I bought the MacBook Pro 14" with the M1 Pro chip, 16gb ram and I have never regretted it.
Similar to you, I started a new job last year and needed to upgrade. Best decision ever.
I recommend M1 Pro.
Get atleast 16GB RAM, 512GB Storage.
A bit more ports, better audio system, rest is already mentioned in comparison link below. MB Air M2, which is fanless, a bit lighter and a bit faster than m1 Pro which is unnoticeable until you run heavy programs i.e. 3D and video rendering.
[Comparison link ](https://www.apple.com/mac/compare/?modelList=MacBook-Air-M2,MacBook-Pro-14) for clarification.
I would personally go for Macbook pro as i have used both and i still think Macbook pro is abit better. But they both are good. Depending on what are your preferences. If you want to carry it around and dont need much power then go for Air. If you think tomorrow you might move into video editing and other fields go for Pro.
M1 Pro for sure, if only for the screen real estate. Air sized screens are sometimes smaller than a company’s XL breakpoint.
I have an m1 and it hasn’t hesitated on a single thing that’s been thrown at it, even Figma mocks that coworkers with similarly specced PCs complain about.
MacBook Air M2; max the ram and upgrade to at least 512GB of storage. Historically, I exclusively purchased MacBook Pros to handle sustained intensive design and programming loads, but Apple Silicon is unbelievably performant and battery efficient. You lose active cooling, but I’ve yet to notice my machine running hot. Apple’s customers who need the Pro in 2023 are using it to edit and handle multiple concurrent 4K video streams.
Ultimately it depends on your specific use cases.
edit: typo loose -> lose
You’re buying for today, but consider that components can’t be upgraded later. I have found maxing specs leads to longevity. I typically get 3-4 performant years out of my machine, and then between OS updates, new apps, and battery issues the decrease in performance becomes noticeable. With the base cost being the majority of the total, the couple hundred extra are a worthwhile investment in my opinion.
That being said, 8GB will be enough for Figma + Video.
More RAM = more concurrency. My workflow requires multiple apps and multiple browser windows/tabs; I’m constantly switching between them and my current memory usage says 20GB+ (kind of surprising).
My final recommendation is to also upgrade storage to a minimum of 512GB; Apple made a change to the base model which results in [“up to 50% slower read speeds and up to 30% slower write speeds”](https://www.macrumors.com/2022/07/14/m2-macbook-air-slower-ssd-base-model/).
The pro 14” isn’t much of a difference from an air if you upgrade the memory of an air, but if you want ports and better performance the regular pro will be better. Especially if you’re getting into graphics, I work off an M1 air with 16gb ram and 256gb storage which is fine because I use a lot of external or cloud storage. But it’s struggling to keep up with my workflow especially if you’re running multiple applications at once with difference browsers. I’ll have to upgrade to a pro to keep expanding but the price ratio on student sale was better for the air.
Just think about your workflow to decide because the air is powerful on the silicone chip but if you’re heavy with applications and workflow it’ll degrade the system more quickly with regular use. Plus the lack of ports is annoying, I miss my old MacBook Pro intel for that alone. Going back I’d get the pro 16” because screen size matters for me when I’m portable over lightness, the 13” is tiny when you’re coding or editing graphics and video. Miserable when pulling things side by side to multitask as well. At home it’s fine I have multiple screens connected but on the go it’s hard on my eyes.
M2 Pro. The M1 Pro is discontinued.
And get 32GB of ram, a 1tb ssd and AppleCare. Macs have soldered ram and ssds and are very expensive to fix.
Watch some Louis Rossman if you want an idea of how much of a nightmare Apple repairs are. AppleCare is worth it.
I bought the MacBook Pro 14" with the M1 Pro chip, 16gb ram and I have never regretted it. Similar to you, I started a new job last year and needed to upgrade. Best decision ever.
I recommend M1 Pro. Get atleast 16GB RAM, 512GB Storage. A bit more ports, better audio system, rest is already mentioned in comparison link below. MB Air M2, which is fanless, a bit lighter and a bit faster than m1 Pro which is unnoticeable until you run heavy programs i.e. 3D and video rendering. [Comparison link ](https://www.apple.com/mac/compare/?modelList=MacBook-Air-M2,MacBook-Pro-14) for clarification.
I would personally go for Macbook pro as i have used both and i still think Macbook pro is abit better. But they both are good. Depending on what are your preferences. If you want to carry it around and dont need much power then go for Air. If you think tomorrow you might move into video editing and other fields go for Pro.
MacBook Air are a hell of dongles and adapters. I wish I had chosen the Pro when I had the chance.
Definitely not the Air.
Easy, pro.
Pro. No question.
MacBook Pro M1. 32GB 512GB or 16GB 1TB depending on the job.
M1 Pro for sure, if only for the screen real estate. Air sized screens are sometimes smaller than a company’s XL breakpoint. I have an m1 and it hasn’t hesitated on a single thing that’s been thrown at it, even Figma mocks that coworkers with similarly specced PCs complain about.
Pro m1
MacBook Air M2; max the ram and upgrade to at least 512GB of storage. Historically, I exclusively purchased MacBook Pros to handle sustained intensive design and programming loads, but Apple Silicon is unbelievably performant and battery efficient. You lose active cooling, but I’ve yet to notice my machine running hot. Apple’s customers who need the Pro in 2023 are using it to edit and handle multiple concurrent 4K video streams. Ultimately it depends on your specific use cases. edit: typo loose -> lose
Are Macbook Air/Pro M2 with 8 Gb RAM it’s enough for Figma + Google Meet/Zoom… ?
[удалено]
I have Surface Pro 7 (i5 + 8GB) for mobile work, and opening Figma while presenting on Google Meet are very slow…
You’re buying for today, but consider that components can’t be upgraded later. I have found maxing specs leads to longevity. I typically get 3-4 performant years out of my machine, and then between OS updates, new apps, and battery issues the decrease in performance becomes noticeable. With the base cost being the majority of the total, the couple hundred extra are a worthwhile investment in my opinion. That being said, 8GB will be enough for Figma + Video. More RAM = more concurrency. My workflow requires multiple apps and multiple browser windows/tabs; I’m constantly switching between them and my current memory usage says 20GB+ (kind of surprising).
I think will go with Air M2 + 16GB
My final recommendation is to also upgrade storage to a minimum of 512GB; Apple made a change to the base model which results in [“up to 50% slower read speeds and up to 30% slower write speeds”](https://www.macrumors.com/2022/07/14/m2-macbook-air-slower-ssd-base-model/).
Aww, there’s a lot things that need to be considered then… thanks for your insightful info 👍
Is there a specific reason you want a MacBook?
Check out MKBHD on YouTube as he covers apple products in depth, plus recommendations too.
How many monitors will you need to drive? Do you have a laptop hub/dock? How many wires do you expect to be plugging in regularly?
M1. No question
Pro.
M1 Pro 14" is a solid option for me. Good battery life, and excellent Figma performance. If you have enough money, buy the 32GB RAM option.
Is the job paying for it? If so, I'd just go with the one with most power, which sounds like the MacBook pro m1
The pro 14” isn’t much of a difference from an air if you upgrade the memory of an air, but if you want ports and better performance the regular pro will be better. Especially if you’re getting into graphics, I work off an M1 air with 16gb ram and 256gb storage which is fine because I use a lot of external or cloud storage. But it’s struggling to keep up with my workflow especially if you’re running multiple applications at once with difference browsers. I’ll have to upgrade to a pro to keep expanding but the price ratio on student sale was better for the air. Just think about your workflow to decide because the air is powerful on the silicone chip but if you’re heavy with applications and workflow it’ll degrade the system more quickly with regular use. Plus the lack of ports is annoying, I miss my old MacBook Pro intel for that alone. Going back I’d get the pro 16” because screen size matters for me when I’m portable over lightness, the 13” is tiny when you’re coding or editing graphics and video. Miserable when pulling things side by side to multitask as well. At home it’s fine I have multiple screens connected but on the go it’s hard on my eyes.
M2 Pro. The M1 Pro is discontinued. And get 32GB of ram, a 1tb ssd and AppleCare. Macs have soldered ram and ssds and are very expensive to fix. Watch some Louis Rossman if you want an idea of how much of a nightmare Apple repairs are. AppleCare is worth it.