M2 Configuration

[joanbcn91]

I edit photos and videos in addition to "basic" use. And the MBA is perfect. And it is tremendously fast. It doesn't make noise, it doesn't get hot. It's perfect. Now I see an MBP and it looks like a "laptop" from years ago. The new lightweight and light design of the MBA is amazing. Its new screen is a delight. Enjoy the MBA because once you have it in your hands.... It makes you fall in love with it 😍

 

[joanbcn91]

Besides, it's easy. The MB PRO 2 years ago had an Intel chip. Now with Apple Silicon the power increase is infinitely better. I have a Mac Mini M1 and it is a delight. Having the new enhanced M2 version in my hands without even noticing it is incredible.

 

[Ellen]

Just to add my experiences coming from a M1 16" MBP I really like the M2 MBA.

All of the new released m series Macs are great. If you need Pro level performance like heavy photo editing or video editing or 3d manipulation or image creation then the MBP 14/16 are better suited but if you are not doing those things then the M2 MBA is much better for several reasons.

The 14" is almost a pound heavier and the 16" is almost 5 pounds. They also have fans. The M2 MBA is 2.7 pounds and has no fans so it is very portable and you don't have to worry ever about blocking the vents.

The M2 MBA has a bright screen and is very color accurate. It is very fast in browsing and loading applications. It has a great keyboard and because it is smaller the keyboard is easier to type on than the larger Pro models.

The M2 has great battery life that lasts me on average 2 days of heavy use and 3 days of light use, nothing I could get from the Pro models.

The speakers on the M2 air are great with excellent stereo separation and sound stage.

The new design is really great on the M2 Air and I love the new colors. I kind of never considered an air before because I didn't like the wedge design and chunky bezels and always felt they were underpowered but with the M2 and new design I love both the look and performance of the M2 MBA.

I don't miss the 16" Pro at all and actually use my Mac a lot more now because I love the design and weight.

This is not to say that the M1 MBP 14/16" are bad in any way and they are an excellent value for an older machine. There are new MBP M2 14/16 going to be released in the next few months so if you are considering them it might be worth waiting just a little while to see what improvements they give but the cost might be higher. Considering what you were using a M1 MBP would be a huge upgrade in performance, battery life and feature. It has more ports than the air as well and if you don't see the blooming which I found off putting the blacks/contrast and vivid colors of the M1 MBP 14/16 is really nice. Promotion does work but not that great in browsing or motion blur as the response time on the screens is poor negating some of the benefits of 120hz.

In your use case I honestly think the M2 MBA would be the best choice for you but I think it would be worth it to go to the apple store and look at the M1 14" MBP and the M2 MBA and compare them in real life to see what they feel like and look like and a brief look at the performance between the two. I think that is the only way you can see for your self by seeing them I person and picking them up and feeling the difference. Everyone is different and prefers different things and this way you can see the different colors and screens and speakers and see what you prefer.

Thanks! I was in the store yesterday and confess that the MBP next to the MBA looks sort of clunky. (And if you disregard the smudges, Midnight is really nice.) I rarely take my laptop out of my apt (I have an IPad Air 4 that I sometimes carry around) and normally keep it on my bedroom desk. So the larger 15” screen I have now is admittedly nice for Zoom calls etc. Then again, I might use the laptop more if I go with the MBA even just using it on my lap.

You have given me a lot to think about!

 

[Technerd108]

Thanks! I was in the store yesterday and confess that the MBP next to the MBA looks sort of clunky. (And if you disregard the smudges, Midnight is really nice.) I rarely take my laptop out of my apt (I have an IPad Air 4 that I sometimes carry around) and normally keep it on my bedroom desk. So the larger 15” screen I have now is admittedly nice for Zoom calls etc. Then again, I might use the laptop more if I go with the MBA even just using it on my lap.

You have given me a lot to think about!

If you like the larger screen the 16" is a better choice than the 14" as it has a lot more screen real estate and if it just sits on your desk then weight is a non issue.

Maybe buy the 16" first and see if it would work for you. You will realize very fast if it is too big or too heavy. Buy it at Costco if you can and you will have a 90 day return policy. Then if after using it for a while there is something you don't like or the new M2 MBP comes out and you want that you can return the M1 MBP.

Since the M1 MBP are all either on sale or reduced in price from launch they are as others have said an excellent value if you need the extra power in GPU and memory bandwidth. The ram bandwidth in M1 Pro is 200gb/s vs m2 air which is 100gb/s. The M1 Pro 16" base model is a really great machine and the M1 Pro base 16" has the best battery life of the bunch of MBP M1 except for the 13".

I really like the air but I use it everywhere and if I just plunked down my laptop and did not use it like that and had a use case for the extra power then the 16" would be perfect.

The Midnight is really a nice looking color. I really like the design of the M2 MBA and I do use it in my lap often. I could not do that comfortably with the 16" specially over more time.

I don't use my MBA out side my apartment that often either but I use it around my apartment all the time and that is what I like about the weight and size.

Either way it is your choice and if you decide to get an M1 based machine I know you are going to be very happy. There is no wrong choice!!

 

[Ellen]

Thanks again!

 

[TSE]

Just max everything out. Don't ask yourself should I or can I. Just do it.

 

[russell_314]

I have the 10c/ 16 GB/ 512 GB. If I had to do it again I probably would have saved 200 and got the 8c

I noticed the 14" MBP mentioned and while it is a very nice laptop it's not in the same catagory as the MBA when it comes to a thin and light laptop. I always wondered if I made a mistake not getting the 14" MBP till I went to the Apple Store and picked one up, not bought but literally it picked up. I don't care what the spec sheet says that thing is a beast compared to the MBA. Meaning it's not thin and light.

 

[TSE]

I have the 10c/ 16 GB/ 512 GB. If I had to do it again I probably would have saved 200 and got the 8c

I noticed the 14" MBP mentioned and while it is a very nice laptop it's not in the same catagory as the MBA when it comes to a thin and light laptop. I always wondered if I made a mistake not getting the 14" MBP till I went to the Apple Store and picked one up, not bought but literally it picked up. I don't care what the spec sheet says that thing is a beast compared to the MBA. Meaning it's not thin and light.

Agreed. Lots of intangibles when it comes to using an ultraportable that can't be described in a spec sheet.

 

[russell_314]

Agreed. Lots of intangibles when it comes to using an ultraportable that can't be described in a spec sheet.

I was honestly surprised because in the specs they look close. I'll tell anyone to go check it out in person first.

 

[1BadManVan]

I was honestly surprised because in the specs they look close. I'll tell anyone to go check it out in person first.

I agree, always best to see them in person. It’s a huge difference both visually and weight! “It’s only .8 lbs more” yea on a device that only starts off at a couple pounds! You’re talking about a 30% weight increase and over 32% thicker.

Considering how powerful the m2 air is, I much rather have the thinner and lighter device for my day to day tasks then deal with the extra weight of a device that doesn’t actually benefit my personal use cases

 

[ilikewhey]

I have the 10c/ 16 GB/ 512 GB. If I had to do it again I probably would have saved 200 and got the 8c

I noticed the 14" MBP mentioned and while it is a very nice laptop it's not in the same catagory as the MBA when it comes to a thin and light laptop. I always wondered if I made a mistake not getting the 14" MBP till I went to the Apple Store and picked one up, not bought but literally it picked up. I don't care what the spec sheet says that thing is a beast compared to the MBA. Meaning it's not thin and light.

i got my 14 after the m2 mba came out. had the same debate which one to get since i was coming from a m1 mba max specced, after checking out both at the apple store, getting the mbp was a no brainer. screen, sound, everything was just better, weight is subjective to everyone, to me the weight wasn't a issue at all since i used to slung around my 2015 mbp 13inch.

 

[jdb8167]

I have the 10c/ 16 GB/ 512 GB. If I had to do it again I probably would have saved 200 and got the 8c

If it makes you feel any better the price difference between the 8 GPU core M2 and the 10 core is only $100 not $200. And with at least a 512 GB SSD you also get the better choice of power adapter which is another $20 with the 8 core.

 

[russell_314]

If it makes you feel any better the price difference between the 8 GPU core M2 and the 10 core is only $100 not $200. And with at least a 512 GB SSD you also get the better choice of power adapter which is another $20 with the 8 core.

That does make me feel better. I thought it was $200. I'm very happy with it. I had a little bit of "Maybe I should have went for the base 14" MBP" feeling but after my last trip to the Apple store and actually having one in my hands I'm sure I made the right choice.

 

[Misheemee]

Now I see an MBP and it looks like a "laptop" from years ago.

I just don't understand this logic - the M2 MBA is exactly the same design as the MBP 14, but has slightly smaller dimensions so therefore is the same design on a smaller scale.

totally fine if you prefer the MBA - but this point doesn't make sense to me

 

[Haribokart]

I just don't understand this logic - the M2 MBA is exactly the same design as the MBP 14, but has slightly smaller dimensions so therefore is the same design on a smaller scale.

totally fine if you prefer the MBA - but this point doesn't make sense to me

The difference in feel is unbelievable tbh. Can't be understated.

 

[Technerd108]

I just don't understand this logic - the M2 MBA is exactly the same design as the MBP 14, but has slightly smaller dimensions so therefore is the same design on a smaller scale.

totally fine if you prefer the MBA - but this point doesn't make sense to me

There is a big difference between the MBP and MBA in terms of thickness and weight. The design language is similar for sure and I like the design of both.

I think what the poster was trying to get across is the difference in bulk, size and weight. The M1 14/16" MBP's are big and heavy. They are well built and have a lot of great features but they are chunky.

I would not go so far as to say they look like a laptop from years ago simply because of the bezels and screen but the design language is a bit retro but that is a good thing in my opinion.

If you own a MBP I don't think the poster meant it as a dig but rather to say the M2 MBA is so much different in the hand and a lot of people on these forums keep saying the difference is less than a pound between the MBP 14" and the M2 MBA and while that may be true a pound is a pretty big difference when you are talking about a device with very similar dimensions.

The footprint of the M2 MBA is really amazing. It is light without feeling cheap. It is light while still feeling very sturdy. It has the similar design language but doesn't feel bulky or off putting like the Pro's do.

Obviously there are trade offs for each but if you like thin and light the new M2 MBA is pretty amazing.

 

[1BadManVan]

I just don't understand this logic - the M2 MBA is exactly the same design as the MBP 14, but has slightly smaller dimensions so therefore is the same design on a smaller scale.

totally fine if you prefer the MBA - but this point doesn't make sense to me

30% difference in thickness and weight is quite noticeable actually

 

[Misheemee]

30% difference in thickness and weight is quite noticeable actually

I wasn't referring to thinkness and weight - we've heard this over and over again so I'm quite aware. I also have a MBP 14 and a MBA so I'm quite clear on the differences between the computers (even if mine is an M1)

M2's design is modelled after the M1 Pro. They look identical - but the MBA is just smaller. that's all. So when you say it looks like an old computer - that indicates the M2 MBA also does because it's a smaller carbon copy of the M1 Pro

 

[Misheemee]

The difference in feel is unbelievable tbh. Can't be understated.

I'm not understating it, and wasn’t talking about weight/feel. when you say the MBP looks old - the M2 MBA looks identical, but is a smaller version of it. so it implies the "looks like a laptop from years ago" RE the M2 MBA as well.

 

[Dealmans]

The new colours are the only thing that make the air 2 look much different.

 

[TSE]

I just ordered an ultimate MacBook Air.

M2. 8 core GPU. 16 GBs of RAM. 512 GB SSD. Silver.

 

[Flash1420]

I would honestly just purchase the 14-inch MacBook Pro from best buy, amazon, or Costco. They have it for $1599 I think. It has way more power and you would be future proofing it with all the extra performance. The M2 Air looks sleek for sure, but the M1 Pro is just more practical in my opinion.