whlsdn Loc: Colorado

A few here may remember my frustration just one year ago with using a 16” MacBook Pro (i9 & 16GB & 1TB) when on the road and a PC desktop at home. Here’s the way that story began: “On the cusp of the plandemic I made the mistake of switching from a Windows laptop to a MacBook Pro 16 with 8-Core i9, 16 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD, and that lovely retina display. Instantly, all live Apple classes and all face-to-face support became inaccessible, despite having paid extra. With my HP Desktop Pavilion 590 (i7 but otherwise similarly equipped + 12 TB offboard storage) and a decent 27" HP monitor in use at home, weeks on the road in our motorhome find me cussing a very capable Mac laptop. The fault is my own foggy brain and my lack of willingness to independently study its mystical ways. So, I find myself planning to replace it.” (Incidentally, my daughter lusted after my MacBook.)

Among feedback comments were lots of encouragement to stick with Mac and especially to look at the M1 chip. Burkphoto's measured input had me on the verge of moving that way, but instead I bought a very well equipped ASUS Vivobook with the spectacular OLED screen. My one oversight on this choice was in selecting the AMD Ryzen 5900 processor which did not have even one Thunderbolt equivalent USB-C port! Otherwise, though, this is a very satisfactory laptop. However, the SOC seed had been planted.

Yes, I have spent the past many months analyzing the hype around the new Apple "System On a Chip" M series laptops and slowly began sipping the "COOLaide." Having confiscated our granddaughter's 2019 13" MacBook Air of modest stats when she decided she wanted a true game-worthy Intel laptop (which her Grandmother and I bought second-hand for her, of course), I'd been using that Air for some basic things in place of my iPad and getting a little more familiar again with the Mac platform in general. During our annual 6 week winter getaway in AZ (and lots of picture-taking), I had an opportunity to trade it on a used 13.3" M1 MacBook Air with a nice load of software already on it… including Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro, both of which I was assured worked just fine. Memory and SSD are diminutive (8 & 256), but it actually runs that powerful software, plus I was able to load Luminar 4 and use it pretty smoothly too. Moreover, though I’m not one to frequently depend on battery life, the Air’s battery life is as phenomenal as others here promised!

So, to assuage my conscience, I offered my high-horsepowered ASUS Vivobook to my grandson (whose girlfriend is experimenting with audio mixing using an ancient PC while he’s beginning to play with video editing) before placing an order for a refurbished M1 Max 16" MacBook Pro (1TB & 32GB). He eagerly said "yes please!" so I placed my order and received it while still in Phx. The tech I bought the Air M1 from checked out the Max 16” for me too and loaded it with the same software… and added Malwarebytes Premium to both Macs. This 16” MacBook Pro looks brand new, and when I registered it to my Apple account, Apple says I bought it Oct 2022 and my warranty is good through Oct 26, 2023. Cool!

Refurbished M1 prices have come down very nicely, as Burkphoto recently pointed out to me in a PM conversation I initiated, although he wasn't recommending the Max. I really debated among M1 Pro, M1 Max, and a new M2 Pro, the latter being significantly more costly... at least in March. (Are rumors true about slow sales with M2 Macs???) With the current refurb price and the installed pieces, this M1 Max just seemed a great way to go... in fact, excessively powerful for my uses: primarily editing lots of EOS-R and 77D photos, creating an occasional short video with music sound track, plus all the normal computer-using old guy stuff. Way more than I need …forevermore, probably. Maybe I’ll stop finding excuses to buy new computers and just enjoy these two. I even sold my Gen 9 iPad today since I haven’t touched it since coming home from Phx with two MacBooks.

For those of you who shared insights when I first asked last year: THANKS AGAIN!
This report may be longer than anyone cares to read, but I like to report back when folks take the time and care to advise me.

Tdearing Loc: Rockport, TX

Good for you, glad it worked out.

tcthome Loc: NJ

whlsdn Loc: Colorado

Me too, thanks. I know 3 family members who are enjoying my indecisiveness resulting in their own laptop upgrades as well. Their Grandmother a little less perhaps, but fortunately she is patient.

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

Wise move. I just upgraded to a Mac Studio and BenQ 27" monitor because my old 2017 iMac was dying.

whlsdn Loc: Colorado

Thanks. We use the same (Dif model maybe) monitor. I bought it to go with my ASUS laptop when at my desk at home. Needed something good enough to take my eyes off the 16" OLED. MacBook's screen has a similar attraction.

jederick Loc: Northern Utah

TheShoe Loc: Lacey, WA

Correction. it is the motherboard that didn't have the port, not the cpu.

fsommer

Your last paragraph should have been your first.

whlsdn Loc: Colorado

My apologies! You're right. Shouldn't have to read the whole thing in order to get to my "thank you."

whlsdn Loc: Colorado

Right you are. As much as 12 months ago, were they Ryzen CPUs on motherboards with Thunderbolt equivalent ports? Didn't see any among ASUS options, but they existed on motherboards loaded with Intel CPUs.