This ^
Im still running Monterey on my M1 Max and have no desire to upgrade. I’m going to run Monterey for as long as I can!
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What would be a good reason to jump from M1 to M2?
- Thread starter Tenashus1
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This ^
Im still running Monterey on my M1 Max and have no desire to upgrade. I’m going to run Monterey for as long as I can!
The M2 is actually worse than the M1 for precisely this reason.
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oh man where was your comment when all the mba diehards were arguing with me that the m2 is a huge leap than m1 😂
I was one who argued against your statement that it was simply an overclocked M1. No one said it was a huge leap. But it is not insignificant either.
Also there is more to M series chips than just CPU performance. The efficiency cores were improved, the GPU was a 30% improvement over M1 and the CPU was 15% is that just an overclock?
I will laugh when the M3 is about the same improvement over M2 maybe an extra 5% here or there and everyone will be lauding it as the second coming of Christ.
The amount of insults and vitriol by people who owned an M1 MBP over those who bought an M2 MBA was insane because those who owned a M1 MBP had to prove they still had the best instead of just being happy for those who were enjoying their new M2 MBA and the pretty amazing performance they had from it even over an M1 MBP.
Just to be clear the huge leaps are over since the move from Intel to M1. M series updates year over year will be incremental from this point on. Very similar to Intel's tick tock evolution over the years. New architecture like M1, then refinement and optimization M2, then new architecture M3, then refinement M4 and so on.
Looks and a slightly larger screen. Unless you have a money burning a hole in your pocket, don't do it.
Future proofing? Your post is the exact reason why I tell people don't even think about that word. I swear someone that Apple made up that concept to get people to spend more money. You're talking about future proofing when buying a new computer but you're already wanting to replace a computer that you just bought. It has no future 🤣
It's your money so only you can decide what you want or don't want but I'd say sit tight. You're going to be excited about this new computer for about a month and then you're going to feel like you wasted $1500 for something that you really didn't need. Other than style difference, the screen, and having a MagSafe it’s about the same.
If you have extra money and you want to buy some cool electronic gadget, don't buy something that is going to be very close to what you already have. Maybe look at an iPad or an Apple Watch or something different. It doesn't even need to be an Apple product, but just something you think might be fun to have. At least you have something extra instead of a very slight improvement of what you already had.
Oh, and ignore all the people saying the M2 is an overheating mess. They watched too much Max tech. I'm typing this on my M2 Air and crying on my keyboard just to keep it cool from overheating 🤣
Spot on! But I slightly disagree on the difference between M1 13" MBA and M2 15" MBA which I will explain below. I can even see wanting to upgrade a 13" M1 to 13" M2 BUT I would not do it now. The M3 13.6" MBA should be released at the end of the year or early next year. If you buy the M2 13" MBA now you will regret it in a few months. Better to wait and you will have an even better gain in terms of CPU, GPU, Thermals, and Battery. The new design of the M2 MBA is really nice over M1 and if you had asked this question 4-6 months ago my answer would have been very different but tech moves fast and if I were in your shoes I would want the latest and greatest. If I got an M2 13.6" MBA now and then in December or say February next year the M3 was released I would regret my decision. If you want the 15" it is more a viable decision. I do think the difference between the M1 MBA and M2 MBA is significant but again I can't recommend it when M3 is soon to be released. Wait a few months as your M1 is still better than a lot of new Intel and AMD chips and still has decent performance.
I understand people's intention when they say they want to future proof but tech moves too fast. Better to buy just what you need and upgrade every 2-3 years, probably closer to 3. Because in two or three years the lower end m series chip will out perform the pro series chip both in raw cpu performance and gpu performance. Plus gains to battery life and thermal efficiency.
If you spend on just what you need instead of overspending on the very best specs just to stay ahead of the curve you will have saved your money because we all know upgrading a Mac is expensive the farther you go up the chain. Then when you go to sell your maxed out Mac you won't get much if any of the money on upgrades back that you spent.
Mid range specs bro. That is where it is at on laptops, even base model will resell better in terms of value than an overspecc'd model.
With Apple releasing a new Mac every year or 18 months on almost every model with a new chip they are incentivizing people to upgrade more often which is very good for their business model.
But Russel is right. Say you have an M1 MBA or M2 MBA and now you see the new shiny 15" MacBook air. It is tempting because a lot of us would like a larger screen. BUT when M3 MacBook air is released in a few months either at the end of the year or early next year everyone who upgraded is going to feel like they have an old device and get tempted to get an M3. Apple will release a 15" M3 MBA probably next summer or fall.
I have a MBA M2 13.6" and as much as I would like a larger screen I will not sell my 6 month old MBA to get basically the same laptop and gain 1.7" of screen for a loss of who knows how much.
However if you have an M1 MBA the M2 15" MBA would be a nice upgrade because the screen would be about 2" bigger, a new design with Magsafe. I can see people wanting to upgrade from the M1 MBA just for the screen which is brighter, more color accurate and bigger, plus M2, plus new chassis design. So to me that seems more reasonable. BUT m3 is right around the corner. I feel like you should get a year before your CPU is not the latest and greatest personally unless you get a good discount and don't care about the latest and greatest.
Now if Apple had put M3 chip in the 15" and released it when they release the 13" m3 MBA then I would say go for it for sure. But to get it now when you have M1 or M2 13" seems a bit of a waste. I think the difference in performance between the M1 to M2 is significant and a worthy upgrade in its own right but with M3 right around the corner I feel like anyone who buys M2 right now might be disappointed in a few months when M3 machines start to release. Personally I would like my CPU to be the newest for a year of use at least.
I remember when I bought a MacBook during the Intel days for my Mom and it had like a 3 year old chip and a month or two later they updated the chip. My moms laptop didn't last as long as it should have. I hated when Apple would do that. So buying a Mac is partly a timing game. Never buy at the end of the release cycle unless you are getting a huge discount and can get buy with lower specs. I think with M series chips this is changing a little because the M series works differently than previous Intel cpu. You might get 4-6 years or more from a single generation before they start to feel slow and even then it won't be running fans all the time and feeling like an oven just to do basic tasks like with Intel.
Of course at the end of the day it is your choice and these are just my opinions which mean nothing because I am not the one trying to decide what to buy. Good luck and get what you want. Buy now if it makes you happy but I would recommend the M2 15" MBA if I were you or wait for the M3 13".
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The future proofing doesn’t really stand up as when the M3 comes out you may just ask the same question.
Replace when it’s broken or won’t work how you need it, you’ve still got a brilliant device that will last years.
Replace when it’s broken or won’t work how you need it, you’ve still got a brilliant device that will last years.
Why would someone feel like they have an “old” device, simply because a new version is released? If the laptop still operates well & continues to suit the buyers needs, there’s absolutely nothing for that person to be upset about. Only people will poor impulse control would be bothered by that. No one with common sense is going to be tempted to buy a new laptop upon every single release, essentially for bragging rights. At that point you’re no longer really buying the product for yourself, it’s really just to let everyone know you got it.
This mentality a lot of people have about always needing the “latest & greatest” regardless of actual need, seems to be a real pandemic nowadays. The whole “just wait for the new version” mindset is a zero sum game between you & Apple. You can’t win & you’ll never be satisfied for long. I would suggest caring less about the release date of a device & just focus on finding the one that works best for you.
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If you're happy with the performance of your current M1, there is no reason to upgrade to the M2 unless there was a design specific reason. I held out getting the M1 as I wanted to first see how the M series chipsets worked out for Apple in transitioning and I wanted to hold out for a more modern design. But had I jumped on an M1, I wouldn't be upgrading to the M2. Laptops dont need to be an annual upgrade, especially with these newer chips.
The M1 is more comfortable to type on. Something weird about the M2 was causing wrist pain when I tried it.
Otherwise the differences are known — bigger screen, better camera, MagSafe, and faster processor.
Reasons to prefer M1 are no notch and wedge design.
Otherwise the differences are known — bigger screen, better camera, MagSafe, and faster processor.
Reasons to prefer M1 are no notch and wedge design.
If you want a bigger screen and must have it I see upgrading to the 15 inch MBA is worth it
For me, I will not be upgrading until my M1 MBA becomes obsolete in performance or design
For me, I will not be upgrading until my M1 MBA becomes obsolete in performance or design
The only reason I would see upgrading to the M2 is for the design or the screen size for the 15-inch model. I use my M1 MBA as a travel Mac, and I'm just fine with it. I'm still amazed at how well it runs and I don't have any intention on upgrading it for a while. For me, it's not worth the hassle and cost to upgrade for a small performance increase that wouldn't matter for my use case and the updated design.
Is anyone planning to move to a M2 MBA and sell their M1 MBA / MBP in the UK? Drop me a PM if you are...