Whether you ’re making the jump into the Apple ecosystem or update from an old auto , pick up a new Mac can be a great way to supercharge your productivity . How do you decide which case of Mac is good for you ? With so many options to choose from , as well as unlike type of Macs , finding one that fit your setup and deliver everything you need can be tricky .
If you ’re going to peck up a unexampled Mac , then buy the farm with a desktop Mac can have some discrete advantage over Apple ’s portable MacBook alternative . Do n’t get us amiss , all of these machines are utterly subject of doing what you involve them to do , but there are some lieu where the desktop Macs shine brighter than the MacBooks . As such , here are five gravid reasons to choose a screen background Mac over a MacBook the next clip you raise .
Counterpoint:5 reasons to buy a MacBook over a desktop Mac
Ports and expandability
One of the braggart welfare of buying a desktop Mac over a MacBook is that desktop Macs tend to have more choice for expandability . While the new MacBook Pros have more ports than they ’ve had in many years — three Thunderbolt 4 ( USB - C ) ports , HDMI , and an SDXC card slot — it ’s still a far shout from what you get with the Mac miniskirt ( two USB - A port ) and Mac Studio ( up to six Thunderbolt 4 port and two USB - A port ) , and even the 24 - inch iMac has two Thunderbolt 4 ( USB - C ) ports and two USB 3 port . An extra port might not seem like much , but it allows you to connect even more external devices — hard cause , keyboards , and other thing you might need for your daily body of work — without hubs and dongles .
However , the twenty-four hours of tinkering with desktops are over . Even if you get a Mac mini or Mac Studio , Apple atomic number 14 Macs do not let for drug user - installable internal upgrade , desktop or laptop computer . The RAM is integrated with the C.P.U. , so if you think you want more RAM than the received configuration , customize your order at the peak of leverage . The same kick the bucket for the SSD for file memory , though with more ports you could well lend external storage .
The only Mac that Apple currently sell with easy exploiter - upgradable components is the Mac Pro . This electronic computer , however , is design with high - end professionals in thinker , and they ’re pricey machines . Also , it is one of two Mac framework left that still employ Intel processors . It ’s possible that Apple will put out anew Mac Prothis year with its own silicon that will be exploiter upgradeable , but it might also be just as shut away up as the Mac Studio .
Bring your own display
Another big perk for desktop Macs is the versatility they bid with different displays . Yes , it ’s true that you may connect a video display to a MacBook , but you ’re also paying a gamey price for the exhibit that ’s built into it , which will more than belike be closed when connected to an international show . If you ’re going to be parked at a desk most of the time or want the flexibility of a multiple display frame-up , a desktop Mac is easy the impudent choice .
Just make certain you cognise what you need . Apple ’s remain Intel Macs and Mac Studio can power more than two displays , but Apple atomic number 14 Macs are different : the M1 Mac miniskirt is limit to a aggregate of two displays ( one via Thunderbolt and another using HDMI ) . The 24 - inch iMac can tot up a second display via Thunderbolt . Still , that ’s more than Apple ’s M1 laptops – the MacBook Air and 13 - column inch MacBook Pro – which can only link one additional video display , making it difficult to bleed a proper multi - display frame-up , and you ’ll need to drop $ 1,999 or more on a 14- or 16 - column inch MacBook Pro for up to four extraneous displays to using the Thunderbolt 4 ( USB - C ) and HDMI port ..
So if you want the best note value for your multi - display frame-up , pick out a background Mac and shop around for a unspoilt external showing .
The most speed
One of the main reasons you might choose to go with a desktop Mac over a MacBook is Apple’sM1 Ultraprocessor . This is the fastest , most powerful microprocessor chip that Apple has designed to date , and it ’s only usable on the $ 3,999 Mac Studio .
Do n’t get us wrong , the MacBook Pros offer insanely good performance , specially on the raw framework , but they do n’t extend the M1 Ultra , which makes Apple ’s desktop Macs the company ’s most powerful ever . And because of the M1 Ultra ’s cool requirement , it may never make it to a laptop computer .
Apple ’s top - of - the - job M1 Ultra System on a Chip is presently only available in the $ 3,999 Mac Studio desktop computing machine .
Willis Lai / Foundry
Design that fits anywhere
While MacBooks can be highly portable , they might not always agree directly into the vogue and space you have in your office , another area where background Macs can shine . While Apple has some of the more introductory - look design like that of the Mac mini or Mac Studio , the 24 - inch iMac present Apple drug user multiple color choice to choose from . That means you’re able to choose a computer that fits your office ’s color scheme without induce to determine for the more minimalistic silvery colour of a standard MacBook .
Because there are modest choice like the Mac miniskirt and Mac Studio , you may happen a sinewy computer that blend right into your office outer space , even if you do n’t have a lot of room on your desk . That allows you to maximize your desk space without lose a lot of it to your computing machine .
Apple designed the iMac so it ’ll bet good almost anywhere in your home .
The best value
MacBooks can be exceptionally pricey , especially if you ’re going for the more powerful models . But you do n’t have to resolve for breaking the bank to get a bang-up Mac computer . Instead , there are multiple pricing options available for several of the dissimilar desktop Macs out there . For case , the new Mac Studio cost the same price as some of the more brawny MacBook Pros , but you ’re getting more power , more port wine , and more features .
Further , the 24 - inch iMac which Apple launch with the M1 mainframe bug out out at just $ 1,299 , a good stack cheaper than the unexampled MacBook Pros with smaller displays . Or you’re able to pair a 24 - inch 4 K display with a Mac miniskirt for even less . Macs are n’t gimcrack , but with the correct combination of desktop and show , you could get a whole draw of computing machine without need to wear out your budget bribe a pricey MacBook Pro .
