Buying advice: Macbook pro m1 pro or macbook air m2 15’’?

Hi,


I’m currently looking to buy a new mac and hesitating between a couple options. I live in Europe and my budget is max. 1500€. 

I want to keep this laptop for as long as possible, and I also usually have a lot of apps and tabs open, thats why Id prefer going for 16go ram. 


I found a couple options in my price range:

- Macbook pro 14’’ / m1 pro / 8 core cpu / 14 core gpu (10 core cpu / 16 core gpu if I find a good deal) / 16go ram and 512go storage —> from a third-party refurbished website

- Macbook air 15’’ / m2 / 16go ram and 256go storage —> refurbished from apple

- Macbook air 13’’ / m3 / 16go ram —> new from apple


Did I miss any good options?

What would be the best laptop for me?

Posted on Apr 1, 2024 2:29 AM

Reply
4 replies

Apr 1, 2024 5:26 AM in response to Cydoimos

I would rule out any used Mac being advertised as "refurbished". Apple is the only authorized source of refurbished Macs, so the fact the seller is being disingenuous is enough for me to immediately and reflexively reject them as a potential vendor. Look elsewhere.


There is no problem buying a used Mac, but a conscientious seller will have no problem advertising it as such. They absolutely positively must comply with Apple's instructions: What to do before you sell, give away, trade in, or recycle your Mac - Apple Support. A reputable vendor will include a reasonable warranty and equally reasonable "no questions asked" return policy — just like Apple. And, if they do, you will find their prices nearly equal to those on Apple's Certified Refurbished Products page anyway.


There are exceptions. You can occasionally find "screaming good deals" on the used market, but they are rare.


I strongly recommend that you consider 512 GB as the minimum amount of storage. 16 GB RAM is fine.

Apr 1, 2024 6:02 AM in response to Cydoimos

How long are you planning to keep that Mac?


The reason for asking is that lots of people buy Macs without a lot of storage because they might not have the additional funds at the time, but then they wind up keeping them a lot longer than expected. Sometimes ten years or more. This forum is full of examples.


Macs last a long time. Amortized over that useful life, 230€ might be an insignificant amount of money, but one will less storage will not be viable for as long. Only you can decide.

Apr 1, 2024 5:36 AM in response to John Galt

I understand the concern of buying used tech from third-party sellers, but I did it multiple times before and didnt have issues, even when I had to send a product back because it had a defect.


Im looking for a mac with a french keyboard, and Apple’s offer of refurbished product is quite weak in France, and for example doesnt offer a macbook pro with a M1 pro chip.


If I buy new or used from Apple, Im not sure the +230€ is worth it for me to get a storage upgrade, seeing as I dont plan to work a lot with massive files or need enormous apps.



Apr 1, 2024 6:23 AM in response to John Galt

Im planning to use it for at least 6-7 years, I currently use a 2015 macbook air with 256go and I didnt run into and storage issues.

That being said, Im not against getting more storage if I find a good deal, but getting a measly 256go for 230€ does’t seem worth it for me, I can get a 8TB external storage disk for that price…


Right now Im more focused on the machine itself and the how differences between the chip generations balance each other out against something like the better screen of the M1 Pro Macbook pro.

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Buying advice: Macbook pro m1 pro or macbook air m2 15’’?

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