MacBook Pro 14 or MacBook Air 15

[MYKBook]

Hello,

So after watching probably every video on YouTube, I eventually pulled the trigger on a M3 Pro chip MacBook Pro 14" with 512GB SSD. Now that I am carrying it around, I am having buyers remorse. The reasons that pushed me towards the Pro still apply but probably not as much. Going through the same reasoning, I am probably better of with the Air at this point. However, I will have to buy the Air and sell the Pro as used, which I would probably loose on and end up with the same cost for a less capable laptop.

Not sure why I am posting this but I guess I am looking for feedback or a compelling reason highlighting I did the right choice. While this is my laptop, I do plan on using it as a desktop, docked machine in a years time (when I move into my new place). I will use it during business travel and probably travel in general, for watching movies on the plane and taking notes or using it for presentations .. all of which can easily be done on the air.

Any reasons I am better off with the Pro if I do not need the processing power? Better display (albeit smaller), better power saving battery life, more ports, 2 fans vs no fans, etc.. For some reason regardless how many pros I add, "lighter and bigger screen" always bring the air back up for me.

What do you think? And if I decide to do the swap, any advice on where I can trade in? The Air would have to be brand new though.

 

[Zwhaler]

Hello,

So after watching probably every video on YouTube, I eventually pulled the trigger on a M3 Pro chip MacBook Pro 14" with 512GB SSD. Now that I am carrying it around, I am having buyers remorse.

You answered your own question.
The biggest improvement on the Pro vs Air for casual use is the 120Hz display.
At least keep the Pro until the M3 Air comes out. Take the haircut and buy an Air then.

 

[MYKBook]

You answered your own question.
The biggest improvement on the Pro vs Air for casual use is the 120Hz display.
At least keep the Pro until the M3 Air comes out. Take the haircut and buy an Air then.

I think that's exactly what I needed to hear, thanks!

 

[halledise]

I think that's exactly what I needed to hear, thanks!

buyer's remorse is a horrible thing as it affects sleep patterns worst of all.
fully agree with Zwhaler.
i kinda did the same thing when the M2 MBP came out then realised it was overkill for my needs these days.
fortunately my remorse came within the 14 day send back period so i had an out.
in the meantime, enjoy your pro - they're flippin' awesome macs …

 

[MYKBook]

buyer's remorse is a horrible thing as it affects sleep patterns worst of all.
fully agree with Zwhaler.
i kinda did the same thing when the M2 MBP came out then realised it was overkill for my needs these days.
fortunately my remorse came within the 14 day send back period so i had an out.
in the meantime, enjoy your pro - they're flippin' awesome macs …

Unfortunately we don't have that 14 day luxury where I am at/from, if you open it, it's yours.

I miss buying from the USA.

 

[halledise]

Unfortunately we don't have that 14 day luxury where I am at/from, if you open it, it's yours.

I miss buying this from the USA.

damn!
where do you live?

 

[MYKBook]

damn!
where do you live?

Kuwait, I love everything about Kuwait except for the ineffective consumer protection laws.

 

[halledise]

Kuwait, I love everything about Kuwait except for the ineffective consumer protection laws.

sand country. lotsa oil.
saddam took a shine to it back in the day if i recall, and tried to set the place alight.
the legendary Red Adair 🧨 put the wells fires out and directed the whole operation 🔥

 

[MYKBook]

sand country. lotsa oil.
saddam took a shine to it back in the day if i recall, and tried to set the place alight.
the legendary Red Adair 🧨 put the wells fires out and directed the whole operation 🔥

Yup, that's the one. And yes, I remember those times. I was 10 years old. So glad we had our allies to back us up, led by the late George Bush. We are so grateful for all the soldiers and their families that participated in the war! 👊💪

Not to get too much off topic. I think waiting for the next MBA would be the best choice. It is only a couple of months away I guess and I am planning a US trip during summer (actually going to LA too next week for a quick business trip) and by then the MBP would have either grown on me, or I trade it in the US for the M3 Air.

Thank you all for the great advice and feedback!

 

[Zwhaler]

Not to get too much off topic. I think waiting for the next MBA would be the best choice. It is only a couple of months away I guess and I am planning a US trip during summer (actually going to LA too next week for a quick business trip) and by then the MBP would have either grown on me, or I trade it in the US for the M3 Air.

We're both in the market for an M3 Air 15". I recently compared the M3 Pro 14" & 16" side-by-side with the 15" Air and was surprised how similar the Air display was to the Pros for casual use. The Pro Motion didn't make as much of a difference as I was expecting. Based on the trade offs for casual users (increased weight, price), we are very much looking forward to the M3 MacBook Air refresh.

 

[throAU]

Go test them in person. The screen difference is MASSIVE.

120hz and HDR. If you watch movies on the thing, and they’re available in HDR the difference is HUGE.

 

[leifp]

As throAU notes, screen quality is definitely huge. But is it huge for you? Once you’ve grown accustomed to the MBPro, use the MBAir for a bit (read, watch movies, play games at the Apple Store) and you will either be shocked by the difference… or not notice it. If you’re in the latter camp, go about your steps (sell used, buy new)… if you’re in the former: congrats! Buyer’s remorse solved…

 

[StrollerEd]

I have M1Max 16” MBP. Although this goes with me on trips of a longer duration, I do hanker after something lighter when out and about. That heads-up on not getting the 14" MBP, even though higher spec than the MBA, is welcome reminder on what I should be looking for.

Now to decide on whether to junk the idea of 16RAM and plump for the best s/h value 13" M1/M2 MBA with 8.

 

[Arctic Moose]

Any reasons I am better off with the Pro if I do not need the processing power? Better display (albeit smaller), better power saving battery life, more ports, 2 fans vs no fans, etc.. For some reason regardless how many pros I add, "lighter and bigger screen" always bring the air back up for me.

I got a totally maxed-out M2 13” MBA because I wanted the smallest and lightest Mac I could buy.

I do not do anything super-intense, but I ran into the RAM ceiling every now and then, and some apps wouldn’t be instantly available, which was annoying. Plus, 2 TB of internal storage really wasn’t enough.

I finally replaced it with a much chunkier M3 14” MBP, and I am a lot happier. Of course I am not enjoying the extra size and weight, and I still dislike the sharp edges of the vents on the sides, but the tradeoffs were acceptable.

Ideally, I’d like to use this as a desktop-laptop, and add an imagined 10-11” ultra-style MacBook for travel. (Or, please, please, just let me boot MacOS on my iPad Pro.)

In your shoes, I’d at the very least wait for the M3 MBA before upgrading.

 

[throAU]

As throAU notes, screen quality is definitely huge. But is it huge for you? Once you’ve grown accustomed to the MBPro, use the MBAir for a bit (read, watch movies, play games at the Apple Store) and you will either be shocked by the difference… or not notice it. If you’re in the latter camp, go about your steps (sell used, buy new)… if you’re in the former: congrats! Buyer’s remorse solved…

Yeah whether it matters or not is one thing, but be sure to check the difference. Or not, and just buy one or the other depending on your budget.

The screen however is one thing that you need to see in person to appreciate, and no amount of YouTube review watching or reading specs will give you an appreciation for just how significant it is - if you care about such things.

The MBP 14" has the best display in my house, including my home theatre TV (a 65" 2022 Sony Bravia HDR 4k model of which expect model I forget) outside of physical size.

 

[leifp]

Yeah whether it matters or not is one thing, but be sure to check the difference. Or not, and just buy one or the other depending on your budget.

The screen however is one thing that you need to see in person to appreciate, and no amount of YouTube review watching or reading specs will give you an appreciation for just how significant it is - if you care about such things.

The MBP 14" has the best display in my house, including my home theatre TV (a 65" 2022 Sony Bravia HDR 4k model of which expect model I forget) outside of physical size.

Seconded on “best display in my house”… although my OLED gaming monitor is superior in some ways, I was surprised by just how good the miniLED display on my 16” MBPro is, particularly since my iPad’s display is a blooming disappointment… pardon the (intentional) pun.

 

[MYKBook]

Seconded on “best display in my house”… although my OLED gaming monitor is superior in some ways, I was surprised by just how good the miniLED display on my 16” MBPro is, particularly since my iPad’s display is a blooming disappointment… pardon the (intentional) pun.

Thank you gentlemen, will do so today. I will do some comparisons at home today since my son has the 15" MBA, other laptops in my household are 13" MBA M1, 13" MBA M2 and a 12" Intel MacBook which is probably one of my favorite laptops size wise and was actually the last laptop I used before this Pro.

Reading these comments and feedback and using the Pro a little more, I think it is growing on me quite a bit. I think I am set on keeping it at this point.

 

[throAU]

Thank you gentlemen, will do so today. I will do some comparisons at home today since my son has the 15" MBA, other laptops in my household are 13" MBA M1, 13" MBA M2 and a 12" Intel MacBook which is probably one of my favorite laptops size wise and was actually the last laptop I used before this Pro.

Reading these comments and feedback and using the Pro a little more, I think it is growing on me quite a bit. I think I am set on keeping it at this point.

If you haven't fired up some HDR on it, make sure to do so.

The difference really comes alive with HDR content, especially in low light (where the blacks are much better than other apple displays).

 

[dizmonk]

Hello,

So after watching probably every video on YouTube, I eventually pulled the trigger on a M3 Pro chip MacBook Pro 14" with 512GB SSD. Now that I am carrying it around, I am having buyers remorse. The reasons that pushed me towards the Pro still apply but probably not as much. Going through the same reasoning, I am probably better of with the Air at this point. However, I will have to buy the Air and sell the Pro as used, which I would probably loose on and end up with the same cost for a less capable laptop.

Not sure why I am posting this but I guess I am looking for feedback or a compelling reason highlighting I did the right choice. While this is my laptop, I do plan on using it as a desktop, docked machine in a years time (when I move into my new place). I will use it during business travel and probably travel in general, for watching movies on the plane and taking notes or using it for presentations .. all of which can easily be done on the air.

Any reasons I am better off with the Pro if I do not need the processing power? Better display (albeit smaller), better power saving battery life, more ports, 2 fans vs no fans, etc.. For some reason regardless how many pros I add, "lighter and bigger screen" always bring the air back up for me.

What do you think? And if I decide to do the swap, any advice on where I can trade in? The Air would have to be brand new though.

FWIW I was in the same boat as you. I had the 15 Air and was happy with it. I tried the 14 M3 (not Pro) with 8gb and didn't like it. I later got the 16gb version of the M3 (not Pro) and am much happier with it. Although it's still the first week, the battery life seems to as good if not better than the 15 Air.