Skip to main content

Be honest. The new MacBook Pro looks great, but you don’t need it

The new MacBook Pro looks incredible. Nearly every aspect of the device has been redesigned or updated, and in many ways, it’s a return of the pre-2016 MacBook Pro that we all loved.

But it starts at $2,000. And for most people, it’s a waste of money.

Lifestyle image of someone using the new Macbook Pro 2021.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

I understand the temptation. We all love the idea of owning the latest and greatest gadgets, especially on the Apple front. You want the slickest design and the most cutting-edge technology.

Recommended Videos

And between the Liquid Retina XDR screen, the extended port selection, and improved webcam, there are some quality-of-life benefits that almost everyone will appreciate.

I don’t want to downplay those features, but if you’re like me, you don’t actually need a MacBook Pro as much as you might pretend you do. I spend most of my time in a web browser, not in Blender or even Adobe Premiere Pro. I don’t usually even connect to more than one external monitor.

That’s where the MacBook Air comes into play, which is $1,000 cheaper than the new MacBook Pro. Thanks to the M1, the MacBook Air is a surprisingly powerful little laptop, especially if your workflow doesn’t involve heavy creative applications. And for the occasional dips into Photoshop or even Logic, the MacBook Air is surprisingly adequate at handling the workload — all while being completely fanless.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

This isn’t how things used to be. Before the M1, the MacBook Air was a sadly underpowered device. Even a Zoom call would get the low-wattage CPU all flustered. That couldn’t be different with the M1 MacBook Air. It remains so good that it even undercuts the 13-inch MacBook Pro M1 that Apple still sells.

The old 13-inch MacBook Pro was always one of Apple’s hottest sellers because it attracted the hobbyist or student audience. It didn’t actually have the performance to back up the “Pro” label — but it was an aspirational product that made the hobbyist or student feel like they were playing in the big leagues. This type of laptop is important — in fact, it’s key to Apple’s entire ethos.

The only thing that’s changed? That audience can now safely buy the much cheaper MacBook Air, and find everything they need in a laptop.

From the looks of it, Apple has finally made the MacBook Pro a true “Pro” laptop. And for most of people, that means it’s not for you.

Luke Larsen
Luke Larsen is the Senior Editor of Computing, managing all content covering laptops, monitors, PC hardware, Macs, and more.
These M4 MacBook Pro leaks are a goldmine of secret info
Russian YouTuber Romancev768 with what is claimed to be a real M4 MacBook Pro unit.

Apple's known for locking down its secrets under lock and key. But not these past few weeks.

The company hasn’t even announced the M4 MacBook Pro, yet we’ve apparently learned pretty much everything there is to know about the upcoming laptop thanks to a series of purported high-profile leaks and unboxing videos that have shown off the device from every angle. For a firm as security conscious as Apple, having the MacBook Pro spoiled in this way is close to catastrophic.

Read more
These M4 MacBook Pro leaks are getting insane, and I don’t know what to believe anymore
An open MacBook Pro on a table.

Apple has yet to announce an October Mac event, but leaks for the M4 MacBook Pro continue to circulate. A new tweet from Apple leaker ShrimpApplePro and a new Russian unboxing video have been spotted by Tom's Hardware, giving this possibly true and definitely unprecedented Apple leak more steam. The tweet claims a seller on a private Facebook group has 200 units of the M4 MacBook Pro for sale, adding: "This is probably the biggest warehouse leakage I've ever seen."

https://x.com/VNchocoTaco/status/1843133165302591861?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1843133165302591861%7Ctwgr%5E3d007d4bc86ddf38301ce5446103d04c8e8215f5%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tomshardware.com%2Flaptops%2Fapple-macbook-pro-m4-leakage-gets-serious-with-200-units-reportedly-up-for-sale-on-social-media

Read more
A YouTuber with 11 million subscribers just unboxed the M4 MacBook Pro
The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M3 Max chip seen from behind.

Leaks of the yet-to-be-announced M4 MacBook Pro have been getting weirder and weirder lately. First, it was up for sale on Facebook. And now, as spotted by MacRumors, there seems to be an entire unboxing video of it on YouTube.

Weirder yet, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman retweeted the Russian YouTuber Wylsacom's video with the comment: "Unconfirmed but looks fairly legitimate." This isn't some unknown YouTube channel, either. He currently sits at 11.3 million subscribers.

Read more