Are You Still Happy With Your MBP M1 Even Though A New 2021 MacBook Pro is Rumored To Come With No Touch Bar

[JTMacster]

Have a 2018 16 inch MacBook Pro with a TouchBar. M1 MacBook Pro is out for delivery today. Like the TouchBar as I can use BetterTouchTool to customize a few shortcuts that I don't use enough to remember with dual keystrokes. Also use BTT to customize keyboard and trackpad shortcuts. However, got the Pro vs. the Air for the other additional features. Am mainly using the laptop with a monitor anyway, but still need to be mobile at times.

In terms of buyer's remorse with the upcoming 14 inch model, that model was rumored to come out this past summer and didn't. Who is to say it doesn't get delayed again. The other thing is if the 16 inch comes out first what do you think that will do to the resale value of my current 16 inch. Am going to grab the value I can get for resale out of the 16 inch now. Feel the M1 as it is will smoke my Intel machine for my workflows.

 

[macnmac]

Haha

ive gotten use to it, call me old or old school but i enjoy physical keys on a laptop

 

[Zazoh]

Are you all happy with the 400 nit screen brightness?
Do any of you use an external monitor?

No problems with brightness. I use in a fairly bright room. No artificial light needed, and I don't every go anywhere near full brightness. So, in that regard, I wouldn't use 500 either.

I have a LG UltraFine 4K 21.5" monitor. (Apple used to sell) It is crisp, clear and sharp. No issues waking from sleep or pairing with both Apple Magic2 Keyboard and Trackpad.



Note: Even though I have less resolution and real estate on the native display. When working and focusing on work, I prefer to not use the external monitor. I'm a heavy virtual desktop user and gesture between screens frequently when working. For some reason I prefer it.

 

[cmaier]

Are you all happy with the 400 nit screen brightness?
Do any of you use an external monitor?

Screen brightness hasn’t been an issue. I do not use an external monitor with the M1 MBA. I *do* use an external monitor with my MBP, which is one reason I will be buying the M* MBP. Different tools for different jobs.

 

[James_C]

Are you all happy with the 400 nit screen brightness?
Do any of you use an external monitor?

Brightness on the MBA is fine for me, I never have it at 100%. If you use your laptop indoors most of the time, I doubt you will notice the difference. My 15” MBP had a 500 nit screen and I did not notice the difference using auto brightness.

 

[darngooddesign]

The other thing is if the 16 inch comes out first what do you think that will do to the resale value of my current 16 inch.

Probably the same thing the current M1s are doing to the 13" Intels.

IMO the M# 16" will be released this year and the 14" M# MacBook Pro will replace the 13" M# MBP next year. I doubt there will be a 14" Air because I think Apple wants to keep the Air as their smallest and lightest laptop.

 

[Lord Hamsa]

Yes. I knew newer models were on the horizon - they always are - but I was at the point where I was really feeling the need to replace my 2013 MBP. I absolutely love my new M1 MBP.

 

[spiderman0616]

Yes. I knew newer models were on the horizon - they always are - but I was at the point where I was really feeling the need to replace my 2013 MBP. I absolutely love my new M1 MBP.

I feel like it would be a bit ridiculous to upgrade again this year if/when new notebooks come out. The M1 models are already so far ahead of the competition, an even faster M chip would make little difference right now. Last year I went from a fully decked out 2020 model 12.9" iPad Pro with Magic Keyboard to an M1 MacBook Air. It was not a change I made lightly as I am a HUGE iPad fan. But the battery life, power, performance, weight, form factor, and versatility of the M1 machines made the iPad Pro feel completely pointless to me.

I can't imagine an M2 or M1x or whatever it ends up being called is going to give me that same kind of improvement when compared to my current M1. I can wait 2 or 3 years before my next upgrade considering how far ahead my M1 MBA already is. The software will have caught up to the hardware a bit more by then, and I have a feeling the notebook market is going to look significantly different by then as well. It's going to be really fun to watch the Mac progress over the next few years, but I don't need to own each iteration.

 

[Trouble1]

Last year I went from a fully decked out 2020 model 12.9" iPad Pro with Magic Keyboard to an M1 MacBook Air. It was not a change I made lightly as I am a HUGE iPad fan. But the battery life, power, performance, weight, form factor, and versatility of the M1 machines made the iPad Pro feel completely pointless to me.

What is the memory/storage configuration on your M1 MBA?

 

[spiderman0616]

What is the memory/storage configuration on your M1 MBA?

Base model. I've been doing everything from gaming to Affinity Publisher on it, and it doesn't break a sweat.

 

[kazmac]

I am fine with my M1 MBP, as I largely ignore the TB. Needed a computer immediately so (I miss the big display of my iMac and do not want to deal with an external display for the MBP).

We knew that redesigned Macs were on the horizon so...we’ll see what happens. Probably will trade up to the smaller iMac though at some point.

 

[Trouble1]

Base model. I've been doing everything from gaming to Affinity Publisher on it, and it doesn't break a sweat.

Good to read about this.
What I've worked out is get the MBA 8GB and use it as I normally use my late 2013 MBP w/8GB. IF it struggles, return it and get 16GB.
From what I've read and watched in the YT vids about loading the 8GB up and it still does fine, I'm finding it difficult to believe that the M1 w/8GB won't handle it better than a 7 year old MBP w/8GB.

Thinkorswim trade platform is the application I use daily for investing and it would be the single reason I would return the 8GB MBA if it underperformed.

Bottom line for me. I'm not totally satisfied with the specs on the M1 MBP (2 ports, Magsafe, Touch Bar) and will definitely buy the rumored upcoming 14" MBP with M#.
So this MBA is a bridge device that will be handed down to my partner who is low tech.

 

[jdb8167]

Bottom line for me. I'm not totally satisfied with the specs on the M1 MBP (2 ports, 30hz external support, Magsafe, Touch Bar) and will definitely buy the rumored upcoming 14" MBP with M#.
So this MBA is a bridge device that will be handed down to my partner who is low tech.

Why do you think the M1 MBP only has 30 Hz external support? It definitely has 60 Hz and up.

 

[Trouble1]

Why do you think the M1 MBP only has 30 Hz external support? It definitely has 60 Hz and up.

I was definitely wrong about that. Not sure what I was thinking when I typed that and have made the necessary edit.