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PigPog

MacBook Pro M2 Max

My current MacBook. Honestly, way overpowered for my needs, but fits very nicely with my wants. Definitely more than I would have spent on a MacBook for myself, but my parents very generously wanted to buy one for me, and wanted me to spec it up to last.

  • MacBook Pro 14” 2023
  • M2 Max, 30-core GPU
  • 32Gb RAM, 1Tb Storage

Compared to Previous

As an upgrade from my previous MacBook Pro M1, it’s pretty nice, though that one was still doing just fine for most things. The slightly bigger screen is probably the biggest improvement for me, followed by the extra memory. The extra ports are handy, especially having USB-C on both sides, the extra storage comes in useful, and the jump in CPU power is impressive, even if I don’t often make much use of it.

Compared to my previous one, there’s no need to close apps I’m not using at the moment - things can just sit there until I need them, ready to go. I haven’t come close to running low on memory yet. It’s a bit of a revelation how much memory some things will use when they’re not constrained any more, but it’s things like Safari just using 1.5Gb for a single web page, which it would reduce if needed. When nothing else can make use of the RAM, it uses more for cache, so it doesn’t go to waste.

I thought I might miss the Touch Bar, which I did quite like, but I think losing it has shown me that I didn’t so much like it, as just not mind it. Some people hate it, and for me it was fine. I slightly miss the screenshot button, but the hardware volume and brightness controls are better than the Touch Bar versions.

Case

A first for me - I got a case with this one. A hard-case that fits onto the MacBook, adding a bit of protection. Previous ones have taken a few small dents, and the anodising has worn in places. For one thing, the case should prevent that sort of wear, and for another, it should prevent damage to the things I’ve bumped with the MacBook. In a bump against a wall, a MacBook might take a little dent, but the wall will usually come off worse.

Fitting it was very easy. It adds a little bit of size and weight, but not much. I can’t say it looks as nice as a naked MacBook, but it looks fine. Might be mistaken for another brand, but I don’t have a MacBook to show off, so that doesn’t really matter to me.

Also, I always sticker my MacBook. And the stickers will cause the finish to wear differently underneath, leaving permanent marks. This way, I can sticker the case, without marking the MacBook’s finish. Not a big deal to me, really, as I’ll more than likely keep this running until it has little value anyway, so I don’t generally worry about resale value.