- What if I told you that most people make at least one of these mistakes when they shop for their MacBooks. And what ends up happening is that they either end up
spending too much money upfront or they buy the wrong MacBook and then they have to upgrade
within a couple of years. Now, I've definitely made
some of these mistakes myself, so I put together this guide to help you avoid the most
common MacBook buying mistakes. So, the first mistake I see buyers make has to do with storage. Before you make your decision, think about how much storage you need to have enough space for
the apps that you use and for the files that
you wanna store locally. If you're already using
a Mac or a MacBook, it should be pretty simple. Just take a look at how much
storage you're using now and then take into account any new apps that you may wanna install
or any future needs that you may have for local file storage. Now, remember that none of
the new Macs are upgradeable, so what you buy now is
what you're gonna have for the life of the device. Now, you can always use
cloud storage for archiving and you can use an external SSD, but that requires you to
always bring something with you wherever you go, so you
lose some of the convenience of using a laptop. Now, sort of along the same lines, I see a lot of users
not getting enough RAM, or in Apple's terms, unified memory. The more memory you get, the more apps you can run at
the same time and the faster and more responsive your
MacBook is going to be. So, if you're like me and you
have 97 tabs open in Chrome and you still wanna have a bunch of other apps running at the same time, make sure that you don't
bottleneck your system by not getting enough memory. Now, Apple's unified memory
is used by the CPU, GPU and the Neural Engine,
which makes it super fast and efficient, but it's not magic. And every base model of
the M1 and M2 MacBooks only has eight gigabytes of RAM. Now, these are extremely capable chips, so these laptops should
last you at least five to seven years in terms
of processing power. But just like with storage,
the RAM is not upgradable. Now, I recommend that
you consider upgrading to 16 gigabytes of unified memory so that you don't end up having to replace a perfectly good MacBook, just because you don't have enough memory. Now, another mistake I see people make is overlooking ergonomics. It's so easy to fall into the trap of just looking at the specs
and not really considering how this MacBook would fit
into your real-life use. So, I want you to think about things like, is this a MacBook that's
mostly gonna stay at home, are you taking it with
you to and from work and will you travel with it? And that will help you make
a more informed decision about size. Right now, we're looking at 13, 14 and 16-inch MacBooks. And if you have the option,
I would go to a store and I wouldn't just look
at the different sizes. I would actually pick them
up, I would type on them and I would use the trackpad. Now, luckily, Apple has
outstanding keyboards and trackpads, so we
don't really have to make a big decision there but
make sure that you get a size that's practical for your use case. And this is where I want
you to weigh the advantages of a larger display
against the implications in terms of portability. So, personally, I still
use the 16-inch MacBook Pro because I don't travel a ton and I'm willing to have a bigger and heavier MacBook with me whenever I do in order to have this
amazing, big display. Now, the next mistake I see people make is thinking that a MacBook Pro is better for every user just because it's pro. And I know that this is
gonna get a little touchy, so let's talk about it. So, first of all, not all
MacBook Pros are created equal. I think that the 14 and
16-inch MacBook Pros are great and they offer significant
benefits for professional users, whereas the 13-inch M1 and M2 MacBook Pros don't really do that, so it's harder for me to recommend them. Now, the one thing that
MacBook Pros have in common is an active cooling system or a fan. And that helps maintain performance if you're pushing your
MacBook to its limits for a prolonged period of time. But that level of sustained performance is not really something
that the average user is going to take advantage of. Now, the M1 MacBook Air
offers similar performance to the M1 MacBook Pro
for almost everything that the average user does. The M2 MacBook Air has an updated design, a bigger and better
display, a better camera, it has MagSafe, it's lighter and thinner than the M2 MacBook Pro. Now, I will say that the M1
and M2 MacBook Pro models do have better battery life. And at the same time, you should consider whether the difference
between 18 and 20 hours of battery life really makes a
practical difference for you, and that's gonna help you choose. The next mistake MacBook buyers make is obsessing over one spec or feature. So, Apple is absolutely incredible at marketing its products. And every feature that
they add is presented as offering a significant benefit, which it actually does for the right user. So, for example, having a
six-speaker sound system that puts out 80% more base is great for someone who's actually
gonna use the speakers, but it's completely meaningless for a user that's always gonna be wearing headphones. Another example is that a super
capable Thunderbolt 4 port is great if you need
faster transfer speeds or improve the external display support, but it doesn't really matter to a user who's never gonna attach any accessories. So, make sure that you're
spending money on features that actually benefit
you because otherwise, you're just wasting money. And this brings me to the next mistake which has to do with ports. So, that includes the number, the type and the location of the ports. So, some MacBooks only
come with two USB-C ports and both of them are on the left side. And that means that if you
have your MacBook charging, you only have one other port available. It also means that you can only
charge or attach accessories on the left, which isn't always
the most convenient setup. Other MacBooks have a
MagSafe port that you can use to quickly and securely
charge your MacBook. They might have an HDMI port for additional external display support. They have USB-C ports on both sides, so you have more flexibility
with accessories. And they have a built-in SDXC card slot, so you don't need to bring
a card reader with you. You can always use hubs
and adapters but again, that means that you always
need to bring additional items with you whenever you're on the go. So, think about your specific workflow and try to make it as
streamlined as possible, which brings me to
external display support. The M1 and M2 MacBooks
only natively support one external display. Now, you can start getting
adapters and drivers and jump through a bunch of hoops and you can get multiple
displays connected. But for the best and the
most reliable experience, I would suggest getting a
MacBook that supports the number of displays that you plan on using. For example, MacBook
Pros with the M1 Pro chip supports two 6K displays and the ones with M1 Max chips support up to three 6K displays
and one 4K display. Now, additional displays
do help with productivity, so take into account
what you plan on using and then make sure that the
setup you want is supported. And this segues into more
of a philosophical mistake, which is only buying
what you need right now. And it gets a little tricky
because I think that the concept of future-proofing your
purchase often gets misused. So, when you think of the specs and requirements that you want, keep in mind how often
you replace your MacBook because some people replace
their MacBooks every few years and then other users might wait 10 years before they replace it. So, take a look at your purchase history as well as any future needs
that you know are coming, like going to college
for art, video production or for coding. And make sure that the MacBook
you get will serve you well for as long as you plan on owning it. And by the way, a good way
to get more for your money is to look at refurbished
or renewed MacBooks. You don't always have to buy new and Apple offers certified
refurbished MacBooks on their website. Now, that can either save you money or it can allow you to
get more storage, more RAM or even a more powerful chip
for the same amount of money. And don't forget that if you qualify for the educational discount, that's definitely something
that you should take a look at. The next mistake is one that
costs people money every day, and I'm talking about buying a MacBook for other people's needs. Now, that might sound funny but when you're reading
or watching a review or when you get a recommendation
from someone in your life, make sure that you keep
your specific needs in mind. For example, is the
16-inch MacBook Pro better than the M1 MacBook Air? Well, it's certainly more
capable, but that doesn't mean that it's a better fit
or a better value for you if you're looking for a
light and portable MacBook to take with you to class every day. So, again, please only buy what you need and spend your money wisely. Hopefully this video is helpful. Click on my face to subscribe and then watch this MacBook comparison. You know what I always say,
buy it nice or buy it twice. Good luck and see you soon.
