# Mac Book Air - buy the 2020-model now or wait for 2022-model?



## polyfonic (Feb 25, 2022)

My present laptop (Windows) is facing the last phase of its life. I promised myself that my next one will be a Mac.
My main studio setup is not depending on this machine, since I've already have a well functioning desktop (Windows) together with a slave.
My needs for this new machine will be the same as for the present one: composing and arranging using Sibelius, external recordings with Cubase and as a syntheziser for live gigs. 
So since I won't be needing the most powerful workhorse, a Macbook Air will suit my needs. With its m1 processor and 16 gb ram, it will be a strong facelift compared to my present i5 with 8 gb.
So my dilemma is that anytime soon (probably) a brand new 2022-model with m2 processor and other new features will show up. Considering the issues with unknown date for an update because of world wide problems with chipsets delivery: 
What would you guys do if you were in my shoes?


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## rnb_2 (Feb 25, 2022)

There's only about a week-and-a-half until the rumored next Apple event (March 8th), so I would wait until then to decide. There are supposed to be new Macs, but nobody is exactly sure yet which models we'll see - the M2 MacBook Air is certainly possible, though some recent rumors pointed to later in the year for that one. If it doesn't come then, I can certainly recommend the M1 model - it's an absolutely brilliant computer. I'm typing this on one connected to multiple external Thunderbolt and USB-C drives, three different MIDI controllers, an audio interface, and a 27" 4k display.


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## Jett Hitt (Feb 25, 2022)

rnb_2 said:


> There's only about a week-and-a-half until the rumored next Apple event (March 8th), so I would wait until then to decide. There are supposed to be new Macs, but nobody is exactly sure yet which models we'll see - the M2 MacBook Air is certainly possible, though some recent rumors pointed to later in the year for that one. If it doesn't come then, I can certainly recommend the M1 model - it's an absolutely brilliant computer. I'm typing this on one connected to multiple external Thunderbolt and USB-C drives, three different MIDI controllers, an audio interface, and a 27" 4k display.


^This^


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## KEM (Feb 25, 2022)

I’d wait, it’s only gonna be like 2 weeks until new Mac’s are announced


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## polyfonic (Feb 28, 2022)

rnb_2 said:


> There's only about a week-and-a-half until the rumored next Apple event (March 8th), so I would wait until then to decide. There are supposed to be new Macs, but nobody is exactly sure yet which models we'll see - the M2 MacBook Air is certainly possible, though some recent rumors pointed to later in the year for that one. If it doesn't come then, I can certainly recommend the M1 model - it's an absolutely brilliant computer. I'm typing this on one connected to multiple external Thunderbolt and USB-C drives, three different MIDI controllers, an audio interface, and a 27" 4k display.


Yes, there will be a lot of good stuff to wait for in MBA2022 - here are some rumors:

- thinner and lighter chassis
- in a variety of colours
- mini-LED display
- M2 chip (same number of processor cores as M1, but up to 10 graphic cores)
- same amount of RAM - max 16 gb - due to lack of fan in the MBA
- Ports: MagSafe, TB4, HDMI, 3.5 headphone-jack


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## rnb_2 (Feb 28, 2022)

polyfonic said:


> Yes, there will be a lot of good stuff to wait for in MBA2022 - here are some rumors:
> 
> - thinner and lighter chassis
> - in a variety of colours
> ...


If they announce the M2 MacBook Air and an M1 Pro Mac mini at the March event, I may have difficulty choosing. The mini will be faster in multi-core, with a higher RAM and storage ceiling, but probably not very exciting (regardless of design); the Air will be faster in single core, very exciting from a design standpoint, but likely limited to 16GB/2TB.

I don’t currently need more than 16GB (I don’t do anything complex with sampled instruments at this point), would really like to get back to one computer if possible (keeping two in sync is a headache), and still have occasional need for a laptop. 4TB of storage would be ideal, but I don’t know if I can justify the cost to get it, so may settle for 2TB.

Hopefully, we’ll know enough in a little over a week for me to make a decision.


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## Pier (Feb 28, 2022)

Everyone expects Apple to put Macs on a yearly update schedule as iPhone and iPads but we really don't know yet.

Personally I expect Apple to finally announce the Pro desktop machines (big iMac and Mac Pro) at WWDC on June.

I guess we'll see what happens on the March event. I'm hoping for a Pro Mac Mini but I doubt Apple would hold an event just for that. Maybe they will announce the M2 with benchmarks etc but no new Mac models.


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## rnb_2 (Feb 28, 2022)

Pier said:


> Everyone expects Apple to put Macs on a yearly update schedule as iPhone and iPads but we really don't know yet.
> 
> Personally I expect Apple to finally announce the Pro desktop machines (big iMac and Mac Pro) at WWDC on June.
> 
> I guess we'll see what happens on the March event. I'm hoping for a Pro Mac Mini but I doubt Apple would hold an event just for that. Maybe they will announce the M2 with benchmarks etc but no new Mac models.


I expect most Macs will go on an ~18-month upgrade cycle once things settle down, similar to the iPad Pro. There is already a drumbeat building around too-incremental yearly phone updates (not just with Apple), and I don't think yearly computer updates would go over well. I also suspect that Apple needs to space things out so as not to step on fab capacity for iPhone chips, and also to try to get as much inventory of the base computer chip produced as they can before shifting some production over to the larger, more complex Pro chips.

I suspect you're right about the big iMac and Mac Pro - both announced at WWDC, with the iMac available soon after, and the Mac Pro shipping before the end of the year.

The March event is also going to feature a 5G iPhone SE and iPad Air update, so it won't be just Macs, regardless. The inverse is also true - the iPhone SE and iPad Air aren't enough for an event by themselves, so there is going to be at least one Mac, but maybe as many as three. The latest (spotty) rumors are based on three new Macs showing up in (IIRC) a Russian regulatory database for computers that have hardware encryption (like Russia is going to see those anytime soon!). The "pro" Mac mini seems likely, but the mini rarely gets meaningful leaks because of the small component footprint. There have also been rumors about updates to the 13" MacBook Pro - somehow still featuring the Touch Bar - but nothing else concrete. There is speculation around an M1 Pro 24" iMac, and rumors about the M2 MacBook Air have been around for a while, but nothing specific points to a release date for either (or if the M1 Pro 24" iMac will even exist).


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## rnb_2 (Mar 2, 2022)

And, after a few articles saying the event probably wasn’t happening next week because invitations didn’t go out yesterday, invitations have started arriving in the last few minutes: March 8th at 10am PST it is!


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## polyfonic (Mar 2, 2022)

rnb_2 said:


> If they announce the M2 MacBook Air and an M1 Pro Mac mini at the March event, I may have difficulty choosing. The mini will be faster in multi-core, with a higher RAM and storage ceiling, but probably not very exciting (regardless of design); the Air will be faster in single core, very exciting from a design standpoint, but likely limited to 16GB/2TB.
> 
> I don’t currently need more than 16GB (I don’t do anything complex with sampled instruments at this point), would really like to get back to one computer if possible (keeping two in sync is a headache), and still have occasional need for a laptop. 4TB of storage would be ideal, but I don’t know if I can justify the cost to get it, so may settle for 2TB.
> 
> Hopefully, we’ll know enough in a little over a week for me to make a decision.


For me the M2 MacBook Air is the interesting one, since I need a new portable device - my main studio setup are with desktops.


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## polyfonic (Mar 8, 2022)

Well, no MacBookAir 2022 on this March-event. The new Mac Studio is interesting for those looking for a new desktop right now.
When will be the next Apple-event? Is it worth waiting for when I'm looking for a laptop?


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## rnb_2 (Mar 8, 2022)

The next event will be WWDC in June, but that's developer-focused and is more likely to feature a preview of the Mac Pro than a new MacBook Air. I'd guess that September is the next event that would be likely to feature consumer hardware - a new MacBook Air would pair nicely with the iPhone announcements.


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## thevisi0nary (Mar 13, 2022)

I am mainly a Windows user and I have an M1 Air. Possibly not relevant but switching OS's is more difficult than you may realize and ultimately it was too much to pull me away from Windows for my main work, I now use the Air only for School and editing photos. 

As far as the Air itself, it's excellent and powerful although too small for me, wish there was a 15 inch. The biggest annoyance of it by far is that all of the ports are on one side, and there are only two. More than likely if you're going to wait for the next Air you will be waiting until September / October.


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## polyfonic (Mar 13, 2022)

As mentioned above, the m1/2 Air will not be my main system either. But I will use it for external studio recording sessions/live gigs and on trips that I will need to compose/do arrangements.
MacOS is a system I know from my students days, so it will not be that difficult for me to get into.


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## thevisi0nary (Mar 13, 2022)

polyfonic said:


> As mentioned above, the m1/2 Air will not be my main system either. But I will use it for external studio recording sessions/live gigs and on trips that I will need to compose/do arrangements.
> MacOS is a system I know from my students days, so it will not be that difficult for me to get into.


If that’s the case then it’s between waiting 7 months and getting one now. It’s an awesome device in its own right. The next one will have better ports and may be 10-15% more powerful.


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## mat1 (Mar 14, 2022)

If you can make do with the base model they are discounted quite strongly at many places. You could always pick one up now and shift it one when the rumours heat up for the replacement.


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## robgb (Mar 14, 2022)

My wife bought a base model M1 Macbook Air. All I can say is that it FLIES. I have laptop envy. If you buy one, however, I'd get the 16 gig model. I suspect you'll be able to do quite a bit without it clutching up on you.


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## PeterN (May 8, 2022)

I bought the most specced up M1 MacBook Air after watching raving reviews how it beats all other Intel MacBooks. 1850 EUR.

Long story short - would definitely not recommend it to anyone being even a half serious composer. It can't handle larger stuff. And it has odd peaks in CPU. But its good for sure, if I want to sketch up 5 to 10 tracks somewhere on the road, with a handy computer. Damn smooth too.

So its timer to save again, and target M2 Max. That should be better. This one is a joke when composing with many tracks.


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## polyfonic (Jun 15, 2022)

Now the M2 is finally here - meaning from next month. The price will, in my country - Norway, be aprx €2400 / $2500 - with the specs 10 core GPU/8 core cpu, 16gb RAM and 1 tb SSD.

I've got an offer of m1/ 8 c gpu /8 c cpu/ 16 gb / 1tb to the price €1345 / $1400.

I've still got same expectations from this device: mixing audio in Cubase, simple external audio recordings, use as a synth/sampleplayer on live gigs and Sibelius arranging.

Is the price difference in more than 1000 €/$ worth it? Even with its with 10 c gpu?


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## rnb_2 (Jun 15, 2022)

polyfonic said:


> Now the M2 is finally here - meaning from next month. The price will, in my country - Norway, be aprx €2400 / $2500 - with the specs 10 core GPU/8 core cpu, 16gb RAM and 1 tb SSD.
> 
> I've got an offer of m1/ 8 c gpu /8 c cpu/ 16 gb / 1tb to the price €1345 / $1400.
> 
> ...


Doubtful for music - if you were also doing video, the M2 would be worthwhile, as that would use the extra GPU cores and the built-in video encoder/decoder blocks that came to the M2 from the M1 Pro/Max.


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## Pier (Jun 15, 2022)

polyfonic said:


> Is the price difference in more than 1000 €/$ worth it? Even with its with 10 c gpu?


I'd say no...

The M2 has like 20% better CPU and like 30% better GPU.



rnb_2 said:


> Doubtful for music - if you were also doing video, the M2 would be worthwhile, as that would use the extra GPU cores and the built-in video encoder/decoder blocks that came to the M2 from the M1 Pro/Max.


The M2 includes the Media Engine found on the M1 Pro, but do you think it will make a huge difference?


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## rnb_2 (Jun 15, 2022)

Pier said:


> I'd say no...
> 
> The M2 has like 20% better CPU and like 30% better GPU.
> 
> ...


I had forgotten the "official" name for the video encode/decode hardware, but that's what I was referencing. Unless you're doing a lot of video work, it's just sitting there, twiddling its digital thumbs


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## polyfonic (Jun 19, 2022)

Thanks, guys, for good advices and tips... I went for the M1 - and I'm very happy I did. A nice machine and fulfilling all my needs as a external device.


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## rnb_2 (Jun 19, 2022)

polyfonic said:


> Thanks, guys, for good advices and tips... I went for the M1 - and I'm very happy I did. A nice machine and fulfilling all my needs as a external device.


It's such a great computer. When I got my 14" MacBook Pro, I was supposed to sell my M1 Air, but eventually convinced my wife to take it instead of keeping her 2017 21.5" iMac (she has a 24" 4k display as well, so she still has one big monitor). There's no better combination of portability, power, and price on the market.


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## gsilbers (Jun 19, 2022)

M2 vs. M1 | Here’s How Much Faster Apple’s New M2 Chip Really Is


Although preorders for Apple’s first M2-equipped Mac — the new 13-inch MacBook Pro — only opened this morning, it looks like some folks have already been




www.idropnews.com





*1. Single-core:* 1,919 on M2 vs 1,707 on M1 — *a 12% increase

2. Multi-core:* 8,928 on M2 vs 7,419 on M1 — *a 20% increase

3. GPU (Metal):* 30,627 on M2 vs 21,800 on M1 — *a 41% increase*


i wonder if itll be the same with the m2 pro ultra vs 1.


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## PeterN (Jun 20, 2022)

polyfonic said:


> Thanks, guys, for good advices and tips... I went for the M1 - and I'm very happy I did. A nice machine and fulfilling all my needs as a external device.


The M1 MacBook Air for music production?

How many tracks can you run with Kontakt (various instruments) and third party plugins?

Its a joke. But its almost worth its price, solely, for its* speakers when mixing/mastering*. The MacBook Air is among the best "mixing/mastering plugins" out there. The magical speakers can reveal flaws, no other tools can do. This is a huge advantage to other guys mixing/mastering.


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## HCMarkus (Jun 21, 2022)

It is also a perfect live sound source for keyboardists. I use my M1 Air 16GB 1TB with MainStage, Kontakt, Omnisphere and Aruturia as a really powerful, portable sound module. Frees me from needing a specific 88-key controller when doing out of town work. I carry a 49-key controller in a lightweight case (Plano gun case!) that fits in airline overhead bins; it gives me all the knobs and faders I need, and an AudioFront USB Pedal Interface provides sustain and expression pedal I/O.


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