Macbook (Air or Pro) buying questions

[DELTAsnake]

I'm thinking about replacing my 27" iMac with a Macbook Air or Pro + my old 27" LED Cinema Display.

I use my iMac for iTunes and podcast mostly but I'd like a computer to take with me when I travel, hence the change from a desktop to a laptop.

First, is there any issue using the modern Thunderbolt equipped Macbook's with the old Display Port standard?

Second I know that the Macbook Air and Macbook Pro can be upgraded (tho voiding the warranty) with a 3rd party SSD. I'm not sure but I think the Air and Pro requirements are slightly different. What M.2 key does the replacement have to be, and is it NVME or AHCI? I'd like to be able to put a 1tb SSD into a lower end Air or Pro that Apple doesn't offer it on because I don't need the extra CPU or graphics of the higher end Macbook's.

Beyond that are there any advantages to the Air over the Pro outside of the better portability of the Air?

Thanks.

 

[Tomorrow]

Don't underestimate the portability of the MacBook Pro. It's not really that much bigger or heavier.

I use my MBP with a mini DisplayPort/Thunderbolt to DisplayPort cable with an external monitor with no issues at all. I like that this cable also connects sound to the monitor (that I then take to a set of external speakers).

I can't help you with the SSD question, since mine is stock and suits me just fine - I haven't looked into upgrading mine.

 

[DELTAsnake]

Finally found the answer to the SSD part of the question. They are using PCIE keyed M.2 drives but they are a custom length, only the official Apple parts and the OWC parts will fit, so the cheaper upcoming Samsung 1TB drives won't physically fit. Thanks for the info on the monitor Tomorrow, I might go with a Pro.