MBP 15 2018 or MBA m1?

[ctjack]

Hi, i do have MBA 8/8/512 M1 that i am using for 1 year. I like it, but might prefer bigger screen and more ram.
Someone has MBP 15 2018 near me with 1tb ssd and 16gb of RAM along with Core i9.
It is free keyboard replacement eligible, and trade in at apple is $1100+tax, so seems to be pretty safe.

Should i sell my MBA and buy MBP 15? I am anyway planning to jump on 14 or 16, so that trade-in value seems to be good in case i buy it cheaper than that, then i am in profit.

They are asking near trade-in value, but i am sure i can get it at or below $1100. Probably 900-1100 range.

 

[Sanpete]

Seems like a good way to get a larger screen, among other things. But no one can answer which is best for you based on what you've said.

The 2018 will probably get warmer and louder more often.

 

[DMG35]

If you are just buying to trade it in for a profit then yes. If you plan on using it at all then no.

 

[TechRunner]

Based on the keyboard issues alone, I would keep the MBA and avoid the MBP. Sure, it has keyboard replacement eligibility, but getting that done might turn out to be inconvenient, especially if you use your laptop to make money.

 

[Hunter5117]

Without having owned one, my impression of the 15" I9 is that it was almost the worst of the worst of that family of MBPs. Was it not the one that had insane heat and throttling issues, along with the keyboard issues? I do have both a 13" M1 MBP and my 16" I9 and I agree that the bigger screen can be essential, esp if you don't use an external monitor.

 

[chrfr]

It is free keyboard replacement eligible, and trade in at apple is $1100+tax, so seems to be pretty safe.

The free keyboard replacement program is only good for 4 years from the date the computer first went on sale, so this program will only last a few more months. I would completely avoid any Mac that has the defective keyboard design like the 2018.
2018 MacBook Pros, especially with i9 processors, run very hot and battery life isn't great. These are not the best computers.

 

[ctjack]

Thank you everyone for voicing the conversations that we going in my mind.
Yes, i plan to use it until i save enough to trade-in and get 14/16. That is why my Air works better, as you said.
Yes, Apple store is far away, so that is not 1 gas tank to be spent to redeem free kb replacement.
On the other hand, my trade-in for Air is $630, while this one is $1100, that is tempting.
Anyways, decided to save myself a hassle - i just offered trade with the seller, if they get my m1 to mbp 15, then i am ok. But decided not to go out and sell mine just to buy mentioned mbp.

 

[sb in ak]

This is pretty anecdotal, but my dad has a 2018 MBP (lower spec tho) and it was kind of a nightmare for him between battery swelling and crappy keyboard. It was the laptop that pushed him into using an iPad Pro full time.

 

[ctjack]

This is pretty anecdotal, but my dad has a 2018 MBP (lower spec tho) and it was kind of a nightmare for him between battery swelling and crappy keyboard. It was the laptop that pushed him into using an iPad Pro full time.

Thank you for sharing your experience. Yes, i think 2018 was one of the worst design choices for mbp 15 - high wattage cpus and a thin body. Basically heat would make them swell.