The only real catch is that you're currently limited to only 16GB of RAM.

I switched from a 16" Pro with 32GB of RAM to a 16GB M1 Air - I really didn't notice the difference, even though I frequently run some memory hogs (Electron apps, Chrome, multiple Docker containers)

and big sur and up... unfortunately the quality of the OS is not keeping up with the quality of the hw.

How so?

let's not go there :} life is too short to compile bug lists for macos.

I feel like the critical bug list being short is basically THE reason power users would go for Apple laptops.

The best OS of existing.

Surely you're joking here.

No.

I haven't found that to be a catch actually.

I went from a mid-2015 15" MBP to 13" M1 with 8GB. I made the impulsive purchase to get 8GB ASAP rather than wait for 16GB (which was backordered). My primary apps are DaVinci Resolve, Lightroom and Photoshop. On the 15", the fans would run on full constantly. I would have to create proxy video files to work with.

On the M1, I don't create any proxies at all and the video files I work with just play in real-time.

Main catch for me is the two USB ports and one external screen limitation. I have a hub (card readers, USB, HDMI, etc) and a 10-port USB hub coming off that (with 7 external drives connected). As soon as there is a 15/16" available that handles two external displays, I will get that as well.

I dislike the TouchBar and the lone external display, but everything else about the M1 has been excellent for me.

I had assumed that photoshop and the like would be gpu bound, not cpu bound

Most likely her gaming PCs GPU is on par with or exceeds the M1s GPU. That would be the biggest downside in your specific comparison.

You can only use one external monitor

And that's only on the laptops. Two monitors are supported on the Mac Mini.

That is nevertheless only two screens.

>only two screens

Honestly I feel like multi monitor setups are actually worse than single monitor. Having to bend your neck to use some of your windows left me with neck pain. Now I only use one large monitor and use the workspace switching shortcuts to move everything around so I only look forwards.

My productivity is identical and my neck feels better. I'd only say its worth it for when you really do need to see a huge amount at once like watching the feeds of 30 security cameras. Not for general work/programming.

Seems like multi monitor setups become more of a looks thing because they make people feel like they are sitting in the FBI command center rather than a generic office worker desk.

Multi-monitor setup has been a giant boost to my programming productivity.

I can simply keep the specification/documentation/stack overflow alongside editor/IDE window alongside debugger. If I had to put the benefit in words, I can offload the state of my programming session all on screen, instead of in my head, taking space where more of the abstract logic and relational graph can reside, before it gets turned into code.

On the other hand, it gets way easier to get distracted because you can keep a chat window on one side, constantly getting pinged.

I used to do the same thing but now I put my IDE on the middle workspace with the left and right workspaces holding my IMs/music/browser and terminal. Now instead of moving my head to see other windows I press ctrl+alt left/right and the windows move in to the space I am already looking. Effective use of workspaces feels just as productive as multiple monitors did but my neck is always facing forward.

That's a problem with two monitors, specifically if you try to place them evenly. Neither monitor is centered.

Designate one of them as the 'main' monitor, and put anything you need to work with for long periods of time on that. Add an office chair, so you can swiwel to look straight at the other(s) instead of twisting your neck. And you'll find there's no such issue.

I just wish I could find a good series of monitors with matching vertical size and dot pitch but different aspect ratios. My best use case would be a 27" 16:9 primary monitor directly in front of me with a 4:3 secondary on the right or left. It would be fantastic to put a 1920x1440 next to my 2560x1440 center display with them being the same physical size.

I only really use 2 monitors in unreal engine. The ui just is too cramped for a single monitor, you really need both

Outside of unreal, I usually find workspace switching to be a better workflow than alt tabbing my way to a window on a second screen

hdmi port doesnt work on many m1 mac minis, is this counting the two usbc or hdmi plus 1?

That's not too bad if you're using an ultrawide.

You can use a DisplayPort hub to run multiple monitors.

The catch is that you are using untested hardware. You have no idea if this will last, who will support what, and potentially risk money and your data. Thing is the upside for us as a consumer is insane. Tbh buy a MacBook is 20/30% more expensive than equivalent type specs on windows. But in the case of the air that’s 200/300 dollars. Just to try and test this new hardware if it’s your main device. It’s a lot of risk.

I feel confident running the system for a while now. Seeing more software come on board. Even for the extra money, I say go. I’m a dev/product designer, most of my work is coding, product development, product management and graphical design. It does everything I need faster, no lag.