It is the new flat design, it is pretty deceiving to the eye, it looks fatter next to old design but it isn't.
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M2 MacBook Air or M1 Pro MacBook Pro 14” dilemma
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I agree with what many have said about Apple pricing ladder. It is all Psychological. They want to get you to spend as much as possible. Then in a year or two tempt you to do it again. They get you to spec up in hopes you will keep the device a long time knowing most people will be tempted by some new feature or better performance in a year or two. So all the prepping and paying more to keep for longer is really an illusion to get you to pay more.
Granted there are some Mac and iPad owner who do keep their devices for years and years. Those people are the exceptions for the most part even though Mac devices are generally kept longer by their owners.
In this debate I say honestly ask yourself what will you do with the device and what do you really need. Do not worry about 5 years from now.
If you get the 8 core gpu MBA M2 with 512ssd and 16gb ram and can get edu discount then you are looking at $1479. If you keep it for two years and sell it you will probably be able to sell it for around 1k. Not a bad return in tech world. Then you put that 1k toward a new air M4/5 same config and depending on inflation or deflation will pay roughly the same price and repeat cycle. You will always have a relatively new device with all the new features that is very nice, quick and enjoyable.
If you were to get the MBP 14” base model then you will pay $1800-1999 plus tax and maybe a little more or less. That is around $300/500 Are you really going to use the extra power and features? If you genuinely need the extra power then you would probably get at least ten core cpu and 16 core gpu model for $2300. Now you are at $800 price difference. When you go to resale the pro it could be harder because less pro people want a used machine that is not the latest and greatest. The $1500 mba price is a sweet spot and is a desirable model so it will sell well used while the MBP has a different demographic and is hard to predict what people are willing to pay used.
Meanwhile getting the Pro how much did you actually use the Pro features you paid the extra money for. Did you end up keeping it for 5-7 years as I keep hearing people say or did you sell it in 3 to get the faster Pro? Since you are at a higher price point how much more money did you lose selling used?
Now my example is not scientific and I am no expert but from my experience people tend to buy more than they actually need and sell a lot sooner than they think they will. I certainly am guilty of this.
If you have the money to burn and just like having the latest and greatest then go for it but understanding your true needs and not what you want is key to making a good purchase. Apple preys on our wants tempting us to always buy more than we need.
I am a tech nerd and pretty advanced computer user yet my actual needs and what I do with my Mac a M2 MBA mid range will suffice. Do I want Promotion, 6 speakers, ports, mini led, 10 core cpu with 32 core gpu and 64gb ram and a 2tb drive? Of course I do but I can get buy quite easily with a 500 nit very nice ips lcd screen at 60hz, 512 gb ssd, and 16 go ram with 4 speakers. Unless I am doing multiple high intensity tasks I will probably never know the difference in computational power. Unless I have the screens side by side I probably won’t see much of a difference. I will certainly hear the difference but I know the air speakers are loud enough for what I mostly will do. I am someone who likes the latest and greatest tech and for me I would rather trade out my Mac every 2-3 years than spend a ton of money now for the very best config.
No one can tell anyone here what is best for them. But my only advice is to really ask what you need and buy based on that not what you want. Then you are more likely to make a wise decision and not one based on emotions.
Granted there are some Mac and iPad owner who do keep their devices for years and years. Those people are the exceptions for the most part even though Mac devices are generally kept longer by their owners.
In this debate I say honestly ask yourself what will you do with the device and what do you really need. Do not worry about 5 years from now.
If you get the 8 core gpu MBA M2 with 512ssd and 16gb ram and can get edu discount then you are looking at $1479. If you keep it for two years and sell it you will probably be able to sell it for around 1k. Not a bad return in tech world. Then you put that 1k toward a new air M4/5 same config and depending on inflation or deflation will pay roughly the same price and repeat cycle. You will always have a relatively new device with all the new features that is very nice, quick and enjoyable.
If you were to get the MBP 14” base model then you will pay $1800-1999 plus tax and maybe a little more or less. That is around $300/500 Are you really going to use the extra power and features? If you genuinely need the extra power then you would probably get at least ten core cpu and 16 core gpu model for $2300. Now you are at $800 price difference. When you go to resale the pro it could be harder because less pro people want a used machine that is not the latest and greatest. The $1500 mba price is a sweet spot and is a desirable model so it will sell well used while the MBP has a different demographic and is hard to predict what people are willing to pay used.
Meanwhile getting the Pro how much did you actually use the Pro features you paid the extra money for. Did you end up keeping it for 5-7 years as I keep hearing people say or did you sell it in 3 to get the faster Pro? Since you are at a higher price point how much more money did you lose selling used?
Now my example is not scientific and I am no expert but from my experience people tend to buy more than they actually need and sell a lot sooner than they think they will. I certainly am guilty of this.
If you have the money to burn and just like having the latest and greatest then go for it but understanding your true needs and not what you want is key to making a good purchase. Apple preys on our wants tempting us to always buy more than we need.
I am a tech nerd and pretty advanced computer user yet my actual needs and what I do with my Mac a M2 MBA mid range will suffice. Do I want Promotion, 6 speakers, ports, mini led, 10 core cpu with 32 core gpu and 64gb ram and a 2tb drive? Of course I do but I can get buy quite easily with a 500 nit very nice ips lcd screen at 60hz, 512 gb ssd, and 16 go ram with 4 speakers. Unless I am doing multiple high intensity tasks I will probably never know the difference in computational power. Unless I have the screens side by side I probably won’t see much of a difference. I will certainly hear the difference but I know the air speakers are loud enough for what I mostly will do. I am someone who likes the latest and greatest tech and for me I would rather trade out my Mac every 2-3 years than spend a ton of money now for the very best config.
No one can tell anyone here what is best for them. But my only advice is to really ask what you need and buy based on that not what you want. Then you are more likely to make a wise decision and not one based on emotions.
Decision just got easier for me yesterday. $1599+taxes = ~$1750 after taxes plus 4% cash back from Costco for the MBP 14".
I won't use majority of the potential of the MBP 14" but plan on it keep it as long as my MBP 2015, 15". I'm hoping it won't crap out and Apple won't plan obsolescence it on purpose.
Then I'll buy the MBA in the future when it has all of bells and whistles. like promotion, 120 hz..Because I like the MBA more than the MBP line. MBP, $1599 is hard to beat.
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That is a great deal! WOW! I paid $1499 for 512/16 ram M2 with the better charger. Plus a $150 gift card from Apple. So the price if you factor in the gift card is $1350 because next year or two I will use it on my next MBA as a discount plus the higher single core scores are more important to my daily use. I have a 16” now and I am selling it because it is just too heavy and I use like 30% of its power. The screen is nice for sure and the 14” screen you will enjoy for sure. But for me I did try the 14” first and the weight was an issue and I felt the screen was too small.
On the air for whatever reason when I looked at it in person even though it is smaller than the 14” it didn’t feel as small. The screen was beautiful and I couldn’t tell a major difference in 60hz vs 120. The speakers were loud enough and that is most important for me as bass is not what I prioritize. I use my laptop on my lap and in other places where the weight made a difference. As everyone points out it is not a lot but it is enough that after an hour or so it becomes uncomfortable. The other thing for me was battery life. With only two efficiency cores on the M1 max battery life was no where near what I expected. It is not bad but not a two day machine for sure.
For that price though and Costco has a 30 day return policy you really can’t go wrong. Better speaker, screen, multi core although not too much from M2, fans, stronger build, more ports.
I think a lot of people just got a reason to buy a $60 Costco membership if they didn’t already have one. Lol
On the air for whatever reason when I looked at it in person even though it is smaller than the 14” it didn’t feel as small. The screen was beautiful and I couldn’t tell a major difference in 60hz vs 120. The speakers were loud enough and that is most important for me as bass is not what I prioritize. I use my laptop on my lap and in other places where the weight made a difference. As everyone points out it is not a lot but it is enough that after an hour or so it becomes uncomfortable. The other thing for me was battery life. With only two efficiency cores on the M1 max battery life was no where near what I expected. It is not bad but not a two day machine for sure.
For that price though and Costco has a 30 day return policy you really can’t go wrong. Better speaker, screen, multi core although not too much from M2, fans, stronger build, more ports.
I think a lot of people just got a reason to buy a $60 Costco membership if they didn’t already have one. Lol
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Getting gas solely from Costco will more than cover the cost of membership. I love Costco. Yeah, I'm skipping the MBA m2 unless the base model gets heavily discounted but I don't see that happening until 1.5 years from now.
$1599 is the best deal that I've seen other than the Best Buy deal for a base model MBA M1 for $750. You can also get a MBP M1, base model for $900 now. https://slickdeals.net/f/15997453-macbook-pro-13-m1-free-shipping-best-buy-949-99?src=SiteSearch
The base model M1 MBA seems to be popular at $850 (when on sale from Costco).
So I’m taking the plunge, moving from my 10 core M1 Pro 16/1TB to an 8 core gpu Air with 24/512GB. I have a ton of free space on the drive, but RAM on the pro was always something I wanted to upgrade in my next machine. Found I really didn’t need the GPU power of the pro, so I went with the lower spec to hopefully reduce heat on normal workloads. Mainly downgrading because I much prefer the smaller form factor as I carry my laptop around everywhere.
The Warranty at Costco is 2 years so keep the receipt. I had returned products that were not functioning after a year plus. Costco refunded without questioning. I would have bought one from Costco, but I bought one at Best Buy before seeing the sale at Costco.
You are not alone my friend. I just sold my MBP 16 and ordered an air in midnight. I likewise found that I didn't need all the horsepower in GPU and the M1 power cores used a lot more battery life than I expected. I had an MBP 13" M1which I sold to get the 16" and the battery life on that machine was amazing so it was a little bit of a let down on the MBP16". The promotion on the 16" is nice but I really didn't notice a difference like on my phone. The weight of the 16" made it uncomfortable unless it was at a desk. I may as well get a desktop configuration at that point. The screen with mini led and contrast ratio is what I will miss the most. I did use the HDMI connector and that was nice as is having two thunderbolt ports - one on each side if I need to charge.
Also I think single core performance is more important for my use case. I tried to buy something I thought would be future proof and despite my own knowledge that you don't buy tech to future proof I did. It was a mistake. Now I am a middle of the road guy and buy more what I need than what I want. I am not sure with the M series chips that I personally will ever actually need a Pro machine. When you had Intel chips things were a lot different as the Intel air was no where near as powerful Intel Pro and the m series gives enough power even with 8 core chips to do intermediate work which is where I fall into and not Pro. I am looking forward to M3 on 3nm on an air 15"! That would be perfect.
I will probably get the 15" air next year if it is released as for my actual needs it will be perfect. I was able to buy on the education website since I am going back to school and saved some money and got a gift card which I will use for the 15" and sell the air I just bought. I got the middle of the road unit which I think will be most desirable used in good condition.
I don't know about you but I was so excited for the redesign MBP and went a little crazy thinking it will last for many years which it would. It is one of the best laptops Apple has made in a long time. I am just not a Pro enough user to actually utilize all of the power and the size and weight became more of an issue than I expected in the beginning. I didn't lose too much on my initial investment and will be able to put some money I made on the sale of the MBP 16" in the bank for a future purchase combined with the gift card.
With all the sales on the current MBP 14/16 I bet a new model will be released this year. They only discount by $400 when Apple is about to announce a new model. I tried the 14" MBP and it is a great machine but again the battery life was an issue for me. Even at $1599 for the base 14" it is a great deal and very tempting but the portability is more important as is battery life and I paid $100 less with similar config and got a $150 gift card so for my use as much as I like the better screen and more ports I feel the air is good enough for me. I will actually use it more than I do now with the 16". Plus at a time when money is tight I can put some money in the bank while I get a good laptop better suited for my needs.
A lot of people here just think about specs which I totally get but sometimes the specs are misleading and what seems like a better deal on paper is not in actual day to day use. It doesn't matter the specs if it doesn't fit your use case.
Lastly the efficiency cores I think are where the magic is on the M series. I would like to see an M3 with 10 cores for air series. 4 power cores and 6 efficiency cores. I think that would be the sweet spot where you would get that nice multi core boost while still be able to have decent battery life and thermals in a smaller package.
Point 1: you won't miss it much. I had a 14" MBP and went to the Air for the same reasons regarding battery. I haven't missed the screen much at all... it helps to have a 12.9 iPP though I guess, but in general on my M2 Air, I'm 100% happy with the screen.
The M2 Air definitely feels faster too for my use case. I bet you'll really enjoy that regarding the single core speed...
what were you getting for battery life on the 14 inch pro?
It's not terrible, but noticeably less than the M2 Air.
I never have to charge the Air in a workday while the Pro typically didn't make it without needing some help.
I agree. I remember many years ago, the color gamut of the MacBook Air wasn't quite as broad as on the other MacBooks. So you could definitely see a difference in color saturation. But, these new MacBook Air displays are outstanding. P3 wide color just like the Pros. Only difference is the mini led and I can't even really tell during normal usage. Also don't miss the 120hz refresh rate at all because it wasn't even that pronounced on the Pros. Much more obvious on iPads.
Similar question: How much of a difference between 24 and 32?
Today I returned MBP14, ordered MBA.
On the MBP (32GB RAM) my swap numbers never exceeded zero, my memory pressure never above 15%, memory in use c. 19GB. Do you folks think I'll be swapless on MBA (24GB)?
How much does PCI-3 versus PCI-4 matter for SSD real-world feel?
Considering the mba m2 outperforms the m1 pros on day to day tasks like browsing, opening apps etc, I don’t think the ssd speed makes a ton of different for real world day to day usage unless your transferring a lot of large files.
I got curious about swap files, SSD degradation and the like earlier but in reality neither my Intel Mac Mini (32GB) nor my M2 MBA (24GB) appear to ever make use of a swap file - numbers stay at zero and the whole system appears to live in the RAM.
Unfortunately you can't have great battery life and pro-motion at the same time. Low power mode limits your screen to 60Hz.
Loving that none of you can barely see the difference in screen quality 
. That kind of comment pisses the Pro owners off no end!
But there is barely any difference day to day. I also love that the Air is actually faster than the Pro.
One thing I will say is that black levels aren't great on the Air, but only if you're watching something in a dark room.
. That kind of comment pisses the Pro owners off no end!But there is barely any difference day to day. I also love that the Air is actually faster than the Pro.
One thing I will say is that black levels aren't great on the Air, but only if you're watching something in a dark room.
I don't really care about ProMotion, whether it's on iPhone or Mac ; I've played around with a regular iPhone 13 and a Pro for about 10 minutes, and although I could notice the difference, the moment I stopped comparing the two side by side, it didn't make one bit of difference to me.
As I understand it, not every application/app on Mac OS or iOS supports it. I wouldn't call it a deal breaker for me if I actually needed the performance, but it would be the source of many a frustration, which could mean I'd stop using that particular app and look for an alternative that does offer Promotion support (which is nigh-on impossible if you need a particular app for work), or just stop using the device altogether and selling it.
It's a bit like buying a new car that has this new type of tyres on it which offers perfect grip in any kind of weather conditions, but then the dealer hands you a list of roads you can't drive on because the tyres don't support those...
As I understand it, not every application/app on Mac OS or iOS supports it. I wouldn't call it a deal breaker for me if I actually needed the performance, but it would be the source of many a frustration, which could mean I'd stop using that particular app and look for an alternative that does offer Promotion support (which is nigh-on impossible if you need a particular app for work), or just stop using the device altogether and selling it.
It's a bit like buying a new car that has this new type of tyres on it which offers perfect grip in any kind of weather conditions, but then the dealer hands you a list of roads you can't drive on because the tyres don't support those...
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Loving that none of you can barely see the difference in screen quality
But there is barely any difference day to day. I also love that the Air is actually faster than the Pro.
One thing I will say is that black levels aren't great on the Air, but only if you're watching something in a dark room.
I don't think this pisses anyone. If you cannot see the difference, Air is a perfect device. Enjoy it.
But are you able to aknowledge, that many people do see the difference (both in better contrasts as well as fluidity of interface) and for them 14 Pro is clearly a better device?
That is all there is to any of this never-ending thread:
Question: Where there is a difference between the MBA and the MBP with regards to [insert specification here], do you actually care?
[Yes / No / Maybe] (*delete as appropriate)
Neither is better but the Air is beautifully portable and faster on day to day tasks.
I've never used a laptop on the sofa or in bed so much as I do with this M2 Air. It's just so nice to hold and walk around with. Just couldn't imagine doing that as easily or nicely with the thicker, heavier Pro.
I've never used a laptop on the sofa or in bed so much as I do with this M2 Air. It's just so nice to hold and walk around with. Just couldn't imagine doing that as easily or nicely with the thicker, heavier Pro.
Which devices have you used before MBA M2?
I come from 11.6-in MBA and so I'm spoiled by portability and 'up-closeness'.