Should I Buy a MacBook Now?

The change was announced in the summer and the first computers with Apple’s M1 chip are now available for purchase. But you should buy MacBook Air and Co. now, rather wait and for whom is Intel Mac still worth it? I provide answers to these questions in the current edition of my weekend column.

Apple has kept its word and unveiled a whole range of new Macs with their own processor in ARM design: MacBook Air, MacBook Pro (13-inch) and Mac mini are vying for the favor of customers. But what speaks in favor of the new Macs and what is against them? Who can access it without hesitation, who should rather wait?

Apple M1: what good is the new chip in MacBook and Co?

In June, just before the official announcement of the platform change, I was already thinking about this as part of my weekend column. Read under the heading “Apple’s Secret Plan: Should You Buy a Mac Now?” Well, the plan is no longer a secret and from this week we also know how Apple concretely imagines the first new generation Macs. Now let’s take a careful look at the advantages and disadvantages of the first generation of Apple computers with the new M1 chip. I summarize without further ado – without pretending to be objective completeness:

Advantages of MacBook Air, Pro and Mac mini with Apple M1:

• Tremendous Speed: The first benchmarks leave us speechless, even a cheap MacBook Air is faster than a much more expensive MacBook Pro with an Intel Core i9. And the fastest Intel desktop Macs currently beat the new “ARM monsters” only when they use more than one processing core.
• Resistance: 20 hours without refueling? Unthinkable until now, but actually feasible with the new MacBooks. You can “forget” the power supply on the go without having to regret it later.
• Software migration: Do old Mac programs sometimes run faster on new computers, even if they haven’t been adapted for them yet? Not uncommon, according to Apple. Plus, the iPhone and iPad apps now work on Mac too, thanks to the now identical platform.

Apple’s future and Intel’s worst nightmare, the M1:

Disadvantages of MacBook Air, Pro and Mac mini with Apple M1:

• Waiver: Unfortunately, customers also have to forgo some details and equipment options. For example, a maximum of 16GB RAM is currently supported, a maximum of two Thunderbolt ports are available, not up to 4 as with Intel Macs. By the way: Thunderbolt 4 didn’t make it into new Macs. External graphics cards (eGPUs) are no longer available for new computers, and internal SSD storage is currently only allowed for up to 2TB.
• No window: Boot Camp, Parallels and Co. with Windows support have passed. Those who depend on it will look into the tube in the future.
• Design without modifications: With new computers, Apple is first celebrating an “inner revolution”: you will seek in vain for new shapes or colors. Outwardly, MacBook Air and Co. cannot be distinguished from their predecessors.

To buy or not to buy: my advice

Home and lightweight professional users, for whom long battery life is especially important, can strike – the new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro are unrivaled. If, on the other hand, you need Windows and perhaps a larger moving display (16 inches), you still have to resort to Intel models.

In general … Pros: The limit of 16 GB of RAM and 2 GB of internal SSD storage weighs a lot. Some of these users are advised to wait and see. Apple will deliver at this point by mid or late 2021. If you can’t wait that long, you have to buy the old “Intel carrots,” albeit with a nauseous feeling. Because let’s be honest: A look at the benchmarks makes Intel computers look really old. Nobody buys an Intel Mac with joy and regret.

What about my personal decision? I certainly won’t buy an Intel Mac anymore, but I won’t buy a Mac with an Apple M1 right away either. I will likely wait until Apple eliminates the first points of criticism and then inserts an M2 into a fresh and last but not least, externally redesigned MacBook Pro. In short: until autumn 2021 ;-).

Note: The views expressed in this article are solely the views of the author and are not necessarily the position of the entire GIGA editorial team.