I have a 13" M1 MacBook Pro 8GB Ram from 2020. This thing boots up and looks like on the first day. I am a "Pro-User" and do graphic-design, 3D render, animation and coding. Apple has completely lost track of its values. They can achieve an incredible built quality but don't know how to use it apart from making profits.
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MacBook Air vs. MacBook Pro Buyer's Guide: 30+ Differences Compared
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Dramatically more useful? If there's anything dramatic, it's your take. In general, the less concerned you are with portability, the more sense it makes to have a larger screen. If it's challenging for you to be productive on a 14" laptop vs a 16" I'd say you have other issues.
Oh, if I only had the cash. Damn you, Apple, for always keeping nice things out of reach. 😔
All these spec differences, and I just wanted to know which one my cat videos and fresh memes will look best on. 😩
The point is that more screen real estate (in this case 16" versus 14") substantially improves productivity for many workflows. That should be obvious just looking at any spreadsheet and seeing more. If you fail to grasp that it probably is because of how you personally work, or perhaps you mostly just consume content.
The old wedge design is much better. It's easier to pick up, to carry and to use. Things that should change besides that: SD Card should come back to the Air. I hate dongles, I don't like chunky, heavy laptops, but I need SD Card now and then. Chucky heavy MBP should exist, but users who want SD Card shouldn't need to suffer when they prefer thin machines. My 2015 is thin and has SD Card. Basic ports shouldn't be skimped.
Non-Pro-chip MBP should be discontinued—MBP should only have "pro" chips and pro display and pro RAM sizes, and fans etc. MBP can have more Thunderbolt 4 ports than MBA, but MBA should have at least one of every port MBP has for maximum interoperability and real world compatibility.
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How presumptuous of you while continuing the trend of dramatic comments.
2 inches doesn't "substantially" improve productivity for "many" workflows, it's easier on the eyes but it's not going to make or break anything, unless like I said, you have other issues. How impactful x amount of screen real estate is highly subjective. I'd argue anyone really needing extra screen size for particular workflows would more likely utilize external monitors for said space hungry workflows.
Adding a 2nd monitor or going to 2+ external 22"+ monitors I would consider a substantial improvement to productivity.
I have an Intel 16-inch and I love the screen size, but the Apple Silicon 16-inch models are slightly heavier and overpowered for my needs. So my replacement is a tossup between a 14-inch Pro and a 15-inch Air.
Honestly I wish someone would do a comparison between those focusing on the subjective feel of screen real estate. The Pro has more physical pixels, but depending on what scaled resolutions are available on the Air, you can probably get more information density on it. I can’t be the only one who’s been pondering this comparison since the M3 Pros showed up.
I came from the 16-inch intel to the 14-inch M3 Pro, and it was an easy transition for me. It’s much less cumbersome to carry and hold, lap and otherwise, and the screen doesn’t feel like a huge compromise for the obvious benefits of the smaller footprint of the machine.
The M3 can: Support for up to two external displays(with the laptop lid closed)
So we disagree. IMO as previously stated: more screen real estate (in this case 16" versus 14") does substantially improve productivity for many workflows. No one said it would "make or break anything," just that it substantially improves productivity. That observation is based on using Mac laptops since the Duos in all kinds of scenarios with multiple different types of apps.
External displays indeed are useful of course when a MBP is in desktop mode, and I use three. The same logic applies to mobile usage. You could do the math, but 16" does provide substantially more display real estate than 14" does. Note that I do not say folks should not buy 14", just that they should realize that there can be a productivity loss for those doing substantive work (as opposed to primarily content consumption and email) on a mobile box.
Sorry but I do not understand your suggestion that people who perceive productivity improvement may "have other issues." What other issues?
Before the M3 Air was announced I wanted to go for a MacBook Pro with a refurbed M1Max/M2Pro or new M3 Pro because the M1/M2 Airs are not supporting dual external displays (except mirroring).
Coming from an iMac 27" Late 2012 i7 with 32GB RAM and 1TB FD, 16GB RAM and 1TB SSD are set.
This leads to approx. 2,5k-3k€ with MacBook Pro's.
The new M3 is sure a bit slower than those but also 500-1.000€ cheaper and more mobile,
working on places with different display configurations (2x27", 1x32" 4k, ... a third will be setup) or presenting.
As I had a whistling MacBookPro Core-Duo before the Late 2012 iMac I initially also tended to a fanless MacBook as the M1s came out.
So without the limitations of M1/M2 the M3 Air should fit my needs. Sure someone could say 8/256 or at least 8/512 are also fine, maybe with a second family MacBook. (Having an iPad Air M1 also but this has the ext.display limitation and iPad OS has not a comparable workflow feeling like a real Mac OS.)
Compared to the 14" MBP I also find the display difference (size-wise) of 13,6" - 14,2" is not really noticeable.
Missing connections (HDMi or TB/USB or SD-card) can easily added with light dock if needed.
For someone who needs max. endurance the 14" MacBook Pro (light;-) with M3 could be the solution as it has approx. 50% more battery capacity than 13" Air. For someone who needs more display space the 15" Air M3 could be the solution and finally someone who needs max. performance and more than 2 displays has to go for M3 Pro Max.
Coming from an iMac 27" Late 2012 i7 with 32GB RAM and 1TB FD, 16GB RAM and 1TB SSD are set.
This leads to approx. 2,5k-3k€ with MacBook Pro's.
The new M3 is sure a bit slower than those but also 500-1.000€ cheaper and more mobile,
working on places with different display configurations (2x27", 1x32" 4k, ... a third will be setup) or presenting.
As I had a whistling MacBookPro Core-Duo before the Late 2012 iMac I initially also tended to a fanless MacBook as the M1s came out.
So without the limitations of M1/M2 the M3 Air should fit my needs. Sure someone could say 8/256 or at least 8/512 are also fine, maybe with a second family MacBook. (Having an iPad Air M1 also but this has the ext.display limitation and iPad OS has not a comparable workflow feeling like a real Mac OS.)
Compared to the 14" MBP I also find the display difference (size-wise) of 13,6" - 14,2" is not really noticeable.
Missing connections (HDMi or TB/USB or SD-card) can easily added with light dock if needed.
For someone who needs max. endurance the 14" MacBook Pro (light;-) with M3 could be the solution as it has approx. 50% more battery capacity than 13" Air. For someone who needs more display space the 15" Air M3 could be the solution and finally someone who needs max. performance and more than 2 displays has to go for M3 Pro Max.
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Darth Tulhu
macrumors 68020
Great comparison.
I'd add that customers need to know what they want/need more than anything else.
For me, the extra power & ports (resulting in chunkiness) as well as the better screen of the MBP are not worth the sleekness, weight and cost savings of the MBA.
The MBA screen is still fantastic, it's got more power that I'll probably EVER use, and 2 ports plus MagSafe are just about as many as I need. I just wish the 15" existed when I bought my 13" M2, although my regrets are very very minor.
My 13" MBA + 12.9 iPP are a match made in heaven.
I'd add that customers need to know what they want/need more than anything else.
For me, the extra power & ports (resulting in chunkiness) as well as the better screen of the MBP are not worth the sleekness, weight and cost savings of the MBA.
The MBA screen is still fantastic, it's got more power that I'll probably EVER use, and 2 ports plus MagSafe are just about as many as I need. I just wish the 15" existed when I bought my 13" M2, although my regrets are very very minor.
My 13" MBA + 12.9 iPP are a match made in heaven.
This is my dilemma. I'm coming from an Intel 16" and I am comparing a similarly specced 15" M3 Air to a refurb 16" M3 MBP. The difference is only like $350, which seems worth it to go for the 16"
Your reasoning begs the question of what's your definition of substantial?
Substantial improvements suggests at least to me, a vast difference in productivity, i.e. without that additional 2" I'd feel handicapped in my workflow. I think your argument that "2" of additional screen substantially improves productivity for many workflows" doesn't hold water.
So let's put aside the fact you ignored my other point about the value of additional portability the 14" provides or the fact that for someone who uses the laptop for it's portability (it's intended purpose), the added 2" is worth less than that portability.
I've used many difference screen sizes and setups over the years and I can be highly productivity on a variety of setups, including small ones - that doesn't mean I'm not more productive an ideal setup of 3 screens depending on my workflow but that I think it's an extreme stretch to claim that "many workflows" are substantially more productive on an extra 2". To a degree, to claim that it suggests a user effectively needs an extra 2" to be productive.
If you're "substantially" more productive on a 16" vs 14" I'd suggest that comes down to a person's lack of effectiveness at utilizing the screen real estate you have.
Literally the only thing I'll be curious about is whether or not people who currently have issues with the current MBA display (PWM issues, that is) find the MBA M3 alleviates them. I'm one of those who switched to the MBP M2 Pro almost entirely for the ProMotion display.
Maybe it's because I'm getting older but I don't even notice much difference between the M2 15" air and my M1 MBP screens...
I have a MBP 16 M1 base model. I do not use external displays, just the notebook on a table.
Not a power user, just web browsing, listening to YouTube and Apple Music and office apps.
Looking at the 15 Air, wondering how much I would miss the promotion and screen brightness? There are times I pretty much crank the brightness on the MBP.
Is the MBP screen really better like I would notice it and regret the 'downgrade'?
The lighter device is very appealing.
Wifi 6E would be cool, too.
Not a power user, just web browsing, listening to YouTube and Apple Music and office apps.
Looking at the 15 Air, wondering how much I would miss the promotion and screen brightness? There are times I pretty much crank the brightness on the MBP.
Is the MBP screen really better like I would notice it and regret the 'downgrade'?
The lighter device is very appealing.
Wifi 6E would be cool, too.
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