A few hundred dollars aside, is there any reason to get a Studio when I could walk around with one in a backpack?
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Why get a Studio when I could get a MBP?
- Thread starter HoratioPerdu
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Better cooling, more ports, no notch.
For some people, US$1300 (additional cost of a base 16" MacBook Pro) is more than a few hundred dollars. If you don't already have a monitor and/or want to take a computer backpacking, go for it.
I think that this is one of the better discussions about the choice. The video is by a recent graduate of the UK's Royal College of Music whose career as a London-based composer is off to a solid start. He needs the mobility of a laptop:
Last edited:
My thoughts exactly: a base 14" MBP with 32GB RAM costs the same (within $50) as a base Studio with 32GB RAM plus keyboard plus trackpad. Add your monitor of choice to each.
If you don't need the extra performance of the Studio, you basically get the portability option and extra 14" mini-LED screen for free.
The MBP M1 Pro is no slouch.
If you don't need the extra performance of the Studio, you basically get the portability option and extra 14" mini-LED screen for free.
The MBP M1 Pro is no slouch.
Last edited:
In fact, the 14" MacBook Pro specced the same as the base Mac Studio (Max) is $2900, or $900 more. With the best M1 Pro chip, it's $2700, or $700 more
I'm the guy who linked the video in post #3, but I don't see what's gained by fudging the numbers.
Last edited:
You are of course correct.In fact, the 14" MacBook Pro specced the same as the base Mac Studio (Max) is $2900, or $900 more. With the top M1 Pro chip, it's $2700, or $700 more
But it seems you missed these words in my post: "If you don't need the extra performance of the Studio..." because that is the whole point of my post.
Obviously, if you do need the extra performance of the Studio, and thus need to spec the MBP the same as the Studio, then the MBP is going to cost more.
I'm still looking for the Apple desktop with an M1 Pro chip, but don't seem to be able to find it.
Last edited:
No, I didn't miss anything. I just figured that your numbers didn't make sense and decided to check them
High efficiency of Apple Silicon is ideal for laptops, so I think there are less reasons to buy desktop computer now.
However there still advantages in a desktop.
A laptop on your desk takes up more space or makes it harder to access ports, power button etc, depending on what kind of stand you are using.
If you want 10Gb Ethernet you need a thunderbolt adapter that runs hot and is not cheap.
The battery may cause problems (e.g. bloating) in a couple of years.
Laptop is more fragile, especially the screen.
There is still a chance that we might see a SSD upgrade for the Studio.
If you want to carry a computer in your backpack then get the MBP.
However there still advantages in a desktop.
A laptop on your desk takes up more space or makes it harder to access ports, power button etc, depending on what kind of stand you are using.
If you want 10Gb Ethernet you need a thunderbolt adapter that runs hot and is not cheap.
The battery may cause problems (e.g. bloating) in a couple of years.
Laptop is more fragile, especially the screen.
There is still a chance that we might see a SSD upgrade for the Studio.
If you want to carry a computer in your backpack then get the MBP.
It really comes down to a few factors:
The MacBook Pro is a really solid system though and I did briefly consider it, but ultimately when I need a laptop (for school or work) I want it to be completely separate from my personal computer and I’m not going to have two laptops.
- Do you ever need portability? MacBook Pro
- Do you need the absolute highest performance available? Mac Studio
- Do you prioritize port selection without dongles? Mac Studio
The MacBook Pro is a really solid system though and I did briefly consider it, but ultimately when I need a laptop (for school or work) I want it to be completely separate from my personal computer and I’m not going to have two laptops.
Happened to my 2016 MBP. Apple was great about it though and replaced the battery and keyboard for USD199. I had expected to pay more, honestly. Felt like a whole new MBP after that.
Given that my MBP is still in great condition as a result of the fix, if I were to get a new computer it would be a new Max Studio to complement the MBP. If I could only pick one, though, I'd probably go with a MBP because I do value portability greatly and not have to be tethered to my desk.
When in clamshell mode, the MBP gives you plenty of power but your tradeoffs are valid. In my case I have a Samsung Thunderbolt monitor into which I have many peripherals plugged in, including a 1Gb Ethernet adapter, so it acts like a hub, and it provides single cable convenience to my MBP. Otherwise I would have purchased a TB hub to have single cable convenience but glad I didn't have to.
I have nothing against dongles as long as there is a connector to plug them into.
I have no use for a MBP - when I'm mobile, my iPad Pro does what I need, is lighter, and can be detached for taking handwritten notes. When I'm at my home office, it's because I need a lot of screen real estate. The MBP offers me nothing but more expense. Different strokes for different folks, but the Studio Max is exactly what I've been waiting for to replace my stop-gap M1 mini.
Same! I did the whole battery/keyboard/top case replacement. I use the same MBP in clamshell mode. I'm currently going back and forth with "Do I want to trade in this MBP for the 16 M1 Pro? or should I just keep it and add the Mac studio?" All things considered since Apple will only give me up to $500 for trade in, I could just get the Studio and keep it for roughly the same price.
For me, the benefit of the studio is mainly about the extra I/O. I tend to always find I/O bandwidth to be the main bottleneck.
It is worth noting that for the price of a M1 Max MBP you can get both the M1 Max Mac Studio and the M1 MBA. Personally, I would rather use the M1 Air when not at my desk, since it is more portable. All my computer intensive work is done at my desk, since that is where all my monitors live.
It is worth noting that for the price of a M1 Max MBP you can get both the M1 Max Mac Studio and the M1 MBA. Personally, I would rather use the M1 Air when not at my desk, since it is more portable. All my computer intensive work is done at my desk, since that is where all my monitors live.
Last edited:
The trade-in value isn't great. My 2016 MBP is pretty well spec'd, money well spent when that was released. I like having my Intel MBP to run Intel-based VMs and containers that host a developer Oracle instance among other things. I haven't explored yet the equivalent setup I would need if I switched to M1. While it's a few years old, it is still fast enough for software development purposes but who wouldn't want more speed and memory? I enjoy coding on the road or elsewhere at home when not at my desk, like outside in my yard. I suppose if I moved the dev tools to a Studio, I could still use my laptop to remote into it if I wanted to. I had actually considered a Studio as a headless computing device.
It’s like asking yourself - why get a M1 Mac Mini when you could have a MBA for a few hundred more?
If your use case is mostly static, may as well save the money or use that towards additional spec upgrades.
The battery in a laptop is subject to degrade over time. Even if you use clamshell mode all the time, the heat in the machine will still do that.
Then if you do use it opened when docked, there is the display backlight and panel that will age, the keyboard that will wear, etc.
So for someone who see the Studio as an investment, will use it long term then the desktop solution is one that’s more stable, and distributing the wearing to various peripherals that you can replace freely. The built-in I/Os are also pretty much equal to an external 3rd party dock that may not work 100% of the time, especially the 10GbE.
Then if you do use it opened when docked, there is the display backlight and panel that will age, the keyboard that will wear, etc.
So for someone who see the Studio as an investment, will use it long term then the desktop solution is one that’s more stable, and distributing the wearing to various peripherals that you can replace freely. The built-in I/Os are also pretty much equal to an external 3rd party dock that may not work 100% of the time, especially the 10GbE.
If having a powerful Mac in your backpack is useful to you, then it's a no-brainer to get the MBP instead. You also get the option of going with a 16GB M1 Pro version if you don't need 32GB and/or the extra GPU power of a M1 Max. You'll probably end up paying $$$ extra for the mobility option - esp. if you still want a large display and docking facilities on your desk, but if you need it that's the price of mobility. You don't get as many ports - which is a pain - but if you're continually moving the laptop then having a dock on the desktop may be more attractive anyhow.
If it's rarely going to leave your desk, then it comes down to whether (a) you'd be happy using a 14"/16" display as your primary/only display and (b) whether the MBP has adequate ports. Some people are - and if so the display quality of the MacBooks could be compelling, because they're likely 'best of breed' c.f. other displays of that size. However, you can't really compare like-for-like between a laptop display and a large desktop display (or possibly multiple desktop displays). Although you can use a laptop as part of a multi-screen setup it's not as good as a pair of similar-sized displays. For years, my working setup was a MacBook Pro, on an "elevator" stand, next to a large display, plus external keyboards and mice - but I was shuttling the MacBook between home and work daily and taking it on several international trips a year - once that need subsided, incorporating a laptop was an unecessary faff, I switched to an iMac and a second 4k display.
...also, although phones and iPads aren't an all-round laptop replacements, they can do a lot - not least email, web browsing and media viewing - so for some people, a desktop for "real work" and a phone/tablet for travel needs and communications may now be a better option than a jack-of-all-trades laptop setup.
Remember that buying a Studio Display isn't compulsory - 5k is a good match, but at a steep price and far cheaper 4k displays are perfectly viable, with a better choice of sizes and formats.
In the Intel days, there used to be a big difference in CPU/GPU bangs-per-buck between a MBP with mobile-class CPUs and GPU and an iMac with higher-wattage components - now, the silicon is the same and it's more down to which form factor is best for you. (...until you get into Ultra territory, but that's a case of "if you need to ask whether you need it you probably don't").
It all boils down to your needs / wants. I have no need for portability therefore a desktop makes more sense for me than a laptop. Until the announcement of the Mac Studio I was considering the purchase of the 14" MBP because I was unable to get the Pro or Max processor in a desktop. In fact I had an open box 10 core Pro MBP (the $2,500 configuration) on reserve at Micro Center (it was $2,000). However I held off picking it up as the Apple event was the next day. I am glad I waited.
With the introduction of the Mac Studio I could now get the higher end processor / memory configuration for the same price as what I would have paid for the 14" MBP. For my situation I get better computing capability for the same money over the MBP (I already have several keyboards, mice, and a display).
If I required portability or the Mac Studio had not been introduced then either the 14" or 16" MBP would be a great choice.
All comes down to your situation.
With the introduction of the Mac Studio I could now get the higher end processor / memory configuration for the same price as what I would have paid for the 14" MBP. For my situation I get better computing capability for the same money over the MBP (I already have several keyboards, mice, and a display).
If I required portability or the Mac Studio had not been introduced then either the 14" or 16" MBP would be a great choice.
All comes down to your situation.