Get a discounted 14" Pro.
In half a year this whole "which one?" conversation will be different because by then the M2Air will be seeing discounts as well.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
M2 MacBook Air or M1 Pro MacBook Pro 14” dilemma
- Thread starter symphony
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
In half a year this whole "which one?" conversation will be different because by then the M2Air will be seeing discounts as well.
Thankfully I am enabled to do “porque no los dos” with this decision. Well, close: I have an M1 Max/32GB RAM 16in for work and an M2 MBA 10C/8GB for personal.
I happen to think most buyers would be fine with the Air but the 14in base model can be had at a great discount from many places. So, if you go over the high base configuration then you have almost immediately justified a more thorough technology upgrade found in the 14in.
Still, the 1499 (1399 edu) MBA is a helluva computer even at the higher price than before the major revision. It is just a weird time where you can buy a brand new 14in MBP at a significant discount so the value propositions are goofy. This will resolve itself when they M2 Pro/Max the Pros in the Fall or Winter.
I happen to think most buyers would be fine with the Air but the 14in base model can be had at a great discount from many places. So, if you go over the high base configuration then you have almost immediately justified a more thorough technology upgrade found in the 14in.
Still, the 1499 (1399 edu) MBA is a helluva computer even at the higher price than before the major revision. It is just a weird time where you can buy a brand new 14in MBP at a significant discount so the value propositions are goofy. This will resolve itself when they M2 Pro/Max the Pros in the Fall or Winter.
Same. Ended up getting a brand new 14 MBP for the same price as a M2 Air 16gb, so made sense for me
I so wanted the M2 Air. Went to the store today and compared the two.
The display on the MBP 14 ruined it for me. Resolution was the first thing that bothered me on the Air. It is a step back in terms of screen space vs. sharpness. And ProMotion feels more like printed image in book than a computer display.
On top of that I need the 512+GB config, so price wise Air makes even less sense.
Got the 1TB/16GB 14 Pro with a healthy discount.
That’s it. I feel that unless you desperately need the portability, if you’re speccing up a MBA then it makes sense to jump to M1 MBP. A ‘healthy discount’ also helps with that decision too.
Just received mine. Still in the process of setting it up, but absolutely loving it.
I hate this. For 7 years I wanted a "MB 12'' thing". But Apple simple still wouldn't deliver.
The 14 is really nice though. It just feels like a regular Mac. 12'' MB felt like magic at the time.
The 14 inch MBP is the sweet spot in Apple's range right now.
I expect the M2 Pro version will bump the price up and these kinds of decisions will be a lot easier!
I expect the M2 Pro version will bump the price up and these kinds of decisions will be a lot easier!
The good thing about the MacBook Pro 14 is that the base model has 16GB of RAM and a fast SSD. So a good configuration can be purchased from many stores and is in stock.
Similar but basically the opposite. A dad shopping with his daughter for college.
I can see how consumers would automatically assume an ultra thin-and-light laptop wouldn’t be super powerful or come with long battery life.
The average consumer is looking at and considering these products much differently than we are, and decisions seem to be more impulsive.
Last edited:
One reason I went with the M1 Pro now is that the release date for the next-generation is up-in-the-air, and it seems like Apple is adopting a strategy where the upgraded model is more appealing in unforeseen ways.
The base model M1 Pro is specced perfectly for the average Pro customer in my opinion with a 512GB SSD and 16GB of RAM. This will likely be my computer for the next 5-10 years.
It’s like how my 2012 MacBook Pro remains embarrassingly modern. The display calibration, black level, and contrast are still all top-tier for a LCD display. Even the performance is adequate enough for most apps, but admittedly showing its age in the latest versions of Logic and Adobe’s software. Apple’s dropping support for updates is what obsoleted this computer more than any other factor. They simply made it too good to begin with, and this could easily last another decade like a lot of Apple’s earlier computers.
Nonetheless, I’m looking forward to having a Mini-LED display with quality speakers and performance that can handle just about any Pro task with ease. Build quality is unbelievably phenomenal on all of Apple’s latest computers.
No I didn’t. It’s in my first sentence.
Lest we forget that the $1,199 base model will be all that most people need.
Most content is streamed these days or stored in the cloud so 256GB storage isn’t too impractical. Nor is 8GB of RAM on macOS, which is efficient and incorporates Unified Memory.
Users or students that need the Pro models, such as those in art or medical programs, should know who they are. Everyone else that just wants a computer that can run the occasional pro app is getting a complete package with the Air.
From that perspective, particularly once factoring in Education pricing, the new MacBook Air is a fantastic computer.
So just now, I have the following open and its as-responsive as a 14/16" MBP. The only things that have made the base warm up a bit have been Windows 11 VM (depending on what's running in it) and Football Manager.
I'll occasionally do some video importing and editing, 4K from a GoPro.
This is a 16GB model.
- Music playing on the speakers, headphones or streaming to a HomePod
- Safari
- A Windows 11 VM
- A Linux VM
- Chrome running M365 web apps
- A Citrix session
- Photos
- Football Manager 2022
- Office 365 apps; Teams
- Zoom
Well as a general rule thin and light means less powerful so that's not completely wrong. The thing is the tasks most people do with computers take very little power. People who don't know about computers will often buy one based on it's appearance or even the name. I suspect that's why Apple kept the 13" MacBook Pro. For most users the Air would be a better choice but to someone with no computer knowledge "Pro" must be better. Also if mommy or daddy is paying for it kids will try to get the most expensive thing they can. The hardest thing they need the computer for is typing a Word doc but they'll convince their parents that they need an M1 Max MacBook Pro 🤣
I can top this one though because I had a friend who bought a laptop because it was pink. I'm not talking about she looked at the specs and found a pink one. No she still has no clue what the specs even mean or know what they are. To be fair it's the average Windows laptop with an SSD and 4 GB of RAM so it works for what she needs it for. At least she got lucky and didn't get one with a spinning hard drive.
I bought my M2 Air vs the Pro because I know it can do anything I need plus it's thinner and lighter. Also it has better battery life but I don't think that's even relevant to me just because how long either one lasts. The only thing that made me think twice was the better screen of the 14" Pro but I knew the Air was going have really good screens and I'm happy with it.
While I’m testing the M2 Air i decided to order the MBP 14 to compare both. Screen is amazing, speakers as well. Even that I’m planning to leave it on my office I really like how light is the Air to carry on but not that I need it..
Attachments
I just got a 17 year old PowerBook G4 off Facebook Marketplace and it is absolutely beautiful. The screen still looks great, it's fast as hell running software appropriate to it's time, the build is still totally flawless and sturdy, nothing is broken. It even has backlit keys and a good, working trackpad.
Might not be a consideration, but if you're deciding between the two, which do you imagine will work and still be a worthwhile thing to own in 5 or 10 years. They're both very expensive things.
Might not be a consideration, but if you're deciding between the two, which do you imagine will work and still be a worthwhile thing to own in 5 or 10 years. They're both very expensive things.
Isn't this pretty easy? Do you want portability or performance and nice extras. Both are capable and relatively portable, it's just which you want more of.
If you start upgrading the Air and don't care about portability the 14" is the better choice. If you upgrade the Air but still want portability, well you have to stick with the Air.
And if you want the best value the M1 is the one to get.
For me the point of a laptop is its portability, so I'll always get an Air. Especially now that the MBP is on the chunky side, and pricey side.
If you just have a laptop for connivence, but it never leaves the house and you have the money, the MBP is the one to get.
If you start upgrading the Air and don't care about portability the 14" is the better choice. If you upgrade the Air but still want portability, well you have to stick with the Air.
And if you want the best value the M1 is the one to get.
For me the point of a laptop is its portability, so I'll always get an Air. Especially now that the MBP is on the chunky side, and pricey side.
If you just have a laptop for connivence, but it never leaves the house and you have the money, the MBP is the one to get.
Last edited:
Think I'll forget about the M2 Air, and go straight for the base model of the 14 M1 Pro. Coming from a 2015 15 inch MB Pro, it should blow my socks off performance-wise... Besides, the price difference between the M2 Air with 512 gb SSD and 16Gb of RAM and the entry-level 14 MB Pro really is too small to justify bying the Air...
I think the 16GB of RAM will be enough for my needs even in the coming years (don't run virtual machines, nor do I edit high resolution video footage), but I might go for that 1Tb SSD option, always nice to have some extra space...
I was going to get a Space Grey one, but I actually like the Silver of my current MB Pro, so I might go for a silver one again.
And while I'm at it, and as my 8 Plus is getting a bit long in the tooth, I'll get myself a new iPhone 13 Pro as well, 256Gb, might go Silver as well ; I really like Alpine Green and Sierra Blue as well but I think I might regret having chosen those colours one the novelty wears off...
I think the 16GB of RAM will be enough for my needs even in the coming years (don't run virtual machines, nor do I edit high resolution video footage), but I might go for that 1Tb SSD option, always nice to have some extra space...
I was going to get a Space Grey one, but I actually like the Silver of my current MB Pro, so I might go for a silver one again.
And while I'm at it, and as my 8 Plus is getting a bit long in the tooth, I'll get myself a new iPhone 13 Pro as well, 256Gb, might go Silver as well ; I really like Alpine Green and Sierra Blue as well but I think I might regret having chosen those colours one the novelty wears off...
Last edited:
I looked at both of these as well. Decided that weight was my #1 criteria and put me in the MBA camp.