Macbook Air M2 16GB or base model MBP 14?

[Chic0]

I’m in the market to replace my Macbook 12” 2017 That is on it’s last legs. My workflow is word, excel, music collection management, about 15 browser tabs and the occasional movie watching and youtube streaming.

I have a Macbook Air M2 16gb on order, however I have the opportunity of purchasing a brand new MBP 14 base model for the same price through a family member.

My laptop is usually used at home either connected to monitor or on my lap depending which room I’m in. My 2017 MacBook gets really hot nowadays, so thinking long term wise the MBP will run a lot cooler anyway due to internal cooling. Obviously this will be slightly heavier than M2 Air mind.

With my workflow I realise the MBP is probably overkill lol, but anyone reckon this is still the sensible choice?

 

[Apple_Robert]

M2 suits your flow better.

 

[Adelphos33]

M2 won’t get hot with your use case

At the same price, MBP is a better machine, but it is clunkier

 

[Chic0]

M2 won’t get hot with your use case

At the same price, MBP is a better machine, but it is clunkier

My Macbook 12 never used to get hot either, but that seems to be the norm nowadays. Feel it’s got progressively worse with updated OS versions. Maybe due to being more resource hungry?

I wouldn’t want to be in the same position with a M2 Air in 3 years time when the OS may be more demanding.

Maybe I need to check out the weight difference in store when I return the M2 Air on order as decided I want Space Grey rather than Silver

 

[raffyraffy]

Its a matter of personal taste. You get better sound and screen but bit chunkier and uglier. Id pick MBP but thats me. I dont think you can go wrong with either choice

 

[throAU]

I'd get the 14" no question in your situation.

Its a little heavier (not much) but fits in the same bags, etc. Much better screen, much better speakers, extra ports - even outside of the performance - its better for music, better for watching media.

I carry my 14" daily and its the lightest laptop I've been comfortable to use for everything I do. Its the first laptop I've felt comfortable using as a daily driver for basically everything without feeling I'm massively compromised.

 

[throAU]

Maybe I need to check out the weight difference in store when I return the M2 Air on order as decided I want Space Grey rather than Silver

Do that.

I've daily carried my 14" since November, compared weight with a colleagues M2 air when it arrived yesterday and feel absolutely no desire for one or regret with my 14" purchase.

But - your mileage may vary - so seriously, go compare the weight. But also compare the speakers and screen. Because if you're using it for media consumption they will make a difference!

Given you've said your machine spends most of its time around the house, I don't think you'll find the 14" machine inconvenient and its simply higher spec in every way. For the same price - go for it.

 

[joshwithachance]

If you're speccing the M2 Air to the same price territory as the 14" Pro you're probably better off with the Pro. Yes the Air is a bit lighter & sleeker, but EVERYTHING ELSE about the 14" Pro is superior.

 

[Pug72]

But......there may be a M2 Pro MacBook later in the year.... 😩

 

[throAU]

But......there may be a M2 Pro MacBook later in the year.... 😩

I very much doubt it (due to manufacturing constraints; the M2 and M1 Pro are produced with different manufacturing process tech and keeping that will mean two production lines capacity instead of one), but even then. There might be an M3 Pro later!

 

[dizmonk]

I'd get the 14" no question in your situation.

Its a little heavier (not much) but fits in the same bags, etc. Much better screen, much better speakers, extra ports - even outside of the performance - its better for music, better for watching media.

I carry my 14" daily and its the lightest laptop I've been comfortable to use for everything I do. Its the first laptop I've felt comfortable using as a daily driver for basically everything without feeling I'm massively compromised.

How's the battery life on the 14? I've got an m1 MBA and I really don't worry about charging until the end of the day. I've heard conflicting reports about the actual real-world battery use of the 14 MBP.

 

[throAU]

How's the battery life on the 14? I've got an m1 MBA and I really don't worry about charging until the end of the day. I've heard conflicting reports about the actual real-world battery use of the 14 MBP.

I've never run out during a single day of use so far.

I don't game on it.

My average battery life is 8-16 hours (yeah a bit of a swing) depending on whether i'm working (involves 3 browsers - Vivaldi, Firefox and Safari at the same time, a lot of tabs, zoom, teams, outlook, word, excel and occasional java apps). I've never had it below 35% after a full work day on battery. I'm a network administrator. If you do high end video, rendering, gaming, etc. your mileage my vary a lot.

16 hours easy if i'm just watching video on it and browsing the web (with safari).

Fast charge to 80% in half an hour means that even if it does run out or get low you're not tethered to AC for long.

 

[nfl46]

IMO, it goes like this:

If you aren’t getting the base M2 Air for $1,199, then the 14 inch is the better choice at $1,799.

8/256 M2 Air - $1,199
16/256 M2 Air - $1,599
16/256 14-inch - $1,799 (Current price at Amazon and Best Buy)

That extra $200 gets you A LOT. Also the new 14/16 MBPs are likely coming out in 2023 and not this year.

 

[Chic0]

After a lot of reading, checking out reviews and doing my own comparisons, I decided to bite the bullet and just ordered a base M1 MBP SG. With discount it came in at the same price as the MBA M2 16gb. Should arrive tomorrow. Can’t wait!

Got a a good idea of weight, by comparing specs with my current Macbook 12 and older unibody 15” macbook. Will seem like a featherweight compared to the unibody!

 

[geta]

If you're speccing the M2 Air to the same price territory as the 14" Pro you're probably better off with the Pro. Yes the Air is a bit lighter & sleeker, but EVERYTHING ELSE about the 14" Pro is superior.

Power wise, for most people the M2 will do the job plus its lighter with better battery life. If you need the extra power, dual external monitors or the extra connections - from the beginning the M2 MBA is not for you.

As for the price - M2 MBA with 10c GPU, 24GB and 1TB cost 2539€ vs base M1 Pro 14” MBP with 32GB and 1TB cost 2939€… thats a big difference for things the most of the people wont use.

 

[dizmonk]

Power wise, for most people the M2 will do the job plus its lighter with better battery life. If you need the extra power, dual external monitors or the extra connections - from the beginning the M2 MBA is not for you.

As for the price - M2 MBA with 10c GPU, 24GB and 1TB cost 2539€ vs base M1 Pro 14” MBP with 32GB and 1TB cost 2939€… thats a big difference for things the most of the people wont use.

I don't have the m2 but if it is similar in terms of battery life to the m1.. that's a big deal to me, more so than the power benefits of the 14

 

[Pug72]

After a lot of reading, checking out reviews and doing my own comparisons, I decided to bite the bullet and just ordered a base M1 MBP SG. With discount it came in at the same price as the MBA M2 16gb. Should arrive tomorrow. Can’t wait!

Got a a good idea of weight, by comparing specs with my current Macbook 12 and older unibody 15” macbook. Will seem like a featherweight compared to the unibody!

SAME! 😃

I had the 10/24GB/512GB Midnight ordered so the base 14" was £214 cheaper. I know less RAM, 24GB was probs overkill anyway but like you say same price as 16GB Air.

I wanted a smaller, lighter replacement for my 2016 15" MBP so this still fits the bill.
Seeing the screen difference of the Air M2 and 14 MBP was one of the final nails in the coffin of the Air and although fingerprints won't bother me, the port chipping would.
I have minimal chipping on my Space Grey MBP and have slight, hardly noticeable wear on the closest edge of palm rest after nearly six years of use. The same wear on the midnight will be much more apparent.

I actually feel relieved I've cancelled the Air and bought the MBP and that feeling confirms I made the right choice......for me. 🙂


Yeah, will be a little annoyed if they bring out M2 Pro MBPs end of the year, but I know it won't be near the price of this one.
If it does have some amazing new gimmick I like then I'll just think about trading in/selling.

 

[Chic0]

SAME! 😃

I had the 10/24GB/512GB Midnight ordered so the base 14" was £214 cheaper. I know less RAM, 24GB was probs overkill anyway but like you say same price as 16GB Air.

I wanted a smaller, lighter replacement for my 2016 15" MBP so this still fits the bill.
Seeing the screen difference of the Air M2 and 14 MBP was one of the final nails in the coffin of the Air and although fingerprints won't bother me, the port chipping would.
I have minimal chipping on my Space Grey MBP and have slight, hardly noticeable wear on the closest edge of palm rest after nearly six years of use. The same wear on the midnight will be much more apparent.

I actually feel relieved I've cancelled the Air and bought the MBP and that feeling confirms I made the right choice......for me. 🙂


Yeah, will be a little annoyed if they bring out M2 Pro MBPs end of the year, but I know it won't be near the price of this one.
If it does have some amazing new gimmick I like then I'll just think about trading in/selling.

Exactly that. If your intuition feels right then why not. Also good to hear that your SG MBP has held up reasonably well cosmetically. When I was looking at the new MBA, I was originally going for SG, but ended up opting for Silver yet again due to all the more negative comments that I’d read about it. These days I barely transport my laptop around anyway, so hopefully the chances of me damaging it are decreased.

I need to replace my Macbook, but with Apple bumping the prices up it made my decision a little bit harder. I eventually came to terms with having to pay just shy of £1500 for the machine, but when I realised I could get the MBP for the same price then in a strangte way, I was more comfortable with parting with the money. The MBP is probably overkill for my needs, but even for my usage there are tangible benefits over the MBA M2.

 

[throAU]

Yeah, will be a little annoyed if they bring out M2 Pro MBPs end of the year, but I know it won't be near the price of this one.
If it does have some amazing new gimmick I like then I'll just think about trading in/selling.

Every year there is something new.

Accept the fact - just because something new comes out, it doesn't make your existing machine any less capable.

Any machine you buy today will likely be good for at LEAST 3 years or so, worry about what's coming out in 2025 or 2026 more than 2023.... software is still catching up to Apple Silicon whichever machine you have at the moment.

Even an original M1 is likely to see improved performance over the next couple of years as the software catches up.

I'm glad apple have kept the M1 MBA around at a reduced price in addition to the M2 so more people can get on board the Apple Silicon train at an affordable price. Those who haven't tried one and compared to the noisy, sluggish furnaces that recent intel macbooks have been are missing out and the cheaper/easier they can get on board the train (either via cheap refurb/second hand Apple Silicon machines, or cheaper new ones) the better for everyone.


Any of these machines are SO far beyond what intel has on offer in the mobile space assuming you care at all about heat, noise and battery life.

 

[oneMadRssn]

I’m in the market to replace my Macbook 12” 2017 That is on it’s last legs. My workflow is word, excel, music collection management, about 15 browser tabs and the occasional movie watching and youtube streaming.

I have a Macbook Air M2 16gb on order, however I have the opportunity of purchasing a brand new MBP 14 base model for the same price through a family member.

My laptop is usually used at home either connected to monitor or on my lap depending which room I’m in. My 2017 MacBook gets really hot nowadays, so thinking long term wise the MBP will run a lot cooler anyway due to internal cooling. Obviously this will be slightly heavier than M2 Air mind.

With my workflow I realise the MBP is probably overkill lol, but anyone reckon this is still the sensible choice?

Going through a very similar decision process. I have a 12" rMB, and while it used to be amazing, it's been struggling lately.

My thinking for the MBA is, for the half-dozen or so times per year that I actually use a laptop for some intense task, it would be simpler to just get a USB-C cooling pad or fan. That way I can have active cooling for when I need it, and a super thin and light laptop for the other 99% of the time.

The other tough thing is that both the 14" MBP and MBA are, at this point, Rev A of a new design. Usually I like to wait until at least the second or third revision of an Apple hardware design before committing. (Hence I have a 2017 rMB, not a 2015). But in this case, at least as to the MBP, it seems there really are no issues and it's a really really good machine.

 

[Chic0]

Going through a very similar decision process. I have a 12" rMB, and while it used to be amazing, it's been struggling lately.

My thinking for the MBA is, for the half-dozen or so times per year that I actually use a laptop for some intense task, it would be simpler to just get a USB-C cooling pad or fan. That way I can have active cooling for when I need it, and a super thin and light laptop for the other 99% of the time.

The other tough thing is that both the 14" MBP and MBA are, at this point, Rev A of a new design. Usually I like to wait until at least the second or third revision of an Apple hardware design before committing. (Hence I have a 2017 rMB, not a 2015). But in this case, at least as to the MBP, it seems there really are no issues and it's a really really good machine.

Re your Macbook the cooling pad idea will probably see you through the more intensive tasks. Lately I’ve been finding that mine gets very hot even without doing anything particularly intensive. However my main reason for wanting to upgrade now is due to the wifi repeatedly disconnecting, which consequently makes even simple tasks more painful than they need to be. rMB is a great little machine. I would have preferred to have kept mine at least another year, but feel like my hand has been forced slightly.

As for the MBP Rev A design, I’m not that concerned. Not heard of major issues that effect many owners. It’s also been out for nearly 12months, so hopefully any design issues have been tweaked since then.

 

[oneMadRssn]

As for the MBP Rev A design, I’m not that concerned. Not heard of major issues that effect many owners. It’s also been out for nearly 12months, so hopefully any design issues have been tweaked since then.

I agree, everything I've seen suggests the new design is great. I just remember the past. Rev A unibody generation had issues. Rev A retina generation had issues. Rev A touchbar generation had MANY issues.

rMB is a great little machine. I would have preferred to have kept mine at least another year, but feel like my hand has been forced slightly.

I feel the same way. My primary issue has been slowdowns. Safari is barely usable, but Firefox works good enough. Sketchup used to work, somewhat, and now it's basically unusable. Also, given my growing remux collection, I'd prefer something with a hardware HEVC decoder.

As much as I have loved having something thin, light, and fanless, I am more and more starting to lean towards the 14"

 

[darngooddesign]

I’m in the market to replace my Macbook 12” 2017 That is on it’s last legs. My workflow is word, excel, music collection management, about 15 browser tabs and the occasional movie watching and youtube streaming.

I have a Macbook Air M2 16gb on order, however I have the opportunity of purchasing a brand new MBP 14 base model for the same price through a family member.

My laptop is usually used at home either connected to monitor or on my lap depending which room I’m in. My 2017 MacBook gets really hot nowadays, so thinking long term wise the MBP will run a lot cooler anyway due to internal cooling. Obviously this will be slightly heavier than M2 Air mind.

With my workflow I realise the MBP is probably overkill lol, but anyone reckon this is still the sensible choice?

Nothing you do is going to heat up the M2 Air, but if you aren't really taking the laptop places then the Air's weight and size benefits aren't very important. The MBP's speakers and screen, both of which are much better than the Air's, will be nicer for listening to music and watching movies.

 

[KPOM]

I’m in the market to replace my Macbook 12” 2017 That is on it’s last legs. My workflow is word, excel, music collection management, about 15 browser tabs and the occasional movie watching and youtube streaming.

I have a Macbook Air M2 16gb on order, however I have the opportunity of purchasing a brand new MBP 14 base model for the same price through a family member.

My laptop is usually used at home either connected to monitor or on my lap depending which room I’m in. My 2017 MacBook gets really hot nowadays, so thinking long term wise the MBP will run a lot cooler anyway due to internal cooling. Obviously this will be slightly heavier than M2 Air mind.

With my workflow I realise the MBP is probably overkill lol, but anyone reckon this is still the sensible choice?

I'd go with the Air. The 14" MBP is significantly heavier than your 12" MacBook. The MBA is closer in weight, and runs circles around your 2017 Air.

 

[Chic0]

M1 MBP arrived today. Love it. Weight wise it’s fine, however I’ll only be moving it around the house anyway. Only ever owned silver macs, so went Space grey this time round. I probably would have been fine with the MBA M2 screen, but this screen looks amazing. Need to test out some HDR content though.

Really pleased with my choice. Setting this up from new rather than use Time Machine backup, so that will take a bit of time. Besides as my Macbook 12 was having wifi connectivity issues my last complete backup was from a few months back. Anyway feels good to start afresh with my first Apple Silicon machine.

Only problem is that I’m now thinking of upgrading to a 4K external monitor