Which MacBook Should You Buy In 2024? (Buyer's Guide)
Summary
TLDRIn this video, the presenter shares their experience with Apple silicon MacBooks since 2020, guiding viewers on which model to choose in 2024. They emphasize considering one's workflow and future needs, suggesting a pie chart to analyze usage. The video compares MacBook Air and Pro models, highlighting the M2 as a cost-effective choice. Sponsored by 'Magical', an AI productivity tool, the video also discusses the benefits of the Pro series, including better performance and higher base storage and RAM, concluding that the 14-inch MacBook Pro with M2 or M3 Pro is currently among the best laptops available.
Takeaways
- 🤔 Consider your specific needs and usage patterns when choosing a MacBook.
- 📊 Create a pie chart to estimate the percentage of time spent on different tasks to determine the right MacBook for your workflow.
- 💻 For those who use productivity apps, 'Magical' is a free AI-powered tool that can automate tasks and save time.
- 📈 The MacBook Air is suitable for users with simpler tasks and offers good value with the M2 chip.
- 💰 The M2 MacBook Air is more cost-effective compared to the M3, especially on the second-hand market.
- 🔍 For more demanding tasks, the MacBook Pro with M2 Pro or M3 Pro chips provides superior performance and features.
- 🖥️ The 14-inch MacBook Pro offers a better screen, more ports, and higher base storage and RAM compared to the Air.
- 🚫 Don't let the slight weight difference between the MacBook Air and Pro sway your decision; the Pro's benefits outweigh the slight portability trade-off.
- 📱 The 16-inch MacBook Pro is less portable and better suited for users who primarily work at a desk and occasionally travel.
- 💡 If the 14-inch MacBook Pro is within budget, it's a top choice, but if not, an M2 or M3 MacBook Air is a solid alternative.
Q & A
What is the main question the video aims to address?
-The video aims to address the question of which Apple silicon MacBook to buy in 2024.
Why does the author suggest writing down your MacBook usage before purchasing?
-Writing down MacBook usage helps to understand one's specific workflow needs and to avoid buying an underpowered or overpowered system.
What is the significance of creating a pie chart of your MacBook usage?
-A pie chart helps to estimate the percentage of time spent on various activities, which in turn guides the decision on the appropriate MacBook model to purchase.
What is the role of the productivity app 'Magical' mentioned in the video?
-Magical is a free productivity extension that uses AI to automate repetitive tasks, potentially saving users significant time and effort.
What are the two main choices when considering a MacBook Air, as per the video?
-The two main choices for MacBook Air are the size (13-inch vs. 15-inch) and the chip version (M1, M2, or M3).
Why does the author recommend the M2 chip over the M1 and M3 for MacBook Air?
-The M2 is considered the best value for money as it offers significant improvements over the M1 and is more affordable than the M3, which is only slightly better.
What is the author's stance on the MacBook Pro compared to the MacBook Air?
-The author recommends the MacBook Pro over the Air for its superior performance, better screen, more ports, and higher base storage and RAM.
What are the differences between the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models?
-The main difference is the screen size, with the 16-inch being noticeably heavier and less portable, making it better suited for stationary use.
Why might someone consider an M3 Pro chip over an M2 Pro or M1 Pro chip?
-An M3 Pro chip might be considered for its enhanced performance, especially for creative workflows, and if it's available at a good discount.
What advice does the author give for those who find the MacBook Pro out of their budget?
-For those on a budget, the author suggests getting an M2 or M3 MacBook Air, as it offers good performance for most needs without the high cost.
Outlines
🤔 Choosing the Right Apple Silicon MacBook
The script begins with the creator addressing the common question of which Apple silicon MacBook to purchase in 2024. They share their experience testing various models since 2020 and emphasize the importance of considering one's specific use case and workflow when selecting a MacBook. The creator advises viewers to list their primary tasks, estimate the time spent on each, and plan for future needs. They also mention their own usage, which includes research, productivity tasks, video editing, and design work, and note that portability is not a major concern for them. The video is sponsored by 'Magical,' a productivity app that automates repetitive tasks, which the creator finds helpful in saving time. The creator suggests starting with a MacBook Air for those whose primary tasks are not too intensive, and they provide a detailed comparison of the MacBook Air's different sizes and chip options, recommending the M2 chip as the best value.
📈 MacBook Pro: The Power Choice for Performance
In the second paragraph, the creator discusses the MacBook Pro as an option for those who require more performance than the MacBook Air can offer. They compare the M1, M2, and M3 chip versions, suggesting that the M2 Pro offers the best value for most users. The creator highlights the benefits of the MacBook Pro, including a better screen with 120Hz ProMotion, more ports, and higher base storage and RAM configurations. They also address the misconception that the Pro is significantly less portable than the Air, arguing that the difference is not as pronounced as some believe. The creator distinguishes between the 14-inch and 16-inch Pro models, noting that the latter is better suited for stationary use due to its size and weight. They advise viewers to choose the MacBook Pro if it fits their budget and needs, and to consider the M2 or M3 Pro versions for the best performance and value.
💼 Final Thoughts on MacBook Selection
The final paragraph wraps up the discussion by reiterating the recommendation for a 14-inch MacBook Pro with either the M2 or M3 Pro chip, depending on the best available price at the time of purchase. For those whose needs or budgets do not align with the Pro model, the creator suggests the MacBook Air with either the M2 or M3 chip as a suitable alternative. The script concludes with a straightforward message that viewers cannot go wrong with these choices, emphasizing the importance of selecting a MacBook that matches individual requirements and usage patterns.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Apple Silicon
💡MacBook Air
💡MacBook Pro
💡M1, M2, M3
💡Workflow
💡Productivity
💡Portability
💡Performance
💡Storage and RAM
💡Price and Value
Highlights
The best Apple silicon MacBook for 2024 depends on your specific use case and workflow.
Avoid buying an underpowered or overpowered MacBook by assessing your needs accurately.
Consider the longevity of your MacBook purchase and future plans for its use.
Create a pie chart to estimate the percentage of time spent on various tasks for a better MacBook choice.
For productivity tasks, the MacBook Air is often a sufficient choice.
Magical is a productivity app that can automate tasks and save time, integrated with the MacBook ecosystem.
The 13-inch MacBook Air is a good balance between price and performance for most users.
The M2 chip offers the best value for money compared to the M1 and M3 chips.
The MacBook Pro offers superior performance, display, and port options over the Air.
The base model MacBook Pro with M3 chip is not as powerful as the Pro models with M2 Pro or M3 Pro chips.
The 14-inch MacBook Pro is recommended over the 16-inch model for better portability.
The M2 Pro is currently the best value in the MacBook Pro lineup.
The M1 Pro is not recommended unless a significant discount is available.
The M3 Pro is a powerful option but ensure it's necessary for your workflow before purchasing.
Consider the actual usage scenarios and don't be overly influenced by the slight weight difference between models.
The 14-inch MacBook Pro with either M2 Pro or M3 Pro is a solid choice for most users.
If the MacBook Pro is too expensive or overkill, the M2 or M3 MacBook Air is a good alternative.
Transcripts
one of the most frequent questions I see
on my videos are people asking which
Apple silicon MacBook to buy in 2024
luckily for you and unluckily for my
wallet I've tested and used every single
Apple silicon MacBook since 2020 and
there's one in particular I think is the
best device and I want to use this video
to go through my thought process rather
than just saying yeah just get this one
because just trust me bro so I guess the
most important thing to consider first
of all is what do you actually use a
Macbook for and I see a lot of people
making mistakes here typically it's
buying an underpowered system for their
specific workflow and then they have to
upgrade like 12 months later or vice
versa wasting hundreds of bucks on a pro
or Max series chip when they just don't
really need that extra performance now I
have a really simple way to figure this
out and it's what I used myself to
purchase my own MacBook configuration
just grab a piece of paper and write
down all of the stuff that you use your
MacBook for also take into consideration
how long you plan on owning this MacBook
right and all the stuff you plan on
doing in the future here's a list of
some popular workflows and you can pause
the video for inspiration if you like
then just draw a rough pie chart and
roughly estimate what percentage you'll
spend on each activity now for me I do a
lot of research and productivity tasks
like web browsing uh Google Docs and
emails for example I'm also as you can
probably tell a YouTuber so I'm
frequently doing more intensive tasks
like video editing and I dabble in
travel photography and design work using
Photoshop and Lightroom I'm also mostly
using my laptop at a desk so portability
isn't really a huge factor for me so
look at your pie chart if the majority
of it is you know fairly simple stuff
like productivity Word documents or web
browsing and maybe a little bit of more
intensive stuff every now and then you
should probably first of all consider a
MacBook Air but first if you're a fan of
productivity apps then there's one that
works seamlessly on Max called magical
and thanks to them for sponsoring this
segment of this video magical is a free
productivity extension that uses AI to
automate repetitive tasks like data
entry and messaging saving me 7 hours of
work every single week for example if
you need to get information from
multiple web pages instead of copying
everything manually magicals automations
feature labels the entire page grabs the
info you want and fills it into a
spreadsheet or a form and this is great
for writing papers and finding sources
to site organizing research or even
apartment hunting tracking job
applications automatically updating
patient forms literally anything the
templates feature lets you use shortcuts
to expand text that might otherwise take
time to manually type you can of course
make your own templates so I have one
resp responding to frequent emails I get
I also have it for my email address and
shipping address magical can of course
do a lot more like AI reply which can
reply to entire emails instantly it's
designed to save you time so you can
spend it on things you actually enjoy
like watching YouTube videos so make
sure you check out magical if you want
to boost your productivity and save tons
of time it's completely free and I'll
leave a link to get magical in the
description below so let's first dive
into the MacBook Air there are two main
choices here 13 versus 15 in and which
version either the M1 M2 or M3 you
should get now size choice is pretty
easy the 15in is obviously more
expensive and you get a bigger screen
and despite what people may tell you 2
in is actually quite a lot for laptop
screens now you'll definitely notice the
bigger screen area for productivity
stuff like XL check out this XL
comparison test I did or side by side
windows and multitasking but apart from
that there's no huge differences between
the 15 and 13in versions and I made a
separate video that goes into detail on
that if you're interested I also think
the M2 is the best bang for buck the M1
is great I personally love it but uh you
know let's be honest it is getting a
little bit dated now especially with the
old chassis and the M3 only came out a
few months ago so the prices are still
quite high right now at the time time of
making this video on Amazon you can get
a brand new M2 MacBook Air for 799 Bucks
versus 999 for a brand new M3 and of
course on the secondhand or refurbished
Market there's going to be a bigger
pricing difference because the M2 has
been out longer than the M3 so you can
of course get a better deal so that's
something to consider now in terms of
physical and performance differences
between all three again to keep this
video short and concise I recommend
checking out this detailed MacBook Air
comparison video I made long story short
the M2 is quite a bit better than the M1
but the M3 is only a little bit better
than the M2 to the point where you
probably won't notice it particularly
when doing Simple multitasking stuff but
remember what I said before with the
whole pie chart thing I mean if a
decently sized chunk of that Pi is more
than simple tasks you are probably going
to need more performance because the air
although powerful does have its limits
now if you really want to Deep dive into
this topic and see if you're maybe okay
with an air or maybe you should go to a
pro watch these two videos I make a
decision much easier because I compare a
bunch of the same typical workflows on
the air and also the pro now regardless
do I recommend paying a little bit extra
and going for the MacBook Pro over the
air even if you maybe don't necessarily
need a more powerful lap laptop and when
I say Pro I mean the pro version of the
Apple silicon chips like the M2 Pro or
M3 Pro not the base model 14in MacBook
Pro which although it does have Pro in
the name just has the same basic M3 chip
as the MacBook Air I know it's confusing
and look my advice is always to go for a
pro um you know if you can't afford it
of course I honestly think it is
currently the top three best laptops you
can get right now uh not only out of the
Mac lineup but from team PC as well it's
also better than the air in almost every
single way better screen with 120 HZ
promotion you know the high refresh
stuff you get on the iPhone Pro yep
that's the one more ports significantly
more performance and the big one the pro
comes with 512 GB of storage and 16 GB
of RAM as a base model versus the air
that only comes with half as much 256 GB
and 8 GB of RAM to get the same SSD in
Ram size on an air you need to spend
$400 more now portability is also a
factor here but it's not as significant
as some people make it out to be I mean
for example the 13in air versus the 14in
pro I've traveled with both all around
the world and sure the pro is heavier
and obviously a little bit thicker but
the actual footprint in a backpack or on
an airplane tray table for example is
very similar and in a backpack you
probably won't notice the weight
difference especially if you've got
other stuff in there so I wouldn't
really let the lightweight Air Design of
the air compared to the pro influence
your decision too much because in actual
day-to-day usage it's just not that
significant and the trade-off is you get
all of these incredible features on the
pro that the air just doesn't have now
one side note here is that there
definitely is a major difference between
the 14 and 16in Pro I mean you can still
travel with the 16in but it's noticeably
heavier and is not quite as portable I
often have trouble squeezing it into the
laptop sleeve of certain bags and it's
not something you want to use in tight
spaces it's just best suited for those
who prefer a large screen but mostly use
a laptop at a desk and maybe travel
between home and work because carting
this thing around airports or college
lecture theaters for example just isn't
really ideal at least in my own personal
experience there's also no difference in
performance or features between the 14
and 16in Pros you're just paying more
and getting a larger screen size now
when it comes to choosing which version
either the M1 Pro M2 Pro or M3 Pro it's
very similar to what I said about the
MacBook Air the M2 version is the best
bang for buck it's going to shred most
workflows especially anything creative
related for example the Adobe suite I
went into a ton of detail in in a
comparison video and compared a huge
range of workflows everything from
developers compiling code music
production photo and video editing 3D
modeling and gaming in terms of price
the M3 Pro is available from Apple for
$19.99 but again check those sales it's
on sale on Amazon right now for just
$16.99 that's just a few hundred bucks
more than a 13in air with the equivalent
upgraded RAM and SSD now if you can't
find the M3 Pro for a discount just go
with the M2 Pro either brand new from a
reseller or a refurbished model I also
personally would not go for an M1 Pro
unless I can get a really good discount
on it uh because the M2 Pro is quite a
bit better side note if you think you
need a more powerful Max chip instead of
the pro chances are you actually do
there are significant performance
improvements when going from a pro to a
Max so watch these two videos to compare
them across a number of different
workflows and real life tests so yeah
look can't go wrong with a 14in MacBook
Pro either the M2 or M3 pro version
doesn't really matter which one just get
whichever has the best price at the time
you're buying one but if it's out of
your budget or is totally overkill for
your needs just get either an M2 or M3
MacBook Air and call it a day
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