In particular, more and more questions arise for Apple, which regularly introduces new restrictions. Against the background of various sanctions, you start to think about whether it makes sense to get a new Macbook right now, whether it’s worth spending a lot of money on it. Will its operating system be blocked? Will I be able to buy apps? What happens if you need to make repairs?
Let’s try to answer these questions. At the same time, we will briefly go through the main models of Apple laptops to simplify your choice.
Table of Contents
Impact of sanctions
Until a couple of years ago, no one had a question about whether to buy a Macbook in Russia. Of course! Why not? Right now, sanctions are raining down on our country. Apple would be happy to continue making money, but it is under pressure from the US government. However, let’s not delve into politics. Instead, let’s find out exactly what restrictions to expect from a Cupertino company.
iPhone owners are suffering the most right now. It just so happens that it is quite easy to block the smartphone operation remotely. Almost any manufacturer can actually do this. However, Apple has taken this step so far. In its history, there are only isolated examples of such blockages. Basically, devices stolen from stores during mass protests in the United States were turned off remotely. What’s on the MacBook?
Laptop buyers have other difficulties. If in the middle of the last decade it was possible to recommend buying a MacBook for studying, now its cost seems unaffordable to many. It’s another matter if you plan to purchase a computer for solving professional tasks. Here you already need to think for yourself whether such a laptop will pay off, whether you can afford it without incurring financial problems in the future. Macbook prices have soared for several reasons:
- Inflation. Only in 2023, the value of the dollar increased from 73 to almost 100 rubles, and after all, there is also a crisis on the global financial arena;
- Parallel import. Apple itself does not supply its laptops now, in fact, stores take them from resellers;
- No need to keep the price tag low. MacBook, like other products of the company from Cupertino, is considered an elite technique, and sellers assume that it will be taken for any money.
Another problem is the warranty service. This smartphone is usually used for two to three years. The laptop is taken for a much longer period of time. Some copies conceal a marriage. Previously, the problem could be fixed under warranty — for example, the keyboard was repaired for free. In the summer of 2023, Apple laid down its warranty obligations in Russia. From now on, you will have to repair the screen and other components for money. This will be expensive, as spare parts are now often also delivered on parallel imports. This affects not only their cost, but also the duration of repairs — previously they did not have to wait for them, but now such a need still arises. Should I buy a Macbook if such problems may arise in the future? Big question.
As for the operation of Apple services, there is also a problem with them. Downloading the program on your MacBook is now more difficult. But here everything is not as sad as on the iPhone, since macOS and programs are not tied to any one service. But we’ll talk about this later.
Why do they love a Macbook?
The main positive aspects of Apple laptops as a result of sanctions have not gone away. These are still some of the lightest portable computers around. This is especially true for the MacBook Air series. If you need a “typewriter” – nothing better to find. This laptop is ideal for typing, working with code and solving other simple tasks. And you can easily take it with you to work — it doesn’t take up much space in your backpack. What can not be said about most portable computers with Windows on board-they are often too heavy.
Should I buy a Macbook to solve complex tasks? Uniquely. At least, if we talk about the MacBook Pro. Such a computer has a powerful chip, thanks to which even video editing and working with computer graphics are available. And even earlier, Macbooks could boast of long-term operation, and the modern model has an Apple M3 processor on board — its highest energy efficiency allows you to do without a power supply unit during the entire working day!
Let’s take a quick look at the other advantages of Apple laptops:
- Excellent screen — if you do not save money, then you will get a Macbook with a great display, positive impressions of which will remain throughout the entire period of operation.
- Small size and weight-Apple is able to reduce the size of its devices. Don’t you remember the famous presentation where Steve Jobs took the MacBook Air out of the mail envelope? These laptops are also very light. Even the Pro line — including thanks to new ARM processors that do not require an advanced cooling system.
- Quiet operation — again, this applies even to professional models. In this regard, Windows laptops strain much more.
- Attractive design-competitors began to catch up with Apple only a few years ago.
- The best touchpad is still a surprise, but on Macbooks, this control works perfectly. Buy another laptop — you will definitely want to connect a computer mouse. In the case of the MacBook, this desire does not arise.
- Good sound — you can safely use your Apple computer to watch a movie or video on YouTube without connecting external speakers or headphones. While competitors from ASUS, HP and other companies often sound too quiet even at the maximum volume level.
A separate song is macOS. If you have never used this operating system, you will have to get used to it. But even you will quickly come to the conclusion that it is more logical and simple. Also, you should not expect it to hang up and other unpleasant moments typical of Windows overloaded with extra code. You will only have to accept the lack of touch control — while Apple offers to use the touchpad and keyboard.
In 2016, the MacBook Pro suddenly got an innovation that the competition doesn’t have. We are talking about the Touch Bar panel. This is a wide touch screen located above the keyboard. It displays icons, as well as various important settings in various applications. The idea is interesting, but it can not be said that it was shot and liked by users.
Performance of top-end MacBook chips
Starting in June 2023, Apple switched from Intel processors to its own processors for the MacBook. Apple’s chips offer much higher performance and faster integrated graphics. In addition, thanks to high-performance chips, MacBooks have good autonomy, and their batteries are less prone to rapid discharge when working with power-intensive applications.
Advantages and disadvantages of MacBook chips
Top-end MacBook processors have a number of advantages:
- High performance. The processors used in the MacBook provide high-speed operation.
- Energy efficiency. The MacBook chips are designed to consume less power than similar processors from other manufacturers. This helps to increase the battery life of the device.
- Compatible with macOS. All components of the MacBook, including the processor, are optimized to work with this operating system. This ensures the stability and reliability of your computer.
Among the disadvantages of chips is only the cost — they are more expensive than processors from other manufacturers.
M2 Pro and M2 Max
The M2 Pro and M2 Max chips include a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), and various specialized units such as a neural engine for machine learning and image processing acceleration tasks. This makes them ideal for performing complex tasks such as high-resolution video editing, 3D modeling, software development, and other resource-intensive tasks.
In addition, these chips have improved energy efficiency.
M2 Pro offers a 12-core CPU, 19-core graphics and up to 32 GB of fast memory. The M2 Max has a 38-core GPU and up to 96 GB of accelerated memory.
The M2 Pro processor is slightly inferior in power to the M2 Max, but for the average user, the difference between them will be insignificant.
M3 Pro and M3 Max
Both chips are made according to the three-nanometer process technology and are currently considered the most high-performance processors of all existing ones. They are equipped with up to 16 CPU cores and up to 40 GPU cores and an advanced neural engine capable of performing up to 18 trillion operations per second.
The chips can handle heavy games, resource-intensive programs, machine learning, and other complex tasks related to artificial intelligence. They also have an improved cooling system to maintain high performance.
Where are the top-end MacBook chips used?
High-performance MacBook chips, thanks to their excellent optimization with the macOS operating system, are mainly used for complex tasks such as processing high-resolution video, working with graphics programs, creating music and games. They are also necessary for solving other tasks that require high performance in the field of business, analytics, and programming.
Powerful Apple chips are designed primarily for users who need high performance and excellent autonomy. These processors provide high-speed information processing and can work with large data sets.
Choosing macbooks based on top — end Apple chips is a smart decision and a profitable investment in the future for those who are engaged in design, game development, 3D modeling, animation, music and video production, as well as solve business problems.
Disadvantages of Apple laptops
Macbooks also have some unpleasant moments. The same keyboard — the Cupertino company used a new mechanism for several years. It wasn’t the most reliable one. While there were no sanctions, the keyboard was repaired under warranty even after its expiration date. Now the “butterfly” mechanism can cause significantly bigger problems, since it will take money to fix the problem. It was used in Apple laptops from 2016 to 2019. Therefore, if you are thinking about buying a MacBook, whether it is worth taking a used version, then we recommend paying attention exclusively to fresher models. Since 2020, the company has switched to the Magic Keyboard-a familiar and more reliable “scissors” mechanism, which is more protected from dust.
Other disadvantages include a set of connectors. Even the MacBook Pro model in this regard does not suit all users. And there is nothing to say about cheaper ones. Fortunately, the problem is partly solved by buying some kind of docking station. Of course, you will not carry it with you, but the need to connect a large number of additional devices usually occurs only at home.
There are other serious limitations of the MacBook:
- A modest assortment — yes, Apple laptops look beautiful. But almost the same. At a time when models on Windows are released for almost every taste.
- The inability to upgrade-devices from the company from Cupertino are a complete product in itself. Therefore, when choosing such a device, pay attention to the memory — it is better to immediately take the option with the largest volume, so as not to connect an external SSD or HDD again. You will also not be able to add RAM in the future, since it is soldered on the board.
- The high price is a byword. But now really such laptops are too expensive, it will not be possible to argue with this. A similar laptop on Windows will cost 25-40% cheaper. But it will probably also work worse. Also, you will definitely lose out in the duration of autonomy.
- Few games — modern projects are rarely developed for macOS. These laptops are not for gamers. Although it can not be said that there is absolutely nothing to play on them.
- Now you understand that the MacBook is not ideal. Even if you agree to pay many hundreds of thousands of rubles for a top-end modification. There will still be restrictions, and there is no escaping them.
Which MacBook should I choose?
The line of Apple laptops can not be called very wide. But there’s plenty to choose from. If you already understand the answer to the question “is it worth buying a Macbook?”, it’s time to decide on a specific model. The most popular now is the Apple MacBook Air 13.3 ” M1. This is the first attempt of the company to release a laptop with its own processor. And it was successful. Even though this version of the chip has only eight processing cores, half of which are energy-efficient. Compact and lightweight, the MacBook Air has 8 or 16 GB of RAM, which is more than enough for basic tasks. The main feature before even older models was the operating time — the theoretical limit is 20 hours. In practice, the result is less, but even it allows you not to take a power supply unit with you to work. To display the image, a 13.3-inch display with a resolution of 25 x 1600 pixels is used, and the frames are as narrow as possible. 7 GPU cores are responsible for graphics processing.
If you want more power, it is better to choose the Apple MacBook Air 13.6 ” M2. This is an even faster car, released in 2022. It uses the next generation of the processor. The number of transistors in this chip has grown from 16 billion to 20 billion. Performance compared to its predecessor increased by 1.5 times. In the MacBook Air, however, its capabilities are artificially limited. For example, in the basic version of the laptop, only 8 GPU cores are used, and not 10. But this is enough for editing 4K video. Also, this laptop does not have the largest amount of RAM — in theory, the chip supports 24 GB. Other features of the laptop include a modest size and weight (only 1.24 kg), a spectacular color scheme, a fast storage capacity of up to 1 TB, a magnificent screen with a backlight brightness of up to 500 cd / sq. m and a reliable keyboard. For the first time in a long time, Apple has significantly updated the camera. She even introduced three microphones, so that both the picture and the sound were high-quality. Fingerprint scanning is used to unlock your computer. Among the disadvantages, only a modest number of connectors and a very high price can be noted. Also, you will probably have to do laser engraving of the Cyrillic alphabet on the keyboard (if the seller did not take care of this).
Finally, the best option for professionals with a wealth of experience is the Apple MacBook Pro 16 ” M3 Pro. The number of computing cores of the processor installed here has been increased to twelve. The chip also contains 18 graphics cores. With such a laptop, it is comfortable to engage in regular video editing (in resolution up to 8K), and the creation of special effects, and the development of computer graphics. The resolution of the 16-inch screen is 3456×2234 pixels. This is another advantage over Windows laptops — they are often not able to boast of such a parameter. Despite the increased power, the MacBook Pro continues to hold a charge throughout the working day. Since this is an option for professionals, it has received an adequate number of connectors — even the card reader has returned here.
Apple’s M1, M2, and M3 chips are more energy efficient than Intel products for one simple reason. They are made using ARM technology. You’re familiar with it from the processors embedded in smartphones and tablets. This indicates a smaller technical process and more modest final chip sizes. At the same time, processors do not lose out in power at all.
Conclusion: is it worth buying a Macbook?
Residents considering a MacBook may face challenges like limited access to the app store and warranty repair issues, but these obstacles are less severe than with the iPhone. New ARM-based models outperform competitors, yet their starting price is around $1,000, and even the basic version has subpar specifications. Prices for MacBook Pro models can exceed $1,000, depending on the user’s financial situation and how much value they derive from the device.
