MacBook Buying Advice

Hardware
#1

Hi all, would love to get anyone’s buying advice on the following:

Uses: Web Browsing, Photos (running app but storage will be external), iMovie (occasional)

Priorities: Shelf life/longevity, speed (start-up not multi-tasking) and battery

Would also be interested to know how the 4 choices compare performance wise (taking into account there is an M1 option and a 16GB option)

Thanks in advance, here is the shortlist - https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/s_action/compare/10206420-10208381-10216300-10207163.html

#2

I would get the M1 and never look back. Be sure to check that any necessary apps you have will run on it here. But for most people, it will be just fine. The speed is fantastic; battery life is great too.

As Apple progresses, Intel Macs are going to depreciate more quickly than Apple silicon Macs. At this point, I only recommend an Apple Intel Mac if someone needs Intel for a business reason or Apple doesn’t make the form factor you need (such as an iMac).

I say this to you, typing on my MacBook Air M1 that is sitting on the same desk with my iMac Pro. After having run the M1 chip for several weeks, I know that I will replace the iMac Pro as soon as Apple releases a similar desktop on Apple Silicon.

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#3

M1 8 GB RAM MBP for me has been a huge upgrade from 2016 MBP.

#4

Brilliant advice guys…would the Pro be overkill for the uses I’ve mentioned:

#5

I recently got the Pro and really like it.
I believe the Pro has longer battery life, so if you can swing the £200, I think it would be worth it.

1 Like
#6

Advantages to the Pro - longer battery life, Touch Bar, and sustained high workload. If those are important then consider the Pro, otherwise the Air will be fine. I’m currently using an older Air with 8gb and 1tb with a workload not dissimilar to yours. Memory pressure never gets out of the green. If buying now, I would get 16gb and the 1tb because I like having everything internal on a laptop.