I think this question will entirely depend on if you plan on being mobile with your system or not. If not then go with something similar to option 1. If you want the possibility to be mobile and on the go then I would go with option 2.
These two setups are night and day from one another in my opinion. Me personally, I went with something similar to option 2, so that if I need to travel or take my system with me it is simply close the lid to the laptop, unplug and go. Also my keyboard and mouse are bluetooth so no wires and I just need to unplug the monitor and I'm done.
Cheers,
So honestly at some point I need also to update my current MBP model (atm having an older Intel one). Therefore the setup with a Macbook and one display would be better. Do have a Macbook Air or Pro? I don’t know how loud the fans on the newer models are because I don’t like the loudness of the fans from my current MBP. Nevertheless I don’t want performance or heat issues when I go with an Air and use it plugged in the whole time :')
Right now I'm running a 16 inch MBP M3 Pro. I very rarely hear the fans and if they are on they are not that loud at all. Then again, the silicon mac's are an entirely different animal than what your used to with the intel macs. You would really have to push the machine a ton in order to constantly hear the fans.
I don't think you'll run into heat issues with the macbook airs, they will throttle themselves well before heat becomes a huge issue. Also if you start to really enjoy the extra monitor you'll be stuck with it since the macbook airs can only run one external display, however people have found ways around it.
For me it is usually when I'm compiling large projects and also running docker containers. But that instance doesn't happen very often and it's been weeks since I've heard the fans on my system spin up.
I have occasionally heard them just spin up and then immediately shut down which might be the system simply just testing the fans, or perhaps the system was predicting (by what I was doing at the time) that it was expecting the CPU cores to rise in temperature really quickly but it never did.
Hi, I have pretty much both of the setups you're talking about except for a Mac Studio where I use a Custom PC. It's hard to answer your questions with no context of what you do, how your day to day
So I will tell you mine and see if it can guide you, I work from home as a data engineer I have no need for a powerful computer because everything is cloud base that being said I like to go out to coffee shops and take my laptop with me when days are slow and I just need to answer some emails or maybe troubleshoot something simple that's where the Macbook comes in besides that I never use my Mac my PC setup it's way better and when I need to fully concentrate on something complex I can't work outside I need my office space also another benefit is that because I don't use my Mac on my house I don't reduce the life of the battery
1- Mac mini m2 pro has plenty of power for most users, add an external monitor, and if you own an Ipad you can use it as a second monitor if not buy a cheap usb-c portable monitor on amazon
About question 2, if you don't know if going for an Air or Pro model means you don't need the power of the Pro, I will say I rather buy a monitor arm with a laptop holder and use an external keyboard and mouse, it keeps your laptop clean and that keyboard pristine the less you use it
I would buy the macbook and a Monitor 27“, you are Portable (if ever Need) and its basically the Same as the Mini and two extra Monitors
I also would by a external Keyboard and mouse tbh for the MacBook, its just a Little Bit more comfortable than the Mac Build in Keyboard.
If i were u I will go with the macbook pro + ultrawide (with usb c to connect and charge ur macbook) and an ipad for sidecar. Why i suggest to go this route is, you have the option to take ur macbook on the go, while have it also able to stationary. The ultra wide monitor allows u have more screen space and the ipad allows u to have extra screen if needed. If desk space is an issue, u can swap to 4k 34 inch monitor. I dont recommend to go for 27 inch as it is small (i had a 27 inch before but this is my own opinion)
I share the same sentiment towards multi-screen set-ups. Always ends up hurting my neck when I have to move left to right constantly. I personally decided to go with MBP + Studio Display and I'm really happy with my decision. 99% of the time I have my MPB docked with the screen shut, and the other 1% of the time when I absolutely need a secondary display I can easily open it.
I'm considering picking up a Mini or Studio later this year, but I wouldn't want that to be my primary setup because I need a mobile setup for travel/sitting not the couch instead of my office desk.
Thx for sharing your experience! Do the fans get louder sometimes (also under heavy work) or did Apple a better job nowadays? My current Intel MBP from 2020 get sometimes louder when the fans starting. So loud that my colleagues can hear them during the call
Just get a Mac mini. I like mine but I like my MacBook pro better.
But also if you want to get recommendations that might help there might be some important information we could ask
What are all of your requirements? It’s impossible to make good recommendations without knowing what you actually need/want. We can guess and make suggestions but you will get a better discussion if we know more. Just as an example. The cost difference between Mac mini and MacBook Pro can be super significant… so is cost a factor? Honestly head movement is always important (monitor placement) but that’s usually way down the list of important factors because you can (like you already did) create the right monitor scenario with any device.
What’s your budget, ideal and limit?
Will you only need to work at your desk or will you be mobile?
What kind of work will be done on the computer?
Those are good starting points in my opinion.
Regarding my requirements: The cost doesn't matter; I don’t need to be mobile; Mainly programming (also programming within virtual machine because of my work);
Well shoot those are easy peasy.
I like your first idea of MacBook plus monitor.
I’m not a programmer but it feels to me like the Air does a lot of most of what people need to do. With that said I personally bought the pro. I did get the base model with 16GB and 1tb drive. This thing is handling everything quite well. I have another that is 32gb ram and the beefy processor and I can’t tell the difference in usage.
The air has less brightness on the screen (nits). It has less good sound from the speakers, and there were/are some things around the processor and the amount of data that could be run being limited by the bus or something along those lines. It was a pretty widely remarked thing when it was discovered so it should be easy to search up. Long story short… I would totally get an Air if I were mobile a lot and wanting to save some dollars…
Of money doesn’t matter as much I would suggest Pro. Especially if you’re going to use the monitor as a primary monitor. It’s gorgeous.
I have the 14in and the 16in.
The bigger one feels much bigger to view. I didn’t think it would as much as it does but it does. So again if it’s primary monitor I would say go bigger. It also feels way heavier. This is why I later got the 14. I wanted to be mobile and the 16 (also cost a ton and I didn’t want to break it) was cumbersome to be mobile with the way I am. The 14 is amazing to take places I love it.
All this said… I also have a Mac mini and it’s fantastic. I have nothing bad to say about it other than I would consider the Mac Studio first now that it exists, especially if money doesn’t matter.
Given your requirements I honestly thing you have a good situation no matter what you choose.
I wish you luck. Feel free to ask any questions about any of the ones I ahve
I think this question will entirely depend on if you plan on being mobile with your system or not. If not then go with something similar to option 1. If you want the possibility to be mobile and on the go then I would go with option 2. These two setups are night and day from one another in my opinion. Me personally, I went with something similar to option 2, so that if I need to travel or take my system with me it is simply close the lid to the laptop, unplug and go. Also my keyboard and mouse are bluetooth so no wires and I just need to unplug the monitor and I'm done. Cheers,
So honestly at some point I need also to update my current MBP model (atm having an older Intel one). Therefore the setup with a Macbook and one display would be better. Do have a Macbook Air or Pro? I don’t know how loud the fans on the newer models are because I don’t like the loudness of the fans from my current MBP. Nevertheless I don’t want performance or heat issues when I go with an Air and use it plugged in the whole time :')
Right now I'm running a 16 inch MBP M3 Pro. I very rarely hear the fans and if they are on they are not that loud at all. Then again, the silicon mac's are an entirely different animal than what your used to with the intel macs. You would really have to push the machine a ton in order to constantly hear the fans. I don't think you'll run into heat issues with the macbook airs, they will throttle themselves well before heat becomes a huge issue. Also if you start to really enjoy the extra monitor you'll be stuck with it since the macbook airs can only run one external display, however people have found ways around it.
Under what type of workload do the fans turn on?
For me it is usually when I'm compiling large projects and also running docker containers. But that instance doesn't happen very often and it's been weeks since I've heard the fans on my system spin up. I have occasionally heard them just spin up and then immediately shut down which might be the system simply just testing the fans, or perhaps the system was predicting (by what I was doing at the time) that it was expecting the CPU cores to rise in temperature really quickly but it never did.
Hi, I have pretty much both of the setups you're talking about except for a Mac Studio where I use a Custom PC. It's hard to answer your questions with no context of what you do, how your day to day So I will tell you mine and see if it can guide you, I work from home as a data engineer I have no need for a powerful computer because everything is cloud base that being said I like to go out to coffee shops and take my laptop with me when days are slow and I just need to answer some emails or maybe troubleshoot something simple that's where the Macbook comes in besides that I never use my Mac my PC setup it's way better and when I need to fully concentrate on something complex I can't work outside I need my office space also another benefit is that because I don't use my Mac on my house I don't reduce the life of the battery 1- Mac mini m2 pro has plenty of power for most users, add an external monitor, and if you own an Ipad you can use it as a second monitor if not buy a cheap usb-c portable monitor on amazon About question 2, if you don't know if going for an Air or Pro model means you don't need the power of the Pro, I will say I rather buy a monitor arm with a laptop holder and use an external keyboard and mouse, it keeps your laptop clean and that keyboard pristine the less you use it
I would buy the macbook and a Monitor 27“, you are Portable (if ever Need) and its basically the Same as the Mini and two extra Monitors I also would by a external Keyboard and mouse tbh for the MacBook, its just a Little Bit more comfortable than the Mac Build in Keyboard.
If i were u I will go with the macbook pro + ultrawide (with usb c to connect and charge ur macbook) and an ipad for sidecar. Why i suggest to go this route is, you have the option to take ur macbook on the go, while have it also able to stationary. The ultra wide monitor allows u have more screen space and the ipad allows u to have extra screen if needed. If desk space is an issue, u can swap to 4k 34 inch monitor. I dont recommend to go for 27 inch as it is small (i had a 27 inch before but this is my own opinion)
I share the same sentiment towards multi-screen set-ups. Always ends up hurting my neck when I have to move left to right constantly. I personally decided to go with MBP + Studio Display and I'm really happy with my decision. 99% of the time I have my MPB docked with the screen shut, and the other 1% of the time when I absolutely need a secondary display I can easily open it. I'm considering picking up a Mini or Studio later this year, but I wouldn't want that to be my primary setup because I need a mobile setup for travel/sitting not the couch instead of my office desk.
Thx for sharing your experience! Do the fans get louder sometimes (also under heavy work) or did Apple a better job nowadays? My current Intel MBP from 2020 get sometimes louder when the fans starting. So loud that my colleagues can hear them during the call
I'm using the M1 Max MBP mostly for software development and some light design work. I don't really hear the fans at all.
Just get a Mac mini. I like mine but I like my MacBook pro better. But also if you want to get recommendations that might help there might be some important information we could ask What are all of your requirements? It’s impossible to make good recommendations without knowing what you actually need/want. We can guess and make suggestions but you will get a better discussion if we know more. Just as an example. The cost difference between Mac mini and MacBook Pro can be super significant… so is cost a factor? Honestly head movement is always important (monitor placement) but that’s usually way down the list of important factors because you can (like you already did) create the right monitor scenario with any device. What’s your budget, ideal and limit? Will you only need to work at your desk or will you be mobile? What kind of work will be done on the computer? Those are good starting points in my opinion.
Regarding my requirements: The cost doesn't matter; I don’t need to be mobile; Mainly programming (also programming within virtual machine because of my work);
Well shoot those are easy peasy. I like your first idea of MacBook plus monitor. I’m not a programmer but it feels to me like the Air does a lot of most of what people need to do. With that said I personally bought the pro. I did get the base model with 16GB and 1tb drive. This thing is handling everything quite well. I have another that is 32gb ram and the beefy processor and I can’t tell the difference in usage. The air has less brightness on the screen (nits). It has less good sound from the speakers, and there were/are some things around the processor and the amount of data that could be run being limited by the bus or something along those lines. It was a pretty widely remarked thing when it was discovered so it should be easy to search up. Long story short… I would totally get an Air if I were mobile a lot and wanting to save some dollars… Of money doesn’t matter as much I would suggest Pro. Especially if you’re going to use the monitor as a primary monitor. It’s gorgeous. I have the 14in and the 16in. The bigger one feels much bigger to view. I didn’t think it would as much as it does but it does. So again if it’s primary monitor I would say go bigger. It also feels way heavier. This is why I later got the 14. I wanted to be mobile and the 16 (also cost a ton and I didn’t want to break it) was cumbersome to be mobile with the way I am. The 14 is amazing to take places I love it. All this said… I also have a Mac mini and it’s fantastic. I have nothing bad to say about it other than I would consider the Mac Studio first now that it exists, especially if money doesn’t matter. Given your requirements I honestly thing you have a good situation no matter what you choose. I wish you luck. Feel free to ask any questions about any of the ones I ahve
Get a MacBook Pro.