Updated May 21: article originally published May 20.
Apple’s The decision to postpone the release of M3 Apple Silicon to 2024, was widely reported this week, leaves those looking for a new macOS laptop in a bit of a quandary. Apple’s choices are disappointing in this regard. Should consumers wait and see what Apple has to offer next year, or should they be satisfied with the current portfolio and put down a significant amount of money?
Update: Sunday May 21: While there are some questions about the compatibility of any MacBooks purchased right now, Apple will be hoping that a significant number of customers will be attracted to the first 15-inch display in the MacBook Air. opened the demand jam as the first large-screen iPhone 6 Plus.
As WWDC approaches, Tim Cook and his team have made the call to start stocking up on the new macOS laptop to prepare for this market leap. Joe Rossignol reports:
In a research note obtained by MacRumors on Friday, Morgan Stanley analyst Eric Woodring said Quanta Computer is guiding for a high-single-digit percentage increase in notebook shipments in the second quarter of 2023 compared to the first quarter, Woodring said. provided.”
With MacBook sales slowing, the hope in Cupertino is that many will be waiting for the long-awaited bigger MacBook Air.
Currently, any acquisition is at the very end of the technological age. Apple has a number of technical innovations coming to the laptop platform for the next generation. Its investment in microLED display technology will begin to reach consumer-grade laptops; There will be tighter integration between macOS and iPadOS, which will require hardware changes, including adding a touchscreen to the package, new battery management technologies, and a more efficient chipset to increase battery power and performance.
Any investment in the macOS ecosystem will miss all of this.
The biggest question is one that must be answered personally and honestly. Do you need or want one? Chances are you’ll buy a lot of Apple products in the first week if you want, and you’re comfortable with that approach.
If you need one and need to buy it in the near future, then you have some solid options. At $999, the entry-level MacBook Air M1 may be low on specs compared to every other macOS laptop, but the chipset’s efficiency should ensure a competent laptop experience for years to come; Just keep in mind that you are buying a machine that is approaching three years old in terms of hardware.
Those looking to balance power and pick up a laptop with a larger screen might be best placed to look at the refurbished 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros. These will take the M2 Pro and M2 Max chipsets – which should continue to outperform the M3 (the M1 Pro and M1 Max outperform the M2). Even the new 15-inch M3 MacBook Air packs less punch than the updated 14-inch M2 Pro MacBook Pro.
And those looking for the ultimate power — those in enterprise or heavy media creation, for example — will be in a position to upgrade the moment something more powerful comes along.
Apple’s focus inside Cupertino, for media and buyers abroad, is “mixed reality” and its almost quixotic quest to redefine what it means to be a member of the headphone-wearing geekerati. With some attention returning to the macOS portfolio, the known 2024 changes are likely just part of the improvements in the pipeline (even if those improvements bring MacBook hardware up to par with Windows laptops of the past decade).
Considering that it would be a bold choice to invest heavily in the consumer MacBook family right now.
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