Should You Buy a Discounted M2 or M3 MacBook Air in 2024 or Wait For M4 Air?

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  • Опубликовано: 15 дек 2024

Комментарии • 118

  • @sglatitude
    @sglatitude 2 месяца назад +4

    3:08 I completely agree. For typical office users juggling tons of apps and over 50 browser tabs, having more RAM makes a bigger difference. Sure, the chip is crucial for things like video editing or content creation, but for everyday use, I’d rather have more RAM. My setup runs buttery smooth with 24GB in use, leaving 12GB free for whatever else I need.

    • @andyH_England
      @andyH_England 2 месяца назад

      My full workload is using 5.3GB of RAM, so 8GB for office work is not an issue, and as the base 8GB goes on ridiculous sales, the M3 MB Air has been as low as $850; I would prefer them to still have this option. People that need more can buy the 16 or 24GB versions.

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  2 месяца назад

      Yes, I was talking about for most people doing basic tasks but when you do more then 16 GB is usually needed to have a great experience. Thanks for watching.

  • @tonyburzio4107
    @tonyburzio4107 2 месяца назад +7

    M4. Apparently the frame rates for the just released Game Porting Toolkit D3DMetal 2.0b3 are getting pretty good for Windows Gaming on Mac.

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  2 месяца назад +3

      Yes, each year they get a bit better but Macs still are not gaming machines. But, with that said for non-competitive gamers or how I play they are fine right now and will get better for sure. Thanks again for watching.

    • @XDRGr7
      @XDRGr7 Месяц назад +1

      ​@@craigneidel You're one of the honest underrated youtuber I've seen. Respect for you🗿🗿

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  Месяц назад +1

      @@XDRGr7 thanks for the nice words

  • @alipat9272
    @alipat9272 2 месяца назад +8

    My birthday is in october and i want a new macbook but need 16 gb of ram. Waiting to see what the price is for the m4

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  2 месяца назад +1

      @@alipat9272 let's hope they don't go up....

    • @DrSlideit
      @DrSlideit 2 месяца назад +2

      Scooped an M3 Air a couple weeks back refurbished. 1 TB 24gb ram... The thing flies and the batter is insane. 13" $1609 before tax.

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  2 месяца назад +1

      @@DrSlideit nice deal.

    • @carloschevere9335
      @carloschevere9335 Месяц назад

      Mac air 16gb right now for 899 thinking of getting it

  • @michalh.1942
    @michalh.1942 2 месяца назад +2

    Hello Craig. I have my own 16 inch MacBook Pro M1 Pro 16GB ram and 1TB SSD, which is very nice notebook and I really love it. For work I have the same but M3 and i find both of them pretty heavy but I love all those extra ports and battery life. I am very excited for MacBook Air M4 and if that one comes out with better screen, I am considering to choose smaller and lighter personal computer... for the same reason I feel pretty excited for rumoured iPhone 17 air... but I would really like the pro motion screen on both!

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  2 месяца назад +1

      Thanks for the post. Yes, the M4 Air coming out next year should be a very nice computer and very fast for it's size. Can't wait for that one.

  • @matth8205
    @matth8205 Месяц назад +1

    Guess it really depends on your use case. I had an M1 at release with 16gb and it’s been great but is starting to show its age so will probably look at what the M4 version looks like when that comes out. I’d imagine M1 to M4 will feel like quite a jump but then so would the M3.

    • @zariachenshui7386
      @zariachenshui7386 28 дней назад

      Out of curiosity, in what ways is it starting to show its age?

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  26 дней назад

      If you are seeing issues that cost time then it's time to upgrade.

  • @asan1050
    @asan1050 2 месяца назад

    Thank you very much Craig for the recommendations.

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  2 месяца назад +1

      Yeah might as well take the free ram

  • @clarklight2918
    @clarklight2918 22 дня назад +1

    M2 base model now also start with 16gb Ram 👍👍 and $250 or so cheaper than M3

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  22 дня назад +1

      Yes some good deals on it now

  • @drdollarpools1092
    @drdollarpools1092 23 дня назад

    When is the release date of M4 air and would be the Price

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  23 дня назад +1

      Spring 2025 and same cost as new now.

  • @bryans8656
    @bryans8656 2 месяца назад

    I would opt for waiting for the M4 because a price reduction for the older models always follows. That would be the time to do the price/feature comparisons. I did that when the M2 iPad Air released and ended up saving a lot of money.

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  2 месяца назад +1

      It all depends on sales.

    • @bryans8656
      @bryans8656 2 месяца назад

      @@craigneidel Yep!

  • @CycleDoc675
    @CycleDoc675 Месяц назад +1

    Right now as of 11/09/2024, a Macbook Air M2 13in 16gb 256 ssd is $799 at Best Buy. $300 more for the same computer but with M3. Based on that, would you reconsider waiting for M4 and get that M2?

    • @scootermcgoot
      @scootermcgoot Месяц назад

      750 at Costco

    • @ItsOnPaper
      @ItsOnPaper 27 дней назад

      Wrong, it’s $100 more for the M3 with same specs.

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  26 дней назад

      It's a touch call and depends strictly on cost and your budget.

  • @katangosTV
    @katangosTV 17 дней назад +1

    Is mba m3 13inch 16gb ram good for editing in nba2k25? It almost 1hour per game.
    New subs here my friend🤗

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  16 дней назад +1

      Thank you for the info on this.

  • @jonisin5498
    @jonisin5498 2 месяца назад +2

    M1, unless M4 comes with 16GB Ram minimum.

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  2 месяца назад +1

      Yeah, the M1 is fine as long as it does what you need.

  • @SeviersKain
    @SeviersKain 20 дней назад

    definitely gonna get that M4 MacBook Air 15 inch, that'll do all the job all the Macbooks can do with ease !!!

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  20 дней назад

      Yes, it will be a great system for sure.

  • @Radwan177
    @Radwan177 27 дней назад

    It really doesn't have any sense anymore... For most of us, M2 base model is enough, and as you said, it makes it easier for us in the future, there is no purpose to buy brand new if needed... Computers and phones became like microwave, TV, or any other appliance

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  26 дней назад

      It depends on what you do but for the average user (no video editing, computer modeling, etc.) there won't be a huge difference.

  • @ciaio
    @ciaio 14 дней назад

    What if I got like a $400 off deal on Macbook Air M3 24GB RAM 512 SSD? Should I keep it or maybe wait for the M4?

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  14 дней назад +1

      @@ciaio M3 air is a nice computer and M4 isn't that much faster. 400 off is good deal in my opinion.

    • @ciaio
      @ciaio 14 дней назад

      @@craigneidel thank you!

    • @DarkMatter727
      @DarkMatter727 13 дней назад

      Just got an m3 16gb ram but only 256ssd from best buy for only $850. M4 would prob be 1200 im sure

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  13 дней назад

      @DarkMatter727 yeah that's a good deal. No need to worry about M4 as M3 is great too

  • @cryptonnialgen4586
    @cryptonnialgen4586 14 дней назад

    Is m3 base model ok than m2 16gb ram with 512 gb ssd ? I’m going to use for business inventory emails chat social. Reworks few video editing and coding

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  14 дней назад

      I would go with the 16 GB of ram if you are doing video editing.

  • @matthiasmifsud8871
    @matthiasmifsud8871 Месяц назад +2

    should i buy m2 tomorrow??

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  26 дней назад

      Get what you think is best and it comes down to price now on the M2s.

  • @superglidemustang
    @superglidemustang 2 месяца назад +1

    In the first week of September 2024 I bought a 2022 MacBook Air M2 8GB for $799.00.
    All I do is watch RUclips videos and check emails.
    Should I keep it or return it ?
    ( Best Buy 60 day return policy )

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  2 месяца назад +1

      The airs won't be out for months and if you are not doing editing and are happy I would keep it. The M4 will also be 1099 at the lowest for a while.

    • @superglidemustang
      @superglidemustang 2 месяца назад

      @@craigneidel Thanks I will

    • @barbancourt69
      @barbancourt69 2 месяца назад +1

      I bought my M2 Air 15inch in november 23 with 24gb/1TB. I don't see any reason to upgrade. Just do regular things and no fancy editing. Great machine!

    • @Mejrfrog
      @Mejrfrog 2 месяца назад +2

      The computer is a tool. It's doing what you need it to do and there will always be a newer product on the horizon. One of the tech RUclipsrs here gave good advice which was to get the base models when they are on sale. If you need better later, then sell the computer and get a new one with the stuff that you do need. MacBooks have great resale value so don't be too concerned with "future proofing" if you need to sell it later then sell it later. The M2 base should last you for years to come though. The loss in productivity or enjoyment by waiting for the "next thing" completely ruins the benefit of having these machines

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  2 месяца назад +1

      I agree for sure and I said to get the base a few times. But, people like to learn about the new tech and watch it on RUclips so I cover it for that reason. But, yes, no need to worry about the next best thing.

  • @EV_car2013
    @EV_car2013 2 месяца назад

    i have m2 with 8GB of RAM and i edit video, 3d model and have like other 16 tabs open and its incredibky fast i recommend it if you edit video on light video editing platforms like iMovie and if you want a powerful and fast computer. its great and the best ive ever had

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  2 месяца назад

      Yes, with programs like iMovie the M2 with 8 GB works great. You can run into issues with 8 GB for sure with other higher codec 4K editing but for most people light to med editing is fine if you don't mind waiting a bit.

  • @nicolasb.henry294
    @nicolasb.henry294 Месяц назад +1

    I use a base M2 MacBook Air since almost 1,5 year now and it is an amazing machine I just upgrade to M4 for the Ram I have the base model 8Gb is ok but I am afraid to be stuck in a couples of years. But this is the only reason for me to upgrade. Since Apple create the M series chips following your worflow a Mack book Aire with 16Gb Ram and 256/512Gb storage is more than enough for a large part of users even creative people a pro is really for a specific niche of users. . By the way I love your videos as you are totally related to 80% of Apple users we just need the right technology for our workflow

    • @PayneWewton
      @PayneWewton Месяц назад

      MacBook Aire? Mack book Aire? Hahahahahahahahahaha.

    • @nicolasb.henry294
      @nicolasb.henry294 Месяц назад

      @@PayneWewton yes it is Google translator...

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  26 дней назад

      Thanks for watching the channel and the feedback. Good luck with everything also.

  • @latinreuben
    @latinreuben 2 месяца назад

    Good content. Imo, a $500 minimum before considering buying. Recently, my debate was bet MBA 15 m3 16/512 for 1450 or MBP 14 16/512 for 1475. MBP won out bc of bigger savings. Only questions are the smaller screen coming from MBP 15 inch & m4 superior specs, which i suspect r gonna b bigger than expected bc of new competition.

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  2 месяца назад

      Thanks, yes the discounts will need to be much larger if they base comes with 16 in the future but with Apple you just never know until you know.

  • @gilpineda
    @gilpineda 2 месяца назад

    m3 came out 2 years after the m2 how is the m4 mba coming out in a few months

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  2 месяца назад

      I don't think it was 2 years for that. The M4 is coming out due to Apple intelligence and other reasons but the M3 was not the chip Apple wanted to make. It was the M4 with the die process so they are fast tracking it a little bit.

  • @andyH_England
    @andyH_England 2 месяца назад +2

    People are assuming that if there is a base 16GB MB Air in March (a long way away), it will be priced the same as the 8GB model; I doubt that. As an aside, I think the M4 MB Air will start at 12GB or 16GB for $100 more than the M3 base. The M3 will be kept, and if you want a cheaper entry-level model Air, the M3 8GB will be around $999 versus $1300 for the M4 base. Both will be subject to discounting, though more on the M3.
    The first test will be the M4 base MB Pro 14 in October. That is already expensive, so I expect to keep the same price and get a base RAM upgrade. Hopefully, the base will be 18GB/512GB, which is in line with other Pro starting models, but it may be 12GB or 16 GB. I say 18GB, as I expect the base M4 Pro to start at 24GB and the base M4 Max at 48 GB. These extra RAM specs are for AI and to compensate for any price rises due to the cost of TSMC's new chips.

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  2 месяца назад +1

      Yes, nothing is ever set in stone until we see it with Apple. I know that first hand.

  • @WolFvip7
    @WolFvip7 2 месяца назад

    Should i buy M3 Max 16 inch or wait for M4 Max ?

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  2 месяца назад

      @@WolFvip7 I mean that's got to be up to you

  • @jamesmartin1895
    @jamesmartin1895 2 месяца назад

    16GB on the base models, would be like 120Hz on the regular iPhones - imo, I'd wait until it's confirmed

    • @andyH_England
      @andyH_England 2 месяца назад

      I heard the base models were coming with 12GB of RAM. Apple is now using 6GB RAM modules, though, like with the M4 iPad, they could only put 4GB in them. However, the MB Pro 14 and 16s (M3 Pro/Max) already have 6GB modules, so I would be surprised if Apple confused the manufacturing process.

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  2 месяца назад +1

      For sure, nothing is set in stone just yet.

  • @Gearsandco
    @Gearsandco Месяц назад

    the ones your looking at on Amazon are still a bad deal, because they come with that unusable 8gb ram. You can tell me all day that you can use it and all, well for longevity sake, not only apps are constantly using more and more ram but it will also kill your SSD much faster than the 16gb version due to heavy swap memory and if you turn it off it will make the machine run slower or even freeze for a bit under heavy lead.

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  Месяц назад

      Yes and no. I still use m1 with 8gb just fine. I have other machines for heavier lifting.

  • @ludwigvanbeethoven169
    @ludwigvanbeethoven169 7 дней назад

    So I will wait till M5 to get M4 😅

  • @franciscojrgo3061
    @franciscojrgo3061 2 месяца назад +1

    M3, maybe, but definitely not M2.

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  2 месяца назад

      All depends on the deal

    • @EV_car2013
      @EV_car2013 2 месяца назад

      Sure? You can get The great M2 Air with less money than the M3 and its almost the same. i have one and its INCREDIBLY FAST white 3D modeling, and video editing with other 16 apps open its just mindblowing fast with 8GB of RAM and M2, M2 and M3 are almost the same and M2 is crazy fast

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  2 месяца назад

      Yes, these are fast enough for most.

  • @jamescarlson486
    @jamescarlson486 2 месяца назад

    I assume your logic would apply to IMac’s also.

  • @tomsun3159
    @tomsun3159 Месяц назад

    apple will do a price increaseacording to the memory increase, so the entry-level from M3 to m4 will not have the usual 100$ generation increase if you compare the Base models M3 8/256 vs. M4 16/256. You will only have the usual generation price hike if you compare the upgraded M3 16/256 to the nem M4 16/256. What means entry to apple will be additional 200$ more compared to the past.So only if you are fine with 8 Gb of Ram (which will be valid for the vast majority of potential buyers, which are now forced to buy a spec above their current needs) its probably the better idea to buy a discounted M1/M2/M3 8/256 model. For tose opting for 16 Gb ianyway its the better decision to wait for the M4 as 16GB Model usually are not discounted.

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  Месяц назад

      It doesn't look that way with the new iMac but we will see with the rest.

  • @mikaelbiilmann6826
    @mikaelbiilmann6826 2 месяца назад +2

    Ugh, 8 GB RAM…. 😮

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  2 месяца назад +2

      16 coming soon on m4s

    • @Äpple-pie-5k
      @Äpple-pie-5k 2 месяца назад +1

      @@craigneidel don't advise ANYONE to get 8GB even if it's only email and netflix, unless you ALSO advise them their computer is only going to last half as long before going obsolete and will take such a hit on resale that the total cost of ownership is same as buying a 16GB anyway

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  2 месяца назад +1

      @@Äpple-pie-5k some are fine with 8. I still use m1 base with 8 just fine for one of my systems. Most users do basic things and most bought 8gb and are using them now.

    • @Äpple-pie-5k
      @Äpple-pie-5k 2 месяца назад +1

      @@craigneidel if it works it works... but will you still feel the same in 5 years running Apple Intelligence 2.3 ? Hard to say. Also, the hit on the resale value is greater than the cost of the RAM upgrade to 16. So I still don't see how it's better for anyone to go 8GB.

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  2 месяца назад +1

      I always tell people get what works for them.

  • @lululemon0424
    @lululemon0424 2 месяца назад +1

    Pricing 8gb mba really low is apple’s strategy. Obviously, they know it’s not enough in a few years. It’s Apple way to lure people into its ecosystem and yes, im one of them. Now I want to upgrade my mba m2 to m4 so badly. I am literally ready to give Apple my money once they release m4 macs.
    Apple is greedy and tricky when it comes to business strategy. Apple is bad but they make quality stuff. Sign. 😂

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  2 месяца назад

      They can be a bit sneaky for sure. But if they don't come out with at least 16 on the base for the M4 a ton of people will be upset and won't upgrade. I may be one of them too.

    • @lululemon0424
      @lululemon0424 2 месяца назад

      @@craigneidel I would love it to be the case with M4 macs. But I do not have high hope. 12gb is also in the realm of possibilities. It’s Apple after all. Even if the new m4 macs still starts at 8gb, it is totally “*reasonable*”with Apple. They just love teasing us until we couldn’t help it. Like 60hz screen on iPhone in 2024… I don’t want to say more.
      If there is one granted chance to make a wish with Apple, I choose ProMotion display on MBA instead of 16GB.

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  2 месяца назад

      Everybody is different on what is best for their work. For me it's the ram. I could care less about ProMotion and use both of them and just don't care for my use case, but some people love that for sure. I'm hoping for the ram.

  • @ChesterFoster
    @ChesterFoster Месяц назад

    I highly recommend the M3. I don’t have any experience with the M2, but I have the 8GB M3 Air, and it’s absolutely fantastic. It’s so good that I’m skipping the M4 chip lineup altogether.

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  Месяц назад

      Yes, it's a nice system for sure. If you have an M3 no reason at all to look at M4s now.

  • @sweealamak628
    @sweealamak628 2 месяца назад +1

    I'm still on M1 and 8GB RAM is very limiting. Hit multi-tasking bottlenecks just weeks into use, things failed to work with just 4-5 apps opened at the same time. It's not the "Apple Experience" one would expect from a seasoned iPhone user. In order to earn our upgrade, they have to give more more RAM on the base model. Charging $200 for more RAM is just crazy. Let's see how arrogant/humble they are with the base M4 Mac mini next month.

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  2 месяца назад +1

      It should come with 16 gb or a bunch of people will be upset for sure.

    • @andyH_England
      @andyH_England 2 месяца назад +1

      I am surprised; we use 8GB in our family and no one has issues with it. In fact, the 8GB MacBook Air was the best-selling model, accounting for 60% of sales. Of course, the most important upgrade is to use common sense. If you are using RAM-intensive apps, then no amount of optimization by macOS can compensate for that, and you should make a sensible decision and get 16GB or more. However, if you are using apps that require low RAM, like browsers, then the system can easily manage them and you should have no issues.

    • @dimakonstanta1868
      @dimakonstanta1868 2 месяца назад

      How often you restarting MacBook?

    • @sweealamak628
      @sweealamak628 2 месяца назад

      @@andyH_England This is my first Mac so there was going to be some surprises in store for me despite my research. Furthermore, there simply wasn't enough info online 3 years ago on the topic of RAM as it was a brand new chip (first of its kind ARM on a laptop) and reviews were immediate reactions at best. I also did not fancy myself as a heavy user cos I was intending to do spreadsheets, word processing, youtube, email, python scripting on an IDE. No compiling of code or editing photos/videos. I was coming from an iPad Pro which I was super happy with but recognised the need for a proper "workstation" when COVID hit. The positive thing out of this is, I managed to get a refurbished version which helped save me some money and I really understand how MacOS behaves now. Apart from the multitasking limitations, M1 Macbook Air is amazing. Only inconvenience I face now is that I have to actively manage RAM usage by closing apps regularly, only using 2 or 3 apps simultaneously.

    • @sweealamak628
      @sweealamak628 2 месяца назад

      @@dimakonstanta1868 Weekly, but that doesn't solve the issue of the lack of RAM. Resetting only flushes the cache and clears overload by certain processes like "WindowServer" which grows in RAM usage as the days go by. I've learnt my lesson, don't stinge on RAM. MacOS ain't magic, it can only compress each application so much while idle.

  • @digitalmarketinghumans
    @digitalmarketinghumans 2 месяца назад

    I look forward to the M4 airs. I want them to beat the M1 Pro gpu and cpu. It probably is better anyways but considering I still use my M1 Pro 14”, it’s still a beast and it does more than I need. Honestly… I think I would be happy idealistically with a M3-M4 Air 15” with 24gb ram and 1tb..that would be MORE than enough. I probably don’t even need the gpu power and such..I’m sure it’d be fine gaming and doing some 3d work on blender. I know it’s close to the price of the M3-M4 pro’s but yeah, I probably won’t notice that much of a difference.
    I would get the 16” MBP but it’s just so chonky lol.

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  2 месяца назад

      For sure, I did a vide where the M4 base chip is basically like a M2 Max chip now based on benchmarks so I'm sure it will do that. The 16" M3 have some great sales lately.

  • @ohmygosh6176
    @ohmygosh6176 2 месяца назад

    Sorry 8GB no deal

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  2 месяца назад

      If it is not right for you then I would not buy one.

  • @alp4info
    @alp4info 2 месяца назад

    👍🏾

  • @lorensims4846
    @lorensims4846 2 месяца назад +1

    M1 MacBook Air
    Nothing else even LOOKS like a MacBook Air.

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  2 месяца назад +1

      I liked the old design but also like the new one.

    • @EV_car2013
      @EV_car2013 2 месяца назад +1

      Yeah right even the M1 is still good these days.

  • @jansix4287
    @jansix4287 2 месяца назад

    Wrong again. It's the 16 GB of RAM which the vast majority of users will likely never notice ( unless they start up Activity Monitor ). Higher Swap memory usage is a non-issue with modern SSDs. M4 is a big deal because of the chip itself and its 10-wide dispatcher. The M1 was the first chip with an 8-wide dispatcher, and that's what made the magic happen. A RISC architecture like ARM is no good unless you make use of the instruction set by creating a better core. This new core is so good that a base M4 chip now outperforms an M1 Max.

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  2 месяца назад

      You have your opinion which I think is wrong and that is fine.

  • @EastMontana1
    @EastMontana1 2 месяца назад

    You are absolutely right ! 🫶