markb
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Member since May 2022
Posts: 472
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Post by markb on Jul 1, 2022 14:34:06 GMT -5
MacBook Pro 13" (2020) M1 256GB -or- MacBook Air 13" M1 256GB Which one and why? Here's what I've been using since 2012 and I love it, but it could use a boost in performance and is no longer upgradeable to the latest OS.
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Brian
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2020
Posts: 1,506
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Post by Brian on Jul 1, 2022 20:41:33 GMT -5
Between the 13" Pro and 13" Air, I'd go with the Air. The Pro has very little to offer over the Air. Performance-wise, they should be nearly identical. You get 1 more graphic core with the Pro and a bit higher brightness from the display. I'd prefer the physical function keys of the Air over the Touch Bar of the Pro, but I have never had a Mac with the Touch Bar to make a fair comparison. I just like physical buttons. I also like the form factor of the Air over the chunkier Pro. The M1 processor seems to run nice and cool, so the fan-less design of the Air shouldn't be a problem. My iPad has an M1 processor and runs nice and fast. The Air just seems to offer much value.
I made an upgrade from a similar 15" Pro last fall. I was planning on getting the Air, but then went for the 16" Pro simply because my close-up vision is awful and I need as big a screen as possible. The rumors are that a 15" Air are coming out later this year. That would have been ideal for me since the M1 Pro is overkill for 95% of what I do.
The M2 Air looks nice, but the price bump would make me take a hard look at the M1 Air. For Apple users, the Air seems to be just about the best computer out there unless you need a bigger screen or absolutely need the processing power.
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markb
Cave Dweller
Member since May 2022
Posts: 472
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Post by markb on Jul 9, 2022 1:31:30 GMT -5
Between the 13" Pro and 13" Air, I'd go with the Air. The Pro has very little to offer over the Air. Performance-wise, they should be nearly identical. You get 1 more graphic core with the Pro and a bit higher brightness from the display. I'd prefer the physical function keys of the Air over the Touch Bar of the Pro, but I have never had a Mac with the Touch Bar to make a fair comparison. I just like physical buttons. I also like the form factor of the Air over the chunkier Pro. The M1 processor seems to run nice and cool, so the fan-less design of the Air shouldn't be a problem. My iPad has an M1 processor and runs nice and fast. The Air just seems to offer much value. I made an upgrade from a similar 15" Pro last fall. I was planning on getting the Air, but then went for the 16" Pro simply because my close-up vision is awful and I need as big a screen as possible. The rumors are that a 15" Air are coming out later this year. That would have been ideal for me since the M1 Pro is overkill for 95% of what I do. The M2 Air looks nice, but the price bump would make me take a hard look at the M1 Air. For Apple users, the Air seems to be just about the best computer out there unless you need a bigger screen or absolutely need the processing power. Brian, thanks for your input! I have wondered about the reduced screen size MANY times, because frankly when I got the 15" screen I thought of that too. In the past couple of years I've had to increase my font size a bit to help with easier reading, but that being said the 1"or so loss of screen viewing on the 13.6" w/ liquid retina seems hardly worrisome. I reviewed the advantages of the M2 Air and all I can say is WOW! This would certainly be a major upgrade for me and I'd welcome it gladly. So I think I'll hold off for just a bit longer and entertain the M2 Air unit when it becomes available, and justify the kick in price for the longevity I tend to practice. Cheers! Mark
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jimaz
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2018
Posts: 461
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Post by jimaz on Jul 9, 2022 10:11:38 GMT -5
If you want to save a few $ you may want to consider a refurb from the Apple site. Additionally, if you are a veteran there is an additional discount.
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Brian
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2020
Posts: 1,506
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Post by Brian on Jul 9, 2022 12:28:34 GMT -5
Between the 13" Pro and 13" Air, I'd go with the Air. The Pro has very little to offer over the Air. Performance-wise, they should be nearly identical. You get 1 more graphic core with the Pro and a bit higher brightness from the display. I'd prefer the physical function keys of the Air over the Touch Bar of the Pro, but I have never had a Mac with the Touch Bar to make a fair comparison. I just like physical buttons. I also like the form factor of the Air over the chunkier Pro. The M1 processor seems to run nice and cool, so the fan-less design of the Air shouldn't be a problem. My iPad has an M1 processor and runs nice and fast. The Air just seems to offer much value. I made an upgrade from a similar 15" Pro last fall. I was planning on getting the Air, but then went for the 16" Pro simply because my close-up vision is awful and I need as big a screen as possible. The rumors are that a 15" Air are coming out later this year. That would have been ideal for me since the M1 Pro is overkill for 95% of what I do. The M2 Air looks nice, but the price bump would make me take a hard look at the M1 Air. For Apple users, the Air seems to be just about the best computer out there unless you need a bigger screen or absolutely need the processing power. Brian, thanks for your input! I have wondered about the reduced screen size MANY times, because frankly when I got the 15" screen I thought of that too. In the past couple of years I've had to increase my font size a bit to help with easier reading, but that being said the 1"or so loss of screen viewing on the 13.6" w/ liquid retina seems hardly worrisome. I reviewed the advantages of the M2 Air and all I can say is WOW! This would certainly be a major upgrade for me and I'd welcome it gladly. So I think I'll hold off for just a bit longer and entertain the M2 Air unit when it becomes available, and justify the kick in price for the longevity I tend to practice. Cheers! Mark Another benefit of the M2 Air is it has a slightly larger screen size than the M1 Air. Not much, but it certainly doesn't hurt. Here is a good article comparing the M1 and M2 Airs: Macrumors Comparison. My wife has an old Air and while I love the form factor, I have a hard time with the smaller screen. If they ever start making the 15" Air, I would gladly switch from the Pro to the Air. The performance of the M2 is quite impressive.
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markb
Cave Dweller
Member since May 2022
Posts: 472
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Post by markb on Jul 9, 2022 17:24:19 GMT -5
If you want to save a few $ you may want to consider a refurb from the Apple site. Additionally, if you are a veteran there is an additional discount. jimaz, Would love to save the money, but I don’t think my late 2012 MacBook Pro would bring much trade value nowadays. Two years before I graduated the USA was pulling out of Vietnam for good, and they canceled the draft for 3 years and luckily I was part of that. I have much respect for the folks that served, but I’m still glad I didn’t get sucked into it all at that time. So, no vet discount either for me. Mark
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jimaz
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2018
Posts: 461
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Post by jimaz on Jul 9, 2022 19:50:14 GMT -5
Mark, the M2 airs might hit the refurb store around the first of August. A lot of times machines that were sent out as demos are returned and go through the refurb process. Also returns that someone decided the machine wasn’t right for them. Currently there are a few M1 Airs on the sight. If you are interested in seeing what they have the link is at the bottom of the page of Apple.com underneath the Apple Store column. There are also several M1Pro and M1Max 14” MacBook pros. I got a Mac M1 shortly after the release. Had to wait a little bit for the config I wanted to come up. I replaced a i5 iMac and can say the difference in performance was considerable. Best wishes with what ever way you decide to proceed.
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markb
Cave Dweller
Member since May 2022
Posts: 472
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Post by markb on Jul 10, 2022 19:28:26 GMT -5
Mark, the M2 airs might hit the refurb store around the first of August. A lot of times machines that were sent out as demos are returned and go through the refurb process. Also returns that someone decided the machine wasn’t right for them. Currently there are a few M1 Airs on the sight. If you are interested in seeing what they have the link is at the bottom of the page of Apple.com underneath the Apple Store column. There are also several M1Pro and M1Max 14” MacBook pros. I got a Mac M1 shortly after the release. Had to wait a little bit for the config I wanted to come up. I replaced a i5 iMac and can say the difference in performance was considerable. Best wishes with what ever way you decide to proceed. jimaz
Thanks for the tip, I'll check it out. BTW, I went ahead and figured out my trade-in value for my beloved MacBook Pro and it came out to $45. Mark
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Post by Mel on Aug 18, 2022 17:47:38 GMT -5
Random backstory: I too am using an older Mac; I think possibly the one that was released after yours (Retina display). It's still rocking along minus battery power, but can't win 'em all. I also worked on the Apple helpdesk when the first Macbook Air launched, believe it or not. What a time that was. Had a customer who's wife who unknowingly threw it out with their recycling pile shortly after he bought it Old MaC: $45 trade in just makes me sad. I'd pull the hard drive and see if you could sell it on Craigslist for a chunk of cash; even if it's just for parts, $45 is ridiculous. New Mac? My main priority would be a larger screen size, graphics & RAM but I'm not someone who lugs their laptop any further than the couch. I've always liked the Pro line because they felt beefier/sturdier, but if I were going to need to lug it along every day, I think the Air would be the clear winner.
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markb
Cave Dweller
Member since May 2022
Posts: 472
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Post by markb on Aug 31, 2022 1:33:16 GMT -5
BrianjimazMelWell for all you folks who gave me input and good advice for which new Mac to look at, thank you, as I finally made the decision and popped on the MacBook Air M2. And boy am I glad I did, because I like EVERYTHING about it. Here's what configuration I chose with the M2: MacBook Air with M2 chip - Starlight Apple M2 chip with 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine 16GB unified memory. 512GB SSD storage. 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display with True Tone 1080p FaceTime HD camera MagSafe 3 charging port, Two Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports 35W Dual USB-C Port Compact Power Adapter Backlit Magic Keyboard with Touch ID - US English Accessory Kit It was a chunk of change to put down for this M2, but since I used my MacBook Pro for 10 solid years, limping it along with upgrades and replacement components, we felt we could justify it in the long run. Not to mention that my battery (replaced by me several years ago) in my MacBook Pro had just started to ramp up in heat and wouldn't hold a charge very long after being disconnected from the power cord. Thus, that laptop was probably heading for some major repair so the time was right to make the jump. With the screen coming in at 13.6 inches and my old MB Pro's being 15 inches, I don't really notice much of a difference of the viewable difference. Although the laptop body is slightly smaller, they've widened out the trackpad size below the space bar, added a slew of helpful keyboard functionality, optional to use as you wish. The size of the keyboard keys has remained the same with a few minor keystroke differences between the two, but nothing too awkward. One nice thing is the 17 hours of battery life, which equates to about 1-2 full days of use for me. When it is time to recharge the battery, it happens pretty quick and I can continue to work as it does. I was originally going to go with the darker blue color, but in the end decided on the Starlight (lightish gold) color instead. Just something about the contrast that I liked, and after I got it I found out the darker blue color has major issues with finger printing. You will get finger prints on any of the colors I think, but with the dark they stand out more. I've got most of my files transferred across and I sure do notice the improvement in speed, and with NO heat. I'd image if I were creating or editing videos, music tracks or higher end programs it may make more sense to go with the MacBook Pro, but for running a few standard programs all at the same time and other general programs too, for most users the M2 is a great option to choose. markb
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