The M1 MacBook Air is a surprisingly capable machine that punches well above its weight. Coming from a decade of 15" MacBook Pros, the author found the Air's fanless M1 chip powerful enough to outperform a fully-specced 2019 16" MacBook Pro in Final Cut Pro — handling a demanding 4K multi-cam edit for seven hours without a hitch. Beyond raw performance, the compact 13" form factor, improved Magic Keyboard, all-day battery life, and fanless design make it an exceptionally well-rounded daily driver. For most users, it's more than enough computer — and at a fraction of the cost of Apple's higher-end options.
The M1 iPad Pro is an incredibly powerful device held back by its own software. Packing the same chip as the MacBook Air into a tablet sounds exciting — until you realize there's little on iPadOS that actually takes advantage of it. Every year the hardware leaps forward while the software stays put. Until Apple bridges that gap — whether through macOS on iPad, a dock-triggered desktop mode, or touch-friendly Mac software — the iPad Pro remains a tough sell for anyone who actually needs to get serious work done.
Apple's new MacBook Pros are the most compelling in the line's history — ProMotion displays, 20+ hour battery life, MagSafe, and a generational leap in performance thanks to Apple Silicon. Yes, next year's M2 chips will likely be faster, but that's always been true. The M1 Pro and Max are already so capable that they'll feel fast by any standard for years to come. If you need a new Mac and have the budget, there's no good reason to wait.
