Is 24GB/1TB configuration a sensible choice for the 15" M2 MacBook Air?

[david.h]

There is something to be said about a larger internal SSD. If you have fast Wi-Fi access ALL THE TIME & everywhere you go, cloud storage is great. But if you Just like having all your junk local, go big.

That's a valid point.
It's important for me to have at least 300GB of local storage for my Devonthink databases and the apps I use. However, since I also have 2TB of iCloud storage, I should probably be fine with 512GB.
At the same time, I'm considering doing some photo work, which I currently do only on my iMac. In that case, having 1TB of storage would be greatly appreciated.

 

[david.h]

The MBP is noticeably heavier than the MBA. I have used and held both and while on paper the weight doesn't look that different, if I had to get a second backup Mac, I would 100% get a MacBook Air (I currently have a 14" MBP and love it).

The MBP is great and a powerful machine. 16 GB/512 GB. 512 is pushing it for me (I used to have a 1 TB on my older Mac), but I don't truly need 1 TB so can get by with 512 GB. 16 GB is enough for the things I do and memory pressure is nearly always in the green, even if I'm using 13-14 GB of my 16 GB on the regular.

I got the MBP because it has better screen, speakers, more ports, and ever-so-slightly larger screen in a similar form factor. I also plan to keep it until like 2030, if it doesn't break or fail by accident. So this was a long-term investment.

From what you said, it sounds like the MBA is sufficient for your needs with the spec upgrades. I would say get the MBA and save a little bit of money, even if you could get the Pro for a bit more. But maybe reconsider whether you truly need 1 TB of storage vs 512 GB. (I have like 130 GB free of my 512 GB and it's fine.)

Yes, I may end up finding myself in a similar situation if I opt for the 512GB option, leaving around 100GB of free space out of the total 512GB. This is especially true considering that I already have 2TB of iCloud storage available. Then I can save $180.

 

[david.h]

It's indeed sensible if you can afford it and your workflow requires it.

I bought a MBP 16" with 32G RAM and 1T SSD over a year ago. With my workflow, the RAM usage was around 26G (Docker, VS code, web browsers (Chrome, Firefox), Outlook, Teams, etc.). I also have VMware Fusion with a couple of VMs. But I only run them occasionally. Smaller RAM is possible with current workflow. But considering that it could be used for 5+ years, I didn't regret the purchase.

The MBP is just too heavy for travel. I took it on a couple of trips, but really hoped for a lighter device. So last week, I bit the bullet and ordered a MBA 15 with 24G RAM/1T SSD. It might not be used as heavily as the MBP. But I just wanted a more or less frictionless transition when switching between the two.

These laptops are just tools. They help us, not the other way around. If the configuration gives you better productivity, it will pay itself back sooner. You don't need to constantly close applications for RAM or clean the SSD for space.

Again, I am pleasantly surprised by the unexpected popularity of the 24G/1T configuration. It seems to have struck a chord with many users, not just me.

 

[david.h]

You could run the iMac at 1 x 16 GB. The RAM speed would be slower, but you'd still be able to test the memory pressure.

At the same time, I think @Allen_Wentz 's point is well taken: Applications always seem to move in the direction of needing more RAM, so if 16 GB is barely enough now, you may need more in a few years.

I didn't watch the whole video, but I think the video is irrelevant b/c he doesn't test your specific task. As he says at the end: "I don't think it's really worth spending that extra money unless you know specifically that for your task you need a ton of ram and in that case you're probably not even watching this video because you know you need it."

Yes, based on my observation and other helpful inputs provided here, I think it is safer to go with 24GB of RAM or even more.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

My workflow relies heavily on Devonthink, which requires that databases be stored locally. That's why my M1 MBA with 256 SSD is not enough.

And that's fine - for you. Just because 256GB isn't good enough "For you" doesn't mean it shouldn't be sold.

 

[Fozziebear71]

That’s the exact configuration I got and I have no regrets.

 

[Flav]

What kind of work do you do?

I’m planning to get Air for programming, but I’m not sure if it’s fast enough

I am a backend developer. Using mainly PHP Storm, Docker, Chrome, Safari and some small tools.

I am coming from MBP 15" 2017 16GB/512 to MBA 13" M1 16/512 to MBP 16" M1P 32GB/1TB. The difference performance wise between MBP 15" to the M1 Air was mindblowing. From the Air to the MBP 16"... not so much. For what I do the Air 16GB/512 is the perfect fit. I never got any swap usage, occasionally I saw 1-2 GB swap allocated but that's it. CPU wise I never saw it over 90C, never felt throttling or any slowdown. That is likely due to my workload being mainly single threaded so I cannot fully load the CPU.

I got the MBP 16" only because of the bigger screen. I bought the spec up memory and storage wise so I could comfortably use it for 5 years. I used to work on MBP 17" 2011 and the screen was amazing, it really fits my way of work, 13" is too small for me, even 14 for that matter.

 

[JonathanX64]

A $2100 laptop with 60 Hz SDR screen is a plain robbery. Also, Apple charges absolutely crazy prices for upgrades, they are never worth it.

Within this budget, please consider buying higher-specced M1 Pro MBP on sale (of whichever size you prefer). Even M1 Max models get discounted sometimes, when shops like B&H try to move the old stock.

Sidenote: 14" MBP has higher screen resolution than 15" MBA, so more stuff fits on screen (when using true 200% scale, not the blurry mess that's default on MacBook Air).

 

[Fozziebear71]

Sidenote: 14" MBP has higher screen resolution than 15" MBA, so more stuff fits on screen (when using true 200% scale, not the blurry mess that's default on MacBook Air).

Yeah, nothing is a "blurry mess" on the MacBook Air screen.

 

[JonathanX64]

Yeah, nothing is a "blurry mess" on the MacBook Air screen.

But of course it is. Unless you change the Retina scaling setting one notch below and sacrifice screen estate.

This problem exists since 2016, when Apple cheapened out on displays in MacBook Pros and instead of actually ordering higher resolution panels, they increased screen space on default settings at the cost of clarity / sharpness,

It was solved in 2021 M1 MacBook Pros. But not on Airs, they still have same low resolution screens as previous generations (but now with additional lane of pixels separated by notch on top, which is nice!).

Retina scaling has never worked well, and I've lost hope that it will ever be fixed...

 

[Apple_Robert]

But of course it is. Unless you change the Retina scaling setting one notch below and sacrifice screen estate.

This problem exists since 2016, when Apple cheapened out on displays in MacBook Pros and instead of actually ordering higher resolution panels, they increased screen space on default settings at the cost of clarity / sharpness,

It was solved in 2021 M1 MacBook Pros. But not on Airs, they still have same low resolution screens as previous generations (but now with additional lane of pixels separated by notch on top, which is nice!).

Retina scaling has never worked well, and I've lost hope that it will ever be fixed...

I have the 15" Air with the display set to "more space" and it isn't blurry. In fact, I had the same setting on the M1 Air and it wasn't blurry, either. To say the Air screen is blurry is showing personal bias to the MBP or you have bad vision and need glasses.

 

[Fozziebear71]

But of course it is. Unless you change the Retina scaling setting one notch below and sacrifice screen estate.

This problem exists since 2016, when Apple cheapened out on displays in MacBook Pros and instead of actually ordering higher resolution panels, they increased screen space on default settings at the cost of clarity / sharpness,

It was solved in 2021 M1 MacBook Pros. But not on Airs, they still have same low resolution screens as previous generations (but now with additional lane of pixels separated by notch on top, which is nice!).

Retina scaling has never worked well, and I've lost hope that it will ever be fixed...

Nope, you're just wrong. The screen on the MacBook Air 15" looks very good.

 

[JonathanX64]

On another note...

It's genuinely baffling to me how in the current era of insanely affordable flash storage and relatively accessible high refresh rate OLED panels, Apple can ship a laptop like base model MacBook Air M2, call it premium / flagship / whatever, and ask the price they're currently asking.

It feels like MacBook Air lineup is having its iPhone 11 moment; when Apple released low quality garbage phone with cheap reused parts but called it «flagship» and forgot to adjust its price to reasonable levels.

Apple keeps behaving like they're the only player in the market, and if they continue doing so, The Big Apple Silicon Mac Renaissance will quickly fade; sure, M2 is great on its own, but when decent Wintel laptops ship with 16gb of RAM by default, support storage upgrades, 120 Hz high-res displays are very common, and latest-gen Intel/AMD parts are not that much slower (though still not as efficient), it's getting harder and harder to justify buying subpar Mac computer just because of macOS.

 

[jeffg819]

You validate my initial belief that I would find greater satisfaction with the MacBook Air equipped with 24GB of RAM compared to the MacBook Pro 14 with 16GB.

Now, regarding your new machine, what specifically pleases your senses?

I like the way the keyboard feels vs the MBP: it seem easier to type on and the added width in retrospect makes the MBP keyboard feel cramped. I also like the bigger trackpad.

The computer feels more balanced on my lap (sitting in the easy chair with it laying back as I type this). I also own a iPad Pro 12.9 with the Apple keyboard and that now feels like a high wire act in comparison.

On the purely aesthetic level, I much prefer the look, color (Midnight blue), and thickness of the Air. The MBP looks like a thousand other laptops and I can hardly tell the difference from a friend's 2015 13" MBP. I'm somewhat of a minimalist and I just find thinner, simpler, more pleasing to my eye. As someone that fell in love with the Air the moment Jobs pulled the original model out of the envelop, there is a little nostalgia tossed into the mix as well.

If the Air disappeared tomorrow and I had to switch back to the 14" MBP, I would still be a happy computer user. Both machines are examples of Apple at its best in my opinion.

 

[Zdigital2015]

On another note...

It's genuinely baffling to me how in the current era of insanely affordable flash storage and relatively accessible high refresh rate OLED panels, Apple can ship a laptop like base model MacBook Air M2, call it premium / flagship / whatever, and ask the price they're currently asking.

It feels like MacBook Air lineup is having its iPhone 11 moment; when Apple released low quality garbage phone with cheap reused parts but called it «flagship» and forgot to adjust its price to reasonable levels.

Apple keeps behaving like they're the only player in the market, and if they continue doing so, The Big Apple Silicon Mac Renaissance will quickly fade; sure, M2 is great on its own, but when decent Wintel laptops ship with 16gb of RAM by default, support storage upgrades, 120 Hz high-res displays are very common, and latest-gen Intel/AMD parts are not that much slower (though still not as efficient), it's getting harder and harder to justify buying subpar Mac computer just because of macOS.

You are checking boxes off an imaginary spec sheet in your mind and that’s fine, that’s your right, but you’re forgetting that to a great deal of people that checklist means absolutely nothing at all, either from lack of “tech savvy” or just plain not caring.

 

[Allen_Wentz]

Maybe, maybe not. What is for sure that people were predicting the same thing for 8/256 5 years ago, or 4/128 back when that was the base.
If used within their use case these Mac remained o.k. for about as long as OS support was (and a bit longer) or as long as the HW lasted.

Wrong. Macs always need more RAM over time. Many older boxes had upgradable RAM, and we used to upgrade; but laptops have not been upgradable since at least 2016 (now actually a good thing with fast UMA RAM). My 2016 MBP is max at 16 GB RAM and showed no apparent RAM limitations with its hard workflow in 2017. For the last ~2 years the (actually lessened) workflow has been heavily RAM-challenged even though no apps were changed. OS and apps evolve and demand more RAM over time.

I upgraded to an M2 MBP with 96 GB RAM. 64 GB is fully adequate now, but RAM demands will increase over the ~6 year life of the new box, and IMO $400 is cheap for +32 GB RAM.

 

[Allen_Wentz]

128GB of SSD can be had at 10$/€ !RETAIL!, so unless Apple uses NOS chips they get for free the might end up paying a few ct extra just to get those small chips.

Apple skimping on RAM and storage goes back at least to the PPC days (properly even 68k) and so does "techies" whining about it.

Result is, Apple sells plenty of under specced HW to the unwashed masses AND makes an extra profit by upselling those that got convinced they need to tick all the BTOs to get a useable system.

At 999$ for the a base model Air they could just as well put 24GB/2TB into it without barely making a dent into their margins, but why bother when they can upsell that for another 1k$......

Sorry but whining over Apple prices is just wrong. Folks should just not buy if they think a product costs too much.

 

[gilby101]

But at the same time, my workflow heavily relies on Devonthink, which seems to benefit a lot from larger RAMs.

Absolutely. Get 24GB RAM. 16GB would be a mistake.

 

[1BadManVan]

You’ll love the air for you use case. I know a lot of people have a hard on for the pros, they read too deep into the spec sheets and benchmarks. Reality is the air is more than enough for most people.

I have a 16/1tb M2 air and by far my favourite laptop

 

[zapmymac]

Again, I am pleasantly surprised by the unexpected popularity of the 24G/1T configuration. It seems to have struck a chord with many users, not just me.

My MacBook Pro has a 512 option, it’s simply not enough for me today. I shoot tons of photos for fun and it is kinda annoying to remember to grab the external SSD and the usb cable…it also only has a v.3.0 USB, so it’s a bottleneck. —> mute point with the 2023 MBA throughput. I bought my laptop expecting/needing it to last at least 7 years, I’ve gotten 10 because I upspecc’d back then; I don’t buy often…

 

[ddsforlife]

Why would you recommend the MBP for clamshell use?

Well, the main reason would be active cooling. If you run the M2 over many years with passive cooling, it will eventually become a reliability issue IMO. The hotter that computer components run, the faster they wear out. Running in clamshell usually means you are running a larger screen which would include pushing the "gpu" er M2 chip and that makes things get hotter inside. Active cooling is kinda important. Of course it can work, but how long do you want the computer to last reliably without shelling out another couple grand for another? 😊

 

[Flav]

Well, the main reason would be active cooling. If you run the M2 over many years with passive cooling, it will eventually become a reliability issue IMO. The hotter that computer components run, the faster they wear out. Running in clamshell usually means you are running a larger screen which would include pushing the "gpu" er M2 chip and that makes things get hotter inside. Active cooling is kinda important. Of course it can work, but how long do you want the computer to last reliably without shelling out another couple grand for another? 😊

I have used an M1 Air for an year in clamshell mode with 5K display and i haven’t noticed any issue. Temps were rarely above 70c.

 

[solq]

I am leaning towards a 24Gb/1Tb 15" Air as well. I do development on it (Eclipse) and the extra memory will help.

Feels like a downgrade from my existing 15" Pro (Intel, 2016, max spec). Crappy ports and all on one side.

But the 16" Pro is just too thick and far too heavy, while the 14" Pro just don't have enough screen.

Any chance, I wonder, that 2024 MBPros will go through a diet? I find the current designs lacking across the board.

 

[Bug-Creator]

Wrong. Macs always need more RAM over time.

Macs (well any computer) can always use more RAM, the amount of RAM they really need is rather low and often an arbitrary number defined by the OS vendor based on what the min config of the weakest supported HW was.

So yes, if you bought a Mid 2011 Air with 2GB you could install the last version of Sierra released in late 2019, just as you could with the 4GB version.

Was it "fun" in 2019 (or 2011 for that matter)? Maybe, maybe not, but for basic tasks it was useable.

 

[JonathanX64]

You are checking boxes off an imaginary spec sheet in your mind and that’s fine, that’s your right, but you’re forgetting that to a great deal of people that checklist means absolutely nothing at all, either from lack of “tech savvy” or just plain not caring.

«Non tech savvy» does not mean blind or stupid.

People do know what's a difference between smooth display and 60 Hz display. Having smooth display is unequivocally better than not having it, just like having Retina display is unequivocally better than not having it.

Also specs is the only thing that matters, especially in Apple world.

All I'm trying to say is at the moment, MacBook Pro 14-inch and 16-inch provide great value for the price, and non-base-model MacBook Air is a lame cash grab.