Should You Buy a Discounted M2 or M3 MacBook Air in 2024 or Wait For M4 Air?

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  • Опубліковано 29 лис 2024

КОМЕНТАРІ • 109

  • @tonyburzio4107
    @tonyburzio4107 2 місяці тому +7

    M4. Apparently the frame rates for the just released Game Porting Toolkit D3DMetal 2.0b3 are getting pretty good for Windows Gaming on Mac.

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  2 місяці тому +3

      Yes, each year they get a bit better but Macs still are not gaming machines. But, with that said for non-competitive gamers or how I play they are fine right now and will get better for sure. Thanks again for watching.

    • @XDRGr7
      @XDRGr7 Місяць тому +1

      ​@@craigneidel You're one of the honest underrated youtuber I've seen. Respect for you🗿🗿

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  Місяць тому +1

      @@XDRGr7 thanks for the nice words

  • @michalh.1942
    @michalh.1942 2 місяці тому +2

    Hello Craig. I have my own 16 inch MacBook Pro M1 Pro 16GB ram and 1TB SSD, which is very nice notebook and I really love it. For work I have the same but M3 and i find both of them pretty heavy but I love all those extra ports and battery life. I am very excited for MacBook Air M4 and if that one comes out with better screen, I am considering to choose smaller and lighter personal computer... for the same reason I feel pretty excited for rumoured iPhone 17 air... but I would really like the pro motion screen on both!

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  Місяць тому +1

      Thanks for the post. Yes, the M4 Air coming out next year should be a very nice computer and very fast for it's size. Can't wait for that one.

  • @alipat9272
    @alipat9272 2 місяці тому +8

    My birthday is in october and i want a new macbook but need 16 gb of ram. Waiting to see what the price is for the m4

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  2 місяці тому +1

      @@alipat9272 let's hope they don't go up....

    • @DrSlideit
      @DrSlideit 2 місяці тому +2

      Scooped an M3 Air a couple weeks back refurbished. 1 TB 24gb ram... The thing flies and the batter is insane. 13" $1609 before tax.

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  2 місяці тому +1

      @@DrSlideit nice deal.

    • @carloschevere9335
      @carloschevere9335 17 днів тому

      Mac air 16gb right now for 899 thinking of getting it

  • @katangosTV
    @katangosTV День тому +1

    Is mba m3 13inch 16gb ram good for editing in nba2k25? It almost 1hour per game.
    New subs here my friend🤗

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  17 годин тому +1

      Thank you for the info on this.

  • @matth8205
    @matth8205 29 днів тому +1

    Guess it really depends on your use case. I had an M1 at release with 16gb and it’s been great but is starting to show its age so will probably look at what the M4 version looks like when that comes out. I’d imagine M1 to M4 will feel like quite a jump but then so would the M3.

    • @zariachenshui7386
      @zariachenshui7386 12 днів тому

      Out of curiosity, in what ways is it starting to show its age?

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  10 днів тому

      If you are seeing issues that cost time then it's time to upgrade.

  • @sglatitude
    @sglatitude 2 місяці тому +4

    3:08 I completely agree. For typical office users juggling tons of apps and over 50 browser tabs, having more RAM makes a bigger difference. Sure, the chip is crucial for things like video editing or content creation, but for everyday use, I’d rather have more RAM. My setup runs buttery smooth with 24GB in use, leaving 12GB free for whatever else I need.

    • @andyH_England
      @andyH_England 2 місяці тому

      My full workload is using 5.3GB of RAM, so 8GB for office work is not an issue, and as the base 8GB goes on ridiculous sales, the M3 MB Air has been as low as $850; I would prefer them to still have this option. People that need more can buy the 16 or 24GB versions.

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  2 місяці тому

      Yes, I was talking about for most people doing basic tasks but when you do more then 16 GB is usually needed to have a great experience. Thanks for watching.

  • @asan1050
    @asan1050 2 місяці тому

    Thank you very much Craig for the recommendations.

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  2 місяці тому +1

      Yeah might as well take the free ram

  • @clarklight2918
    @clarklight2918 6 днів тому +1

    M2 base model now also start with 16gb Ram 👍👍 and $250 or so cheaper than M3

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  6 днів тому +1

      Yes some good deals on it now

  • @drdollarpools1092
    @drdollarpools1092 7 днів тому

    When is the release date of M4 air and would be the Price

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  6 днів тому +1

      Spring 2025 and same cost as new now.

  • @CycleDoc675
    @CycleDoc675 20 днів тому +1

    Right now as of 11/09/2024, a Macbook Air M2 13in 16gb 256 ssd is $799 at Best Buy. $300 more for the same computer but with M3. Based on that, would you reconsider waiting for M4 and get that M2?

    • @scootermcgoot
      @scootermcgoot 17 днів тому

      750 at Costco

    • @ItsOnPaper
      @ItsOnPaper 11 днів тому

      Wrong, it’s $100 more for the M3 with same specs.

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  10 днів тому

      It's a touch call and depends strictly on cost and your budget.

  • @bryans8656
    @bryans8656 2 місяці тому

    I would opt for waiting for the M4 because a price reduction for the older models always follows. That would be the time to do the price/feature comparisons. I did that when the M2 iPad Air released and ended up saving a lot of money.

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  2 місяці тому +1

      It all depends on sales.

    • @bryans8656
      @bryans8656 2 місяці тому

      @@craigneidel Yep!

  • @matthiasmifsud8871
    @matthiasmifsud8871 22 дні тому +2

    should i buy m2 tomorrow??

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  10 днів тому

      Get what you think is best and it comes down to price now on the M2s.

  • @latinreuben
    @latinreuben 2 місяці тому

    Good content. Imo, a $500 minimum before considering buying. Recently, my debate was bet MBA 15 m3 16/512 for 1450 or MBP 14 16/512 for 1475. MBP won out bc of bigger savings. Only questions are the smaller screen coming from MBP 15 inch & m4 superior specs, which i suspect r gonna b bigger than expected bc of new competition.

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  2 місяці тому

      Thanks, yes the discounts will need to be much larger if they base comes with 16 in the future but with Apple you just never know until you know.

  • @superglidemustang
    @superglidemustang 2 місяці тому +1

    In the first week of September 2024 I bought a 2022 MacBook Air M2 8GB for $799.00.
    All I do is watch UA-cam videos and check emails.
    Should I keep it or return it ?
    ( Best Buy 60 day return policy )

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  2 місяці тому +1

      The airs won't be out for months and if you are not doing editing and are happy I would keep it. The M4 will also be 1099 at the lowest for a while.

    • @superglidemustang
      @superglidemustang 2 місяці тому

      @@craigneidel Thanks I will

    • @barbancourt69
      @barbancourt69 2 місяці тому +1

      I bought my M2 Air 15inch in november 23 with 24gb/1TB. I don't see any reason to upgrade. Just do regular things and no fancy editing. Great machine!

    • @Mejrfrog
      @Mejrfrog 2 місяці тому +2

      The computer is a tool. It's doing what you need it to do and there will always be a newer product on the horizon. One of the tech UA-camrs here gave good advice which was to get the base models when they are on sale. If you need better later, then sell the computer and get a new one with the stuff that you do need. MacBooks have great resale value so don't be too concerned with "future proofing" if you need to sell it later then sell it later. The M2 base should last you for years to come though. The loss in productivity or enjoyment by waiting for the "next thing" completely ruins the benefit of having these machines

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  2 місяці тому +1

      I agree for sure and I said to get the base a few times. But, people like to learn about the new tech and watch it on UA-cam so I cover it for that reason. But, yes, no need to worry about the next best thing.

  • @WolFvip7
    @WolFvip7 2 місяці тому

    Should i buy M3 Max 16 inch or wait for M4 Max ?

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  2 місяці тому

      @@WolFvip7 I mean that's got to be up to you

  • @Radwan177
    @Radwan177 11 днів тому

    It really doesn't have any sense anymore... For most of us, M2 base model is enough, and as you said, it makes it easier for us in the future, there is no purpose to buy brand new if needed... Computers and phones became like microwave, TV, or any other appliance

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  10 днів тому

      It depends on what you do but for the average user (no video editing, computer modeling, etc.) there won't be a huge difference.

  • @nicolasb.henry294
    @nicolasb.henry294 20 днів тому +1

    I use a base M2 MacBook Air since almost 1,5 year now and it is an amazing machine I just upgrade to M4 for the Ram I have the base model 8Gb is ok but I am afraid to be stuck in a couples of years. But this is the only reason for me to upgrade. Since Apple create the M series chips following your worflow a Mack book Aire with 16Gb Ram and 256/512Gb storage is more than enough for a large part of users even creative people a pro is really for a specific niche of users. . By the way I love your videos as you are totally related to 80% of Apple users we just need the right technology for our workflow

    • @PayneWewton
      @PayneWewton 15 днів тому

      MacBook Aire? Mack book Aire? Hahahahahahahahahaha.

    • @nicolasb.henry294
      @nicolasb.henry294 14 днів тому

      @@PayneWewton yes it is Google translator...

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  10 днів тому

      Thanks for watching the channel and the feedback. Good luck with everything also.

  • @jonisin5498
    @jonisin5498 2 місяці тому +2

    M1, unless M4 comes with 16GB Ram minimum.

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  2 місяці тому +1

      Yeah, the M1 is fine as long as it does what you need.

  • @EV_car2013
    @EV_car2013 Місяць тому

    i have m2 with 8GB of RAM and i edit video, 3d model and have like other 16 tabs open and its incredibky fast i recommend it if you edit video on light video editing platforms like iMovie and if you want a powerful and fast computer. its great and the best ive ever had

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  Місяць тому

      Yes, with programs like iMovie the M2 with 8 GB works great. You can run into issues with 8 GB for sure with other higher codec 4K editing but for most people light to med editing is fine if you don't mind waiting a bit.

  • @Gearsandco
    @Gearsandco 19 днів тому

    the ones your looking at on Amazon are still a bad deal, because they come with that unusable 8gb ram. You can tell me all day that you can use it and all, well for longevity sake, not only apps are constantly using more and more ram but it will also kill your SSD much faster than the 16gb version due to heavy swap memory and if you turn it off it will make the machine run slower or even freeze for a bit under heavy lead.

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  19 днів тому

      Yes and no. I still use m1 with 8gb just fine. I have other machines for heavier lifting.

  • @SeviersKain
    @SeviersKain 4 дні тому

    definitely gonna get that M4 MacBook Air 15 inch, that'll do all the job all the Macbooks can do with ease !!!

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  4 дні тому

      Yes, it will be a great system for sure.

  • @gilpineda
    @gilpineda Місяць тому

    m3 came out 2 years after the m2 how is the m4 mba coming out in a few months

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  Місяць тому

      I don't think it was 2 years for that. The M4 is coming out due to Apple intelligence and other reasons but the M3 was not the chip Apple wanted to make. It was the M4 with the die process so they are fast tracking it a little bit.

  • @jamesmartin1895
    @jamesmartin1895 2 місяці тому

    16GB on the base models, would be like 120Hz on the regular iPhones - imo, I'd wait until it's confirmed

    • @andyH_England
      @andyH_England 2 місяці тому

      I heard the base models were coming with 12GB of RAM. Apple is now using 6GB RAM modules, though, like with the M4 iPad, they could only put 4GB in them. However, the MB Pro 14 and 16s (M3 Pro/Max) already have 6GB modules, so I would be surprised if Apple confused the manufacturing process.

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  2 місяці тому +1

      For sure, nothing is set in stone just yet.

  • @jamescarlson486
    @jamescarlson486 Місяць тому

    I assume your logic would apply to IMac’s also.

  • @tomsun3159
    @tomsun3159 Місяць тому

    apple will do a price increaseacording to the memory increase, so the entry-level from M3 to m4 will not have the usual 100$ generation increase if you compare the Base models M3 8/256 vs. M4 16/256. You will only have the usual generation price hike if you compare the upgraded M3 16/256 to the nem M4 16/256. What means entry to apple will be additional 200$ more compared to the past.So only if you are fine with 8 Gb of Ram (which will be valid for the vast majority of potential buyers, which are now forced to buy a spec above their current needs) its probably the better idea to buy a discounted M1/M2/M3 8/256 model. For tose opting for 16 Gb ianyway its the better decision to wait for the M4 as 16GB Model usually are not discounted.

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  Місяць тому

      It doesn't look that way with the new iMac but we will see with the rest.

  • @franciscojrgo3061
    @franciscojrgo3061 2 місяці тому +1

    M3, maybe, but definitely not M2.

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  2 місяці тому

      All depends on the deal

    • @EV_car2013
      @EV_car2013 Місяць тому

      Sure? You can get The great M2 Air with less money than the M3 and its almost the same. i have one and its INCREDIBLY FAST white 3D modeling, and video editing with other 16 apps open its just mindblowing fast with 8GB of RAM and M2, M2 and M3 are almost the same and M2 is crazy fast

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  Місяць тому

      Yes, these are fast enough for most.

  • @andyH_England
    @andyH_England 2 місяці тому +1

    People are assuming that if there is a base 16GB MB Air in March (a long way away), it will be priced the same as the 8GB model; I doubt that. As an aside, I think the M4 MB Air will start at 12GB or 16GB for $100 more than the M3 base. The M3 will be kept, and if you want a cheaper entry-level model Air, the M3 8GB will be around $999 versus $1300 for the M4 base. Both will be subject to discounting, though more on the M3.
    The first test will be the M4 base MB Pro 14 in October. That is already expensive, so I expect to keep the same price and get a base RAM upgrade. Hopefully, the base will be 18GB/512GB, which is in line with other Pro starting models, but it may be 12GB or 16 GB. I say 18GB, as I expect the base M4 Pro to start at 24GB and the base M4 Max at 48 GB. These extra RAM specs are for AI and to compensate for any price rises due to the cost of TSMC's new chips.

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  2 місяці тому +1

      Yes, nothing is ever set in stone until we see it with Apple. I know that first hand.

  • @ChesterFoster
    @ChesterFoster 28 днів тому

    I highly recommend the M3. I don’t have any experience with the M2, but I have the 8GB M3 Air, and it’s absolutely fantastic. It’s so good that I’m skipping the M4 chip lineup altogether.

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  28 днів тому

      Yes, it's a nice system for sure. If you have an M3 no reason at all to look at M4s now.

  • @digitalmarketinghumans
    @digitalmarketinghumans 2 місяці тому

    I look forward to the M4 airs. I want them to beat the M1 Pro gpu and cpu. It probably is better anyways but considering I still use my M1 Pro 14”, it’s still a beast and it does more than I need. Honestly… I think I would be happy idealistically with a M3-M4 Air 15” with 24gb ram and 1tb..that would be MORE than enough. I probably don’t even need the gpu power and such..I’m sure it’d be fine gaming and doing some 3d work on blender. I know it’s close to the price of the M3-M4 pro’s but yeah, I probably won’t notice that much of a difference.
    I would get the 16” MBP but it’s just so chonky lol.

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  2 місяці тому

      For sure, I did a vide where the M4 base chip is basically like a M2 Max chip now based on benchmarks so I'm sure it will do that. The 16" M3 have some great sales lately.

  • @mikaelbiilmann6826
    @mikaelbiilmann6826 2 місяці тому +2

    Ugh, 8 GB RAM…. 😮

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  2 місяці тому +2

      16 coming soon on m4s

    • @Äpple-pie-5k
      @Äpple-pie-5k 2 місяці тому +1

      @@craigneidel don't advise ANYONE to get 8GB even if it's only email and netflix, unless you ALSO advise them their computer is only going to last half as long before going obsolete and will take such a hit on resale that the total cost of ownership is same as buying a 16GB anyway

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  2 місяці тому +1

      @@Äpple-pie-5k some are fine with 8. I still use m1 base with 8 just fine for one of my systems. Most users do basic things and most bought 8gb and are using them now.

    • @Äpple-pie-5k
      @Äpple-pie-5k 2 місяці тому +1

      @@craigneidel if it works it works... but will you still feel the same in 5 years running Apple Intelligence 2.3 ? Hard to say. Also, the hit on the resale value is greater than the cost of the RAM upgrade to 16. So I still don't see how it's better for anyone to go 8GB.

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  Місяць тому +1

      I always tell people get what works for them.

  • @lululemon0424
    @lululemon0424 2 місяці тому +1

    Pricing 8gb mba really low is apple’s strategy. Obviously, they know it’s not enough in a few years. It’s Apple way to lure people into its ecosystem and yes, im one of them. Now I want to upgrade my mba m2 to m4 so badly. I am literally ready to give Apple my money once they release m4 macs.
    Apple is greedy and tricky when it comes to business strategy. Apple is bad but they make quality stuff. Sign. 😂

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  2 місяці тому

      They can be a bit sneaky for sure. But if they don't come out with at least 16 on the base for the M4 a ton of people will be upset and won't upgrade. I may be one of them too.

    • @lululemon0424
      @lululemon0424 2 місяці тому

      @@craigneidel I would love it to be the case with M4 macs. But I do not have high hope. 12gb is also in the realm of possibilities. It’s Apple after all. Even if the new m4 macs still starts at 8gb, it is totally “*reasonable*”with Apple. They just love teasing us until we couldn’t help it. Like 60hz screen on iPhone in 2024… I don’t want to say more.
      If there is one granted chance to make a wish with Apple, I choose ProMotion display on MBA instead of 16GB.

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  2 місяці тому

      Everybody is different on what is best for their work. For me it's the ram. I could care less about ProMotion and use both of them and just don't care for my use case, but some people love that for sure. I'm hoping for the ram.

  • @sweealamak628
    @sweealamak628 2 місяці тому +1

    I'm still on M1 and 8GB RAM is very limiting. Hit multi-tasking bottlenecks just weeks into use, things failed to work with just 4-5 apps opened at the same time. It's not the "Apple Experience" one would expect from a seasoned iPhone user. In order to earn our upgrade, they have to give more more RAM on the base model. Charging $200 for more RAM is just crazy. Let's see how arrogant/humble they are with the base M4 Mac mini next month.

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  2 місяці тому +1

      It should come with 16 gb or a bunch of people will be upset for sure.

    • @andyH_England
      @andyH_England 2 місяці тому +1

      I am surprised; we use 8GB in our family and no one has issues with it. In fact, the 8GB MacBook Air was the best-selling model, accounting for 60% of sales. Of course, the most important upgrade is to use common sense. If you are using RAM-intensive apps, then no amount of optimization by macOS can compensate for that, and you should make a sensible decision and get 16GB or more. However, if you are using apps that require low RAM, like browsers, then the system can easily manage them and you should have no issues.

    • @dimakonstanta1868
      @dimakonstanta1868 2 місяці тому

      How often you restarting MacBook?

    • @sweealamak628
      @sweealamak628 2 місяці тому

      @@andyH_England This is my first Mac so there was going to be some surprises in store for me despite my research. Furthermore, there simply wasn't enough info online 3 years ago on the topic of RAM as it was a brand new chip (first of its kind ARM on a laptop) and reviews were immediate reactions at best. I also did not fancy myself as a heavy user cos I was intending to do spreadsheets, word processing, youtube, email, python scripting on an IDE. No compiling of code or editing photos/videos. I was coming from an iPad Pro which I was super happy with but recognised the need for a proper "workstation" when COVID hit. The positive thing out of this is, I managed to get a refurbished version which helped save me some money and I really understand how MacOS behaves now. Apart from the multitasking limitations, M1 Macbook Air is amazing. Only inconvenience I face now is that I have to actively manage RAM usage by closing apps regularly, only using 2 or 3 apps simultaneously.

    • @sweealamak628
      @sweealamak628 2 місяці тому

      @@dimakonstanta1868 Weekly, but that doesn't solve the issue of the lack of RAM. Resetting only flushes the cache and clears overload by certain processes like "WindowServer" which grows in RAM usage as the days go by. I've learnt my lesson, don't stinge on RAM. MacOS ain't magic, it can only compress each application so much while idle.

  • @alp4info
    @alp4info Місяць тому

    👍🏾

  • @ohmygosh6176
    @ohmygosh6176 Місяць тому

    Sorry 8GB no deal

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  Місяць тому

      If it is not right for you then I would not buy one.

  • @lorensims4846
    @lorensims4846 2 місяці тому +1

    M1 MacBook Air
    Nothing else even LOOKS like a MacBook Air.

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  2 місяці тому +1

      I liked the old design but also like the new one.

    • @EV_car2013
      @EV_car2013 Місяць тому +1

      Yeah right even the M1 is still good these days.

  • @jansix4287
    @jansix4287 Місяць тому

    Wrong again. It's the 16 GB of RAM which the vast majority of users will likely never notice ( unless they start up Activity Monitor ). Higher Swap memory usage is a non-issue with modern SSDs. M4 is a big deal because of the chip itself and its 10-wide dispatcher. The M1 was the first chip with an 8-wide dispatcher, and that's what made the magic happen. A RISC architecture like ARM is no good unless you make use of the instruction set by creating a better core. This new core is so good that a base M4 chip now outperforms an M1 Max.

    • @craigneidel
      @craigneidel  Місяць тому

      You have your opinion which I think is wrong and that is fine.

  • @EastMontana1
    @EastMontana1 Місяць тому

    You are absolutely right ! 🫶