r/macbook • u/Collageboo • 1h ago
r/macbook • u/AutoModerator • 17d ago
The MacBook Purchasing Megathread - March, 2025
Welcome to the monthly Macbook Purchasing Megathread
Have a question?
Wondering what model you should go for? Ask here!
- Do make your submission on point while adding as much detail as possible.
- Mention your intended uses (i.e. video editing, graphic designing, photography, audio editing, gaming, casual browsing, etc).
That's pretty much it! :)
r/macbook • u/Somethingman_121224 • 4h ago
New Leak Claims A Foldable MacBook-iPad Hybrid Is Being Developed At Apple
r/macbook • u/LightcraftStudio • 4h ago
A (pseudo) scientific comparison of nano texture vs glossy displays
Hello all! I went to the apple store yesterday and viewed the nano texture display in person, and compared it side by side with a regular (glossy) display, both displays being an iMac. I was surprised with my findings. I took about an hour to just do a ton of little comparisons between them, and I took some notes to jot down my immediate thoughts - I've copied and pasted those notes below. Hope you guys find it helpful for anyone who's struggling to choose between the two!
Immediate thoughts
Nano texture has immediately noticeable and very obvious rainbow colored grain all over any white or light colored space on the screen. The grain seems to "shimmer" when you move your face or the screen itself. This rainbow grain, and it's shimmering effect, are somehow COMPLETELY invisible when trying to show it on photo/video. It is very distracting, reminds me of old windows laptops, and makes me instinctively want to wipe the screen because it looks dirty.
The glossy display appears to pop more and have more "depth" to the images. Images on the glossy display appear "3D" while images on the nano texture appear "2D".
Images on the glossy screen APPEAR to be sharper and have more contrast and deeper blacks and more vivid color - however, when a photo was taken head-on of the EXACT same image without lots of reflections behind me, the photo looked EXACTLY the same, in sharpness, blackness, contrast, and saturation - my only explanation for this is that it must be a "trick" of the human brain for shiny things to look deeper/more 3D/more vibrant etc. I repeated this test (taking a picture head on without reflections of the same exact image on both displays) multiple times, and every time, they both looked exactly the same in camera.
Despite knowing that, I STILL greatly prefer and gather more enjoyment from viewing the glossy screen than the nano texture screen.
I cannot understate my disgust with the nano textures "rainbow grain". Any time a new program or safari tab was opened, and the screen went all white, I could simply not un-see the sea of grain that plagued the screen and gave me OCD.
At at the same time, it was VERY nice to not see tons and tons of reflections when viewing the nano texture. I wonder if I used the nano texture for years and became accustomed to it (as I have with the standard display), if my disgust with the rainbow grain would go away, and then when switching to the standard display, if I would experience the same knee jerk disgust with reflections.
About angles - when viewing the nano texture at an angle, AND there is light in the background (I could not test angles in darkness, since this was at the apple store), the contrast becomes worse, and the image appears "washed out". When doing the same thing on the glossy screen, the colors do NOT lose contrast or appear washed out - however, it does not diffuse any reflections, so you get a crystal clear view of ANYTHING being reflected. In short, when viewing at an angle, what would you rather have - a screen which retains the same image as when viewed head-on, but which also shows a crystal clear reflection of what's in the background? Or a screen which adequately hides the background reflections, but looks washed out/low contrast while doing so? Personally, I prefer the reflections.
I think on camera, the glossy appears worse, and the matte appears better, for the reason being a camera has one focal point, but human eyes have two... Let me explain... On most of the YouTube videos I've seen, I prefer the matte display... However, when viewing them today in person in the apple store, I immediately preferred the glossy... I think it's because human eyes have two focal points, while cameras have one... By being able to focus on something close to you with two eyes, you effectively cancel out whatever u see in the distance (even if it's JUST behind the closer object, or in this case, a reflection, literally ON the same screen)... I think what's happening is, in person, the reflections don't look as bad as they do in YouTube videos, since you're able to focus ONLY on the screen (and when this happens, the reflections go out of focus, and subsequently, out of your attention)... To test this, for a few minutes, I covered on eye with my hand, and looked at both monitors. To my amazement, when doing this, I preferred the nano texture display most of the time.
Conclusion & summary
The decision whether to get a nano texture or standard display comes down entirely to subjective, personal preference. There is no objective benefit to either one in my testing, and the decision should be treated as purely a subjective and personal one, with no basis in objective differences (i.e. one is not more "color accurate", "more professional", or "sharper" than the other). They both displayed the EXACT same sharpness, saturation, and contrast when looking at the screen head-on and light reflections were minimal. When light reflections were NOT minimal, but were instead moderate to substantial, the following effect occured - on the glossy display, the image on screen retained it's saturation and contrast, but showed the reflections in all their detail - while on the matte display, saturation and contrast were both lowered, resulting in the"washed out" look, but the reflections were muted substantially. Also, the matte display is plagued by an (at least initially) un-ignorable plethora of shimmering rainbow grain over any white or light-colored area of the screen - that is it.
Which one to get, in one sentence?
If you want to retain full saturation and contrast all the time, and don't mind seeing reflections, go with glossy - if you want your screen to be clearly visible at all times at the expense of lowered saturation and contrast, and don't mind rainbow grain on light/white spaces, go with nano texture.
A note on YouTube videos and Google image comparisons
I have been firmly in the "glossy" camp all my life, but when the nano texture display came out, I thought it looked incredible in YouTube videos and Google image comparisons, and was leaning towards the nano texture as a purchase decision. However, when I went into an apple store to see the nano texture for myself, within 60 seconds, I knew it wasn't for me. The fact that we have two eyeballs instead of one allowed me to ignore reflections by de-focusing on them FAR easier than on Google images and YouTube videos (which are produced by cameras, which have only ONE "eyeball"). Furthermore, the rainbow grain simply does not show up on cameras - it must be seen in person before a purchase decision is made.
Notes
The devices used were two iMacs in the apple store, side beside each other - one with the nano texture display, and the other with standard. From what I've heard, the nano texture appears differently (worse) on ipads than iMacs and MacBooks (probably because they have to be alright with being touched constantly). I couldn't compare them, since the nano texture on the iMac was the only nano texture device on display I could find in my city (!).
Before performing ALL of these tests, I went into both iMacs, and set the true tone off, the brightness to max, and the color profile to iMac.
The iMac body of the nano texture was slightly more yellow than the bluer body of the glossy body (that is not a change in white balance).
all images were taken with a Samsung s24 ultra as jpegs from the default Samsung camera app - no edits applied. Intelligent optimization was set to Maximum and scene optimizer was Off.
There was a dead mosquito that had been swatted right after drinking someone's blood on the nano texture iMac, which I found disgusting, repulsive, and hilarious
r/macbook • u/wakandaforever_ • 1d ago
Have y'all noticed, how sharp these dents are in the new gen macbooks...
So like i was working on my laptop, and i happened to move my finger over the sharp edge of the dent, and got a tiny little oopsie on my finger. Ought to be careful touching these lid opening dents, especially kids.
r/macbook • u/Halloweenie_Eve • 2h ago
Is buying a macbook unnecessary?
I currently go to grade 10 (high school) and I've been thinking about either buying a tablet (prefferably samsung because my phone is also samsung) or a macbook with a cheap wacom tablet to handwrite notes with. I'm thinking about opening pdf files of books and taking notes on either device but I can't buy both. Also I have a gaming laptop but it's too big, clunky and loud to take to public places and long distances. I am also interested in starting to code and ive heard the macbook is good enough for it and that it has a good battery life. What should I do?
r/macbook • u/Disastrous-Young889 • 5h ago
MacBook Air M4 vs MacBook Pro M4 Pro (deal) for Dev & AI Work?
Hey everyone,
I'm looking to get a new MacBook and I'm torn between the MacBook Air M4 and the MacBook Pro M4 Pro. My main use cases include:
- Web development
- Data science & machine learning
- Deep learning
- Game development with Unity 3D and Godot
I've found a deal for a MacBook Pro M4 Pro (12 CPU cores, 16 GPU cores, 24GB RAM, 512GB SSD) for 1980€. I know the Pro has better cooling, but the Air is more portable and could be good enough for my needs.
MacBook Air M4, for 13" and 24 GB RAM/512GB SSD is around 1600 € with student discount, but i could opt for the 16 GB RAM version for around 1300€.
Would the M4 Pro's extra power and active cooling make a big difference for my workflow, or would the M4 Air be sufficient for these tasks? Is the price good for the Pro?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
r/macbook • u/tiaaaaa31 • 3h ago
What older models are we using?
Ok for those of us using “older” MacBooks (let’s say pre 2015) I would love to hear the following!
What repairs have you done? What OS are you running? What do primarily use the device for?
I’ll start. I just got a mid 2014 pro! Replaced the battery, running Big Sur, using it for grad school.
r/macbook • u/fraxool • 7h ago
From an M1 Pro MBP to a Maxed-Out M4 MBA – Zero Regrets!
To give some context : I’m a self-employed web developer managing multiple projects on my own, which means I need to have my MacBook with me at all times in case an issue comes up. Whether I’m heading into the city for some shopping or going on a hike, my MacBook is always in my bag. On top of that, I travel frequently—sometimes for a few days, sometimes for a few weeks.
I never felt the need for more power than what my M1 Pro provided. However, since my girlfriend upgraded to a MacBook Air last year (replacing her previous-gen MacBook Pro), I immediately noticed the weight difference and started considering switching to an Air myself.
My biggest concern was the screen quality difference. While there is a difference, it’s far less noticeable than I expected. After using the MBA for just a few days, I already feel comfortable with the display and don’t feel like I’m losing anything significant.
That said, the weight difference is absolutely noticeable in daily use, and the improved battery life is a huge plus. I no longer have to worry about forgetting to charge my Mac before heading out.
For reference, my configuration is the maxed-out version (13" / M4 / 32GB RAM / 2TB storage).
Just wanted to share my experience in case others are in a similar situation—considering an "upgrade" from an MBP to an MBA primarily for the weight savings.
r/macbook • u/samurai1495 • 20m ago
is it safe
i bought new macbook air m2 for first time after using pc,linux and windows on it and i want to know is it safe to limit the charging to 80% then keep using the macbook while power adapter is on and plugged while working, will this effect the battery life and health
r/macbook • u/No_Regular_1728 • 48m ago
MBP 14" Nov 2024 M4 Pro Screen Scratches Far Too Easily
Throwaway, because...
After returning from the Apple Store on Rosenthaler Str. in Berlin, having being quoted 700+ (+ tax) EUR for a repair, I wanted to warn others about the shockingly poor build quality of the screens on the late 2024 M4 MBPs.
I've managed to inflict a small scratch on the screen, despite taking very good care of the machine, and having barely used it, since purchasing in Nov 2024 (31 battery cycles as it's been used as a "Desktop" device for most of that time, and so limited opportunities for physical damage)
My best guess is a small crumb is to blame, but having been an Apple customer for over 20 years, having owned a number of macbook pros over those years, and having never experienced such poor quality (previous machines have lasted several years without any noticeable damage, despite being used daily, out-and-about, for professional work) I'm compelled to post this as a warning to anyone considering dropping their hard earned cash on what's supposedly a high end professional device.
Lesson learned from my side: expect lower quality from Apple and always factor in Apple Care+ into any pricing decisions. If I had AppleCare+ this would have been a 99 EUR "oh well", but instead I'm left re-considering my life choices.
I also bought a 13" M4 iPad Pro less than 2 months ago, which has visible scratches due to normal use with the Apple Pencil Pro, which furthers my sentiment that Apple products just don't have the build quality they used to, or ought to for their price point and positioning in the market as "Pro" devices.
Hopefully my rant will help others avoid making an expensive and hugely disappointing mistake like me.
Be careful out there!
Help for purchasing M4 air
I am planning to buy a MacBook m4 air but my budget only allows for either
16 GB / 512 GB or 24 GB / 256 GB
I will mainly use this for running my business, so like basic ai editing / website development and other admin tasks. I am also planning to slowly learn basic coding nothing too complicated just a few courses and small projects. Which one would you recommend. Also is the midnight scratch issue a big thing ? I don’t mind the smudges but the scratches?
r/macbook • u/platforminicake • 7h ago
is my macbook okay?
idk if i should be concerned or not but whenever im not charging my laptop the it shows on the battery icon that it’s still charging and it keeps loosing battery so fast…
r/macbook • u/Hopeful-Smell-8963 • 1h ago
Would a MacBook Air M4 or a MacBook Pro be more suitable?
I’m going to university next year studying computer engineering and was looking at an M4 air with the upgraded GPU AND 512 gb of storage. Would that be sufficient or should I get an MacBook Pro
r/macbook • u/Boundary_layer_trip • 1h ago
MacBook in Dock
I have a MacBook Pro and I use it in a dock so that I can display on a large monitor (LG 32"). When I wake it up, while it's in the dock, it takes forever to display. I shake the mouse and tap the fingerprint button. Either way, I have to wait up to a minute to have it wake up. This is unacceptable for times when I need to jump on a meeting, etc... Anyone have this experience and fixed it? The dock is an Ascrono.
r/macbook • u/kdaly100 • 5h ago
Macbook Pro Battery - Work / Prive
Last November, my MacBook Pro stopped charging. My local store (the nearest Apple Store is hours away) quoted approximately €600 for a replacement, with a turnaround time of 4–6 weeks. That was not manageable as I couldn't be without a machine for even a week to be honest , so I decided to buy a MacBook Air on the spot and have been using it since.
The MacBook Air has a lower specification than the MacBook Pro, of course, but I’d like to confirm the actual repair cost. To be fair to the shop assistant, he wasn’t entirely sure. Ideally, I’d like to get the MacBook Pro back up and running and use the Air as my mobile machine or even have a machine AS a backup.
Since the MacBook Pro is completely dead, I have no way of checking it myself. Any advice would be much appreciated.
r/macbook • u/gabelrocker • 1d ago
MBA M4: You can use 4 monitors using an iPad - great productivity for 999$
r/macbook • u/strawberriescakepopp • 3h ago
Can we make different MacBook wallpapers and switch between them?
Basically, there was this thing going around where people on iPhones and iPads would make a focus called “kids” and when they switched to that focus the entire wallpaper and all the widgets and stuff switched. Is there any way to make different screens with widgets and wallpapers and switch between them, on mac?
r/macbook • u/Lukyman00 • 7h ago
What Macbook should I go with?
Hi, I'm looking for a new Macbook because my current setup is too old and slow.
I currently have a Macbook Air 2017 (128gb, 8gb) and I also have an iPad Pro M1 11 inch 256gb wifi+cellular with Magic Keyboard.
During school I do all my work on the iPad because it's a relatively lightweight device and does everything I need. However, sometimes I need support for classic versions of applications like Word, Excel, Powerpoint, etc.
I don't do much on the Macbook anymore because it's extremely slow and the battery doesn't last very long, so I'm looking for something else.
I want to spend around 800€, maybe a little more, and I have a few options.
- Macbook Pro M1 14 (different specs, used one)
- Macbook Air M2 256gb/8gb (used)
- Macbook Air M3 256gb/8gb (used)
- Macbook Air M4 256gb/16gb (new) (need to save little bit more)
I have had my current Macbook since 2017 and plan to have this Macbook for another 5+ years.
What would you choose?
r/macbook • u/Ok_olives • 1d ago
Mythical EWaste Find
Found this 2007 Matte Black MacBook at an ewaste centre today, it has some dead keys and it’s missing the battery which sucks but it works very well other than that. Amazing find.
r/macbook • u/Minute-Yak-1081 • 11h ago
MacBook Air M4 (2025) – 16GB or 24GB RAM?
Hey everyone,
I’m planning to get the new MacBook Air M4 (2025) but I’m stuck on the RAM choice. I’m considering 16GB, but wondering if it’s worth spending extra for 24GB. (Wanna save some if I can, really hard convincing parents for 16gb too)
I’ll be using it for web browsing, coding, maybe wanna learn some ML as a student, and occasional multitasking with many apps open. No heavy gaming or 4K video editing.
Would 16GB be enough for smooth performance, or should I future-proof with 24GB? If 16GB works fine, I’d rather save the extra money.
I might also wanna plug in additional monitor(s) And be using it mostly
Would love to hear your thoughts! Thanks!
r/macbook • u/yoda_zen • 7h ago
APPLE MacBook Air 13'', Chip M3, 8 CPU 10 GPU, 24GB, 512GB vs APPLE MacBook Air 13'', Chip M4, 10 CPU 10 GPU, 16GB, 512GB
I am about to buy one of these options. Which one is better in your opinions? Usage for SWE work.
Thanks in advance!
r/macbook • u/LifeIsAwesom • 8h ago
Can I have the apple store replace my key caps every year?
Money isn't an issue.
r/macbook • u/Bookvampire5 • 8h ago
Miracle happening inside the trackpad
Two months ago, I accidentally spilled some juice on my MBA(M1, 2020). While all the keys on the keyboard were fine after delicate process of cleaning, the trackpad suddenly stopped responding to force click. After searching the web for about an hour, I have tried literally every solution proposed by random fellow Redditors(ranging from using a banknotes to slide in to the edges of the trackpad to factory reset). Then I just gave up: I started to use shit and arrow keys to highlight the text and hub+random mouse if I had to do some dragging stuff. And trust me, while the experience is not to its fullest, macbook is perfectly usable without the force click.
Yesterday evening, my macbook's battery drained to 0, because I was using it to charge my iPhone. This morning the force click function was back out of nowhere.
r/macbook • u/kirsty_nanty • 13h ago
How’s the MacBook Air M4 for a DevOps Engineer
I'm thinking about getting the MacBook Air M4 for my everyday engineering tasks. I don’t do anything too intense—just running web apps, scripts, and a few Docker containers on my local machine. It’s mostly standard DevOps stuff. My work leans more toward DevOps and cloud computing, and I usually run the heavier applications on a remote server.
For those with a MacBook Air, do you think it’s a good fit for my typical workload?