Who else is weak-willed like me and ordered a new M1 Pro or M1 Max macbook?
Oct 31, 2021, 1:49 pm
#31
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Manchester, United Kingdom
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So far it has been great:
- It is very fast and performant in the various tasks I've thrown at it. For basic computing it is an absolute beast. Definitely performs better than my work-issued 2019 MBP 16 inch.
- I've not really used the keyboard or screen much myself as I have it hooked to my 49 inch dell monitor with the laptop closed.
- Had some odd issue with my Caldigit TS3 thunderbolt hub where the hub would not always "wake" up the screen after I came back from a prolonged break. I'm testing various scenarios around that use case. Hooking the laptop directly to the screen works brilliantly though.
- I like the size/weight better than my old 16 inch from work. The 14 incher is a better size for a travel scenario.
Oct 31, 2021, 7:23 pm
#32
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Cleveland, OH
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I've managed to fix the issue on mine. Turns out the problem is on the Caldigit side. After scouring forums, I discovered that if I replace the Thunderbolt connection between the dock and monitor with a DP cable, then it works great. Also, hooking my Mac directly to the monitor with USB-C works great... something is off w/ the Caldigit dock. But with the DP workaround, I'm happy again.
Dec 3, 2021, 11:51 am
#34
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Manchester, United Kingdom
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Oh dear... A combination of £100 off for Black Friday, and the fact that Amazon UK now does five months interest free on anything reasonably expensive, and suddenly I have a 14" MacBook Pro on the way. You can definitely file that under desire rather than needs.
Dec 4, 2021, 9:36 am
#35
Join Date: Aug 2005
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Dec 4, 2021, 9:41 am
#36
Join Date: Aug 2005
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FWIW I got an Anker Thunderbolt 4 dock and Samsung S65UA 34” ultrawide monitor. This issue with unreliable external display activation seems to not exist with this particular combo, where it did exist for me previously with various other dock+monitor+Mac combinations.
Dec 4, 2021, 9:47 am
#37
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 6,752
And, as with most, I probably don't "need" it, but I'm probably just gonna get it anyway. 16 vs 14? Hm...
Dec 4, 2021, 10:18 am
#38
Join Date: Aug 2005
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Dock:
BTW I’m using an HDMI connection from dock to monitor.
I also have a 38” ViewSomic ultrawide coming next week, and can report back on how well it works with this dock.
Dec 4, 2021, 10:24 am
#39
Join Date: Aug 2005
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I don’t need extreme or even serious portability, so the 16” is probably OK for me. My only real concern is for the occasional times I may want to travel with it, whether the 16” will fit in a hotel room safe. I think the answer is “only if I get lucky” and in most cases it wouldn’t. Then again the same may apply equally to a 14”, though I didn’t notice this as a problem with a 2020 Air.
Actually this seems like a good topic for a new thread, which I will start.
Actually this seems like a good topic for a new thread, which I will start.
Dec 4, 2021, 11:48 pm
#40
Join Date: May 2021
Location: Seattle
Posts: 4
Couldn't agree more. Absolutely love the 16" form factor, layer on the extra screen real estate and battery life and I couldn't be happier. If I'm looking for portability, I'll grab the Surface Pro 8 or iPad Pro.
Dec 8, 2021, 10:57 am
#41
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 1,884
I don’t need extreme or even serious portability, so the 16” is probably OK for me. My only real concern is for the occasional times I may want to travel with it, whether the 16” will fit in a hotel room safe. I think the answer is “only if I get lucky” and in most cases it wouldn’t. Then again the same may apply equally to a 14”, though I didn’t notice this as a problem with a 2020 Air.
Actually this seems like a good topic for a new thread, which I will start.
Actually this seems like a good topic for a new thread, which I will start.
I travel extensively, and use this as my primary work computer. It fits easily into the same backpack compartment as the older unit, and I have never run across a room safe that it wouldn't fit, though sometimes I have to fit it diagonally through the door opening. I don't usually bother with the safe, but if the neighborhood is sufficiently sketchy I will hide it in there to add another layer of theft-difficulty while I am out at dinner.
Dec 12, 2021, 11:24 am
#42
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Manchester, United Kingdom
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So, the MacBook 14" arrived, after a monumental effort to get Amazon to deliver it*. Thoughts? Those of you used to the previous generation (especially the Air) are probably best walking into a shop where you can pick one up. You might find it a little bit more chunky and quite a bit heavier than photos might have you believe. It's built like a tank and feels like it could stop a bullet. All other impressions, so far, are positive. The display is beautiful and may cause some prospective buyers to to consider the larger 16" version instead.
* They lost the package, insisted it was out for delivery each day, and eventually admitted it was lost and sent me another. The another in question didn't have the AppleCare+ I'd purchased with the first so I then had to get Amazon to refund me on that before buying direct from Apple on the device. My advice? Buy AppleCare+ directly from your device once you have it in your hands. It was bumpy but hard to fault Amazon too much - they made it right in the end as I've come to expect from them.
* They lost the package, insisted it was out for delivery each day, and eventually admitted it was lost and sent me another. The another in question didn't have the AppleCare+ I'd purchased with the first so I then had to get Amazon to refund me on that before buying direct from Apple on the device. My advice? Buy AppleCare+ directly from your device once you have it in your hands. It was bumpy but hard to fault Amazon too much - they made it right in the end as I've come to expect from them.
Dec 13, 2021, 11:37 pm
#43
Join Date: Jan 2007
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Dec 14, 2021, 1:30 am
#44
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Manchester, United Kingdom
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Top left corner (Apple Symbol) -> About This Mac -> Support -> Apple Care+. It brings up a browser page and you may need the password associated with your Apple ID. First couple of times, strangely, it said "Your device isn't eligible for cover". Third was fine and allowed me to buy. Now when I go into the About This Mac App it shows me covered.