I think I know how the original poster feels.
Firstly I'm very wary of any new models from Apple, as it's no secret that in recent years their new MBPro models have been plagued with problems. When problems occur outside the normal one year warranty the cost of repairs are known to be truly eye-watering.
Secondly, with the introduction of the new generation M1 chip, imho early adopters are taking a risky gamble. To those with deeper pockets who've opted for AppleCare, you've paid for longer-term peace of mind, although if I was gifted one with the extended warranty I'd definitely make a point of selling it just before AppleCare expired.
I've been closely monitoring the changes to the 15" and now 16" MBPro range since mid 2010 and there's been nothing that's tempted me to buy anything newer - even if the lamentable keyboard problem appears to have been finally solved.
In fact I've tried the new MBPro17,1 (M1 13" model) and agree it's feels snappy, and one review I read stated that in Safari they'd never seen websites open up so rapidly - that in itself intrigued me and motivated a trip to several Apple stores.
Having said that, I never use Safari (haven't used it for years) much preferring FireFox, and can honestly say that my 15" Intel i7 MBPro loads every site I go to instantly, almost in the blink of an eye. Battery life is more than suitable for my needs as I never take the laptop on the road, and it more than satisfies with general use including video editing in a non-pro capacity since updating the hardware. Plus I have the satisfaction of knowing that should a fault occur I can easily change out any individual component myself for very little money. And use any type of headphone, and burn edited videos on the fly etc, etc.
When a new 16" M1 MBPro is launched I guess pricewise it will retail close to US$3.5K, and ok I agree Retina screens are pleasant, but they don't blow me away - although they would do if ever a display or associated hardware became defective!
Now in everyday use and never missed a beat, mine is the last of the 'golden-age' mid 2010 MacBookPro's. I updated it with a 1To Crucial SSD and 16Gb memory for a very modest 115€ (US$140) which together with current prices makes it a marvellous, rapid, all purpose laptop, which I would instantly recommend to anyone hesitating to take a gamble with an extremely more expensive, virtually 'non component repairable' M1 example.
I'm sure many will disagree with me, and that's ok - especially those who buy-into Apple's planned obsolescence policy.
For what it's worth, here in Europe the European commision has recently announced plans aimed at ensuring that a range of products will be “recyclable, repairable and designed to last longer” as part of a plan to halve waste across the EU by 2030. When that happens I may be tempted to purchase a new Mac, especially that by then Apple Silicon M1 chips will surely have proven themselves.
Firstly I'm very wary of any new models from Apple, as it's no secret that in recent years their new MBPro models have been plagued with problems. When problems occur outside the normal one year warranty the cost of repairs are known to be truly eye-watering.
Secondly, with the introduction of the new generation M1 chip, imho early adopters are taking a risky gamble. To those with deeper pockets who've opted for AppleCare, you've paid for longer-term peace of mind, although if I was gifted one with the extended warranty I'd definitely make a point of selling it just before AppleCare expired.
I've been closely monitoring the changes to the 15" and now 16" MBPro range since mid 2010 and there's been nothing that's tempted me to buy anything newer - even if the lamentable keyboard problem appears to have been finally solved.
In fact I've tried the new MBPro17,1 (M1 13" model) and agree it's feels snappy, and one review I read stated that in Safari they'd never seen websites open up so rapidly - that in itself intrigued me and motivated a trip to several Apple stores.
Having said that, I never use Safari (haven't used it for years) much preferring FireFox, and can honestly say that my 15" Intel i7 MBPro loads every site I go to instantly, almost in the blink of an eye. Battery life is more than suitable for my needs as I never take the laptop on the road, and it more than satisfies with general use including video editing in a non-pro capacity since updating the hardware. Plus I have the satisfaction of knowing that should a fault occur I can easily change out any individual component myself for very little money. And use any type of headphone, and burn edited videos on the fly etc, etc.
When a new 16" M1 MBPro is launched I guess pricewise it will retail close to US$3.5K, and ok I agree Retina screens are pleasant, but they don't blow me away - although they would do if ever a display or associated hardware became defective!
Now in everyday use and never missed a beat, mine is the last of the 'golden-age' mid 2010 MacBookPro's. I updated it with a 1To Crucial SSD and 16Gb memory for a very modest 115€ (US$140) which together with current prices makes it a marvellous, rapid, all purpose laptop, which I would instantly recommend to anyone hesitating to take a gamble with an extremely more expensive, virtually 'non component repairable' M1 example.
I'm sure many will disagree with me, and that's ok - especially those who buy-into Apple's planned obsolescence policy.
For what it's worth, here in Europe the European commision has recently announced plans aimed at ensuring that a range of products will be “recyclable, repairable and designed to last longer” as part of a plan to halve waste across the EU by 2030. When that happens I may be tempted to purchase a new Mac, especially that by then Apple Silicon M1 chips will surely have proven themselves.