Which should I buy: MacBook Air or MacBook Pro? It’s a surprisingly difficult question, as either way can’t be done wrong. Apple refresends its lineup every year, with devices equipped with hardware and new software features. There are no factors to consider when purchasing a new Apple laptop. So where do you start?
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First, you need to consider the computing power, storage capacity, display, and size of your MacBook. for example, 2022 13 inch and 2024 13-inch MacBook Air They may look the same, but the tips are different. This means that laptops have different performance, efficiency and battery life. That bay gets bigger when you launch the current MacBook Pro series with the M4 chipset. Modern MacBook Air Laptops have an older M3 SoC (system on the chip).
At the time of this writing, five mainline MacBooks have been split between the Pro and Air series, which are actively supported by Apple. It will help you to see the main differences between the two and decide what to buy.
What is the difference between a MacBook Pro and a MacBook Air?
The MacBook Pro comes in two sizes: 14″ and 16″ And this affects the chipset they have. The 14-inch model only offers the M4 chip, but the 16-inch option is either the M4 Pro or the M4 Max. All three chips perform great, but there are noticeable differences. For example, the M4 Max has a “powerful media engine.”
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Each has a different number of cores as well. The standard M4 has a 10-core CPU and a 10-core GPU. Apple’s M4 Pro has a 14-core CPU and a 20-core GPU. The M4 Max has the same processor as the M4 Pro, but instead comes with a 32-core GPU. Apple’s M4 MacBook Pro model has additional integrated memory in the range of 16GB to 48GB, longer battery life, additional ports (including three Thunderbolt 4 inputs and SD card slots), as well as more refined than the air counterpart There is a hardware setup.
Apple also states that the standard M4 MacBook Pro is “delivery…up to 1.8 times faster.” [image processing in Affinity Photo] “Compared to The M1 MacBook Pro, the M4 Max Laptop goes even further. [the] M1 Max, “Can tear “heavy creative workloads.”
This is the 14-inch MacBook Pro.
Kerry Wan/Zdnet
An alternative version of the MacBook Pro was available. This includes 13-inch models and laptops running the M3 Pro and M3 Max chipsets. Apple officially discontinued these variants, but the renovated units can still be found at third-party retailers. Best Buy is currently selling a renovated M3 Max MacBook Pro $2,300.
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The M4 MacBook Pro is a solid laptop for most use cases, but if the base chip isn’t strong enough, choose either the M4 Pro or M4 Max. Don’t forget that growing on a 16-inch pro will increase your price tag. 14 inch pro starts with $1,600 Also, with chip and internal storage upgrades, you’ll get up to $2,000. 16 inch pro starts with $2,500 Additionally, internal upgrades will cost up to $4,000.
As for the MacBook Air, there are two 13-inch models and 15-inch models. One of the 13-inch devices actually comes from 2022 and comes with only the base M2 chip. Meanwhile, the 2024 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air has a base M3 chip that doesn’t have options for either the M3 Pro or the M3 Max. That doesn’t mean that the air is a computer that is less capable.
Due to its low hardware (HDMI ports, SD card slots, or cooling fans), the MacBook Air is lighter than the MacBook Pro. Cooling fans may sound strange, but that’s because Apple banks the efficiency of the heat dissipating chip.
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You can create several upgrades. The M2 AIRR offers two chip configurations. One has more GPU cores than the other. An upgraded GPU means your computer can process footage more efficiently, making 4K video editing faster and smoother.
In the summer of 2024, Apple unveiled the 15-inch MacBook Air with an M2 chip, but discontinued the device when it introduced the M3 15-inch MacBook Air. The 15-inch M2 MacBook Air has had a short time, but it’s still a great option if you’re looking for bigger air. Unfortunately, you can only buy it Renovated from Apple Or with a Amazon discounts.
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M3 13 inch air starts from $999 Maximize your internal storage and choose a more powerful GPU, which will increase to $1,999. M3 15 inch air starts from $1,099 And it goes up to $1,699 for the best configuration. It is also worth mentioning that all M3 MacBook Airs start with 16GB of memory instead of just 8GB.
If you are considering purchasing an M3 MacBook Air and want to know how it compares to the M2 Air model, we’ll compare the specs here to help you decide which device is best.
Which MacBook is right for you?
The answer mainly depends on how you view yourself using a laptop and how the size and weight appear in that equation. A reliable computer is an investment. I don’t want to spend too much on an overly qualified laptop, so I don’t want to buy a computer that isn’t strong enough to suit my needs. The exact bay between the M3 and M4 chipsets is unknown, but Apple told ZDNET editor Kyle Kucharski that “the M4 is 1.3 times faster in handling productivity tasks than the M3.”
If you are a graphic designer, music producer, professional photographer, videographer, 3D artist, or iOS games and app developer, MacBook Pro It’s the way to go. PRO models handle intense graphics processing and allow more software to run in the background without significantly slowing down, overheating, or slowing down software running in the background.
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If you are a student or spend most of your time on Microsoft Office or Google Workspace, MacBook Air There is a possibility of a better fit as it will not put any strain on your back when you are injuring it. If you want to casually surf your MacBook on the Internet, watch YouTube or Netflix, respond to emails, and FaceTime your friends, the air is the best. In fact, if these tasks are the only ones that will make your laptop open, then the M2 Air will work fine.
No matter which model you purchase, the MacBook is a great device if you want to extend your personal Apple ecosystem with devices that work seamlessly on your iPhone, AirPods, Apple Watch and other products. For example, handoff allows you to toggle FaceTime calls between your MacBook and iPhone, allowing your MacBook to easily access iPhone files, messages, contacts and photos.
