Which MacBook to choose in 2018

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

On the pros and cons of the current line of Apple laptops.

Notice how the MacBook line has grown over the past few years? Previously, you had to choose between the powerful Pro and the compact Air. Now the lineup includes five (!) Laptops and a dozen modifications.

It is not easy even for fans to understand them, what to say about new users. I will try to ease the pain of choice and tell you which MacBook to choose in 2018.

MacBook Air

The MacBook Air is the most affordable yet controversial laptop in the lineup.

The design has not changed for six years, but it still looks fresh. The brushed aluminum case is beautifully built and, by the way, more durable than modern MacBooks. We must try to damage or scratch it. New MacBooks have become much softer, so they are overgrown with chips from scratch.

The MacBook Air weighs just over a kilogram, so you can carry it with you at least all day and work wherever it is convenient. Despite its compact size, the autonomy is stable enough for 10-12 hours. You can easily work with photos and texts, even edit simple videos.

Familiar ports are in place. There is a pair of USBs and an SD card slot, which the new Pros lack.

The last (but not least) argument for the MacBook Air is price. This is the most affordable Apple laptop and, in my opinion, the best option in the segment under 70 thousand rubles. Prices for new MacBooks start at 100 thousand, and not everyone can afford them.

However, if you've decided that the MacBook Air is the perfect laptop, take your time.

MacBook Air has an outdated display with a resolution of 1,440 x 900 pixels. Eyes quickly get tired of him, the picture is faded and grainy. After the new Pro you will not look without tears.

The second drawback is the old keyboard and trackpad without Force Touch. Butterfly typing is more convenient and faster. You get used to low key travel, and you don't want to go back.

I don't recommend taking a MacBook Air. It has a downright bad screen, an old keyboard, and not the thinnest and lightest body. Newer models bypass it in these parameters. The main advantage is the lowest price of any MacBook. But you are knowingly buying an outdated device. I am sure that after the summer presentation, the MacBook Air will be removed from the market and it will go down in history.

If you need a small laptop, check out the following model.

MacBook

The next in the lineup is the MacBook. Just a MacBook.

If the MacBook Air is compact, the MacBook is tiny. Weighs 900 grams, sometimes you check if you forgot to take it with you. Smaller than the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. Such supermobility makes it indispensable for business trips and traveling. You can work comfortably on the train, in the car, or anywhere.

The MacBook's screen is excellent and second only to the Pro models. Diagonal - 12 inches, resolution - 2 304 × 1 440 pixels, thin frames around. The picture is bright and rich, watching movies and editing photos is a pleasure. It is curious that the baby has an impressive autonomy - an average of 8-9 hours. During the working day, you can forget about the outlet.

The MacBook has passive cooling. There are no coolers, so it works silently. It does not heat up much, only in the most resource-intensive applications.

The MacBook is the first Apple laptop to feature a butterfly keyboard. I'm used to it quickly, I like the small key travel, and now it is inconvenient to work on a different keyboard. It seems as if the fingers are falling through.

When Apple introduced the first generation of the MacBook in 2015, many didn't take it seriously. Small, processor weak, only one USB-C port. "Dear typewriter" - that was what they called him. For me, it was the main computer that coped with all the tasks. I often went on business trips, wrote posts on the road, processed photographs.

Sure, it was inferior in speed to the MacBook Pro, but this is where size matters. In 2017, they introduced the third generation with two processors - the mobile m3 and the "adult" i5. The laptop noticeably increased its speed and learned to easily cope with heavy software.

I solved the single port problem by purchasing a 27-inch USB-C monitor. On the road, the laptop remains small and convenient, while at home I work in front of a large screen. I connect the peripherals directly to the monitor, for this there is a pair of USB. In the process, the monitor also charges the MacBook. All through one USB-C port - here it is, the wireless future.

The only downside to the MacBook is its high price tag. Costs like MacBook Pro 13 without Touch Bar. If performance and port count are more important, pay attention to it.

If you need a mobile, nimble and beautiful laptop, the MacBook is the best choice.

MacBook Pro 13 without Touch Bar

The youngest model in the line of Apple professional laptops. It was introduced as the successor to the MacBook Air. It's smaller, more powerful, with a new keyboard and stunning display. It differs from the older models, in fact, in the number of ports and the absence of the Touch Bar.

A pair of USB-C is enough to connect a monitor and accessories. But the lack of a slot for an SD card, a fingerprint scanner and a discrete GPU is a disadvantage.

If the MacBook is a fashion item, then the MacBook Pro 13 without the Touch Bar is a practical option: it covers most of the tasks of an ordinary user.

Is it worth overpaying about 20 thousand rubles for a model with a Touch Bar? Probably not.

MacBook Pro 13 with Touch Bar

The MacBook Pro 13 with Touch Bar may seem like the perfect laptop. Good hardware, a cool wide-gamut screen, four Thunderbolt 3 ports, a fingerprint reader and a Touch Bar.

But in 2017, Apple reduced the battery capacity from 5,800 to 4,300 mAh, thus canceling out the advantages of the laptop. The battery lasts for a maximum of five hours, which is absurd for a working tool.

Got a touch of the Touch Bar? Probably not. You can find an application, and you will find it, it is not in vain that you overpayed. But it doesn't make the workflow any better. Think of it as a welcome addition, but not a reason to buy a laptop.

I don't recommend buying the 2017 MacBook Pro 13 with Touch Bar. Better to take the version without the Touch Bar or the 2016 model with a more capacious battery.

MacBook Pro 15

A versatile laptop for every task. Already in the basic configuration - a quad-core i7 with a frequency of 2, 8 GHz, 16 GB of RAM, graphics Radeon Pro 555 with 2 GB of memory and Intel HD Graphics 630. Depending on the tasks, the graphics processor automatically switches. In the top version, there is a Radeon Pro 560 already with 4 GB, but you will have to pay about 30 thousand rubles.

The MacBook Pro 15 is priced scary, but it is chosen for specific tasks. This solution isn't for everyone, but it's worth the money.

It has a stunning 15.4-inch display with a resolution of 2,880x1,800 pixels, a giant trackpad and great sound. With such speakers, the need for additional acoustics is eliminated.

The battery, fortunately, has not changed compared to last year and holds an honest 6-7 hours.

The only disadvantages are the absence of an SD card slot. Why there was no place for him in the Pro models remains a mystery to me.

Verdict

• MacBook is a beautiful thin laptop for those who value mobility. Perfect for word processing or photo editing on the go.
• MacBook Pro 13 without Touch Bar - for those who lack the performance of a regular MacBook and one port, but want to have a small and light laptop. A worthy replacement for the MacBook Air.
• MacBook Pro 15 - a professional tool for which you will have to pay a considerable sum. He will cope with any task, be it video editing, working with graphics or photos. At the same time, it remains a compact and thin laptop.

I definitely don't recommend buying a MacBook Air. And consider several times if it's worth paying extra for the MacBook Pro 13 with Touch Bar.