Why Pay TWICE As Much?! M1 MacBook Air VS MacBook Pro 14! 

Crazy to me that the M1 MAcBook air is now “ relatively powerful”. I think people forget that most of us can get by with an iPad and keyboard 99% of the time

Your videos were part of the reason I bought the MacBook air m1 16gb 1tb with the extra graphics core. It is hard to get your head around it for its size and fanlessness. But when you hook it up to a big display, it feels like you have a beast of a computer hooked up. Can't get over how small and light it is.

Your videos are very informative, I watched heaps of your videos before I went and purchased a Base model MacBook Air M1. It’s amazing, upgraded from a base model MacBook Air 2015. This new one does everything I need. Love how light and portable it is. The price even in AUD was amazing for what you get. Thanks for these great videos!

My brain know my work only needs MacBook Air to do all my jobs, but my desire wants MacBook Pro way more than anything else My mind says YES YES YES My wallet says NO NO NO NO NO!

I love this kind of content! Keep up the great work!

Best video for comparing these two laptops. I have an Apple MacBook Air M1 and it does everything I need it to do and I paid $899. Don't overpay for the new MacBook pros not worth it unless you do 3D animation or tons of video editing of long movies. Everyday Dad Nailed it with this Video!

Thanks for your timely video. I enjoyed your video very much. Blessings on your day!

To be fair the base model 14 inch MacBook Pro has 16 gigs of RAM when the base air model has 8 gigs of RAM-if you upgrade the air to match the specs of the base pro model its a 400£ difference, not a 1000 quid. The ports, screen quality, extra real estate all make it more worthwhile

I enjoy going back and watching videos like yours and feel that I would love to see a video that explains the differences between the memory dependency of previous models versus the current models. This means I would like someone to explain how certain programs can require more memory than others and how having an Apple silicon computer has changed that for the better or worst. Because I am only assuming that Photoshop takes up the same amount of memory no matter what model Apple device your using, but maybe I am wrong. I guess I am curious if the memory is better optimized on the silicon Macs if Photoshop took 6 GB of memory on my new M1 MacBook and I am not set to see a huge performance drop since the laptop can respond better than earlier models. Thanks and keep up the great work.

If Apple would have made the equivalent of a MacBook BIG Air (Air specs, but with a 16" screen), I would have snapped it up instantly. You know, M1 processor, 16GB/2TB with a MagSafe power adapter and a 16" screen. However, what I really want/need doesn't exist, so I wound up buying a low-spec 16" Pro and calling it a day. Yes, I have more capability/performance than I need, but I LOVE the big screen. I guess we can't all have what we want. That said, this thing is great and I have no regrets...

Honestly this is the video I was waiting for. I purchased a full spec 16 gig 8 core air 1tb hard drive because I wanted an all rounder laptop w/ ability to edit video and lightroom. 1600 USD which I thought is fair for a “gen 1” tech. I’m hoping as generations continue and the OS gets better then it’s worth cracking the 2k dollar mark. Thanks for making this.

The more I use my MacBook Air, the more I like it. I don't use it with added monitors nor do I do any heavy computing. For me it is the perfect machine at the right price.

Coming up on a year the air is still perfection for me. Hands down the best computer I have ever owned. Battery life is still insanely good and it is overall a pleasure to use

Fantastic Analysis. Great stuff in making it apply to the real world.

Dunno why i watch these apple vids, i can't even afford a banana.

Very useful component video, but also very fair; if you need this, or if this is important to you, or if you hate dongles …. So if at any point you feel; ‘yes, that’s me’, you have your answer. Essentially the 14” is better in a lot of ways, screen colours & brightness, ports, etc, but it’s battery won’t last as long, it mite not be as comfortable to type on and it’s slightly larger. But for most people the important and prominent diff is the price; the Air is £1k, the MBPro 14” £2k. For most people it’s ‘needs’ vs ‘wants’, for and my pocket, I can’t justify my ‘wants’.

i 've using air m1 for 1 year now , and it is the best laptop i ve have. i only use 150GB so far (most media files are on cloud).My daily task is typing with editors , so 2k for 14 inch is not a good deal for me because i do not need it . For those who only need laptop for typing, surfing internet, study , macbook air is the best out there ( 8g ram work fine, 16g ram is the best you can have).

Was choosing between MBA M1 and MBP 14. My ego wanted the 14 so much but I went with the MBA M1 with 8 core GPU, 512SSD and 16GB ram - bought used from a friend. Couldn’t be happier. It’s a dream to use.

I got the air for 750 open box from Best Buy and so far I’m loving it! I got a whole apple eco system going on and it’s lovely

Keep your eyes peeled, Potential M1 MBA buyers... on Dec 14, 2021 Best Buy had the base MBA on sale (in-store, in stock or shipped by Dec 19) for $799.....I bet that post-holiday, B & H, Adorama and others may offer great discounted pricing as well

This video came out at the perfect time. My 2015 MacBook Pro has started to worry me as it is beginning to freeze when streaming from certain services, which is probably the service or internet connection but either way I am starting to worry. So I was literally just comparing these 2 exact computers on the Apple site just yesterday. Now I have a video comparison. Thank you sir!

I upgraded from the M1 MBAir to the MBPro 14 base model to get the standard 16G memory and 512G SSD storage. I also wanted the new ports. If you upgrade the memory and SSD ($1399) on the MBAir, there is less of a price difference with the MBPro 14. I am very happy with the MBPro! Thanks for the great video.

There's nothing about the Pro that I miss on my MBA except the screen. I don't need the extra computing power or the GPU power. Don't care about mag safe. I prefer that it doesn't have a fan and that it's lighter. I'dd really like to have the improved 120Hz screen, but I'm not willing to pay almost double for it.

Love your content!!

For "everyday" computer tasks.....no contest. For more demanding video work and other processor-intensive tasks, if you are willing to do SOME of that work in a Preview or Proxy setting along with a little longer render time, the base M1 MBA has identical, indistinguishable final output as the Maxed-out MBP Max....best value for Mobile Mac OS users EVER !

Love my MacBook Air M1 second tier one with 512ssd & 8GPU

Loved the "Apples to Apples comparison" 😂🤣 Personally, I love the Mac Air for the price to performance, but love the speed of the new M1 Max to edit on...

But is performance actually that close? Biggest issue I have is being able to edit four 4k videos in MultiCam view in Final Cut Pro with my MacBook Air M1. Granted this might be fixed by having more RAM, however I suspect that the extra high performance cores and the extra 8 GPU cores would allow me to edit the way I want instead of downgrading 3 of the 4 videos to 1080p (which is what I do currently).

you have great on camera presentation and I watch all the time; you could review other products I'd watch and listen. thanks

Thanks I want to buy my first Mac 💻 and I was watching a lot videos about mbr vs mbp now you help me a lot I will go to the MacBook Pro 14 thanks for the review.

Happy with the MBA, don’t think I’d shell out $2k for a laptop. I did have to adjust to the retina screen though. Really gave me headaches for some reason.

Hi sir can you do a mid range apple ecosystem review consisting of iPhone 13 and Mac Book air M1?? Love your work. You are the best at what you do. Thank you for the great content.

If I’m leaning toward the 16GB MacBook Air for longevity and a hobby level of home video editing already would you also get the 8 core GPU version?

I have the MacBook Air M1 with 16 GB RAM and I do not need more on the go ! I love it is SILENT and no dust can be sucked inside, I love the tapered design which are ergonomic for the wrists, for more power at home, I use my desktop set-up, later I will get a Mac Mini (M1X/M2) as a new desktop set-up ! I think it is stupid only having one computer. I can understand why some professionals needs to have extra powerful labtops in the field, but for all our other users a MacBook Air M1 are enough !!!

Could have added in the cost of dongles required in air to come up to the pro 14

I have been in the print industry for years… my M1 Air 16g ram 8core 8graphic opens gig files at the same speed if not faster than my intel 9900k desktop Computer with 32gig of ram. It’s legit guys! Do it! No need for pro versions unless your rendering scenes or doing extensive video editing. Cheers!

I've had 2 or 3 macbook pro's and currently on a MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Late 2013), 2.6 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7, 16 GB 1600 MHz DDR3. I dump SD cards about 5 days a week, several times a day when doing photography shoots. I guess that rules out AIR since I'd have to use some external card reader. I'm looking at being able to merge photo's, process proxy video files (or not if M1 allows me not to need to do so) and the like, a lot faster than what I can do now on this 'ole macbook pro.

If you don't need the extra performance of the 14", then just get the M1 air and skip the m1 pro. The 14" is very nice but unless there are things you need to do that the MacBook Air can't, stick with the MacBook Air.

Great video as always. I am rocking my 13” M1 MacBook Pro. I don’t like the lack of ports, am neutral on the Touch Bar, but I like that it’s only 3 pounds, and has 21 hours of battery life. It’s like a MacBook Air with better battery life, and only 0.1 pound heavier!

I bought the MBP 14” for 17700 NOK (1650 USD) second-hand and it was only 6 months old. Definitely worth the price! Took me three weeks at work to afford it.

Given that a dock to bring the Air up to the level of the MBPM1Pro for ports costs $200-$300, and the MBP M1Pro has MagSafe ….

Because I’m a software engineer and I need RAM and hard drive space to devote to virtual environments to build servers and databases. If I spec up the air to match where the pro starts they’re just a couple hundred apart. And, you get a lot of other improvements for that couple hundred price difference with the pro.

I use my 16” M1 Max MacBook as a LapTop, and therefore don’t get any weird edge-pressure on my forearms like EDD reported here, and I’m on it six to sixteen hours a day. It might be different we’re I using my ‘Book on a desk.

I want to be able to work outside to do some office work and I also want to do light photo editing and music production. Would you recommend the air? Or the m2 air?

I got the 14”. I was waiting and waiting for the ports to come back

Would you recommend the MacBook Pro 14 over the M1 13" MBP if IO didn't matter?

I don't know, but my Ryzen is using every single core for everything, even opening programs or updating windows, I saw that in Task Manager.

As someone with a background in computer architecture, I wish a professor would have said ‘wider amount of power vs deeper amount of power’. That just makes sense.

I’ve got a 2021 16” M1 pro but tend to use my MBA 16gb 2x8 core 1tb more

I returned my 14 inch and I bought spec out Macbook Air. For unknown reason, the 14 inch uses more ram, while the Air managing very well, at least for my use.

As a photo editer that screen is worth its wright in gold

But alas refurbished is not available in Malaysia sadly, so we need to buy brand new always with full cash if buying from apple store online... cannot do monthly or buy from authorised reseller buy with limited configurations like mba 8gb ram and 256 or 512gb storage only... other configurations need to buy from apple online store without monthly payment

Xcode needs a lot of multithreaded power. Parallelized compilation will eat a CPU easy.

My hope is that for 2022 NEW Apple Laptop is that it is a MacBook that did not replace the MacBook Air. Would love to keep MacBook Air design. Then have a MacBook Air, MacBook, and MacBook Pro line up. That way as an old normal after I see what Apple comes out with to replace my iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2014) I can decide what I want to do next to replace it. Thing is with all the reviews like yours I have watched it looks like a number of people in the production world are using from the Apple M1 MacBook Air to the top of the line 16-inch MacBook Pro M1/Max along with an external large screen 4K+ monitor on a vesa arm mount. Wish I could use my iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2014) as a display with target display mode. Now in the past have never thought about this configuration, however this would give me a second screen that I have always wanted. Also then could unplug the laptop, and use it anywhere in the house, or even take it with me to Starbucks once we get to the other side of the "COVID-19 pandemic of the unvaccinated".

Thanks for your comparison video. Given the sale going on now. Would you get a M1 Air with 16GB ram 1TB ssd for$1400 or 14” M1 Pro 10/10/16 16GB ram and 1TB ssd for $2000?

I'm gonna need to see this same comparison but with m2 air vs 14 inch pro

Macbook Pro 13 for the best battery life on any Mac ever + new big iMac 27" with Mini LED and M1 Max. That's my choice.

I wanted the new base model 14" Pro, but it's too expensive, so I went for the 2019 16" Pro, at half the price of that one - and I love it, still has thin bezels and magic keyboard. For what I use it for, Netflix and internet, the M1 Pro processor is overkill

I have a M1 MBA. It does everything I want fast and stable. I can't justify a M1 MBP anymore...

I wasn't as smart back when i bought my m1 air and i got it with 256 gigs of storage and ate it up in a year of owning it. I am thinking about upgrading to the 14 macbook pro just for that extra space and gorgeous display!

For CSE undergraduate students which Mac is better?

From where do you get your The Office T-shirts I really need them 🥺🥺🥺

Mac Air, £895 UK on Amazon today. Cheers Gary.

I wish apple had their refurbished stores here in India as well!

Glad that you explain why didn't slam them. I was expecting that lol

Do you guys use cover case in your macbook?

Exactly what I was thinking. I do video editing and artwork that I need sketching. Also do videos so need enough power. That means I need a Mac Mini M1 (or M1 Pro) and an iPad Pro. Don't need a Macbook other than capability (external display, external webcam, external SSD, Midi which means iPad Pro cannot do it with it's current iPad OS). Do do all this I still need an Macbook Air. I need Apple to upgrade the iPad OS so it can do what Macbook Air can do so I don't have to buy 3 computers.

Hi! Which configuration do you consider to have the best benefit/price ratio among the following: - MacBook Air M1, 8Gb/256/ 1000$ - MacBook Air M1 16Gb/2TB/ $1570 - MacBook Air M2 8Gb/256/ $1320 - MacBook Air M2 8Gb/512/ $1730 - MacBook Pro 14inch M1Pro 16Gb/512/ $1980. Prices are from Europe. Thanks!

Currently saving up for my first macbook, probably the air m1 or maybe the upcoming m2. Have a lenovo l390 thinkpad, and it's battery is really bad. As a student, I'm using I everyday, at school and afterwards

Are you comparing those scores using base models for both?

I mean I can connect from mba m1 straight to a 4k monitor via usb-c-hdmi cable, but I get your point. I don't use SD card at all, so I think I'll pass on that and maybe get a base m2 mbp (not m2 pro) to get a little more power for Xcode coding :) I need something powerful, yet not too expensive, cos honestly I'm scared in my country LOL

Great summary, for me, as someone who doesn't massively need the IO (as card reader would be nice though), the Air is almost perfection in terms of form factor. The lack of fans and thin design is awesome! The magpie in me still wants an M1 Max though lol Great video!!

I wish I could get that Air with the mini LED screen!

I bought an M1 air yesterday because they didn’t have the 14” I love it so far

Could you compare 13-inches pro and air ?

I was looking forward to the double slam! Lol

I love how much you fanboy the air still, you’re the reason I got one and seeing all these videos just makes me even happier in my purchase muahahah

I'm not sure we're going to get smaller bezels on the 13 without sacrificing either the palm rest, track pad and/or keyboard size. Only way to get smaller bezels and retain the the current size ratios is to get a slightly larger screen.

The breakdown of ROI keeps me coming back to this video.

I still can´t make up my mind. My last laptop was a macbook pro 14 from 2007/2008? (the one with the removable long battery) that lasted me 11 years (rest in peace) with very, very intensive use (it was my only computer and my main work tool, I burned two logic boards one of which covered the warranty extension, thank goodness). I was decided on the Pro 14 M1 with 16GB and 1TB but now I doubt with the Macbook Air 16GB and 1TB. I plan to have it for a very long time, it will be my only computer once my very old, basic and dying iMac 2010 expires (which will happen very, very soon). Right now it will fit more with an average user: writing, studying, internet browsing, watching videos, listening to musician, using documents, etc. But if/when (it will happen even if only eventually) I go back to work in my sector, it will involve heavy photo processing (not so much video, that can happen but in a much more eventual and less intensive way), editing and uploading of texts and photos to online media, for printed magazines, tons of data, etc. I have back problems and travel frenquently, the weight/portability in my case matters. But it will be my only computer, I want it to last a very long time. With the prices in my country and the education discount, the difference between one and the other would be around 500€. Any advice?

There’s currently nothing I can think of that would make my life easier if I had a laptop. If I had one I doubt I’d ever even scratch the surface of what they are capable of

I think MacBook Pro 14 are the sweet spot for almost everyone. They are good enough for everything you throw at them, still pretty portable and are not that expensive. I’m saving some money to get the M1 Pro 14” and use it for at least 5 years (I want to learn video editing and coding)

I think the price disparity is an unfair argument. You’re comparing apples to oranges in terms of the internals. For someone who _needs_ the extra RAM and Storage, the Mac Pro is a better choice because it’s not 1999 vs 999. It’s 1999 vs 1399 if I match the SSD and RAM. And then I’d rather pay the difference if I’m looking at 5-6 years of use. I’m paying around 100/year more for better performance, so many ports, and a gorgeous screen.

I've got a 2014 Macbook Pro. Been debating getting the M1 Air or 14" M1 Pro but can't justify nearly paying £2000 when I paid "1200 for my last pro. Obviously, tech has improved etc, but it's so refreshing to see a review that favours the M1 Air for most everyday users! Even though I love the 14" Pro look and specs, for me as a tech recruiter the M1 air will do the job I need realistically at a good price point.

Coming from a MBP mid 2015 15”, I have been debating between these 2. I do some 3D (Blender) and motion graphics (AE) as more of a hobby but do need photo-editing (Affinity Photo) and presentation (keynote) ability. Sure the 14” MBP would be great, but I’m thinking the M1 Air, 8 core gpu, Apple refurbished with 16gb and 1tb drive for $1399 would be a great deal. Amazon has the MBP 14”, 16gb/1tb, for $2249. So that’s an $850 difference ( actually slightly over $900 when you factor in sales tax). Any advice/thoughts?

I have both and the 14 is a huge step up, easily worth the extra cash.

The biggest difference and advantage of new MBPs: Screen + I/Os If that doesn't matter for you, if you do not work with ProRes, Macbook Air is a no brainer.

Is the base model enough for school and light gaming I am in middle school only

I 100% prefer the wedge design of the MB Air and have zero problem using a single "do-it-all" dongle to add stuff I need when I need it. As for power, I edit 4k video in DaVinci, do Blender renders (much better in v3.0), and use Adobe CC apps every single day on my Air, and I don't feel like it's slowing me down. For me, a nice HDR-enabled miniLED display would be the main driver to upgrade, but I rarely if ever watch HDR content so I'll stick with my awesome Air!

I think your explanation of what tasks are single core tasks was kind of misleading, almost every video game out today is a multicore task (albeit usually optimized only a few cores total). However, both of these machines are kind of overkill for "everyday tasks" like browsing reddit and watching youtube, so it won't matter in that sense even if there was a difference between the two machines.

Great review 👍

As soon as they release a touch screen macbook I'll pick one up. It insane they've waited so long to offer one.

Depends of you needs, a MacBook Air with 16GB Ram and 512GB Storage it’s $1500 With extra $500 You are getting the better M1 Pro chip, better screen , better speakers and mic , extra ports and MagSafe.

The MacBook Pro 14 is much to heavy, thick and the Notch also nerves me. The MacBook Air M1 8C CPU 8C GPU 16GB 1TB is very light and thin. It's also totally quiet because of fanless and has no Notch or TouchBar.

Love the shirt! The Office all the way 😍

how much ram does each have?

So about $500USD to pay for a - better display - better audio - better camera and mic - larger screen real estate - ports - dual external display support - better multi-core performance - but slightly worse battery life, heavier / chunkier form factor

I’m my opinion the ports are the main reason you should get one of the newer MacBooks. I can’t tell you how many times MagSafe has saved my ass with my 2015 MacBook Pro

Just so you knew, the up to 1000 nits sustained reffers to while watching HDR content, its 500 nits peak otherwise

I have watched tens of videos trying to justify switching to the 14 inch from the Air M1 16 GB. No luck.