Mac mini or MacBook Air?

[gigapocket1]

Have a pretty top of the line 16" MacBook Pro.. M3 Max, 64gb memory, 4tb ssd... love this thing...
At work, I use a Mac Studio m1 Max.. Handles everything good enough...

In my personal life, obviously the m3 max is my main machine. I do use it a lot at my computer desk at home with an older thunderbolt dock (having trouble getting it to push out 240hz). So currently locked at 60 unless I use the dedicated hdmi port...

Trying to decide if I should just dock my m3 max permanently and go with a cheaper MacBook Air for travel and light work... Or if I should just go with a base mini and see if I can get by with it and use my m3 max for travel, lounging, and if needed for heavy lifting..

Obviously, going the Mac mini route will be cheaper.. It's just hard mentally for me to get over that my laptop is more powerful than my desktop.... Just wondering your guys thoughts

 

[dmr727]

How often do you travel? If lugging around the 16" MBP on occasion doesn't bother you, I'd stick with that. But if you travel often, I can see that machine being bigger/heavier than what you'd want. I personally travel quite a bit, and find myself wishing even my 13" MBA were lighter.

 

[gigapocket1]

How often do you travel? If lugging around the 16" MBP on occasion doesn't bother you, I'd stick with that. But if you travel often, I can see that machine being bigger/heavier than what you'd want. I personally travel quite a bit, and find myself wishing even my 13" MBA were lighter.

Travel quite a bit. Flights or drives a few times a month.

 

[Nick05]

It is nice to have a small, lightweight laptop for traveling. I use my M3 MacBook Air way more than my 14” M2 MacBook Pro. I am buying a m4 base mini for my desk to replace my m1 version but i honestly don’t like sitting at my desk after sitting at one for work all day. I was going to go with the pro version but opted for just the base as I don’t think I’d sit at the desk often enough to justify the extra cost.

Do you need the extra power of the max at your desk? Would you prefer a smaller, lighter travel laptop? Do you need the power of the Max on the road? If you need the power, maybe wait until the M4 studio comes out or try the mini with the Pro chip.

 

[Amplelink]

You'll see a difference with a MacBook Air if you travel a lot. But, can you handle the step down in screen size and screen quality? If so, I'd get the Mac mini and use your 16" MBP as a travel companion.