It was time to replace the 7-year-old MacBook Pro. This machine had served my friend well. It had been part of the art creation process, performed equally well in image management and largely was the most important accessory in many a meeting, both offline and one. Speed had become an issue and OS and software updates had stopped.
Getting a new Mac that performs creative tasks well, one that lasts long in terms of usage was my friend’s simple objective.
The model selection became a bit of a complex task.
– There is a new Air with the M2 processor and there is a Pro version of a Mac laptop with the same processor.
– There is a MacBook Pro but with an M1 Pro/M1 Max and M1 Ultra.
My friend’s initial instinct was to go for the M2 based 13-inch MacBook Pro. Customers coming from Intel-based Mac devices are used to being told that Pro devices are better for intense or longer tasks. On closer evaluation, it became clear that the 13-inch laptop was not quite the right fit. For one, the display on the new M2 MacBook Air is better and the job to be done was more creative.
Then the next question is whether the M2-based Air is a good device for the friend’s creative workflows. The answer generally was overwhelming yes. The older perception of Pro being better than Air was stalling the decision.
Many reviews and discussions later, a decision was almost made and stalled! As a user and having used ‘Pro’ devices one still feels that the new Pro device may be a better investment in the longer term. Not having to use dongles and such was an important perk of the 14-inch Pro laptop!
The only doubt that remained – Is the M2 better or M1 Pro was better. The answer was “It depends” and a decision was made.
In summary, devices with M2 Pro and other processors are going to launch in the future. It should make for interesting conversations for customers as they better understand Apple’s M series processors.
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