what is a better 2nd machine to a m1 16 inch, m2 air or 14 pro? we need a poll, someone start a new thread.
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M2 MacBook Air or M1 Pro MacBook Pro 14” dilemma
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I had the same dilemma so I bought both the base 14" MBP and the base 8/10/8/512 M2 MBA to compare. My use case is 90% couch/bed surfing (I intend for this to replace my Android tablet), and maybe a personal project (coding) I pick up here and there. I don't edit photos, videos or do any kind of 3D modeling, and the heaviest workload would most likely be some code I have to compile and serve. I also won't game on this as I have a beefy gaming desktop and a Steam Deck.
Here are some random notes from my experience so far:
* There is no perceivable difference in performance with my use cases. Neither get hot (even during setup), but the MBA did get warm (40-ish degrees C I guess) at the bottom case in the middle. I have never once heard the fan spin up in the MBP.
* Size-wise they are fairly comparable. The MBA might just be a little bit lighter and thinner on paper, but the actual feel is quite dramatic. Since I couch surf a lot, when I try to adjust my posture while holding the laptop with 1 hand, I can really feel the weight in the MBP and at times I am afraid my fingers might just let go. No such fear with the MBA at all. I think the thickness in particular plays a huge part in that.
* I am perfectly satisfied with the screen quality on the MBA. I might be able to find a tiny difference if I pixel-peep, and the blacks might be slightly darker on the MBP, but I am 100% confident I won't be able to tell in a blind test. Both have pretty terrible response time.
* What is a big difference though is the refresh rate. I try to convince myself that the 60hz difference would fade away after a few minutes, but it didn't. It just feels sluggish to me, and it is especially noticeable scrolling through a heavy webpage (like Reddit) with that terrible ghosting.
* What is an even bigger difference is the speaker. The MBA speakers are acceptable as laptop speakers, while the MBP speakers are, in comparison, orders of magnitude better.
* Battery life is comparable with my use cases. Not something you have to worry about at all on either machine.
I still have a week or so before I have to return one of them, and honestly I am still a bit torn. I got the MBA with the education pricing and the MBP through the Bestbuy sale. The price difference is $500 USD all things considered. I have reduced the decision down to the portability during couch surf VS the $500 worth of upgrades. I honestly think the upgrades are worth more than $500, so I am slightly leaning towards the MBP right now.
Here are some random notes from my experience so far:
* There is no perceivable difference in performance with my use cases. Neither get hot (even during setup), but the MBA did get warm (40-ish degrees C I guess) at the bottom case in the middle. I have never once heard the fan spin up in the MBP.
* Size-wise they are fairly comparable. The MBA might just be a little bit lighter and thinner on paper, but the actual feel is quite dramatic. Since I couch surf a lot, when I try to adjust my posture while holding the laptop with 1 hand, I can really feel the weight in the MBP and at times I am afraid my fingers might just let go. No such fear with the MBA at all. I think the thickness in particular plays a huge part in that.
* I am perfectly satisfied with the screen quality on the MBA. I might be able to find a tiny difference if I pixel-peep, and the blacks might be slightly darker on the MBP, but I am 100% confident I won't be able to tell in a blind test. Both have pretty terrible response time.
* What is a big difference though is the refresh rate. I try to convince myself that the 60hz difference would fade away after a few minutes, but it didn't. It just feels sluggish to me, and it is especially noticeable scrolling through a heavy webpage (like Reddit) with that terrible ghosting.
* What is an even bigger difference is the speaker. The MBA speakers are acceptable as laptop speakers, while the MBP speakers are, in comparison, orders of magnitude better.
* Battery life is comparable with my use cases. Not something you have to worry about at all on either machine.
I still have a week or so before I have to return one of them, and honestly I am still a bit torn. I got the MBA with the education pricing and the MBP through the Bestbuy sale. The price difference is $500 USD all things considered. I have reduced the decision down to the portability during couch surf VS the $500 worth of upgrades. I honestly think the upgrades are worth more than $500, so I am slightly leaning towards the MBP right now.
For starters, I made that prediction way before the current teardown by iFixit and Max Tech. So after having seen those teardowns and seeing the real world testing, I'll stick to my conclusion. The M2 MBA is gimped thanks to a hotter M2 chip, and now, thanks to teardowns, a gimped heatsink.
4 minutes into real world usage and there is a drop in performance? Wow... disgrace full, the M1 MBA holds better.
I don't own a Pro 16".... at any rate. I get the pound difference, but the less than 1/4 of an inch and saying that is noticeable? It's a laughable comment.
Was in the same position as you. Returned the MBP 14 in the end. First, it’s more expensive around $450USD for me. Second is the weight is really too much to be carrying around all day long. The portability and ease of use and splendid battery life of the M2 MBA is really too good, it’s like the same as the iPad Pro with the magic keyboard kind of instant vibe. Since the MBP is not my main machine and I don’t need it to make a living. It’s wiser for me to just stick with the M2 MBA.
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Thanks for the detailed review... Appreciate it. I'm trying to decide which one to get my off to college kid... My confusion/dilemma is futureproofing. My goal is to get her something that will last through her college years. I'm leaning toward the M2 MBA. Keep us posted on your comparisons.. thanks.
16GB/512GB is a good configuration to last four years of college. In isolation the lighter weight of the Air might not seem like a big deal, but in a bag full of textbooks losing almost a pound matters. Ultimately let your daughter decide if the MBP's better screen and speakers are worth the heavier weight.
actually kids really like larger computers, the pro will Stand up over time better for sure...and resale value will be better. if she is in engineering or sciences Pro for sure!
Haha definitely ask her, she probably has a strong preference already!
Does she edit videos freequently? Do any sophisticated 3d modeling or intense programing? Then she might need the pro’s processing power. However, the Pro’s screen is bigger, much crisper in detail/ppi, and has better contrast and color. She might prefer that IF she doesnt mind the extra weight. These weigh the same as the 13” devices many college kids carted around in 2015 and earlier. But nowadays the Airs form factor is where it is at for anyone on the go IMO. But she will have to decide it is very personal.
I agree with you. I also have both here side by side and the MBP 14 is going back. Personally, the portability for me is worth it over the benefits the MBP has. It's not my main computer either and primarily used for couch surfing or travel and for that the MBA is the better machine. Oddly, even though they are supposed to be identical, the keyboard and trackpad feel much better on the MBA than the MBP. The keyboard on the MBP feels a bit mushy and the trackpad click feels "hollow".
thanks you.... I have been staying this about the keyboard and evryone is like "they are the exact same!!" LOL!
would be nice to keep both.... tough decisions... for me I have a work PC abut need a home computer, and preferably travel one (don't likeipads)...
Maybe because the case of the MBP is thicker, I don't know. But I went back and forth between both of them and the typing experience is different. I much prefer the MBA keyboard.
The M2 MBA is effortless and just makes me wanna pick it up and use it and then when I’m not using it, it just disappear somewhere in my backpack. While for the MBP 14, I’m constantly reminded of the heft.
The m2 MBA is also much more power efficient as the battery life last quite abit longer than the MBP 14 while doing the normal day to day stuffs like web browsing and watching videos, words documents and runs cooler to the touch.I’m getting an estimated about 30% to 40% better battery life.
I get it from a price perspective that a spec’d out air m2 gets too close to a pro 14. But that’s where it ends for me, they are still a different class of laptops for different uses.
That’s like comparing my wife’s blade 15 laptop to my air. Specd out, hers was cheaper than my air, and it can game, does that make it the better choice for me? Absolutely not!
Just because things can be similarly priced doesn’t suddenly mean that a different class of laptop is worth it because it’s faster. Faster at what? Emails? Web browsing? Some photo editing? People aren’t buying airs to do things a larger and heavier pro can do. And if they are? That’s their problem, because apple provides a laptop to give them what they need it for.
Considering how small and portable the air is though, they still punch above their weight class in comparison to basically every other thin and light laptop out there.
That’s like comparing my wife’s blade 15 laptop to my air. Specd out, hers was cheaper than my air, and it can game, does that make it the better choice for me? Absolutely not!
Just because things can be similarly priced doesn’t suddenly mean that a different class of laptop is worth it because it’s faster. Faster at what? Emails? Web browsing? Some photo editing? People aren’t buying airs to do things a larger and heavier pro can do. And if they are? That’s their problem, because apple provides a laptop to give them what they need it for.
Considering how small and portable the air is though, they still punch above their weight class in comparison to basically every other thin and light laptop out there.
I wish we could choose between 12'' M2 Macbook and 14'' Macbook Pro.
That would make for a much better positioning of the devices in terms of portability vs. power.
That would make for a much better positioning of the devices in terms of portability vs. power.
I was looking at the MBA M2 because I don't really need the power of the M1 Pro, but I might regret it in the long run (about one and a half years down the line).
I currently have a 2017 iMac, 27 inch, i5, Radeon graphics and a 2015 Macbook Pro, 15 inch, i7, Radeon graphics, both of which I use for graphics design, mostly Indesign and Illustrator, some occasional Photoshop but no heavy stuff, and some video editing in iMovie (but I have dabbled in Premiere Pro since I have the Adobe CC subscription after all), but still, no heavy stuff. Privately and as a hobby, I have set up a small home music studio, where I have a digital piano connected to a DAW on the iMac, Cubase in my case. Again, nothing too advanced.
I can't sell either of my current machines since I still need them to run High Sierra from an external SSD I use to run some legacy 32-bit software on for a company I do most of my work for. They're in the process of upgrading their whole database system but that won't be operational until late 2023, at which point I'll be able to access everything through the browser instead of using a 32-bit client. I do work for other companies, though, where I'm not constrained to working with legacy software and there are times, more frequent than not, that I really would like to have some more performance ; my current computers aren't slow, but they're not exactly screaming, either.
The idea is to replace both my iMac and i7 MB Pro with a new laptop, come September 2023, and then get an external 27 inch display to work on when I'm at my home office. I don't need to be able to connect 2 displays so the MBA 2 would be enough.
I love my MB Pro but it's heavy to carry around (4.49 pounds - 2.04 kg) when I visit a client, and the MB Pro M1 is lighter (3.5 pounds - 1.6 kg), but still quite a bit heavier (2.7 pounds - 1.24 kg).
So, as with everybody, it comes down to what is more important, weight or performance ; come September 2023, the new laptop will be plugged in most of the time, driving a 27 inch 4K display (or maybe even a bit bigger). As I've said, I don't do stuff that needs the power of the M1 Pro, but the Macbook Air M2 might show its limits sooner rather than later ; what if I do feel the need to add another display in the future, or someone asks me to do some more heavy lifting, either with Photoshop or Premiere/Final Cut ?
I think the MB Pro M1 would be the best compromise for me : I save quite a bit on weight (one whole pound) versus my current Macbook Pro, and although it won't as portable as the MBA2, it's still a win in my opinion. Plus, it gives me more options down the road, whether it's connecting an additional display, or support a sustained heavier workload.
The only question that remains is (with that future proofing in mind) whether I shouldn't just upgrade the RAM and SSD right away ; I was going to get the baseline (16Gb RAM, 512GB SSD) model but while I'm thinking about the future, wouldn't it be better to go that extra mile (or kilometer in my case) ?
And so, I'm right back where I started
I currently have a 2017 iMac, 27 inch, i5, Radeon graphics and a 2015 Macbook Pro, 15 inch, i7, Radeon graphics, both of which I use for graphics design, mostly Indesign and Illustrator, some occasional Photoshop but no heavy stuff, and some video editing in iMovie (but I have dabbled in Premiere Pro since I have the Adobe CC subscription after all), but still, no heavy stuff. Privately and as a hobby, I have set up a small home music studio, where I have a digital piano connected to a DAW on the iMac, Cubase in my case. Again, nothing too advanced.
I can't sell either of my current machines since I still need them to run High Sierra from an external SSD I use to run some legacy 32-bit software on for a company I do most of my work for. They're in the process of upgrading their whole database system but that won't be operational until late 2023, at which point I'll be able to access everything through the browser instead of using a 32-bit client. I do work for other companies, though, where I'm not constrained to working with legacy software and there are times, more frequent than not, that I really would like to have some more performance ; my current computers aren't slow, but they're not exactly screaming, either.
The idea is to replace both my iMac and i7 MB Pro with a new laptop, come September 2023, and then get an external 27 inch display to work on when I'm at my home office. I don't need to be able to connect 2 displays so the MBA 2 would be enough.
I love my MB Pro but it's heavy to carry around (4.49 pounds - 2.04 kg) when I visit a client, and the MB Pro M1 is lighter (3.5 pounds - 1.6 kg), but still quite a bit heavier (2.7 pounds - 1.24 kg).
So, as with everybody, it comes down to what is more important, weight or performance ; come September 2023, the new laptop will be plugged in most of the time, driving a 27 inch 4K display (or maybe even a bit bigger). As I've said, I don't do stuff that needs the power of the M1 Pro, but the Macbook Air M2 might show its limits sooner rather than later ; what if I do feel the need to add another display in the future, or someone asks me to do some more heavy lifting, either with Photoshop or Premiere/Final Cut ?
I think the MB Pro M1 would be the best compromise for me : I save quite a bit on weight (one whole pound) versus my current Macbook Pro, and although it won't as portable as the MBA2, it's still a win in my opinion. Plus, it gives me more options down the road, whether it's connecting an additional display, or support a sustained heavier workload.
The only question that remains is (with that future proofing in mind) whether I shouldn't just upgrade the RAM and SSD right away ; I was going to get the baseline (16Gb RAM, 512GB SSD) model but while I'm thinking about the future, wouldn't it be better to go that extra mile (or kilometer in my case) ?
And so, I'm right back where I started
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Over a year from now? Don't waste your time making a decision now - you know you are going to rethink it every few months. Wait to see what the options are one year from now.
Personally having watched a ridiculous amount of video reviews and mulled it over I've decided to go for the Macbook Air M2 instead of the M1 Pro. I don't need the extra GPU grunt or sustained performance of the M1 Pro. Having tried both in store today I much prefer the weight/size/design of the Air and the screens look close enough to me for non-HDR content.
I've decided to order the M2 MBA 8-core GPU, 16Gb RAM, 512Gb model in Space Grey
I've decided to order the M2 MBA 8-core GPU, 16Gb RAM, 512Gb model in Space Grey
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Yea I’m glad I went to test them in store as well. I think they did an awesome job on this m2 air build overall. Still 2-3 week wait for mine though, ughPersonally having watched ridiculous amount of video reviews and mulled it over I've decided to go for the Macbook Air M2 instead of the M1 Pro. I don't need the extra GPU grunt or sustained performance of the M1 Pro. Having tried both in store today I prefer the weight/size/design of the Air and the screens look close enough to me for non-HDR content.
I've decided to order the M2 MBA 8-core GPU, 16Gb RAM, 512Gb model in Space Grey