Shopping for new MacBook Pro

I am comparing the lower end MacBook Pro's. This is what showed up on one site for comparisons: Macbook Pro Comparisons

I don't know what would keep me from getting the cheapest one since I only mostly search the web, do email and text.

The weird thing on the comparison chart is that under the M1 there is no info on battery life, the keyboard, or wireless networking. Also, on the other two it shows wi-fi 6. What is that?

Addendum: I looked at the ports of the M1 and M2. Nothing for thumb drives. Does that mean we have to backup with external drives instead? What am I missing? I'm also very surprised they added a headphone jack.

Originally Posted by plantsower

I am comparing the lower end MacBook Pro's. This is what showed up on one site for comparisons: Macbook Pro Comparisons

I don't know what would keep me from getting the cheapest one since I only mostly search the web, do email and text.

The weird thing on the comparison chart is that under the M1 there is no info on battery life, the keyboard, or wireless networking. Also, on the other two it shows wi-fi 6. What is that?

Addendum: I looked at the ports of the M1 and M2. Nothing for thumb drives. Does that mean we have to backup with external drives instead? What am I missing? I'm also very surprised they added a headphone jack.

Considering your needs, it may be worth your while to take a look at a MacBook Air.

I looked at a couple of current Mac laptops, and the lower end ones, at the least, appear to have only 2 x USB C/Thunderbolt 4 ports and a headphone jack.

That means that if you're running your Mac on wall power with one of ports dedicated to power, you've only got room for one peripheral or a dock, so they pretty much had to reinstall a headphone jack.

The USB port as we knew it pretty much no longer exists, so you'll have to buy either an adaptor or a dock, depending upon your needs.

The first and last time I looked at the MacBook Air it had just come out. I didn't like it because it seemed like it had less ports than I was used to. Maybe that's changed. And again, how am I supposed to back stuff up? After buying the thumb drive now I won't be able to use it, right? At least not just keep it in like you and I do now. Apple never fails to disappoint those of us who liked it the way it was. I know Joe will probably defend them, (hi Joe) but I don't.

Originally Posted by artie505

Originally Posted by plantsower

I am comparing the lower end MacBook Pro's. This is what showed up on one site for comparisons: Macbook Pro Comparisons

I don't know what would keep me from getting the cheapest one since I only mostly search the web, do email and text.

The weird thing on the comparison chart is that under the M1 there is no info on battery life, the keyboard, or wireless networking. Also, on the other two it shows wi-fi 6. What is that?

Addendum: I looked at the ports of the M1 and M2. Nothing for thumb drives. Does that mean we have to backup with external drives instead? What am I missing? I'm also very surprised they added a headphone jack.

Considering your needs, it may be worth your while to take a look at a MacBook Air.

I looked at a couple of current Mac laptops, and the lower end ones, at the least, appear to have only 2 x USB C/Thunderbolt 4 ports and a headphone jack.

That means that if you're running your Mac on wall power with one of ports dedicated to power, you've only got room for one peripheral or a dock, so they pretty much had to reinstall a headphone jack.

The USB port as we knew it pretty much no longer exists, so you'll have to buy either an adaptor or a dock, depending upon your needs.

Originally Posted by plantsower

I am comparing the lower end MacBook Pro's. This is what showed up on one site for comparisons: Macbook Pro Comparisons

I don't know what would keep me from getting the cheapest one since I only mostly search the web, do email and text.

The weird thing on the comparison chart is that under the M1 there is no info on battery life, the keyboard, or wireless networking. Also, on the other two it shows wi-fi 6. What is that?

Addendum: I looked at the ports of the M1 and M2. Nothing for thumb drives. Does that mean we have to backup with external drives instead? What am I missing? I'm also very surprised they added a headphone jack.

As Artie said above, you can keep your thumb drive plugged in, you just need a USB A to USB C adapter. Didn't you have another thread where you asked about that?

Also, don't forget to check Apple's Refurbished Store.

Wi-fi 6, not to be confused with wi-fi 6E, is a faster and more efficient use of the 5 GHz wi-fi band. OK, wi-fi 6E is actually using a different band than the 5 Ghz and is even faster. Each band—2.4 GHz, 5 (with or without 6) and 6E—have their strength and weaknesses. The general rule of thumb is to use the "largest number band" that you can.

As Artie said above, you can keep your thumb drive plugged in, you just need a USB A to USB C adapter. Didn't you have another thread where you asked about that? Yes, but I am concerned that there are 2 usb ports but no extra port for the thumb drive like I have now. I've been researching more, and it looks like the only Macbook Pro's that have a decent amount of ports are the 14" and 16" models. I don't think they offer the headphone port, but I don't need that. The way it's worded (I am probably wrong) the larger models have a MagSafe cable. The others don't mention any cables, just adapters. So I am wondering if I would have to buy an actual cable to plug them in. Maybe it's just semantics.

Also, don't forget to check Apple's Refurbished Store. I wanted new this time but maybe I will look at that.

Wi-fi 6, not to be confused with wi-fi 6E, is a faster and more efficient use of the 5 GHz wi-fi band. OK, wi-fi 6E is actually using a different band than the 5 Ghz and is even faster. Each band—2.4 GHz, 5 (with or without 6) and 6E—have their strength and weaknesses. The general rule of thumb is to use the "largest number band" that you can. [/quote]

Originally Posted by plantsower

The weird thing on the comparison chart is that under the M1 there is no info on battery life, the keyboard, or wireless networking. Also, on the other two it shows wi-fi 6. What is that?

Not sure why that is, but if you dig down far enough you will find

Originally Posted by Apple

Display
Retina display
13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology; 2560-by-1600 native resolution at 227 pixels per inch with support for millions of colors
Supported scaled resolutions:
1680 by 1050
1440 by 900
1024 by 640
400 nits brightness
Wide color (P3)
True Tone technology
Chip
Apple M1 chip
8-core CPU with 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores
7-core GPU
16-core Neural Engine
Battery and Power
Up to 15 hours wireless web
Up to 18 hours Apple TV app movie playback
Built-in 49.9‑watt‑hour lithium‑polymer battery
30W USB-C Power Adapter
Charging and Expansion
Two Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports with support for:
Charging
DisplayPort
Thunderbolt 3 (up to 40Gb/s)
USB 4 (up to 40Gb/s)
USB 3.1 Gen 2 (up to 10Gb/s)
3.5 mm headphone jack Thunderbolt / USB 4
Memory[/b
]8GB
8GB unified memory
Configurable to:
16GB
[b]Storage
256GB
256GB SSD
Configurable to:
512GB, 1TB, or 2TB
Keyboard and Trackpad
Backlit Magic Keyboard with:
78 (U.S.) or 79 (ISO) keys including 12 function keys and 4 arrow keys in an inverted-T arrangement
Ambient light sensor
Force Touch trackpad for precise cursor control and pressure-sensing capabilities; enables Force clicks, accelerators, pressure-sensitive drawing, and Multi-Touch gestures
Touch ID
Touch ID sensor
Wireless
Wi-Fi
802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 wireless networking
IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac compatible
[/u]Bluetooth
Bluetooth 5.0 wireless technology
Camera
720p FaceTime HD camera
Advanced image signal processor with computational video
Display Support
Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display at millions of colors and:
One external display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz
Thunderbolt 3 digital video output
Native DisplayPort output over USB-C
VGA, HDMI, DVI, and Thunderbolt 2 output supported using adapters (sold separately)
Audio
Stereo speakers
Wide stereo sound
Support for Dolby Atmos playback
Three-mic array with directional beamforming
3.5 mm headphone jack

Originally Posted by plantsower

I looked at the ports of the M1 and M2. Nothing for thumb drives. Does that mean we have to backup with external drives instead? What am I missing? I'm also very surprised they added a headphone jack.

The Thunderbolt 3 ports are USB compatible and there are plenty of thumb drives with a type C connector or you can use your existing Type A thumb drive(s) with a Type C to Type A adapter.

Originally Posted by artie505

Considering your needs, it may be worth your while to take a look at a MacBook Air.

Ditto

Originally Posted by IraL

As Artie said above, you can keep your thumb drive plugged in, you just need a USB A to USB C adapter. Didn't you have another thread where you asked about that?

Also, don't forget to check Apple's Refurbished Store.

Ditto

Looks like everyone but you is pretty much in agreement.

Thanks for all the info. After looking at all the options, I am probably going to get a 14" M1 MacBook Pro lower end refurbished. I know I don't need all the bells and whistles, but I do like a lot of ports so I don't have to plug and unplug stuff. Do you know if I have to use the touch ID? It doesn't work most of the time on my iPhone, so I don't want to depend on it.

Originally Posted by joemikeb

Originally Posted by plantsower

The weird thing on the comparison chart is that under the M1 there is no info on battery life, the keyboard, or wireless networking. Also, on the other two it shows wi-fi 6. What is that?

Not sure why that is, but if you dig down far enough you will find

Originally Posted by Apple

Display
Retina display
13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology; 2560-by-1600 native resolution at 227 pixels per inch with support for millions of colors
Supported scaled resolutions:
1680 by 1050
1440 by 900
1024 by 640
400 nits brightness
Wide color (P3)
True Tone technology
Chip
Apple M1 chip
8-core CPU with 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores
7-core GPU
16-core Neural Engine
Battery and Power
Up to 15 hours wireless web
Up to 18 hours Apple TV app movie playback
Built-in 49.9‑watt‑hour lithium‑polymer battery
30W USB-C Power Adapter
Charging and Expansion
Two Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports with support for:
Charging
DisplayPort
Thunderbolt 3 (up to 40Gb/s)
USB 4 (up to 40Gb/s)
USB 3.1 Gen 2 (up to 10Gb/s)
3.5 mm headphone jack Thunderbolt / USB 4
Memory[/b
]8GB
8GB unified memory
Configurable to:
16GB
[b]Storage
256GB
256GB SSD
Configurable to:
512GB, 1TB, or 2TB
Keyboard and Trackpad
Backlit Magic Keyboard with:
78 (U.S.) or 79 (ISO) keys including 12 function keys and 4 arrow keys in an inverted-T arrangement
Ambient light sensor
Force Touch trackpad for precise cursor control and pressure-sensing capabilities; enables Force clicks, accelerators, pressure-sensitive drawing, and Multi-Touch gestures
Touch ID
Touch ID sensor
Wireless
Wi-Fi
802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 wireless networking
IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac compatible
[/u]Bluetooth
Bluetooth 5.0 wireless technology
Camera
720p FaceTime HD camera
Advanced image signal processor with computational video
Display Support
Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display at millions of colors and:
One external display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz
Thunderbolt 3 digital video output
Native DisplayPort output over USB-C
VGA, HDMI, DVI, and Thunderbolt 2 output supported using adapters (sold separately)
Audio
Stereo speakers
Wide stereo sound
Support for Dolby Atmos playback
Three-mic array with directional beamforming
3.5 mm headphone jack

Originally Posted by plantsower

I looked at the ports of the M1 and M2. Nothing for thumb drives. Does that mean we have to backup with external drives instead? What am I missing? I'm also very surprised they added a headphone jack.

The Thunderbolt 3 ports are USB compatible and there are plenty of thumb drives with a type C connector or you can use your existing Type A thumb drive(s) with a Type C to Type A adapter.

Originally Posted by artie505

Considering your needs, it may be worth your while to take a look at a MacBook Air.

Ditto

Originally Posted by IraL

As Artie said above, you can keep your thumb drive plugged in, you just need a USB A to USB C adapter. Didn't you have another thread where you asked about that?

Also, don't forget to check Apple's Refurbished Store.

Ditto

Looks like everyone but you is pretty much in agreement.

Originally Posted by plantsower

Thanks for all the info. After looking at all the options, I am probably going to get a 14" M1 MacBook Pro lower end refurbished. I know I don't need all the bells and whistles, but I do like a lot of ports so I don't have to plug and unplug stuff. Do you know if I have to use the touch ID? It doesn't work most of the time on my iPhone, so I don't want to depend on it.

A better solution would be to plug all of your "stuff" into a dock like this or a hub like this then the dock or hub would not only power your laptop but would provide connections to all of your various devices through the single connecting Thunderbolt cable.

Since my Studio lacks a facial recognition camera, my so-called memorable passwords can often be very difficult to type accurately, and clicking the watch requires taking my hand off the keyboard, I find touch ID invaluable. But, THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO REQUIREMENT TO ACTIVATE EITHER TOUCH ID OR FACIAL RECOGNITION ON ANY APPLE DEVICE. Technically, the only password you must have is the Apple ID password. You do not even have to have a login password unless you have the Apple Wallet activated. Touch ID and facial recognition are conveniences which the user must authorize on an application by application basis.

The dock is a little over kill for me. The hub would be nice for a desk top but I really don't have the room for a hub and then have the cables extending from it while sitting in my chair. That just wouldn't work for me. Having to deal with my external drive was a pain, so I know. That's why I'm glad I took Artie's advice and got an SD card for my Superduper backups that just stays in the Mac. Thanks Joe.

A better solution would be to plug all of your "stuff" into a dock like this or a hub like this then the dock or hub would not only power your laptop but would provide connections to all of your various devices through the single connecting Thunderbolt cable.

Originally Posted by plantsower

The dock is a little over kill for me. The hub would be nice for a desk top but I really don't have the room for a hub and then have the cables extending from it while sitting in my chair. That just wouldn't work for me. Having to deal with my external drive was a pain, so I know. That's why I'm glad I took Artie's advice and got an SD card for my Superduper backups that just stays in the Mac. Thanks Joe.

You missed my point, the dock or hub would be on a nearby table and there would only be one cable connected to the MacBook in your lap. That cable would provide both power and connectivity, including your thumb drive(s), SD cards, wired internet, etc.

OK, I guess I pictured it wrong. Thanks.

Originally Posted by joemikeb

Originally Posted by plantsower

The dock is a little over kill for me. The hub would be nice for a desk top but I really don't have the room for a hub and then have the cables extending from it while sitting in my chair. That just wouldn't work for me. Having to deal with my external drive was a pain, so I know. That's why I'm glad I took Artie's advice and got an SD card for my Superduper backups that just stays in the Mac. Thanks Joe.

You missed my point, the dock or hub would be on a nearby table and there would only be one cable connected to the MacBook in your lap. That cable would provide both power and connectivity, including your thumb drive(s), SD cards, wired internet, etc.

Originally Posted by plantsower

OK, I guess I pictured it wrong. Thanks.

Originally Posted by joemikeb

Originally Posted by plantsower

The dock is a little over kill for me. The hub would be nice for a desk top but I really don't have the room for a hub and then have the cables extending from it while sitting in my chair. That just wouldn't work for me. Having to deal with my external drive was a pain, so I know. That's why I'm glad I took Artie's advice and got an SD card for my Superduper backups that just stays in the Mac. Thanks Joe.

You missed my point, the dock or hub would be on a nearby table and there would only be one cable connected to the MacBook in your lap. That cable would provide both power and connectivity, including your thumb drive(s), SD cards, wired internet, etc.

I've been holding off on addressing this until you told us which MBP you were buying, and now that you have, I see that the question of a dock/hub is moot.

Your new MBP has got three USB-C ports in addition to its Mag-Safe (power) port, which means that you've got more connectivity than devices, and that's not counting the fact that your SDXC card slot looks like it's suitable for your SD card without an adaptor.

I bought the wrong c-port adapters so I can't even use my printer at the moment. Nothing close by to get them either. I just got off the phone with Mac Support. I got the top eschelon of techs because they are the one handling the M2 questions and transfers. He didn't know if we could even transfer from the SD card but we were able to get some stuff. He helped with a lot of other things that changed a bit. The one thing I want to do is to change my default browser[/color] to Safari Tech Preview (which I still need to download). But I can't find a way to do that. Directions online say to go to system prefs, general and it should be there but it's not.

Originally Posted by artie505

Originally Posted by plantsower

OK, I guess I pictured it wrong. Thanks.

Originally Posted by joemikeb

Originally Posted by plantsower

[color:#FF0000]The dock is a little over kill for me. The hub would be nice for a desk top but I really don't have the room for a hub and then have the cables extending from it while sitting in my chair. That just wouldn't work for me. Having to deal with my external drive was a pain, so I know. That's why I'm glad I took Artie's advice and got an SD card for my Superduper backups that just stays in the Mac. Thanks Joe.

You missed my point, the dock or hub would be on a nearby table and there would only be one cable connected to the MacBook in your lap. That cable would provide both power and connectivity, including your thumb drive(s), SD cards, wired internet, etc.

I've been holding off on addressing this until you told us which MBP you were buying, and now that you have, I see that the question of a dock/hub is moot.

Your new MBP has got three USB-C ports in addition to its Mag-Safe (power) port, which means that you've got more connectivity than devices, and that's not counting the fact that your SDXC card slot looks like it's suitable for your SD card without an adaptor.

Originally Posted by plantsower

I bought the wrong c-port adapters so I can't even use my printer at the moment.

Originally Posted by artie505

Originally Posted by plantsower

These are the ones I bought. Adaptor Hope it's right. I'm pretty sure it's right.

They're the ones we've been discussing, but I'm at a loss as to what a "USB-C charging unit" is.Please link me to the speakers you've been looking at.

The adaptors you bought are the correct ones for your old MBP which have got USB-A ports, but are useless with your new one.[/quote]

Originally Posted by plantsower

He didn't know if we could even transfer from the SD card...

There's no reason of which I'm aware why you can't migrate data from the SD card. It's an unusual situation, but the clone should be bootable, and Migration Assistant should work with any bootable volume. Instead of relying on the Apple tech, just try: Fire up MA and see if it allows you to choose the card. (Does the card show as an option in System Prefs > Startup Disk?)

Originally Posted by plantsower

... but we were able to get some stuff.

What stuff?

Originally Posted by plantsower

The one thing I want to do is to change my default browser to Safari Tech Preview (which I still need to download). But I can't find a way to do that. Directions online say to go to system prefs, general and it should be there but it's not.

Nope, it's not.

System Settings > Desktop & Dock > Default Web Browser. (But not until after you've installed STP.)