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As a student or someone with similar “computer demands”, what would/did you choose?

  • MacBook Air

    Votes: 301 70.0%
  • MacBook Pro

    Votes: 129 30.0%

  • Total voters
    430

AndrewR23

Contributor
Jun 24, 2010
4,643
1,795
I find bits of Facebook laggy on any Mac, no matter how much RAM it has And how new a machine it is. I’m hoping the move to being able to run Facebook and Messenger as apps will help with performance.
How about the keyboard? Are they the exact same as the Pro and Air? I remember the keyboard on the air was a lot thinner
 

Mike702

macrumors newbie
Nov 10, 2020
1
1
I chose Air, but for me non of them for now. First, I updated to top Intel MBP13 recently. Second, today we heard nothing about arm windows support. That really disappoints me.
 
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applefan19

macrumors regular
Sep 26, 2019
152
43
Okay! What did you study?
I’m a medical student so mostly writing, YouTubing and googling all of the complicated stuff our teachers made even more complicated ?
Nursing. There was a significant amount of research and writing involved, which required the RAM and processing power of the MacBook Pro. Overall, I was a heavy MacBook Pro user.
 

macintoshmac

Suspended
May 13, 2010
6,089
6,994
I have used up to 3 ports on my MacBook Pro 13 TB when I did have it. I cnanot do with just two ports. This is not going to be for me. And please, no one try suggesting a dock or something. The Pro should have had 4 ports. Next-gen chips will bring that, probably, along with more power.

They might have removed two ports to stop people from taxing the chips too much to start comparisons they might not like.
 

ascender

macrumors 603
Dec 8, 2005
5,021
2,897
How about the keyboard? Are they the exact same as the Pro and Air? I remember the keyboard on the air was a lot thinner

Yes, both have the same keyboard but the Pro replaces the top line of function keys with the Touch Bar.
 

ascender

macrumors 603
Dec 8, 2005
5,021
2,897
I have used up to 3 ports on my MacBook Pro 13 TB when I did have it. I cnanot do with just two ports. This is not going to be for me. And please, no one try suggesting a dock or something. The Pro should have had 4 ports. Next-gen chips will bring that, probably, along with more power.

They might have removed two ports to stop people from taxing the chips too much to start comparisons they might not like.
I”m thinking this is just the two port model and the 4 port one will be announced later which will use a more powerful CPU and GPU. Maybe announced at the same time as the 16”?
 

Serban55

Suspended
Oct 18, 2020
2,153
4,344
I have used up to 3 ports on my MacBook Pro 13 TB when I did have it. I cnanot do with just two ports. This is not going to be for me. And please, no one try suggesting a dock or something. The Pro should have had 4 ports. Next-gen chips will bring that, probably, along with more power.

They might have removed two ports to stop people from taxing the chips too much to start comparisons they might not like.
the Intel 13" macbook air and the base Intel 13" Macbook pro also had 2 ports
The 4 ports macbook pro will come next year with M2 chip that supports 4 usb4/thunderbolt ports, M1 doesnt
 

IvanKaramazov

macrumors member
Jul 23, 2020
32
49
I have used up to 3 ports on my MacBook Pro 13 TB when I did have it. I cnanot do with just two ports. This is not going to be for me. And please, no one try suggesting a dock or something. The Pro should have had 4 ports. Next-gen chips will bring that, probably, along with more power.

They might have removed two ports to stop people from taxing the chips too much to start comparisons they might not like.
I don't think they've removed any ports at all. What they've done is they've only replaced the previous low-end Intel Macbook Pros, which were all 2-port, 16GB max machines. The high-end Intel chips remain in the line-up. The real question to me is whether we'll see high-end 13" pros with higher core CPUS and more RAM / ports in the spring / summer, or whether we'll have to wait for Fall 2021 (when I expect the Intel models will disappear entirely in laptops).

EDIT: Serban55 beat me to it. I agree with him.
 

abelpinate

macrumors member
Jun 26, 2020
61
32
Definitely choose an Air unless you do the following often: Video Editing, 3D Modeling, or Development (or if you have a whole lot of tracks in Logic, but the Air will be able to handle most sub 30 or so tracks nicely)
I do 3d modeling a Ps /Ai... but I still don't get the point if there are the same processor.

Overall it's just autonomy, Touch Bar and what's more? Same display, same RAM, same storage. I'm more confuse.
 

macintoshmac

Suspended
May 13, 2010
6,089
6,994
Fans can also suck in dust and cause heat issues. Fans can also develop faults / annoying clicking noises.

Yes, I have enjoyed the particular displeasure of my 15" MBP 2011's fans going all Boeing on me in the middle of a very quiet room with me presenting to people on that aircraft.
 

deeddawg

macrumors G5
Jun 14, 2010
12,467
6,570
US
I do 3d modeling a Ps /Ai... but I still don't get the point if there are the same processor.

Overall it's just autonomy, Touch Bar and what's more? Same display, same RAM, same storage. I'm more confuse.

Even with otherwise identical processors, the one with active cooling allows for more sustained CPU loading than the one with passive cooling. Modern CPUs self-throttle to avoid overtemperature.
 

myrtlebee

macrumors 68030
Jul 9, 2011
2,677
2,242
Maryland
Read the specs pages.

Both show as having P3 gamut -- which exceeds sRGB and generally will exceed most output media colorspace.
I don't understand tech terms like that - I was looking for a layman's definition and was wondering if I was missing something that wasn't laid out in the spec page. I have my answer now, though.
 

Kevin Newton

macrumors newbie
Jun 12, 2013
6
1
Just bought an M1 Air with 16GB and 1TD. Arrives in a week. Amazing. Haven‘t been so excited about a laptop in years! Anyone want to by an 11inch Air!
 
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