Apple’s two mainstream laptops for 2022 – the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air – are both powered by Apple Silicon M2 chipsets. There will be a natural tendency for those coveting a new laptop to first look at the MacBook Pro with its increased performance and expanded capabilities.
Still, looks, speed, and potential might not be enough to sell the 13-inch MacBook Pro when you compare the macOS laptop to the MacBook Air or larger business MacBook Pro models.
One of the reasons many will look to a MacBook Pro over a MacBook Air is the perceived extra power available in the Pro. While this is the case with the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops, the 13-inch MacBook uses the same M2 chipset as the MacBook Air. Although the addition of a fan allows the M2 to run hotter in the MacBook Pro and provide more performance, the base M2 here falls short of the M1 Pro and M1 Max in computers larger laptops. If power is what you need, the answer isn’t the 13-inch MacBook Pro.
Maybe you’re not looking for power, but a laptop that will get you through a day of work and play, and the flexibility of a MacBook Pro has a certain appeal.
It’s one of the big use cases for Apple’s mainstream laptop, and there’s a much better choice out there that offers almost similar performance at a better price.
Remember that the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro share the same M2 processor. Daily laptop work won’t push the M2 to the performance limit. Instead, it’ll spin while you’re browsing the web, listening to music, and maybe streaming video. It is not necessary to have the extra power for this; you just need a laptop that can do all the basics, keep battery life high, and be light enough to carry around. If you need a versatile laptop, the answer isn’t the 13-inch MacBook Pro.
There is also something more intangible. The MacBook Pro M2 is new. It’s a brilliant piece of kit, and with everything going on in the world, why not have a little tech treat before the economy shrinks any more?
I totally understand.
So why would you want to buy a laptop with a design introduced back in the days of Intel in 2016? You have the MacBook Air with a new design, an improved display, more I/O choices, fast charging, and more. Or you have the larger MacBook Pro laptops with awesome miniLED displays, even more I/O choices, and faster charging. If shiny new is the way to go, your answer isn’t the 13-inch MacBook Pro.
The strongest argument may be “I want a cheaper macOS laptop with the word ‘Pro’ on it.” If so, you’ve been wrapped in hook, line, and sinker. Can I sell you a sticker?
There’s no doubt that the MacBook Pro is a fantastically capable laptop, especially if you look at it in isolation. Once you start looking at the rest of the portfolio, the MacBook Pro becomes a curiously isolated laptop that doesn’t fit any domain. The smart choice will be to look elsewhere.
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