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MacBook Pro 16" or 2026 Windows laptop?

Steve Adams said:
If you need Windows for work and are spending macbook pro money and you can wait till the fall. Grab a Surface Ultra or ProArt system. Having Native Windows is much better for work than paralells. I have tried this previously and some windows software does not like the emulated OS. As for Ai, it's everywhere in everything don't base your decision on Ai. Apple systems will be chocked full of it in a few months as well.

It's your money and buy what you like. The new windows systems based on the Nvidia chips are going to be powerhouses.
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Too many people also forget about so many different Linux distros…
 
maflynn said:
As the saying goes, get the best tool for the job, if your need is to use windows and/or Linux based applications then the Mac is not a great fit.

There is no right or wrong in this question, its more about which tool best fits your needs. Every operating system has its positives and negatives.
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You sound like Yoda in this sentence. ha ha.
 
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If CAD runs well on an Nvidia 5060 8GB, then this is the laptop I would recommend:

Lenovo Pro 9i Aura Edition (16” Intel) | A creative powerhouse laptop

Bring your biggest ideas to life on the Lenovo Pro 9i Aura Edition (16” Intel), powered by Intel® Core™ Ultra processors and NVIDIA® graphics.
www.lenovo.com

I have last year's 14" Aura Edition and it's really fast and quiet. However, it does not have a dedicated GPU so mine would probably not work out well for CAD. Anyway, take a look at the different 16" models available this year and the GPU configurations and see if they meet the requirements for your CAD applications.
 
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Wizec said:
If CAD runs well on an Nvidia 5060 8GB, then this is the laptop I would recommend:

Lenovo Pro 9i Aura Edition (16” Intel) | A creative powerhouse laptop

Bring your biggest ideas to life on the Lenovo Pro 9i Aura Edition (16” Intel), powered by Intel® Core™ Ultra processors and NVIDIA® graphics.
www.lenovo.com

I have last year's 14" Aura Edition and it's really fast and quiet. However, it does not have a dedicated GPU so mine would probably not work out well for CAD. Anyway, take a look at the different 16" models available this year and the GPU configurations and see if they meet the requirements for your CAD applications.
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This is a good Panther Lake alternative if Windows is a necessity. Only caveats are: 1) Bigger power brick - proprietary not USB-C - due to display size and dedicated GPU power requirements; 2) It will not be quiet like a 14” with no dGPU, the Nvidia 5060 will need to be cooled and fans will run more often; 3) Purely matter of preference, but has a larger top bezel and a protrusion at the top of the lid to accommodate the camera and to make it easier to open the lid - but at least no notch into the display (I’m not sure which one - Lenovo protrusion or Apple notch - is worse to be honest lol). Both are less of an issue if running external displays.

Overall I like this Lenovo and would be a finalist if I were in the market for a Windows PC.
 
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Wizec said:
If CAD runs well on an Nvidia 5060 8GB, then this is the laptop I would recommend:

Lenovo Pro 9i Aura Edition (16” Intel) | A creative powerhouse laptop

Bring your biggest ideas to life on the Lenovo Pro 9i Aura Edition (16” Intel), powered by Intel® Core™ Ultra processors and NVIDIA® graphics.
www.lenovo.com

I have last year's 14" Aura Edition and it's really fast and quiet. However, it does not have a dedicated GPU so mine would probably not work out well for CAD. Anyway, take a look at the different 16" models available this year and the GPU configurations and see if they meet the requirements for your CAD applications.
Click to expand...

It has a crazy glossy reflective screen. Large power brick is a problem given the much lower battery life. Are those from other well-known manufacturers better and dead silent? Fan noise drives me crazy.
 
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hajime said:
Thanks. Is there any Thunderbolt 4 port? There is no explicit mention on that.
Wow it is very costly to upgrade the GPU to 5090. I wonder if the power supply is also big and heavy.
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It had usb 4, same thing, AMD calls it usb 4, intel calls it thunderbolt. So it does have one port, and yes the charger will be quite large and heavy to power an rtx 5090. It says its a 240w brick
 
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Always starts with I dont want Ai. Hmm yes Evil Ai.
Well linux can have it too if you install it.
My internet provider takes care of my data they know all about me, lol.
VPN too much hassle and some not truthful to trust.
Get what ever tool/computer will work for you and price range.
Any computer can be good and all can be evil for any usage.
Bad thing is bottom computer prices starts higher in price with the RAM and SSD issues.
Good Luck!
 
I received the MacBook Pro M5 Pro 16” bought before the price increase yesterday. Completely unexcited and not even opened the box. Perhaps I no longer love the Mac after Apple announced integration of more AI into the upcoming OS.

The only things I like about the MacBook Pro is that for my usage, I have never heard of the fan noise and that MacOS is more secure.
 
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The more I read about NVIDIA Spark chip the more I want to wait and see first PCs running on it. Also the future of Windows ARM is brighter now because NVIDIA joins the club. I think it is safe to say if one doesn't need to buy a new hardware now should wait till autumn/winter.
 
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hajime said:
I received the MacBook Pro M5 Pro 16” bought before the price increase yesterday. Completely unexcited and not even opened the box. Perhaps I no longer love the Mac after Apple announced integration of more AI into the upcoming OS.

The only things I like about the MacBook Pro is that for my usage, I have never heard of the fan noise and that MacOS is more secure.
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As I mentioned before. My fans never turn on unless I am video editing on my Dell Laptop. Even then, they are no louder than the fans in the M1 MBP.
 
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This is the 3rd day since I received the MacBook Pro. Still haven't opened it even I need a laptop to do my work. I guess my love with the Mac dies with Steve. I don't like butterfly keyboard and those supper thin Macbook Pro designed by Jonny boy. Although many people love the Silicon Mac, I don't like them because they cannot run Windows and Linux natively. Moreover, all previous generations were not able to run the Windows software I use satisfactory and the RAM/SSD are not upgradable. This created endless stress. Years of productivity have been lost due to Devil Tim and Jonny boy.

I will give other laptops a try.
 
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My only advice is Don't let perfect be the enemy of good

@hajime I've seen posts from you for over 6 years obsessing, agonizing and debating every little detail on a given laptop. You've been struggling with getting a computer since before 2020, Every laptop has distinct and maybe even unique advantages and disadvantages. The idiom "Can't see the forest for the trees" Fits in that if you focus on so much of the small nits and imperfections, you'll never buy a laptop or never be content. They're just tools to get the job done.

If you've been using an ARM based Mac already and it has largely did the job you required of it, then your M5 is a great step up, just open the machine and use it.
 
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maflynn said:
My only advice is Don't let perfect be the enemy of good

@hajime I've seen posts from you for over 6 years obsessing, agonizing and debating every little detail on a given laptop. You've been struggling with getting a computer since before 2020, Every laptop has distinct and maybe even unique advantages and disadvantages. The idiom "Can't see the forest for the trees" Fits in that if you focus on so much of the small nits and imperfections, you'll never buy a laptop or never be content. They're just tools to get the job done.

If you've been using an ARM based Mac already and it has largely did the job you required of it, then your M5 is a great step up, just open the machine and use it.
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I've found that the answer is to get one of each.

I like to do video editing on Macs. I am not interested in learning new software for video editing and the workflow is so fast.

I need Windows for trading. Windows works better for me on my virtual machine multimedia stuff but that's mainly due to VMware. VMware for ARM Macs doesn't have high-speed sharing like it does on Windows. I suspect that it works on Parallels but I want a free solution. It might also work on UTM but UTM doesn't have the graphics acceleration that VMware and Parallels have.
 
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maflynn said:
My only advice is Don't let perfect be the enemy of good

@hajime I've seen posts from you for over 6 years obsessing, agonizing and debating every little detail on a given laptop. You've been struggling with getting a computer since before 2020, Every laptop has distinct and maybe even unique advantages and disadvantages. The idiom "Can't see the forest for the trees" Fits in that if you focus on so much of the small nits and imperfections, you'll never buy a laptop or never be content. They're just tools to get the job done.

If you've been using an ARM based Mac already and it has largely did the job you required of it, then your M5 is a great step up, just open the machine and use it.
Click to expand...

Thanks. Yes, it is extremely stressful to choose a Mac under the management of the soon-to-be axed CEO. Besides all these hardware and software things, I also have to deal with his pricing strategies, etc. Every year, a lot of time have been lost to choose the configurations and test some machines.

The machine I have not opened is a M5 Pro MacBook Pro 16" but only 24GB. Right now the RAM is sufficient to run Windows and applications but I don't know about the future. Besides, I would need to buy Parallels Pro every year even they are discounted if I split the RAM half-half between Mac OS and Windows/Linux. The laptop is a bit heavy and I have lost interest in the supposed-to-be Ultra. Also, can't wait for that long. I also have a problem with MacOS interface. On Windows, we can increase the resolutions and adjust the font size independently. Under MacOS, we can't. So there is a limitation on the resolutions because even higher resolutions are available, too high the resolutions means letters are too small to read. If there is a way to adjust the resolution and font size independently, please let us know.

Do you still have the X1 Extreme?
 
maflynn said:
Yes, in some closet somewhere. I actually forgot that I had that laptop. I should fire that bad boy up and see how its working, lol
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I had my MacBook Pro 2010 17" in a closet. I changed the battery to the OWC one few years ago. It was working but after I put it back into the closet and took it out few months later, it became completely dead.
 
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hajime said:
Thanks. Yes, it is extremely stressful to choose a Mac under the management of the soon-to-be axed CEO. Besides all these hardware and software things, I also have to deal with his pricing strategies, etc. Every year, a lot of time have been lost to choose the configurations and test some machines.

The machine I have not opened is a M5 Pro MacBook Pro 16" but only 24GB. Right now the RAM is sufficient to run Windows and applications but I don't know about the future. Besides, I would need to buy Parallels Pro every year even they are discounted if I split the RAM half-half between Mac OS and Windows/Linux. The laptop is a bit heavy and I have lost interest in the supposed-to-be Ultra. Also, can't wait for that long. I also have a problem with MacOS interface. On Windows, we can increase the resolutions and adjust the font size independently. Under MacOS, we can't. So there is a limitation on the resolutions because even higher resolutions are available, too high the resolutions means letters are too small to read. If there is a way to adjust the resolution and font size independently, please let us know.

Do you still have the X1 Extreme?
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I smell a ProArt P16 in YOUR future! ha ha.
 
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hajime said:
Hello, I orderd a MacBook Pro M5 Pro 16" before the price increase but due to poor handling of UPS, the product was damaged. I can exchange for another one or get a refund.

I planned to possibly trade-in for the Ultra when it is out but now that all those negative rumors about the upcoming Ultra have shown up, I wonder if it is better to get a Windows laptop instead. I chose the MacBook Pro 16" mainly for the secured OS, no fan noise and nice screen. Also, Windows laptops I tried before the pandemic all had fans kicking in even they were idle. They drove me crazy.

MacOS is nice to have due to the security but for work, I need Windows and Linux. It means that if I go for the MacBook Pro, I will need spend money to upgrade Parallels Pro each year (Vmware Fusion does not work for my Windows application). I don't want AI in my computer. Is MacBook Pro still better than Windows laptops even Apple is going to add more AI stuffs in the up-coming OS because we can turn them "ALL" off? Currently typing on a Windows PC. I think I have Co-Pilot turned off. Perhaps some AI stuffs are running in the background without my knowledge. At least, they don't bother me so far.
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I use a Macbook Air and a 49" monitor. I would go for laptop because they are all powerful now and you cna pick it up and go. I just dongle it to my monitor. Works great and then I have the laptop for portability. Get lots of ram and a large disc (at least 1TB; more if you cna afford it). I backup every hour/day using Time Machine. I use Parallels and Windows 11. Never have had a problem so I'm not sure why people are crying about it. I also use Co-Pilot, which is excellent. And this is all for work, to be clear. It will soon to be the point that the OS' will not work without AI turned on, so consider that.
 
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