No, it drives its own + an external. There is a need for two externals.
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MacBook Air vs. MacBook Pro Buyer's Guide: 30+ Differences Compared
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I have both machines.
The 16” Pro has better speakers, and a large display, but the Air is just so light and compact.
I love them both, and am fortunate enough to own them both.
If I had to decide between the two, my requirement/decision between the two, would be made on whether or not I need it to be portable.
The 16” Pro has better speakers, and a large display, but the Air is just so light and compact.
I love them both, and am fortunate enough to own them both.
If I had to decide between the two, my requirement/decision between the two, would be made on whether or not I need it to be portable.
Completely 100% agree in the bulleted lists being fairly useless when not aligned. I hate when car manufacturers do that with their trim level 'comparisons,' too.
Excellent machines, I just hope demand is there (aside creative pros)...covid era pulled forward a lot of demand and wonder if it's still effecting upgrade cycles.
What is your battery life like using logic ? And what is average track count like ?
I’m on a M1 Pro 14”, while the battery life is fine I wouldn’t mind moving to air if it was longer.
I had a 2020 Intel MBA. It was always overheating and the fan noise was loud and annoying. On the plus side, besides driving multiple displays it was the first MB Air with a retina display AND the magic keyboard. The 2018-2019 Airs had the butterfly keyboard. The 2017 & earlier displays had the magic keyboard but low-res display.
If you are the target audience for this article and these are the models you're deciding between, there are two other comparisons you might consider.
You should also compare the M2 MBA to the 2021 14" MBP, which is often available with significant discounts. I've seen commonly available for $1600 and sometimes as low as $1500, which is the same or cheaper than if you configured an M2 MBA with the same RAM and SSD (16gb/512gb) that comes standard on the base model 14" MBP.
Compared to the M2 MBA, the 2021 14" MBP's display is better, much brighter, and slightly bigger.
The 14" MBP has ports galore compared to the M2 MBA's two USB-C ports.
The 14" MBP has much better speakers.
The 14" MBP is much more powerful (even the 2021 model) and has fans that rarely come on but under load can keep the system running smoothly.
However, the M2 MBA has slightly better battery life and of course the much thinner and lighter form factor.
Another useful comparison is between the 2021 14" MBP and the new 14" MBP with the M2 chip. Lots of reviews have made this comparison. The consensus seems to be that for most people, the improvements in the M2 model are marginal and not worth the difference in price given that the 2021 model is commonly discounted by $400 or more depending on configuration.
You should also compare the M2 MBA to the 2021 14" MBP, which is often available with significant discounts. I've seen commonly available for $1600 and sometimes as low as $1500, which is the same or cheaper than if you configured an M2 MBA with the same RAM and SSD (16gb/512gb) that comes standard on the base model 14" MBP.
Compared to the M2 MBA, the 2021 14" MBP's display is better, much brighter, and slightly bigger.
The 14" MBP has ports galore compared to the M2 MBA's two USB-C ports.
The 14" MBP has much better speakers.
The 14" MBP is much more powerful (even the 2021 model) and has fans that rarely come on but under load can keep the system running smoothly.
However, the M2 MBA has slightly better battery life and of course the much thinner and lighter form factor.
Another useful comparison is between the 2021 14" MBP and the new 14" MBP with the M2 chip. Lots of reviews have made this comparison. The consensus seems to be that for most people, the improvements in the M2 model are marginal and not worth the difference in price given that the 2021 model is commonly discounted by $400 or more depending on configuration.
A read/write speed comparison of the M2 MBA and M2 Pro/Max MBP SSDs would be useful.
Especially since the low end (256 & 512 GB) models are already known to be slower than the higher-end (1, 2, 4 and 8 TB) models.
I find opening apps and general file-system operations to be slow in my M1 MBA (2020, M1, 1 TB SSD, 16 GB Memory).
I hope that a faster SSD might make a significant difference. But is the difference enough to make me buy a MBP rather than the cheaper MBA? (I'm waiting until the second half of 2023 to replace my M1 MBA in the hopes that a 15" version of the M2 MBA will be introduced; if SSD speeds are not improved then it will change my plans)
A read/write speed comparison of the SSDs (1TB and larger) in the M2 MBA and M2 Pro/Max MBP would be informative. Including M1 MBA SSD speeds for comparison would also be useful.
Especially since the low end (256 & 512 GB) models are already known to be slower than the higher-end (1, 2, 4 and 8 TB) models.
I find opening apps and general file-system operations to be slow in my M1 MBA (2020, M1, 1 TB SSD, 16 GB Memory).
I hope that a faster SSD might make a significant difference. But is the difference enough to make me buy a MBP rather than the cheaper MBA? (I'm waiting until the second half of 2023 to replace my M1 MBA in the hopes that a 15" version of the M2 MBA will be introduced; if SSD speeds are not improved then it will change my plans)
A read/write speed comparison of the SSDs (1TB and larger) in the M2 MBA and M2 Pro/Max MBP would be informative. Including M1 MBA SSD speeds for comparison would also be useful.
There should not be a work around just to simply connect 2 external monitors. And from past experience, DisplayLink was a horrible experience when we set it up for a user in the office. Apple failed on this.
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Unless you regularly travel or commute with it and then the reduced size and weight of the Air or the 14" can be valuable.
TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️
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I desperately want Apple to release a 15" - 16" MacBook Air. In addition, I also miss the old wedge design. There's something about it. The new MBA starts to look like MBP''s.
It can be a challenge to boil down comparisons to simple numbers. They don’t tell all that much in terms of real world use.
Many assume Air means cheaper and less capable, but thats a simplistic misconception. Macs are not cheap, even the Airs, and before the M chips it could be a challenge to justify a MacBook Air over mainstream PC laptops. And, before the M chips, there was a clearer distinction between Air and Pro capabilities.
The M series moved the Air into Pro territory without much (if any) change in price. Thats why the 13 Pro doesn’t have much advantage over the Airs. It’s now a lot easier to justify a MacBook Air over cheaper mainstream laptops.
To me it looks like Apple, with the new 14 and 16 M series models, moved the Pros to a whole new level. They’re more expensive than before, but now you’re getting significant performance gains over the Airs.
Numbers don’t always tell the whole story and I find people often latch onto numbers as a rationale for their choices even though in real world terms those numbers might not make as much difference as many believe.
Here on MR often enough I see people obsess over small differences as if they were huge.
Many assume Air means cheaper and less capable, but thats a simplistic misconception. Macs are not cheap, even the Airs, and before the M chips it could be a challenge to justify a MacBook Air over mainstream PC laptops. And, before the M chips, there was a clearer distinction between Air and Pro capabilities.
The M series moved the Air into Pro territory without much (if any) change in price. Thats why the 13 Pro doesn’t have much advantage over the Airs. It’s now a lot easier to justify a MacBook Air over cheaper mainstream laptops.
To me it looks like Apple, with the new 14 and 16 M series models, moved the Pros to a whole new level. They’re more expensive than before, but now you’re getting significant performance gains over the Airs.
Numbers don’t always tell the whole story and I find people often latch onto numbers as a rationale for their choices even though in real world terms those numbers might not make as much difference as many believe.
Here on MR often enough I see people obsess over small differences as if they were huge.
Long live the wedge, such a beautiful design. Every time I use my wife's MBA I'm jealous that I have to work on a Dell XPS, which is still a pretty solid laptop!I desperately want Apple to release a 15" - 16" MacBook Air. In addition, I also miss the old wedge design. There's something about it. The new MBA starts to look like MBP''s.
I really want an M2 air, but I dislike that as soon as I spec it up to 16Gb/512GB, it is basically the same price as a discounted M1 14’ MBP.
My ideal setup:
- a desktop for home to drive two monitors: M2 Mini
- an ultraportable to bring to work/travel. M2 air
It would be cheaper just to get a single M1 MBP to handle home and work, but I dislike that i would be carrying my only computer around everywhere and have it be vulnerable. I don‘t carry it to a standard office setting.
My ideal setup:
- a desktop for home to drive two monitors: M2 Mini
- an ultraportable to bring to work/travel. M2 air
It would be cheaper just to get a single M1 MBP to handle home and work, but I dislike that i would be carrying my only computer around everywhere and have it be vulnerable. I don‘t carry it to a standard office setting.
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Yeh, it's a real pain, I wonder if a workaround will be available.
The old wedge design was awesome in meetings and conferences where you are moving around a lot, setting it down, picking it up, balancing it on stacks of books, etc. The form factor was so light and easy to grab. Hard to beat in my opinion.I desperately want Apple to release a 15" - 16" MacBook Air. In addition, I also miss the old wedge design. There's something about it. The new MBA starts to look like MBP''s.
I am looking to swap my 2014 MacBook Pro with a new Mac and a little hot on one of the MacBook Pros 16, but probably holding out until I see, if there is a MacBook Air 15.
Both have top notch design! I wonder when Apple will remove this crap and sell screen without notch as great achievement. Until then I'll stay with my M1.
I wonder when Apple will remove this crap and sell screen without notch as great achievement. Until then I'll stay with my M1.
The comparison is unnecessarily confused by the inclusion of the 16-in and the M2 Max products.
Anyone who's looking for M2 Max power or 16-in display isn't going to be in the market for the Air.
Anyone who's looking for M2 Max power or 16-in display isn't going to be in the market for the Air.
Yes but always keep in mind that workaround is because Apple decided to cripple abilities the GPU is perfectly capable of. And it's annoying. It doesn't perform as well as the SoC is capable of and while using it you give up the ability to play protected video streams because DisplayLink looks like screen recording. Hell, you used to have to also give up 'Unlock with Apple Watch' for the same reason.
The external display limit is an artificial limit Apple placed on the low end devices to push you to more expensive ones.
MacBook Air is a great laptop for many. Waiting for Apple to launch a bigger Air.
You are right. Great points. This is why, I personally will not choose an Air as my only computer.