Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I am writing this review focused primarily on people who are considering jumping from the 13" MacBook Pro to the 14" MacBook Pro, which is what I did. I moved from the 13" MacBook Pro M1 with 16gb of RAM to the 14" MacBook Pro M1 Pro with 16gb of RAM. Size: So, 1" of screen might not seem like a lot on its face, but the difference is pretty substantial, in my opinion. Even the pictures don't quite do it justice. The screen feels considerably larger in a package that isn't considerably larger. For me, it's the perfect sweet spot for someone who wants something larger than the 13" model, but smaller than the 16". I had a 16" MacBook Pro i9 and it was just too much for me. This one feels perfect. Form Factor: The new 14" and 16" MacBooks both adopt a thicker chassis, which is shown in the pictures. As such, Apple decided to make the casing flat instead of gently rounded. It honestly reminds me of the pre-unibody builds, but still sleek and modern. If I didn't know this one was new and you just laid them side-by-side, I might say that the old form factor looks a little newer, but that isn't to say that it looks bad. Aesthetics: Overall, I touched on the aesthetics a bit in the "form factor" section. It looks like a high-end laptop, but at the same time I can see some people thinking it looks dated. I personally like the flatter look over the more rounded look, but it will depend on the person. Another thing I like is moving the "MacBook Pro" branding from under the screen to the bottom of the casing. I just think it provides a cleaner look during use. The black background of the keyboard is also a plus for me. The old space gray background was fine, but I really like the black. Function: Most people probably won't notice a massive difference in the previous iteration and the new iteration. For the 14" and 16" MacBook Pros, the touchbar has been removed. This will make a lot of people happy. For me, I was always pretty ambivalent about the touchbar, but I'm not going to complain about a key row there. The keyboard appears to have ever so slightly more travel and bounce. It's not a huge amount, but it is noticeable. I'll touch on The Notch later. Performance: My 13" had the M1 chip and now my 14" as the M1 Pro. So far, I haven't noticed a tremendous difference when using programs like Logic Pro, Illustrator, Photoshop, and Lightroom, but I wouldn't say those are super intensive programs. If you're exporting massive 8K videos, you might want to jump up to the M1 Max. One thing I have noticed is that the thermals are maybe a little bit worse. Just a touch. I have noticed it warming up a bit, but the fan still has not come on once. I only mention this because my 13" M1 stayed cold at all times. It's not as bad as my i9, which sounded like a jet engine revving up while it jumped well over 100 degrees, but it's something to be aware of. The Notch: Honestly, so much has been made of the notch and I think it's mostly overstated. Yes, it's fun to meme the fact that Apple still hasn't found a way around the notch, particularly on iPhones, but it's really not a huge deal. Were it up to me, I would have just left a bezel up there, but I can understand why Apple didn't. I use a Dell XPS for work and it has razor thin bezels with no notch, but at the same time the camera is an absolute joke. Looks like it's from 2002. The Notch (cont'd): The notch behavior can be inconsistent from app to app, but not to the point where it's bothersome. I have seen some programs with very large nav menus up top bump the status bar out of the way to make room. And while this particular phenomenon is not something new for MacBooks, losing a big chunk of that bar to the notch will likely make this a more regular occurrence for people. Do I wish it didn't have a notch? Yeah, probably. Does it hurt the experience? Very, very little. Screen: For everyday indoor use, which is almost exclusively what I do, I think you will be hard-pressed to find a better screen on the market. The 120Hz refresh rate is something I waited a long time to get on the iPhone, so I was pretty shocked to see it implemented on the new MacBook Pros just a month later. It actually has more pixels/inch than the iMac 27" 5K screen, which I also use pretty regularly. All-in-all, the screen is just the best in the business. Overall: It's a great and powerful laptop for someone who is wanting a little more than web surfing and word processing. I use mine primarily for recording music, as well as live performances using standalone plugins, so I need something that is powerful and easy to use. The MacBook Pro has always fit the bill, but now with the M1, M1 Pro, and M1 Max chips, I have absolutely no concern for performance or consistency. My 13" M1 did just what I needed in this regard, but I'm someone who wanted a slightly larger screen without drastically increasing my footprint and weight. The 14" MacBook Pro with the M1 Pro chip is just what I needed. If you're someone who needs absolutely top notch performance, I'd recommend upgrading the RAM and going with the M1 Max.