Which M1 MacBook should you buy? | Air vs Pro | Mark Ellis Reviews
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- Опубликовано: 9 июл 2024
- On the face of it, the differences between the M1 MacBook Air and the M1 MacBook Pro are relatively minor. But they both have their merits, and one of these devices will be right for you. So, let's look at the M1 MacBook Air vs the M1 MacBook Pro and ask 5 questions to help you make that big decision.
CHAPTERS
00:00 - Intro
01:27 - Key differences
03:18 - Your workload
05:12 - The Touch Bar
05:58 - How mobile are you?
06:57 - Do you work outside?
07:40 - Do you WANT a MacBook Pro?
08:36 - Conclusion
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I have zero interest in deep spec dives or long-winded comparisons. I review laptops, smartphones, tablets, headphones and the latest tech based on real experience. I'll tell you how it'll make you feel, whether or not it's worth your time (and money) and help you find the tech you need to get stuff done.
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8:01
"The Macbook Air has got a lot of fans"
The Macbook Air: *fanless design*
The Macbook Air: =(
Happy to say , I watched approx 50 videos related to this, yours is best. Really helpful in decision making
Wow, thanks!
Love your channel and approach to making technical things more approachable. +1 new subscriber.
Replacing my old Pro for the new Air - thanks for the info!
Man, I predict you are going to be big on RUclips soon. Great points made, easy and simple to understand. On a personal level If I may, you also have a great voice and nice to hear to. Congrats to you and thanks for the work you have put into this video.
Thank you so much - really humbled by that comment. Lots of work goes into these videos therefore it’s lovely to hear that people like yourself find them valuable. It’s just the start, though - thanks for joining me so early 🙏🏻
@@MarkEllisReviews to be honest, watching these videos i assumed you were probably around 400k-500k or so. Maybe some stealth 1mil+ youtuber i hadn't heard of.
Was sincerely not expecting to see you only with a few thousand. Keep up the quality content!
@@vincentwhitney1538 Wow, thanks, Vincent! Not sure what to say to that. I only started in August last year, so it's early days, but I'm super happy with the way the channel is growing so far. Thanks for tuning in!
I’ve been scrolling through comments on the couple videos of yours that I’ve just watched and I’m definitely not alone with loving and being so grateful for your content! I can also tell you’re so good at responding to comments, even just to say thanks, but a lot of your replies are super helpful too
Ah, thank you, Jesselyn. I've said it before - I don't know how you can build a great RUclips community without getting involved! Thanks for watching!
He is great isn't he? RUclips needs more content creates like him TBH!
🙏🏻
Thank you for this video! I really like it.
I ordered my very first MacBook and I’ll receive it in 2-3 weeks.
I chose an Air 512GB cuz I really need that space but only 8Gb RAM cuz in Russia where I live we have an awful margins. (+350$ for a 16GB version which is kinda.. sad)
Thanks! And you've made a great choice :)
That is hands down the best comparison video I've watched, and I've watched a lot. Thanks
No, thank you! Glad it had helped in some way.
@@MarkEllisReviews it was just nice to have a real review that wasnt bogged down with geekbench scores etc. I've actually already ordered my MacAir, but this has made me feel it was the right decision. Keep up the good work.
That genuinely means a lot. There’s a place for geek bench scores, but I’ve never found them remotely interesting (although I understand why many people do). Appreciate your support 🙏🏻
Great video. Simple. Concise and straight to the point. And I did subscribe.
Thank you so much!
Thanks for the great video! I'm torn for this reason: I'm JUST getting into video editing as a hobby with my Go Pro Hero 8 camera. I'd like to develop a RUclips channel (fishing and kayaking, outdoors oriented videos!), and I don't have the experience yet with video editing to know which M1 to go with. I'm currently using a 2013 Macbook Pro and it can't read H.265 files, which is a huge annoyance. I see so many of these videos recommend 16gb for video editing, but it seems to be for more professional oriented editing. Would 8gb be fine for an amateur like myself?
It really would. If you want to future proof it a bit more, though, you could do worse than going for the Pro with that fan. Thanks for the kind comment!
I kept my eyes open for the whole of the video and enjoyed every minute - Thanks for your content😀
I'll definitely take that as a compliment - thank you 😃
Out of the box the M1 was really slow and I was really worried. But once I got my stuff in it was zoom and swoosh. Excellent.
This is literally the best tech video I have ever seen, so accessible and so good for addressing this common issue and breaking it down into different factors to consider, I’ve never seen someone else do that before. After researching for hours and your head feeling like a buzz storm this is a lovely way to clear and organise all the info you have to make a decision. Thank you !!!!
This might be literally the best comment I've received, too. Thank you so much 😊 Really glad I was able to help. What are you going for, just out of interest?
@@MarkEllisReviews MacBook Air m1 16gb, I’m only going to need it for college but it has to last a good few years so that’s why I’m adding on the extra 16gb, and I’m so excited for it!!
@@thecharlotte2326 Awesome. You'll love it!
@@MarkEllisReviews Thanks so much for review but I'm still conflicted. I'm looking for a laptop that will be good for online school for a few years, good for my small business start up and blogging. Help, will a Mac Air be OK? Thanks.....
@@natashyahuggins8797 Yes, the Air will do you proud for a long time. I can see my base level version lasting forever for everyday usage.
Hi! I am new to the Apple laptop thingies and was worried the Air would not suit my needs (Basic video editing for RUclips). After I have seen your Chanel it helped me a lot to make my decission for the MBA with 8 GB, it should be enough to run FinalCut Pro and do what I want. Thank you!
I've been binge watching your videos for days now (and I love how you explain everything so clearly) but I'm still so torn between a MBA with 16gb RAM and 512SSD and a baseline MBP. I plan on using the laptop for basic school works plus some adobe applications like photoshop, illustrator, and premiere for video editing. Which one would you recommend?
Maybe too late but...
Get the pro, hands down! Don't think twice about it.
Adobe photoshop is a power/RAM hungry 'beast'. Any software dealing with graphics or photos benefit greatly from the extra power and extra ram. The 'pro' is also more future proof. The air will be (and is) a throw away item.
Hi @Mark Ellis Reviews ! Thanks for a great video that a semi-pro can understand which leads to my question: Coming from a late 2011 MacBook Pro that's slow as molasses editing in 1k HD I will soon be needing to edit not just 4k video but editing in a 4K multi cam timeline. What would you advise getting between a Mini M1and MacBook Pro M1 as well as RAM sizes and do I need the Ethernet port of the Mini or can that happen through a hub? Thank you so much!
Thanks, Chris! They're both the exact same machine, so it depends on whether you need any portability or not. And given your use case, I would spec it up to 16GB.
Great video! Can you do the same comparison for the ipad pro 11 and the new ipad air 10.5? Cheers!!
Keep an eye on the channel 😉
I’m using a Mac mini 2002 and itts has audio problems with the tracks on Logic Pro do I need a pro or air
Swapped out my M1 MBP 8/512 for M1 MBA 16/2GB, and really like form factor of the Air!
Snagged the M1 MacBook Air 8/512 today and I am blown away by this machine so far. I've been wanting to make the jump to a MacBook for a while, and I'm happy that I finally made the jump. If there wasn't a month wait for the 16, I would have opted for that...but I needed a new laptop for work before that would have arrived, and I really think this will do everything and then some for my needs. So excited. This video was incredibly helpful as I made the final decision. Thanks for the great content!
Thanks so much! And I reckon you've made the right decision - that machine will work brilliantly for you. Welcome on board!
First of all, thank you for this amazing video!
I am also in dilemma on which one to get. It will be very helpful if you could help me with these few questions:
1. Does the touch bar ever hang or did not work well?
2. Is it true that the macbook pro will make a noisy fan sound?
3. If we use macbook air for light video editing, will it gets slower after times (maybe 2-3 hours of editing)
Thank you!
Great easy simple comparison thanks a lot. I’m getting the M1 Air. I edit nothing other than few photos on Affinity and I like the wedge shape also.
Thanks, Tony! The Air will do you perfectly.
What do you recommend for a PhD student to last at least for 3 years ? I use excel for hours to modify piles of data and create charts and graphs all while doing occasional programming.
Get yourself an Air with 16GB - that will do you perfectly.
VERY helpful my friend. Been on the fence but have decided on the M1 Air.
Awesome - glad I could help, Don! And you will absolutely love it.
Hello, great video! But which one would you buy when they’re both at the same price? Thanks in advance for your feedback! 🙏
What do you think would be better for a 9 - 5 workload as a graphic designer? I don't go out that much, I maybe play some games on it and the designs I work on are not like heavy 3d stuff. Please help me teaaam!
Hi Mark it was a remarkable video. It would be great help if you could advice me on the choice of pro / air and 8/16. I am a stock trader and am looking to use this machine as a desktop for most times with external displays. Put goin for a laptop just for the occasional portability as well.
Grab the Pro.
Thanks for wrapping this up!! Love your articulation as well, for me non english speaker its so good to hear.
However i still need a little more affirmation, the case is that I am an animator and graphic designer who will use adobe ccs a lot, perhaps some rendering as well. My current max budget only reach m1 air and im not able to wait since i dont have any pc currently :(
Do you think it will be fine if i still take macbook air? Will there be any major issue?
Thank you so much for your kind words. In your situation, I would spend as much as you can and buy the 16GB version of the M1 MacBook Air if you can't reach for the Pro. The Air in that configuration will do you handsomely.
@@MarkEllisReviews ahh i see so perhaps in this case we can say ram is more crucial than the fan, okay thanks a lot!! Cheers
M1 MBP Air also has a much smaller and lighter charger. (Much more convenient for me when I’m travelling for a few days.)
thanku sir for this video but can u tell us when virtualisation is coming on m1 chip, please make a video on virtualisation how and when it is coming on m1 chip
Thank you, Aryan! I'm afraid that's not really my wheelhouse at the moment, but I may look into it this year - stay tuned.
Love your content. Great video
Thanks so much!
Hi Mark! Love your videos! I am planning to get either the pro or the air. I use final cut pro 3-5x per week for about 2-4 hours or so and then I would use it for work, which is just web browsing, and email, youtube, etc.
Which laptop would you suggest?
Thanks, Christine! Get yourself the 16GB Air.
I have the M1 Air and it keeps freezing especially when connected to external displays. The audio also crackles and freezes sometimes when playing music. Not sure if the issues are software or hardware related
Sounds like a hardware issue - I'd get in touch with Apple.
Great video / advice in the comments below. I’m just sold my old 2013 iMac, and looking to the M1 MBA to have as my main computer to compliment my iPad Pro (like the idea of using the two together in Sidecar). Q: for my intended use, the higher spec around 512Gb on board storage together with the 8-core GPU makes sense, and whilst portability isn’t a crucial factor, I’m leaning towards the MBA due to the more comfortable typing experience of the ‘wedge’ shape. I can probably find the extra cash to go to 16Gb RAM, but wondering whether this is excessive to my needs (workflow mostly web-based surfing, basic editing in Photo, and some basic video editing with imported files from GoPro within iMovie). Would you spec up to 16Gb to ‘future proof’ if you could, or will 8Gb be more that sufficient, esp given the shared memory capability using the SSD? Thanks
Thanks for the kind words and for getting involved! Given your use case, the 8GB MBA would work perfectly and would suit you for a good three years or so. However, if you can stretch to the 16GB, it'll just give you that little extra headroom should you decide to get a little more intense with any of your workflows.
Is the M1 Macbook Air suitable for Live streaming? I often use Streamyard and FB Live for streaming, and my Macbook Pro 2018's Fan is like a hair blower...... Did you have any experience on Live streaming using MBA?
Awesome video! Your videos really helped me decide which Macbook to get. Just stumbled upon your channel, definitely getting a sub and a like!
Ah, thank you Jon! Glad I was able to help in some small way!
The uk had a discount on the pro coming in at 1192 for Xmas till new year.
For me the brighter screen, better battery, non handicapped gpu, and fan for intense use temp control. The extra sub £200 was very easy to part with.
Yes.
I do Ui/UX and mess around with Adobe products, figma and a little bit of coding what would be better for me to get?
I'll need to leave this to someone with coding knowledge, but my gut says the base level MBP, due to the fact it has the fan and can therefore avoid throttling if you head into intensive workflows.
Thx you so much. I have watched like almost 10 videos but only this one go straight to the point and I found the answer here. Now I know I’m going to pick a MacBook Air as a self-gift for my 22nd birthday. ^^ wish you all the best
Awesome! That's why I do this :) Enjoy!
im a graphic artis and not a video editor creator, i only use photoshop and adobe illustrator for my designs, so is it worth it to buy the air than the pro?
For html/css coding, image and photo basic-medium editing and hobby-level graphic work, should I go with the MacBook Pro M1 or would the Air M1 be enough? Thanks, mate. 🙂
Those things aren't really my wheelhouse, so someone more knowledgeable might chip in, but if you can stretch to the Pro, it'll give you a bit more headroom with the CPU fan.
What would you recommend for hours of Making Beats And Music Production
Get yourself the Pro and, if you can, add 16GB RAM (but don't sweat it if you can't).
Loving the Air thus far, Ableton 10 and Ozone run flawlessly. Most of my friends with the Pro also say they never hear it really kick on.
Great video sir! Just ordered the MacBook Pro M1 with 16 gigs of RAM. Thanks!
Awesome - thank you! And enjoy the new laptop!
Hi Mark, if I just edit 1080p 120fps video. Does MacBook air do the job well for the baseline model?
It might depend what app you’re editing the footage in, but if it’s Final Cut Pro, you’d be fine.
HELP! Just bought a MacBook Pro 16 with the i9 love it and the screen size but the window to return it is approaching if the m1 macs are nearly as powerful for at least 1k less? Shouldn’t I return it and get a m1 and wait for the 16 m1 to come out?
Depends on how long you can wait, to be honest! As always with Apple, there's no guarantee in terms of release date and price when it comes to the next version. The Intel 16" remains a brilliant laptop, but if you think you can go smaller, screen-wise, you'll get just as good performance for an awful lot less with a specced-up M1 machine.
Which one would be better for running linux based tools (on large genomic data files)? The M1 MB pro/Air ? Or the intel MBP?
Not my wheelhouse at all I'm afraid, my friend. Hopefully someone else can chime in.
Base additionals vs. Base Air. (1300cad vs. 1700cad)
-Has Fans
-8core vs. 7core
-no touch bar
-4usb c vs 2usb c
Personally, the base model air would be a perfect second device to pair with a PC or iMac. Its battery life is long enough to watch netflix for a few hours during dinner and covers zoom meetings for work/school just fine. Not worth spending the extra $400cad for more cores & usb ports when the macbook air is already so efficient.
As a video editor, I'll wait until all the professional softwares like adobe suite are fully compatible to take advantage of the M1 as well as the 16" macbook coming out with it. For now, it's an incredible casual use laptop. Holds its value over years to come and basically a leap ahead of the previous intel macbook air.
The difference between Air and Pro has never been this small. This is why Apple is likely to release a new design for MacBook Pro next year while the MacBook Air design will likely stay similar for 1-2 years. This is another reason why the Air is such a good bang for buck device. New designs hurt resale values.
The pros battery lasts 7 hrs longer
@@mrwonder8470 2 hrs
@@videowizard66 I saw a live demo. It was 7 hrs
Hi there🙃 Very helpful channel!! New subscriber here. Question. Would it be worth it for me to upgrade my base MacBook Air purchase to 16gb memory and 516gb storage?? Aside from the extra storage space from what I understand that will also kick the CPU up from 7 to 8, the same as the Pro. I’m thinking these two upgrades would also up the trade-in/resell value should I choose to purchase a newer Pro model in the future, but if I don’t I will at least have 16gb memory & more space with increased CPU. Just in case🤓
What say you??
Thank you!!
Thank you, glad you're enjoying the channel. That's a great question. The 7- to 8-core upgrade, however, only relates to the graphics capabilities of the M1 chip (you get an 8-core CPU regardless). As for resale value, it's all relative to be honest. Macs generally have great resale values no matter the spec; if you spend more from the outset you won't necessarily recoup more when you sell. Hope that makes sense!
I’m looking to buy a Mac for college, and haven’t owned a Mac in four years. I have decided that I most want the higher spec MBA w/512ssd and 8gb RAM. I occasionally edit 1080p video or maybe 4K, and I like photo editing but I’m not a professional and don’t do it all the time. I’m mostly going to be studying language and social sciences, so I expect to be doing a lot of online research, reading and writing/typing. Think that configuration of Mac will be good for my needs for about 4 years?
For someone such as myself, I do some video editing in FCP, mainly just GoPro footage 4K & 5K. Is there an argument for delaying till the next version of silicon is released. I’m in between purchasing the Mac mini or mbp 16gb version. Thoughts???
Not really, Stewart. Either the MBP or the Mac mini with 16GB will work well for you, so the choice really comes down to any need you may have for portability.
@@MarkEllisReviews what I should state is I’m also an IT engineer, & also a natural born sceptic! So I think I’ll wait & see if silicon experiment turns into A Microsoft vista watershed!
im having a hard time deciding on which one to get. I have a pc so I pretty much plan on buying one for college and work but i want it to be a bit future proof because I want it to last at least 4-5 years. Money isn’t the biggest issue for me but i want best value for price so which one would you recommend.
As always, depends on your usage, but if you're not undertaking particularly heavy workloads and money isn't too much of an issue, I'd get the Air with 16GB.
I’m in the same situation too except money is a bit of an issue for me lol but after this video I’m pretty sold on the MacBook Air m1 with 16gb
Do u think the air is still okay for those who want to do logic pro or video editing but not at a intense level
I'm yet to conduct Logic Pro tests (more on that soon), but if you're not going 'intense', even the 8GB Air is really impressive for video work. I'd stretch to 16GB if you can, though.
:8:01 "The macbook air has a lot of fans" this line really got me 🤣
Great video, I subbed. 👍
Thanks, Keyan!
Air !!! It is fanlless, it will be my secondary computer, my primary computer for desktop work will maybe be a Mac Mini M1X/M2 when that arrives. Happy New Year.
I owned very old macbook air and thinking to buy a new one but still considering either one of them. I have watched so many videos in regards of pro vs air. Only your video just finalise my decision which should i buy now. I love the thin design of air and the lightweight, but i love to have new fancy touch bar of macbook pro too. I dont like the weight on pro but you said its almost the same with air. Thus i’ll go with macbook pro. Thank you that’s really helpful.
Thank you for your kind words, Roslam. I'm glad I was able to help in some way with your decision! It's not an easy one between these two machines, but it sounds like you've picked the perfect one for you. Enjoy!
Excellent video, I have m1 mini and just ordered the m1 Air. I’m excited. I’ve had a very well built 17” HP laptop for years. It runs fine (but can’t touch the M1) but I’m just sick of the huge size and weight. I’d imagine I will like this even more that my iPad Pro and magic keyboard.
Thanks so much for watching and for the kind comments!
Hey
Your video was amazing!
I was wondering if you could help me out.. I work as a professional for 8-10 hours daily juggling a lot of applications and tabs. I am confused between M1 MBA 16GB/512GB and MBP 8GB/256GB.
Space is not really an issue for me as most of my work is online but do I need the fan or do I need the ram?
Thanks!
Thank you! Go for the Air with the 16GB :)
I use my laptop mostly for data science related stuff, nothing too heavy though. Apps that I use a lot: Intellij Idea, PyCharm, CLion, VSCode, Chrome, Jupyter Notebook, and some Adobe apps. Should I get an Air or a Pro?
Yes.
I’m using older MBP but I think with the M1chip MB air is enough fast and fanless. I would prefer air one. Nice comparison thanks.
Thanks, Turgay! The M1 Air is a fabulous machine.
Im Kinda new to this tech stuff, so do I need the pro for zoom/school stuff? (For example, splitscreening and writing documents while on zoom)
Almost any basic laptop will achieve that. It depends how badly you “need” MacOS....
Nope - the Air will do you perfectly.
@@MarkEllisReviewsOk, Thanks!
I'm having a hard time deciding. I'm waiting for my MBP 512GB/8GB Ram to ship, but am thinking about getting the MBA with 512GB/16GB Ram instead. I dont care too much about the touch bar, the only thing im worried about is the fan, and that there will be heating issues when I edit videos for 2-3 hours at a time. Which one would you recommend in my case?
I'd stick with the Pro. If you're worried, you're worried for a reason, and that fan will mean the laptop won't have to throttle much if at all under load.
Wow Mark. - fab comparison. Simple, real world comparison stuff - not a bunch of benchmark tests that can be seen elsewhere, and are all the same anyhow. You really put in the effort! Replying to all these comments is some commitment - not sure how easy that will be as you grow, but I admire the personal touch. Your comparison talks to my exact dilemma over the last 2 months. As a double MBA user, with my personal one being 10 years old, I was drawn to the MBP for a change, but also the faster charge time and the fan; not that I think I’ll often hit the buffers with 16GB RAM. Did you happen to notice any significant charge time difference between the two given the larger wattage of MBP adaptor? The other thought was the screen brightness as I work by a south facing window. My older 2010 MBA can get a bit light on sunny days. Lastly, I love the comfort factor of the MBA, my wrists seem to love the wedge shape - but that may just be habit. Ultimately, I remain torn. The money is really not the issue, just trying to future proof my purchase as I keep my computers for a long time. The heart says MBP, but the head says don’t ruin a successful partnership with the MBA... if money is no object would you scratch the MBP itch, or keep to the MBA and put the savings towards an Apple silicon IMac 23 when my desktop needs replacing (2022)...
Thanks so much! And yep, it's a lot of work running a growing channel like this, but I wouldn't swap it for the world, and I just don't know how you can build a vibrant community without responding to the people who make it possible.
I'd stick with the MBA, unless you either want the Touch Bar (it's relatively pointless) or need that fan for particularly intensive workloads. The Air is a brilliant machine.
Afraid I've not conducted any kind of charging test, but I think the Pro does benefit from a slightly quicker charge time due to the adaptor.
@@MarkEllisReviews I am sure your channel will do well. You have a brilliant approach to the way you deliver content, and already a very supportive following - But do make sure it is not at the expense of other things that matter to you! I took your advice. MBA M1 16GB is on order. I think I was secretly hoping to be nudged in that direction. I’ll keep an eye on your channel as we are quite the intensive Apple eco-system household, and no doubt you will be producing other reviews that will shape our decision making. Good luck! J
@@jhart8118 Thank you - that means a lot :) And great to have you onboard!
I thought you'd have more subscribers, really appreciate this video. I'm planning on buying an M1 MacBook and your video has me sold, cheers!
Thanks, Caleb! Glad I could help. What did you go for?
@@MarkEllisReviews Just ordered a Space Grey MBA from Argos, picking it up tomorrow 😊 I've never used macOS before so I'm looking forward to using something different to Windows :)
@@Economically. Nice! Enjoy :)
Any thoughts on gaming performance between the 2?
I'm not a gamer, I'm afraid, so hopefully someone else can chip in. I might explore this at some stage, though. Great name, btw.
I've heard a direct comparison of MBA v MBP microphone. I can hear the difference in a lack of echo from a normal room. That plus fan, nits, 8-core all lead me to Pro. I can upgrade RAM TO 16, keep SSD 256 and rely on cloud storage, for $1409 US with a Corp discount. If not for curiosity of spring refresh I'd get that now.
Makes sense, David. And, in fairness, I've not undertaken a direct comparison of the mic. For me, a laptop mic is just there for the occasional voice call (although I typically use my AirPods Pro for that purpose) - but I guess it will be a comfort to some that the Pro version's is better.
very well explained! i'm still not sure which one is good for me as a graphic designer using a few Adobe apps - like photoshop, illustrator, indesign and animate. how much memory and storage do i need? And i really rather a 16 inch macbook can i get it with the M1?
Thank you!!
Both the Air and Pro would work for you, to be honest, but I have one question: how much would you prefer the 16" version?
i feels to me that for working with graphic design it would be much better with a bigger screen. but i don't know how long i would have to wait for that macbook to be available.....
@@yehudisgreenberg7710 That's the issue. The 16" is likely to come later this year, but it's still not guaranteed. If you want something now, I'd get the Pro with 16GB.
I cancelled my order for a MBP 16/512 for a MBA 8/256. No regrets so far everything runs great.
Awesome - enjoy, Edward!
Which macbook you cancelled order for MBA or MBP... Its confusing as you used ‘for’ instead of ‘of’ for one of the model..
@@Dexter-Ki-Laboratory cancelled pro got air instead. Also, "for" is correct as well.
im an online teacher. I run classes on zoom with 1-2 students for 4 hour periods while having multiple apps open (kindle, preview, chrome, youtube vids, etc.). Would this be enough of a sustained load to consider the pro?
Not really - the Air would would perfectly for you if you fancy saving a bit of money. If you can stretch to the 16GB, that'd be worth it, but not a deal breaker.
I have the same jobs. I got the Pro. I have a lot going on and I need it go very smoothly. Plus, I wanted the fan because I can not stop class if it needs to cool down.
I’ve ordered the Air and with savings I’ve spec’d it up to 16gb. I’d say that evens things out somewhat. I originally planned on a pro until I saw the performance margins. The new M1 macs really are something special.
You’ll love it - enjoy!
Just got the MacBook Air 2 weeks ago and love it. It's perfect for writing, and comfortable to type.
@@Pianojunkie100 Indeed it is. Glad you're enjoying it.
Which one would be better for remote computing for all day..like using Citrix client.
I'll have to bow to someone more knowledgeable than me on that topic, I'm afraid!
@@MarkEllisReviews Thanks a lot Mark..
tbh this is the best comparison between the two, hats off to you Sir :-)
Wow... thank you!
@@MarkEllisReviews most welcome, and I actually bought the MacBook Air after watching your video, and so far it's working great.
Thank you
@@Majidfazal01 awesome - glad you’re enjoying it!
Hi Mark. thanks for sharing. I got a MacBook Pro mid 2020 i5 with 32gb ram, do you think the M1 with 16gb ram will outperform my machine with photo editing? Doubt about selling it asap and buy a M1 16gb
That's a pretty powerful machine you've got already, Joris. I'd be careful about moving too quick with this; if that laptop you have isn't struggling and you don't need the additional battery... I'd wait ;)
@@MarkEllisReviews thanks for your advice. 90% of the time I am using power from my adapter. Good point.
@@joris4127 Looks like there's going to be some very interesting machines on the way this year from Apple, so I'd stay tuned ;)
Im a teacher as well and I don't know if I should buy the MBP or MBA. Currently I have a MBP from 2016 with i7 and 16 gb ram and it has served me well so fare. I sometime make a bit of instructionel videos and sometimes I make my own assignments in affinity publisher. Which one would you recommend?
For headroom, I'd go with the base level MacBook Pro.
Thanx - thats what I will go for then.
What do you think, Apple refurbished M1 MBP or new M1 MBA? I want to get the best M1 MacBook I can under $1299... Also, I do music production and DJying. Is it more important to get the 16GB or get the 512GB? Or just go basic and buy external SSD?
Buy external SSD, grab the 16GB - either the MBA or MBP will do you :)
@@MarkEllisReviews ok thank you
What would you recommend? Macbook Pro Intel 2020 or M1 Macbook Air? both 256gb and same RAM
The M1 MacBook Air.
I'm an engineer.I always use Autocad Software & sketchup software.So could you please give me some advice which M 1is better for Autocad & sketchup software?
I’m afraid that’s not my wheelhouse at all - hopefully someone else can chip in!
I want to do Google Sketchup Software, Adobe Illustrator & Photoshop for everyday
Is M1 Macbook Air Basic version ok for me?
It'll work fine :)
@@MarkEllisReviews Thanks
I'm a college student who is studying post production audio (mixing, editing, recording) and many of my assignments use Pro Tools instead of Logic. I'd like to save my parents the money if I can and I really like the Air, but for my workload I'm wondering if it would make more sense to get the Pro?
Hi, Philip. That's an interesting one. I'm a Logic user, and probably won't get to try Pro Tools on an M1 Mac, unfortunately. However, if you can stretch to the Pro with 16GB RAM, that'd probably make more sense for your requirements.
you are a student, i am doubtful that you`ll be dealing such massive/complex projects that require the extra sustained performance.
I'm impressed with these M1 units. Not enough to abandon Windows, but I have to admit - I am tempted to get a Mac Mini just for experimentation purposes.
I started on windows in the 90s and switched to a Mac Mini then iMac. Last year my iMac of 12 years stopped working and I bought a new windows PC with i7 chip 16GB. I made the switch because of price and my kids wanted a windows computer for gaming. Boy, what a pain in the neck. I had forgotten just how rubbish windows is compared with OS X. Programs I had enjoyed with seamless integration before suddenly had problems, mostly with file paths and it was a pain in the neck to resolve - again, because the menu system in windows is so horribly crude. Not to mention the fact that windows mail is next to useless (doesn’t work with my ISP which is a known problem). So, despite wishing to save money, I bought an iPad Pro and everything worked again with no hiccups and made me realise I don’t even need a desktop computer.
I will be buying the latest MacBook Air as it now has 8-core GPU and performance tests against the Pro with Logic/Final Cut have shown no difference or even better performance. In fact Apple themselves suggest the CPU speed is higher for the Air M1 vs the Pro M1 (3x CPU processing for Air M1 versus 2.5x for the Pro M1 according their website).
Thank you. I am so glad, I came across your video. Other videos basically just repeated ALL the specs hundred of times. I am a graphic designer and listen, I have been using the 2014 Macbook Air for my work. Yes. 4gb RAM with only 128GB SSD. And lately I need to do animation in Photoshop like a 15s GIF for social media branding etc. And when you said "Do I WANT a pro?" - I immediately say Yes. I am getting it tomorrow. Wish me luck. :>
Thanks! Glad I could help. And sometimes, it really does come down to that question - which is totally ok.
Thank you for this comparison video, it was great!
I am very hesitant between the two, I'm currently using a 16GB HP with 2TB of storage which I plan to keep for software and CAD development, so I'll use the MB for just documents and research (and Netflix, let's be honest). Part of me thinks "just get the air" but the pro is still on my mind.
Thanks! Given your use case, I would 100% get the Air.
@@MarkEllisReviews thanks! Just ordered it, you were most helpful.
Hi! I need this m1 to record and mix smalls proyects. Like 10 tracks and 20 plug ins at the same time. Do You think that the air would be ok.?
Hey! I haven't don't any testing yet with audio production. Are you a Logic user? If so, keep an eye on the channel - I have plans!
@@MarkEllisReviews Hi, yes a video on this topic would be much appreciated! I am thinking a macbook air with 16 ram and 1tb hd would be a good choice for music producers but I would love to see a video on this topic.
@@MarkEllisReviews Also, slightly off topic, but have you thought about part time voice over work? If i were you i'd send some of these RUclips videos to some voice over agents, you might land some interesting gigs.
@@owenwestlake In that case, stay tuned :)
@@owenwestlake Thanks, Owen! I've done some voiceover stuff in the past, but to no great extent, tbh. I'm not convinced I even have the voice for it, but I've had some lovely (and rather humbling) comments on this channel. Not entirely sure where they're coming from (this isn't compliment fishing, either), but it's nice to hear. Thank you - I'll give that some thought!
I would bet that the GPU with one less core is a way to save on manufacturing glitches when the silicon wafer has a defect. They probably experienced quality control reports where enough silicon wafers were producing less than optimal GPUs but could consistently get at least 7 cores. Instead of tossing that M1 it is sold as a base model. I have no information about the M1 but I’ve seen that done with other chips, such as those on graphics cards. Update, just saw a report from an engineer that this _is the reason- they sell it_ . It’s possible the rest of the cores are intact but just to be safe I bought an 8 core M1 Air.
I'm seeing a lot of Macbook Air Vs. Macbook Pro M1 comparisons, but what about the different GPU options available with the M1 Air? I'm not a gamer at all, where I see a lot of opinions. I'd be using it for Photoshop, lightroom, XD, Sketch, Figma, Invision, and just everyday regular use with the occasional streaming. Is the 8-Core GPU that much of a difference if I'm only using it for low-processing programs where the 7-Core GPU would be fine, or is the 16GB ram and 8-Core GPU upgrade really worth it?
From my experience of using Lightroom on an 8GB M1 Air with the 7-core GPU and a 16GB M1 Mac mini with the 8-core GPU... I can't tell any difference in performance. I think it will be so marginal you won't notice it, Josh. If you can spend more on RAM without hurting your wallet, that's always a good idea, but that 8GB is still very impressive.
@@MarkEllisReviewsSpending more on Ram is always worth it! I was just curious about the GPU upgrade, because it's only about a $70 price increase from 512GB 7 Core to 8 Core. But then the other question is, is buying more storage even worth it when external drives are more accessible and cheaper than they used to be?
@@joshbloome801 Any of these upgrades are worth it if you can justify the expense (which not everyone can). In my personal experience, these tiny upgrades often come down to peace of mind that you have the better version. As for storage, you've probably answered your own question! I regularly use fast external SSD storage which has always suited me fine.
@@MarkEllisReviews Thank you so much! You're a hero!
There is something that I've thought about, if you can possibly afford it, 16 GB memory instead of the 8 GB version of the M1 Macs. SSDs have a definite lifetime of writes. Every time that your Mac swaps your memory and flushes it to disk, you are using up writes. Do you feel that is significant?
markellisreviews.com/is-there-a-problem-with-the-ssds-on-m1-macs/
I am a student and I need the laptop for normal tasks such as assignments. Which one should I choose is the mba basic or mba with 16 GB ram or the mba with 512 gb or the mbp basic model?
I want it to last fore min 5 years
For that length of time, I’d get the MBA with 16GB and 512, if you can afford it. If not, drop the storage (you can rely on external if need be).
I'm considering buying MBA. Don't know which one to go with the 8GB or the 16GB? I open a lot of Chrome tabs at the same time and switch between them
What else do you do beyond web browsing - anything more strenuous such as video editing, etc?
@@MarkEllisReviews nope, mainly web browsing. But over 20 tabs in 2 or 3 windows
@@amrfouad4749 If you can stretch to the 16GB, go for it, just for that extra headroom. But if not, the 8GB is still an incredibly capable machine.
@@MarkEllisReviews thanks Mark and keep it up 💪🏼
Gold!👑
Thank you!
I am now confused what to get Air 512GB or Pro 256GB, I edit video but that's light and don't have so many effects. Should I get the Pro with 256GB since I still have MBP 2012. My old laptop for some reason have problem with video card something so this is the reason why I am buying new macbook, help me decide.
Hi Jackie. If you're not fussed about the Touch Bar or those additional two hours of battery life, get yourself the Air.
Oh! Thanks for the response, I really appreciate it.
@@jackie8108 No problem - thanks for watching and getting involved!
Got the Air base model
Just bought the MacBook Air M1 8 cpu/8gpu with 16 unified memory and 512 gb ssd in gold it matches my iPhone 12 Pro Max.
This is my first time ever buying a MacBook and I am so stoked. Your video helped me figure out which would be best for me. I was btw the MacBook M1 base pro and from what I’ve seen MacBook Air M1 is a beast. I will be using it for my small business and to watch movies/RUclips. I wanted it longevity.
I subscribed btw thanks so much 😊
Awesome - glad I could help, Joy! And you'll love that laptop, glad you found one that's right for you.
@@MarkEllisReviews thank you so much!!! ❤️🙏 stay safe
@@CarolinaOats You too!
The M1 processor is the base level of the new processors, it is a perfect fit in the MBA where it can manage everything an average user might throw at it (and then some) while being fanless. Everyone who is an average user should go for the MBA in its base configuration. What you get for the price is quite amazing.
If you are a professional who wants to squeeze the maximum power out of your laptop, be it development or video editing, you are better off waiting for the "real" MBP coming out in 2021. You will get a much faster cpu/soc with more options and more ports.
The one caveat I can think of (besides that waiting sucks) is that Apple might choose to price the new MBPs quite high considering the very warm reception that the M1 has gotten.
Thanks for the insight! I agree, to be honest. Although, I don't think Apple will base their pricing on that - as always, it'll be on handsome margins and that little bit of "Apple Tax" sprinkled on top :)
There's a lot of great things to say about the new MacBooks but wow, I'm thrilled with how great the battery life is on the new 2020 MBA.
It's incredible, right?
Hi Mark! Just subscribed to your channel. Your videos are very easy to follow! Someone else had the same question so apologies for repeating, but I just had 1 slightly different aspect to consider. I have a 2014 MBA and love it BUT I only got the 128gb at the time - so now my computer is useless for the sheer fact that I don't have enough storage. I wanted to upgrade to the Pro originally because I thought Pro meant better and I also thought the touchbar was cool... but now I'm realizing I probably won't even use it since I don't even use them on my current computer.
My main computer uses are emailing and mindless scrolling and shopping. However, I am an actress and need to do self tapes. The videos are taken from an external camera and are normally 2-3 mins or less in length. I just edit using iMovie and then save as a video. This is the most "editing" I do - along with my acting reel which I update once a year and it lives in iMovie. Do you suggest the Pro for this? Or would an Air do just fine? I personally don't mind spending more $ if needed but I personally like the look of the air better. Not sure where to go from here - thanks!
Hi Allison - thanks for tuning in and for the kind comments. Given everything you’ve said, I’d grab an Air with as much storage as you can afford and, if you have a bit left in the budget, 16GB RAM. But prioritise storage over the latter because 8GB is still enough for what you’ll be doing. Let me know what you end up getting!
@@MarkEllisReviews thanks Mark! I just purchased the MBA (gold) with the 518gb ssd and upped it to 16 memory. I may in the future want to do some more editing and I’d like to be prepared. Also I like the slope for trying way more than the pro. Hurts my wrists. Thanks again for your help! Will update in.... a month when it arrives 🤣
@@alliblackman Good choice! Looking forward to the update!
should I get the intel 2020 MBP base model? I'm just a normal human being who doesn't give a crap about video production and yes 10hr battery is more than enough for me.
In that case, unless you want the Touch Bar, I'd get the Air.
Thanks man I’m gonna go with the MacBook Pro I’m gonna need something that’s gonna help me many years to come.
Great choice!
My use is basically 12 hours a day using excel word zoom gmail Salesforce.
What do you recommend air 16GB or pro 8GB?
If you're not fussed about the Touch Bar or those additional two hours of battery life, get the Air.
@@MarkEllisReviews Thanks mate! I just hope that there would be no heating issues on the MBA 16 gigs version. I'm also not fussed about the touch bar nor the extra 2hrs of battery.
@@backtoschool8967 You'll have no trouble - trust me.