Recently I’m on the hunt for a new laptop, because I want some portability and lately I realise that I don’t seem to be that interested in gaming anymore.

I have been looking at windows gaming laptops, cause I want that ‘just in case’ moment when I feel like playing, but likely not? Not sure… the price points seem very similar with MacBooks, so I’m wondering if I should just make the switch.

My main usage is just purely surfing and torrenting to watch tons of shows. Having a nice beast that won’t lag me while I open multiple tabs and some Microsoft office works IF I NEED (usually only when I’m about to change jobs.. lol) sounds perfect to me, on top of that I would love to have that device to last for longer than 4 years at least.

What do you think?? Will it be an issue if I just jump ship? Will I have buyer remorse or something? I assume that these days and age a lot of apps like VLC for an example are well optimised for Mac OS too?

Speaking of which, what is the equivalent ram sizes for MacBook? I try checking on the websites, can’t seem to find any.

Thanks in advance for your input.


UPDATE: I GOT MY FIRST MACBOOK PRO!
In the end I decided to plunge into the deep well and got myself a 14" MacBook Pro M2.

I have so many considerations when it comes MacBook Air, cause I was afraid that it would break down easily without the fan even though plenty of forumers have assured me that there is no heat. And after a lot of consideration, I decided to fuck it get the 14" MacBook Pro since it comes with 16GB RAM and a fan design!

And I am now enjoying its amazing speaker and beautiful screen! Totally worth it!!!

This post has been edited by miyakochan89: May 10 2023, 11:47 PM

You can also game on macbook thanks to cloud gaming..

Just sign up for GeForce Now.

At rm 3600, no windows laptop can challenge m1 macbook air for its value. I recently make the switch too, but i still have my desktop windows.

I used the Mac mostly for work.

These days, I also used older ThinkPads which I restored from piles of junk parts for media consumption and some work. For example, I have the X230, 13 Gen 2, X230T, and L440. I thought these from Carousell were in either non-working condition or just piles of useless parts.

I never need to buy new laptops ever again as I get other ThinkPad and Latitude models monthly from friends, and families plus great offers from Carousell.

I use my laptop for emails, powerpoint, excel and word. Switched from a 2014 Thinkpad to M2 MBA last year.

Pros from MBA, great battery life, good screen and speakers (don't feel like I have to use earphones when I'm alone).

Cons is the MacOS itself. After 6+ months of using, still miss windows. Especially the taskbar where on Mac I can't see all the tabs at once. Mac fans would say use "Mission Control" but honestly with the tabs always moving around it's pretty useless especially when shifting between more than 5 PDFs and Excel / Word.

Microsoft 365 is buggy on MacOS, with a runtime error everytime it starts but apart from that runs normally. Keyboard is also meh but trackpad is good.

Have Parallels since one of the software I use only runs on Windows but the constant "upgrade" offers are annoying.

Due to this, I'm looking to go back to a Windows laptop, and get combo it a iPad instead for media.

why would you use old ThinkPads for media ? the screen and speakers are pretty bad .... I used the X250 and even with a self-upgrade 1920x1080 screen its no where near any recent displays.

I even had the 72kwh battery pack, supposedly good for 12h ... but in real world only saw about 5h on simple web browsing + email and documents.

Stock speakers are not loud enough but I'm using Mi HiFi headphones so it is negligible.

As for the screen, did u opt for IPS ones? I did this for both X230 and X230T. Heck, even my E6540 also went through the IPS mod. The display is damn nice.

Sorry but I’m not interested in the long list of thinkpad consumptions. That’s like super out of topic.

MacBook Air is about RM4000+.

I was looking at decent gaming laptops and they easily cost RM6K, so I’m thinking, if I get the cheapest MacBook Pro, it’s just RM5699? I don’t need the extra storage as I already have external ssd.

And also I’m wondering if the gaming laptop actually lasts that long? MacBook Pro might easily last me 5 years or so? I know a friend who is still using her 10 years old MacBook Pro for streaming shows only. Haha

Sounds like a cosmetic thing that people can either get used to or not. But otherwise the device functions pretty well, above decent, would you reckon?

Now that I think about it, the last time I had to use Microsoft on my windows I got so annoyed and ended completing the entire thing ins Google Docs…. If everything is on the cloud then I can even save the bucks from buying a Microsoft licenses I guess. Heheh.

What do you use yourself?

Im not a MacBook user..

just offering suggestion if you want to play games on MacBook.

js saying that laptop is like a lottery, hard to say if it will last for 4yr, more important is warranty service
example my ideapad l3 now 3yrs++ still working gud, but all those yoga premium models have shit tons of issues...

macbook m1 got screen crack issue very famous but so far my frens mba no crack yet

This post has been edited by miyeonevermioff: May 6 2023, 02:11 PM

I bought MBA 3 month ago, Franky speaking to listen music really cool and also it is nice to sync iPhone or iPad all together. but the MBA more like keep in drawer ('';)!

This post has been edited by HKVOON: May 6 2023, 02:19 PM

got promo for few months already at switch for 3.6k. bought one at that price

here is the link
https://shopee.com.my/Apple-MacBook-Air-M1-...d5-d4f1badd0a45

https://soyacincau.com/2023/05/02/i-replace...ndows-11-on-it/

Can always install Windows on Mac if you need it

RAM is king. Nothing less than 16GB mac or 32GB windows. One should not underestimate surfing load* in 2023.
*load includes office sharepoint docs.

Note: There is some limitation in excel for mac - power query that's very annoying, still need windows, file too big for excel online

If just 8GB ram it won't go far. Just like having a ferrari but no parking lot coz its not upgradeable on new macs.

P.S. the mac alt tab switching between apps is damn annoying because it will land u to the right app wrong window unlike windows

On MBP M1 16gb also hit out of memory a few times before "for office work"

P.P.S. never forget the usb C dongle otherwise whatever non items cannot connect

This post has been edited by ceo684: May 6 2023, 03:17 PM

Looks like you are dead set on Macbook and not worth considering others

What about Mac mini?

This post has been edited by TruboXL: May 6 2023, 03:11 PM

Why keep in the drawer? You don’t use it much? How about watching shows? I did hear that MacBook has really good audio is it?

You don’t sound like a happy customers. But I don’t need to load any sharepoints and my office laptop seems to be able to handle all my multi tabs just fine (thinkpad). Surprise to hear that MacBook pro can’t handle it?

Cause I’m getting rid of a pc for portability. Mac mini still needs monitor and whatnot. Hahaha! I’m also going to sell away my monitor as well.

Office issued 8GB ram Dell I only use it rarely is only good for applying leave and accessing intranet/VPN. It’s weight and lack of ram can’t keep up. It will take half an hour to load a Miro board by then the meeting over d.

I dabble in things that are pro macOS like Miro flows; which is the reason why I got a MBP just so I can see whatever my UI UX team sends to me. Airdrop for screenshots is a big time saver. Of course if working outside the link iPhone hotspot is also easy to use. The bad part is normally the smaller MBP only can run one external monitor max + it’s own screen.

I have another windows machine w/32GB, but not the most portable machine, but it has never had out of memory even when browsing with hundreds of tabs but it being a T480 it runs hot. 🥵

Then the need still arises for adhoc excel crunching on a more frequent-than I would care to bring the 32GB out, so I just bought a X1C ThinkPad 16GB for the 1.1kg portability and ability to crunch excel alone/do ppt slides. Plus can run 2 external + its own screen when doing comparison work.

This post has been edited by ceo684: May 6 2023, 06:28 PM

I am already using Thinkpad at work, it's more than adequate.

I am just asking about Macbook Pro though. lol.

Oh it's the M1 though....

if you need to regularly use ms Project of Viso can just forget about mac.

No i don't, that one is just for media consumption and surfing. hehe!

M1 16GB good enough for the use case you described.

Doubt you will feel much difference between M1 and M2 CPUs.

The key is having enough RAM for browsing (and coming back to things later).


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What are you using until 32GB?

TBH nothing productive per se, ie no Office apps are open just web browsing.


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So do you prefer using windows or Apple? Just general experience, and which one do you think will last you at least 5 years? Without 500 tabs.

This post has been edited by miyakochan89: May 7 2023, 10:04 AM

Generally a solid machine lasts for ten years. I would suggest getting a MacBook coz the screen is nicer. It should be fun lah if you haven’t had a Mac before. Do note ram size order a 16GB cuz it’s all soldered nowadays

Yeah I saw the screen. It’s damn pretty. If I’m just gonna watch shows and all, this machine should be quite good.

morning. talking about pretty screen, maybe you wanna consider many other windows laptop with decent build and quality that comes with OLED screen with about the same price range? coz laptop with OLED screen is still unconventional and as we all know, they're very beautiful especially to match your occasional/frequent media consumption.

OLED laptops seem to be as pricey as well. For an example the Dell XPS, while it has a nice screen but the rest of the hardware seems mediocre. For the same price point as MAC, that’s why Mac seems competitive.

It really depends - it all boils down to preference.

I use both daily - Windows for work, Mac for personal. Previously I have owned a couple of high-end Windows laptop as well; Razer Blade(s) and Dell XPS for leisure / gaming / personal use.

Here's why I go back to a Mac every time.

1) Battery & Power Efficiency - I have yet to find any Windows laptop that can surpass the battery life of a Macbook. You're talking about average 8-10 hours on average use, not even throttling down CPU, fan speed, screen brightness or power-setting. None.

2) Fan Noise - What? As silent as a wind. Even when I am editing photos on ai, ps or lightroom - no sound whatsoever. Only when i am running FCP, then yet it does. From daily use, non-existent.

3) Touchpad - Well, Apple's touchpad is unmatchable. Gestures are always accurate, multifunctional and a good tactile press to it. Windows are usually mushy and the sensitivity sometimes will be a hit and miss.

4) Screen - Okay this is subjective and it really depends on which model / make you are using. My current is a 14 inch MBP so the screen is stunning. The last Windows laptop that I owned, Razer Blade 14 has 240hz screen and the colors are so beautiful - it is one of the best screens i have ever used.

5) Keyboard - I hate mushy keyboards and the one on the previous Macbook Pros (butterfly keys) are the worst I have ever used on a laptop, thank god they've replaced it with the old one. Windows laptops are also a hit and miss - some models good, some mushy. I like the Macs, good tactile feedback, good travel and wide.

6) MacOS - beautiful and familiar OS. very seamless to use especially if you are in Apple's walled garden - copy paste, airdrop, sidecar etc.


And now the things that I don't like..

1) Microsoft Office apps. Ambomination of a suite - such a pain to work on especially if i have no access to my office laptop. limited functions and not even user-friendly.

2) 3rd Party Apps - some apps are just plain wonky to use, doesn't seem to be ported well and adapted well into MacOS.

3) Lack of Gaming Support - well i am referring to native games for Windows only. Except those streaming sites of course - can't play Call of Duty on a Mac now can we?

4) Lack of Ports - I have a Macbook Pro and I am still moaning for the lack of port support, can't imagine those without.

Regardless, these are just my two cents, you are free to make your own decision at the end of the day. I would say the pros of the Mac will outweigh the cons for me.

Okie lah, fuck this I’m gonna do it!

I just pulled the trigger on a 14" M2 Pro yesterday as well. Bought from TMT Lazada making use of their vouchers, saved RM300..

Else where the silver 16gb ram 1TB version is sold out in all outlets near me. Unless buying directly from Apple website.

Now the annoying process of trying to sell off my 2019 16" MBP...

Wanna ask you for another advice, now I’m considering MacBook Air since it’s cheaper and it doesn’t seem like I need the extra processing power of a pro version. Should I get a 16GB one or 8GB is sufficient for me to last 5-7 years? I’m also afraid of heating issues but it seems like everyone says that it’s fine, even in our weather. Hmm.

16gb definitely. Internet browsers are memory hoggers and getting worse by the year. 8gb is already cutting it close, 16gb will be a standard further down the years. Not to mention you can't upgrade your RAM but you can always use an external storage for more space.
Your usage doesn't seem intensive for a MBA to get heating issues. Since you will not be gaming/coding/video-photo editing but just media consumption with basic Office apps...

Thank you so much. After considering all the choices and comments, I just decided to fuck it and get a MacBook Pro 14 inch lah. Hehe!

andrewtho Do you happen to know if I could purchase Apple protection plan later or need to purchase during the device purchase?

Congrats! Remember to get at least the 1tb one as the 512gb has slower read/write speed.

And yes you can get Applecare later, as long as it is within your 1 year warranty period.

15-inch MacBook Air is rumoured to be announced in WWDC next month. Perhaps a good option for those that are using for office works and not too much in media production?

No la, 512 is all I can afford and I don’t really care for the speed. I don’t think it’s that slow anyways.

Then you can consider the 2021 version, it's going for RM7.9k from Switch. Faster SSD and better thermals than the 2022 version.

Ahh, the good ol' days where I buy my MBA before GST kicks in for travel use only ...

No la, I’m just gonna go for the latest version. Hehe!

Tell me what you buy ya in the end .. I'm considering but I just bought a win based laptop not long ago TT.TT

UPDATE: I GOT MY FIRST MACBOOK PRO!
In the end I decided to plunge into the deep well and got myself a 14" MacBook Pro M2.

I have so many considerations when it comes MacBook Air, cause I was afraid that it would break down easily without the fan even though plenty of forumers have assured me that there is no heat. And after a lot of consideration, I decided to fuck it get the 14" MacBook Pro since it comes with 16GB RAM and a fan design!

And I am now enjoying its amazing speaker and beautiful screen! Totally worth it!!!

My Legion 5 with RTX3060 cost around 4.5k
So it’s not really all in the 6k league.

Ah congrats!

16GB is always a safer bet although they said that it is a unified memory, i still think that for future use it is always better to get 16GB so you can have a peace of mind. Welcome to the 14 inci club! the screen and speakers alone is worth the splurge, trust me.

btw for applecare - as long as it is purchased within 12 months should be alright. personally i don't need it, not sure if its the same for you

Yes the speaker is amazing!!! But I’m also very scared of virus since I’m going to download things so I’m going to get an antivirus too. Hehe

You don't really need one actually. Just be wary of where you download contents from - in most cases, antivirus for Macs are not compulsory. I never had an antivirus software for either Windows or Macs for over 10 years

antivirus are not compulsory..
But i think you might need anti-malware..

You never know when you will fell into malware/ransomware trap when you downloading too much "stuff"

Somehow I felt nostalgic after reading this post..I still remember when I switched to MBP for the first time several years ago...The only difficult part is shopping for accessories...as it is going to be pricier compared to Windows...

This post has been edited by LDP: May 12 2023, 12:52 PM

Yes i dont need it but its never too safe in the internet these days. Viruses dont target macbook only because the percentage is smaller, there is not point for them to do that, doesnt mean its not penetrable. As i download torrents for shows and books so better be safe than sorry!

What other accessories do you really need though?

After I got my MBP 14, the very first accessories I got are the adapter..
USB type C to USB A 3.0, RJ45, DP, & DP..
then next are macbook transparent cover. 😅

U are the one who asked about the macbook air kan? 😅☺️☺️

Dun waste money on an ipad bro, trust me on this

U might as well get a super thin and portable windows laptop for both work and media usages. Ie hp envy or dell xps or hp spectre, those are beautiful windows laptops 😄

This post has been edited by Arvinaaaaa: May 13 2023, 01:53 PM

What internet speed ya is recommended?

min 15mbps

Then no need dedicated graphics card dy la 😂

yes but u still stable and fast internet..

playing multiplayer games is hard bcs of latency

u need to own the games u wanna play first..

Welcome to the club

yeah in the end i just fucked it and get a pro instead. hahah! Cause i am scared of overheating, maybe because prior to this i have had laptops that really overheats. And i just want one device that can last for a long time without needing me to worry about it all the time.

Oraite, congratz on ur purchase tho. I guarantee you that ur MacBook pro fan will be running in idle state je most of the time 😛. That’s how efficient the m2 chip is 😎😎

I always need the following accessories:

External mouse for ergonomics.
External keyboard for ergonomics
Headset...Again have to be careful here as not all bluetooth headset can be paired that easily with Mac...
Adapter

wah sounds like a lot of accessories.
So far im using the Trackpad fine, the speaker by default is pretty good so I might not need an external speaker yet. haha!

Hi TS, congrats to you

I'm also in dilemma to get this 2023 MBP 14" 512GB

If i get it will be my very first most expensive laptop ever in my life

Can I know how much you bought it? Any special discounts?

No discounts. I just walked in and bought.

Just received my MBP 14". Omg 8 days to deliver with the worse courier service Flash. Even my casing from China which was ordered later arrived much earlier - within 4 days, what an embarrassment for a local courier service...

Can I see the casing that you ordered?

I ordered this one
https://www.lazada.com.my/products/smartdev...5451079833.html?

So far it has a tight fitting and it looks really nice, i prefer the matte transparent look compared to the clear transparent yet reflective kind for a MB.
I had a similar type of case for my 2019 MBP, and the casing does discolour over time. So this might have the same issue down the road. I'm still curious on the incase & uniq ones, but i don't really like their logo displayed...

I been singly new Mac mini2 for a week. its awesome for a M2 processor. never used M1 direct jump from window OS

Btw I actually went to a few places just to find what I wanted and managed to test both cases that I was looking out for: Incase Dots & Uniq Claro

Few serious issues I’ve seen online on hardshell cases to take note:
1) Make sure the clips of the case does not touch the screen as there is a chance to damage the screen
2) Too tight of a fitting can bend your lid/screen. Can be especially noticed when the lid is closed and you see a curvature towards the outside.

In terms of fitting, Incase Dots Hardshell > Smart Devil > Uniq Claro
The Incase really has a bit more seamless fitting compared to the Smart Devil and when the lid is closed it looks more aligned. Surprisingly Uniq Claro was the worse. The lid looked a bit bent on both sides when closed. Could be a unit variance?

Aesthetics, this is subjective but for me SmartDevil > Incase Dots/Uniq Claro
I hate having their brand displayed outside for all to see, and Incase has the dot matrix texture design which some might like or not.

Plastic Quality
Incase Dots > Uniq Claro > SmartDevil
You can feel the difference in the quality, not surprising considering how expensive they are. The problem with SmartDevil is their QC in the plastic molding isn’t good. If you are unlucky you get a bit of stains/dirt in the plastic which can’t be removed.

Thank you for the awesome review. I was thinking about how the case might actually damage the macbook instead. How much is the Incase Dots and where can you get that?

Also, does the Incase comes with soft lining so that it's easier to remove and put in the macbook pro without scratching the device from its hard plastic?

Generally most of the new cases won't damage the Macbooks, though maybe there might be a few unlucky ones out there...
If your MBP is space grey, then you should be aware that oxidation/discolouration might occur for cases with open vents at the bottom of the case. You can see pictures where there is a lighter imprint of the vents on the bottom of the space grey MBP.


It was super rare to find the Incase Dots clear for 14", i went to Curve, Ikano, 1 Utama, Atria and found 1 last unit at Empire Subang. It goes for RM199, which is damn expensive for a clear plastic case
Unfortunately it is also sold out at Lazada/Shopee.
But if you scout around Malls, the shops that usually have Incase & Uniq would be Machines, Harvey Norman, Switch, Aeon

And no, all plastic cases do not have any soft lining. The SmartDevil plastic clips are a bit on the softer side though.
If you are using the original Silver MBP i wouldn't worry about the clips scratching the device. I would treat Space Grey with more caution though since their coating isn't exactly all that great

This post has been edited by Lego Warfare: May 22 2023, 02:11 PM

mine is a silver unit. I did order Uniq Claro before i read your post. And now i'm worried about the bend issue, so I am really contemplating to go and collect the item or not; or just let it return back to warehouse on its own and get a refund.

The one i tried could be a variable, which was surprising since Uniq's stuffs are usually quite good quality. Are you able to return it after you try it out? If you are allowed to do so then there is no harm collecting and trying it.

That’s the thing, with Shopee horrible return and refund conditions. I don’t really dare to take it and try. Hahah! I don’t really wanna have lid bends or screen issues from cases. Those are major damages. Kinda in a dilemma right now.

Torrenting on SSD will kill it faster.

Don't forget, the SSD on M2 is not removable.

Be warned.

I had no issues with returns so far for Shopee or Lazada, though 1 seller blocked me from buying from their shop after that
Did you get your Uniq in the end?

oh well, nothing i can do. already start torrenting. LOL!

Never, i havent gone and collected it.

If u torrenting 24x7, the SSD will die after 3-4 years. Better u torrenting onto an external HDD instead. Cheaper and better.

i do have an external SSD ... so.. these days SSD is quite resilient i think. Not like old technology lah! but thanks for the advice! I will definitely pay attention to this!

Not really.

My Mac Mini 2012 SSD died after 7 years of 24x7 boot up and light usage. I never turned it off since upgraded to SSD back in 2015. Just this year, the Mac Mini won't boot and after removing the SSD, CrystalDisk reported the SSD health is 1% or 69876 hours.

Now, a 2012 Mac Mini can easily replace the SSD but newer M1 or M2 no such luck.

So, good luck in your adventures.

or get a NAS. torrent from there.

Torrenting casually is fine, as long as you don't do it 24/7 - 300+ days a year non stop like blu-ray seller
For that you might as well just get a cheap PC and leave it running at home all day-year.

This post has been edited by Lego Warfare: May 29 2023, 12:41 PM

yes of course not. i don't torrent 24/7! Don't even have all the time in the world to watch so many shows.