Macbook air vs macbook pro

[RedRainz]

At this time the pro version is only $150 more on amazon then the air. Is it worth it for a moderate user?
Are the pros fans relatively quiet?
If I decide not to use the touchbar will it be jarring?
Can I turn off the touchpad?
What other factors should I consider between the two.
The prices are close enough so both are perfectly viable.

 

[mtneer]

At this time the pro version is only $150 more on amazon then the air. Is it worth it for a moderate user?
Are the pros fans relatively quiet?
If I decide not to use the touchbar will it be jarring?
Can I turn off the touchpad?
What other factors should I consider between the two.
The prices are close enough so both are perfectly viable.

For "moderate" use, the MBA is more than capable. Unless your use case ramps up significantly, I do not see a reason to spend an additional $150, maybe you could purchase more storage on the MBA instead? Even if you anticipate more intense use cases in the future, at this point it maybe better to see what the next gen Silicon brings (snag a good price reduction on the last gen models if nothing).

 

[ian87w]

Wrong sub-forum, I think? This is Alternatives to iOS sub-forum. Hopefully mods can move it into the right one.

 

[Apple_Robert]

At this time the pro version is only $150 more on amazon then the air. Is it worth it for a moderate user?
Are the pros fans relatively quiet?
If I decide not to use the touchbar will it be jarring?
Can I turn off the touchpad?
What other factors should I consider between the two.
The prices are close enough so both are perfectly viable.

I agree with @mtneer The M1 MBA is excellent for the casual user who doesn’t need to be working with large 4K rendering, 3D Modeling and other intensive tasks on a regular basis. In my opinion, there isn’t much point in paying for extra features you aren’t likely to use. If you want to spend a little extra, put it towards storage on the MBA.

 

[pshufd]

We went with the MacBook Air. I find the performance to be very good, even compared to my 2015 MacBook Pro 15.

 

[ian87w]

Imo the keyword is sustained performance.

If one needs better sustained performance (eg. 3D rendering, large photos exports, long video encoding, long program compiling, etc), the Pro is the clear choice as the fan will help a lot with maintaining sustained performance.

For everybody else, the Air is perfect. Most regular computing tasks don't peg the CPU constantly.

 

[pshufd]

Imo the keyword is sustained performance.

If one needs better sustained performance (eg. 3D rendering, large photos exports, long video encoding, long program compiling, etc), the Pro is the clear choice as the fan will help a lot with maintaining sustained performance.

For everybody else, the Air is perfect. Most regular computing tasks don't peg the CPU constantly.

I have a 165 CFM AC-powered fan that I can put under a laptop to keep it cool. I just am not a fan of the TouchBar and would never buy a MacBook with it.

 

[mi7chy]

Passive cooling throttles performance ~24% under sustained load so if that's important to you get active cooling.

This late you might as well wait for 2nd gen. Or, buy it preowned which is going for as low as $300 to $350 for 8GB/256GB M1 MBP and MBA.

 

[arian71]

get the one I have

pro

 

[KaliYoni]

Another way to think about the decision is to consider if the $150 has a better current use for you. In other words, perhaps paying off some credit card debt or buying a mesh Wi-Fi setup or moving to a higher speed Internet service tier will benefit you more than a MBP. Or instead of buying Apple Care, put the $150 in the bank. Then you can use the $$$ if repairs are ever needed. And if nothing happens to the machine, you'll have $150 + interest to spend when you look at replacements.

In any case, if you do decide to go with the MBP now, $150 spread over the life of the machine (say, 3 years) isn't too much additional expense, assuming you are not on a tight budget.

 

[0128672]

There's no mention whether you're considering an M1 MBA vs MBP or the older Intels. You might want to take a look at the Apple Refurbs too. There are both types available. The refurb store is a great way to get a BTO model at a discount with overnight and 2-day shipping.

An M1 MBP 8/512 is $230 off, for example.

 

[pshufd]

There's no mention whether you're considering an M1 MBA vs MBP or the older Intels. You might want to take a look at the Apple Refurbs too. There are both types available. The refurb store is a great way to get a BTO model at a discount with overnight and 2-day shipping.

An M1 MBP 8/512 is $230 off, for example.

Some good deals there. I would have save $170 and received it a lot faster.

 

[0128672]

And it's a lot easier to do an Apple return, in my experience, than Amazon, whose return policy for computers is quite restrictive.

 

[pshufd]

And it's a lot easier to do an Apple return, in my experience, than Amazon, whose return policy for computers is quite restrictive.

Absolutely. It's a five-minute drive from my local Trader Joes. I hadn't looked in the refub store for a while and there weren't any 16 GB systems in there when I was looking a couple of months ago. I didn't think to look there again before buying.

 

[RedRainz]

There's no mention whether you're considering an M1 MBA vs MBP or the older Intels. You might want to take a look at the Apple Refurbs too. There are both types available. The refurb store is a great way to get a BTO model at a discount with overnight and 2-day shipping.

An M1 MBP 8/512 is $230 off, for example.

The m1 models for sure, and 500gb because I absolutely hate running out of storage.

 

[RedRainz]

Passive cooling throttles performance ~24% under sustained load so if that's important to you get active cooling.

This late you might as well wait for 2nd gen. Or, buy it preowned which is going for as low as $300 to $350 for 8GB/256GB M1 MBP and MBA.

I am interested in the 2nd gens, it looks like the air will come out earlier and the pro may be delayed for some months longer. Is that what you are seeing about the release?
It would be awesome to have a 14 or 15 inch air but from the leaks it looks like its going to be 13 inch.
The pro will supposedly be 14 and 15 inches.
My only question about the pro, is the fan relatively quiet when it is running?

 

[ascender]

I am interested in the 2nd gens, it looks like the air will come out earlier and the pro may be delayed for some months longer. Is that what you are seeing about the release?
It would be awesome to have a 14 or 15 inch air but from the leaks it looks like its going to be 13 inch.
The pro will supposedly be 14 and 15 inches.
My only question about the pro, is the fan relatively quiet when it is running?

Yes, all reviews have mentioned that you struggle to hear the fan when its running.

 

[Never mind]

I am interested in the 2nd gens, it looks like the air will come out earlier and the pro may be delayed for some months longer. Is that what you are seeing about the release?
It would be awesome to have a 14 or 15 inch air but from the leaks it looks like its going to be 13 inch.
The pro will supposedly be 14 and 15 inches.
My only question about the pro, is the fan relatively quiet when it is running?

The MacBook Pro 14/16 inch coming out this year and the new Air has been reported coming out in early 2022. No one knows for sure if it’s gonna be the M1X or the M2 chip. Only Apple knows

 

[Blue Quark]

I was having the same debate in my mind both at the time I bought it and for a few weeks afterward, and all I can say is that this is strictly a use case-driven kind of decision.

Honestly, I don't see how for "normal" people it makes any difference whatsoever. I don't think $150 is that big of a difference where price points are concerned. Honestly, in my experience (thus far) the M1 MBA is just that darned good that trying to top it (short of going to exceedingly higher-powered hardware) seems pretty difficult.

The Touch Bar ice cool, but honestly I'm glad to have regular keys up there instead.

 

[11235813]

Just like with the iPad Air vs Pro issue, if you're making money with your device, go with the Pro. If not, go with Air.

 

[pshufd]

I was having the same debate in my mind both at the time I bought it and for a few weeks afterward, and all I can say is that this is strictly a use case-driven kind of decision.

Honestly, I don't see how for "normal" people it makes any difference whatsoever. I don't think $150 is that big of a difference where price points are concerned. Honestly, in my experience (thus far) the M1 MBA is just that darned good that trying to top it (short of going to exceedingly higher-powered hardware) seems pretty difficult.

The Touch Bar ice cool, but honestly I'm glad to have regular keys up there instead.

I suspect that the Touch Bar will be a negative selling point in the future as Apple abandons the technology. I don't like the Touch Bar but dropping it from all future models likely means that you get some discount for buying a model with it. I think that most people feel negative towards it. If resale value is an issue when you buy a MacBook, then this should be a small part of the consideration.

My daughter has a MacBook Air and I was highly impressed with it. I want a bigger screen myself - I will likely wind up with a MacBook Pro 16 that is usable for production as well as just casual browsing. If Apple does announce a MBA 15 or 16 before the MBP 16 launches, then it will be a tougher decision.

 

[dizmonk]

The thing I'm torn about is since I've been using the MBA m1 I kinda feel like I'm turning up the brightness almost all the way and I don't want to do that. I know the MBP has a brighter 500 nits display.