IMAC PRO VS IMAC AIR PLUS
Keep in mind these shopping notes are based on the on-paper specs for the new MacBooks, plus my long experience testing and reviewing MacBooks, which goes back to the very first MacBook Pro in 2006 and the first MacBook Air in 2008.
IMAC PRO VS IMAC AIR 1080P
I've used the 1080p webcams in the 27-inch iMac and newer 24-inch iMac, and it makes a huge difference in video meetings. So far, I've heard mixed reactions to that, but I think the better 1080p-resolution webcam more than makes up for it. So thin, in fact, that the webcam has been reduced to a notch, cutting into the display itself, much like on an iPhone. The bigger screen covers even more of the top panel, with thinner bezels. The trade-off is that the thicker body allows for all those extras, like the resurrected HDMI and SD card ports. Along with that, it actually gets both thicker and heavier.
This is the first brand-new screen size for a MacBook since the 15-inch Pro went to 16 inches in 2019 (the iMac added a 24-inch version this past summer). Let's look at the current lineup and see how the new announcements have changed the buying calculations: Current MacBooks compared
IMAC PRO VS IMAC AIR PROFESSIONAL
M1: Apple's MacBook Pro chips comparedīy adding the M1 Pro and M1 Max system-on-chip parts (sometimes called an SOC, or more casually referred to as the MacBook's "chip"), these really become pro-level machines, and will do a better job of attracting professional buyers, who are used to spending many, many thousands on their mission-critical work rigs.
Before now, the M1 Macs were not always powerful enough for more complex workloads. It's also a way Apple can lure in higher-end creative pros who need the graphics power - previously only available in select Intel Macs - for video editing, content creation and 3D work. The new 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops represent a much wider gap between the Air and Pro models. The $699 Mac Mini? Same chip! The upshot at the time was that the MacBook Air remained the most universally useful choice for most people. The less expensive MacBook Air and more expensive 13-inch MacBook Pro used almost identical M1 chips (with a single extra GPU core in the Pro), despite a $300 difference in their starting prices. Last year's initial wave of M1 Macs made for some confusing buying choices. The new models are available to buy now, although some configurations already show long wait times before shipping. I doubt we'll see any more, as the Mac line continues to go all-in on Apple's own chips, allowing the company to control the design of the hardware, the OS and the CPU. The Intel/Apple partnership lasted 15 years, and now we're down to the last couple of available Intel Macs, an older Mac Mini and the 21.5- and 27-inch iMacs. The MacBook Pro started life in 2006, as a successor to Apple's PowerBook line of laptops, and part of the first wave of Intel-powered Macs. This shift means more options for new MacBook buyers to consider, as well as additional considerations about ports, screens, webcams and power - especially graphics power. With the two new MacBook Pro laptops, a 16-inch and a 14-inch model, introduced by Apple this month, the entire MacBook laptop line has shifted to Apple's own M-series chips, and away from Intel.