Choose the M1 MacBook for superior value, ideal for general productivity, web browsing, and light editing. Choose the M2 for improved performance (18% faster CPU, 35% faster GPU), modern design, brighter display, and up to 24GB RAM, making it better for video editing and future-proofing.
The M2 is more power efficient than the M1. At peak performance, it can burn more power than the M1 (for more performance). But at equal performance levels the M2 uses less power.
The 2022 MacBook Air M2 has an upgraded display, webcam, aesthetics, and battery life over the older version. It's a strict upgrade over the MacBook Air M1 (2020), and although it's more expensive than the M1 it's worth it if you have the budget.
M2 builds on M1 by adding money that is not used daily but can still be converted to cash fairly easily. This includes savings deposits, small-time deposits like certificates of deposit and retail money market funds. Economists often prefer M2 because it reflects how households and businesses actually manage money.
What's the oldest MacBook worth buying in 2025? The MacBook Air or Pro (2020) with the M1 chip is the oldest model we recommend. It's fast, supported by Apple, and uses the reliable Magic Keyboard.
The Fed's reduction in its own balance sheet reduces the amount of money supply as the central bank is no longer reinvesting the proceeds from its matured bonds back into the system. Another reason for the M2 shrinkage is the decline in bank deposits.
Now, with the M2, Apple has ramped up efficiency even further. While maintaining a similar architecture to the M1, the M2 features additional CPU cores, enhancing its computational capabilities. In practical terms, this means faster applications and shorter loading times.
Yes, a MacBook Pro is worth it over an Air if you need sustained high performance for demanding tasks (video editing, coding, 3D work), require more ports, a brighter/higher refresh rate screen (XDR), and longer battery under heavy load, while the Air is better for portability, everyday tasks, and budget, offering silent operation and great general use. The Pro's active cooling and powerful chips (M4 Pro/Max) prevent throttling during intense work, a key advantage over the fanless Air.
The M1 chip is still faster than many Intel-based solutions, and macOS will continue to be updated for this model for several more years, ensuring relevance and security. As a result, the MacBook Air M1 remains a sensible choice in 2025 for those who need a lightweight, autonomous, and reliable laptop.
The reason for the drop in speeds on the 256GB model of the M2 MacBook Pro is that Apple has seemingly opted for one storage chip in the new laptop. On the M1 version, 256GB of storage is split across two chips, which enables faster read and write speeds.
Choose the MacBook Air M1 for budget-friendly, excellent performance for everyday tasks (browsing, Office, streaming), while the MacBook Air M2 is worth the extra cost for its significantly better design, brighter screen with a notch, 1080p webcam, MagSafe charging, better speakers, and superior GPU/media engine for video editing, offering a more modern experience and better future-proofing, especially if your budget allows for upgrades.
Yes, the M2 is generally better than the M1, offering modest but noticeable performance gains, especially in graphics and video tasks, plus design upgrades like MagSafe and a better webcam in MacBook Air models, making it a worthwhile upgrade for new buyers or M1 users needing more power, though M1 remains excellent for basic use.
Intel's i7 is faster than Apple's M1 when it comes to raw processing power. So, if you need a processor that can handle demanding tasks quickly, the i7 is the better option. Apple's M1 is more energy-efficient than Intel's i7, so it will run cooler and last longer on a single charge.
M2 is a more stable form of money supply compared to M1 because M2 has M1 as one of its constituents with an addition of other liquid assets that are not easily transformed into cash. Additionally, some of the constituents of M2 are not contained in the M1 money supply.
Perhaps it will buy you a few more years of use. However, we'd be inclined to suggest that if your Mac is older than seven years it really isn't worth it (and, you'll notice, the MacBooks that can have their RAM upgraded tend to be older than that).
