M2 MacBook Air or M1 Pro MacBook Pro 14” dilemma

[alok87]

If the M2 Air has a better screen than the base model Pro then I will highly consider it.

If it doesn’t or if it’s not a substantial improvement over the base MacBook Pro M1 screen I’ll just get the Pro 2020.

it has the same 220PPI display apple has been using since they unvieled the retina led panels in 2012 on the $2000 MacBook Pro...

this is 2013 all over again where I couldn't decide on the $1200 Air or the $2000 13 inch Pro with HDMI/sd slot, thicker..9 years later and the 220 PPI display on Apple's flagship model from 9 years ago is now offered on their entry level laptop...just wait until 2030 and Im sure you will get the 280PPI 120hz Super Retina Mini LED panel on their entry level device...while Apple's flagship model will rock an 8k 240 hz OLED panel....

even with this "True Tone" and other buzz words... I can't see a noticeable difference on a 2013 $2000 MacBook Pro Retina and a 2020 MacBook Air...but the display on the 14 inch laptop is night and day vs the 2020 13inch MacBook Air/Pro

For those wishing that Apple's new display on the 2022 air will be closer to the 2021 pro will be in for a shock when they find out it has less PPI than the 2020 MacBook Air/Pro...and this so called "billions of colors" isn't noticeable..only difference will be the slightly extra screen space/100 nits of extra brightness

 

[Isamilis]

My eyes don’t like old current MacBook Air screen. Not sure there will be significant changes on the M2 display. I am now waiting for refurbished / sale MBP 14”.
Just a thought, 13” maybe better option too if most of time using external display.

 

[symphony]

So the bezels are as thick as the current M1 MBA?

 

[nph]

I am making a mental victory dance when i see Touch Bar still lives on. i would have switched to a M2 if the trade in value of the M1 hadn't dropped like a rock. Currently Apple would only offer $400! I have 16/512 and I was offered $800 for the M1 8/512. But honestly the slight speed increase I can live without. Had I bought today I would have gone for the M2. The weight ,make it easy to carry around and battery life is the best ever on a Mac. 14 is great as well but I don't need the raw power it gives you at an increased weight and less battery life.

I just hope the Touch Bar will continue to exist when it is time to replace my current machine!

 

[ctjack]

Personally I would go MBP 16 base or 1tb. But if want to save money, the new M2 Air looks compelling versus 14. Just imho of course.

 

[alok87]

The more I think about the M2 Air, the more I realize how disappointing it is. The upgrades it received like a 1080P camera, support for high fidelity headphones, slighty bright display, slightly faster ssd, slightly thinner bezel are simply status quo or mediocre for 2022 standards.

It doesn't have a unique design like the original air that Steve Jobs pulled out of an envelope. The air gained its idenity for its tapered look and unique styling compared to the competition nearly 15 years ago. That identity is lost. It looks like another soul less computer. A stripped down MacBook Pro with a smaller battery and therefore smaller chassis because the display is of inferior quality. It doesn't have an edge to edge display like the MacBook Pro or the strong port selection and ability to be docked as a workstation with dual monitors. This computer shouldn't be called the MacBook Air as its nothing more than Apple's answer to strip down the MacBook Pro to its most necessary elements to compete in the price bracket for a college student.

I might be the only one on this board that actually prefers the beautiful look of the M1 MacBook Air over this new model. Additionally, Apple's OS has always been known to sip battery power and its always been base spec ram as the bottleneck to run their newer software. The M1 is overkill for most users and has more than enough cpu power to run any software over the next 10 years so I think the smarter move would be to purchase a gently used M1 Air with 16GB/512GB for around the same price as an entry level M2 with 8GB/256GB. The $1200 Apple experience with an M1 outfitted with appropriate 2022 specs is far more attractive than an underpowered M2 Air that will end up being obsolete faster than a $1200-$1300 mid level M1 Air (16GB/512GB)

 

[537635]

For those wishing that Apple's new display on the 2022 air will be closer to the 2021 pro will be in for a shock when they find out it has less PPI than the 2020 MacBook Air/Pro...and this so called "billions of colors" isn't noticeable..only difference will be the slightly extra screen space/100 nits of extra brightness

I thought that 13''->13.6'' is just because of the extra pixels on top and the screen width is actually the same. So PPI should remain the same.

If the actualy lowered the PPI, this is really bad. I run my 13 Pro (2020) at 1280 resolution, so it's actually exact x2 scaling. And screen elements are borderline too big, if PPI gets even lower... this will look bad. From what I've seen, 14's x2 resolution is just perfect with the 250-ish PPI.

 

[VaruLV]

The value prop is a good point. Now that the M2 MacBook Air has entered the scene it's really thrown some for a loop. So what do you, dear readers, value more?

• A larger display with mini LED and ProMotion, better overall performance, better speakers, an additional Thunderbolt 4 port, HDMI out, and an SD card reader?

—OR—​

• A thinner, lighter more portable notebook with good overall performance, good speakers, better battery life, more finish options, and is less expensive?

What are you going to be doing with it? Do you need all of what the 14" MacBook Pro offers?

With its combination of features, design, & price, the MacBook Air is going to be a more accessible, more popular computer. You have to ask yourself if you're leaning 14" MacBook Pro, are all of these extra features necessary for what you'll be using it for? If not, save some cash & get the Air.

Only reason for getting M2 Air is, IMHO, 24GB of RAM+512GB SSD for the ~price of 16/512 14.2" Pro.
In my neck of the woods this is going to be about 100€ more expensive than MBP 14, but it might be worth it for the RAM if you really need it. Otherwise MBP is better deal in all respects, for me that is.

 

[Chateaunole-du-Pape]

The more I think about the M2 Air, the more I realize how disappointing it is.

I could not disagree more, and will prove it with my wallet. I've held off replacing my mid-2009 MBP for probably five years longer than I should have, because I kept waiting for Apple to make the computer I wanted to buy. With the M2 Air, they finally did.

 

[kp98077]

a huge issue for the new Air is everyone will want 16 ram, that is a special order it will take forever, why cant apple stock these?

 

[Realityck]

If you have to ask, do yourself a favor and get the 14" MBP. It's an amazing machine. Also. Keep in my the MBA only has two Thunderbolt/USB4 ports, instead of three thunderbolt ports, and HDMI port, and an SD card reader. It's way more convenient. The fans rarely come on, and when they do they're quiet. In the same scenario the MBA is just going to throttle and slow down.

Once you seen the 14" MBP display you be unsettled if you don't go with that better model.

 

[jav6454]

a huge issue for the new Air is everyone will want 16 ram, that is a special order it will take forever, why cant apple stock these?

Because they are custom made, not the standard SKU.

 

[alok87]

I could not disagree more, and will prove it with my wallet. I've held off replacing my mid-2009 MBP for probably five years longer than I should have, because I kept waiting for Apple to make the computer I wanted to buy. With the M2 Air, they finally did.

I just find it hard to believe with near equal pricing on a 16/512GB configuration with the M2 Air…users would trade an industry leading display/audio combination, sd card slot/hdmi, 120 hz, dual monitor support, to buy a computer that looks almost identical design aesthetic to the 14 inch Macbook Pro with a slightly smaller chassis/screen, weaker M chip, lower resale value, etc.

I guess I really underestimated the importance of thinness/weight for consumers.

 

[alok87]

a huge issue for the new Air is everyone will want 16 ram, that is a special order it will take forever, why cant apple stock these?

You are overestimating the intelligence of the casual apple customer…

remember a few years ago when the norm was 4GB/128GB for the airs and people said 8GB was a waste of money and how snappy the air was because MAC OS is a low power OS and will always be optimized to run with lower specs…

Those Airs became fossils a few years later while the 8GB models are still selling over $300 today

Even on the M1 MacBooks.. 16GB/256GB are retaining an average market value of $300-$400 over the 8GB models… but the casual apple user will not think about all this and just buy the cheapest one and then go buy a new entry level machine 3-4 years later so it’s in Apple’s best interest to sell as many 8/256GB they can

 

[Chateaunole-du-Pape]

I just find it hard to believe with near equal pricing on a 16/512GB configuration with the M2 Air…users would trade an industry leading display/audio combination, sd card slot/hdmi, 120 hz, dual monitor support, to buy a computer that looks almost identical design aesthetic to the 14 inch Macbook Pro with a slightly smaller chassis/screen, weaker M chip, lower resale value, etc.

I guess I really underestimated the importance of thinness/weight for consumers.

The pricing really isn’t that similar, though.

Education pricing (my wife is a teacher):

For 512 GB of storage and 1 GB of RAM:
MacBook Air M2: $1,479
MacBook Pro 14: $1,849, occasionally available from Costco for $1,749, thus 18-25% ($270-370) more expensive. That’s not insignificant.

Moreover, as I’ll be sharing this machine with my wife, who has a very large photo library, I would prefer 1 TB of storage. I can get that on the M2 Air and still come in at $1,659, $190 below Apple’s price for the 512-GB equipped 14”Pro and $90 below Costco’s, yet still enjoy the lighter weight and smaller form factor of the Air.

Moreover, I keep computers for ages and so resale/trade-in value is meaningless to me.

if you can use the additional power, ports and so on of the 14” Pro, then clearly it’s a better machine and might even be considered a better value. If not, then all you’re doing is paying for features you won’t use, and lugging around additional weight. The only thing on the Pro that I find somewhat tempting is the display, but portability is more important to me.

 

[kp98077]

You are overestimating the intelligence of the casual apple customer…

remember a few years ago when the norm was 4GB/128GB for the airs and people said 8GB was a waste of money and how snappy the air was because MAC OS is a low power OS and will always be optimized to run with lower specs…

Those Airs became fossils a few years later while the 8GB models are still selling over $300 today

Even on the M1 MacBooks.. 16GB/256GB are retaining an average market value of $300-$400 over the 8GB models… but the casual apple user will not think about all this and just buy the cheapest one and then go buy a new entry level machine 3-4 years later so it’s in Apple’s best interest to sell as many 8/256GB they can

Hmmm, no i am saying 16 is a must... thats why I am going with the m1 Pro, better value IMO and better resale

 

[alok87]

The pricing really isn’t that similar, though.

Education pricing (my wife is a teacher):

For 512 GB of storage and 1 GB of RAM:
MacBook Air M2: $1,479
MacBook Pro 14: $1,849, occasionally available from Costco for $1,749, thus 18-25% ($270-370) more expensive. That’s not insignificant.

Moreover, as I’ll be sharing this machine with my wife, who has a very large photo library, I would prefer 1 TB of storage. I can get that on the M2 Air and still come in at $1,659, $190 below Apple’s price for the 512-GB equipped 14”Pro and $90 below Costco’s, yet still enjoy the lighter weight and smaller form factor of the Air.

Moreover, I keep computers for ages and so resale/trade-in value is meaningless to me.

if you can use the additional power, ports and so on of the 14” Pro, then clearly it’s a better machine and might even be considered a better value. If not, then all you’re doing is paying for features you won’t use, and lugging around additional weight. The only thing on the Pro that I find somewhat tempting is the display, but portability is more important to me.

If the M2 Air had the same display as the Pro..I would sell my Pro in a split second…its the display that is as jaw dropping as the 2012 Retina Macbook for its time

 

[jav6454]

If the M2 Air had the same display as the Pro..I would sell my Pro in a split second…its the display that is as jaw dropping as the 2012 Retina Macbook for its time

Even without the fan?

 

[justin.d]

it would be a £380 difference for me (education pricing) as i don’t need 512gb. i’m a casual user so can’t justify that for a nicer screen. i’ll also appreciate the air being lighter with longer battery life since i plan to travel with it.

 

[jav6454]

it would be a £380 difference for me (education pricing) as i don’t need 512gb. i’m a casual user so can’t justify that for a nicer screen. i’ll also appreciate the air being lighter with longer battery life since i plan to travel with it.

The value of any MBA is the stock configuration.

 

[alok87]

The value of any MBA is the stock configuration.

Why? I think the value is the form factor/aesthetics

 

[jav6454]

Why? I think the value is the form factor/aesthetics

The value of components and new redesign lies with the cheaper models. The more you add extra the less the value holds as it becomes much more expensive to a point where you'll be better served by MBPs

 

[justin.d]

The value of components and new redesign lies with the cheaper models. The more you add extra the less the value holds as it becomes much more expensive to a point where you'll be better served by MBPs

i usually go for the stock configuration, but i plan to use the m2 air for many years to come, so would prefer the peace of mind 16GB RAM will give me.

 

[jav6454]

i usually go for the stock configuration, but i plan to use the m2 air for many years to come, so would prefer the peace of mind 16GB RAM will give me.

16GB is the minimum I'd recommend anyone looking for a long term machine.

 

[alok87]

16GB is the minimum I'd recommend anyone looking for a long term machine.

yes but many casual users just buy the cheapest base configuration and then trash their cheap computer every 3-4 years to get something never and better