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Model: Apple - MacBook Air 15" Laptop - M2 chip - 16GB Memory - 1TB SSD (Latest Model) - Midnight
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I have the Pro and was at a friend's who has the 15 Air this weekend. The blacks do look deeper on the Pro but the Air screen still looks great. In use the 15.3" screen appears much larger than the 14.2". I only got the Pro because it was a Christmas gift, and my wife chose it between the two for video editing. If it's my pick between a $1599 M2 Pro and $1599 M2 Air with these specs I'd go with the Air. The bigger screen, the lack of fans, larger track pad, and thinner profile are awesome. If you're just using the PC for email, media, and productivity applications the Air is my pick.
I'd only go for the Pro if:
You want to connect two external displays.
Do serious video editing beyond iMovie for vacation vids or 10min YouTube video editing.
Gaming? You really need a PC for gaming.
This really is the best price to performance configuration on the M2 Air. The extra 8gb of ram are going to extend the life of the laptop years beyond the 8gb version.
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Quote
from Elwots
:
Is there a noticeable difference in the display quality between this and the Pro? I am upgrading from a 2017 Pro and wondering if the full HD display would stand out as a downgrade?
I have the Pro and was at a friend's who has the 15 Air this weekend. The blacks do look deeper on the Pro but the Air screen still looks great. In use the 15.3" screen appears much larger than the 14.2". I only got the Pro because it was a Christmas gift, and my wife chose it between the two for video editing. If it's my pick between a $1599 M2 Pro and $1599 M2 Air with these specs I'd go with the Air. The bigger screen, the lack of fans, larger track pad, and thinner profile are awesome. If you're just using the PC for email, media, and productivity applications the Air is my pick.
I'd only go for the Pro if:
You want to connect two external displays.
Do serious video editing beyond iMovie for vacation vids or 10min YouTube video editing.
Gaming? You really need a PC for gaming.
Except not the best price for 99% of people.
This should be $1000. 16GB and 1TB should be standard on a $1k machine, especially for an Air.
It is on PC. Apple is going to Apple. We can continue to complain but it is what it is. If enough people stop using Apple they may feel compelled to offer consumers more value. This drum has been getting beat for decades though my dude..
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Quote
from Hat-Trick
:
Completely made-up statistic. I guarantee that 95% of people in the market for a laptop aren't interested in a MacBook.
You sent smoke to that other poster so I think it's only fair that I point out that Apple had 10.6% share of the laptop market in 2023. So that means that your statement is factually wrong and not only are more than 5% of people interested, they bought one. The actual number of people that are interested and didn't purchase would obviously add to that 10.6% number further increasing the magnitude of your inaccuracy.
If this is the config you want, shop the BB open boxes, they are dipping into the mid $1400s for this config, which is a good deal (for Apple) if you find one in good shape. Apple will change your purchase date to the day you bought it so you get a full 1-year warranty with AppleCare+. I just did it on a 16" model that was a heavily discounted "fair" condition (it just didn't have a power brick).
Completely made-up statistic. I guarantee that 95% of people in the market for a laptop aren't interested in a MacBook.
Your guarantee is worthless then. Apple has the #4 biggest marketshare of laptop sales in the world. It's Q4 2023 Mac sales (desktop and laptop) gave it a 8.5% world marketshare and a 13.3% U.S. marketshare. Also most of Dell, HP, and Lenovo laptop sales are bulk corporate which is why sales of those brands are so much higher than Apple. Windows hegemony, not that people enjoy using Windows.
I have the Pro and was at a friend's who has the 15 Air this weekend. The blacks do look deeper on the Pro but the Air screen still looks great. In use the 15.3" screen appears much larger than the 14.2". I only got the Pro because it was a Christmas gift, and my wife chose it between the two for video editing. If it's my pick between a $1599 M2 Pro and $1599 M2 Air with these specs I'd go with the Air. The bigger screen, the lack of fans, larger track pad, and thinner profile are awesome. If you're just using the PC for email, media, and productivity applications the Air is my pick.
I'd only go for the Pro if:
You want to connect two external displays.
Do serious video editing beyond iMovie for vacation vids or 10min YouTube video editing.
Gaming? You really need a PC for gaming.
If you're just using the MacBook for email, media, and productivity applications, I guarantee you the fans will never come on a MacBook Pro. Even if you do something that turns them on, it's unlikely you'll hear them so using "lack of fans" as a plus for an Air over a Pro is wrong.
There are plenty of reasons other than the few you listed why a Pro is better, especially if we're just talking a couple hundred bucks. Resale value, Display (ProMotion and higher brightness), speaker sound is superior, more ports, etc.).
If thinness is your highest priority then the Air is for you. Otherwise, I'd take a Pro all day long regardless of what I'm doing with it.
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I an developer for 10+ years and I have the 512GB one. I absolutely love it, I don't think you need something more powerful than this until and unless you require graphics or multi-core use (eg: video rendering not CapCut, or editing your social media videos etc).
The form size is perfect that I want to open it and use it anytime, anywhere plus I enjoy the 15" screen for multi-tasking.
I returned the M2 Pro for this and I made the right decision!
This or Pro for photo editing in Lightroom and Photoshop? Advanced amateur photographer leaning into more and more photography work. no video editing.
The Pro screen is better, but if going 14" (since it's close in price), you'll need to decide if screen real estate matters. If using monitors, go 14" since dual monitor support + sharper screen on the go, plus FWIW 2 extra gb of Ram in the 14".
I've tried every recent Apple laptop the last few months except the Max and 13" air, and all are capable. When it comes to the current lineup--unless you have very specific use cases--it's really about the features not the CPU. GPU could be different and specific hardware encoders could make a difference, but get the one most comfortable for your use case in terms of portability, battery life, screen real estate, speaker quality, ram, and storage. Almost any Apple Silicon chip will handle what is thrown at it, you just might have to wait a few seconds/minutes longer on the lower spec models.
Is there a noticeable difference in the display quality between this and the Pro? I am upgrading from a 2017 Pro and wondering if the full HD display would stand out as a downgrade?
- M1/M2/M3 Pro MBPs will support two external displays, MBA supports 1
- MBPs also have MiniLED backlighting (with local dimming), MBA does not
- Sound & performance (due to active cooling) will also be better on a MBP
- Extra I/O (SD card slot, USB-C, HDMI) on the MBPs, too
Quote
from jbear001
:
This or Pro for photo editing in Lightroom and Photoshop? Advanced amateur photographer leaning into more and more photography work. no video editing.
See above - I imagine an SD card slot would be nice to have... and the MBPs can be had on sale often.
Last edited by Caleo January 29, 2024 at 02:01 PM.
Top Comments
I'd only go for the Pro if:
You want to connect two external displays.
Do serious video editing beyond iMovie for vacation vids or 10min YouTube video editing.
Gaming? You really need a PC for gaming.
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75 Comments
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Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank Dudeskis
I'd only go for the Pro if:
You want to connect two external displays.
Do serious video editing beyond iMovie for vacation vids or 10min YouTube video editing.
Gaming? You really need a PC for gaming.
This should be $1000. 16GB and 1TB should be standard on a $1k machine, especially for an Air.
This should be $1000. 16GB and 1TB should be standard on a $1k machine, especially for an Air.
Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank Dudeskis
I'd only go for the Pro if:
You want to connect two external displays.
Do serious video editing beyond iMovie for vacation vids or 10min YouTube video editing.
Gaming? You really need a PC for gaming.
There are plenty of reasons other than the few you listed why a Pro is better, especially if we're just talking a couple hundred bucks. Resale value, Display (ProMotion and higher brightness), speaker sound is superior, more ports, etc.).
If thinness is your highest priority then the Air is for you. Otherwise, I'd take a Pro all day long regardless of what I'm doing with it.
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Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank popeye_the_sailor
The form size is perfect that I want to open it and use it anytime, anywhere plus I enjoy the 15" screen for multi-tasking.
I returned the M2 Pro for this and I made the right decision!
I've tried every recent Apple laptop the last few months except the Max and 13" air, and all are capable. When it comes to the current lineup--unless you have very specific use cases--it's really about the features not the CPU. GPU could be different and specific hardware encoders could make a difference, but get the one most comfortable for your use case in terms of portability, battery life, screen real estate, speaker quality, ram, and storage. Almost any Apple Silicon chip will handle what is thrown at it, you just might have to wait a few seconds/minutes longer on the lower spec models.
- M1/M2/M3 Pro MBPs will support two external displays, MBA supports 1
- MBPs also have MiniLED backlighting (with local dimming), MBA does not
- Sound & performance (due to active cooling) will also be better on a MBP
- Extra I/O (SD card slot, USB-C, HDMI) on the MBPs, too
Double memory and 1tb ssd $600 more
What a rip off
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