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Macbook Recommendations

Q

QuirkyTurtle483

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Sep 19, 2025
2
1
Hi All,

Need some advice on a deciding on a new MacBook for myself. Some context: Currently working on a MacBook Air 13" (late 2018) with 16gb of ram and would like to upgrade. I'm a software engineer / adjust professor at a local university and I think it's time to upgrade (finally), haven't been really paying attention to all the improvements / upgrades over the years and would like some advice on which one to pick.

Storage doesn't matter to me, I have several backup devices / storage solutions.

I am also aware the upgrade from 7 years will also be massive, so no need to call that out :)

I don't think I would need a M4 Pro for my daily work load but just having some advice would help.

Day to day workload:
- Teams, Zoom Calls, Screen Sharing & Recording
- VS Code, XCode, Postgres, Claude
- Docker
- Email and assorted Apps like Keynote etc
- Discord

Like to have or use (eventually):
- 3D Printing Software
- Godot

​

Macbook Air M4 15 Spec's
Apple M4 chip with 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
32GB unified memory
512GB SSD storage
15.3-inch Liquid Retina display with True Tone²
12MP Center Stage camera
MagSafe 3 charging port
Two Thunderbolt 4 ports
35W Dual USB-C Port Compact Power Adapter
Backlit Magic Keyboard with Touch ID - US English

MacBook Pro - 14"
14-inch Liquid Retina XDR display²
Standard display
Apple M4 chip with 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
32GB unified memory
1TB SSD storage
70W USB-C Power Adapter
Three Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI port, SDXC card slot, headphone jack, MagSafe 3 port
Backlit Magic Keyboard with Touch ID - US English
 
Work provided me with an Air M4 and I own a personal Pro M3 14" MBP so I've spent a good bit of time with both.

The Air is a nice system though for what you describe the Pro may be a better move.

Higher quality and resolution display
3 USB-C ports (it is inconvenient for me at times on the Air which has only two, on one side)
Dual fans (Air has none)
Better speakers
Faster processing capabilities and less likelihood of heat-induced throttling

I suggest you purchase an Apple factory refurb from the Apple edu site to maximize the savings. I've purchased many refurbs from them (which still come with the same warranty as brand new purchases) and haven't had issues with any of them.

 
Last edited:
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QuirkyTurtle483 said:
Hi All,

Need some advice on a deciding on a new MacBook for myself. Some context: Currently working on a MacBook Air 13" (late 2018) with 16gb of ram and would like to upgrade. I'm a software engineer / adjust professor at a local university and I think it's time to upgrade (finally), haven't been really paying attention to all the improvements / upgrades over the years and would like some advice on which one to pick.

Storage doesn't matter to me, I have several backup devices / storage solutions.

I am also aware the upgrade from 7 years will also be massive, so no need to call that out :)

I don't think I would need a M4 Pro for my daily work load but just having some advice would help.

Day to day workload:
- Teams, Zoom Calls, Screen Sharing & Recording
- VS Code, XCode, Postgres, Claude
- Docker
- Email and assorted Apps like Keynote etc
- Discord

Like to have or use (eventually):
- 3D Printing Software
- Godot

​

Macbook Air M4 15 Spec's
Apple M4 chip with 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
32GB unified memory
512GB SSD storage
15.3-inch Liquid Retina display with True Tone²
12MP Center Stage camera
MagSafe 3 charging port
Two Thunderbolt 4 ports
35W Dual USB-C Port Compact Power Adapter
Backlit Magic Keyboard with Touch ID - US English

MacBook Pro - 14"
14-inch Liquid Retina XDR display²
Standard display
Apple M4 chip with 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
32GB unified memory
1TB SSD storage
70W USB-C Power Adapter
Three Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI port, SDXC card slot, headphone jack, MagSafe 3 port
Backlit Magic Keyboard with Touch ID - US English
Click to expand...
M4 15 inch
 
edubfromktown said:
Work provided me with an Air M4 and I own a personal Pro M3 14" MBP so I've spent a good bit of time with both.

The Air is a nice system though for what you describe the Pro may be a better move.

Higher quality and resolution display
3 USB-C ports (it is inconvenient for me at times on the Air which has only two, on one side)
Dual fans (Air has none)
Better speakers
Faster processing capabilities and less likelihood of heat-induced throttling

I suggest you purchase an Apple factory refurb from the Apple edu site to maximize the savings. I've purchased many refurbs from them (which still come with the same warranty as brand new purchases) and haven't had issues with any of them.

Click to expand...
the pro with the standard m4 chip is single fan only I believe
 
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1BadManVan said:
Depends on your use case. 99% of air users have no need for a fan for how they use them. He isn't exactly using much to push the chip, seeing as hes currently doing what he needs an old 2018 intel model. An M4 will be a massive leap
Click to expand...

In the OP's case, a fan makes a lot of sense as Zoom (more so than Teams) can create some heat generation and along with whatever else is running not a bad move imo
 
Last edited:
edubfromktown said:
In the OP's case, a fan makes a lot of sense as Zoom (more so than Teams) can create some heat generation and along with whatever else is running not a bad move imo
Click to expand...
Personally never had any issues with zoom on my m2 air. I think a program like Godot might be the only one i could see a benefit of some additional cooling, even then it wouldn't be detrimental if he used an air for that either. Depending how heavily into 3d engine software he gets, which even a base m4 pro would be a limitation anyways if he got into more complex work
 
new macbooks might be around the corner, no one can tell but could release in next 2 months or around March. If you can stretch it i'd wait.
 
edubfromktown said:
I've never hesitated about making a purchase (Apple refurb website) on "new-ish" systems that I could derive an income from.

That approach has paid back "dividends" every time.
Click to expand...

yeah, but someone of use it for personal uses and do not make income from the computer
 
I cross-shopped those two when I was upgrading this past spring. I ultimately chose the MBP for the ports and superior screen, but either one will gladly do what you're asking of it, IMO.
 
MacBH928 said:
yeah, but someone of use it for personal uses and do not make income from the computer
Click to expand...
Between the many who purchase far more horsepower in a system than needed and the paralysis by over-analysis crowds who wait and wait and wait, there lies a path forward... carpe diem is my recommendation.

Order up (from Apple; factory refurb is generally how I roll) and slam away on whatever you decide for a few weeks. If it does not meet expectations, there is buyer's remorse or whatever then return it for full refund then seek out something else or wait. This is part of why Apple charges a premium and that is value-add for sure!
 
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Both are solid choices. FWIW, because you're upgrading to the 32GB memory / 1TB Storage options (custom BTO), you'll typically have to purchase direct from Apple. Whereas if you can get away with one of the base models (typically 16GB / 512GB), you can find pretty good discounts on brand new models (eg. Amazon had a recent $200 off deal). And part of the value prop you'll read about on here is the "value" / bang-for-buck for these models.

How are you going to use the computer primarily? How often will you use "like a laptop" vs maybe plugging into a dock / external monitor? Will you be on-the-go a lot, and if so, how mobile does it need to be? When you do use as a laptop, are you mostly at a desk somewhere? On couch / in bed frequently?

Both the 15" M4 MBA and the 14" Base MBP (M4) are similar in performance and, unless you need really high-end performance (which it sounds like you don't), both would cover almost every need.

So I think if you want to be optimal, it really comes down to form factor / size, screen size and quality (MBP will have mini-LED and 120hz ProMotion) and the need for the additional ports (HDMI, additional Thunderbolt/USB-C ports on the MBP).
 
QuirkyTurtle483 said:
Hi All,

Need some advice on a deciding on a new MacBook for myself. Some context: Currently working on a MacBook Air 13" (late 2018) with 16gb of ram and would like to upgrade. I'm a software engineer / adjust professor at a local university and I think it's time to upgrade (finally), haven't been really paying attention to all the improvements / upgrades over the years and would like some advice on which one to pick.

Storage doesn't matter to me, I have several backup devices / storage solutions.

I am also aware the upgrade from 7 years will also be massive, so no need to call that out :)

I don't think I would need a M4 Pro for my daily work load but just having some advice would help.

Day to day workload:
- Teams, Zoom Calls, Screen Sharing & Recording
- VS Code, XCode, Postgres, Claude
- Docker
- Email and assorted Apps like Keynote etc
- Discord

Like to have or use (eventually):
- 3D Printing Software
- Godot

​

Macbook Air M4 15 Spec's
Apple M4 chip with 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
32GB unified memory
512GB SSD storage
15.3-inch Liquid Retina display with True Tone²
12MP Center Stage camera
MagSafe 3 charging port
Two Thunderbolt 4 ports
35W Dual USB-C Port Compact Power Adapter
Backlit Magic Keyboard with Touch ID - US English

MacBook Pro - 14"
14-inch Liquid Retina XDR display²
Standard display
Apple M4 chip with 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
32GB unified memory
1TB SSD storage
70W USB-C Power Adapter
Three Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI port, SDXC card slot, headphone jack, MagSafe 3 port
Backlit Magic Keyboard with Touch ID - US English
Click to expand...

I do what you do, you could go with either both would are perfectly fine. The air is so much more powerful than people realize. I ran Houdini on my Air 2.

The 15 inch screen is a bit nicer to code on, especially in Godot and Xcode since they fill the screen. Either would work well for you.
 
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