There’s been something of a debate going on recently over what some term “the non-pro MacBook Pro,” with what John Gruber refers to as “the no-adjective M-series chip.” The debate centers on whether it makes sense to buy the base model MacBook Pro rather than the significantly cheaper but similarly-specced MacBook Air … John Gruber came down pretty clearly on the nay side. The 14-inch MacBook Pro with the no-adjective M-series chip has always been an odd duck in the MacBook lineup. This “Pro”-but-not-pro spot in the MacBook lineup goes back to the Intel era, when there was a 13-inch MacBook Pro without a Touch Bar. That was the MacBook Pro that, in 2016, Phil Schiller suggested as a good choice for those who were then holding out for a MacBook Air with a retina display. (The first retina MacBook Air didn’t ship for another two years, in late 2018.) It’s more like a MacBook “Pro” than a MacBook Pro. The truly pro-spec’d MacBook Pros have M-series Pro and Max chips, and are available in both 14- and 16-inch sizes. The base 14-inch model, with the no-adjective M-series chip, is for people who probably would be better served with a MacBook Air but who wrongly believe they “need” a laptop with “Pro” in its name. Fintech investor Brian Stuckey was one of those who disagreed. A rare disagree with @gruber.foo here. I’m a cognizant MacBook Pro no-adjective user because the CPU/GPU is more than enough for me. I buy over Air for: – XDR display – Battery life – Much better speakers – SD/HDMI ports He says that the base model MacBook Pro allows him to get these things without the markup for the more powerful chips, which he doesn’t need. Breaking down the XDR display part, that gets you significantly higher maximum brightness, HDR support, and ProMotion. Alongside much better speakers also come significantly better microphones. Better battery life is also accompanied by faster charging. Another potential argument here is SSD storage. While both the 13-inch MacBook Air and the 14-inch MacBook Pro now offer the same RAM options of 16GB, 24GB, or 32GB, the Air maxes out at a 2TB SSD while the MacBook Pro gives you the option of a 4TB one. Finally, if you want the nano texture matte display, that is only an option with the MacBook Pro. Gruber responded by emphasizing that he used the word “probably” in his original post, and he sticks by his view that it’s the wrong choice for most of those who buy it. What’s your take? Are these benefits enough to justify the higher cost and heavier weight of the base MacBook Pro over the MacBook Air, even if you don’t need a more powerful chip? Please take our poll and share your thoughts in the comments. Highlighted accessories Image: Apple