Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
M2 pro Macbook Pro vs M3 Macbook air
- Thread starter Milly342
- Start date
-
- Tags
- #macbook
- Sort by reaction score
I guess that's right. I don't watch videos or movies or TV at all. I tried using Apple TV (the App) and I couldn't figure it out, which was sad because my son really liked one of the shows there. I can't figure out how to use a regular TV either. I'm guessing if a person has a deep passion about TV and TV shows (or movies?) it's a good thing, otherwise not.
That’s fair but I’m surprised because you seem to be great with computers, maybe better than most people. What about a TV or a streaming device is hard to navigate? Is it the linearity of it? I do find some apps quite bad. Like if I’m looking for my wishlist, some apps obnoxiously make it very difficult to find.
100% NO! An iPad would be the worst thing I can suggest for him.
1. He will need a good multitasking operating system to have at least the following on the screen at the same time:
- Microsoft Word (for page layout)
- Microsoft Excel (for his assignments, he's doing something with business)
- Preview (to read journals)
- Scrivener (to collect notes and to write papers)
- Google Drive for version control
- Zotero as a reference manager (you can drag and drop journal PDF files and it'll automatically complete the reference).
An iPad will be a complete mess. Scrivener does not work correctly on the ipad. You can't have multiple windows open on an iPad. Zotero doesn't allow easy drag and drop on the iPad. Printing can be difficult as well, and I don't think an iPad can have more than one external monitor attached.
Plus, depending on the textbook, some textbooks require special software programs to be installed on the computer, which clearly won't work on an iPad either.
No. Fans seldom come on, and only come on if the processors are driven really hard. The MBA driven that hard simply throttles to cope with the excess heat, which is worse than the (inoffensive IMO) fans. Fans are a very good thing. There are good reasons that they are integral to the higher end laptops.
Last edited:
Ah okay well still none of that stuff uses any power so I’d get the newest air.
Another suggestion: You survived this long on the i3. Hold on a little longer and you'll be able to get an M4 Mac in autumn, preventing buyer's remorse by getting the latest and greatest there is ;-)
The airs come out in the spring, and I found a older pro on Apple I don’t need the best
When the M3 Air is under normal operation—its 3x faster than their current Intel Air, and when its throttling—its still about 3x faster than their current Intel Air. OP isn't going to be doing any sustained tasks, and if they ever do, it will likely be so infrequent to not matter, and still it will be operating 80-90% normal speed quite likely.
Have you ever heard an iPhone or iPad user wish it had fans?
We're in a new era where fans are no required.
Apple lists the following battery life:
- M3 Air: Up to 15 hours wireless web
- M2 Pro MBP: Up to 12 hours wireless web
You ask: "Have you ever heard an iPhone or iPad user wish it had fans?" and claim that "We're in a new era where fans are no required."
Frequently we see iPhone and/or iPad users wishing for more power and frequently we see iPhone and/or iPad users commenting on devices being too hot. More power requires more heat removal, which means fans are appropriate as we get higher up in power levels with laptops that physically have room for fans.
actually i saw a m3 pro for a $100 more than the m2 pro, and now im considering the m3 air vs the m3 pro mac pro which one do you suggest im mostly a light user, but im going into college and its probaly gonna be my main tv tbh
Personally I tend toward preferring the more competent MBP in pretty much every instance. If "TV" usage is important I would think that the better display and better speakers of the MBP would be particularly relevant.
Note that one's eyes/brain and ears/brain become trained over time to appreciate the differences that present with better display and speaker quality. But said training only happens with better quality hardware. And said training can be a curse because once one's eyes/brain and ears/brain become trained, poor hardware can become quite offensive...
Last edited:
Gotcha I’m going into college, and
Im business major I do nothing crazy in the MacBook is the extra ppeer going to be noticeable
Absolutely nobody wants fans in their iPhone. You confuse the iPhone 15 bug. Read here.
Do high-wattage chips need active cooling? Of course!
But general computing does not. iPhones, iPads, and MacBook Airs don't have fans—3 of the best products in the world, arguably.
If you're getting it to be a great laptop for a business major, get the Air—It's thin, light, charming and sophisticated.
If you're getting it to be a great TV, get the MacBook Pro—It's brighter, louder, and with a slightly larger screen.
As a business major, you should know:
A) That time is money. The time spent on this thread, if used correctly, could have been used to earn enough to pay for BOTH systems instead of spending the time choosing.
B) The perfect is the enemy of the good. Stop agonizing over making the perfect choice. There is no perfect choice, each has advantages. Pick one and be happy. Which one is personal preference.
A) That time is money. The time spent on this thread, if used correctly, could have been used to earn enough to pay for BOTH systems instead of spending the time choosing.
B) The perfect is the enemy of the good. Stop agonizing over making the perfect choice. There is no perfect choice, each has advantages. Pick one and be happy. Which one is personal preference.
What would be *MY* ideal setup for someone who's just starting college? Two devices:
1. MacBook Air M3, 15" screen, 16GB of Ram, 512 GB Hard drive.
2. Cheapest iPad, 9th Generation (or 10th Generation, if the price is reasonable) + Apple Pencil (cheap version) + Paperlike Screen protector.
Why this combination?
1. The MacBook Air M3 has portability and long battery life. You can take it to the library, study halls, etc.
2. The MacBook Air M3 has a larger display, allowing you to put files, documents, etc side by side. And to watch movies of course.
3. With 16 GB of RAM, you can be able to run Windows 11 ARM version easily, if needed.
4. The iPad can be taken to class to take hand written notes, diagrams, etc.
5. The iPad can be used as a book reader, and there are certain websites you may be able to "borrow" text books to save money. The paper like screen protector makes it easier to read.
6. If you haven't gotten into the habit already, always hand edit your papers at least three times for mistakes. Instead of printing the papers out and using a pen, you can send it as a PDF to the iPad and mark it up there using Books.
7. If you need more space, you can use the iPad as an external display using Sidecar (built into all MacBook Air M3s).
1. MacBook Air M3, 15" screen, 16GB of Ram, 512 GB Hard drive.
2. Cheapest iPad, 9th Generation (or 10th Generation, if the price is reasonable) + Apple Pencil (cheap version) + Paperlike Screen protector.
Why this combination?
1. The MacBook Air M3 has portability and long battery life. You can take it to the library, study halls, etc.
2. The MacBook Air M3 has a larger display, allowing you to put files, documents, etc side by side. And to watch movies of course.
3. With 16 GB of RAM, you can be able to run Windows 11 ARM version easily, if needed.
4. The iPad can be taken to class to take hand written notes, diagrams, etc.
5. The iPad can be used as a book reader, and there are certain websites you may be able to "borrow" text books to save money. The paper like screen protector makes it easier to read.
6. If you haven't gotten into the habit already, always hand edit your papers at least three times for mistakes. Instead of printing the papers out and using a pen, you can send it as a PDF to the iPad and mark it up there using Books.
7. If you need more space, you can use the iPad as an external display using Sidecar (built into all MacBook Air M3s).
Both choices have excellent real-world battery life. Picking nits about battery life of devices when both chaoice are this strong is poor decision making. Instead we should look at the many differences that are substantive and do matter: MBP better display, MBP better speakers, MBP more ports, MBP better bandwidth, etc.; MBA is lighter.
The primary decision here is whether or not lighter weight is of such value to the OP as to justify lesser display/speakers/ports/bandwidth/etc.
Last edited:
I disagree with your response.
- OP needs to be resolved of any misinformation if battery life is any buying-criteria or consideration; or at least be correctly informed when the discussion is presented to them, in this forum.
- It's not "poor decision making" to buy according to one's personal order of priorities, and I resent the solipsistic approach. Let people decide for themselves how important an extra 25% battery life extension is.
Why does my simple comment—innocently clarifying that the MacBook Air has up to 25% more battery life—offend you so much that you forget an entire 5 forum pages are of us paying discussion to all those criteria—display, speakers, ports, performance?