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Cashmonee

macrumors 65832
Original poster
May 27, 2006
1,504
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I know this is always asked, but I am still struggling with the decision. I am ready to replace my 2018 13" MacBook Pro, mostly because our secondary machine is a 2013 MacBook Pro that is ready to be retired. I am grappling with whether I should go with a 13" MacBook Air or 14" MacBook Pro. Here is my usage:

  • The computer will likely never leave the house, so portability is only important in the sense of going from desk to couch.
  • I am a pretty light user. The most demanding thing I do is hobby-level Lightroom and possibly some gaming. It would be great to be able to run Cities: Skylines but I doubt that is happening well enough on a Mac from what I am reading. Gaming is just a bonus as I have consoles and a PC.
  • I tend to keep my computers for a long time. Usually about 5 years for my own use and then another 5 as secondary machine for the family (mostly my wife when her iPad isn't sufficient). So there does need to be some future proofing.
  • It will also be docked a lot of the time to what is currently a 27" QHD Dell monitor.
  • I also have an M1 11" iPad Pro.
  • Budget is not a major concern.
Here are the two machines I am considering, though I am open to other ideas.

13" M2 MacBook Air 8 CPU/10 GPU 16GB/1TB: $1659 EDU Pricing

14" M2 Pro MacBook Pro 12 CPU/19 GPU 16GB/1TB: $2299 EDU Pricing

Is it worth ~$600 to go to the MacBook Pro?

EDIT: To add, I am attracted to the MBP because I think it would be a bit more future proof, I like the better screen, like the SD Card slot, and from what I read, it will run a bit cooler which is nice for lap use. The MBA is interesting because I prefer the Midnight color and of course do not mind spending less money.
 
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