MacBook Air M1 vs M2

crazyboy on 22/08/2022 - 13:32

I purchased MacBook Air M1 last week but I really miss the MagSafe adaptor. With kids at home or occasional tipping on the wire, your laptop is safe I believe. I am upgrading from MacBook Pro 2015 with MagSafe.

My use is generally 8-10 tabs in Safari, 1 in Mozilla/Chrome and I use 1-2 Google Sheets in safari and it takes a bit of memory load. Microsoft Excel 1-2 windows, 1 Microsoft Word windows.

I purchased from the AOC store https://www.apple.com/au_edu_5000447/store

I very much like the MagSafe adaptor (edge to edge screen and 1080p webcam being bonus). I am aware of the slow SSD in M2 from the YouTube reviews. However, I went to apple store and used both M1 and M2 and didn't find any difference for my use case. Apps were loading instantly on M2 same as M1. With 10-12 apps in background, M2 didn't feel slow.

I am considering the base Model 256 GB/8GB.

So I should I consider going for M2 for extra $400?

What would be return process if I need to return the M1 as purchased from the AOC store?

Computing Apple Computer Laptop Ultrabook

Comments

  • MS Paint on 22/08/2022 - 13:35
    +1

    I really miss the MagSafe adaptor

    You need one of these in your life.

    • ozwog05 on 22/08/2022 - 16:27

      Similar adapter available here

  • Deals For Days on 22/08/2022 - 13:46
    +2

    That’s a lot more money just for a MagSafe adaptor isn’t it?

    Just be a bit more careful with the cable.

  • nubix on 22/08/2022 - 13:59
    +1

    I think magsafe is only very useful if you regularly spend significant time in public places (libraries, airports) and you often need to charge in areas people walk. Between home and office where I have docks, it doesn't get used. If I want to travel light, I'd rather bring the USB-C so I can charge the phone too. I don't even know where my Magsafe cable is

    Been keeping an eye out on ebay for used m1 air prices because I've been meaning to sell mine and they've gone up slightly since the m2 came out so I think the price jump has disappointed a lot of people.

  • nubzy on 22/08/2022 - 14:01

    Happy with M1 personally. Rather save the money. It is great value for the performance/quality, the M2 is difficult to justify.

  • pinchies on 22/08/2022 - 17:06

    I would say the 8GB RAM is likely to be frustrating to you. These machines are non-upgradable, and the program ram is shared with the graphics ram. If you're forking out so much money, I would say to anyone buying one of these machines to opt for 16GB to significantly increase the machine's usable life. I would opt for that upgrade first, before considering the upgrade to M2.

    • ForkSnorter on 23/08/2022 - 08:44

      Is this based on experience? I have an 8GB/512GB Mac mini M1, and it's a powerhouse compared to my 8GB i7 Windows desktop. The fan hasn't needed to kick in once, even when editing 4K video. I'd opt for the larger internal SSD (512GB) before the larger ram option. I watched heaps of videos running tests on the Mac mini before choosing my setup. Wasn't worth the extra $400 for the 16GB version. Having said that, I would choose the M2 version it if were me.

      • pinchies on 23/08/2022 - 09:19

        I can’t speak for everyone’s usage, but actually, yes. I bought an M1 in 2021, with 8GB of RAM, and eventually sold it again because I was regularly running out of system memory. In the last few weeks I bought another M1 used, with 16GB RAM and 1TB SSD, and so far, so good.

        • ForkSnorter on 23/08/2022 - 09:38

          I think the extra storage helps with that too.

          • pinchies on 23/08/2022 - 14:36

            @ForkSnorter: Sorry, I don't see how more SSD helps with RAM shortage?

            • ForkSnorter on 23/08/2022 - 14:42

              @pinchies: It's just the way the M1 chip functions. Memory swapping.

            • nubix on 23/08/2022 - 15:21

              @pinchies: no different from Windows using a Swap file, it just so happens that the SSD is so performant that one barely notices the shift. this only functions if there is free space on the SSD for obvious reasons

              • pinchies on 23/08/2022 - 15:23
                +1

                @nubix: I'm aware about the SSD swapping — but it was still unsatisfactory with 8GB ram. How is more SSD space helping with SSD swapping on M1? It is an issue on the 256GB M2 since it has a lower SSD write speed, but not on the M1 model.

                Sorry, this was meant to be @ForkSnorter not @Nubix

  • AustriaBargain on 22/08/2022 - 17:34
    -2

    The M2 is a new design after so many years of the old body design. If I were you I'd return the M1 and get the M2, otherwise you'll always feel like your M1 is the "old" design instead of the new one.

    • pinchies on 23/08/2022 - 09:21
      +2

      It is a new design, yes, but it’s also substantially more expensive, while the M1 air is still a really excellent machine.. I recommend this video for a good rundown: https://youtu.be/oCtYBqcN7QE

    • Gervais fanboy on 23/08/2022 - 09:53

      otherwise you'll always feel like your M1 is the "old" design instead of the new one

      ‘fEeL’, lol.

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