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M1 Pro, M2, or M2 Pro?

I

IliveAboveAMall

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jun 27, 2022
15
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Hi there! I need your advice.

I’m a graphic designer that are using adobe photoshop and illustrator most of the time, and I wanted to expand my adobe skills but my current laptop limitations (Dell XPS L401X-Intel Core i7, released in 2010-2011, currently in BIOS battery officially damaged state, speakers exploded and not replaced since 2012, super slow boot, blue screen multiple times, and the clock must be changed every time I turned it on) unable me to learn new things, from adobe lightroom to adobe after effects, and adobe dimension, which is the recent release from the Adobe Creative Cloud line.

As I am preparing to switch from Dell XPS to MacBook now that I have the budget, I am torn between MacBook Pro 14” M1 Pro and the upcoming MacBook Air M2, as my friends as well various reviewers said that MacBook Pro 13” M2 was not living up to their expectations.

In your opinion, which MacBook should I choose to use? Or should I wait until M2 Pro?
 
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It depends on your workloads, personally for me I went with the M1 Pro because I wanted the dual display 4k@60hz support and the new design.

In terms of performance the M1 was more than enough for me, in your use case if you are using big PSD files and big projects I'd go with the M1 Pro as well.

We don't know anything about the M2 Pro yet, however if you need a computer now get the M1 Pro, if you can wait... It's up to you.
 
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IliveAboveAMall said:
...as my friends as well various reviewers said that MacBook Pro 13” M2 was not living up to their expectations.
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Everyone has different expectations, sometime unrealistic.

You can think of the M2Air as a slightly faster M1 with a little larger screen, new design, MagSafe, and the ability to have 24GB RAM. When specced to 16/512, it is $300 USD less than the 14" MBP.

If you would be happy with the M1Air, you would be happy with the M2 Air; however, if you would choose the MBP over the M1 Air, then don't get the M2 Air.

PS: 16/512 is the base configuration you should choose for any computer, and if you plan on dealing with large PS and AI files then upgrade the RAM first and SSD second or both ideally which means the 24/1TB Air or the 32/1TB Pro. I'm a UX Designer and 16/512 M1-Pro has been fine for my work, but I'm not dealign with high-res assets.
 
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darngooddesign said:
Everyone has different expectations, sometime unrealistic.

You can think of the M2Air as a slightly faster M1 with a little larger screen, new design, MagSafe, and the ability to have 24GB RAM. When specced to 16/512, it is $300 USD less than the 14" MBP.

If you would be happy with the M1Air, you would be happy with the M2 Air; however, if you would choose the MBP over the M1 Air, then don't get the M2 Air.

PS: 16/512 is the base configuration you should choose for any computer, and if you plan on dealing with large PS and AI files then upgrade the RAM first and SSD second or both ideally which means the 24/1TB Air or the 32/1TB Pro. I'm a UX Designer and 16/512 M1-Pro has been fine for my work, but I'm not dealign with high-res assets.
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Here’s the catch: I never owned a Mac.
 
I'm a heavy Ps & LrC, and consider any computer that limits you to only one large (24"+) monitor out of consideration. For me, only computers using the Pro, Max, & Ultra versions of the M-series chips (only M1 versions exist at this time) are worthy of consideration.

My personal configurations are both 3 screen setups. At home I run a 16" Windows 11 notebook with a 27" and 24" external monitors. At my day job, I have a 27" iMac with a 24" second monitor and the 3rd screen (for email, messaging, ...) is a separate notebook.
 
IliveAboveAMall said:
Here’s the catch: I never owned a Mac.
Click to expand...
Get the 14" MBP. You'll appreciate the nicer and larger screen when doing design and photography and there are apps which let you turn the brightness up to HDR levels if you are working outside or in bright environments. You wont really notice a speed difference between the M1-Pro and M2, and the M2-Pro MBPs aren't due out for a year. The MBP will, drive two external monitors while the Air only one. The only advantage the Air has for you over the 14" Pro is that it is a smaller and lighter.

Check Amazon because there are currently discounts on the 16GB/512GB and 16GB/1TB versions.

Microcenter has some 32GB RAM versions available for in-store pickup which is unusual since there are long wait times for Macs with upgraded RAM.
 
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darngooddesign said:
...The MBP will, drive two external monitors while the Air only one. ...
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To be clear, the M1 & M2 based notebooks will drive only one external monitor. The M1 Pro & Max based notebooks will drive more. That means that "MBP" is NOT a valid attribute for distinguishing this. The 13" MBP will only drive a single external. The 14" and 16" MBPs will drive multiples.
 
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dwig said:
To be clear, the M1 & M2 based notebooks will drive only one external monitor. The M1 Pro & Max based notebooks will drive more. That means that "MBP" is NOT a valid attribute for distinguishing this. The 13" MBP will only drive a single external. The 14" and 16" MBPs will drive multiples.
Click to expand...
The context of this discussion is their deciding between the M2 Air or the 14" MBP, not the 13" M2 MBP. But the additional clarity is probably a good reminder.
 
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darngooddesign said:
Check Amazon because there are currently discounts on the 16GB/512GB and 16GB/1TB versions.

Microcenter has some 32GB RAM versions available for in-store pickup which is unusual since there are long wait times for Macs with upgraded RAM.
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Unfortunately I live in Indonesia and they only sell these versions of MBP 14” with M1 Pro:

- 8-core CPU/14-core GPU/16GB Unified Memory/512GB SSD

and

- 10-core CPU/16-core GPU/16GB Unified Memory/1TB SSD
 
IliveAboveAMall said:
Hi there! I need your advice.

I’m a graphic designer that are using adobe photoshop and illustrator most of the time, and I wanted to expand my adobe skills but my current laptop limitations (Dell XPS L501X-Intel Core i7, released in 2010-2011, currently in BIOS battery officially damaged state, speakers exploded and not replaced since 2012, super slow boot, blue screen multiple times, and the clock must be changed every time I turned it on) unable me to learn new things, from adobe lightroom to adobe after effects, and adobe dimension, which is the recent release from the Adobe Creative Cloud line.

As I am preparing to switch from Dell XPS to MacBook now that I have the budget, I am torn between MacBook Pro 14” M1 Pro and the upcoming MacBook Air M2, as my friends as well various reviewers said that MacBook Pro 13” M2 was not living up to their expectations.

In your opinion, which MacBook should I choose to use? Or should I wait until M2 Pro?
Click to expand...
Stick to the Mx Pro line. However, note that as per anything M2 Pro, we know nothing.
 
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IliveAboveAMall said:
Unfortunately I live in Indonesia and they only sell these versions of MBP 14” with M1 Pro:

- 8-core CPU/14-core GPU/16GB Unified Memory/512GB SSD

and

- 10-core CPU/16-core GPU/16GB Unified Memory/1TB SSD
Click to expand...
Go for 1TB since you will always have more open space for virtual swap memory. No need to worry about managing files either or always having an external drive hangin off the side of your laptop when working.
 
IliveAboveAMall said:
Here’s the catch: I never owned a Mac.
Click to expand...
I honestly think your experience on any of these options will be leaps and bounds better than you had on your old Dell.

That's just a fact.

Really the question comes down to a few things:
  • How often are you working on the go/on battery? M2 MBA > M1 MBA > 14" MBP. (MBA is also a little lighter, but unless you're a very small and/or not very strong person you probably won't notice a big difference.)
  • How often are you working for really long hours such that your computer is getting hot and the fans are blowing full speed? (This one is harder to tell bc most PCs will get hot wayyyy faster than even the "weakest" M1 Apple chip). But if that's a concern, 14" MBP (cuz it has fans and more powerful processor) > M2 MBA > M1 MBA
  • Are you cool with using dongles for connecting peripherals (displays, USB drives, etc)? If so, note the MBAs only have 2 USB C ports. The MBP has HDMI + SD as well. And both MBP and M2 MBA have an additional magnetic charging port (while the M1 MBA uses one of the USB C ports for charging).
 
darngooddesign said:
Check Amazon because there are currently discounts on the 16GB/512GB and 16GB/1TB versions.
Click to expand...
If you're not getting an extended warranty, consider buying used, too. Idk what the used market is in Indonesia but you can still potentially order internationally and get good savings of money is a concern.
 
The M2 is not a replacement for the M1 Pro or Max chips. I would go with an M1 Pro. Adobe CC runs amazing on it. I use an M1 Max and work With Indesign, Illustrator and Photoshop and they are absolutely amazing on the M1 Max chip, especially compared to my Intel 5K iMac with i7. 14" M1 Pro will be a big upgrade for you and you will be amazing by the screen, power and battery life. There will always be a new computer coming out so buy for what you need and want now.
 
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jav6454 said:
For that matter buy refurbished from Apple.
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if we're talking about buying a refurbished Apple device in Indonesia, I'd prefer not to, for safety reasons. Also, I checked and the Apple website doesn't sell the refurbished 14" MBP M1pro.
 
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jav6454 said:
Safety reasons? A refurb from Apple is the same as brand-new except it was opened by someone and went thru extra Quality controls.
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The statement is true if it was refurbed by Apple. However, Apple does not have a refurbished mac online store in Indonesia. Also, there are a lot of illegally refurbished macs in Indonesia on sale, hence my statement regarding safety concerns.
 
IliveAboveAMall said:
The statement is true if it was refurbed by Apple. However, Apple does not have a refurbished mac online store in Indonesia. Also, there are a lot of illegally refurbished macs in Indonesia on sale, hence my statement regarding safety concerns.
Click to expand...
Can you not buy it online and have it shipped to you? A friend in Central America buys things, has them shipped to a courier service which brings them into the region for a nominal fee.
 
jav6454 said:
Can you not buy it online and have it shipped to you? A friend in Central America buys things, has them shipped to a courier service which brings them into the region for a nominal fee.
Click to expand...
The taxes that imposed on buying stuff from overseas in Indonesia is the concern. It can range from 10% to 20% depending on the item you bought. Not to mention the VAT. And these transactions must be done in Rupiah, which is our currency.
 
IliveAboveAMall said:
Should I bought the base model or upgrade it?
Click to expand...
For your needs the base M1-Pro is fine, you really don't need to upgrade the processor, but 32GB RAM is good if you will be dealing with really large graphic files (especially if you will have several apps with large graphic files open at the same time) and a larger SSD is nicer in a laptop than a desktop. You have to decide how much data you will be keeping on your internal SSD. I personally wouldn't get less than 1TB, but I keep photos and music on my SSD; however, if you stream/keep all that in the cloud then 512Gb is probably fine. Remember that if you go with 16GB RAM you will want 100-200GB free for virtual swap memory.

You just need to honestly appraise your upcoming needs.
 
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