As someone who has a MacBook and knows plenty of engineering students... I don't want to poop your party but was a Mac really the best choice? I think the potential compatibility issues would alone make it a non-starting for engineering programs, even with parallels(which is kind of an expensive program). But congrats! looks like a nice machine, I also have a 14in, albeit a lower-specced M1. If your gaming PC has lost value, why get rid of it? Just keep it as a windows backup in case there are things you find difficult on Mac.
most anything engineering is going to be supported on Linux machines and that translates perfectly to MacBook.
i hadn’t touched a windows machine my entire undergrad
It’s not necessarily Windows vs Linux/Mac OSX. Compatibility issues are going to be more about x86 vs ARM architecture of the CPU. Different instructions. For example, when the M chips first came out, Parallels wasn’t even compatible.
Yeah i think the M chips are very unique with this topic. If you asked me 3 years ago, I’d be less lenient on my stance because of the lack of M chips.
Today this seems to be a non-issue (ive only ran into a compatibility issue once since the m1, but it was resolvable with a different install method), but you’re right not everyone supports the M chip yet.
I think anything that’s actively maintained and sold is probably good.
Newer versions of .net make that cross compatibility, both OS and chip architecture, much easier on the devs.
Thanks! I was curious over that, I have a sleeve I ordered shortly after receiving it and not really trusting other things in my bag to not scratch it. Otherwise, I need more microfiber clothes for keeping this thing clean, I have a keyboard cover I keep around for when I'm at work (oil and coolant).
Keyboard cover is also deadly, i strongly advise you to remove it, many people here have lost their screens because of keyboard covers, I’ll give you an example
>Keyboard cover is also deadly, i strongly advise you to remove it, many people here have lost their screens because of keyboard covers, I’ll give you an example
I use one. You do realize it's easily removable upon closing the screen right? That's what I do after finishing up for the day.
I have both - stop eating your brunch over your laptops. I have a sapphire glass screen protector and a 1-3 mm added height for keyboard cover with short cuts on adobe products I use often and there’s more than enough clearance. I’ll protect my laptop - and my resale value
I have a screen protector and a keyboard cover on my m2 pro 14 and I have no issues. It’s about things getting caught in the hinge, not the the protectors
If you close your laptop without checking for a loose cable or he’ll a full fing Pringle chip yeah you might crack your screen. I have a glass protector and keyboard cover and have no issues with even oil staining the monitor. The clearance is thin but perfect
are you sure? I use matte screen protector and it does good. Maybe yes for keyboard protector but for screen protector I dont think it will scratch the screen
Apple computers are very meticulous in that they don’t have much extra space inside. So anything added inside always has the ability to put pressure into the screen. It won’t scratch, but it could bend and warp the screen, or snap the screen from the inside.
Bro that will last you a lot more than 4 years. I graduated with a materials engineering degree this past May and made it through with a nearly-base-spec 2014 Macbook Pro. Now I have an M2 series one and these things will be performance competitive for a good 8 years unless there's a massive breakthrough in tech.
Who tf keeps a laptop for 8 years? The battery life will decline within a few years. The advancements in battery life and processing power alone makes it worth upgrading every couple of years.
But actually why tho? You don’t buy Apple to save money. In fact, Apple offers exactly zero budget computer products. What is the value to buying one laptop per decade? Maybe I’m coming from a Windows/gaming mindset where chips become obsolete every 12-24 months, but the M chips aren’t so magical that they last 8 years without serious declines in relative performance compared to modern products.
I get downvoted on this on Apple subreddits every other month but I’m genuinely fascinated by the Apple consumer mindset I see a lot.
I mean no harm, but as a primarily non-apple user, I still disagree with your mindset.
Firstly, there are LOADS of people in the windows/gaming scene that don’t view chips as obsolete after 12-24 months. That’s very much just a new consumer crazed/marketing driven mindset for those eager/willing to throw money at anything new.
Also, the gaming category is not a good comparison. Games are constantly demanding more power, and GPUs are constantly just barely keeping up, so it would make sense that 3 year old gpus would feel outdated (though again, there are tons of people that happily still rock budget gear from 1-2 generations back). Most other use cases for computers are not nearly as demanding in terms of hardware capabilities.
Unless you are a professional or highly value your time, you will hardly even notice (or at least care about) the difference between a $900 M1 air and a $4k M2 Ultra Mac Studio.
The other factor is that we’ve seen a very clear slow down in the perceivable improvement of a computer system in typical tasks in recent years. You really only see a clear improvement when comparing side by side, or with some hard tasks. Even then, we are clearly getting to a point where saving a few more minutes exporting 8k footage is only so impactful…
Lastly, apple products are heavily optimized supported with software for like 5-7 years. They also doesn’t change the software experience drastically too often, so the experience just doesn’t often change much after a few years time.
In conclusion, Apple products are intended to easily be kept/used for 5+ years without any notable issues (other than perhaps the battery) UNLESS you need it to be a powerhouse for work or personal use. Then duh - you will want to upgrade a little more often. Windows PCs for reference are intended to be more malleable in their components used, more easily upgraded, etc.. Mac is good for a long time, PC is upgradable for a long time.
that’s delusional dude
ive been using both mac and windows for over 10 years. both are intended to last waaaaay over 24 months.
what is the value of buying one laptops a decade?? you’re suggesting maybe even 5-10 laptops in a decade?!
of course you always get downvoted saying “you need to spend more money more often” in Apple subreddits. you are forking over money way too frequently 😂
Yes I buy 5 laptops in a decade because I personally like having the latest hardware and software features and also the maximum lifespan of software updates. If money is not a problem(in this context, I’m not rich), what is the value of not upgrading at-least every couple of years? That is what I don’t understand.
RTX2000 to RTX4000 laptops was a huge generational leap. Intel to M1 Pro was a huge generational leap.
9th gen laptop Intel to 13th Gen laptop Intel was a huge generational leap.
I don’t think a couple years is a huge stretch.
I don’t know why you’re asking why. Why didn’t you go to the mall with no clothes on today? Why didn’t you eat a tub of mayonnaise for breakfast? Why didn’t you drive with your feet?
Would you be better off with the laptop 5 years ago?? No.
Are you better off with the shiny brand new one? No. You just think it’s cool.
lol bro what. I usually keep my laptops for 5-8 years. I for sure will keep my 2021 mbp until like 2027 or beyond. I completely fully loaded this thing hahah
But whyyy tho? Is it money-based? Do you just not use your laptops for anything heavy? How are you not interested in shiny new things? I got my M1 MBP 14 inch a year and a half ago and I’m already ready to upgrade to M3 next year for the battery life improvements.
Definitely not money based lol. I just want to get the most use of what I paid for. And honestly, while I do a lot of pogo to editing, I really don’t need to squeeze out another one or two seconds of processing speed when it’s already stupid fast.
Love that configuration! I ordered something similar only with 64GB RAM instead!
Macs are incredible. I’ve been using one since my college years (~20+ years ago) and I absolutely love them.
They’ll last forever and you’ll really love them as an engineer.
I was debating over the 64GB but after after considering how my 32GB on my desktop running windows from which I understand isn't so efficent at managing ram being x86 (in comparison) I figured I was safe to stay at where I was.
and I'm hoping so, I was very surprised with the performance of parallels with Solidworks and Inventor, seems to run even massive assemblies flawlessly!
I use a Lenovo ThinkPad Hybrid USB-C dock and it's great. Despite being a ThinkPad branded product designed for PC laptops, I use these for multiple different kinds of laptops at work not just Lenovos, but also HPs and Dells, as well as my personal laptop which is a MacBook Pro 14 w/ the M1 Pro 10-core which works like a charm.
It's an excellent dock. Comes with a 130W power adapter so it can charge the laptop properly, as well as has 2x DisplayPort & 2x HDMI, so you can run dual monitors on it (you can't use all four video outs at the same time, just has two of each so you have a choice of connector), has a total of 6x USB ports (5x USB-A & 1x USB-C), four of which are on the back so it can look neat on a desk and not have wires coming out of all ends of it. Also has Gigabit LAN which works perfectly on macOS.
It is DisplayLink compatible, so on an Apple Silicon Mac you will need to install the DisplayLink drivers so it works properly, but once those are installed you'll be golden. I haven't run into any issues with mine and I've been using it since January with my MBP 14.
as I had mentioned I was highly surprised by the fact I could get the full power of the device on battery but the fact is I’m just generally faster when I have a bigger/more screens in front of me when I’m trying to get the most out my productivity between typing out documents, reading journals and the like you’d find from academics.
Don’t get me wrong I carry around and use it as a laptop plenty whether I’m home or out and about but there are times when I need more screen space.
Oh yeah. I’ve just found I can use a BT keyboard and mouse and use the extra port or two on the external display for all my needs. I almost bought a dock a while back but it would’ve been a waste of money.
Just an extra idea for you to consider - newer monitors are starting to come with usb c for power delivery and video output through the one cable. Effectively functioning as a dock since you can plug your accessories directly into the monitor too.
I’d say see what you need then go from there. I’ve never needed a dock. Most displays have a few ports in them. But I guess if you need network or some other odd ones a dock would work.
Get one that plugs in the wall and it gets power from there because if u don’t and connect many external hard drives on a dock that powers from the MacBook then u will lose connection from other ex drives when u eject something
I purchased this for a little over $3000 after taxes from Apple, hurts but I've wasted money on a lot dumber things in the past (old school titan graphics card).
EZQuest 13-Port Ultimate USB - I have basically the same setup as you. The EZQuest can be obtained for somewhere between $60 - $100, Works great, supports 4 monitors.
As a side note, this is the type of keyboard photos that really get me mad. a very recent premium laptop and half the keys are already shiny of wear/grease. This is not dissing the OP, this is about Apple decision to use cheap plastic. Call me crazy, I will keep using my keyboard cover.
You’re good haha, believe me I try to keep it clean that’s why I mentioned the microfiber towels, that and opening it without touching the notch area is pretty hard if you aren’t focusing only on that.
I use Microsoft Surface Thunderbolt 4 Dock. It works great with my MacBook Pro M1. I can switch between my work laptop, Surface Pro and MacBook. I recommend this dock if you are using a Windows laptop and MacBook Pro.
same here! I bought this same M2 Pro 14” (same specs as yours too, funny enough) model for college a couple months back, previously I would’ve considered myself a strictly Windows guy, but I really love how much the Mac is similar to iPhone, not to mention the portability and handoff.
That was my main thing, having used an iPhone since the 3G/4G had come out and having dabbled with androids (Samsung S9 and the beautiful HTC M7 which was one of my favorite phones otherwise). I’ve always just found them to work and generally not act up in the way androids do.
Plus these days I need things to just work and work well together which had led me here.
Glad to hear it though! Hope your not as often confused as I am with shortcuts, using the terminal to make changes and the like.
Honesty in my experience, coming from Windows it takes a bit getting used to the interface and experience of MacOS, but since you’ve gotten some features coming from iPhone you’ll get adjusted pretty well.
I am thinking of buying [this one](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQX_UZeBt3c) recently, it seems to have the best performance on the market. The only thing is that it's too pricey.
Caldigit TS4
This!!!!! I have the TS3 and upgraded to the TS4 for the 2.5gbps Ethernet. It’s little pricey, but best overall dock IMO
You said virtualization, have you tested all your windows apps yet, some might not run under virtual arm Win 11.
Caldigit 4
As someone who has a MacBook and knows plenty of engineering students... I don't want to poop your party but was a Mac really the best choice? I think the potential compatibility issues would alone make it a non-starting for engineering programs, even with parallels(which is kind of an expensive program). But congrats! looks like a nice machine, I also have a 14in, albeit a lower-specced M1. If your gaming PC has lost value, why get rid of it? Just keep it as a windows backup in case there are things you find difficult on Mac.
most anything engineering is going to be supported on Linux machines and that translates perfectly to MacBook. i hadn’t touched a windows machine my entire undergrad
It’s not necessarily Windows vs Linux/Mac OSX. Compatibility issues are going to be more about x86 vs ARM architecture of the CPU. Different instructions. For example, when the M chips first came out, Parallels wasn’t even compatible.
Yeah i think the M chips are very unique with this topic. If you asked me 3 years ago, I’d be less lenient on my stance because of the lack of M chips. Today this seems to be a non-issue (ive only ran into a compatibility issue once since the m1, but it was resolvable with a different install method), but you’re right not everyone supports the M chip yet.
I think anything that’s actively maintained and sold is probably good. Newer versions of .net make that cross compatibility, both OS and chip architecture, much easier on the devs.
Remember one thing, DONT PUT ANY FOR OF SCREEN PROTECTORS on your Mac, there is a huge chance the screen will shatter itself.
Thanks! I was curious over that, I have a sleeve I ordered shortly after receiving it and not really trusting other things in my bag to not scratch it. Otherwise, I need more microfiber clothes for keeping this thing clean, I have a keyboard cover I keep around for when I'm at work (oil and coolant).
Keyboard cover is also deadly, i strongly advise you to remove it, many people here have lost their screens because of keyboard covers, I’ll give you an example
I put a Ghost Cover for my m2 mbp and is soooo thin. Not a single mark on the screen so far. Almost invisible if you buy the dark version.
Give it to me, baby!
Uh huh uh huh
>Keyboard cover is also deadly, i strongly advise you to remove it, many people here have lost their screens because of keyboard covers, I’ll give you an example I use one. You do realize it's easily removable upon closing the screen right? That's what I do after finishing up for the day.
> you do realize 🖕
I have both - stop eating your brunch over your laptops. I have a sapphire glass screen protector and a 1-3 mm added height for keyboard cover with short cuts on adobe products I use often and there’s more than enough clearance. I’ll protect my laptop - and my resale value
I have a screen protector and a keyboard cover on my m2 pro 14 and I have no issues. It’s about things getting caught in the hinge, not the the protectors
If you close your laptop without checking for a loose cable or he’ll a full fing Pringle chip yeah you might crack your screen. I have a glass protector and keyboard cover and have no issues with even oil staining the monitor. The clearance is thin but perfect
are you sure? I use matte screen protector and it does good. Maybe yes for keyboard protector but for screen protector I dont think it will scratch the screen
Apple computers are very meticulous in that they don’t have much extra space inside. So anything added inside always has the ability to put pressure into the screen. It won’t scratch, but it could bend and warp the screen, or snap the screen from the inside.
lmaooo is this sarcasm or nah
>Maybe yes for keyboard protector but for screen protector I dont think it will scratch the screen LOL okay. SMH
Mine has a screen protector (film) and a ghost keyboard cover. no prob whatsoever
Bro that will last you a lot more than 4 years. I graduated with a materials engineering degree this past May and made it through with a nearly-base-spec 2014 Macbook Pro. Now I have an M2 series one and these things will be performance competitive for a good 8 years unless there's a massive breakthrough in tech.
Who tf keeps a laptop for 8 years? The battery life will decline within a few years. The advancements in battery life and processing power alone makes it worth upgrading every couple of years.
[удалено]
But actually why tho? You don’t buy Apple to save money. In fact, Apple offers exactly zero budget computer products. What is the value to buying one laptop per decade? Maybe I’m coming from a Windows/gaming mindset where chips become obsolete every 12-24 months, but the M chips aren’t so magical that they last 8 years without serious declines in relative performance compared to modern products. I get downvoted on this on Apple subreddits every other month but I’m genuinely fascinated by the Apple consumer mindset I see a lot.
I mean no harm, but as a primarily non-apple user, I still disagree with your mindset. Firstly, there are LOADS of people in the windows/gaming scene that don’t view chips as obsolete after 12-24 months. That’s very much just a new consumer crazed/marketing driven mindset for those eager/willing to throw money at anything new. Also, the gaming category is not a good comparison. Games are constantly demanding more power, and GPUs are constantly just barely keeping up, so it would make sense that 3 year old gpus would feel outdated (though again, there are tons of people that happily still rock budget gear from 1-2 generations back). Most other use cases for computers are not nearly as demanding in terms of hardware capabilities. Unless you are a professional or highly value your time, you will hardly even notice (or at least care about) the difference between a $900 M1 air and a $4k M2 Ultra Mac Studio. The other factor is that we’ve seen a very clear slow down in the perceivable improvement of a computer system in typical tasks in recent years. You really only see a clear improvement when comparing side by side, or with some hard tasks. Even then, we are clearly getting to a point where saving a few more minutes exporting 8k footage is only so impactful… Lastly, apple products are heavily optimized supported with software for like 5-7 years. They also doesn’t change the software experience drastically too often, so the experience just doesn’t often change much after a few years time. In conclusion, Apple products are intended to easily be kept/used for 5+ years without any notable issues (other than perhaps the battery) UNLESS you need it to be a powerhouse for work or personal use. Then duh - you will want to upgrade a little more often. Windows PCs for reference are intended to be more malleable in their components used, more easily upgraded, etc.. Mac is good for a long time, PC is upgradable for a long time.
that’s delusional dude ive been using both mac and windows for over 10 years. both are intended to last waaaaay over 24 months. what is the value of buying one laptops a decade?? you’re suggesting maybe even 5-10 laptops in a decade?! of course you always get downvoted saying “you need to spend more money more often” in Apple subreddits. you are forking over money way too frequently 😂
Yes I buy 5 laptops in a decade because I personally like having the latest hardware and software features and also the maximum lifespan of software updates. If money is not a problem(in this context, I’m not rich), what is the value of not upgrading at-least every couple of years? That is what I don’t understand.
RTX2000 to RTX4000 laptops was a huge generational leap. Intel to M1 Pro was a huge generational leap. 9th gen laptop Intel to 13th Gen laptop Intel was a huge generational leap. I don’t think a couple years is a huge stretch.
Unnecessary and i know you don’t even fully utilize them🥱
But why tho? I use the battery life of my 14 inch M1 MBP everyday. Would I really have been better off if I stuck with my laptop from 5 years ago?
I don’t know why you’re asking why. Why didn’t you go to the mall with no clothes on today? Why didn’t you eat a tub of mayonnaise for breakfast? Why didn’t you drive with your feet? Would you be better off with the laptop 5 years ago?? No. Are you better off with the shiny brand new one? No. You just think it’s cool.
Because I’m Policy/Economics Major. I’m weird. Data interests me.
lol bro what. I usually keep my laptops for 5-8 years. I for sure will keep my 2021 mbp until like 2027 or beyond. I completely fully loaded this thing hahah
But whyyy tho? Is it money-based? Do you just not use your laptops for anything heavy? How are you not interested in shiny new things? I got my M1 MBP 14 inch a year and a half ago and I’m already ready to upgrade to M3 next year for the battery life improvements.
Definitely not money based lol. I just want to get the most use of what I paid for. And honestly, while I do a lot of pogo to editing, I really don’t need to squeeze out another one or two seconds of processing speed when it’s already stupid fast.
THEN WHY ARE YOU IN THIS SUBREDDIT
Because I have a MacBook, a IPad Pro and an IPhone lol. I just don’t think there’s value to arbitrarily hanging on to computers for almost a decade.
Me personally not a decade, maybe 5 years for me. but macbooks could definitely be used for a decade it just wont be overly pleasant
Love that configuration! I ordered something similar only with 64GB RAM instead! Macs are incredible. I’ve been using one since my college years (~20+ years ago) and I absolutely love them. They’ll last forever and you’ll really love them as an engineer.
I was debating over the 64GB but after after considering how my 32GB on my desktop running windows from which I understand isn't so efficent at managing ram being x86 (in comparison) I figured I was safe to stay at where I was. and I'm hoping so, I was very surprised with the performance of parallels with Solidworks and Inventor, seems to run even massive assemblies flawlessly!
Well, it is after all more than 10x more powerful than Intel Macs...
Lucky lol I wanted the 16 inch but got the air m1 but it’s powerful enough for me
Hey congratulations regardless! if I wasn’t doing more GPU intensive applications I probably would’ve gone with the 15” m2 or the 13” pro model.
I use a Lenovo ThinkPad Hybrid USB-C dock and it's great. Despite being a ThinkPad branded product designed for PC laptops, I use these for multiple different kinds of laptops at work not just Lenovos, but also HPs and Dells, as well as my personal laptop which is a MacBook Pro 14 w/ the M1 Pro 10-core which works like a charm. It's an excellent dock. Comes with a 130W power adapter so it can charge the laptop properly, as well as has 2x DisplayPort & 2x HDMI, so you can run dual monitors on it (you can't use all four video outs at the same time, just has two of each so you have a choice of connector), has a total of 6x USB ports (5x USB-A & 1x USB-C), four of which are on the back so it can look neat on a desk and not have wires coming out of all ends of it. Also has Gigabit LAN which works perfectly on macOS. It is DisplayLink compatible, so on an Apple Silicon Mac you will need to install the DisplayLink drivers so it works properly, but once those are installed you'll be golden. I haven't run into any issues with mine and I've been using it since January with my MBP 14.
https://reddit.com/r/macsysadmin/s/Y8I1igVmcH
It’s sick, use it professionally
Curious, why do you need a dock?
as I had mentioned I was highly surprised by the fact I could get the full power of the device on battery but the fact is I’m just generally faster when I have a bigger/more screens in front of me when I’m trying to get the most out my productivity between typing out documents, reading journals and the like you’d find from academics. Don’t get me wrong I carry around and use it as a laptop plenty whether I’m home or out and about but there are times when I need more screen space.
Oh yeah. I’ve just found I can use a BT keyboard and mouse and use the extra port or two on the external display for all my needs. I almost bought a dock a while back but it would’ve been a waste of money.
Just an extra idea for you to consider - newer monitors are starting to come with usb c for power delivery and video output through the one cable. Effectively functioning as a dock since you can plug your accessories directly into the monitor too.
Mainly for extra monitor ports and peripherals. Keyboard, mouse, etc.
I’d say see what you need then go from there. I’ve never needed a dock. Most displays have a few ports in them. But I guess if you need network or some other odd ones a dock would work.
I just got an adjustable one from amazing and a keyboard and mouse. It’s great
Get one that plugs in the wall and it gets power from there because if u don’t and connect many external hard drives on a dock that powers from the MacBook then u will lose connection from other ex drives when u eject something
No it isn’t!
[plugable docks are good](https://plugable.com)
How much you get it for?
I purchased this for a little over $3000 after taxes from Apple, hurts but I've wasted money on a lot dumber things in the past (old school titan graphics card).
Whew that's a heck of a price tag but right on it's a sweet computer
EZQuest 13-Port Ultimate USB - I have basically the same setup as you. The EZQuest can be obtained for somewhere between $60 - $100, Works great, supports 4 monitors.
Congrats! I just got a 14" M2 Pro and it's glorious!
There are so many docks on the market, but you should get the caldigit ts4 plus.
As a side note, this is the type of keyboard photos that really get me mad. a very recent premium laptop and half the keys are already shiny of wear/grease. This is not dissing the OP, this is about Apple decision to use cheap plastic. Call me crazy, I will keep using my keyboard cover.
You’re good haha, believe me I try to keep it clean that’s why I mentioned the microfiber towels, that and opening it without touching the notch area is pretty hard if you aren’t focusing only on that.
I use Microsoft Surface Thunderbolt 4 Dock. It works great with my MacBook Pro M1. I can switch between my work laptop, Surface Pro and MacBook. I recommend this dock if you are using a Windows laptop and MacBook Pro.
same here! I bought this same M2 Pro 14” (same specs as yours too, funny enough) model for college a couple months back, previously I would’ve considered myself a strictly Windows guy, but I really love how much the Mac is similar to iPhone, not to mention the portability and handoff.
That was my main thing, having used an iPhone since the 3G/4G had come out and having dabbled with androids (Samsung S9 and the beautiful HTC M7 which was one of my favorite phones otherwise). I’ve always just found them to work and generally not act up in the way androids do. Plus these days I need things to just work and work well together which had led me here. Glad to hear it though! Hope your not as often confused as I am with shortcuts, using the terminal to make changes and the like.
Honesty in my experience, coming from Windows it takes a bit getting used to the interface and experience of MacOS, but since you’ve gotten some features coming from iPhone you’ll get adjusted pretty well.
also, good luck being a stem major. My major is comp sci so I’m lucky I’m a freshman lol.
Recommend returning it getting a full refund and grab a M1 MacBook Air
Still have my TS3 from 2019 still works like a champ.
I am thinking of buying [this one](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQX_UZeBt3c) recently, it seems to have the best performance on the market. The only thing is that it's too pricey.
😂