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M3 Macbook Air Users; How Has your expirence been?
- Thread starter Milly342
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For me, 15-inch M3 MacBook Air is the best Apple computer I’ve ever purchased. It beats that “wow!”moment and excitement of 24-inch aluminium iMac. Even MacBook Pro 2009/2010 didn’t give me us much joy.
I’m moving from Apple last Intel Mac Mini, 2018 version.
Over the past couple of years I found that I don’t use computer at home as much as I used to. And when I do that I mainly consume content. My computer doesn’t need to be a tool for anything anymore. I used to do some photography and small video editing so having two external monitors was handy.
But that all changed and I said to myself many times in the recent months that I would love to just grab a laptop and sit down on a sofa to use it for a while. MacBook Air was the only Apple computer I always wanted to have but I could never decide to buy one. After M2 MacBook Air I knew I wanted to get the next model. And I did it!
I decided to go for a 15-inch version because it is my main computer, used at home, I don’t require it to be super portable. And extra screen space is very good. I spent about couple of hours at Apple Store during two separate visits to test it and compare 13-inch with 15-inch. And I made a good choice. Also, the speakers are much better in 15-inch model.
I don’t miss anything. That machine can do everything I need. I can browse Internet, I can listen to the music, I can watch high quality videos, I can browse and edit photos. I will easily edit videos if I need to do it in the future. For me, it is the best purchase I’ve made in the recent years.
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You've got a thread asking about MBP M2 Pro vs. MBA M3 where everyone told you to choose, nicer screen/speakers/port or lightweight. Both are great machines.
You've got a thread asking about MBP M3 Pro vs. MBA M3 where everyone ended up giving the same advice as the M2 Pro thread (surprise!).
You admit you'll never use the extra ports, and don't care that much about the improved screen and speakers. The performance of all these machines is more than you need. Going for the M3 Air seemed an obvious conclusion for you.
But, it sounds like you're not convinced about the M3 Air. I suggested in the original discussion that you go visit an Apple store if you needed to see and hear the differences in person. Have you? Is there something else that's concerning you about the Air? The CPU is faster than 99% of machines on the market. The GPU is faster than all but gaming laptops. The screen and speakers, while not as nice as MBP, are better than the vast majority of PC laptops. It's still a highly regarded top-end machine, just not quite as top-end as the MBP.
If you tell us your concerns, we can comment on them.
You've got a thread asking about MBP M3 Pro vs. MBA M3 where everyone ended up giving the same advice as the M2 Pro thread (surprise!).
You admit you'll never use the extra ports, and don't care that much about the improved screen and speakers. The performance of all these machines is more than you need. Going for the M3 Air seemed an obvious conclusion for you.
But, it sounds like you're not convinced about the M3 Air. I suggested in the original discussion that you go visit an Apple store if you needed to see and hear the differences in person. Have you? Is there something else that's concerning you about the Air? The CPU is faster than 99% of machines on the market. The GPU is faster than all but gaming laptops. The screen and speakers, while not as nice as MBP, are better than the vast majority of PC laptops. It's still a highly regarded top-end machine, just not quite as top-end as the MBP.
If you tell us your concerns, we can comment on them.
battery life and overall exprience that the main thing. I am overthinking this, I just went to far with these posts; I dont dont want to waste money on the wrong product. The weight of the air is what gets me but I also know I wiuld probably get a case. I jsut really like the screen of the pro so its mostly the screen and hte slightly better power vs the thiness of the mac air
If you’re wondering if you need a MacBook Pro or not then you’re most likely don’t need it. If you’re doing anything that is professional so your computer can help you earn money then you may need MacBook Pro - but that also depends on what kind of tasks you do every day.
I wouldn’t compare displays between Air and Pro just to decide and justify spending more money. I had 21.5” iMac which had a fantastic display back in its days. Then I had Benq designers monitors for my Mac Mini. When I opened MacBook Air for the first time I was stunned by its superb quality. You can compare it to MacBook Pro display and you can find that Pro has better one. But if your main use is not related to a graphic design, photo or video editing then you don’t need it. Obviously you can buy Pro if you have money.
Also, I love how quite the Air is. No other laptop can compare to that.
I’m going into college so it would be used for college so mostly web searching, YouTube videos, that kinda of stuff so I’m probably gonna with the MacBook Air with 16gb ram and 512 ssd. I don’t sue photo or video editing but the iPad pro is tempting me but ik iPad is has many limitations
By the time you put a hardshell case on a MBA, you will get pretty darn close to the thickness of the MBP 14".
I wouldn't be too concerned about the battery life - up to 18/22 hours of usage is more than sufficient for most use cases out there.
Can't beat the XDR display, but you probably wouldn't notice the difference unless you were using both machines simultaneously.
You mentioned ports... Having a dedicated HDMI + SD card port... How often will you use them? Otherwise there are many hubs and adapters in the market that you can purchase at any time.
"Overall experience" is a very vague term to use when you ask for recommendations. If you need a screwdriver, buy a (MBA) screwdriver. If you think a power-drill (MBP) would serve your needs better, then buy a power-drill. I wouldn't buy a power-drill if all I will ever need is a screwdriver.
I would probably never use the ports at all, I wouldn’t use the ss card slot, maybe the hdmi if I needed to present something. It was mostly the display that drew me to the pro but I’ve used it in the store and it’s very bulky