Why Pick a MBA over a MBP?

[Gudi]

I am leaning towards the MBP but am I missing something here? Is there a reason I have not mentioned to buy a MBA over the Pro for such a small difference in price?

The MacBook Air for $1,099 is already a very powerful machine, which offers you all the benefits of switching from Windows to Mac. An M2 with 8GB unified memory can handle photo and video exceptionally well, compared to all prior Intel Macs, thanks to its media engine. You don't need to justify choosing the Air, you need to justify every dollar spend additionally.

 

[ilikewhey]

When you have to lug along a billion other things, trust me... every ounce saved is instantly noticeable.

And it's not just the device. The charger also doesn't have to be high wattage anymore so anything from around 30W should work. Not having to lug along a massive brick as well as a cable that supports 65/100W charging is a big deal.

i don't log around apple's ancient 100w brick, my 100w GaN charger is smaller than your 30 watt apple charger.

 

[Wahlstrm]

"Why Pick a MBA over a MBP?"

If your workflow don't require external monitors, then I would say that the MBA is probably the way to go for 95% of people.

 

[Isamilis]

Get macbook Pro if you plan to do "pro" type of work intensively. "Pro" work means heavy work, something that have thin tolerance for error or crash / slowness. Other than that, get the Air. It's for casual purpose.

Bear in mind, Air with up spec (increase RAM or SSD) would not be equal to Pro (with the same spec), even though the price is similar. Example, Air will not have > 1 external monitor and fan.

 

[Lioness~]

"Why Pick a MBA over a MBP?"

If your workflow don't require external monitors, then I would say that the MBA is probably the way to go for 95% of people.

Not monitors, but 1 external monitor are supported by the MBA.

 

[JiggyJaggy]

I'm currently using an M1 MBA, which is working nicely for me. However, the M2 version is attractive, especially with the bigger screen. Can anyone who's had both M1 and M2 Airs comment on real-world battery life between the two?

My MBA M1 seems to hold battery better than my MBA M2. So sticking with the M1.

 

[bill-p]

i don't log around apple's ancient 100w brick, my 100w GaN charger is smaller than your 30 watt apple charger.

But my Anker Atom III Slim charger is multiple times smaller and more compact than any other charger you can think of and I can now fully push my MacBook while using that charger, which is not possible at all with the 14".

 

[ilikewhey]

But my Anker Atom III Slim charger is multiple times smaller and more compact than any other charger you can think of and I can now fully push my MacBook while using that charger, which is not possible at all with the 14".

so let me get this straight, now you are telling me you don't trust your macbook air battery life enough you have to carry around the charger? 😂

i leave my charger in my car, so weight is irrelevant, if i need to carry it in my bag, its about .5lb, i can see the argument where every ounce counts, IF you are being launched into space and every lb you haul equals to certain amount of fuel required. but outside of that, the weight of a charger is a nonsense argument and quite frankly laughable that you even want to bring this area up lol.

 

[bill-p]

so let me get this straight, now you are telling me you don't trust your macbook air battery life enough you have to carry around the charger? 😂

i leave my charger in my car, so weight is irrelevant, if i need to carry it in my bag, its about .5lb, i can see the argument where every ounce counts, IF you are being launched into space and every lb you haul equals to certain amount of fuel required. but outside of that, the weight of a charger is a nonsense argument and quite frankly laughable that you even want to bring this area up lol.

Try to trek through about 30 miles with camera gears, clothes, supplies, and the MacBook in the same backpack and you'll understand why 0.1lbs saved is substantial.

Again, I get that your use case works for you but please don't project what works for you on to other folks. The whole point of me owning a MacBook is so that I can be more "mobile" with it. Not to cart it around between work and home in my car. If that's my whole life, then sure, I would actually just get the 16" and call it a day. The 14", after I have used for almost 2 years, just does not have the battery life I was looking for. Your usage may work out better, sure. But it doesn't work for me.

 

[nfl46]

I'm over the weight of my 16 inch M1P. It's just too heavy to carry around and I don't even need all that power since all I do is watch YouTube and browse websites.

I found the 14 inch screen too small for me so no go for the that MBP.

 

[ilikewhey]

Try to trek through about 30 miles with camera gears, clothes, supplies, and the MacBook in the same backpack and you'll understand why 0.1lbs saved is substantial.

Again, I get that your use case works for you but please don't project what works for you on to other folks. The whole point of me owning a MacBook is so that I can be more "mobile" with it. Not to cart it around between work and home in my car. If that's my whole life, then sure, I would actually just get the 16" and call it a day. The 14", after I have used for almost 2 years, just does not have the battery life I was looking for. Your usage may work out better, sure. But it doesn't work for me.

agreed, but at the same time, you are also projecting what works for you on to other folks, how many people are going to be trekking through 30 miles with camera gears, clothes, supplies and all that? lol if anything i think my use case is more in line with the average usage.

 

[RokinAmerica]

agreed, but at the same time, you are also projecting what works for you on to other folks, how many people are going to be trekking through 30 miles with camera gears, clothes, supplies and all that? lol if anything i think my use case is more in line with the average usage.

A lot of us have to travel for work and when doing the OJ sprint thru airports, yes, extra weight and size matter a lot.

 

[bill-p]

agreed, but at the same time, you are also projecting what works for you on to other folks, how many people are going to be trekking through 30 miles with camera gears, clothes, supplies and all that? lol if anything i think my use case is more in line with the average usage.

I'm not projecting. I'm simply explaining why it doesn't make sense to keep pushing the MacBook Pro on to people who want Air. Something like the 15" Air is already not just simply a compact laptop. Otherwise myself and others would have bought the 13" M2 Air MacBook and called it a day already.

 

[ilikewhey]

A lot of us have to travel for work and when doing the OJ sprint thru airports, yes, extra weight and size matter a lot.

i get send out to the field 5-6 times a month, sometimes by airport some by other means of transports, are you saying .5lb makes that much of a difference? 😂 i'm pretty sure your travel size shampoo weights more than that.

 

[dturner123]

I chose the 15 MacBook Air because the Intel MacBook airs sucked at doing basic tasks. So slow! I’ve bought MacBook Pros because of that. Now that the Apple silicon is out, I’m glad to be able to get a powerful computer and a big screen for much less.

 

[ilikewhey]

I'm not projecting. I'm simply explaining why it doesn't make sense to keep pushing the MacBook Pro on to people who want Air. Something like the 15" Air is already not just simply a compact laptop. Otherwise myself and others would have bought the 13" M2 Air MacBook and called it a day already.

lol ok, i think we need to revisit the forest here.

so far, I have brought forth factual evidence and accurate price comparison, and laid out statements that can be fact checked, if what i said so far is consider "pushing" then you are pot calling kettle mate.

and for the record, the 15inch is not compact compare to the 14, its slimmer than the 14 but wider and taller. you literally just moving the dimension around.

 

[bill-p]

lol ok, i think we need to revisit the forest here.

so far, I have brought forth factual evidence and accurate price comparison, and laid out statements that can be fact checked, if what i said so far is consider "pushing" then you are pot calling kettle mate.

and for the record, the 15inch is not compact compare to the 14, its slimmer than the 14 but wider and taller. you literally just moving the dimension around.

You're in multiple threads presenting these facts despite people already laying out for you why they won't want the Pro.

The problem is not the facts itself. It's like you're trying to justify why you bought a 14" Pro over an Air. There's really no need for that.

 

[4pp13]

I think this whole thread really goes to show what a difficult decision it is. I really thought that I had made the decision and M2 Air is the way to go, but now rethinking. I'm sure if I decide on the M2 Pro I'll be rethinking again. Shame we can't have the best bits of each all combined in one package

 

[ilikewhey]

You're in multiple threads presenting these facts despite people already laying out for you why they won't want the Pro.

are you like allergic to facts or something? if my facts don't make sense or you don't agree with, why not try disproving it instead of throwing ad hominem accusations at me.

lol this very thread OP is asking opinion on MBA vs MBP, if anything i said is irrelevant to the subject matter, feel free point out.

The problem is not the facts itself. It's like you're trying to justify why you bought a 14" Pro over an Air. There's really no need for that.

my 14inch is a maxed out 64gb 2tb ssd, and the unit i'm recommending is a base 14inch, how in the world is that me trying to justify my own purchase, especially when i own both the mbp and the mba.

mate you are literally accusing me of something you are doing, if anything, i feel like you are trying to justify your MBA purchase, examples being; when the actual unit comparisons were not enough, you want to discuss about the actual freaking charger size 😂

but i digress, i'm not on here to tell people what to do, i mainly post to correct any misinformation being presented. however it seems the way i present information on here have stepped on a few ppl's toes, yours included.

all in all, i'm happy that you are happy with your MBA, and that the MBA offers exactly what you want.

 

[ignatius345]

My MBA M1 seems to hold battery better than my MBA M2. So sticking with the M1.

Like, noticably different?

 

[bill-p]

are you like allergic to facts or something? if my facts don't make sense or you don't agree with, why not try disproving it instead of throwing ad hominem accusations at me.

lol this very thread OP is asking opinion on MBA vs MBP, if anything i said is irrelevant to the subject matter, feel free point out.

my 14inch is a maxed out 64gb 2tb ssd, and the unit i'm recommending is a base 14inch, how in the world is that me trying to justify my own purchase, especially when i own both the mbp and the mba.

mate you are literally accusing me of something you are doing, if anything, i feel like you are trying to justify your MBA purchase, examples being; when the actual unit comparisons were not enough, you want to discuss about the actual freaking charger size 😂

but i digress, i'm not on here to tell people what to do, i mainly post to correct any misinformation being presented. however it seems the way i present information on here have stepped on a few ppl's toes, yours included.

all in all, i'm happy that you are happy with your MBA, and that the MBA offers exactly what you want.

Because when presented with facts opposing your own, i.e.: a 30W charger that's even smaller than anything Apple makes, your response is "it doesn't matter". So who's trying to disprove whom?

That's all I'll say. I'm not in every single thread trying to respond to you or anyone else. If you think me pointing out facts again is now an "accusation", you should perhaps try to read back and see where the whole thread was headed.

 

[Technerd108]

The age old debate get an air or a pro. No one can tell you because everyone here will be telling you what they think is best based on their needs and not yours.

I would highly recommend that you go to BestBuy or Apple Store and compare the different models in person. Look at them, lift them up. See if you can sit in a chair and put them on your lap. Try browsing with multiple tabs on heavy websites. Test the speakers. Check the screen.

Then consider the cost, how often you upgrade. Does it make more sense to buy often and save money or spend more and stretch out your purchases? What type of software will you use? Do you value having a device that doesn't need a fan? How do you use your laptop in real life? Do you ever sit o the couch with it?

I would suggest you stop comparing the prices. Look at the different laptops, consider your needs and buy what you enjoy the most.

You will get a headache if you just compare specs and prices and you will never be happy unless you spend the most amount of money.

If money was not an issue what would you get? Then go from there.

I can tell you from personal experience not everyone needs a Pro machine as the regular M2 chip with unified ram is very fast. Some people prefer having something they don't need to worry about blocking vents. Some people prefer cool colors and thin and light. My MacBook Air has changed how I use a laptop because it is so light and because it is fanless and the battery life is so good. But I don't need 30 GPU cores or 20 speakers. I like speed and the M2 delivers. I like a good screen and the IPS display on my MBA is great. The speakers are good enough and the spacial audio is pretty impressive. Battery life and fanless along with weight are game changers for me personally.

I had a 16" M1 Max before the air and it is an incredible laptop. It just wasn't a good fit for how I use a laptop. It was way overkill and it felt like a brick everywhere I went. However, it is the best powerful and fully capable MacBook Pro Apple has ever made and I did love the ports, MagSafe, large screen and the speakers were a surprising let down. They were full of bass but were not clear. Maybe it was just my unit but I had two other 16" before but I did not have them long enough to have this issue. Listening to voices while streaming was an issue. But if you listen to music with bass they are great. Lol maybe the M2 MBP is better?

Some people prefer ports, having the most speed and power possible and need it for their use. Some people are graphic designers and need the color accuracy and 120h screen. Some people want more than 24gb ram. Some people need a powerful GPU. Some people could care less about weight or portability. Some people want the best of everything whether or need they will use it. Some people use their laptop as a work tool and a personal device.

You just have to figure out what your needs and priorities are and what you can afford.

Don't buy the 14" just because it is only a few hundred more than the 15" MBA because you feel it is a better value. Don't buy the 15" just to save some money. Buy what really fits your needs and wants best. Then no matter how much you spend you will be happy. Just my personal advice. Take it for what you will.

Hope you find something you like. I think it is great Apple gives us so many choices and such great laptops no matter what you buy. These new MacBooks are the best Apple has made in years and M series chips are amazing.

 

[ilikewhey]

If you think me pointing out facts again is now an "accusation", you should perhaps try to read back and see where the whole thread was headed.

oh man, do you read your own stuff? you just accused me of justifying my own purchase lol, how is that a fact.

Because when presented with facts opposing your own, i.e.: a 30W charger that's even smaller than anything Apple makes, your response is "it doesn't matter". So who's trying to disprove whom?

mate what facts, that a 30w charger is smaller than a 100w charger from apple? ok sure, i can't argue against physics, a bigger apple charger is a bigger apple charger charger. but let me ask you this, so what of it? there are tons of aftermarket GaN chargers that are a quarter of size than apple's official charger. choosing between two laptops, the last thing on anyone's mind is how big the charger is.

 

[russell_314]

The pros I can think of for the MBA is weight/Portability and battery life.

Yes, this is correct. If weight is not a concern, then go for the Pro because it has more ports and a better screen.

The MBP seems like a substantial leap in hardware and performance for minimal cost difference.

With some tasks yes but others no. For doing things like browsing the web or typing out an office document it's no different. If you're doing video editing or gaming then then you have those extra GPU cores.

My advice to you would be go to the Apple store and physically pick up both the Air and Pro. The one near me doesn't bolt them to the table so you can feel them in your hand. If the extra weight of the Pro doesn't bother you then definitely go with that

 

[Diamond Dog]

Ended up going with the 14" M2 Pro in my case, and so far I am quite happy with it! It's great to have 120Hz or higher on all of my screens, now.