Would you still buy M1 MacBook Air or M1 MacBook pro?

[turbineseaplane]

I didn't know that Hackintosh was still a thing these days. I used to build them years ago but have since switched to Apple hardware. Are there any limitations with macOS nowadays?

Assuming one buys correct hardware, the only hangup w/ Sonoma is Wifi/BT cards, but apparently there are now workarounds for that

I've stayed on Ventura as it's fully native (absolutely everything works just as a normal Mac) on my hardware.

Typing on it right now ... hooked up to my 120hz ("ProMotion") 65" OLED
Basically jaw dropping all day long as my gorgeous wallpapers shuffle through every minute

 

[VitoBotta]

Assuming one buys correct hardware, the only hangup w/ Sonoma is Wifi/BT cards, but apparently there are now workarounds for that

I've stayed on Ventura as it's fully native (absolutely everything works just as a normal Mac) on my hardware.

Gotcha. Thanks

 

[LeeW]

My wife refuses to let me upgrade her M1 MBA. Even having seen the newer models and 15" screen, which she really likes. But she is insistent that her current M1 MBA is so good she is not taking the chance of ending up with something that it's not. Fair play. Looks like she will have it until it stops being supported or breaks.

 

[Gregintosh]

I would wait until WWDC just in case some of the new AI features might require M3, M4, etc.

But if WWDC comes and the next MacOS adds all the same AI features for all Apple Silicon chips then 100% an M1 might still be a good investment for many users.

 

[MrGunny94]

I would wait until WWDC just in case some of the new AI features might require M3, M4, etc.

But if WWDC comes and the next MacOS adds all the same AI features for all Apple Silicon chips then 100% an M1 might still be a good investment for many users.

Personally I'd wait for the M4 now that is out there in the wild with the iPad Pro. Plus we still don't know how much of a gap the AI stuff and some other things in the upcoming macOS which will have support on both chips due to the NPU

 

[CWallace]

I would be shocked if Apple announces AI features (especially major ones) that require the latest two generations of SoCs (M3/M4 and A17/A18) in order to work at all.

One, the howling from everyone not on those generations and the subsequent "AI Gate" media frenzy will completely drown out everything Apple announces about those features.

Two, one of Apple's strengths is how they leverage older hardware with new features. So I expect this will all work on M1/A15 and newer, but could very well work faster/better with the "latest and greatest".

 

[oasantos1]

Yes.

I use a base M1 iMac and 14" M3 Pro MBP.

For my use case, I can’t distinguish performance difference between both.

 

[EugW]

No, largely because Apple determines OS support based on product launch date. It’s a four year old product now.

This is one big reason why I haven't been seriously considering the used M1 MacBook Airs in 2024. My wife will eventually need a new one to replace her 2017 MacBook Air (which I got really cheap used a few years ago), and the M1s are dropping in price fast, but I decided against getting one because it's been close to 4 years since they were released. Plus, I wanted to get the new form factor with MagSafe.

I was tempted by cheap open box M2 models at Best Buy here in Canada, but the biggest discounts are on the 15" models. The 13" models are discounted much less. Plus, they are all 8 GB RAM.

That brings me to the other reason I've avoided the M1 and M2. It's because of the 8 GB RAM base. While 8 GB is OK for my wife, I'm convinced that M4/M5 will bring 12 GB to the MacBook Air. She definitely doesn't need 16 GB, but 12 GB would be a bonus esp. if I need to use it. Unfortunately, the 16 GB options of the older model MacBook Airs are generally unavailable at retail big box stores around here and at Amazon Canada, and even when available elsewhere, they are comparatively expensive. Having 12 GB base would be perfect. My 12" MacBook is 16 GB, but its m3 is getting a bit long in the tooth. Fortunately, we can wait until 2025-2026 for a 12 GB machine.

 

[Ungibbed]

I recently got a base model MacBook Air with the M1. Having had Intel machines for so long, it's still impressive how well this laptop runs. It feels like overkill for what I use my MacBook for (music and media consumption).

 

[MBAir2010]

yes,
these processors are incredible and I hope they last longer as my 2010 MBA, 14 years!
the look is outstanding, the computing experience is fast and the battery last longer than a day!

Personally lately i feel i need an  break from the new yearly OS upgrades, iffy iCloud services, adjusting to the A1 concept and just being attached, so i need to just stop climbing the walled garden that never ceases to sprout, which can be overwhelming as these past 14 years shown.

so that is in a box, next to the MacMini M1 until either i need a 2024 function or feel better.

too bad we can run Mojave in these great Macbooks!

 

[clam zero]

I mostly agree with what others have said. One other thing I should mention is that, as a Firefox user, I definitely appreciate the hardware-accelerated AV1 decode in the M3-series. It's kind of a small thing and won't matter at all if you use Safari or another browser with full HEVC support, but maybe something to consider.

 

[EugW]

I use a base M1 iMac and 14" M3 Pro MBP.

For my use case, I can’t distinguish performance difference between both.

I have zero problems with M1 performance in my Mac mini, as it is quite fast, and more than sufficient for my needs.

That said, side-by-side, my M4 iPad Pro sometimes feels a touch faster in Safari. That's probably because Safari performance is largely dependent upon single-core performance, which is roughly about 20% faster in M4 compared to M3 and M3 Pro.

However, like I said, I have zero problems with M1 performance. The reason I bought the M4 iPad Pro was not because of the SoC. I bought it because it's OLED, has a landscape camera, and has a much improved Magic Keyboard, among other things.

 

[CasualFanboy]

fully native (absolutely everything works just as a normal Mac) on my hardware

Even graceful suspend/resume?

 

[ChrisA]

How long does Apple support MacBook Air?

The policy is usually 7 years after they stoped selling the item., NOT 7 years from product introduction.

But this does not mean the M1 will stop working. I have a good working 2011 vintage MBP that will works well. (and a new M2-Pro too.)

 

[EugW]

The policy is usually 7 years after they stoped selling the item., NOT 7 years from product introduction.

That is often not correct.

eg. MacBook Air 2017, which was one of their best selling Macs.

Introduction date: June 5, 2017
Discontinued date: July 9, 2019
OS it shipped with: OS X 10.12 Sierra (2017)
Last OS it can run: macOS 12 Monterey (2021)

Monterey will get its last update this year, in fall 2024, meaning that for the MacBook Air, OS support was just over 7 years from product introduction.

 

[Basic75]

Would you still buy M1 MacBook Air or M1 MacBook pro?

The answer is the usual "it depends", mainly on the price.

 

[benwiggy]

There's a difference between hardware support and software support.

You can still get replacement parts at an Apple Store up to 7 years after it was last sold (depending on where in the world you are).

Software support varies, and there's no hard and fast rule. Some Macs have had 9 years of OS support. Some, much less. Ars Technica did an extensive article about it

Some Macs are getting fewer updates than they used to. Here’s why it’s a problem

Dropping old Macs can be justified, but some are dying before they should be.

arstechnica.com

I'm hoping that with most of the hardware now in-house, we'll see longer support times.

 

[fibercut]

I would be shocked if Apple announces AI features (especially major ones) that require the latest two generations of SoCs (M3/M4 and A17/A18) in order to work at all.

One, the howling from everyone not on those generations and the subsequent "AI Gate" media frenzy will completely drown out everything Apple announces about those features.

Two, one of Apple's strengths is how they leverage older hardware with new features. So I expect this will all work on M1/A15 and newer, but could very well work faster/better with the "latest and greatest".

I always wanted Apple to use AI for Siri sense it hasn't been that good now at least sense it first was released!

 

[Aka757]

I think probably up until last year, the M1 MacBook Air was still a good buy. I wouldn't say it isn't anymore, but now that the M2 MacBook Air is 2 years old, you can likely find a used M2 MBA for not much more than a used M1 MBA, so you might as well get the newer chip and redesign. That being said, I feel like M1 Pro and M1 Max MacBooks are still powerhouses, and still great buys. We'll see how much further M4 moves the needle later this year, but I feel like those M1 Pro and M1 Max machines were just incredibly good. The used market has some great deals on those machines (Swappa, Best Buy, Apple refurbished, Woot!, etc.).

 

[EugW]

I think probably up until last year, the M1 MacBook Air was still a good buy. I wouldn't say it isn't anymore, but now that the M2 MacBook Air is 2 years old, you can likely find a used M2 MBA for not much more than a used M1 MBA, so you might as well get the newer chip and redesign. That being said, I feel like M1 Pro and M1 Max MacBooks are still powerhouses, and still great buys. We'll see how much further M4 moves the needle later this year, but I feel like those M1 Pro and M1 Max machines were just incredibly good. The used market has some great deals on those machines (Swappa, Best Buy, Apple refurbished, Woot!, etc.).

I've been looking around at used and Best Buy Open Box items here in Canada, and what you say is indeed true in many instances. M1 is often inexpensive, but M2 is sometimes only a bit more, and occasionally it's about the same price as M1. If I were looking to buy an older model today, it would usually be the M2 because of the new design and because it's two years newer. In fact, while we usually don't get good Best Buy deals here in Canada, there were some excellent deals on Best Buy Geek Squad Certified Open Box M2 MacBook Air models here recently.

However, I'm going to wait to replace my wife's 2017 MacBook Air, because I'm guessing (hoping?) the new M4 MacBook Airs will have 12 GB RAM at entry level. The Best Buy open box units that were excellently priced here were 15" 8 GB models, with no 16 GB models available. We're looking for 13-14", and I want it to have more than 8 GB. 12 GB would be perfect.

Unfortunately, AFAIK, Best Buy here only sells standard configurations, meaning all 8 GB for the M2 model. 16 GB is now a standard configuration for M3, but so far there haven't been any good Best Buy deals here on M3.

 

[mactinkerlover]

No, largely because Apple determines OS support based on product launch date. It’s a four year old product now.

Very true unforuntately. I don't recommend m1 anymore to anyone who plans to keep it over 3-4 years.

 

[mactinkerlover]

It is reasonable to expect the M1 Air to get the 'new' macOS that comes out in late 2028. And you still got a couple years support after.... 2030+ is when it might show a bit of age.

That is questionable. Support will end 2026-2028. So I think now. The latest one I think it will get is the one that comes out late 2027, but it might not even get that.

 

[mactinkerlover]

Typically 5 years after they stop selling the MBA M1. Software updates could be another year or two. But Apple is not obligated to support longer than the official guideline.

Software support is not based on when apple stopped selling the product. People just don't understand that. Like the iPod touch 7th gen stopped being sold and immediately the next version of iOS that same year it didn't get. Or the 2012 13 in unibody macbook pro stopped being sold in 2016 and only got support until late 2020.

Or the 2013 mac pro stopped being sold in 2019 and only got support until late 2022.

So it is based on when the product launched not when it was last sold. That is a common misconception.

 

[mactinkerlover]

Although I have a new M3 MBA, I still use my M1 Max MBP16 for my heavy work and any FCPX editing. Fantastic machine that hasn't missed a beat. Have no plans to give it up any time soon whatsoever.

Yeah, I have an m1 max too and i'm gonna keep it a little while longer. I bet it will get at least 2-3 more years of support.

 

[TechnoMonk]

Software support is not based on when apple stopped selling the product. People just don't understand that. Like the iPod touch 7th gen stopped being sold and immediately the next version of iOS that same year it didn't get. Or the 2012 13 in unibody macbook pro stopped being sold in 2016 and only got support until late 2020.

Or the 2013 mac pro stopped being sold in 2019 and only got support until late 2022.

So it is based on when the product launched not when it was last sold. That is a common misconception.

You got confused and wrong mate. Apple still hasn’t declared Mac Pro 2013 as vintage. Monterey for Mac Pro 2013 will get a final security update till fall 2024. Apple never claimed they will support latest OS but mention they support updates to OS. After the last security update for Mac Pro 2013 this fall, it’s retire or open clip. Mac Pro 2013 will be vintage in few months, and expect Apple to wash hands of Monterey.