Apple MacBook Air 2014/2013/2012 with Logic Pro

[BedroomGuitarist]

Good Day Everyone.
I'm not a MacBook user and know very little about Apple Products. I've only been using Garageband on an old iPad for a few years. I'm an amateur musician and want to use Logic Pro on an MacBook but I have a small budget. I'm looking at some older and cheaper models. One of them I'm considering is an old Apple MacBook Air 2014 that includes Logic Pro (for about $260 Canadian) The OS has been upgraded to macOS Monterey. The seller said the Logic Pro should work (fully functional) after I buy it but the only caveat is that I won't be able to update it unless I buy the software (which I don't want to). My question is, is it worth buying such an old MacBook? I wouldn't consider buying a 10 year old Windows laptop but for MacBooks, it seems that even 10-12 year ones are being sold and used. Also, how would LogicPro work on such an old MacBook?
Thanks.

 

[theMarble]

1. If it only has 4GB of RAM (which all Airs prior to 2017 had at the base), I would avoid it in general, not just for Logic. These MBA's do not have upgradable memory so you will be stuck with 4GB. 4GB on any modern OS (other than maybe some lightweight Linux distros) is really not a fun experience to say at least.

2. You should know that Monterey does not natively run on a 2014 MacBook Air. It has been installed with a community-made patcher/hack known as OpenCore Legacy Patcher. While OCLP for the most part is stable (I use it to run Sonoma on my 2015 15" MBP), you need go in with the mindset that this will/may not perform optimally or be 100% stable.

If anything ever goes wrong with the patcher (which can happen), you will need to use Internet Recovery to reinstall an older, officially supported OS and then re-patch a newer OS.

For example, a few weeks ago, I had to completely re-install Sonoma on my 2015 Pro from scratch due to the patcher just deciding to glitch out one evening. This was not too much of a hassle for me as I keep daily Time Machine backups, however it was annoying as it was the fourth or fifth time it has happened in a year.

3. Logic Pro already requires Ventura 13.5 or later (Monterey is 12.x). You will stuck using an older version. Quite a lot of software has already dropped support for Monterey (especially Apple apps), and while you can download older versions from the App Store, you need to have already purchased (that includes free apps) them using a newer Mac.

If you ever decide to update to a newer macOS version, you will lose your Logic Pro install unless you back it up beforehand. (which may not be possible if you are forced to re-install and you didn't keep regular backups)

4. Pretty much all MBA's from that time-period are getting pretty slow these days as they use much older dual-core CPUs. The MBP's with quad-core CPUs will outperform them easily.

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If the MBA has 8GB of RAM, and you are aware of the semi-risks of using a non-officially supported OS, then go and get it. Otherwise, I would look elsewhere.

 

[BedroomGuitarist]

1. If it only has 4GB of RAM (which all Airs prior to 2017 had at the base), I would avoid it in general, not just for Logic. These MBA's do not have upgradable memory so you will be stuck with 4GB. 4GB on any modern OS (other than maybe some lightweight Linux distros) is really not a fun experience to say at least.

2. You should know that Monterey does not natively run on a 2014 MacBook Air. It has been installed with a community-made patcher/hack known as OpenCore Legacy Patcher. While OCLP for the most part is stable (I use it to run Sonoma on my 2015 15" MBP), you need go in with the mindset that this will/may not perform optimally or be 100% stable.

If anything ever goes wrong with the patcher (which can happen), you will need to use Internet Recovery to reinstall an older, officially supported OS and then re-patch a newer OS.

For example, a few weeks ago, I had to completely re-install Sonoma on my 2015 Pro from scratch due to the patcher just deciding to glitch out one evening. This was not too much of a hassle for me as I keep daily Time Machine backups, however it was annoying as it was the fourth or fifth time it has happened in a year.

3. Logic Pro already requires Ventura 13.5 or later (Monterey is 12.x). You will stuck using an older version. Quite a lot of software has already dropped support for Monterey (especially Apple apps), and while you can download older versions from the App Store, you need to have already purchased (that includes free apps) them using a newer Mac.

If you ever decide to update to a newer macOS version, you will lose your Logic Pro install unless you back it up beforehand. (which may not be possible if you are forced to re-install and you didn't keep regular backups)

4. Pretty much all MBA's from that time-period are getting pretty slow these days as they use much older dual-core CPUs. The MBP's with quad-core CPUs will outperform them easily.

-----------

If the MBA has 8GB of RAM, and you are aware of the semi-risks of using a non-officially supported OS, then go and get it. Otherwise, I would look elsewhere.

Thank you so much for your detailed reply. I really appreciate it. Although the one I was considering is quite cheap, I think it's not worth buying this and be disappointed.

I'm also looking at two other Macbook Air 2017 laptops.

1. Would Apple Macbook Air 2017 A1534 be ok to run Logic Pro? One I'm looking at has macOS 14.0, Sonoma; 8 GB of RAM, Intel Core M3 and 256 GB RAM.

2. The other one is Apple MacBook Pro 2017 13" (256GB SSD, Intel Core i5 7th Gen., 2.30 GHz, 16GB RAM) also running on macOS 14.0, Sonoma.

These don't come with Logic Pro so I'll have to buy a license.

 

[theMarble]

1. Would Apple Macbook Air 2017 A1534 be ok to run Logic Pro? One I'm looking at has macOS 14.0, Sonoma; 8 GB of RAM, Intel Core M3 and 256 GB RAM.

2. The other one is Apple MacBook Pro 2017 13" (256GB SSD, Intel Core i5 7th Gen., 2.30 GHz, 16GB RAM) also running on macOS 14.0, Sonoma.

Whatever you do, do not ever buy either of those!
Below is a copied post I made a while back which sums up these machines well:

---
Do not ever buy any 2016-2019 MBP, 2018-2019 MBA or 2015-2017 12" MB as they suffer from multiple design faults that make them ticking timebombs.

The butterfly keyboard failure is the biggest, which is where keys on the keyboard start double-typing (lllliiiikkkeee thhhiiissss) and then die completely. The recall program only works for up to 4 years after the original purchase date, so will not be active anymore. A replacement top case (keyboard is part of the top case) will cost upwards of $400, and that replacement will also fail, and the replacement for the replacement... Keyboard covers cannot be used as they can and will damage the display when the lid is closed due to clearance issues. Apple does not recommend their use either.
The butterfly keyboard fault is unavoidable and cannot be slowed down in any way.

The second major issue is Flexgate, which is where the main display ribbon cable tears under normal use, such as casually opening and closing the lid. This will cause sections of the display to start glitching and/or stop working. A replacement display will also most likely cost upwards of $400.

These machines also suffer from overheating and thermal-throttling issues (where the Mac has to significantly downclock the CPU due to overheating), and also have SSD issues.

Buying one is a complete waste of your time and your money.
---

The A1534 is actually a 12" MacBook, a 2017 MacBook Air (looks the same as the 2012-2014 Air) does not have these issues. The 12" MacBook has even more problems than the 2016-2019 MBP, such as CPU failure, trackpad failure, USB-C port failure (of which is the only port on it) and more.

If you can, I would highly suggest looking into a 2015 15" MacBook Pro. While they do require patching (which both of your 2017 suggestions need as well to run Sonoma), 2015 MBPs are extremely well-known for being absolute tanks. Super reliable and are still fast enough for light work these days.

A general rule to follow is that Macs that only have USB-C ports (no MagSafe, HDMI...) are ones to avoid at all costs. This pretty much covers all of the bad machines I mentioned above.

All pre-2016 MacBooks (excluding the 2015 12" MacBook) and all post-2020 MacBooks (all with Apple Silicon) are extremely good machines that are reliable, and don't fail.

 

[BedroomGuitarist]

Whatever you do, do not ever buy either of those!
Below is a copied post I made a while back which sums up these machines well:

---
Do not ever buy any 2016-2019 MBP, 2018-2019 MBA or 2015-2017 12" MB as they suffer from multiple design faults that make them ticking timebombs.

The butterfly keyboard failure is the biggest, which is where keys on the keyboard start double-typing (lllliiiikkkeee thhhiiissss) and then die completely. The recall program only works for up to 4 years after the original purchase date, so will not be active anymore. A replacement top case (keyboard is part of the top case) will cost upwards of $400, and that replacement will also fail, and the replacement for the replacement... Keyboard covers cannot be used as they can and will damage the display when the lid is closed due to clearance issues. Apple does not recommend their use either.
The butterfly keyboard fault is unavoidable and cannot be slowed down in any way.

The second major issue is Flexgate, which is where the main display ribbon cable tears under normal use, such as casually opening and closing the lid. This will cause sections of the display to start glitching and/or stop working. A replacement display will also most likely cost upwards of $400.

These machines also suffer from overheating and thermal-throttling issues (where the Mac has to significantly downclock the CPU due to overheating), and also have SSD issues.

Buying one is a complete waste of your time and your money.
---

The A1534 is actually a 12" MacBook, a 2017 MacBook Air (looks the same as the 2012-2014 Air) does not have these issues. The 12" MacBook has even more problems than the 2016-2019 MBP, such as CPU failure, trackpad failure, USB-C port failure (of which is the only port on it) and more.

If you can, I would highly suggest looking into a 2015 15" MacBook Pro. While they do require patching (which both of your 2017 suggestions need as well to run Sonoma), 2015 MBPs are extremely well-known for being absolute tanks. Super reliable and are still fast enough for light work these days.

A general rule to follow is that Macs that only have USB-C ports (no MagSafe, HDMI...) are ones to avoid at all costs. This pretty much covers all of the bad machines I mentioned above.

All pre-2016 MacBooks (excluding the 2015 12" MacBook) and all post-2020 MacBooks (all with Apple Silicon) are extremely good machines that are reliable, and don't fail.

Thanks again for your detailed reply. This is very useful, especially for someone like myself who is new to MacBooks. And thanks for suggesting the 2015 15" MacBook Pro. I can't afford to buy the latest model but can save up for this particular one. I assume you are talking about this model. I assume it will work well with Logic Pro to do some light music production (which is one of the reasons I'm considering buying a MacBook)

Apple MacBook Pro 15''-Core i7" 2.2-16GB-512GB SSD-Retina Mid-2015 -A1398​

 

[rovostrov]

Thanks again for your detailed reply. This is very useful, especially for someone like myself who is new to MacBooks. And thanks for suggesting the 2015 15" MacBook Pro. I can't afford to buy the latest model but can save up for this particular one. I assume you are talking about this model. I assume it will work well with Logic Pro to do some light music production (which is one of the reasons I'm considering buying a MacBook)

Apple MacBook Pro 15''-Core i7" 2.2-16GB-512GB SSD-Retina Mid-2015 -A1398​

If you go with the 2015 MBP, I'd recommend finding one with the 2.8GHz, 16GB RAM with the dual graphics (Radeon R9) Every now and then you can find a good one on Ebay for around the $300 range. Also, be sure to look out for screen delamination, which was a common issue with the 2015's. The SSD is replaceable in the 2015's but the RAM isn't. Also, the battery is difficult to replace so try to find one with a decent battery. Good luck!

 

[theMarble]

Thanks again for your detailed reply. This is very useful, especially for someone like myself who is new to MacBooks. And thanks for suggesting the 2015 15" MacBook Pro. I can't afford to buy the latest model but can save up for this particular one. I assume you are talking about this model. I assume it will work well with Logic Pro to do some light music production (which is one of the reasons I'm considering buying a MacBook)

Apple MacBook Pro 15''-Core i7" 2.2-16GB-512GB SSD-Retina Mid-2015 -A1398​

You should be fine for light music work.

I use Logic Pro on my 2015 Pro, and for the light music work that I do, it works fine.