Macbook pro for own business

[Rikkertvld]

Best,

On September 1, I will start my own company full time, in vitality coaching. The plan is to send the customer nutritional schedules, mediations and workouts through online coaching via an app. I also want to improve my own website online, and edit videos for exercises. We are also planning to start a youtube account to upload some useful and fun videos so video editing will also be done.

At the moment I have the following setup:

Model number of both your monitors
o AOC G2590VXQ
oPhilips 328E1CA

Docking station:

dell thunderbolt wd19

I now have a Dell latitude 7400 but I'm not a fan of that, often gets hot and blows a lot.

Now I also have an Apple phone that I also have to hand in and I still use a MacBook Air from 2017 as a private laptop, but it is now too slow.



I've been looking at the m1 16 gb core 8 with 512 gb storage and the m2, what is the difference in this and, for example, does the working memory make more difference to me or the chip? And would you still wait for the m3 macbook pro and bridge the time with my old macbook air or would you immediately buy a macbook pro and if so which one? The m1 16gb ram costs 1700 euros and the m2 16gb ram 2000 euros both with 512Gb.

I also wanted to ask you about the best affordable iPhone, I would like to go for the iPhone 11 pro max, because it costs around 400 euros and is therefore not too expensive and still delivers good performance.


Thank you in advance!

 

[dwig]

Since you have two working, though not optimal, machines waiting a short while for announcements and possible availability of M3 series devices isn't a bad idea. In general, though, waiting for "the next great improvement" is foolish as once it arrives there will be another on the horizon. It would be good to keep your old "personal" Air for personal use and as a backup to a new main product device. The old Dell may also prove useful for both business use (e.g. accounting, tax preparation, ...) and for reviewing/proofing your online product on Windows browsers. In fact, both old devices are very useful for such proofing/testing as many of your potential clients will not have the latest-and-greatest computers.

Also, I wouldn't be at all surprised is Apple lets the odd MBP 13" fade into history. it didn't get any upgrade other than the processor in the M1 to M2 shift while the MB Air got a complete redesign and has since acquire a 15" sibling. Apple could very likely keep the Air using the base M-series processor and the MBP 14" & 16" for the more advanced Pro, Max, and possibly Ultra variants.

 

[Rikkertvld]

Hi,

Thanks for your response, however the dell is not mine it is my employers laptop, so i do not have it anymore. And therefore, i cannot use my docking station. So it is a really hard decision to make haha.

 

[davidlv]

Since you have two working, though not optimal, machines waiting a short while for announcements and possible availability of M3 series devices isn't a bad idea. In general, though, waiting for "the next great improvement" is foolish as once it arrives there will be another on the horizon. It would be good to keep your old "personal" Air for personal use and as a backup to a new main product device. The old Dell may also prove useful for both business use (e.g. accounting, tax preparation, ...) and for reviewing/proofing your online product on Windows browsers. In fact, both old devices are very useful for such proofing/testing as many of your potential clients will not have the latest-and-greatest computers.

Also, I wouldn't be at all surprised is Apple lets the odd MBP 13" fade into history. it didn't get any upgrade other than the processor in the M1 to M2 shift while the MB Air got a complete redesign and has since acquire a 15" sibling. Apple could very likely keep the Air using the base M-series processor and the MBP 14" & 16" for the more advanced Pro, Max, and possibly Ultra variants.

The one thing to keep in mind is that the MBA M1 & M2 are both limited to one external monitor. You need a MBP if you intend to use two or more external monitors.
The MBA has great Wi-Fi but if you need an ethernet connection, consider purchasing either an Anker PowerExpand+5in1 USB-C ethernet hub or a Satechi USB-C ethernet hub. For a business this might be essential.
I have an M2 MBA 13" and find it to be the best Apple computer I have used, but the new 15" is obviously also worth considering.

 

[dwig]

The one thing to keep in mind is that the MBA M1 & M2 are both limited to one external monitor. You need a MBP if you intend to use two or more external monitors.
The MBA has great Wi-Fi but if you need an ethernet connection, consider purchasing either an Anker PowerExpand+5in1 USB-C ethernet hub or a Satechi USB-C ethernet hub. For a business this might be essential.
I have an M2 MBA 13" and find it to be the best Apple computer I have used, but the new 15" is obviously also worth considering.

Unfortunately, Apple has set the stage for a good bit of confusion by using the MacBook Pro (aka MBP) name for two different series of machines. The MBP 13" is quite a different animal than the MBP 14" & 16" machines and the "MBP" designation can't be used to delineate between machines that support two displays (one internal and one external) and those that support a larger number of displays. What matters is not the device name, but the processor. The "plain" M-1 & M-2 based machines only support a total of two displays. Only the M-series chips designated Pro (again, Apple muddies the water), Max, or Ultra support more than two total.

 

[Rikkertvld]

Yes thanks i know. I was intrested in the m1 16gb 512gb pro 14 inch model or the m2 with the same specs, but then i found out that m3 is coming. So no i do not know if i should wait or buy one of those machines and so yes which one?

 

[dwig]

Yes thanks i know. I was intrested in the m1 16gb 512gb pro 14 inch model or the m2 with the same specs, but then i found out that m3 is coming. So no i do not know if i should wait or buy one of those machines and so yes which one?

But note that the "m1" 14" would have an M1-Pro, M1-Mac, and not the M-1, same for the "m2".

 

[wegster]

There’s nothing terribly strenuous in what you’ve listed as far as usage goes, although video editing has a fairly wide range on bot file sizes and computing power (e.g. simple editing of videos from phone vs RED/pro gear 8K with lots of effects). You also didn’t mentioned external displays.

From the relatively little bit you’ve said, MBA 15” M2 (16gb 512 is a reasonable starting point considering the mentioned of video editing) if using a single external display and ‘lighter’/more typical video editing like just trimming clips, doing some intro and scene fades etc. on typical 4k video…could go with the MBA13 M2 if you’re nearly always going to be connected to a single external monitor.

In this case I’d push the M2 in the MBA just for a bit more overall compute and of course the 15” option.

If doing multiple displays, the MBP14 with an M1 pro or max (again 16GB/512GB or higher on storage) is a nice system, and can be found used still with applecare for a reasonable price, or you can find one in apple’s refurb store for more of a premium. I’m not expecting the M3 base to necessarily beat the M1 Pro or Max in benchmarks, although of course the pro and max chips will. Just throwing another option out there. For some quick comparison there’s a refurbished MBP14 M2 Pro 16GB 512 on Apple’s refurbished shop for $1699. You can find a refurbed on ebay for a few hundred less, some with active applecare included, or an M1 Max MBP14 for a bit less.

 

[Rikkertvld]

There’s nothing terribly strenuous in what you’ve listed as far as usage goes, although video editing has a fairly wide range on bot file sizes and computing power (e.g. simple editing of videos from phone vs RED/pro gear 8K with lots of effects). You also didn’t mentioned external displays.

From the relatively little bit you’ve said, MBA 15” M2 (16gb 512 is a reasonable starting point considering the mentioned of video editing) if using a single external display and ‘lighter’/more typical video editing like just trimming clips, doing some intro and scene fades etc. on typical 4k video…could go with the MBA13 M2 if you’re nearly always going to be connected to a single external monitor.

In this case I’d push the M2 in the MBA just for a bit more overall compute and of course the 15” option.

If doing multiple displays, the MBP14 with an M1 pro or max (again 16GB/512GB or higher on storage) is a nice system, and can be found used still with applecare for a reasonable price, or you can find one in apple’s refurb store for more of a premium. I’m not expecting the M3 base to necessarily beat the M1 Pro or Max in benchmarks, although of course the pro and max chips will. Just throwing another option out there. For some quick comparison there’s a refurbished MBP14 M2 Pro 16GB 512 on Apple’s refurbished shop for $1699. You can find a refurbed on ebay for a few hundred less, some with active applecare included, or an M1 Max MBP14 for a bit less.

Hi thanks,

I want to use multiple display and use my wd19 Dell Thunderbolt docking station. I want to buy a refurbished for sure, however I am living in the Netherlands and the prices are way higher over here. M1 16gb ram 512gb 1700euro m2 Same spec 2000 euro both pro laptops.

 

[wegster]

Hi thanks,

I want to use multiple display and use my wd19 Dell Thunderbolt docking station. I want to buy a refurbished for sure, however I am living in the Netherlands and the prices are way higher over here. M1 16gb ram 512gb 1700euro m2 Same spec 2000 euro both pro laptops.

Oh that’s right, you did mention that before. What about ebay.nl ? I’ve purchased around half of my MBPs lightly used with apple are intact via ebay refurbs or prior owner (one got a near maxxed MBP as an xmas present but gamer, so back to windows, was 2 month old system with prepaid applecare, for nearly 1/2 price of new on a current-then system - lucked out a bit but it happens), and just picked up a 1YO M1 Max MBP 64GB 2TB with 2 years of applecare left on it for $2300 (equiv system on Apple refurb would still be > $3K..)

If you go that route I’d just consider 2 things - there are real ‘big businesses’ that I suspect take Apple mail-ins and do real quantities of sales, often offering their own warrantee on top of existing AppleCare, are qualified to do full system tests and some level of repair, with tens of thousands or more sales. Those are the safer IMO ones to look for…the second one being find one that still has existing applecare on it.

 

[wegster]

I did a quick look using translate, and there are a few M1 Pro in the ~1000-1200Euro range, with AppleCare. Didn’t look too deeply but some examples:

Macbook Pro 14 m1 Pro 16gb 512 applecare | eBay

Vind fantastische aanbiedingen voor Macbook Pro 14 m1 Pro 16gb 512 applecare. Winkel met vertrouwen.

www.ebay.nl

 

[Rikkertvld]

Oh that’s right, you did mention that before. What about ebay.nl ? I’ve purchased around half of my MBPs lightly used with apple are intact via ebay refurbs or prior owner (one got a near maxxed MBP as an xmas present but gamer, so back to windows, was 2 month old system with prepaid applecare, for nearly 1/2 price of new on a current-then system - lucked out a bit but it happens), and just picked up a 1YO M1 Max MBP 64GB 2TB with 2 years of applecare left on it for $2300 (equiv system on Apple refurb would still be > $3K..)

If you go that route I’d just consider 2 things - there are real ‘big businesses’ that I suspect take Apple mail-ins and do real quantities of sales, often offering their own warrantee on top of existing AppleCare, are qualified to do full system tests and some level of repair, with tens of thousands or more sales. Those are the safer IMO ones to look for…the second one being find one that still has existing applecare on it.

Hi thanks! But shipping costs are high and when I buy a refurbished or nee MacBook via an official retailer/company I can reduce 21% of the price (tax) because i am going to use the MacBook for my own business. So the m1 pro would be 1400 euro refurbished without taxes and the m2 pro 1650.

 

[dwig]

Hi thanks,

I want to use multiple display and use my wd19 Dell Thunderbolt docking station. I want to buy a refurbished for sure, however I am living in the Netherlands and the prices are way higher over here. M1 16gb ram 512gb 1700euro m2 Same spec 2000 euro both pro laptops.

The fact that they are "pro" laptops is not a key to whether they will drive multiple external monitors. As I said before, it is not the laptop model designation, but that of the processor. M-1 and M-2 based models, Pro nor Air, will only support one external monitor. Only the pro models with the M-1 Pro, M-1 Max, M-2 Pro, or M-2 Max will support more than one. You description indicates that they are likely base M-1 and M-2 models and will not support more than one external.

The other marker, currently, is the screen size. MBs with an odd number size, 13" & 15", only support one external. Those with even number sizes (14" and 16") support more than one.

 

[wegster]

The other marker, currently, is the screen size. MBs with an odd number size, 13" & 15", only support one external. Those with even number sizes (14" and 16") support more than one.

Just have to add a chuckle over this.
Random shopper: I want to connect several displays, so guess I have to get a ‘Pro’ right?
No, you have to get something with odd number screen size.
What?

(Apple - PS, pls kill the 13” ’Pro’ already and just make it a macbook if you want to keep it in the lineup..)

 

[Bananasaurus]

Yes thanks i know. I was intrested in the m1 16gb 512gb pro 14 inch model or the m2 with the same specs, but then i found out that m3 is coming. So no i do not know if i should wait or buy one of those machines and so yes which one?

If you can't afford to wait, then the M2 series is phenomenal and should be overkill for your needs. I'm waiting a bit longer for the M3 before I upgrade, but you'll have zero issues with the M2 MBP.

 

[Rikkertvld]

If you can't afford to wait, then the M2 series is phenomenal and should be overkill for your needs. I'm waiting a bit longer for the M3 before I upgrade, but you'll have zero issues with the M2 MBP.

So you would rather go for the m2 then the m1 if the difference is 300 euro's?

 

[Bananasaurus]

So you would rather go for the m2 then the m1 if the difference is 300 euro's?

I would. The M1 is Apple's first introduction into ARM whereas the M2 is improved upon the M1. Both should suit your needs, though.