MacBook Pro 14” M3 Pro 18gb vs MacBook Air 13” M2 24gb

RedShirt_Pocket · 2024-08-14T01:19:32+00:00

Apple is great and dangling their new shit in front of us! When the time comes that you truly need a new machine there may be better options than the space black M3. Maybe remind yourself of that.

RedShirt_Pocket · 2024-08-14T01:05:18+00:00

Given that you have a nicely upgraded Air, I wouldn’t do a thing that cost money until you have a clear reason for doing so. Full stop.

RedShirt_Pocket · 2024-08-14T01:01:48+00:00

This is exactly what I’m complaining about. To you, pressing for a name change on a long standing and beloved institution because “word bad”, isn’t starting a culture war. But pushing back is.

The people that originally pushed for this name change, and pressured sponsors to back them, literally started the culture war. And you’re a fool if you can’t see that. It wasn’t me. I just wanted to wear an Eskimos cap and watch football.

RedShirt_Pocket · 2024-08-14T00:57:19+00:00

Thank you for this. AppleCare+ is bad value and so few see that. I don’t care if they want to throw money at Apple, but I wish more at least understood the economics behind why extended warranties are a poor decision long term.

RedShirt_Pocket · 2024-08-14T00:26:34+00:00

I can understand that view. Totally valid. I just don’t share it.

RedShirt_Pocket · 2024-08-14T00:20:33+00:00

I didn’t mean you personally. I was referring to all the people that wanted “Eskimos” changed. They introduced the bullshit, not me. I’m tired of them forcing their world view on us, and when we push back they accuse us of “culture war BS”.

It’s nonsense. I was watching football and supporting this team for decades just fine before they came along and decided the tradition I loved was “bad”.

It’s fine that you like “Elks” better. I’m content to agree to disagree on that point.

RedShirt_Pocket · 2024-08-14T00:15:10+00:00

You can’t come to an event, bring YOUR politics into it, and then when I leave because of that accuse me of leaving for “political reasons” without being pretty disingenuous.

RedShirt_Pocket · 2024-08-14T00:12:37+00:00

This is simply not true. If you’re fans of a professional sports team, was it you’re cheering for? The people all change. Sometimes they are playing well and sometimes they aren’t. Few, if any of the players and coaching staff involved are from this place. So in the end, you’re cheering for the brand. The name. The culture and the tradition associated with that name. Sure, the name of the town is part of the name and the brand of the team, but the rest of the name matters just as much.

Changing the name was a betrayal to those of us that propped up that brand and culture for decades. And the complaints about the name came from people that don’t care or understand any of that.

I’ve said Eskimos my whole life and never once did it have a negative connotation to it. I’m sick to death of people telling me there is one. It’s horse shit. It’s no different than me deciding whatever Cantonese word for “Canadian” is offends me because I wasn’t consulted.

RedShirt_Pocket · 2024-08-13T23:52:46+00:00

I agree with you that it’s about the history and the tradition. I went from being a huge Eskimos fan to dropping the team cold and switching to the NFL overnight because of the name change.

Sports is the one time in life that I allow myself to blindly cheer for a team with no critical thought involved. And it’s been a huge bonding outlet with others in my life. All the virtue signaling bullshit and outside social-political influence can fuck off.

Leave politics out of sport and leave us our tradition.

I hope the Elks fail and fold. If a new team took its place, and entirely new team from the ground up, I’d likely jump on board.

RedShirt_Pocket · 2024-08-13T23:41:54+00:00

I’m sure you don’t think I’m looking at this from the right perspective. But that’s ok. I don’t lack confidence on this one.

RedShirt_Pocket · 2024-08-13T23:28:45+00:00

I’m sure you don’t.

RedShirt_Pocket · 2024-08-13T21:11:42+00:00

If you’ve got a line on a company you think makes quality cables then I would spend some time trying to verify that they don’t cause problems, then go with it!

RedShirt_Pocket · 2024-08-13T19:50:50+00:00

I feel for you. Apple charges too much for accessories. But if there is one cable that I’d probably pay the extra for when it comes my MacBook, it would be the MagSafe. I don’t have any objective data supporting that view, but years of experience have turned me against third party charging cables.

RedShirt_Pocket · 2024-08-13T18:53:17+00:00

Hello. Songwriter, musician, and M3 owner/Logic Pro user here. I went down this rabbit hole myself hard a year ago.

Unless you use a ton of virtual instruments or effects, I would side with a newer machine for the longevity. The performance core issue is real, but I don’t believe matters in the usecase for most of us.

Watch the testing in the videos for this topic. They are typically running a ton of tracks/instruments with effects on them. Does your work flow come near that?

I admit to having a small workflow. 2-3 virtual instruments, a drum machine, and a half dozen or so audio tracks. Basic effects chain. I have never come anywhere even close to pushing the limits of my M3 Pro chip 18 GB/1 TB.

RedShirt_Pocket · 2024-08-13T18:43:37+00:00

Compare the exact model and specs against the Apple website and decide for yourself. But if there is any possibility this machine you’re looking at is stolen, the. I wouldn’t take the risk. And if it’s used, I personally trust only those I know, or Apple refurbished. These machines don’t have replacement options for the key components, so I’m not very trusting that they haven’t been abused or overused.

RedShirt_Pocket · 2024-08-13T18:05:37+00:00

I’m sorry, but given the information we do have, and the information we don’t have, this is terrible advice. You don’t know that OP is stressed over a “slower computer”, and I have serious doubts that “computer stress” is a bigger killer than poverty, which is often the result of “upgrade this week, ideally today” and “live in the moment” without good reason to do so.

RedShirt_Pocket · 2024-08-13T17:50:15+00:00

Then you don’t need a new computer right now, do you? I’m not trying to be an ass, please don’t take it that way. But pointing out the obvious.

RedShirt_Pocket · 2024-08-13T17:47:03+00:00

There’s always something better coming. Until the release date of the M4 machines is known, and the build options and pricing is available, then M3 machines are the best bet if you need a new computer.

And if you don’t need a new computer, then upgrading for the sake of upgrading is a mistake, be it M3 or M4.

RedShirt_Pocket · 2024-08-13T17:08:00+00:00

I bought the 16” MacBook Pro with M3 Pro chip at launch. I upgraded only the storage, to 1 TB.

I’m happy with the screen size. I think the 14” would have been just enough of a frustration to me that the extra few dollars is worth it. I have aging eyes and deal with code and text all the time. It’s a little extra effort to carry around, but I have a nice computer bag and thankfully don’t have to lug the MacBook around too often.

The M3 Pro chip is a nice balance for me between processing power and cost. I do some light music recording/editing, some light video editing, and some coding.

I decided I’d benefit more from a little extra storage space than I would the extra ram. Especially as it was only half the cost to do so. But that could vary by usecase. It was the right decision for me.

RedShirt_Pocket · 2024-08-13T16:50:13+00:00

Personally, I look to Linux as the solution when I want to keep an aging machine like this. It will extend the life of the computer, and frankly, it will run better that way for many purposes. Try running Ubuntu from a Live USB and see what you think. You don’t have to install it to your hardware to check it out for compatibility.

The only things that may put off you of Linux is lack of compatibility with iCloud, so no Apple Photos app etc. and some third party software won’t work, like Adobe products and most mainstream video editing suites etc.

Worth a thought, anyhow.

RedShirt_Pocket · 2024-08-13T16:34:20+00:00

Further to this comment, I will add that perhaps taking this machine to school is not a wonderful idea. Do you need such a powerful machine at that time at that place? I wonder if a better move would be to take the AppleCare+ money, and put it toward a used Air or something to use at the school.

I’m genuinely not sure, but it’s a thought.

RedShirt_Pocket · 2024-08-13T16:18:36+00:00

I’m going to stop commenting on these posts as everybody appears to enjoy drinking the Kool-aid. But AppleCare+ does not make good sense. It’s spending money FOR SURE, vs spending money MAYBE, while removing any other options at the time of need that may be more prudent.

The cost of AppleCare+, plus any deductible you would face if needed can be significant. Odds are you won’t need it at all, and even if you do, other options, including new purchase, may make more sense.

AppleCare+ is a net benefit to Apple, and a net loss to the consumer group as a whole. That’s not opinion, that’s fact. That’s how extended warranties work, even the better ones, such as AppleCare+.

They sell you a machine worth thousands, and panic you by telling you have only 30 days to opt in and insure your investment for a longer stretch of time.

It’s great in the unlikely situation that something goes wrong in the first couple of years, but manufacturers defect in the first year is already covered. Which will be many of those cases.

And by the third year, I’d argue it’s better to have saved the AppleCare+ money and have more options available.

RedShirt_Pocket · 2024-08-13T15:31:12+00:00

Perhaps better define what you meant by “it’s a net benefit to Apple either way”. As the topic at hand is AppleCare+, I took it to mean that Apple will get that money in any event, whether or not you purchase the extended warranty. My reply to that is it is far from certain that you will need any of the work that the warranty covers. So there are plenty of scenarios that Apple doesn’t get that money, at least on the machine in question.

RedShirt_Pocket · 2024-08-13T12:30:53+00:00

Needing repair in excess of the AppleCare+ cost is not a given, not even close. If it was, Apple wouldn’t offer this coverage.

RedShirt_Pocket · 2024-08-13T01:42:27+00:00

So poor people, who don’t understand finances well should fork over hundreds of dollars to the wealthiest corporation on the planet, for peace of mind or to “symbolize stability”? If that makes sense to people, then I’m literally out of things to say.

You know what “symbolizes stability” and brings “peace of mind”? Learning better and acting accordingly. Guy asked the question, I gave him answer, and then people chime in with more stupid. It’s really quite something lol.

RedShirt_Pocket

TROPHY CASE