m4 had 3000mbs, if you ever used that, you know that users do not benefit much from doubling that in daily usage.
it’s good, it’s just not noticeable
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M4 vs. M5 MacBook Air Buyer's Guide
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it’s good, it’s just not noticeable
conmee
macrumors 65816
Mac Fly (film)
macrumors 68040
If you haven’t launched an app in a while, days or weeks, when RAM has to get the app from the SSD it would open around 50 percent faster if the drive was 100 percent faster and the RAM was the same speed (other aspects play a part in this process), and tasks like saving large videos, exporting photos, working with big Photoshop projects, 4K video files, Time Machine backups (especially the first time and for large updates), and system boot time would also be faster, but only if those files are stored on the internal SSD itself, not on an external drive, because external drives are almost always slower than Apple’s speedy internal drives.
In summary: not everything will be 2x faster but some things will be tangibly faster, and for that it’s a nice update for a feature. And add to that other aspects of the computer are also faster, which allow the SSD to push more when playing off those other things.
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I had a similar situation and ended up going from an M1 Pro 14" to an M4 Air 13".
My main concern was losing the ports however I have a bluetooth mouse so it doesn't even take up a USB C port like they used to with a dongle and since having the Air I realised how little I actually use the SD card slot. The HDMI is not missed as I use USB C if I connect to a monitor.
I was blown away with the speakers on the Pro - by far the best speakers I've ever heard on a laptop and definitely better than the Air's though again I never used them much and if I was being serious with audio it was sent through my amp and proper monitors. The speakers on the Air are still good enough if just watching Youtube videos in my opinion.
The screen on the Pro is also lovely but the Air is more than good enough when not compared directly. The lack of 120hz is a lot less telling on a screen this big compared to a phone or an ipad.
The saving in size and weight and better portability more than makes the trade off worth it and I haven't thought about going back to a Pro once since I got the Air. Obviously other people will be the opposite to me but there are many out there that value portability and ease of use above most else.
LouisMac90
macrumors member
Happy with my M4 13inch purchased last August was on sale for £899 - day to day use unless you require additional storage is just fine, I just use a Sandisk Pro 2tb for big files. Most people who require a lot of processing power will likely go for a Macbook Pro anyway.
Display hasn't changed since 2022 and is the main reason I am not buying an Air. Looking forward to the OLED upgrade. Im old and 500 nits in bright light is not enough.
turbineseaplane
macrumors Penryn
boswald
macrumors 68030
I chose the Air due to portability and budget concerns. I think 13" screen is too small for me, so I picked 15" and I'm so glad I did. The screen is large but it's still a really thin and portable machine. The performance is on a whole other level than what I'm used to (Intel i5-8400 PC). I can't believe how snappy it is. A little pricey, but I wanted the power, portability, and modern tech. I've never had a real Mac before so this is a whole new world to me.
I got the m4 at a reduced price for my needs it’s absolutely fine I doubt I would’ve noticed much if any difference.
