As a therapist, this thread makes me chuckle. People will create rational narratives to fit to emotional narratives. Clearly that is what is going on. This is not an insult. Everyone does this. We look for evidence to support what our emotions want. There are vast bodies of research to support this (and great books). But we like to convince ourselves that the rational mind is in control. This would be an amazing example of that in the real world lol. Lastly, emotions tend to not budge with facts. That’s why I never give clients advice. People usually have their minds made up. Whatever gets that dopamine flowing is the one you’re going to go with.
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M1 Pro/M1 Max config for a non-creative-pro?
- Thread starter ShiggyMiyamoto
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I always buy what I want, not what I need. Life is too short. If you can afford it, then get what you want.
I went for the 16'- 64gb -2tb - 32-core GPU version. It's going to be a stay at home machine. I'll travel with my MBA M1.
I went for the 16'- 64gb -2tb - 32-core GPU version. It's going to be a stay at home machine. I'll travel with my MBA M1.
Your rejection of them was based on not wanting a Touch Bar, based on your post.
However as pointed out the M1 based MBA has no Touch Bar and has same power as using fine now in mini.
So is there another reason that rejected the MBA as your primary mentioned about Touch Bar showed as not accurate as it doesn’t have one.
I buy what I can afford. Am medically retired, good income, no dependents. I don’t need an M1X w/64 gb ram, but that’s what I’m buying.
My iMac, Macbook Pro and Macbook Air aren’t needed. Nor iPad, Pod or phone.
But I don’t drink and have other deleterious habits
Interesting. I usually buy a computer every other year. This year I’m nreaking that tradition. Why? No reason except I can. With house paid for, it frees up $ for toys and removed the agony of having to decide between want and afforadability.
Tom
My iMac, Macbook Pro and Macbook Air aren’t needed. Nor iPad, Pod or phone.
But I don’t drink and have other deleterious habits
Interesting. I usually buy a computer every other year. This year I’m nreaking that tradition. Why? No reason except I can. With house paid for, it frees up $ for toys and removed the agony of having to decide between want and afforadability.
Tom
I don’t see how we can make a solid recommendation without understanding OP’s budget. Other than that, OP answered his own question: he prefers the 14” and already has an M1 mini 16GB that he “loves,” implying that even the entry level 14” Pro with 16GB would get the job done. While OP doesn’t mention storage preference, my personal opinion is that video editors should not choose the entry level 512GB if they plan to use their machine for 5-6 years.
So overall, OP should start with the entry level 14,” upgrade to 1TB and stop there ($2,199), unless there’s more room in budget.
So overall, OP should start with the entry level 14,” upgrade to 1TB and stop there ($2,199), unless there’s more room in budget.
What do you expect to change over the next 3-5 years? We'll probably see 8K content become as prevalent as 4K is now. Maybe Apple (or Samsung, Google, etc.) will release more augmented reality devices. The base model has a CPU 30% more powerful in multi-core tasks than the M1, and a GPU with about 75% more power than the M1. It should still be able to do everything the OP describes in 2024 or 2026. I maybe can see splurging for 32GB if the OP expects to produce 8K content more frequently.
Anyone buying these new macs thinking they are guaranteed to be futureproofed are setting themselves up for disappointment. Technology simply doesn’t sleep. You should buy for what you need today and not for what you may be doing in 5 years time.
Hate to break it to you but even the M1 Max will be considered ‘old hat’ within three years.
Agree. I’m not a pro so I will be going with the baseline 16 plus expanded storage and travel with my iPad Pro 11. The 16 is large enough to save me from buying a second monitor to my 34 inch ultra wide.
That's true, as well. But the base model will have retained a greater percentage of its value than the specced-up models. Hence my usual advice is to get the lowest specced model that fits their expected usage.
The 14“ has fast charge, so big deal really.
If you did that, I wouldn’t be able to make a living. ?
The MBA doesn’t have a touchbar, and is more powerful than you need. Get 16GB of memory and you’re good.
Look, if you just want a more powerful computer, then just buy the most powerful MBP you can get within your budget. It doesn’t seem like you’re actually looking for advice if you want the most powerful MBP you can get no matter what.
The smart buy would be to get something a bit more powerful than what you need (e.g. the Mac Mini you already have), and then replacing it in 3 years with the money you saved by not buying something overly ridiculous.
You also said you want it to last 3-5 years, which it would do, even factoring in seemingly predictable demands in CPU/GPU needs over that span.
Look, if you just want a more powerful computer, then just buy the most powerful MBP you can get within your budget. It doesn’t seem like you’re actually looking for advice if you want the most powerful MBP you can get no matter what.
The smart buy would be to get something a bit more powerful than what you need (e.g. the Mac Mini you already have), and then replacing it in 3 years with the money you saved by not buying something overly ridiculous.
+1 If it were me, I would get the 16” M1 Max 10-core, 32-core gpu, 64GB ram and no more than a 2TB SSD. The 16” screen is much better, your’re much less likely to encounter thermal throttlin, bigger battery which will last longer and last longer, the 32-core might seem like overkill right now but in less than 5 years(probably more like 2-3 years) 8K video will be everywhere and as far as ram goes, I always go with the max when it’s soldered on to the motherboard.
If you, the OP, keep your computers for 3-5 years you’ll probably regret not getting the top of the line.
Of course this is just my opinio.
LOL agree. He wants us all to reassure him that he has made the right decision, so he can get that warm fuzzy feeling in his stomach. On the flip side, if we suggest something else against his decision, he will become defensive.
Get a base MBA now + another new current equivalent MBA again in 3/4/5 years for the same money or less.
My personally-funded base 2014 iMac at home still does the basics outlined in this lightest of Use Cases - my employer has provided three MacBook Pro’s during the time I’ve owned it (wasted on MS Office & browser-based SaaS apps …)
My personally-funded base 2014 iMac at home still does the basics outlined in this lightest of Use Cases - my employer has provided three MacBook Pro’s during the time I’ve owned it (wasted on MS Office & browser-based SaaS apps …)
Went for M1 MAX 1tb 10/32/64 config.
Initially only wanted the max for the 64GB memory as I'm using docker and other virtualization stuff. But, I maximized the GPU as I think this machine will going to be able to power the upcoming VR/AR glasses that rumored to be 8K display for each eye.
Initially only wanted the max for the 64GB memory as I'm using docker and other virtualization stuff. But, I maximized the GPU as I think this machine will going to be able to power the upcoming VR/AR glasses that rumored to be 8K display for each eye.
Exactly.
IMO, they all go obsolete at around the same time. I mean, these M1 Max or M1 Pros are all going to go obsolete at around the same time, and that’s likely between 7-10 years. The differences between them will seem miniscule when compared to their obsolescence. ?
If anything, additional RAM is what’s going to let you hold onto that MBP/MBA for another year before you need to upgrade.
I'm in a similar boat to OP except I do even less. I just want a 16" screen (desktop replacement) with miniLED and ProMotion but I only have one expensive option sadly. Even if Apple comes out with a bigger MBA (e.g. 15" or similar) odds are good it still won't have ProMotion which I value more than miniLED on a laptop/desktop. If Apple didn't gate keep ProMotion it would be much easier.
HDMI might be outdated, but it's useful to many. I don't need anything higher than 4k output from it. Also Magsafe is also useful. If you disagree I'll wait for a pet or child to trip on your USB-C cable and see how you react when your laptop goes flying with the cord. Finally when it comes to the SD Card slot, I do use it when flashing microSD cards for my Raspberry Pi 4. But sure. To each their own.
And with that I think this thread has gone on for long enough. I'll get what I can get from Apple retail or from Best Buy.
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