Still using a 2015 15" MBP. Looking to finally upgrade. What is my overall best option?

[Sully]

I think you should let AI decide:


Given your needs and the generous discount, both the 15" M2 MBA and 14" M3 MBP are viable options, but the best choice depends on your priorities:


15" M2 MBA:

• Pros:
  • Larger screen offers a more immersive experience for web browsing, watching videos,and working with multiple windows.
  • Lighter and thinner, making it more portable.
  • Longer battery life than the MBP.
  • Slightly cheaper with your discount.
• Cons:
  • Fanless design might lead to throttling under sustained heavy loads.
  • Fewer ports (2x Thunderbolt 4) compared to the MBP.
  • No MagSafe charging.

14" M3 MBP:

• Pros:
  • M3 chip offers better performance and future-proofing.
  • Active cooling with a fan prevents throttling under heavy loads.
  • More ports (3x Thunderbolt 4, HDMI, SDXC card slot) for better connectivity.
  • MagSafe charging for convenience.
• Cons:
  • Smaller screen might feel cramped for multitasking.
  • Slightly heavier and thicker than the MBA.
  • Shorter battery life than the MBA.
  • $100 more expensive than the MBA even with your discount.

Considering your usage:


Since you mainly use your Mac for web browsing, email, and occasional YouTube, the 15" M2 MBA seems like a more logical choice:

• The larger screen will be more enjoyable for these tasks.
• The fanless design is unlikely to be an issue for your typical workload.
• The price with your discount makes it more value-conscious.

However, if:

• You plan on pushing your Mac further with demanding tasks like editing photos or videos,
• You need more ports for your workflow, or
• You prioritize future-proofing with the latest M3 chip,

then the 14" M3 MBP might be worth the extra cost.


Ultimately, the decision depends on your specific needs and preferences. Weigh the pros and cons of each option, and don't hesitate to ask your brother about his experience with both models if he has used them. Remember, even with the discount, these are significant purchases, so choose wisely!

 

[bigpoppamac31]

I believe the "base" would be 8gig/256 ssd and be considerably cheaper and give your usage run just fine.

I need more than 256gb SSD. My iTunes/Music library alone is 256GB. I'm using over half of my 1TB drive overall. So 256GB is not enough and I'm not going to use cloud storage. Plus any reviews I have seen claim that the base model SSD is slower than the upper ones.

 

[bigpoppamac31]

I think you should let AI decide:


Given your needs and the generous discount, both the 15" M2 MBA and 14" M3 MBP are viable options, but the best choice depends on your priorities:


15" M2 MBA:

• Pros:
  • Larger screen offers a more immersive experience for web browsing, watching videos,and working with multiple windows.
  • Lighter and thinner, making it more portable.
  • Longer battery life than the MBP.
  • Slightly cheaper with your discount.
• Cons:
  • Fanless design might lead to throttling under sustained heavy loads.
  • Fewer ports (2x Thunderbolt 4) compared to the MBP.
  • No MagSafe charging.

14" M3 MBP:

• Pros:
  • M3 chip offers better performance and future-proofing.
  • Active cooling with a fan prevents throttling under heavy loads.
  • More ports (3x Thunderbolt 4, HDMI, SDXC card slot) for better connectivity.
  • MagSafe charging for convenience.
• Cons:
  • Smaller screen might feel cramped for multitasking.
  • Slightly heavier and thicker than the MBA.
  • Shorter battery life than the MBA.
  • $100 more expensive than the MBA even with your discount.

Considering your usage:


Since you mainly use your Mac for web browsing, email, and occasional YouTube, the 15" M2 MBA seems like a more logical choice:

• The larger screen will be more enjoyable for these tasks.
• The fanless design is unlikely to be an issue for your typical workload.
• The price with your discount makes it more value-conscious.

However, if:

• You plan on pushing your Mac further with demanding tasks like editing photos or videos,
• You need more ports for your workflow, or
• You prioritize future-proofing with the latest M3 chip,

then the 14" M3 MBP might be worth the extra cost.


Ultimately, the decision depends on your specific needs and preferences. Weigh the pros and cons of each option, and don't hesitate to ask your brother about his experience with both models if he has used them. Remember, even with the discount, these are significant purchases, so choose wisely!

The M2 MBA does have MagSafe charging. Maybe you are thinking of the M1 MBA. I could wait for the M3 MBA but in the computer world there is always something new coming out. A person could wait forever for the "best" option.

 

[nigelbb]

For the fan noise, just buy TurboBoost Switcher Pro for $10. It allows to turn off TurboBoost of your processor. This will make the laptop silent for 90% of your listed tasks without any perceived performance degradation, assuming you're keeping it on an even surface.

Thank you so much for your recommendation of TurboBoost. I've just bought the Pro version for my 15" 2015 MBP & it's fantastic. The fans don't spin up & the battery lasts about 50% longer. I'm not doing any heavy duty CPU work part from exporting JPEGs out of Photos. For web & email if anything my machine is now snappier & more responsive & it's great for it to be silent.

 

[unblocktheplane]

Windows you can get your own hardware, build your own system. MacOS you have to get the system from Apple. Some would present valid arguments that with Apple controlling the hardware and OS, that everything will just work. Then people complain about Apple's prices for upgrades. With most Windows systems it is possible to add memory and storage, the exception being some small laptops, such as Microsoft's own Surface line, where everything is sealed.

Would this were true! What does work reliably is the AppleCare worldwide helpline (long past active AC but all Apple products are still supported). Of course, there are good support & truly useless.

 

[phrehdd]

Would this were true! What does work reliably is the AppleCare worldwide helpline (long past active AC but all Apple products are still supported). Of course, there are good support & truly useless.

With respect to your response to another about Windows and Apple, we use to say

Microsoft holds the PC hardware hostage and Apple hardware holds the OS hostage. Either way, some sort of control is there and not always to the benefit of anyone other than those two foremention's coin coffers.

 

[Yebubbleman]

Okay so I'm still using a 15" MBP from 2015. Overall for every day tasks like web browsing and email and such it still works very well. I do get the fans spinning up for things like watching youtube. But I know that my Mac cannot be updated to the latest MacOS so I know at some point I will have no choice but to upgrade. I think I've pretty much narrowed it to either a 15" M2 MBA or a 14" M3 MBP. Either one I would get 16GB/1TB options which is what I have on my 2015 MBP. I still have almost half my SSD free so I'm not worried about running out of space. However I do realize I cannot upgrade any component myself on the current models. But the price to upgrade is so expensive. I really feel like Apple is ripping people off. The only reason I am considering this upgrade is because my brother works for Apple and is letting me use his mega discount which he gets every few years. He doesn't get as big a discount on refurbished models so looking there is almost pointless. Does it make more sense to go with the MBP over the MBA? Pricing them out it seems the MBP would be $100 more than the MBA. Also keep in mind I'm in Canada so every thing is more expensive here than in the US.

15" MacBook Air with 16GB or 24GB of RAM (I'd get 24GB if possible). Though, unless you are buying Apple Certified Refurbished from the Apple Online Store, you might want to wait until after Apple's rumored March announcements.