Of the four MacBook Pro 13 starting points, there are three default storage options: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB. It’s vital to choose the right amount of storage when you buy a MacBook Pro, as you won’t be able to manually upgrade the SSD later. It too has the option to upgrade the RAM (unified memory) storage, allowing you to use a more powerful machine for highly demanding tasks if necessary.Īll in all, it keeps to the minimalistic ideals of the MacBook while offering the right amount of power and storage. The next starting point, the $1,499 configuration with 512GB of storage, should be a better fit for most MacBook users on a budget. The 4TB SSD is only available in the two higher starting points and adds a hefty $1,000 to the final price. However, you can configure the storage to 2TB, but that raises the price by $800, meaning things start to get really expensive. You want a laptop that won’t fill up after several years and force you to buy external storage. This is especially true if you download lots of music and movies. The $1,299 baseline 13-inch MacBook Pro has a 256GB SSD, which may be too small for long-term storage.

That ultimately comes down to how much storage and memory you think you need. The only real question is which M1 model to get. It doesn’t make sense from a price-to-performance or future-proofing standpoint. For one, the starting price is significantly higher than the M1 base model, but the M1 performs better in almost everything. There really isn’t any reason to buy an Intel Mac in the 13-inch lineup.

Let’s address the elephant in the room first. Best overall:M1 processor, 512GB storage($1,499) Dan Baker/Digital Trends Apart from some concern over emulation performance, the M1 MacBooks are so much more capable than the Intel options that it’s hard to recommend any Mac Pro without an M1 in 2021. These four are essentially split down the middle: The two cheaper options start with Apple’s impressive M1 chips, while the two more expensive models paradoxically have the less powerful 10th Gen Intel-i5 chips.

Best overall:M1 processor, 512GB storage($1,499)Īpple currently provides four starting points, each with its own customization options.

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