Mac Studio vs MacBook Pro

[warcow89]

I am looking to replace my 2013 MacBook Pro. I want to get the 27” Apple Studio Display, keyboard, and mouse.

I am debating whether to get the Mac Studio as the computer or a 14” MacBook Pro. I would be using the computer as a desktop hooked up to the studio display 90 to 95% of the time. Although it would be nice to have the portability factor once in a while. I currently use my laptop from home most of the time.

I don’t want the Mac Mini or iMac because I want to have 32GB of RAM.

Should I just get the Mac Studio or should I get the MacBook Pro? Is it hard on the laptop to have it plugged in and powered by the display all the time? Can I dim the screen of the laptop all the way down when hooked up to the external display? Can I select which camera will be used for FaceTime or Zoom calls between the laptop and the display? I have heard that Touch ID on the external keyboard doesn’t work in clamshell mode.

Are there any other downsides to getting the MacBook Pro over just getting the studio when using the computer primarily in Desktop mode?

 

[ILoveCalvinCool]

If you did this, you'd be paying a large premium for a screen that you almost never use. It would be like buying a Studio and a $1000 monitor and then not using the monitor.

 

[BotchQue]

Could you clarify: when in "desktop mode", do you plan to have the laptop in clamshell mode (closed) or open, on a stand? Several of your questions hinge on this.

 

[Warped9]

The Mac Studio is an impressive machine, but the Studio Display is absurdly overpriced and a ridiculous waste of money.

 

[hoo-man-b-ing]

If you’re at all price conscious, optimize for the scenario you’ll do the most, which sounds like a stationary computer.

Besides, you’ll get better thermal management with the Studio, it will take less desk space and comes with a gigabit or ten gigabit ethernet port. If you decide to roll the savings into the Studio, you could get more compute, memory or storage, too.

 

[theorist9]

If you only need a to use a portable infrequently, what about your 2013 MacBook Pro? You won't be able to keep it updated with the latest OS and software, but could it still meet your portable needs?

Personally, I'd do that, and use the money you save to buy a pair of 4k 27" displays, giving you a three-display setup with the ASD at the center.

Alternately, if you decide to go with a new MBP, and you're OK with your 2013 MBP for a few more months, you might want to wait until spring, since the new MBP's should be released then.

If you do go with the MBP, I'd strongly recommend putting it on a stand (I use the Raindesign M Stand), and pairing it with an external keyboard and mouse. Being elevated on a stand protects it from anything you might spill onto your desk. You might even find you like using it with the display open, since that gives you a second display (and thus a bit more real estate).

 

[warcow89]

Thanks for the info guys. I went to the apple store today and tried out the studio display hooked up to the mac studio and another hooked up to a macbook. I have decided to go with the studio. The one with macbook didn't seem to be as good of an experience. I just prefer the simplicity of the studio over having the laptop hooked up. Plus like others said the studio takes up less room and comes with USB 8 ports and better thermals.

 

[bigfatipod]

Thanks for the info guys. I went to the apple store today and tried out the studio display hooked up to the mac studio and another hooked up to a macbook. I have decided to go with the studio. The one with macbook didn't seem to be as good of an experience. I just prefer the simplicity of the studio over having the laptop hooked up. Plus like others said the studio takes up less room and comes with USB 8 ports and better thermals.

Did you buy it there too? Am curious on your experience if you’ve set it up and used it yet.

 

[transphasic]

I spent weeks/months on a similar issue:

Option A: Mac Studio + MBA + ASD
Option B: MBP + ASD

I needed portability a bit more than you mentioned you would, and ended up with the MBP because I could emulate the Studio's tech specs for RAM, HD, GPUs, etc. and be able to take that immense power (and all my files/data) on the road when traveling. I live part of the year in another state so I did not want to have to sync the SSD of a Studio and that of a laptop every time I was going to use the laptop outside.

I chose option B because even though I loved the MBA form factor, having only one computer to hold all data, documents, apps, etc. simplified the situation greatly.

I knew I'd be using the MBP in clamshell mode most of the time, so I was going to be paying a premium for a high-end laptop screen I'd rarely use. I loved the 5K screen from my iMac 27" and was going to go with the ASD no matter what computer I paired it with, it was just a question of whether I went with a 2 computer solution or a single one, and opted for the simplicity of the single one.

That said, the Studio is a fantastic machine and neither path would be wrong or lesser, it came down to the total cost of both options ($5K vs. $7K) and the ease of managing my system data.

 

[maflynn]

Base studio 1TB of storage, 32GB of ram: $2200
Base 14" MBP with 1TB of storage and 32GB of ram 2,600
Base 16" MBP with 1TB of storage and 32GB of ram 3,100

With the studio you need to supply keyboard, mouse and display, but if you already have those AND you don't have any mobility needs then the studio makes sense.

 

[HDFan]

The Mac Studio is an impressive machine, but the Studio Display is absurdly overpriced and a ridiculous waste of money.

The only near equivalent last I looked was the LG for a few hundred less but in a plastic housing. I'm quite happy with my Studio Display. Well worth the extra $.

 

[Warped9]

If you’re willing to pay as much for a monitor as you do for a computer I’m sure there is swampland somewhere someone could sell you.

 

[transphasic]

If you’re willing to pay as much for a monitor as you do for a computer I’m sure there is swampland somewhere someone could sell you.

Not sure where your antagonistic attitude is coming from, but it is inappropriate here and entirely unwarranted. If you disagree with someone else's purchase fine, but let's not make it personal/childish. There are platforms like twitter for that, let's keep it civil here...

As for the ASD, it IS worth the money IMO (I paid ~$1,300 in the AS/refurb) as the text is incredibly clear, features are outstanding (over 200 DPI), and the few other 5K monitors on the market are in inferior (plastic) housing. Given that the monitor will likely long outlast the current macs, and I plan to retain mine for 10-15 years at least, is hardly "overpriced".

 

[theorist9]

Not sure where your antagonistic attitude is coming from, but it is inappropriate here and entirely unwarranted. If you disagree with someone else's purchase fine, but let's not make it personal/childish. There are platforms like twitter for that, let's keep it civil here...

As for the ASD, it IS worth the money IMO (I paid ~$1,300 in the AS/refurb) as the text is incredibly clear, features are outstanding (over 200 DPI), and the few other 5K monitors on the market are in inferior (plastic) housing. Given that the monitor will likely long outlast the current macs, and I plan to retain mine for 10-15 years at least, is hardly "overpriced".

I agree that the "swampland" comment from the other poster was uncalled for.

However, I do think the ASD overpriced, since you used to be able to get everything you describe—both the very clear text (because of the 218 DPI) and the metal stand—in the 2020 27" iMac for just $200 more ($1800), and that came with an entire computer.

[This is not a comment on your decision to buy an ASD--if you want an external Retina display, Apple has left you with no other choice (other than the LG, which has QC issues and mediocre support, and the very $$ XDR).]

If you figure the cost of that iMac comes half from the display+stand and half from the computer, the display by itself should run about $900. What the ASD provides is a very high-quality consumer-grade display (it lacks both local dimming and a 10-bit panel, both which are found on the XDR) at prosumer pricing.

I've said this many times but, given that MacOS needs Retina displays to look its very best, it's unfortunate that Retina external displays are not available at consumer pricing. Apple's most popular Mac is the Air, and many Air users would probably like to be able to hook it up to an external display for home use. It's a big ask for somene who's spent $1500 on an Air (or $1000 on a Mini) to shell out $1600 just for a display.

 

[theorist9]

Base studio 1TB of storage, 32GB of ram: $2200
Base 14" MBP with 1TB of storage and 32GB of ram 2,600
Base 16" MBP with 1TB of storage and 32GB of ram 3,100

With the studio you need to supply keyboard, mouse and display, but if you already have those AND you don't have any mobility needs then the studio makes sense.

Though that's not quite Apples-to-Apples (here the capitalization is appropriate!), since the base Studio is an M1 Max, and the base MBP's are M1 Pro's. So you could make an even stronger argument by noting that, with the base Studio, you get a better GPU and more display support (or you could make the specs identical by speccing out everything with the base Max GPU:

M1 Max Studio, 24 core GPU, 1TB storage, 32GB RAM: $2200
M1 Max 14" MBP, 24 core GPU, 1TB storage 32GB RAM: $2,800 ($600 more)
M1 Max 16" MBP, 24 core GPU, 1TB storage, 32GB RAM $3,300 (1100 more)

 

[tstafford]

Ignore the folks who are envious of the ASD and criticize the cost. The Studio plus ASD is a terrific desktop set-up. Congrats on your purchase and enjoy in good health for years to come. I have the Studio, 3 ASD and use a 14 inch MBP as my bang around machine.