I'm thinking of upgrading my MacBook and would appreciate any advice on choosing between the two new Mac products. There doesn't seem to be much between them on paper so direct experience or expert advice would be appreciated.
I'm also waiting to upgrade my 2016 MacBook Pro 15". But I'm not going to consider buying a new one until the MacBook Pro 16" with M1 chip comes out. My logic is: There's no point to upgrade unless you get the M1, and there's no point to upgrade if you can only get a 13" one. One thing I hate about my current Mac is the touchbar (it's much too easy to trigger false presses accidentally), but I may be stuck with that in the future. I also hate the half-size up & down keys - they are some of the most used keys for me and I've already had one set fail mechanically and they're hard to use due to the too-small size. But it looks like I may be stuck with that bad design in the future, too.I'm thinking of upgrading my MacBook and would appreciate any advice on choosing between the two new Mac products. There doesn't seem to be much between them on paper so direct experience or expert advice would be appreciated.
I didn't know the MBAir didn't have fans. That'd be another reason to get the MBPro. When I do any work with DXO PL4 it's almost always maxing out the machine and usually has the fans going strong - I wouldn't want to imagine doing the same with a laptop that didn't have fans.I went for the Mac mini M1, but between the Air and the MacBook Pro, the MacBook Pro has 8 cores and the Air 7 cores . The MBP also has fans so under heavy load it will perform better since it has active cooling. They are more similar than different, but for photo and video I would either wait or go for the MBP.
The thing is that M1 gives astonishing performance pr watt, so where an intel Mac uses 150W the M1 uses 10-20W. I’ve seen a few hundred geekbench tests where the Mac mini M1 is really going at it, and still doesn’t turn it’s fan on. We need to forget every reference of power and tasks and performance when considering the M1.I didn't know the MBAir didn't have fans. That'd be another reason to get the MBPro. When I do any work with DXO PL4 it's almost always maxing out the machine and usually has the fans going strong - I wouldn't want to imagine doing the same with a laptop that didn't have fans.
I think Alan was referring to the new 13 inch Macbook Pro that has the M1 chip.Alan, the M1 chip is a game changer and if possible I'd wait until the MBP gets it. I wouldn't buy a MBP at this point as they truly are EOL on this generation and I have used MBP's as my primary computer for 15 years.
As for fans, my iPad Pro renders video faster than my $5,000 MBP and never gets hot.
Wow, so heat with any M1 MBP or MBA should not be an issue - thanks! That makes me wonder if the M1 MBP would need fans at all?Alan, the M1 chip is a game changer and if possible I'd wait until the MBP gets it. I wouldn't buy a MBP at this point as they truly are EOL on this generation and I have used MBP's as my primary computer for 15 years.
As for fans, my iPad Pro renders video faster than my $5,000 MBP and never gets hot.
To achieve optimal perfomance under sustained loads, a fan is a benefit even for efficiency optimized chips. Also keep in mind that the 8 cores mentioned so often are really just two sets of 4 cores, with one being more powerfull than the other. If Apple's larger devices will also feature larger core counts for applications that benefit from it, those will likely be extra high performance cores and therefore expand the heat output quite a bit.Wow, so heat with any M1 MBP or MBA should not be an issue - thanks! That makes me wonder if the M1 MBP would need fans at all?
My mistake.I think Alan was referring to the new 13 inch Macbook Pro that has the M1 chip.
That is an hilarious typo/autocorrect. In another life I was a marine captain and regularly informed crew of the differences between a life jacket and a PFD (personal floatation device) so guests were correctly outfitted at appropriate times! After all, you don’t want to be going waterskiing with a life jacket on........In reply to PFD, ...
The thing to note with RAM is that in those instances where it isn't enough, performance often REALLY tanks. Especially in a device that allows no upgrades, going with 8 instead of 16 GB seems a move only appropriate for very tight budgets in my eyes.8 GB RAM is enough for most users. But most users wont want to edit a 45 MP RAW image in Lightroom or Capture One. It is a very efficient design but there still comes a issue where that RAM is soldered on and you can just push it that wee bit more with 16 GB. There is a wee holy war that 8 GB is enough, and I didn't feel too limited by 8 GB as the SSD is super fast when it pages, but it is a unnecessary compromise for the whole extra £200 it costs.
The video mentions that the M1 MBP only allows 2 external USB slots, with no option for 4 (like before). That would be a pain for me, but something that I could live with if I had to. The M1 MBA still has 2 like before, so if I wanted no touchbar then I'd have to get the MBA and live with it anyway. The MBP is reported to have a much longer battery run-time, which is nice. I don't remember the video mentioning max internal SSD memory, which is what I like to max out to avoid (if possible) external drives for all those photos or videos.To achieve optimal perfomance under sustained loads, a fan is a benefit even for efficiency optimized chips. Also keep in mind that the 8 cores mentioned so often are really just two sets of 4 cores, with one being more powerfull than the other. If Apple's larger devices will also feature larger core counts for applications that benefit from it, those will likely be extra high performance cores and therefore expand the heat output quite a bit.
Also worth noting is that the supposed difference in core count between these two M1 models is just GPU cores, not CPU. Just mentioning it, because it did not appear clear to me from Viggos post.
For an in-depth technical review including lots of performance and also thermal and battery life comparisons between these two M1 models (and other comparable devices), LTT's review is worth a watch in my opinion:
Don't read too much into the title, it is click-bait, as is the norm for large creators on YT. The video is too packed with data for me to make any meaningfull summaries in text form unfortunately. If you don't like his voice, just mute and skipping through it to view the charts may still be worth while as they are well produced and clearly labeled most of the time.
The MBP has the same number of 2 external ports. The battery life isn't that much longer. Both will go up to 2TB SSD.I have a question about iPad usage, if any
The video mentions that the M1 MBP only allows 2 external USB slots, with no option for 4 (like before). That would be a pain for me, but something that I could live with if I had to. The M1 MBA still has 2 like before, so if I wanted no touchbar then I'd have to get the MBA and live with it anyway. The MBP is reported to have a much longer battery run-time, which is nice. I don't remember the video mentioning max internal SSD memory, which is what I like to max out to avoid (if possible) external drives for all those photos or videos.
I'm just comparing it to the 4 external ports on my 2016 15" one. I will miss the extra 2 ports, but can live with just 2.The MBP has the same number of 2 external ports. The battery life isn't that much longer. Both will go up to 2TB SSD.
It may be if they come out with a 16" MBA that it'd be better for me (with no touchbar). I guess we'll see when it arrives. I'm hoping my current MBP survives till that day (a small part of my touchbar display alternates between being normal and a flashlight ).