sdw2001

I have the 14" M1 Pro.  8C/14C, 32GB, 1TB.   With the number of options, making a decision is not hard per se, but it does require some thought.  My process was as follows:  

Cores/GPU Cores:  I read some test results and concluded that not only did I not need the M1 Max, I didn't need more CPU or GPU cores.  I do a lot of typing work, email, browsing, basic photo editing, and relatively light video editing (able to be accomplished with iMovie).  I do some basic audio work as well.  Looking at the early tests, upgrading the processor was just not worth it for me.  

Memory:  I do work with a lot of applications simultaneously, often with multiple files open in each (two email apps, Word, Excel, multiple folders, many browser tabs, multiple desktops, etc.).   32GB was easily worth the $400 for me.  

Storage:  My previous MBP (2015 15") had 256GB (it was a crowd-funded donation).  In the past I had or upgraded to 512GB. Neither was enough, so I went with the 1TB option for $200 more.  This was worth it to me as well, as I frequently store fairly large files (10GB+), at least temporarily (e.g. processing 4K drone video).  

Size:  This was the biggest debate for me.  I've always had the larger screen size...for twenty years, going back to my Pismo PowerBook. I was coming from a 15".  I finally looked at cost, portability, and the fact that the bevel was half the size on the new machine.  It's taken a bit to get used to, but I think I'm adjusted now.  

Overall, it's a great machine.  It's far more powerful than my mid-2015 was.  Battery life is probably double, though it would be a stretch to get to the advertised life (14 hours!).  At maximum brightness and without any attempt to conserve, I get about 5-6 hours.  Realistically, I think getting 8-10 hours with some moderate conservation would be realistic.   The keyboard and display are fantastic.  The only issue I've encountered is my LG super drive does not work (it seems to be known issue without a solution right now).  

Wesley Hilliard said:

sdw2001 said:

So it's not confounding to me, but that's just my take.  

I don't know, your comment makes it seem rather complex. Complexity breeds confusion. So I think Panzer is right in using the word confounding. It comes down to the buyer and their needs.

Start with how much you want to spend on a computer, then ask what it will be used for. Got $1,500 and want to draw? iPad Pro. Got $800 and want to write? iPad Air. Got $1,200 and going to college? MacBook Air.

It all depends on use case.

I mean, it's not simple.  But confounding? Maybe for some people.  But I tend to think that the people who find it that way would probably just buy a regular iPad anyway.  Who might find this confusing? My mother-in-law would.  But for anyone who is reasonably tech savvy, I think determining use and then selecting an option based on need isn't that hard.  

I don't agree that it's "confounding" as a value proposition.  Consider: 

iPad:  $329 for 64GB, $479 for 256GB (no 128gb option).

iPad Air:  $599 for 64GB, $749 for 256GB.  M1, Touch ID power button, pro motion.  

iPad Pro 11 inch:  $799 for 128GB, $899 for 256GB.  Face ID.  


So I find the last part misleading.  The trade-off is not "$50 for Face ID, pro motion and 128GB of storage."  The trade off is $50 AND half the storage (128 vs. 256) for Face ID and pro motion.   

Then we have the points about the iPad Air being a "great computer," with the caveat that the keyboard and pencil make it better to just buy a MacBook Air instead.  Granted, the iPad Air with keyboard and pencil (256GB) is $1427.  That's $400 more than the base MBA. Of course, the MBA doesn't have a touch screen or a Pro Motion display.  It's also a....laptop.  You can make your iPad into a laptop, but do you really plan to use it as such? Or are you buying an iPad to be an iPad?  I have an Air (4th Gen) and a new MacBook Pro 14".  I use the MacBook for real work, especially that which involves a lot of typing.  The iPad is great for games, email, social media, basic photo editing, watching video and more.  Maybe I'm old school, but doing "real work" on an iPad has never been my thing.  Instead, by iPad and phone have replaced the "non work" things I did with my laptops for years.   

So it's not confounding to me, but that's just my take.  

"Obstruction of Congress" is a joke.  This is just a political shot at Big Tech, which is something popular amongst a lot of voters.  No chance in Hell Amazon gets prosecuted for criminal obstruction.  In fact, "Obstruction of Congress" (via not fully cooperating with documents requests)  is not even a crime.  It would only be one if Amazon directly interfered with a Congressional process (obstructing a proceeding).  I think that would be unlikely to be prosecuted too, depending on what actually happened.  

If you have a 4 like I do, there is virtually no reason to upgrade.  For anyone else, it's a great purchase.  Love my Air 4.