14 inch MacBook Pro - is it overkill?

[Misheemee]

So….I’m not a power user, I don’t use heavy programs like Final Cut Pro, photoshop etc, I don’t video edit, and I may not use this machine to it’s full potential

But…….I do work on my machines (mostly office suite) as use them as a multimedia device. I have an IPad Pro 12.9 that I use for everything - but I find that apps are limiting, especially when trying to use programs like excel. I have a work computer, the MBP would be my personal computer to work on, and when i work, I have a million tabs and a million programs running at the same time, and a pet peeve is when a computer can’t handle multitasking (My work computer sucks at this)

I do really enjoy working on capable equipment that I feel I won’t outgrow and still have an 27 inch iMac from 2009 so don’t switch up my devices all that often (while slow, is still a fine desktop for the kids to watch Netflix and play Minecraft on and supports 1TB storage of which only 200GB is filled).

So, what I do love about the MBP - great base model (I’ve specked the air and 13“ MBP to include 16gb RAM and 512GB SSD and both aren’t that far off the 14” MBP), big and beautiful screen, promotion (which i have on my IPP and couldn’t live without now), multiple monitor support, MagSafe charging, and the fact that there’s no way I’d have an issue with multitasking or a end up with a laggy computer

so, I’m thinking the MBP may be overkill - but i have access to a discount, and there’s an awesome additional promo on atm.

so….overkill, or go for it?? I’m looking at the base model 14” MBP (2021) with 16GB RAM/512GB HDD

Or, is it worth waiting sitting on my hands and waiting for the Apple event (suspected March 8) to see if they release a new 13” MBP?

last question - do i trade in the iPad Pro against it, or do i keep my 12.9IPP? Those of you who have MBP’s and IPP’s - do you still use both?

 

[Jorbanead]

It’s probably overkill, but what you mainly need is decent ram. That’s where you’ll see the most benefit for your needs, so in that one area, you may actually want an M1 Pro chip so you can get 32GB of ram. The processor though will be more than capable.

 

[Ultron]

We're pretty close to the March event. If you can wait, I would hang tight and decide then.

For your usage, even the base M1 would be more than sufficient. The new M1 Macs are extremely quick with the swap memory that even if you do get a 8GB/16GB model, you'll barely notice the speed difference if all you're doing is general productivity and media consumption.

 

[wilberforce]

My wife uses a base 14" MBP for things that it is totally overkill, but enjoys the size, the screen, and the quick responsiveness.
I agree, we got it because it is not much more than a similarly spec'd Air or 13" MBP. It is a bit heavier though.
If you can afford it go for it. Who cares if it is overkill.
I suggest don't get sucked into getting unnecessary spec upgrades, from reading too many MacRumors posts from people who are happy to spend your money for you.

 

[Malus120]

Given that we are only about two weeks away I'd say there's no harm in waiting for the March event (unless your discount/promo will expire before then, in which case I'd say take the 14" MBP now.)

That said, the 14" MBP is one of the best laptops ever made IMHO, and even if an M2 13" MBP (or MBA) is introduced I wouldn't expect it to be able to "dethrone" the 14" MBP. Most likely it will just give you more options at the lower end of the budgetary spectrum (for example you can maybe trade the MiniLED screen, multicore CPU performance, some GPU power, and the new form factor for a cheaper price, slightly faster single core CPU performance, and a lighter machine.)

As others have said, regardless of what you choose I would encourage you to get 32GB of ram if you plan on keeping the machine for a long time.

 

[Realityck]

We're pretty close to the March event. If you can wait, I would hang tight and decide then.

You can't depend on a rumor. If it does occur its only suppose to be about a updated A15 based iPad Air and a third gen iPhone SE, maybe something AirPods. MacOS 12.3 is early in its beta development, it will not be even close to done until late March thru most of April possibly.

 

[Realityck]

So, what I do love about the MBP - great base model (I’ve specked the air and 13“ MBP to include 16gb RAM and 512GB SSD and both aren’t that far off the 14” MBP), big and beautiful screen, promotion (which i have on my IPP and couldn’t live without now), multiple monitor support, MagSafe charging, and the fact that there’s no way I’d have an issue with multitasking or a end up with a laggy computer

Whats in bold is how you rationalize what to buy. The 13" Air (400 nit display), 13" MBP (500 nit display) while very popular are at a disadvantage with the 14" 8/14 base model, that has almost twice as fast SSD and RAM access, along with decent speakers and a HDR capable Promotion display. You want at least what the base config offers 16GB RAM and 512 GB SSD if your going to keep it for a few years. But still its best to do a hands on with these M based laptops in the store to see what you really like.

 

[Six Mac Abs]

IMO there is never any harm in owning an overpowered computer (for your needs), especially Macs, which are as simple to use across the entire range (whereas Windows based computers tend to have a lot of 3rd party drivers and applications installed which can make them slightly more harder to handle / navigate if they come with any integrated 3rd party hardware).

One huge benefit is that you'll be prepared for most eventualities if your needs change, also your computer will last you much longer than one that's (just) ideally suited to your needs now!

Additionally, Apple machines hold their value very very well over a long period, so if you ever feel it is massively over specced you can always sell it at a later date without losing a ton of cash (but you won't)

I'd say, go for it! Incredible machines. You pay a premium, but you also get premium.

 

[Mike Boreham]

I suggest don't get sucked into getting unnecessary spec upgrades, from reading too many MacRumors posts from people who are happy to spend your money for you.

So true...this should be a sticky on every thread at MR

 

[ian87w]

Overkill. M1 Macbook Air with 16GB RAM will give you a pleasant experience, no noise, and it's much lighter too.

 

[Danfango]

I have the base 14” MacBook Pro. I was using the base MacBook Air before that mostly successfully but I kept hitting memory pressure issues when doing lots of things which was slightly constraining. For very basic users 8GB is enough but it doesn’t give a lot of room. I thought about swapping the MacBook Air out for one with 16Gb of RAM and 512GB SSD but it came up close enough to the 14” MBP to consider that.

An important thing to consider is that if you want 16GB of RAM the 14” MBP is the cheapest off the shelf configuration which means no waiting for weeks if it breaks for spare parts. They actually have entire machines in stock here in the UK at least in the Apple Store.

Despite being initially reluctant I’m more than happy with my exchange though. It was worth it for the better screen, ProMotion, full keyed size keyboard and ports as well as the RAM and CPU bump.

The killer is the screen. It hurts to look at other computers now.

 

[Phil-from-Hamburg]

Go for the Air. Its cheaper, has no fan, smaller footprint. And you can do everything you want with it. Maybe you will get discount or good „used“ models for a decent price already. Dont think that you need a Macbook thats more expensive than your iPad in base configuration.
But, if you can wait. Then wait.

 

[Realityck]

Go for the Air. Its cheaper, has no fan, smaller footprint. And you can do everything you want with it. Maybe you will get discount or good „used“ models for a decent price already. Dont think that you need a Macbook thats more expensive than your iPad in base configuration.
But, if you can wait. Then wait.

Since the OP already mentioned ownership of a M1 12.9” iPad Pro with promotion screen, and looking for something a bit better and larger, do you really think a 13” MBA with a 400nit display is preferred?

 

[Misheemee]

It’s probably overkill, but what you mainly need is decent ram. That’s where you’ll see the most benefit for your needs, so in that one area, you may actually want an M1 Pro chip so you can get 32GB of ram. The processor though will be more than capable.

Agree with M1 pro chip - but I was thinking 16gb. Do you think I need to step it up to 32gb?

 

[Misheemee]

We're pretty close to the March event. If you can wait, I would hang tight and decide then.

For your usage, even the base M1 would be more than sufficient. The new M1 Macs are extremely quick with the swap memory that even if you do get a 8GB/16GB model, you'll barely notice the speed difference if all you're doing is general productivity and media consumption.

Do you mean the base 13” or the base 14”?

Concern with the base 13” M1 at this stage is that it’s a 2020 model which makes it 2 years old. While still no doubt a fabulous computer, I’m not sure about parting with that much money for it. If it was just released like the 14”, I’d agree with you

2 weeks isn’t a long wait, but the promo may expire in that time

 

[Misheemee]

My wife uses a base 14" MBP for things that it is totally overkill, but enjoys the size, the screen, and the quick responsiveness.
I agree, we got it because it is not much more than a similarly spec'd Air or 13" MBP. It is a bit heavier though.
If you can afford it go for it. Who cares if it is overkill.
I suggest don't get sucked into getting unnecessary spec upgrades, from reading too many MacRumors posts from people who are happy to spend your money for you.

I think that’s it - I’d just really enjoy using it for whatever it was I needed to do. That’s how I feel about my iPad Pro- it’s simply enjoyable to use

Great advice about the not getting sucked in - thank you

 

[Misheemee]

That said, the 14" MBP is one of the best laptops ever made IMHO, and even if an M2 13" MBP (or MBA) is introduced I wouldn't expect it to be able to "dethrone" the 14" MBP. Most likely it will just give you more options at the lower end of the budgetary spectrum (for example you can maybe trade the MiniLED screen, multicore CPU performance, some GPU power, and the new form factor for a cheaper price, slightly faster single core CPU performance, and a lighter machine.)

This is exactly the way I think it’s going to play out in waiting for the new release, and I think I’ll end up going the 14” in the end anyways

 

[TechRunner]

The fact that you still have a 2009 iMac tells me you keep your Macs long enough to justify spending the money on the very capable 14" MBP. If it has as long a lifespan as your iMac, the cost divided by thirteen years makes it a very reasonable purchase.

 

[xxray]

promotion (which i have on my IPP and couldn’t live without now)

You answered your question here. If you can’t live without a promotion screen, the 2021 MBPs are the only ones that have it.

 

[Lihp8270]

It’s massively overkill. But what’s the point of spending so long using a device you don’t enjoy.

If you want it, you can afford it, then buy it and screw what people think of it being overkill.

Life would be pretty dull if we only got what we needed and not what we wanted

 

[TechRunner]

Life would be pretty dull if we only got what we needed and not what we wanted

Words to live by.

 

[yitwail]

No one's mentioned your side question about retaining the iPP 12.9 so here's my suggestion. If you settle for a M1 MacBook Air, which is what I did, you could the IPP into something like an external monitor with Universal Control, and use the IPP to view content where the Mini-LED/ProMotion makes a big difference. That's my plan, although I'll probably settle for the A15 iPad Air when it comes out. But if you go for a MBA, max it out with 16gb ram, and upgrade the ssd to at least 512gb. On the other hand, if you go for the MBP 14, 32gb ram is overkill for your use case, so save $$ and stay at 16gb.

 

[MauiPa]

So….I’m not a power user, I don’t use heavy programs like Final Cut Pro, photoshop etc, I don’t video edit, and I may not use this machine to it’s full potential

But…….I do work on my machines (mostly office suite) as use them as a multimedia device. I have an IPad Pro 12.9 that I use for everything - but I find that apps are limiting, especially when trying to use programs like excel. I have a work computer, the MBP would be my personal computer to work on, and when i work, I have a million tabs and a million programs running at the same time, and a pet peeve is when a computer can’t handle multitasking (My work computer sucks at this)

I do really enjoy working on capable equipment that I feel I won’t outgrow and still have an 27 inch iMac from 2009 so don’t switch up my devices all that often (while slow, is still a fine desktop for the kids to watch Netflix and play Minecraft on and supports 1TB storage of which only 200GB is filled).

So, what I do love about the MBP - great base model (I’ve specked the air and 13“ MBP to include 16gb RAM and 512GB SSD and both aren’t that far off the 14” MBP), big and beautiful screen, promotion (which i have on my IPP and couldn’t live without now), multiple monitor support, MagSafe charging, and the fact that there’s no way I’d have an issue with multitasking or a end up with a laggy computer

so, I’m thinking the MBP may be overkill - but i have access to a discount, and there’s an awesome additional promo on atm.

so….overkill, or go for it?? I’m looking at the base model 14” MBP (2021) with 16GB RAM/512GB HDD

Or, is it worth waiting sitting on my hands and waiting for the Apple event (suspected March 8) to see if they release a new 13” MBP?

last question - do i trade in the iPad Pro against it, or do i keep my 12.9IPP? Those of you who have MBP’s and IPP’s - do you still use both?

A million apps and a million tabs. Sounds like you already run the fastest, biggest, baddest computer

 

[Vol Braakzakje]

Well, I was in the same situation as you. I also have the iPad Pro 12" M1 and found it very limiting, especially with apps like excel. Even basic browsing is too limited in my opinion, as its too much of a hassle to take notes at the same time.

So I went out and bought myself a second hand MacBook Air M1 for €700. And I have to say that it is amazing! Its so fast, so light! So much more fun to use. I take it with me everywhere and I use it on my lap all the time.

I bought the 2nd hand MacBook Air because I know that in a few weeks a new laptop will be announced. And the rumours are that it will be a new MacBook Air. So I will sell my MBAir again and buy a new one, because I think my current one has too little ports. The new one I will keep for many years to come!

 

[Six Mac Abs]

The fact that you still have a 2009 iMac tells me you keep your Macs long enough to justify spending the money on the very capable 14" MBP. If it has as long a lifespan as your iMac, the cost divided by thirteen years makes it a very reasonable purchase.

My sentiment, exactly! I doubt very much that @Misheemee would regret the purchase.