Hi,
so I've been waiting for the new macbook air to drop for a long time and, though it sounds really cool, very light and slim and pretty powerful, the pricetag gave me a gulp moment. Speced to 16 gb ram and 512, on apple's store, it comes out at £1749 whilst the macbook pro 14 inch with the M1 pro, a superior processer, comes in at £1899, a difference of £150 for reference.
Now, there are deals out there that bring these machines to be the same price so, the way I see it, is there is a portability premium here and, when you consider the better speakers, screen for those who care, the far superior processer, increased ports and so on, that portability premium I mentioned seems pretty darn huge.
I'm wondering if any of you have the macbook pro 14 base spec and if you could let me know your thoughts on its portability? I'm on a macbook air 2020 which, I believe, is a smidge thicker at its thickest point than the macbook pro, though obviously the MBP doesn't have the wedge formfactor.
Currently I'm thinking the macbook pro,, on paper, bang for buck, pop for pound? is the better deal, but I'm open to being convinced otherwise.
I do realise the new MBA m2 isn't out yet so reviews aren't in, so this is an addademic discussion.
Not sure if it matters with the power of the M series chips, but I'm also a maker/tinkerer, 3dprinters, raspberry pis and all that so the utility of the MBP's multiple ports is attractive.
The other part of me just wants new shiny!!! Not that it matters to us, but apparently the new midnight colour looks stunning... And maybe that defines the macbook air M2, style over substance.
Thoughts? Experiences with teh MBP pro 14 from a blind perspective? How are the speakers? what is the typing like. I think we notice these things more when not distracted by a blazing bright screen.
O
Comments
Macbook Pro 14 inch
Hi, I too was surprised at the pricing of the new M2 Air when compared to the Macbook Pro.
I have the 14 inch Pro and it's a lovely mix of compact form factor and functionality for me.
Of course I have no way of comparing it directly with the new M2 Air, but i'll outline why it appeals more and is certainly worth the extra £100 or so.
I couldn't live with just the two USB-C ports, plus the other ports like the HDMI and card slots are nice bonuses.
The speakers on the 14 inch are really rather good, I work with audio and I suspect that they will be aa class above the Air, due to having drivers for the woofers, which the Air doesn't have as they are built into the frame.
I struggle with smaller keyboards and the size of the Macbook Pro is just the right size for my slightly larger hands.
Then of course there's the internal chipset, all round completely out does the Air in all regards, no competition.
I would say the only reason to pick up an Air is if you need it to be super portable and travel with it a lot.
That's not to say the Pro is a beast, it's not, but it definately feels solid, something I actually like, seeing as it's taken out to music gigs.
Any questions about the 14 inch Pro just let me know.
Really useful feedback…
Really useful feedback. Thank you.
The 14 does seem the sweet spot of performance and portability. I use jump desktop on my iPad to access my mac when roaming the house so I can leave it set up in my office area but, when travelling, I can throw the 14 in my peak design backpack, where it will be nice and snug until I reach my destination.
I personally think there are too many compromises for size with the air, speakers, ports, processor and price.
Two questions for you thoug regarding the 14:
1. How are you getting on with battery? Its my understanding that the XDR screen is magnificent... For those who care for such things, but I'd also assume a big power drain. Have you managed to optimise battery duration with any special settings?
2. I've currently got an air and have a few little dings around the sharper edges of the machine, the screen and the front of the keyboard area. It sounds like you are on the road quite a bit with music and, being the sight and therefore spacial imp-pared people we are, I was wondering how it stands up to such dings. I'm hoping that, because it is a sturdier and fatter chassis, it might be a little less prone to such issues...
Power drain and build quality.
I have previously owned a 2013 Macbook Pro 13 inch and then the 2019 16 inch Macbook Pro.
Both of these were more of a matt finish and so those little knocks and dents you mention were more of an issue on those models.
There is a sort of sheen to the finish on the new 14 inch which seems more robust.
That being said, I have a thin, clear protective case that covers the body of the Mac to prevent such things, which was only £30if I remembre.
The battery life on my 16 inch Pro was absolutely terrible, I'd only get a couple hours of use out of it an was one of the main reasons for my wanting to upgrade to Apple silicon.
I turn on screen curtain, as I have no need for the screen, so I'm guessing that saves me some battery life on the new 14 inch.
This week I forgot to plug in the charger and only relised the next day as it hit 5 percent.
So I'd say I got roughly 12 hours out of it, but that's just a rough estimate.
Put it this way, I don't feel like the battery is an issue at all compared to the terrible experience of my older Macbooks!