I've got the 13" MBA - I'm pretty impressed. My main computer is a beefy desktop gaming PC with an Intel i9 - but the MBA with M1 can do some of the tasks in a comparable time! The GPU is also impressive - better than any integrated GPU that I've tried before, and not that far behind the RX570 in my HTPC. I'm pleased that Apple is back to focusing on general computing after all those years focusing on mobile devices.

Edit: I meant to say RX570 not RX560. The M1 GPU is actually slightly faster than an RX560 see e.g. https://askgeek.io/en/gpus/vs/Apple_M1-gpu-vs-AMD_Radeon-RX-....

To get decent ram/storage on a MBA (e.g. 16GB/512GB) you're looking at at least $1400 - at which point the 14" m1 pro starts looking attractive with its MiniLED/ProMotion screen, speakers, ports, better overall performance, and physical fkeys.

Plus, the M2 refresh is expected to be announced in March and follow shortly after...

Because that's probably going to be the Apple purchase least likely to retain resale value in the history of their line-up?

I doubt this. Normal people don't care, especially not those looking in the used market. If this were not true, I'd not have a majority of anecdotal accounts of people paying asburd sums for baseline macs brand new that might have even already been out of date.

In one case, I knew someone who "wanted something to watch movies on" and bought a 13" brand new base model macbook pro through a third party installment company. Ended up paying around $4500 CAD for a 13" laptop with 4gb of ram. She tried selling it to me for a huge discount, but even that couldn't have been worth it.

8gb version is so cheap (constantly on ~100€ discount on Amazon, 950€ right now) even if the % loss is high, total loss is low. I'm comparing it to new MBP pricing (13 inch M1 mbp seems pointless) which would be the alternative here - the cheapest m1x is 2.5x the price.

Heck it be worth keeping as a backup device. The only question is - would 8gb version work for you.

Also, I'd recommend buying it from Apple's education store for $100 off if there isn't anything cheaper. It's $200 off at Microcenter sometimes as well.

https://www.apple.com/us-edu/shop/buy-mac/macbook-air

Do you have any hands on experience with 13" MBA vs 14" or 16" MBP? I will be working from AirBnbs and coffee shops for the most part this year (digital nomad) and I am deciding which Macbook to take for fullstack web development.

I am afraid 13" or 14" won't be big enough. I'm currently on 2015 15" MBP which is mostly fine and theoretically I am prepared to sacrificate some screen size for better mobility (smaller and lighter laptop).

It depends on how much the screen size matters to you, though an iPad using Sidecar might be worth looking at for additional screen real estate.

I put off upgrading a 2016 13" MacBook Pro, thinking that the second iteration of the M1 would be worth the wait. I should have just gone ahead and upgraded earlier. The best thing about the upgrade is that it hasn't been an exciting at all. Instead, all of the minor annoyances of my older laptop went away. It's the same size and weight as my old 13" MacBook Pro, but there is no beachball, no fan noise, and the battery lasts forever.

I also like that it essentially looks the same as recent Intel MacBooks, so it isn't a special target for theft and doesn't look like I spent a ton of money on it.

Here's a side by side comparison.[1] I think the single core Geekbench numbers are often the most relevant to how fast they "feel".

One other note: How revolutionary will the M2 be? A lot of the star talent responsible for improvement in per core performance in the A14 (and M1) chips has been recruited away from Apple[2], so future progress might be slower as it has been for the A15.

[1] https://everymac.com/ultimate-mac-comparison-chart/?compare=...

[2] https://semianalysis.com/apple-cpu-gains-grind-to-a-halt-and...

I have a 14 inch M1 and a 16 inch Intel- the M1 was primarily to test a bunch of ARM stuff. I've also had a 15inch for years.

My take is that the 16 inch is a bit too big to be conveniently portable (especially on airplanes, it's impossible to use there). I don't think the 14 inch is unreasonably small, but it is noticeably smaller than what I'd like. I use external monitors though and have no problem, and I'd much rather carry the 14 inch around.

One thing to note is that these are definitely on the heavier side for Apple, which is part of why I'm happier with the smaller one as my portable machine.

I was leaning towards the smaller models but because of availability and starting a new job I ended up with a 16" M1 Pro and I love it. Usually I prefer smaller items that I use daily but the screen real estate and battery life are worth it in my opinion. That being said, the specs on the base 14" and 16" are definitely overkill for web development. I've never had the fans turn on.

Just switched jobs and got a M1 16". It's definitely bulkier and heavier than the previous gen Intel 16". If you're not at a desk and doing web dev, I would say go for the M1 Air. It's plenty fast and very portable.

I've been working with a 13" MBA, coupled with a Lenovo 14" portable monitor. Obviously when I go to a coffee shop I leave the monitor at home. I like the setup.

Not parent, but I'm in the exact same boat. For me, the 13" MBA doesn't cut it because of the lack of ports. If there had been an M1 MBA with MagSafe + 2 USB-C, I'd have gone for it. But instead I'm holding out for the MBP, which will give me three USB-C ports, SD, and HDMI (assuming it matches the other MBPs).

The main downsides of the the MBP for me are: (1) it will cost more, (2) AppleCare will cost more, and (3) it will be somewhat heavier.

But for extra USB ports and an SD card slot, I'll take it.

> For me, the 13" MBA doesn't cut it because of the lack of ports.

Out of curiosity, why doesn't a powered Thunderbolt dock solve that problem for you? I went from a Mac mini to a (generally docked) MacBook Air, and that setup has worked great.

I don't work in one stationary location, and I don't want to worry about bringing yet another dongle/dock with me. I've had a couple docks over the years, and quality varies. I have friends who've found them to be very fiddly — bumping the table disconnects their monitors and requires a couple minutes to get everything back in place.

Oh, and they cost $150 to $250. After shelling out for a new computer, I don't want to spend hundreds more to have access to functionality that was included with every new MBP (and even some MBAs!) seven years ago.

Makes sense, thank you! My use case is much different since I never need more than two ports while I'm portable, and when I'm at my desk the dock/hub means just one cable for power, monitor, networking, and all of my other devices.

Just get a dock for your MBA.

The only thing that dicks me with the MBA is the shitty webcam. Even the base 9th gen iPad has a decent front camera. I use my iPad Pro 11 for that instead though.

I have a 2017 MBP (no touch bar, so only 2 ports total), and I have a dock. But I don't want to bring it with me everywhere I go.

The mediocre webcam doesn't bother me that much, but I do wish Apple made it easy to use your iPhone's back-side camera for video conferencing. Seems like it would be so easy, and then you could use all the bokeh effects and such.

I hope the redesigned MBA doesn't have a fan and has the same crazy long battery life. The only improvement on battery life I see is making it even better. The M1 MBA is just that good.