Who is going to buy MBA 15 inch?

[TechZeke]

It's not the same thing

Most PC vendors, for instance, allow you to upgrade just the screen tech on a variety of laptop models.

It's a really nice way to get a machine that very closely matches what the customer wants

Because the difference between an M2 MBA and and an M1 MBP isn’t nearly as big for most people as upgrading from a 1080p display to a 4K touch display on your typical PC laptop.(which are typically the two options given on PCs)

Apple offered upgraded screens on the first unibody 15” MBPs because back then the only way to get more usable screen real estate was to increase the resolution. Every MacBook in 2023 has a nice, high quality Retina display that can be scaled with a variety of resolutions.

Surfsalot can laugh all he wants, but for most people who feel they need to pay for a slightly fancier Retina display, they are going to buy the MBP regardless because probably need the pro for other features besides just the screen.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Every MacBook in 2023 has a nice, high quality Retina display that can be scaled with a variety of resolutions.

?

Scaling has nothing to do with old ass 60 Hz and no true HDR

Again… Even MacBook Air buyers likely have iPhones that are capturing content they can’t even view correctly because of these relatively so so screens.

 

[Appletoni]

I have the money for the 16” pro. I just ordered the 15 air. I don’t want the weight of the 16, I’m already annoyed that my 2018 15” Pro weighs 4lbs. I also don’t want to deal with heat and running fans.

Which weight?
Which heat?
You won't hear the fans until you do something like simulations using cpu and gpu cores at the limit.

 

[thehunted]

It's not the same thing

Most PC vendors, for instance, allow you to upgrade just the screen tech on a variety of laptop models.

It's a really nice way to get a machine that very closely matches what the customer wants

apple is not most PC vendors unfortunately, the most apple lets you do on a display of any kind is adding nano texture or matt finish in the past.

 

[JamesMay82]

It’s great that they’ve releases it my really big complaint across this and all machines is the cost of SSD upgrades.

We have kids so naturally have a large photos library with video and photos - which is 700 gigs so I instantly need a 2TB minimum which then makes this a 2.5k machine and if i spec that drive in the 16 inch its a 3.5k machine.

Both pricing options are just bonkers in my opinion and I wishfully wish that the pricing would come down.

I don’t see how any family can survive on less than a 1TB hard drive. I’d say the same is true for all the teenagers and their constant selfies and videos..

an external drive on a laptop is massively inconvenient IMO.

 

[ISignedUpToAskThis]

It’s great that they’ve releases it my really big complaint across this and all machines is the cost of SSD upgrades.

We have kids so naturally have a large photos library with video and photos - which is 700 gigs so I instantly need a 2TB minimum which then makes this a 2.5k machine and if i spec that drive in the 16 inch its a 3.5k machine.

Both pricing options are just bonkers in my opinion and I wishfully wish that the pricing would come down.

I don’t see how any family can survive on less than a 1TB hard drive. I’d say the same is true for all the teenagers and their constant selfies and videos..

an external drive on a laptop is massively inconvenient IMO.

It might sound harsh but just take less photos?

We as a family take much less photos than we used to as I guarantee 90% of them you won't look at again, or just once ever again. Be more wise with how many photos/videos you take - we used to take dozens of photos of the same occasion/event/whatever but realised many of them were very similar and in the end probably kept half a dozen.

Another option you could consider is monthly paid Cloud storage if keeping TB's of photos is that important to you - here in the UK Apple charge £6.99 for 2TB cloud storage. I'm sure you could get it cheaper elsewhere if you looked.

 

[Resident Guru]

Which weight?
Which heat?
You won't hear the fans until you do something like simulations using cpu and gpu cores at the limit.

You won’t hear the fans or I won’t hear the fans? Cooling fans are not inaudible. You can claim they are very quiet most of the time, you can claim that they don’t get noisy unless you do something demanding. However, you can’t say they are inaudible. The Air model can make that claim, because it has no fans. The 16” Pro weighs 4.7 lbs. which is 42% heavier than the 15” Air. An enormous difference.

 

[JamesMay82]

It might sound harsh but just take less photos?

We as a family take much less photos than we used to as I guarantee 90% of them you won't look at again, or just once ever again. Be more wise with how many photos/videos you take - we used to take dozens of photos of the same occasion/event/whatever but realised many of them were very similar and in the end probably kept half a dozen.

Another option you could consider is monthly paid Cloud storage if keeping TB's of photos is that important to you - here in the UK Apple charge £6.99 for 2TB cloud storage. I'm sure you could get it cheaper elsewhere if you looked.

I'd agree and I am currently trying to cull years of photos. I was at 35k photos and now down to 26k and 2418 videos.

Those numbers are crazy to think about but lots of them can just be little 20-30 second vids of kids learning to walk or first laughs etc. plus I have all my own family videos from the 80's.

We went to Disney Paris last year and recorded video in 4k which is over the top but some of the videos of kids playing was like 15 gig. and video of Christmas morning is 22 gig and it just all adds up.

The problem with cloud storage is I see it as more of a sync service as opposed to storage and god forbid I got locked out of my iCloud account id lose all my data. I know its unlikely but have read about it a few times one here.

how big is your photos app? and do you keep it all on internal?

 

[StoneJack]

It's not the same thing

Most PC vendors, for instance, allow you to upgrade just the screen tech on a variety of laptop models.

It's a really nice way to get a machine that very closely matches what the customer wants

You can upgrade display if you want. Case closed. Yes it costs money. But u will have your promotion.

 

[krspkbl]

I am thinking about getting the 15" with 16GB and either 256 or 512GB.

Don't need any more storage than 512GB. The boot drive on my PC is 500GB and I still have 344GB free. That's with both Windows 11 and Ubuntu installed on it with a bunch of programs. I could go for the 256GB model but I read that there were issues with the 256GB drives causing slower speeds or something? I might just suck it up and go for the 512GB.

16GB RAM should be fine as I'm not going to be doing anything more intensive on it that some basic photo/video editing. My PC has 64GB RAM so if I need to do something heavy I can switch to my PC.

I'll only use the MBA for around the house or travelling and at most I might do some basic photo/video editing. I did have an iPad Pro but sold it. It was a great device but I found that if I need to do anything quickly on it I felt like I was being held back by a touch screen. Using touch screen is fine on my phone but for any production I am better with a keyboard/mouse.

All I need to do is decide on colour but I think I'd need to see them in person to decide. The midnight one looks cool (I loved the old black plastic MacBooks) but it has a kinda blue tint to it? The Space Grey looks cool but not as dark as I'd like it. I could be basic and just go with the standard silver. Not sure about the gold-ish one.

 

[Longplays]

Base model at $1299 retail & $1199 for EDU for an Apple-class 15" laptop at 1.51 kg is heavenly good.

 

[slippery-pete]

Ordered mine yesterday; cant wait for it to arrive.

 

[ucfgrad93]

While I’d love to buy one, I’m waiting for an update to the iMac.

 

[krspkbl]

While I’d love to buy one, I’m waiting for an update to the iMac.

I can't believe the iMac is still on M1. Not even a minor refresh to bump it up to M2. At this point it seems like they won't refresh it until M3 is out.

 

[Dave245]

I can't believe the iMac is still on M1. Not even a minor refresh to bump it up to M2. At this point it seems like they won't refresh it until M3 is out.

That’s what’s rumoured, Gurman said the iMac will not be refreshed until M3. That will probably be next year now. The iMac doesn’t seem to get much attention anymore.

 

[Isamilis]

It seems, 15” mba will be Macbook “semi” Pro, which make difference between air and pro become thinner. In the future, probably Apple will release iPad Air 12.9” as well.

 

[Fozziebear40]

You won’t hear the fans or I won’t hear the fans? Cooling fans are not inaudible. You can claim they are very quiet most of the time, you can claim that they don’t get noisy unless you do something demanding. However, you can’t say they are inaudible. The Air model can make that claim, because it has no fans. The 16” Pro weighs 4.7 lbs. which is 42% heavier than the 15” Air. An enormous difference.

The fans are inaudible on the MacBook Pro because they don't turn on at all until doing something extreme. They do not idle at 1700 rpm like the Mac mini, they are at 0 rpm. I have had my MacBook Pro for 6 months, it is like an Air, fans never been on.

 

[IJBrekke]

I'd agree and I am currently trying to cull years of photos. I was at 35k photos and now down to 26k and 2418 videos.

Those numbers are crazy to think about but lots of them can just be little 20-30 second vids of kids learning to walk or first laughs etc. plus I have all my own family videos from the 80's.

We went to Disney Paris last year and recorded video in 4k which is over the top but some of the videos of kids playing was like 15 gig. and video of Christmas morning is 22 gig and it just all adds up.

The problem with cloud storage is I see it as more of a sync service as opposed to storage and god forbid I got locked out of my iCloud account id lose all my data. I know its unlikely but have read about it a few times one here.

how big is your photos app? and do you keep it all on internal?

Add a network storage hard drive to your home Wi-Fi. You can store and access everything and save hundreds of dollars, plus easily have backups of backups if you ever feel paranoid.

 

[ucfgrad93]

I can't believe the iMac is still on M1. Not even a minor refresh to bump it up to M2. At this point it seems like they won't refresh it until M3 is out.

That is what all the rumors are saying.

 

[Saturn007]

Add a network storage hard drive to your home Wi-Fi. You can store and access everything and save hundreds of dollars, plus easily have backups of backups if you ever feel paranoid.

Wish there was an easy guide or a recommended network hard drive system. We've been spoiled by our Time Capsule, which is still going strong, but will eventually fail.

Yet, every time I look into NAS stuff, it's overwhelming. Too many choices, too many mixed reviews. Just want an easy replacement with large capacity and the option to attach an external HD to back it up.

Would still spend the extra $380, however, to have the internal 1TB.

 

[fhamadeh]

The 15-inch MacBook Air is my dream machine. Been waiting for this one for a long time. I've already ordered one.

 

[krspkbl]

Don't want to be that person but what are the chances that Apple does an M3 refresh later this year or is the Air likely to not get M3 until Spring/Summer '24?

The thing is I am in no rush to get an Air. I could wait (the Air would be a secondary computer as I have a PC) but I know if I am waiting for the next best thing I could wait forever!

If I got an M2 Air next week and it was another ~year before M3 Air I wouldn't mind but if there is a chance that it could release in just a few months then I'd wait.

When M3 comes out it will likely be in a new iMac, maybe a new iPad Pro, but what else? Can only really be an Air or Mini.

 

[Longplays]

Don't want to be that person but what are the chances that Apple does an M3 refresh later this year or is the Air likely to not get M3 until Spring/Summer '24?

The thing is I am in no rush to get an Air. I could wait (the Air would be a secondary computer as I have a PC) but I know if I am waiting for the next best thing I could wait forever!

If I got an M2 Air next week and it was another ~year before M3 Air I wouldn't mind but if there is a chance that it could release in just a few months then I'd wait.

When M3 comes out it will likely be in a new iMac, maybe a new iPad Pro, but what else? Can only really be an Air or Mini.

M3 will be out Q1 2024 assuming Apple maintains the M1 > M2 cadence of 19.5 months. So you have more than 1/2 year to enjoy the M2 freshness.

MBA 13" & 15" will likely be the 1st Macs with M3.

 

[krspkbl]

M3 will be out Q1 2024 assuming Apple maintains the M1 > M2 cadence of 19.5 months. So you have more than 1/2 year to enjoy the M2 freshness.

MBA 13" & 15" will likely be the 1st Macs with M3.

Ah ok, I thought M3 was coming out this year. Maybe they are only just starting making them this year for release next?

So earliest any M3 Air is probably Spring '24?

Not related to M3 but it's been 11 years since I had a Mac. What's the deal with OS updates now? Does Apple guarantee a certain amount of major updates or is it just a case they'll support it for as long as they reasonably can?

I had a look at some release charts and it seems each Mac gets 6-7 releases? The M2 Air originally came with Monterey, is on Ventura, and will get Sonoma. So is it a good assumption that M2 models will get another ~4 updates after Sonoma so that it'll no longer be supported around 2027/2028?

 

[Longplays]

Ah ok, I thought M3 was coming out this year. Maybe they are only just starting making them this year for release next?

Apple's cash cow are iPhones so the TSMC 3nm node will be dedicated to that at least until November.

Assuming a 19.5 month cadence is to be observed then M3 will be out Q1 2024 at the earliest while M3 Ultra be out Q1 2025.

Not related to M3 but it's been 11 years since I had a Mac. What's the deal with OS updates now? Does Apple guarantee a certain amount of major updates or is it just a case they'll support it for as long as they reasonably can?

Past decade macOS Software Update is up to 8 years. Security Update is up to another 2 years. So that's nearly a decade of support.

The difference of the two:

- Software Update: Features + Security patches

- Security Update: Security patches only

With that in play I'd replace that nearly 10yo Mac with the model after the final Security Update for an even 120 months of use.

I had a look at some release charts and it seems each Mac gets 6-7 releases? The M2 Air originally came with Monterey, is on Ventura, and will get Sonoma. So is it a good assumption that M2 models will get another ~4 updates after Sonoma so that it'll no longer be supported around 2027/2028?

Unless Apple changes its mind then 2023 MBP 15" M2 will be get its final Security Update some time in 2033.

Apple expects Mac users to replace every 4 years. Intel every 5-6 years.