I have been using a MacBook Pro M4 as my portable computer for the last half a year and wanted to share a few short impressions. As always, I am not a professional laptop reviewer, so in this article you won’t find benchmarks, just subjective thoughts!
Back in 2021, I wrote about the MacBook Air M1, which was the first computer I used that contained Apple’s own ARM-based CPU. Having a silent laptop with long battery life was a game-changer, so I wanted to keep those properties.
When the US government announced tariffs, I figured I would replace my 4-year old MacBook Air M1 with a more recent model that should last a few more years. Ultimately, Apple’s prices remained stable, so, in retrospect, I could have stayed with the M1 for a few more years. Oh well.
The nano-textured display
I went to the Apple Store to compare the different options in person. Specifically, I was curious about the display and whether the increased weight and form factor of the MacBook Pro (compared to a MacBook Air) would be acceptable. Another downside of the Pro model is that it comes with a fan, and I really like absolutely quiet computers. Online, I read from other MacBook Pro owners that the fan mostly stays off.
In general, I would have preferred to go with a MacBook Air because it has enough compute power for my needs and I like the case better (no ventilation slots), but unfortunately only the MacBook Pro line has the better displays.
Why aren’t all displays nano-textured? The employee at the Apple Store presented the trade-off as follows: The nano texture display is great at reducing reflections, at the expense of also making the picture slightly less vibrant.
I could immediately see the difference when placing two laptops side by side: The bright Apple Store lights showed up very prominently on the normal display (left), and were almost not visible at all on the nano texture display (right):
Personally, I did not perceive a big difference in “vibrancy”, so my choice was clear: I’ll pick the MacBook Pro over the MacBook Air (despite the weight) for the nano texture display!
After using the laptop in a number of situations, I am very happy with this choice. In normal scenarios, I notice no reflections at all (where my previous laptop did show reflections!). This includes using the laptop on a train (next to the window), or using the laptop outside in daylight.
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