The all-new M2 Macbook Air.
Mac Buying Guide • Fall 2022
Around this time of year, I usually get a lot of calls and texts with that very question - “What Mac should I buy?”
It’s gotten a little more confusing as of late because of the range of Apple’s new M1 (and now M2) chips and the variety of machines you can buy now. That’s good, but it makes it more confusing for the non-nerd. So being a nerd, I’m here to help.
First off, do not buy the old-style 13-inch Macbook Pro, still with the TouchBar. Yes, it has an M2 and active cooling, but you can get so much more for less. No one should buy this computer in my opinion.
Again, these all all my opinions, but I talk to lots of people, young and old, every year and advise them on buying new computers or iPads.
If you are a student, in high school or especially college, most students (about 90% of you) should be able to get by with the brand-new M2 MacBook Air. This laptop has a new slim design, new colors, and is powerful enough for almost every task you can throw at it. If you’re not a design student using Photoshop and InDesign and Final Cut Pro and other intensive applications, you should be good with the baseline M2 MacBook Air. You always want to get as much RAM and storage as you can afford (you will see that theme in this article), but 99% of you should be able to get by with 16GB and 1TB of storage. The only problem with the M2 Air is that it’s brand new and you might not get one until September.
If you are a design/film student, meaning you will be using applications like Photoshop and Final Cut Pro on the regular, you should be able to get by with the M2 MacBook Air. But if you are editing 4K or 8K video, working with huge layout or photo files, you’ll need to at least bump up to the 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M1 Pro chip. The M1 Pro chip puts you on a whole other level with these applications and workflows. Your render and export times will be cut in half, your computer will stay much cooler because the MacBook Pro has active cooling (meaning: a fan) where the M2 Air does not. I do a lot of video editing and compression and design work, and I have the base-model M1 Pro MacBook Pro. It’s been wonderful so far, and fast enough for all my workflows.
If you’re a business professional, and you work in an industry such as networking, IT, ministry or youth ministry, accounting, teaching, marketing, or any categories like that, you can probably make it just fine with a 14- or 16-inch MacBook Pro with M1 Pro chip. If the MB Pro is out of your price range, get a mid-range M2 MacBook Air. It will still do what you need for less price, albeit a little slower.
If you are a design professional, the least you would need in my opinion is the MacBook Pro with M1 Pro chip. But you might want to upgrade to the M1 Max chip. The power you get from the Max chip is unreal. It can carve through 8K video and huge Photoshop files like butter. And if you don’t need something portable because you’re always working at your desk, seriously consider a Mac Studio with M1 Max, or if you have the budget and need the power an M1 Ultra. My nerd side wants all the power all the time, and I’ve been tempted by the Mac Studio, but I need something portable. If you’re a design pro and want a great big 4K or 5K screen and a lot of power, give a serious look to the Mac Studio with M1 Max or Ultra. Most can get by with the M1 Max unless you are rendering 2-hour 8K videos or something.
If you don’t fall into any of the categories I’ve named off so far, you need not consider yourself a power user. That’s okay! That means you get to spend less money and frankly, you have more choice. If you want a nice 4K screen with a slim profile, you like colors, and you don’t need a laptop for portability, get the M1 iMac. It’s an all-in-one desktop that’s perfect for Youtube-watching, photo editing, and web surfing. You can edit HD and 4K videos and big photos on it too if you want. Plus it’s available in many colors.
When buying a computer, here’s a few things you shouldn’t do:
- Don’’t buy the cheapest model you can. Always look to get a mid-range model. Don’t know what I mean by that? I mean don’t get the smallest storage and smallest bit of RAM (also called Memory). At least get something mid-range, because it’s likely you can’t upgrade these machines. At the very least, upgrade the storage (also called SSD or Hard Drive). The lowest storage option is usually the slowest storage - and yes, slow drive speeds can slow down your computer after a while.
- Don’t buy direct from Apple unless you want something that’s just come out. Amazon and Best Buy are always running sales on year-old devices and computers. Again, if it’s been out for more than six months, you’ll probably be able to find a deal on it, and Apple’s same warranty applies no matter who you buy it from.
I hope this guide has been helpful! If you have additional questions, you can find me on Twitter or email me directly.
