An app that I demand using requires Intel not ARM. Its most recent version is Windows only because the port to ARM was not cost effective for the market share. I am not yet up to date on how well x86 emulation works thru macOS on M-chips, let alone through Windows emulation (i.e. Parallels) on M-chips.
Also, being retired means spending more time with a cool drink in the comfortable outside deck with a 16" portable screen than sitting tight in an attic desktop chair, even when the latter setup has an external 4k screen, ergonomic keyboard, and trackball.
Anyway, you are spot on with the envy on what I hear about speed. My biggest temptation is to skip the fretting over adding a mini or studio to my portfolio and just get a top of the line M4/5 MBP again (as I did when I bought the i9 MBP some many years ago). Exploring the options with my “must have” app remains the last hurdle in making this decision.
I have a good bit of dedicated history with it over 3+ decades of use. A browsing of the Projects list will reveal stuff that I developed dated back to before 2000, primarily for my needs in science/engineering research and teaching. I dabble with project development now mostly as a hobby.
I have looked at weight/features/costs of 15” MBA/ vs 14” MBP M5.
I am not a power user but like more RAM 24GB and a 2 TB SSD for a 1TB+ photo library. My use is work admin, meetings etc and photo editing for hobby photography
In Australia the MBA15 with the specs above is A$3599 weighs1.51kg. The 14” M5 MBP with same specs is A$3699 and 1,5kg
So it is a question of MBA - 1” larger screen but $100 cheaper and less ports, no pro motion etc vs 1 inch smaller MBP but better sound, screen, more ports, Weight difference is 40g
So for me i take more capability over a negligible screen size gain.
If you buy a 13” then it is a much different price and weight equation, MBA is cheaper and lighter.
When doing photo editing, always prefer a larger screen over capacity. Capacity can be made up with external storage. Drop the SSD to 1 TB. Move all those photos (or at least a large portion of them) to an external SSD.
The challenge is in screen quality. I’d argue still, for portable work, to prefer a larger screen with a lower but still good quality over smaller screen with a higher quality. And then go for a superior quality external monitor for when I really must get serious.
And how often will you miss these extra features or be absolutely unable to make up for them as you grow your needs? Pro motion? Really? You are really needing to do some serious multi-refresh-sensitive work on that portable device? More ports? Really? On something that is supposed to be PORTABLE? You plan to attach few half dozen external devices to that PORTABLE laptop while you are sitting on the deck drinking your Fosters Lager and editing your photos? Better sound? Really? I get awesome sound from my iPad hooked to my noise canceling headsets. Or streaming out with my sound bar engaged. Hmmm!
Buy the 15" MBA M5. Eventually also buy an external 4k monitor. Set it up in a dedicated office space. Heck, ask your work to buy you the external monitor and a good quality mic + headset for your admin work needs on Zoom meetings.
The one port on a MacBook Pro that makes a lot of sense for many photographers is the SD card reader.
I agree with the basic principle of bigger is better for photo processing. That’s why I bought the 16” MacBook Pro. I regretted that because 16” was too big to fit in most backpacks. The 14” I replaced it with fits in most backpacks (which is more than I can say for the 14” ThinkPad I have from work).
I bought my MBP with 4TB internal storage and 48GB of RAM. Yes, it was expensive, but that means it can be a photo (and video) workstation anywhere. Mostly, that’s on my desk. When I travel, it’s on my lap.
I’d have Photo storage internally if I could afford it, especially on a Notebook. The last thing you want is to be carrying around extra things plus Photos can get funny if your library is not available when you launch it.
Inferring that extra ports are required on a laptop because the laptop also will at times become a dedicated desktop machine is an answer in search of a reason.
By experience, I appreciate all of this. I still suggest that one should recognize points where striking a balance to settle for hardware attachments (dongles and external SSDs) versus CPU power, RAM, or screen size are potentials for positive trade-offs. Here are two use-cases for a professional photographer deciding on a laptop.
Go to client’s home. Take pictures. Show the pictures immediately on-site to client. Work on pictures at office. Never do professional work in travel or at home.
Clients come to office. Take pictures. Work on the pictures at office. Take the pictures with you to review on travel. Send the finalized pictures to clients via a shared cloud.
For reference, I have a high-end, 2019 i9 16" MBP. It was a dedicated desktop machine connected to an external monitor at my office or home, with a dongle for ethernet and USB connections to a printer and external HDD or SSD. It was also a workhorse for doing interactive, in-lecture demonstrations connected simultaneously to an iPad via USB (to control the lecture slides and demos while I walked around the front of the classroom), the classroom projector via a USB to VGA or HDMI dongle, the off-line institution lecture recorder software via WiFi, and my BlueParrot headset vis BT. As I transition now to retired status, I debate the pros and cons of upgrading while swapping to a smaller laptop (MBA) for “browsing around” + mini/studio for focused work versus upgrading but staying with one, powerhouse laptop to rule them all. I have my own devil’s advocate that keeps me awake.
Beck, I’m afraid I can’t answer your question, but I just wanted to reply to the photo of your desktop. For a long time, I used my M3 14" MBP open on my desktop, connected to a 27" LG display, with an ancient 12" iPad Pro in Sidecar mode on the same mount you have.
I bought an Amazon Basics laptop stand and this is my current setup:
Had to buy the keyboard and trackpad, and I find I prefer the trackpad as a separate device. It took a bit of neurological/audiological adjustment for the speakers in the MBP to “align” with the video on the big screen, but it all seems perfectly normal now.
What tickled me was the dental floss on both of our desks. (Yours is much neater than mine!)
If you have the time soon, might you drop by the Tinderbox forum? Some of us are looking for more women’s voices. No worries if your plate is full.
Good luck on the laptop search. FWIW, I’m running an M3 with 24GB of RAM and 2TB of storage, half of which is my Photos library. (Note the absurd number of cameras, one of which is hidden under the monitor riser.)
MBA M4 / 24gb ram / 1T hd. This little monster rips, has awesome battery life, and so portable I take it everywhere. It has become my favority Mac ever. #ymmv
Absolutely. 16” is way too bulky/heavy. Reminds me of my Intel 15” MacBook Pro. Great to use but not take with you.
4TB? Ouch…but worth it. As you said, you always a workstation anywhere. I have also found that external SSD, despite being reputable brands have a habit of suddenly failing. Better to have on device storage backed up to iCloud and one storage device which you can also back up locally. Thanks for an additional important perspective.
MBA M4 / 24gb ram / 1T hd. This little monster rips, has awesome battery life, and so portable I take it everywhere. It has become my favority Mac ever. 