Durable Apple laptops with long-life batteries for newbies and pros
If you're a beginner who wants a laptop that's easy to use, durable, and has a long lifespan, then an Apple laptop is definitely worth considering. They are made with an aluminum unibody design, which makes them more durable than other laptops for artists out there.
Plus, they use solid state drives (SSDs) instead of hard disk drives (HDDs), which are more resilient to damage from drops and movement.
So, which MacBook should I buy? It depends on your needs and budget. Processor, RAM, hard drive, screen, and battery performance are all important factors you should consider before buying the best MacBook.
If you're a heavy-duty computer user who needs to do video and photo enhancing, you might be better off with a MacBook Pro. But if you just need to get some daily tasks done, you can save money by opting for a laptop for working from home like the Apple MacBook Air.
CPU: M1 chip | GPU: Integrated 8-core GPU | RAM: Up to 16GB | Screen: 13.3“ | Storage: 256GB
The Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020) is capable of running demanding apps and programs without breaking a sweat. Plus, this Apple laptop offers better battery life compared to previous MacBook Air models.
Another advantage is the inclusion of two Thunderbolt ports, which are backward compatible with the Intel-based version of the Air. Additionally, the MacBook Air M1 has a fantastic screen with P3 color gamut support, making it a great laptop for web design.
CPU: M2 chip with 8 CPU cores | GPU: Up to 10 GPU cores | RAM: Up to 24GB | Screen: 13.6“ | Storage: Up to 512GB
The Apple MacBook Air (M2, 2022) weighs only 2.7 pounds and measures just 0.44 inches thick. This makes it a great laptop for traveling for those who wants a powerful computer on the go.
This Mac laptop has a 13.3-inch display with an IPS panel that offers deep blacks and HDR support, making it great for watching movies and improving photos and videos.
It can easily handle basic tasks like text processing, video playback, and web browsing, and it will work fine even if you have a lot of Chrome tabs open. This Thunderbolt laptop also has a USB-C port that is compatible with Thunderbolt 3 devices, which is great for connecting external monitors and peripherals.
CPU: M1 Pro or M1 Max | GPU: Up to 10-core | RAM: Up to 64GB | Screen: 14“ | Storage: Up to 8TB
The Apple MacBook Pro (14-inch, M1 Pro, 2021) can display HDR content with greater detail in shadows, brilliant highlights, and deeper blacks thanks to its Mini LED backlight. This is a great selling point for visual media professionals who need a good-looking display, especially when using their laptop for video editing tasks.
The M1 Pro and M1 Max chips can handle all kinds of tasks, including demanding ones like movie editing and 3D rendering.
The hinge on this Apple laptop is extremely smooth and stable, which helps the computer avoid wobbling even when typing. And let's not forget about the sleek and premium design of the laptop, with its brushed aluminum lid and rounded edges.
CPU: M2 chip 8-core CPU | GPU: 10-core | RAM: Up to 24GB | Screen: 13.3“ | Storage: Up to 1TB
The Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, M2, 2022) is incredibly fast, with excellent performance that will suit you well for work or play. The main advantage of this MacBook for gaming is that it runs on the M2 chip, which is 18% more powerful than the previous M1 chip.
The M2 chip also improves battery life, delivering over 18 hours of usage without the need for a charge.
The design of the Mac laptop is also unchanged from 2020, with a high-resolution 2560x1600-pixel display and a Touch Bar at the top. The Magic Keyboard, Force Touch trackpad, and Touch ID fingerprint sensor are all present, while the speakers, microphone, and internals are identical to those in 2020's model.
CPU: M2 Pro or M2 Max | GPU: Up to 38 GPU cores | RAM: Up to 32GB | Screen: 14.2“ | Storage: Up to 1TB
Whether you’re improving photos, transcoding videos or multitasking with a dozen apps, the Apple MacBook Pro (14.2-inch, M2 Max, 2023) can handle any workload with ease. With its new M2 Pro and M2 Max processors, you'll get up to 25% more CPU performance and a 30% boost in GPU speed. Battery life is up to 14 hours in this model.
Another advantage of the M2 Max is that it can be configured with 32GB of unified memory, which means you can install more applications and games in your Apple laptop at the same time. That's a great feature to have if you're into gaming or using large programs, but this laptop for Adobe Creative Suite may not be worth the money if you only need to work on one program at a time.
CPU: M2 Pro or M2 Max | GPU: Up to 38 GPU cores | RAM: Up to 32GB | Screen: 16.2“ | Storage: Up to 1TB
With the Apple MacBook Pro (16.2-inch, M2 Pro, 2023) you get better wireless connectivity and faster charging. So, if you're looking for the Adobe RGB laptop that can handle demanding tasks like video enhancing, graphic design, or gaming, this is definitely a great choice.
The keyboard on the MacBook Pro is solid and well-built. It's a scissor-switch model, which means you get a quick and comfortable typing experience. The full-height function key row is a nice touch, and the Touch ID key is convenient for logging in quickly.
The display is a real standout, with a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio and localized dimming for reduced halo effects. And, this Apple laptop supports HDR video content, which is a real plus for photographers and designers.
CPU: M1 Pro or M2 Max chip | GPU: Up to 32-core | RAM: Up to 64GB | Screen: 16“ | Storage: Up to 1TB
The Apple MacBook Pro (16-inch, M1 Pro, 2021) is a powerhouse that's aimed at video editors, 3D modelers, and anyone who needs to do high-end visual workflows on the go. This Mac laptop is got a blazing-fast M1 Max chip, a gorgeous Liquid Retina display with up to 1,000 nits of brightness, and a long battery life.
This desktop replacement laptop also has plenty of ports, including full-size HDMI and Thunderbolt 4 support, and supports high-impedance headphones with adaptive voltage output. The design is sleek and modern, with slimmed-down bezels that look a lot more up-to-date than previous models.
| IMAGE | NAME | FEATURES | |
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Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020)
OUR CHOICE
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Apple MacBook Air (M2, 2022)
PORTABLE
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Apple MacBook Pro (14”, M1 Pro, 2021)
FOR PROS
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If you're in the market for a powerful creator laptop, then the Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch is definitely worth considering. It's got the same great build quality and Liquid Retina XDR display as its smaller 14-inch sibling, but it packs in an extra GPU core.
Processor. There are a lot of different chipsets for MacBook, such as M1, M2, and M1 Pro, and many of them have different levels of performance. If you're a power user and do a lot of advanced editing or 3D modeling, a Mac with M1 Pro or M2 Max is a good idea. If you're a casual user, a M1 or M2 may be a better choice.
Memory. You want to aim for at least 8 GB of memory, but if you plan on doing photo enhancing or graphic design, you might want to consider a higher-end laptop for Adobe Illustrator or other professional software with a more powerful CPU and GPU.
Storage. The best Apple laptop should have a solid-state drive (SSD), which is much faster than a traditional hard drive. This is especially important if you work with video or digital audio, as it allows you to save large files quickly. The smallest hard drive available in the MacBook lineup is 256GB, but we recommend upgrading to 1TB if you plan on doing any video improving tasks.
Display. The best MacBook should have a high-resolution 'Retina' display that produces accurate colors and has excellent factory calibration. These displays also have high brightness and deep blacks, which make them ideal for video editing or streaming.
RAM. You can choose to purchase a portable laptop with either 4GB or 8GB of RAM, but a higher capacity (up to 64GB) is recommended if you do serious photo enhancing or use heavy multitasking applications.
