Apple M1 MacBook Pro Review: In-Depth Look & Guide [Updated September 2021]

*Updated with “Is MacBook Pro M1 Still Relevant” section at the end for people considering the M1 MacBook over the M1X to take advantage of the lower price. Skip to the end to read the update!

“The only CPU with any hope of matching the M1’s multi-threaded performance is a Ryzen 7, 8-core,” – Linus Tech Tips.

Linus praising a MacBook? Apple must have done something right. 

When Apple dropped the goliath at the “One more thing,’ event on November 10, the reactions were polarizing. The jury was split on Apple’s claims of an unrealistic performance boost on the new M1 Apple silicon, but that was then. We’re in the now, and it’s been almost three months since the release of the MacBooks that should be held for manslaughtering (chipslaughtering?) Intel. 

The verdict is out, and we all know that Apple wasn’t hypnotizing its way to the top of the laptop kingdom. This machine is unbelievably good at all the claims Apple threw at us at the event. 

I’ve been using the M1 MacBook Pro for almost a month now, and I’m ready to give you a deep dive into the entire experience. Should you wring your wallet clean to ride the Apple Silicon wave right now or wait for the next generation of Apple chips? You’ll find your answer here.

Note: If you’re not interested in why I resisted the M1 MacBook at first and other stories, just jump to the section of your choice using the TOC below!

What is M1 Apple Silicon?

Simply put, M1 is Apple’s first System on a Chip (SoC) designed specifically for the Mac. Similar to the ones in iPhones and iPad, yes. 

Till the M1 MacBook release, you’d find variations of Intel Core Processor chips inside older Macs: Core i3, Core i5, or Core i7. So while iPhone and iPad users were getting the full Apple experience, the Macs were a slightly mixed breed of Apple hardware and Intel chips. 

Apple then raised their Mac engineer’s wages, so those sleepers woke up and smacked Intel with M1 chips. This new design houses all the necessary computing components on a single chip instead of many and has a unified memory architecture (RAM) that allows all the components (CPU & GPU, etc.) on the M1 chips to access the same data pool without the need to copy data between one another. This is a major factor why the Apple-designed chips are so much faster and far more efficient than competing chips. 

Leaving all the geek-stuff aside, though, what you need to know about the M1 chip is that it’s built on the ARM-based architecture, which means that the brains of the MacBook now have a similarity with iPhone and iPads.

Intel chips in prior MacBooks were based on the x86 architecture. Why this matters is because most software and apps are designed with a specific architecture in mind. And when there’s a transition like the one Apple is going through right now, your favourite app or software might refuse to work unless the developers decided to tinker with the code and update their compatibility with the new infrastructure. 

But more on that later. 

What does M1 mean for you?

You may be familiar with MacBooks in general, but if the M1 chip confuses you, here’s what moving from the Intel chips to Apple-designed M1 means for you: Far better Performance & higher Efficiency! 

Apple loves spoiling its users with the best. With MacBooks with M1 chips, the company believes it can deliver the ultimate performance machines that are insanely efficient at power management. 

And yes, the M1 chip does deliver on that promise. Well, at least 95% of the time.  

So while you pay the same, you get an immensely more powerful MacBook that lasts a whole lot longer on a single charge. Isn’t that what you and I ordered? The only limitation is that for getting the most of the efficiency part, it’d be wise to stick to native Apple apps; running third-party apps on Rosetta (a software translator to run apps built for the Intel Macs), then power management is going to take a hit. 

But those quirks will be ironed out with time. The fact remains, though, that the M1 chips have taken the MacBook’s computing prowess and power management into unchartered territories.

Why is Apple Silicon Getting So Much Hype?

There’s hype around most things Apple does. Sometimes, they don’t live up to the hype (AirPower, HomePod, etc.). But mostly, Apple products get more attention than any other consumer products, so that’s one reason. 

But given the popularity of the MacBook and the fact that Apple has a proven record of delivering high performance and efficiency with their own chips in iPhones and iPads, the buzz around this transition is logical. 

If moving from Intel chips means that users get more performance and efficiency in a machine they love and get more bang for their buck, they’ll be excited. 

To give you perspective, I’ve been contemplating buying a MacBook for a year now but didn’t have a solid reason to justify spending so much. But with the release of M1 MacBooks, it was just a matter of coming to terms with my skepticism!

Why I Resisted the M1 MacBook at First

I sold my old MacBook in 2019, and since then, I haven’t had a ‘proper’ laptop. I have a Windows laptop from the office, and I have another Windows laptop that my brother had ditched when he bought his MacBook. 

My experience with the old MacBook had spoiled me, though, and every other Windows laptop feels broken and cheap. The likes of Dell XPS and Lenovo ThinkPad are great, for example, but they fall into the MacBook-price window (unintended pun), and if I’m spending that much and don’t play games, then MacBook it is. 

Nevertheless, here are a few reasons why I initially resisted the temptation to jump on the M1:

1. The M1 MacBook is based on a new architecture so it wasn’t a proven system yet, and I wasn’t ready to be Apple’s guinea pig.
2. I didn’t have evidence of Apple’s claim of superior performance and efficiency. (I’m a fanboy, not a fanatic)
3. Most software I use daily hadn’t been updated for the new chips. 
4. There were already rumors of an alleged redesigned 14-inch MacBook with M2 (or M1X) replacing the 13-inch within 2021, so that was really tempting.

Why I Finally Caved In & Bought The M1 MacBook Pro

Because I have zero willpower and I’m impatient. 

On a serious note, though, I rationalized these reasons and ordered the M1 MacBook Pro before I could change my mind: 

1. The M1 MacBook Pro with all its bells and whistle doesn’t feel expensive. It’s worth the investment.
2. Tech YouTubers are a blessing. They tested the M1 thoroughly and assured me that Apple wasn’t lying. 
3. App compatibility was becoming less of an issue with each passing week, with more developers updating their software for the M1 chip.
4. Waiting for the next generation can keep you waiting for life. 
5. I really, really needed a good laptop.

Why M1 MacBook Pro & Not Air or Mac Mini?

For the first time in MacBook’s history, the Air and Pro sit neck-to-neck.

Prior to the M1 chip, the MacBook Air was the entry-level notebook that most people bought for casual work, while the MacBook Pro was for power users. 

That disparity doesn’t exist anymore. Both the entry-level MacBook now have the M1 chip and that means the same performance and efficiency. In fact, one can argue that this is the M1 lineup: 

Since the MacBook Air is as powerful in performance as the Pro, the additional $300 for the Pro does make less sense. These are the only things that set the Pro apart from Air: 

• The Touch Bar
• Slightly brighter screen
• Slightly better speakers
• Slightly better battery life
• Fan for cooling & sustained performance
• An extra GPU-core in the base model.

For most people, these factors won’t matter much. But since I sometimes do light video and photo editing, I didn’t want the Air’s fanless design to hold me back IF I ever learned to edit well. 

And then there’s the notorious Touch Bar that I’d never used and wanted to give it a try (more on this later). 

So the sustained performance and 2 hours of extra battery life were enough reasons for me to get the Pro, more so because I don’t plan to upgrade this laptop anytime soon. 

What should you get? The MacBook Air!

Depends. But the answer is MacBook Air.

If you don’t edit photos or videos on a regular basis and you’re not designing rockets on your laptop, the MacBook Air is the perfect laptop for you. But even if you occasionally do, it can handle it like a champ. The battery will last you almost as well as the Pro too, so not a huge difference. 

So go with the M1 MacBook Air in almost every use case because the Pro is only slight insurance over the Air. There’s no wrong choice here if you have the money to spend, but the Air makes for a smarter purchase.

Oh, the Mac Mini…

That’s because I don’t care about the Mac mini. It’s a box that can’t do anything on its own, and it shouldn’t ever crop up in a conversation on MacBooks. 

It may have the same internals and the same OS and everything, but it doesn’t have my respect for being so needy on externals. 

Disclaimer: This is just a light-hearted take on my inability to buy a product that I can’t lug around everywhere. I understand that many prefer the size of the mini and even use it as a server along with their MacBook, so my opinion here is more whimsical than serious 😒

My Review of M1 MacBook Pro

Here’s the bottom line: The 13-inch MacBook Pro M1 is hands down one of the best laptops your money can buy. 

It’s power-hungry, it’s resource-efficient, it’s sleek, it’s exciting, and it’s future-proof. 

The blazing performance and the never-ending battery life would have been worth every penny in themselves. But the M1 MacBook Pro lets you plow through the workweek with everything it’s got, and I’d argue that it’s a bargain compared to many Windows laptops that may be half the price. 

Starting at $1299, I’d go as far as claiming the M1 MacBook Air is its only competitor. The Air starts at $999 with only a few compromises but delivers the same insane performance. 

So is the $300 price jump worth it for the Pro? It depends, but this review will help you understand things better. 

But before we jump to any conclusions and sling high praises, here’s a spoiler alert: The M1 MacBook Pro is not bullet-proof. It has its quirks, and it’ll be a while till Apple turns it into a de facto pro laptop. We’ll get on to that train later, though, because it’s now time to get into the reasons why the M1 MacBook Pro is $300 better than the Air and every penny better than most Windows laptops. 

I’ll break down all the reasons and throw-n-mix in all the reasons for paying the premium over Air as well. 

M1 MacBook Pro: Keyboard & Trackpad

It all starts with the keyboard and Trackpad for me. These are your primary form of interaction with any laptop, and my experience depends highly on these two elements. Having used a zillion laptops and PCs in my lifetime, I can say with a straight face that the M1 MacBook Pro has hands down the best keyboards and Trackpads of all laptops (bar other MacBooks).

Keyboard

For 4 years, Apple was adamant that the butterfly mechanism was the best thing to happen to the keyboard realm. But in 2020 they finally backtracked and reintroduced the Magic keyboard. Bold move. But I was sold. 

See I believe in “don’t fix something that’s not broken,” and the Magic keyboard was a great example of that. So when it made a reappearance in 2020 and then the M1 MacBook Pro, it was a no-brainer for me. 

And since getting my hands on this keyboard, my average typing speed has improved. I don’t type fast, but on this keyboard, I tend to make fewer mistakes, and it’s just a far, far better feeling. I practically look forward to typing on this keyboard, if that’s something you can understand.

Most laptops usually have flimsy keyboards that wobble and don’t feel satisfying. The Magic keyboard, though, has just the right amount of travel and feel to it. It’s not as shallow as the damned butterfly, and it’s not a mechanical keyboard. It’s just right. 

Trackpad

Once again, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better touchpad on any other laptop. First, it’s huge. You can land an airplane on it if you weren’t careful. But jokes aside, it’s great to have so much space when your finger travels from one corner to the other. 

But the best thing about the trackpad on the MacBook is the responsiveness and seamless gestures that turn your experience into a few amazing motions. Swipe, pinch, slide, and it just does what you intend. It’s built to follow your commands, not to exist for the sake of it.

It’s sad that I can’t say the same about any Windows laptop I’ve used. 

M1 MacBook Pro: Performance

Akin to Mike Tyson, the M1 chip is Apple’s left-right combination to Intel. It took the MacBook from the middle of the pile to the top in just a ‘One more thing’ event. 

Also, I don’t care about benchmark numbers; I care about seamless and glitch-free performance I get on day-to-day use. Many laptops boast impressive numbers on benchmarking apps, but when the workflow is disrupted because an app froze, those numbers don’t matter.

So here are my thoughts. 

If you’ve ever had any barriers between you and getting things done on your laptop, the M1 MacBook Pro’s performance just obliterates that excuse into oblivion. I have problems focusing, and even the slightest hiccup in work distracts me rather easily. If an app takes an eternity to open, I have this innate ability to find a dozen distractions in those few seconds of eternity. And then those distractions become excuses and those excuses become failures. But at least I could revel in the fact that it was because the app or software wouldn’t do what I wanted it to. 

With the M1 chip in its gut, the MacBook Pro confronted my excuses and beat them to a pulp. This damn thing doesn’t give me enough time to think. I can have tons of apps and 12 desktops open, and it wouldn’t crawl like other laptops would, so I have no choice but to keep working. 

For example, I have a Core i5, 8th Gen Lenovo with 16GB of Ram – by no means a slacker. I can open 5 Chrome tabs, Slack, and maybe Zoom too, but if I even contemplate opening Photoshop, the Laptop would flash a message ‘stop, I’m not here to fulfill your dreams :).’

I tried pushing the M1 MacBook Pro to its limit: I created 10 desktops and had the following apps opened: Davinci Resolve, Notion, Audacity, Slack, WhatsApp, Safari with 10 tabs, Chrome with 10 tabs (this is just pushing it), Spotify, Pages, and Darkroom. 

And I could work just fine. The only times I hit the 8GB Ram limit was when I constantly slid between desktops and deliberately tried to keep every app active. Otherwise, I could work like I had nothing going on in the background. 

That’s performance and efficiency unlike any I’ve seen on a laptop before, and yes, that includes the Intel MacBooks. 

But of course, no one keeps all those apps running at all times. In real-life work scenarios, I usually have three to four apps running and one desktop where I have tonnes of Safari tabs in use. And under these normal circumstances, a mind-boggling 90% of the CPU is sitting idle. 

This is just nuts.

I’m not running many apps through Rosetta, so I can’t say for sure how big of a performance hit that’d take. But for all I’ve put this laptop through in the past two weeks, I’m hundred percent certain that an average user will never realize this laptop’s full potential, and they don’t even have to. If you’re that average user, you just need to know that if you want performance excuses out of the way, the M1 MacBook Pro will speak to you. 

M1 MacBook Pro: Battery Life

I have battery anxiety and I always want my devices charged up at all times.

The M1 MacBook Pro is the first device that has put me at peace with my battery-obsessed self. I wasn’t convinced with Apple’s 20-hour claim at first (and you shouldn’t either, because those numbers don’t reflect real-life uses). But after 2 weeks of use, I’m convinced that I don’t need to carry my charger and trusty power bank everywhere. 

While the battery doesn’t last 20-hours, it does last long enough for me to complete two working days easily. That involves a minimum of 5 to 7 hours of screen time for two days straight. And even then, I have enough battery left to watch a movie or something. On my other laptops, it’s a maximum 2 to 4 hours affair, and that’s also when I’m not really pushing them. 

The battery life on the M1 MacBook Pro is in a class of its own, and you won’t find many laptops that have a better battery timing. 

M1 MacBook Pro: Display

The Retina display on the MacBook is great. This is one place where Apple laptops aren’t miles ahead of the competition, but they don’t need to be. The display delivers an excellent viewing experience and it’s bright enough to let you work in direct sunlight as well. 

Watching videos on YouTube and working on documents, meanwhile, is as pleasant as it gets and it won’t leave you wishing for a 2K or a 4K display. 

Those bezels, though. For 2021, Apple has chosen to stick to the same unwieldy bezels and while normally I don’t even notice them, I do envy the Dell XPS and the Asus Zenbook type laptops that have almost shaved the bezels off for an even more immersive experience.

Not complaining, but I’d like to see my next MacBook with a thinner bezel. It’s 2021, dammit. 

Keep in mind, though, that the display is a dust and fingerprint magnet, so keep a fiber cloth handy. Overall, it’s a great display and I have zero (.5) complaints. 

M1 MacBook Pro: Sidecar & iOS Apps

Sidecar isn’t specific to M1 Macs, but it’s still worth mentioning for anyone considering buying one. Sidecar basically lets you use your iPad as a second monitor for your Mac. In my experience, it’s a useful thing to have, just not something that’d sway me to buy a MacBook. 

When trying Sidecar for the first time with my 2018 11-inch iPad Pro, I was ready for an okay experience. But the seamless connection caught me off guard. Without a wired connection, the MacBook was using the iPad as a second screen better than many wire-connected monitors. This not only gives you a second display but the utility of using Apple Pencil on your Mac apps too.

And speaking of iPad, the M1 MacBooks enjoy the exclusive privilege of being able to run your purchased iOS apps. And while it’s not a great experience because iOS apps are designed for touchscreens and MacBooks don’t have one, it’s still a feature that bridges macOS and iOS. 

For example, I needed a video editor that won’t cost me $300 (hello, FCP) and neither one that doesn’t do anything (hello, iMovie). But since I had bought Lumafusion for iPad months earlier, I simply downloaded it onto my MacBook via the App Store, and voila! I can now use Lumafusion to do basic and sometimes even powerful edits without breaking the bank or diving into Davinci Resolve which I don’t really know how to operate. 

It’s not a game-changer, but just like Sidecar, it’s a good thing to have when the need arises. 

M1 MacBook Pro: Touch Bar

The Touch Bar is one of those Apple innovations that everyone has had a love-hate relationship with. There are skeptics who downright want Apple to remove the strip altogether. Then there are people who admire the touch panel but they tend to be discreet and remain low in the corners of the valley of the internet for fears of being judged. 

With just two weeks into using a MacBook with a Touch Bar, I’m not sure where I fall. I actually like it, but there’s a but.

The Touch Bar adapts to the apps you’re using and some useful shortcuts are always just a tap away. The first few days I was having a blast gliding through the emojis on the Touch Bar and throwing a flurry of them at everyone I feared wouldn’t block me.

But with time, I’m using it less and less. Like most of you, I’ve learned the art of typing without looking at the keyboard, and that totally puts the OLED bar in the ignored territory. It’s not to say that it makes it useless, it’s just that you’re not actively seeking any utility from the Touch Bar when you’re so fixated with what’s going on on the main screen!

BUT. And this is the biggest but. The Touch Bar pays itself off with just one swiping motion when it lets you skip unskippable ads.

That’s all it takes for me to not join the let’s-hate-the-TouchBar faction. 

M1 MacBook Pro: Speakers and Webcam

Honestly, I don’t have much to write here. The M1 MacBook Pro has a good speaker. When I tested it against the MacBook Air, it sounded better. But that’s about it. It’ll get the job done for you, but if you’re expecting it to blow you away, that’s not going to happen. Get an external Bluetooth speaker for that. 

Also, just to put things into perspective, my 2018 iPad Pro speakers sound better. 

And the less said about the Webcam on the M1 MacBook Pro, the better. 

Once again, some software enhancements give it a nudge in the improved direction compared to older Macs, but it’s still a 720p camera. In 2021. On a $1300 machine. Wrap it up, boys. 

M1 MacBook Pro: The Bad & The Ugly

Remember how I said the M1 MacBook Pro wasn’t bulletproof? Let’s talk about that. 

This machine has its quirks. If it didn’t, Apple wouldn’t sell next-gen models and that’d bring down their valuation from $2 trillion to around $1.5 trillion and that’s unacceptable. 

So please read this and know that Apple will give you what it gave you before but took it away because you liked it and made you cry and now that you wanted it so bad they’re going to give it back to you and you’ll buy it because what you bought now doesn’t have what you wanted because Apple took it away in the first place.

But, I digress. 

Limited Ports Selection

This is what the rant above was about. Prior to 2016, Macs had ports. Ports for USB, port for HDMI, and a slot for SD cards. My M1 MacBook Pro has two USB-C ports. And a lonely headphone jack on the right. That’s. About. It. 

If you’re ready to live the dongle life, the M1 MacBook Pro is for you.

No Upgrade Option

This is supposed to be a “Pro” MacBook, but you’re stuck with the specs you ordered. I bought the base model, which means that I have to live with 8GB of RAM and 256GB SSD unless I plan to switch to a newer model. 

And while 8GB RAM on this device hasn’t been an issue even in the slightest, it’s still not very comforting to know that you can’t upgrade your specs on a laptop that made you drop a grand and some more. 

Software Compatibility

Given that Apple is in the transition phase, this shouldn’t really be of much concern because the first generation of anything takes time to cover all ground. Nevertheless, if you use any software through Rosetta that hasn’t been optimized for the M1 chip, it’s going to cost you some hit on performance and battery life. 

I only ran into a couple of apps that refused to work on this Mac, but I was ready to make this compromise before jumping into the M1 world, so I’m okay with that.

You, on the other hand, might not be enthusiastic about these software compatibility issues, so bear this in mind.

Old Design

The almost ten-year-old design of this MacBook has become boring to most people. Also, there’s no differentiating factor between the M1 MacBook and the Intel MacBooks. Release after release, we’ve seen the same design so it’s a good thing that rumors are rife about the redesigned 2021 MacBooks. 

On a personal note, though, the design is a non-issue. I’ve always preferred a clean, minimalistic look, and this machine nails it. And as long as the design doesn’t come in the way of productivity, I can keep donning it for ten years and it wouldn’t matter a lot. 

So I do look forward to the redesigned Macs, but that alone won’t be a factor that sways me into giving up on this one!

Final Thoughts on the M1 MacBook Pro

In the past couple of weeks that I’ve used this MacBook to power my daily work, my productivity has skyrocketed. It’s an earth-shattering improvement over the Windows laptops I’ve been using for a while, and I’m not exaggerating. It’s miles better in performance, it’s miles better in hardware, and it’s miles better in apps and software. 

Is the M1 MacBook Pro value for money? For the first time, a resounding yes! Intel MacBooks have generally been expensive than Windows counterparts, but with the M1 chip in its aluminum chamber, it’s a whole different story. 

You wanna write a lot? Great keyboard – Check. 

You wanna watch videos? Great display – Check. 

You wanna edit photos & videos? Insane performance – Check. 

You don’t want battery-anxiety? Insane battery life – Check. 

Check, check, check.

The Bottomline

The M1 MacBook Pro is the best laptop your money can buy, especially if you love the Apple ecosystem. It’s got incredible performance, insane battery life, a gorgeous display, and the best damn keyboard and trackpad of any laptop. 

It’ll leave you yearning for more ports, though, and you might find the same old design a bit of a throw-off. There are software compatibility issues because Apple has ditched the x86 architecture that Intel chips are based on and has moved to the ARM infrastructure similar to iPhone and iPads, which means many software you love using on the Mac won’t be ready for the M1 chip until later this year. 

But if you don’t mind the dongle life and Apple software speaks to you, then the M1 MacBook Pro is hands down the ultimate productivity laptop. 

My upgrade advice: If you are in need of an upgrade, jumping on the M1 wave is a no-brainer. You’ll have zero regrets.

But if you have a decent laptop that gets the job done, then wait for the next generation of Apple chips. Things are going to get a lot more interesting with those, along with some hardware surprises. 

The Essential Mac Apps (Bonus Content)

Since you’ve made it this far, I have some suggestions for you if you just bought a new M1 MacBook, or if you’re a first-time Mac user.

Here are my suggestions of the apps you should download the moment you get your new Mac. I’ve been using some of these apps for a long time so I know the utility, but some were suggested by fellow Redditors, and I couldn’t thank them further because they introduced me to some really cool ones.

Magnet

You can snap Windows left-right-up-down in Windows from the get-go. But for some reason, that feature isn’t built-in in macOS. To get this basic feature, you need Magnet.

Magnet costs $4.99, but if you’re not up for buying, luckily, there are free alternatives.

Free alternative: Rectangle

Amphetamine

Your Mac goes to sleep after a certain time to conserve battery. You can change the time it takes for the Mac to sleep by going to System Preferences -> Battery -> Power Adapter. But Amphetamine can make things far more convenient for you: the app lets you keep your Mac awake for a set period of time depending on your need.

There are plenty of options for you to play around, so make sure you take a deep dive into the app’s functionalities.

The best bit? Amphetamine is free!

Alfred

Search on Mac is easy. Simply press command⌘ + space bar and you can type away the thing you want to find on your Mac. But this search functionality is limited to your Mac. If you want to inject steroids into your search functionality, you need Alfred.

Alfred is free to download!

IINA (VLC Alternative)

I’m a huge fan of VLC player. It’s one of the few video players that can play any type of video file without showing attitude. However, the app hasn’t been updated for the M1 silicon yet, and that left me disappointed. In comes a fellow Redditor to the rescue who suggested I take a swing at IINA.

It’s a brilliant open-source app and in some ways, a better alternative to VLC player.

Cheatsheet

Ever had trouble finding a keyboard shortcut in Mac? Or because you’re new and would like to master the macOS, but have to search for every shortcut? Cheatsheet is the answer.

All you have to do is press and hold command⌘, and Cheatsheet will display all the possible keyboard shortcuts for the app you’re using.

Yes, Cheatsheet is free!

AppCleaner

When you delete any app in Mac, it leaves plenty of residue behind that can add up over time and eat up your storage with useless files. You can go deep into your files and delete everything, but that takes time and an expert understanding of how things work in macOS. But AppCleaner makes things a lot easier and convenient.

Deleting software with AppCleaner means that the app doesn’t leave anything behind when it leaves your laptop, so you no longer have to worry about accruing unwanted files on your Mac in the long run.

AppCleaner is free to download as well!

MacBook Pro M1 – Is It Still Relevant?

Short answer: Yes.

For those who are never satisfied with short answers and need in-depth reasons, let’s dive in.

The M1 MacBooks were announced on November 7, 2020, so almost a year since its release. But considering the pace at which technology advances, is a one-year MacBook still deserving of the love of new buyers in the market?

I’ve used the M1 MacBook Pro virtually every day since January 2021. In that time, I’ve put it through every type of use, every type of torture (not physical), and every type of test I could throw at it.

It’s been one of the best laptops I’ve ever purchased, but sometimes it also bothered me how much Apple is slipping in terms of software quality check.

The M1 MacBook Pro Body

But as far as the hardware is concerned, the M1 MacBook Pro is still as rock-solid as it was on day 1.

The outer shell, the keypad, the trackpad, and the screen are still new (mostly because I take good care of the machine) and haven’t troubled me one bit. Why this is important is to illustrate the fact that while the MacBook Pro has gotten a lot slimmer over the years, it definitely hasn’t lost much durability.

All I need is a micro fiber cloth rubbing over the keyboard and trackpad, and we’re still as new as the day we bought it.

This is amazing, though, considering that most Windows laptops I’ve owned either break a hinge in this or at least develop a look of fatigue if nothing else.