MacBook Pro 14" M1 Pro
The 14" MacBook Pro is a beauty! I got one about a week ago due to Apple’s current return policy. I have been using a 13" M1 MacBook Pro for a while now and it is working really well BUT there are a few short-comings that have led me to carry the 14" wonder around with me.
First, the base model (which is what I got) come with 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD which I did not opt for on the 13" machine (8GB and 256GB). I saw the 8GB really struggle from time to time when I was running scripts or API calls that bogged the processor down and would throw a memory error frequently. The storage has become an issue mostly because I like to have Windows VM (running in Parallels) available to me (which eats 50–80GB of data). Generally, 256GB is manageable.
The new keyboard is very nice. The touch bar is gone, but really do not notice it (rarely used it). The screen is bright and crisp and has a notch. Honestly, when you first boot it up it takes some getting used to but after a few days, I forgot about it. The updated webcam is nice as well to give a crisper image right from the laptop.
The overall form factor is more MacBook Pro of the days of old. Less “sleek” but honestly with the talk of the shape, size and weight, I was expecting it to be more cumbersome. It is really easy to tote around.
All in all, the new machine is a solid improvement over the 13" MacBook Pro (M1). Necessary, nope. Nice, yep!
Since I anticipate returning this, I have not even unpacked the MagSafe plug. I love the idea and would use it if I had longer-term expectations for this MacBook, but I hope that in the coming months — I’ll get one I can call my own :)
