After using an Apple notebook, it is basically difficult to return to the Windows ecosystem. This is a compliment to the ecology of Apple products.
Before using Apple laptops, I have been using Windows laptops, such as ThinkPad, Dell, and assembled desktop computers. In recent years, due to work reasons, I have used Windows 10 laptops more or less. Comprehensive comparison:
The overall experience of using Apple notebooks and the reasons for buying (compared to windows computers)
1. I basically don’t need a mouse, I can use the Apple notebook smoothly through the keyboard and touch pad; I have not had the same experience on a Windows notebook;
2. Using Mac, because Apple controls the software and hardware ecology, there is no blue screen of Windows (third-party drivers are the main reason for Windows instability); at the same time, because of the system's sandbox mechanism for applications, this application will not interfere Other programs or systems, thereby ensuring the safety and stability of the system, so that the entire system will not be stuck and unusable due to the stuck of one program;
3. Long service life. The MacBook Air I bought in 2016 is still very smooth; at the same time, a MacBook Air bought by a friend of mine in 2012 is still in use and still works well, thanks to the solid state drive of MacBook Air and Mac The excellent experience of OS; but I need to remind everyone that the battery of the notebook becomes more and more unusable as the use time increases. At this time, it is good to change a battery;
4. Security, antivirus software has never been installed, there is no pop-up window for various psoriasis advertisements, and it is comfortable to use;
5. The standby time is long. When the battery is fully charged, there is no need to worry about the power outage during a morning or afternoon meeting. However , try not to run out the power of the notebook, as the battery damage is still quite large;
6. The installation and uninstallation of software is extremely simple. The application installation and uninstallation under Mac is similar to the green software under windows. You can directly delete the application when uninstalling;
7. Daily work software, the application ecosystem under Mac is getting better and better. When I was working as an iOS development and product manager, I had not encountered the missing software under Mac;
8. Retina display, light weight (even the largest MacBook Pro 16 inches is only 2Kg), easy to carry, and it looks clear and refreshing;
9. If you have an iPhone or iPad, or Apple Watch, AirPods and other products under the Apple ecosystem, you can benefit even more when you combine it with a Mac, such as AirDrop, iCloud synchronization, copy and paste synchronization between multiple devices, etc.;
How to choose MacBook Air/MacBook Pro in 2021? Is M1 chip better than i5 and i7?
The above table lists the detailed configuration diagrams of the 2021 MacBook Air M1 version and MacBook Pro 13-inch (M1 version and Intel version) and 16-inch (Intel version).
We can see that in addition to the size, the biggest difference lies in the CPU configuration, memory model, and graphics card.
For CPU configuration, I have listed the running scores of single-core and multi-core CPUs from the authoritative foreign scoring website Geekbench.
It can be seen that the M1 chip is very powerful. The M1 chip equipped with MacBook Air and MacBook Pro 13-inch is far ahead of the single-core or multi-core, and even surpasses the 16-inch MacBook Pro;
RAM
The M1 chip model currently only supports up to 16GB of memory, which is slightly insufficient for large memory consumers (graphic design, video editing, program development), but Apple adopts a custom packaging strategy in the M1 chip: graphics processor, CPU processor Can access the same data in the memory, subtly improving performance and energy consumption
Graphics card
Intel Iris Plus Graphics graphics processor is a CPU core display, which is an integrated graphics card of Intel's tenth generation processor; AMD Radeon Pro 5300M/5500M graphics processor is an independent graphics card.
The integrated graphics processor in the M1 officially advertises the strongest graphics card currently capable of executing nearly 25,000 threads at a time.
How to choose
In summary, the M1 version of MacBook Air and MacBook Pro is really eye-catching, so how do you choose in the end? Below I have listed several common demand scenarios, according to your needs, you will be seated, and choose the one that suits you best.
- If you just want to have a computer, it’s comfortable to use . Usually you use a computer to process documents and open web pages to look up information. Entertainment is also mainly to watch TV shows . The performance requirements are not high. Then this minimum is equipped with MacBook Air. Satisfy your needs. There are no special circumstances. The 256G capacity of the solid-state hard drive is quite well-used. If you have more data, you can clean it up. After all, you are basically watching videos online now. In this case, it is not recommended to buy Pro, which is several thousand expensive!
In addition, if the budget is limited, the 2020 MacBook Air is no problem, because the demand is simple and does not require a computer to have very powerful functions. The main reason is that it is smooth to use and can be used for a long time. Just like the iPhone, the new experience is greedy. , But to be honest, the old model is also sufficient.
- If you are a developer or video editor or have higher performance requirements, then choose the high-end version of MacBook Air for the most cost-effective, choose the 13-inch high-end version of MacBook Pro (choose the M1 version, which has better performance), and choose the 16-inch MacBook Pro (more memory) Large, the latest version is still 19), according to your own budget to choose.
Choose M1 chip version or Intel version
From the above graphic description, serious children's shoes believe that they have their own answers, let me summarize:
The M1 chip has higher performance and lower energy consumption. I strongly recommend it if the budget is sufficient!
However, I also need to inform everyone that the M1 chip was launched, for Apple, it is less than a year, and many software adaptations have not yet had time. When choosing, you can check whether the official websites of commonly used software have been adapted to avoid If your work is interrupted, you can also leave a message to consult me.
In addition, it should be pointed out that if your budget is limited and the performance requirements are not high, it is recommended that you buy the old model! Do everything based on your own needs, find the best for you, and don't waste money.
Purchase common problems
1. Question: How to choose between MacBook Air and MacBook Pro
Answer: There are basically two categories: MacBook Air is recommended for office requirements at the lowest level; professional design and software engineers, choose Pro in the long run; you must choose according to your own needs, don't blindly pursue high specifications, think Pro must be better.
2. Question: Can the government industry choose MacBook?
Answer: The government, banks and other industries where the relative change speed is not so fast. Many office software and websites need to use windows software. For example, some websites are best when opened in IE browser. Other browsers have bugs and so on. For the sake of it, use a Windows computer instead of an Apple computer.
3. Question: How to choose new and old Apple computers
Answer: Moore’s Law leads to fast updating of electronic products. I always recommend buying new ones instead of old ones. The new ones are faster, stronger and have a better experience; but if the budget is not enough, the demand for using the computer by yourself does not require high performance, and the old models I also recommend it! At the same time, Apple's official website has certified refurbished machines to purchase, and the service is guaranteed. The average price is one or two thousand cheaper, which is worth your consideration.
4. Question: How should college students choose Apple computers?
Answer: In view of my understanding of the study and life of Chinese college students, in most cases, regardless of any major (including design, computer major), I would recommend you to buy a low-profile version of MacBook Air, which is the most cost-effective.
5. The M1 Air has an eight-core graphics processor and a seven-core graphics processor. What is the difference and how should I choose?
Conclusion: The difference is very small, basically you can choose at will.
Demonstration: Foreign media notebookcheck conducted a complete test on the MacBook Air’s M1 chip, eight-core graphics processor and seven-core graphics processor. In most cases, the gap is very close, and only in very rare cases the gap exceeds 10%. Test situation: In the 4k test, the gap is 8%; in 1080p, the gap is 2%; in 3D Mark, the contrast gap is about 9%; in the professional test under GFX Bench, the gap is about 7%.
6. Q: For most people, which Apple computer would you recommend?
Answer: According to probability and statistics, if I want to give you a more universal recommendation, I will push the MacBook Air M1 low-profile version, which is suitable for the needs of more than 95% of people in China (regardless of budget). Remember: The minimum is good (students can purchase the educational discount version)
If you think this article is helpful to you, please like, follow, share and support. Finally, I hope that all friends can buy the most suitable computer for them, and be happy and lucky for the Year of the Ox!