The struggle is real....

[hagjohn]

I do not really understand these posts.

 

[clevins]

View attachment 1972351

Base M1 Pro 14" on the right and Base M1 MBA 13" on the right

Which one to keep??????

Usage - heavy MS office work including really large excel files and teams (although I have a dedicated work computer I can use), web browsing, media consumption - personal computer, with the intention of keeping for 5 or so years, (or maybe up to 10 based on my purchasing history) . No editing at this stage, but who's to say I won't pick up a new hobby? ?. I do need portability, but the size and weight difference is minimal and I carry it in a purse - so not a major difference for me.

The MacBook Pro 14" does meet the budget, and was on sale ($300 off - I'm in Australia, so that converts to roughly 220USD) - I got a bonus at work which will cover most of the MBP, and I already own the MBA. But just because I can, does it mean I should spend the money? ? And yes, I know the MBP is overkill for my needs but I love it (although I don't know if I'm sold on the silver - the silver feels more "work" and the space grey feels more "fun"). I have a iPad Pro 12.9 as well.

MBP can be returned, MBA would need to be sold (is essentially brand new, only 14 charge cycles). My biggest concern is the longevity of the base MBA at 8GB RAM and 256GB HDD. I use an external SDD so file storage isn't an issue, I'm worried about system updates and the impacts of it (slowing down etc), on top of installing a few heavy programs

What to do.....?

Good god. We had an entire thread hashing this over with you. Make a call. We can't decide how you should spend your money.

 

[Misheemee]

Good god. We had an entire thread hashing this over with you. Make a call. We can't decide how you should spend your money.

Thank you, yet again, for your positivity and support - in these forums that were intended for help and support.

Why not just scroll on by if you’re THAT irritated by it? Why must you go out of your way to try to make somebody look stupid or feel bad about asking for advice?

 

[B.A.T]

Whatever you do don't do what I would do which is something along the lines of:
Return the MacBook Pro
take that MBP money and buy an expensive camera with 40+ megapixels
edit on MacBook Air and realize you should have kept the pro
sell MacBook Air for a loss and upgrade to the MacBook Pro that was returned
"hmmm these photos are pretty good but they'd look better on a 16" screen"
return 14" MBP
buy 16" MBP
"Oh F%&k this never ends"

 

[Misheemee]

Whatever you do don't do what I would do which is something along the lines of:
Return the MacBook Pro
take that MBP money and buy an expensive camera with 40+ megapixels
edit on MacBook Air and realize you should have kept the pro
sell MacBook Air for a loss and upgrade to the MacBook Pro that was returned
"hmmm these photos are pretty good but they'd look better on a 16" screen"
return 14" MBP
buy 16" MBP
"Oh F%&k this never ends"

you're hilarious ? you made my day!! ?

 

[Queen6]

The Air is good if you don't make money with your Mac and only web surfing, web media watching and email! If you plan to make art, music or video go with Mac Book Pro with them on board ram you can get on it! I don'y st hard drive because NVME drives have become so fast you could use that of storage! Also if you make video, pictures art get Mac Book Pro!

That's simply inaccurate; you can easily use the base model Air professionally. I've owned multiple 13" MBP's which were far less capable then the current Air and they easily paid for themselves hundreds of times over.

Far too many get sucked into more is better for the sake of it, until you've overspent and don't use that additional capability. Professional's purchase what the need for the task at hand. They don't over invest or overspend on hardware, that's for Apple's sales & marketing department and the consumer...

Q-6

 

[julesme]

You answered your own question when you said you want the machine to last “5 or so years” and possibly up to 10 years. In 2022, 8GB RAM and 256GB storage is simply not a machine that is set up to last 5-10 years into the future. You should choose the MacBook Pro.

Personally, I typically avoid the lowest spec machine; I’d rather go for something in the middle, as it’s more likely to last several years. 8GB RAM is the lowest that Apple offers (on a Mac), and it’s something that I would avoid if I’m looking for longevity.