Someone talk me in to getting an M2 15" MacBook Air please...

[ozziegn]

Its a great machine, but you should consider one with 16GB RAM instead, unless you planing to keep it for 2-3 years max.

People belly ache over the whole 8GB memory thing which I get it. But 8GBs of memory has never been a problem for me. I run Chrome, Discord and I run a program for my day trading at a minimum of 12 to 15 hours per day and I have never had any memory issues. I might even edit a 4K video here and there and that still isn't a problem. At some point you have to balance between getting a great deal with a machine that will fill your needs vs getting robbed by Apple in terms of how they jack up their prices on laptop upgrades.

 

[serpico007]

That's great. I usually have small buyer's remorse every time I buy big ticket items like this. But in this case I have zero buyer's remorse. My new 15" MBA cost me $717 after my M1 MBA trade in and sales tax. I'll pay a measly $29/month for two years on my 24 month 0% financing with my Best Buy credit card. I normally pay cash for everything but I never pas up the chance to use other peoples money.

The bigger screen on top of what think are better speakers in my new laptop are a very sweet upgrade.

I understand, I don’t have any remorse on buying it.

 

[wayne905]

Congrats on your new machine...enjoy!

 

[aj_niner]

People belly ache over the whole 8GB memory thing which I get it. But 8GBs of memory has never been a problem for me. I run Chrome, Discord and I run a program for my day trading at a minimum of 12 to 15 hours per day and I have never had any memory issues. I might even edit a 4K video here and there and that still isn't a problem. At some point you have to balance between getting a great deal with a machine that will fill your needs vs getting robbed by Apple in terms of how they jack up their prices on laptop upgrades.

People on MR are mostly outliers & prioritize computing comfort.

To most of MR userbase 8GB "is a problem".

Expand the sample size to nearing the over 100 million Mac users worldwide then 8GB "is not a problem".

In the same way "I love the iPhone mini" echo chamber on iPhone user groups are not substantial in number to justify a iPhone 15 mini.

 

[smirking]

Expand the sample size to nearing the whole Mac ecosystem population then 8GB "is not a problem".

All the social disruptions of 2020 pushed me into wider social circles online. I was suddenly the weirdo because I couldn't imagine anyone being productive on anything lower than 32GB. I discovered lots of people doing similar work just fine on much lower spec machines.

Going from 13" to 15" is a nice change to my old tired eyes even though I'm also using a 28" external monitor.

@ozziegn, I didn't think you'd have any reason to have buyer's remorse here. I was going to post "DO IT DO IT!" but then I noticed you already did.

Easier for the eyes is a big plus in my book. I realized some years ago that I was much more productive on retina quality screens because eye pain wouldn't become a distraction toward the end of the day. Ever since then I've prioritized experiences that are better on my eyes.

​

 

[aj_niner]

All the social disruptions of 2020 pushed me into wider social circles online. I was suddenly the weirdo because I couldn't imagine anyone being productive on anything lower than 32GB. I discovered lots of people doing similar work just fine on much lower spec machines.

For over a decade I've been using 32GB memory.

I was hoping that a fictional 2022 iMac 32" 6K M2 would have user upgradable RAM slots to allow for 256GB memory.

Neither occurred.

I wanted that luxury because of my experience being bottle necked to less than 8GB memory from year 1992 to 2012.

The Mac SKUs we see on Apple's site are based on the most likely configurations that over 80% of all Mac users would buy. This is being done for economies of scale and improved supply chain.

For the outliers, like those on MR, that demand BTOs will likely bump up specs to as much as their budget allows.

 

[smirking]

I wanted that luxury because of my experience being bottle necked to less than 8GB memory from year 1992 to 2012.

If think you'll find being bottlenecked to 8GB on any of the M-chip machines today to be a much different experience for typical everyday computing needs. I actually did try that 8GB life myself when I picked up a low-spec 13" M1 as a test drive when I needed to send my 32GB 2018 MBP in for repairs.

That 8GB M1 did more than just pass. I pushed it hard and with few exceptions, it just worked. Returning it was a tough decision. I almost kept my test drive and sold my regular Mac when it returned from repairs.

 

[aj_niner]

If think you'll find being bottlenecked to 8GB on any of the M-chip machines today to be a much different experience for typical everyday computing needs. I actually did try that 8GB life myself when I picked up a low-spec 13" M1 as a test drive when I needed to send my 32GB 2018 MBP in for repairs.

That 8GB M1 did more than just pass. I pushed it hard and with few exceptions, it just worked. Returning it was a tough decision. I almost kept my test drive and sold my regular Mac when it returned from repairs.

I agree but I'd likely go with a M4 Pro that defaults to 16GB memory & 512GB storage.

 

[smirking]

I agree but I'd likely go with a M4 Pro that defaults to 16GB memory & 512GB storage.

I concur. I'm currently on a 16GB M1 Pro, but whenever I upgrade I'll likely bump back up to a 32GB unit. I make my living with this so I'm not going to make a habit of buying less machine than I think would be ideal.

I went with a lower spec machine when I upgraded to my M1 Pro just to make sure I wasn't misleading anyone. I told a lot of people that I was stunned that an 8GB M1 handled my full workload and I wanted to make sure I wasn't lying to them.

 

[aj_niner]

I concur. I'm currently on a 16GB M1 Pro, but whenever I upgrade I'll likely bump back up to a 32GB unit. I make my living with this so I'm not going to make a habit of buying less machine than I think would be ideal.

I went with a lower spec machine when I upgraded to my M1 Pro just to make sure I wasn't misleading anyone. I told a lot of people that I was stunned that an 8GB M1 handled my full workload and I wanted to make sure I wasn't lying to them.

I was thinking of going M4 Max if 32GB & 1TB was a key priority.

BTOs just take too long

 

[smirking]

I was thinking of going M4 Max if 32GB & 1TB was a key priority.

I shied away from the Max because battery life was a bigger priority for me than getting more horses, but if what other people here have said about the M3 Max is true, you can now have it both ways. It'll default to efficiency mode to save power if you're not plugged in and still perform at the level of an M2 Max.

Next time around, I will say "Yes please!" if I can have both extra battery life and the option for extra horses.

I'm probably going to stick with my normal 4 year cycle and target the M5 for my next upgrade, but if the M4s do something jaw dropping, I might fast forward a year.

 

[thadoggfather]

I bought the silver model. I have always preferred the silver color because I like the natural color of the aluminum. This is gonna work out well for me. Going from 13" to 15" is a nice change to my old tired eyes even though I'm also using a 28" external monitor.

View attachment 2328431

awesome!

I got the base silver 15 MBA for a great deal open box and traded in my base 13 M1 MBA which was fine and perfect

seems like a really good upgrade, hope you enjoy

 

[Student of Life]

The interesting thing is that there are a lot of complainers over the Pro forum with the new M3. I know these forums tend to get more negatives than positives (esp. when there is a new product) and maybe I'm just being biased, but there seems to be fewer complaints about the 15" Air.

Part of it is because the Air caters to a different demographic. If one is getting a Pro the majority of the time it's because they need extras resources for XYZ reason and remember those consumers pay a hefty premium over what an Air consumer will pay. Thus different expectations.

 

[Richardlench]

tl;dr for this argument: an entry-level spec shouldn't exist for anybody, anywhere. it should match the spec of a high-end industrial-level machine. But it should also stay the same price because I refuse to pay the premium for the premium options.

 

[Isamilis]

Apple product line now is confusing. Air has overlap with Pro base model. The idea that MBA should be as light as “air” (and it fits in paper envelop) is no longer true. Probably the same with Pro is for Pro user which is no longer valid. It’s like Apple just want to sell as many as possible, make as many permutation of their product line.

 

[Student of Life]

Apple product line now is confusing. Air has overlap with Pro base model. The idea that MBA should be as light as “air” (and it fits in paper envelop) is no longer true. Probably the same with Pro is for Pro user which is no longer valid. It’s like Apple just want to sell as many as possible, make as many permutation of their product line.

I think eventually they will remove the air part and just market / brand them as MacBooks like they originally did. That way you have a more simpler comparison between a MacBook and a MacBook Pro. That leaves the Air to go back to being ultra portable and cutting edge technology.