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Ordered a 14" MBP and now have reservations. Input appreciated.
- Thread starter watchmainspring
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Clearly, as other posters have said, you don't need the power. What you're really considering is whether you might prefer the larger 16.2" screen for all those documents. Of course, you could get an external screen to plug into, but you can't take that external screen with you when you're mobile.
I'm in a similar fix, not really needing huge power but wanting a bigger screen than the 13 inch MBA...
I'll probably splurge for the larger model but I can 'afford' to take the hit for that larger screen. Although I probably can't 'afford' to tell my wife
Yeah I don't trust that is going to last or be true. If you read the previous discussion about the i9, it slows down even with basic multitasking.
My m1 air is definitely difficult to challenge but I can get it to slow down somewhat with simultaneous streaming, 100+ tabs through multiple applications, etc.
Was in the same boat as you OP. Was considering the base model 14 inch, for the ProMotion and brighter display, but I went to the Apple Store to try the new machines, and boy...did I change my mind.
While the display on the new machines are fan-freaking-tastic, they only go up to 500 nits of brightness(unless you're looking at HDR content). Also, the ProMotion doesn't seem to work with certain applications like Safari.
Finally, the thickness of the machines is very off-putting. Granted, I am not a power user by any means(my work flow is extremely similar to yours). My M1 Air handles it without breaking a sweat. I'm definitely not the target audience for this computer. I'm definitely hanging onto my 16GB Air for a very long time.
Or you could get an M2 Air next year!
If I decide to return my 14" MBP, that's what I'll likely do.
Yes! May consider getting the M2. It will depend on the aesthetics though, not too sure how i feel about the rumored white bezels. Will have to wait and see!Or you could get an M2 Air next year!
If I decide to return my 14" MBP, that's what I'll likely do.
Eh, don't mind the panels, but to each their own. The new displays on the 14/16 inch are awesome, but the Air's display looks great to me.
I felt the same way about my 12 pro until I got the 13 pro. Once you've had steak you can't go back to hot dogs. Not sure if that analogy applies here.
Yeah. I have an iPad Pro and the display is so much better on that than my M1 MBA. For me, the biggest draw of the 14" MBP is not the power (though that will be nice), but the better display, audio, webcam, and ports.
Next year's M2 Air will likely have a better display (though I imagine not quite as good as the MBP, maybe no Pro Motion?), but I doubt it will have the same audio system and it certainly won't have the ports. That's why I continue to be torn.
The 14 and 16 each have only around 100 more nits of SDR brightness than the M1 Air. I have the 14 and 16 and it features the same SDR brightness that my M1 13 produces, which is only about 100 nits more than the M1 Air. Both the 14 and 16 are chunky and heavy. You definitely will not be able to move around with the 16 as you do with the M1 Air. There is absolutely no reason to upgrade to either the 14 or 16 if you're not a Pro. The M1 Air or M1 13 are amazing devices for non-Pros.
Why would you get the Max when you're not a Pro? That's a complete waste of money. The base 14 is incredible, even for most Pros. But even with the base 14, you're paying double the price of the M1 Air for 1 additional inch of screen real estate and 100 more nits of SDR brightness. You're better off keeping the M1 Air and waiting for next year's rumored 15 inch M2 Air.
I have an amd 5950x desktop and it’s faster than my M1 pro 14 but which do you think I use as my daily driver? Even with the enormous power from the desktop I still chose the M1 pro for everything except the dedicated tasks on the desktop.
This is not a marriage and even marriages fall apart. So don’t think too much just buy the new one in your budget and sell something later if you must.
I go back and forth desktop and laptop for the things I need to do (gaming and encoding security footages). This way keeps my interests fresh too switching between operating systems.
This is not a marriage and even marriages fall apart. So don’t think too much just buy the new one in your budget and sell something later if you must.
I go back and forth desktop and laptop for the things I need to do (gaming and encoding security footages). This way keeps my interests fresh too switching between operating systems.
I said why earlier:
- Better display
- Better audio/speakers
- Better webcam
- More ports (especially SD)
- More power
For me, it comes down to which machine has the features I want. I'm not that price sensitive. I own my own business and can expense it, and I am able to trade my M1 Air in and save $750 off the sticker price of a new MBP.
For me, it will come down to whether battery life on the 14" is sufficient (based on earlier reports, it seems like it is), and if I can live with the size and weight increase.
Quality of the display on the 14 will be much better, but the ProMotion currently does not work on Safari. I'm not sure if there are available updates to fix that. The extra 1 inch of screen real estate does not make much of a difference and I personally prefer the M1 Air/M1 13 aspect ratio over the 14.
It's a mini-LED screen with ProMotion. You conveniently skipped the extremely high contrast ratio and the high refresh rate, but just focused on the "100" nits on SDR as if it's the only better feature.
Having said that, if you currently have the M1 Air or M1 Pro but totally don't care about the improvements on the new MBP and you have no use for the extra power, of course you don't need to upgrade. But if you buy new, it may not be a choice as simple as you think.
For instance, the starting price for the M1 devices are not the same as the 14-inch MBP, to be specific, the RAM and the storage is not the same. Adding the RAM and storage upgrade to the M1 machines price, now it's a fair comparison.
Have you gone to an Apple Store and held the 14? It's a lot thicker and heavier than the M1 Air so immediately, you will have less portability. "More Power" --- nice to have more power on tap but it sounds like the M1 Air has been more than enough for your needs. All the other reasons you state above make sense if you want to spend 50-75% more than your M1 Air. I personally don't think it's worth all that money. I use earphones/Air Pod Pros and don't care for a better webcam. If it was FaceID, different story but that notch is so ugly and useless. There's already tons of issues with it and it looks like an Apple problem.
The battery life is where you will be most disappointed. It's hard to go from pretty damn good to just average. I have the M1 13 and while I haven't yet tested the 14's battery, based on Apple's claim of 14 for video and 11 for browsing, I will pass on that and wait for the M2.
To be candid, last year's MacBook M1 could handle everything you listed. The new MacBook Pros can take on intensive 8k .raw file editing (dozens of files) for real professionals. The MacBook Pro 16" can do everything you listed without the fan turning on once. I've been editing 10-12 4k .raw files in PhotoShop and the fan has yet to kick on. FYI, each .raw file is 150mb.
It doesn't work on Safari so you'll have to use on Google Chrome and as a result get less battery life. I still don't think the screen alone is worth the extra 1,000-1,500 in comparison to the M1 Air.
Just invest the extra cash into some worthless crypto and by next year, you'll have enough fiat to buy 5-10 M2 devices.
The 16 is not only large and chunky, it's very heavy. It's probably reserved for occasional trips. I have it right now and if I decide to keep it, it will stay on my desk for 90% of the time and connected to my ultra-wide.Clearly, as other posters have said, you don't need the power. What you're really considering is whether you might prefer the larger 16.2" screen for all those documents. Of course, you could get an external screen to plug into, but you can't take that external screen with you when you're mobile.
I'm in a similar fix, not really needing huge power but wanting a bigger screen than the 13 inch MBA...
I'll probably splurge for the larger model but I can 'afford' to take the hit for that larger screen. Although I probably can't 'afford' to tell my wife
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