M3 pro 14 inch Mac Pro vs m3 MacBook Air- 13 inch, 512 gb 16gb ram?

[Darth Tulhu]

All browsers run on an "engine" which is what they use to display web pages. On a computer, each browser has a different engine. Safari uses WebKit, Chrome uses Blink, and Firefox uses Gecko.

iPads on the other hand are very locked down. They do not allow other browser engines to run. So even though you can run "Chrome" or "Firefox" on an iPhone or iPad, all that really is is Safari/WebKit, with a different coat of paint on it. It's always surprising to me how many people, even those who are into tech and peruse forums like this, are deceived about this.

What this means in practice is that on an iPad, if Safari can't display a webpage properly, there's no alternative and you're SOL. Because "Chrome" and "Firefox" and all the different iOS browsers are really just re-skinned Safari.

Many education systems are now web-based and there are some that will not be optimized, or designed at all, for Safari. It's needless to risk running into that limitation that a Mac would not have. And that's just one example of the iPad's inflexibility being a problem, there are certainly others too. Your primary system, especially when it is work or school dependent, should be as flexible as possible IMO.

I knew this, but you didn't clarify that in your previous post. But have you ever encountered browser compatibility limitations like you describe today? I know it was an issue years ago, but I have not heard of this recently. Correct me if I'm wrong. I mean, Blink is itself a fork of WebKit and WebKit is still the most used browser engine in the World.

Now, I agree that the iPad can have such limitations and the MBA is the more flexible device due to its ability to be more compatible with legacy systems. Thus I also recommend the MBA first, then an iPad as a supplemental device, especially for college.

 

[mikethebigo]

I knew this, but you didn't clarify that in your previous post. But have you ever encountered browser compatibility limitations like you describe today? I know it was an issue years ago, but I have not heard of this recently. Correct me if I'm wrong. I mean, Blink is itself a fork of WebKit and WebKit is still the most used browser engine in the World.

Now, I agree that the iPad can have such limitations and the MBA is the more flexible device due to its ability to be more compatible with legacy systems. Thus I also recommend the MBA first, then an iPad as a supplemental device, especially for college.

It's becoming more rare to run into, but absolutely yes. I work in healthcare for example, and many of the systems used are... a little long in the tooth. Credentialing/HR portals have been notorious for lacking Safari compatibility. In fact one I used just 2 years ago was so bad that it only worked on Windows, no browser on a Mac worked at all! There are still random websites I will run into where Safari (my main browser) struggles with rendering forms/info/etc but Chrome opens perfectly. I know Blink is a fork of WebKit but it's far enough removed from WebKit at this point where sites designed for it are appreciably different. As far as the educational sphere goes, I'm a bit far from using those tools so I don't know how far they've come since I was in higher ed, but yeah the greater point stands that flexibility is incredibly important with a primary machine. Now a secondary device like iPad for notes, entertainment, etc... definitely a good purchase.

 

[eltoslightfoot]

I knew this, but you didn't clarify that in your previous post. But have you ever encountered browser compatibility limitations like you describe today? I know it was an issue years ago, but I have not heard of this recently. Correct me if I'm wrong. I mean, Blink is itself a fork of WebKit and WebKit is still the most used browser engine in the World.

Now, I agree that the iPad can have such limitations and the MBA is the more flexible device due to its ability to be more compatible with legacy systems. Thus I also recommend the MBA first, then an iPad as a supplemental device, especially for college.

Its not just the legacy stuff that is affected. Extensions don't work the same way. On Firefox on my Mac, I can load up anything I want. Bitwarden, DEVONThink Web Clipper, etc., Now I grant you, the Share menu can do most of the same thing, but try a good Adblock Plus and get back to me. And the Safari ones don't work on the other browsers--and don't even work in Safari well.

iPadOS is just too locked down. That is both a good thing, but often a bad thing--like here.

 

[Infinitewisdom]

You're choosing between a really really good screen and a better one. The colors will be a little bit better and scrolling smoother on the MBP, but it's not like you'll be aware that anything is lacking once you start using it.

I don’t even think the colors are noticeably better on the MBP. They both share the same wide color gamut, it’s just that the MBP has a higher contrast ratio. But that’s more important for the dark, inky blacks and won’t be noticeable in most situations.

 

[_Mitchan1999]

gotcha, im probably gonna go with the mac air because i do like the pros screen but its also much heavier and builkier and less portable

OP, do you mind telling me what you brought if you brought anything?

Edit - I’m pretty sure that OP got suspended.

 

[eltoslightfoot]

I think they got suspended?

 

[_Mitchan1999]

I think they got suspended?

I saw that after my post. I too think that they got suspended.

 

[Alameda]

Hi guys, I’m going into college this semester as a business major and I’m wondering what the ideal laptop would be? I’m not a super heavy user with my Mac; I know that the pro has extra ports and external displays but I wouldn’t not use any of those features. The air would cost around $1400 and the m3 pro would be around $1700 and the main difference would be the display quality differences because this may also be used as my primary tv and Ik the display is better but idk how better in real world scenarios. And also is the weight and thickness difference a defining factor in making it less portable? Coming from a 2020 i3 MacBook Air

I’m a photographer, and I need a lot of screen quality when I edit photos; I adjust contrast and colors and check the details in shadow areas, stuff like that.

That is why I use MacBook Pro. But it is noticeably heavier than the MacBook Air, which you’ll be carrying with you every day.

The Pro has an HDMI connector, which is great if you do a lot of presentations. I used to lose my HDMI dongles all the time until they put the HDMI connector. But you probably don’t care about that, and you can get HDMI out of the Air by using a dongle.