismissing their claim solely based on your anecdotal?

its a fair comparison, there are plenty of 3rd party apps that mac users utilize on a daily basis to improve their lifestyle, i don't see how using an app to achieve the mini led's full potential should be excluded.

cause my office faces the southwest, plenty of sunlight gets flooded for majority of the day, vivid allows me to do work no matter how bright the environment gets, can't say the same for my colleague with his m2 mba.

you say that yet you have ad hominem me and others so many times in the past lol.

that is one way to sugar coat it, you and couple other individuals have demonstrated a level of toxic behaviors that i haven't seen for the past decade i been on macrumor. anytime i recommend the 14inch in a thread, you and others have called me a troll, stating my comment is irrelevant, off topic, and other foul languages that the mods had to delete and ban. and lets not forget, you started the bashing on many occasions, not just responding.

I never started trashing other people’s devices on a forum for a device they don’t even own. You did.

I am not dismissing the small number of people that complain about the screen. If it was a larger issue then it would be widely publicized and there would be a million click bait YouTube videos about screen uniformity.

You and others can use as many third party apps as you want but we are comparing devices with default specs. It is not an apples to apples comparison and it misses the main point which is in SDR both screens have the same brightness using MacOS and not third party apps.

You keep bringing up ad hominem attacks yet you were the one trashing other people’s devices, a device you don’t own and never have, and acting like your opinion was fact. I responded to your attacks not the other way around. Of course when you get a taste of your own medicine you act like you have been treated unfairly. Amazing revisionist opinions.

We have both had comments deleted and been suspended so let’s get off the high horse and just agree that we don’t agree.

Stop acting like a victim. I am not sugar coating anything but taking responsibility for my actions and behavior. Might be a good thing for you to look in the mirror too and own up to your own behavior.

Why do you hide your profile and ability to message. If you want to further this commentary then message me.

 

[ilikewhey]

I never started trashing other people’s devices on a forum for a device they don’t even own. You did.

i never said that? i said you bash others on their opinion, don't move the goal post now.

You and others can use as many third party apps as you want but we are comparing devices with default specs. It is not an apples to apples comparison and it misses the main point which is in SDR both screens have the same brightness using MacOS and not third party apps.

default spec for mini led is 1000 nits, apple wants to software lock it down to 500 thats their problem, if there is a software out there that unlocks it you bet i'll use it to full advance and compare it.

You keep bringing up ad hominem attacks yet you were the one trashing other people’s devices, a device you don’t own and never have, and acting like your opinion was fact. I responded to your attacks not the other way around. Of course when you get a taste of your own medicine you act like you have been treated unfairly. Amazing revisionist opinions.

except it is fact, i even cited. something we both know you have little respect for.

Stop acting like a victim. I am not sugar coating anything but taking responsibility for my actions and behavior. Might be a good thing for you to look in the mirror too and own up to your own behavior.

if my behavior is calling out bs i'm perfectly fine with my behavior lol

Why do you hide your profile and ability to message. If you want to further this commentary then message me.

same reason as others who hide their profile and ability to message. you have a habit of picking commentary with me, i'm not sure why? just take a look at this thread for example, i was perfectly fine minding my own business.

 

[Technerd108]

i never said that? i said you bash others on their opinion, don't move the goal post now.

default spec for mini led is 1000 nits, apple wants to software lock it down to 500 thats their problem, if there is a software out there that unlocks it you bet i'll use it to full advance and compare it.

except it is fact, i even cited. something we both know you have little respect for.

if my behavior is calling out bs i'm perfectly fine with my behavior lol

same reason as others who hide their profile and ability to message. you have a habit of picking commentary with me, i'm not sure why? just take a look at this thread for example, i was perfectly fine minding my own business.

I feel like it is backwards day?? Maybe reverse psychology? 😂 Lol

Anyway this is complete off topic which is why I said if you have an issue with me or anything I have said or done you are free to message me.

 

[ilikewhey]

I feel like it is backwards day?? Maybe reverse psychology? 😂 Lol

Anyway this is complete off topic which is why I said if you have an issue with me or anything I have said or done you are free to message me.

i have absolutely no idea how you even get to that conclusion of yours considering the fact that you are the one who keep quoting my posts, yet you think i have an issue with you? buddy its the other way around 🤣

like i said, you and the other mba enthusiasts attacks me quite often when i bring up mbp recommendations. just so we are clear, i have no problem defending my position without getting personal, but if you and others want to go there, i'm more than willing to oblige.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

I can't decide between M2 Air 16+/500 and M1 14" Pro. It will be my primary machine for every day coding at home and on the go.
I think the Pro is a safer option for a creator, but the Air is soo light. What do you think?

For me, being limited to one external display is the decision-maker. Pro offers up to 4 displays. You may not need it often but if you need it AT ALL, keep that in mind.

 

[Zorori]

I can't decide between M2 Air 16+/500 and M1 14" Pro. It will be my primary machine for every day coding at home and on the go. I usually run at the same time:
2× PhpStorm, two browsers, VS Code, SQL manager, Webpack (+ 10 deps such as React, Vue..), Outlook + plan to start using Docker + occasional video editing.

I understand that Apple CPUs are so performant, but I've seen

He shows the M2 temperatures are constantly around 80°C during programming more complex projects. Isn't it too much for long term use?

I wanna become a digital nomad for a short time, that means these are the deciding factors for me:

- usability without external monitor - larger display is better, I also use scaling (Pro)
- performance with sufficient cooling (Pro?)
- weight in a backpack (Air)

I think the Pro is a safer option for a creator, but the Air is soo light. What do you think?

I’ve been using a 16GB M1 Air since release and can’t relate to the comments in the video.

The only time I’ve ever felt significant heat from the machine was when running db and data manipulation tasks that were inefficient and took hours or when I stupidly wrote an infinite loop

I’ve been using it as my sole development machine for Scala, Java, ReScript, TypeScript

 

[tomstone74]

Purely personally, for fulltime coding aka earning money, a no-brainer. MBP 14":

• 32GB RAM, which doesn't exist for the MBA
• 2 (M1 Pro) resp. 3 (M1 Max) external monitors natively
• Awesome screen with higher resolution (3024x1964 vs. 2560x1664) when you are on the go

Personally I even like that the MBP 14" is a bit "chunkier". Feels really solid/robust but still being super portable.

Got my 14" M1 Pro 8c/14c/32GB/1TB config around two weeks ago and I'm super impressed by its power, efficiency, awesome screen and being dead silent (no fans so far), even with periodic 3-4min gradle builds.

 

[jdb8167]

.

 

[SlCKB0Y]

in fact the m2 mba's keyboard almost reminds me of apple's horrid time with their butterfly

The M2 MBA keyboard is not even remotely like the butterfly keyboards and it has slightly more travel than the M1 MBA. I have examples of all three right in front of me (M1 MBA, M2 MBA, older MBA with butterfly keyboard)

the m2 mba's keyboard feels alot less tactile and a bit mush.

These two statements you've made are completely contradictory. The butterfly keyboards are the opposite of "less tactile and a bit mush". The butterfly keys are extremely rigid in their travel and are very clicky.

It's almost like you don't know what you are talking about? 🤔

 

[ilikewhey]

The M2 MBA keyboard is not even remotely like the butterfly keyboards and it has slightly more travel than the M1 MBA. I have examples of all three right in front of me (M1 MBA, M2 MBA, older MBA with butterfly keyboard)



These two statements you've made are completely contradictory. The butterfly keyboards are the opposite of "less tactile and a bit mush". The butterfly keys are extremely rigid in their travel and are very clicky.

It's almost like you don't know what you are talking about? 🤔

oh right, must've forgot the exact feel of the butterfly since it was so long ago. regardless, i found the m1 mba keyboard suited to my liking than the m2 mba.

edit: on 2nd read, no way, the m1 mba definitely has more travel than the m2, the m2 bottoms out sooner. the m2 feels more like the magic keyboard on the ipad.

 

[SlCKB0Y]

on 2nd read, no way, the m1 mba definitely has more travel than the m2, the m2 bottoms out sooner. the m2 feels more like the magic keyboard on the ipad.

I have to disagree with you here - I've got both the M1 and the M2 MBAs in front of me right now and the M2 keys definitely have more travel.

Realistically though were are talking less than 1mm difference so it could just be down to individual differences with the individual units?

Otherwise I have no explanation as to why we have very different experiences.

 

[Technerd108]

I have to disagree with you here - I've got both the M1 and the M2 MBAs in front of me right now and the M2 keys definitely have more travel.

Realistically though were are talking less than 1mm difference so it could just be down to individual differences with the individual units?

Otherwise I have no explanation as to why we have very different experiences.

The keyboard on the M2 MBA is really nice and I notice no difference between it and the 14/16" MBP other than typing on the M2 MBA is easier as the case isn't as thick. Also the distance between the edge of the 16" laptop and the keyboard was so great that it made typing more difficult and less ergonomic.

I have had an M1 13" MBP and the keyboard was fine to me but I did have a butterfly Mac and that has a very distinct tactile response that is very different than any of the latest generation Mac's.

I agree with Sickboy about the M2 MBA keyboard but can acknowledge that everyone has personal preferences and some may prefer the M1 MBA over the M2.

 

[ilikewhey]

I have to disagree with you here - I've got both the M1 and the M2 MBAs in front of me right now and the M2 keys definitely have more travel.

Realistically though were are talking less than 1mm difference so it could just be down to individual differences with the individual units?

Otherwise I have no explanation as to why we have very different experiences.

the fact that the display panels varies from one unit to another on the m2 mba, i wouldn't be surprised if the same for keyboard.

 

[whizkid11]

The M2 Air keyboard is a lot more tactile than the MBP M2. It feels like the older MBPs before they transitioned to the shallow travel keys. As far as coding, my buddy has the M2 24GB RAM and 1TB SSD. He codes and uses CAD programs on it no problem. Doesn't even get warm. He came from a MBP 15.

 

[whizkid11]

I have to disagree with you here - I've got both the M1 and the M2 MBAs in front of me right now and the M2 keys definitely have more travel.

Realistically though were are talking less than 1mm difference so it could just be down to individual differences with the individual units?

Otherwise I have no explanation as to why we have very different experiences.

The M2 Air keyboard is perfection.

 

[Technerd108]

the fact that the display panels varies from one unit to another on the m2 mba, i wouldn't be surprised if the same for keyboard.

Couldn't this variation you are talking about apply to all Mac's? Why would the same factory only produce variation in one line of products? Doesn't make much sense.

All Macs vary from one another no matter the model so it is higher probability that you just prefer M1 MBA over M2 for whatever reason?

 

[Dave13]

Hi, I am back from the store:

Weight
BOTH are heavy to me, maybe the feeling is caused by metal body, I am used to my soft plastic laptop. The 14" Pro feels definitely heavier. The 16" is a brick.

Screen
I don't understand what blurry text you are talking about. I tried change scaling on the both devices and everything seemed pretty sharp.

I will have to think what I want to do. Maybe I'll decide to go on a hike through Europe that means portability would be so important.

 

[jdb8167]

Screen
I don't understand what blurry text you are talking about. I tried change scaling on the both devices and everything seemed pretty sharp.

The M2 MacBook Air will have a slightly more blurry screen. Whether or not you can see it is another question. The difference is using a scaling factor that is not 2 to 1 like with the 14” and 16”.

 

[chrono1081]

I have both and honestly I prefer my M2 Air. It's just lighter and more portable and I really don't notice any difference between the two screens.