Hi!
I currently have a Macbook Pro 2018 (13.3, 4 thunderbolt ports, Intel i5 8256U, with 8gb ram and 256gb ssd). I´m close to finishing my phD in psychology, and i´m checking the laptop market to upgrade for the future work, as my current one have some issues (butterfly keyboard, battery a bit weak sometimes and lack of power for certain scenarios). I have many Apple devices (iPhone 13 Pro Max, iPad Air M1, Apple TV 4K, Airpods 2+Max...) so really invested with the ecosystem. I´ve used the iPad as a secondary monitor with Sidecar or even Universal Control as a backup to some articles (pdfs on iPad and word on MBP for example).
For me, the laptop is a secondary device i use when i need to work in the lab or when i travel, doing the heavier work in my home PC (a Ryzen 5800X custom build, 16gb ram, 3060Ti, really powerful). I like my devices to last as long as possible (4-5 years minimum). My work involves usually these kind of tasks: data analysis (SPSS and Brainvision Analyzer for EEG signals, with the latter being really CPU intensive), designing experimental procedures (ePrime, PsychoPy), some programming, which i´m still learning (Python is usually the way to go in my field), reading a lot of pdf (scientific papers), opening a lot of firefox/safari tabs (to search those papers), and MS office for writing articles, designing presentations and organizing experimental data. I don´t usually game with my laptop, and rely a lot on cloud storage. Its rare that i have to do video editing, but sometimes i need to design 2D figures for the articles, using a really old program (Macromedia Fireworks CS3).
My main issue with upgrading is that some of the programs i use (Brainvision Analyzer, PSNet ePrime, Macromedia Fireworks) are only available on Windows and some even use USB security dongles, which is the reason i have a Bootcamp W11 partition on my MBP. This is something i cannot do with current Macbooks with M1/M2, so that could be a limitation (if i needed to use those programs i could only use my home PC). However, Windows alternatives with Intel 12º gen processors are scarce in my country (mainly the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 Pro, Dell XPS 13 and some Lenovo Thinkbooks) and when i search, some even present issues in the long run, which could affect durability and futureproofing.
Should i choose a Windows laptop for my use case, or stick with a M1/M2 Macbook despite some programs are absent on MacOS?
If i choose a Macbook, i think one of the most interesting alternatives for me is the 16gb ram / 256gb SSD M2 Macbook Air (1611€ with edu pricing). Equivalent M1 Air is 1331€ and equivalent M2 Pro is 1711€. The 14 inches M1 Pro MB Pro is also an option, but i think is a bit thick and heavy and that puts me off a bit. I´m open to suggestions.
On the Windows side, i checked the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 Pro (really thin, light and with Intel 12 gen processors, for around 1200€), the Dell XPS 13 (around 1300€), Lenovo Thinkbook 13s G4 (around 1400€), and upcoming HP Expertbook 830/840 G9 (no price, but should be around 1300-1400€).
Thanks for the help!
I currently have a Macbook Pro 2018 (13.3, 4 thunderbolt ports, Intel i5 8256U, with 8gb ram and 256gb ssd). I´m close to finishing my phD in psychology, and i´m checking the laptop market to upgrade for the future work, as my current one have some issues (butterfly keyboard, battery a bit weak sometimes and lack of power for certain scenarios). I have many Apple devices (iPhone 13 Pro Max, iPad Air M1, Apple TV 4K, Airpods 2+Max...) so really invested with the ecosystem. I´ve used the iPad as a secondary monitor with Sidecar or even Universal Control as a backup to some articles (pdfs on iPad and word on MBP for example).
For me, the laptop is a secondary device i use when i need to work in the lab or when i travel, doing the heavier work in my home PC (a Ryzen 5800X custom build, 16gb ram, 3060Ti, really powerful). I like my devices to last as long as possible (4-5 years minimum). My work involves usually these kind of tasks: data analysis (SPSS and Brainvision Analyzer for EEG signals, with the latter being really CPU intensive), designing experimental procedures (ePrime, PsychoPy), some programming, which i´m still learning (Python is usually the way to go in my field), reading a lot of pdf (scientific papers), opening a lot of firefox/safari tabs (to search those papers), and MS office for writing articles, designing presentations and organizing experimental data. I don´t usually game with my laptop, and rely a lot on cloud storage. Its rare that i have to do video editing, but sometimes i need to design 2D figures for the articles, using a really old program (Macromedia Fireworks CS3).
My main issue with upgrading is that some of the programs i use (Brainvision Analyzer, PSNet ePrime, Macromedia Fireworks) are only available on Windows and some even use USB security dongles, which is the reason i have a Bootcamp W11 partition on my MBP. This is something i cannot do with current Macbooks with M1/M2, so that could be a limitation (if i needed to use those programs i could only use my home PC). However, Windows alternatives with Intel 12º gen processors are scarce in my country (mainly the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 Pro, Dell XPS 13 and some Lenovo Thinkbooks) and when i search, some even present issues in the long run, which could affect durability and futureproofing.
Should i choose a Windows laptop for my use case, or stick with a M1/M2 Macbook despite some programs are absent on MacOS?
If i choose a Macbook, i think one of the most interesting alternatives for me is the 16gb ram / 256gb SSD M2 Macbook Air (1611€ with edu pricing). Equivalent M1 Air is 1331€ and equivalent M2 Pro is 1711€. The 14 inches M1 Pro MB Pro is also an option, but i think is a bit thick and heavy and that puts me off a bit. I´m open to suggestions.
On the Windows side, i checked the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 Pro (really thin, light and with Intel 12 gen processors, for around 1200€), the Dell XPS 13 (around 1300€), Lenovo Thinkbook 13s G4 (around 1400€), and upcoming HP Expertbook 830/840 G9 (no price, but should be around 1300-1400€).
Thanks for the help!
