Switching from MacBook to Mac Studio

[rcappo]

I have an older MacBook Pro that I have used and abused. But 99% of the time I use it with an external monitor. So, I have pretty much decided to switch to a Mac Studio when they put out the M2 version or a Mac Mini when that M2 model comes out later this Fall or Winter.

Has anyone else come across a problem by not having a good laptop? Or are the benefits to the Mac Studio compared to the M2 MacBook/Mac Airs not worth it? I will need to buy a USB hub and memory card reader, use my RAID array for more storage, an external keyboard and mouse, and display most of the time anyways. I also have a 1.2KWh battery pack and 50" 4K monitor. Only when traveling by airplane would it become an issue. But does the 14 extra cores of GPU and a bit more unified memory make a big difference? Or are laptops and desktops a lot closer in performance now than they used to be?

I'm also surprised that the prices are so close between all three options. It doesn't seem like buying a screen, backlit keyboard, touchpad, and battery in a much smaller case adds too much to the price of a laptop compared to the Mac Studio.

 

[F-Train]

One can purchase a MacBook Pro and a Mac Studio Max with exactly the same specs. I don't believe that there's a meaningful difference in computing performance, apart from the fact that the 14" MacBook Pro, and maybe the 16", may throttle when driven hard.

I purchased a Mac Studio because I have a very good Eizo monitor and don't need a laptop computer with one, which in the case of the 14" and 16" MacBook Pros adds US$900 to the price. I also wanted the Studio's additional ports, in part because I want nothing to do with peripherals like hubs.

I have homes in two countries, and computer monitors in both. One of the attractions of the Mac Studio was that it will easily fit in a plane's overhead bin.

The following are the specs for my Mac Studio M1 Max, which is maxed out except for storage. You can get the same specs in a MacBook Pro:
10 general processing cores
32 graphics processing cores
2 video engines
64GB memory
2TB storage

 

[haralds]

Really depends on your use case. The M1 Airs are completely capably for most users including medium photo work, Logic Pro, and Final Cut Pro. Xcode is fast. Parallels with Windows 11 runs nicely.
M1 Mini is cheaper than Air but loses portability. Not much difference in performance.

 

[F-Train]

I have pretty much decided to switch to a Mac Studio when they put out the M2 version or a Mac Mini when that M2 model comes out later this Fall or Winter.

If Mark Gurman is right (see his Bloomberg piece last Sunday), the main difference is that the Mac Studio/Max will come with an M2 Max chip and the Mac mini will offer the choice of a base M2 chip and an M2 Pro chip.

Comes down to the substantive performance difference between the M2 Max and M2 Pro chips and whatever the price difference is.

 

[F-Train]

Really depends on your use case. The M1 Airs are completely capably for most users including medium photo work, Logic Pro, and Final Cut Pro. Xcode is fast. Parallels with Windows 11 runs nicely.
M1 Mini is cheaper than Air but loses portability. Not much difference in performance.

MacRumors says that the M2 MacBook Air will be available for pre-order this Friday and that Apple Store launch is July 15th. Looks like it adds US$200 to the cost of an M1 MacBook Air.

 

[rcappo]

That M2 Macbook Air does seem pretty tempting... I will have to take a trip to the Apple store in a few weeks to check these new computers out.

I have about 10 USB devices plugged in to my computer now, so whichever one I choose I will need to use a USB hub of sorts. Plus a compact flash memory card reader for my DSLR.

 

[F-Train]

That M2 Macbook Air does seem pretty tempting... I will have to take a trip to the Apple store in a few weeks to check these new computers out.

You might enjoy, even find useful, this Marques Brownlee video from last week about the M2 13" MacBook Air and M2 13" MacBook Pro:

 

[rcappo]

There is a reason I only go through the process of buying a new computer once a decade...

It will be interesting what computers will get updated processors in the Fall, but that doesn't make choosing which one I will buy any easier.

The only thing is that I know that I don't have the budget to buy a M1 Ultra or M2 Ultra, and I probably wouldn't be able to do enough to push any of these computers to their limits very often.

 

[Fishrrman]

You didn't tell us which year your MBP was made (you just said, "older").

Since you stated that "99% of the time I use it with an external monitor", we can guess that it doesn't get "moved around" that much. Which is primarily what a laptop is for.

I'd get the Studio. Even the base model will probably exceed your expectations. You might want to upgrade the internal storage from 512gb to 1tb.

You already have the external display (maybe keyboard and mouse too?) -- just plug it in and keep on going.

Then... KEEP the MBP as "a backup" and a "carry-around" for when you need it. Don't worry about keeping them "synched" -- just "let each Mac be its own Mac".

There's nothing better than a good desktop "for desktop things" and a laptop "for laptop things".

 

[Momof9]

I just purchased the m1Pro 14" MBP and now to hook everything to a dock to make it easier to grab and go if I should need - that's another $250-300.... with educational discount - I can already get a Mac Studio for $100 more than what I paid for this MBP.... I did get it for $300 off. I do have 2 28" monitors. I just know the Mac Studio will be overkill for my needs. I want a Mac mini with a pro chip LOL..... Trying to get use to a laptop again is cumbersome at times.... stand, the way it starts etc.

I also have 12.9" M1 iPP....

 

[Killerbob]

It is, unfortunately, not a straightforward decision. I used to be a laptop boy - my favourite was a 2014 13” MacBook Pro, and then I got an iPad Pro with a keyboard, and I never looked back. In my opinion, the best combi is a Mac Studio for actual work and an iPad for going mobile.

 

[Momof9]

No it’s not such a straight forward or easy decision. I had windows laptops for many many years, then went to an asus gaming computer for more power for photoshop. Got so frustrated with windows that I gave it to my kids. Then went with out a computer for maybe 6 months and was iPad only. But found big issues back then, 2018, no easy way to get my files from external drive, not great monitor support etc. so then bought my first Mac computer. My Mac mini’s ssd is too full so acting up, after almost 4 years it does seem to be slowing down a lot. What I read, the m1 just isn’t that great for graphic design, maybe basic needs, but anything complex and it starts stuttering. I thought the M1 pro seemed perfect for my needs, but it is so complex making it into a desktop unit. Lol