This video is brought to you by Ugreen. You know how the 2017 Justice League movie
pushed fans to sign an online petition to release the Snyder Cut, gaining over 180,000
authentic signatures and 4 years later Zack Snyder gave us a 4 hour 4:3 epicness that
should’ve been the only Justice League from the get go?
This is how creative people felt once the latest generation of M1 MacBook Pro laptops
was released. We all whined to Apple, and Tim Cook one day said "Good Morning" and gave
us all - unmatched performance, ports, display, keyboard, battery, body...EVERYTHING. To understand
the appreciation of the masses, however, we have to go back in time to 2016.
The new MacBook Pro combines the fundamental qualities of an ultra-portable device with
uncompromising performance. Or so did Johny Ive say about the 2016 MacBook
Pro. Little did he know that the Touchbar MacBook (as we call it) would become the most
frowned upon modern laptop Apple has built. There was the butterfly keyboard gate, the
"courage" elimination of ports, the removal of the Fn buttons to introduce an impractical
touch bar, and of course, the legwarmer processors. The ONLY GOOD thing about the Touch Bar MacBooks
was the speaker system on the 2019 16-inch facelift that to this day remains unbeatable
even by the latest Apple laptops. The previous generation of MacBooks is what makes us appreciate
the newest M1 MacBook Pro unfathomably. That and Intel's lethargic comfort zone over the
last decade. The thicker design that efficiently cools
the already cool M1, the return of the function row, the re-introduction of the ports, and
the immense power of M1 make the latest laptops, and specifically the 16-inch MacBook Pro version,
the gold standard for people that do more than just browsing.
Of course, a fully functional keyboard alongside a few ports and an SD Card Reader is not what
gives a laptop gold standard stature. Just like a cook's recipe is not a chef's
recipe, thanks to just one specific ingredient, the combination of ingredients and the preparation
process creates a Masterchef's dish. The preparation process is something we just
noted - the lackluster history of the last generation of MacBook Pros alongside the hot
and furious Intel chips that came in them. It was a five-year marinating process that
cooked to perfection the M1 line of laptops. The M1 Max configuration (SHOW CONFIGURATION)
that I choose for my laptop has been claimed an overkill by many reviewers out there, but
I don't see it that way. Suppose I were to use a car for my daily commute on twisty and
bendy roads. In that case, I'd probably go for the sportier suspension, better tires,
and more powerful engine...just for those specific maneuvering cases that may avert
a crisis. It's the same with the M1 Max. I have enough headroom not just to do my work
but also to experiment, make mistakes, and innovate without being limited by the hardware.
Let's not forget that it's more future-proofed. I've worked on less powerful machines for
years, which hasn't stopped me from moving forward, but M1 Max's power and specs push
me quicker ahead, which is worth investing in a competitive world. I rarely see the beach
ball of death. I spend less time waiting for something to happen, and for the first time,
I use a computer that can match my workflow speed and bend to my will without breaking
a sweat. I have only two regrets in terms of specs, which I can live with, BTW. The
first regret is not getting the maxed out 64GB unified memory, and the second is not
going for the more extensive 4TB internal storage configuration. As I said, I can live
with both, but they would give me even less performance anxiety in the most difficult
of renders and in terms of future-proofing. SIDENOTE: Had I had a smaller budget, I would
still choose the 16-inch MacBook, but with the Pro chip and 32GB of memory and 1TB of
storage. That would still propel me for the next 3 to 5 years. With the existence of the
XDR display, I wouldn't go 14 inches and lose on that gorgeous picture (more on that in
a second). Ironically, as the latest MacBooks rock the
most efficient and well-cooled SoCs, they have the more significant proportions that
the old MacBooks were definitely in need of. Even more ironically and thankfully, no one
is complaining. I dig the slightly chunkier body, and I love the new design trend of more
muscular squared-off lines. The debossed logo on the bottom ads the ultimate personal message
from Apple - saying there you go, my friend - you asked for it. The bigger, firmer, edgy
rubber feet help the laptop stay firmly on any desk and project confidence in the future
of this generation. If there was one comeback and shoutout to the past that everyone would
clap for, it would've been the glowing apple logo, but that's honestly too much of a stretch.
What's not a stretch but a leap forward is the XDR display that everyone was drooling
while hoping to come to fruition, yet few believed possible. The 256 pixels per inch,
1000 nits of sustained brightness, ProMotion display totally threw me off to the point
where I use the laptop exclusively without deeming any external display worthy of plugging
into. The only other monitor that I can afford that can match this beauty is the 12.9 inch
M1 iPad Pro which (not accidentally) turns into the ultimate companion to the 16 inch
MacBook Pro. You can check out my Portable Desk Setup video to see how you can use these
devices to achieve the ultimate on-the-go productivity flex.
Even at max brightness and at full throttle, the MacBook Pro lasts an eternity. Rated at
21 hours of video playback, the 16-inch version indeed lasts less when stressed out. What's
admirable here, however, is that I don't lose performance when unplugged. I can start and
finish an entire project, no matter the complexity, and do even more if I am intentionally cautious.
It is the highlander of power and battery life. A few months later, I still enjoy my
forgetfulness to charge it. I've even hidden my battery indicator in bartender because
I honestly don't need to look at it constantly. The return of MagSafe is, of course, more
than welcome. MagSafe was what wowed me when I purchased my very first Mac a long time
ago. The flexibility of USB-C charging on both sides is more than worthwhile, yet I
still prefer this third version of MagSafe when possible because the click is as satisfying
as opening a bottle of wine. Talking about charging, I tend to keep the
140-watt Apple charger at the office because I carry a more versatile solution in my backpack.
You might have seen it in my latest Everyday Carry video. It is the Ugreen Nexode 100w
Charger. It is a 4-in-1 charger that I can use to charge the 16-inch MacBook Pro as well
as my iPad, iPhone, Apple Watch, and earbuds (pretty much all my gear). This Ugreen Charger
has 3 USB-C ports and a USB-A port supplying up to 100W of power. It can charge my iPhone
13 mini to 60% in less than 30 minutes and my 16-inch MacBook Pro in 1.5 hours. With
the latest GaN chipset, it's 3X faster than the original iPhone charger, and I love the
travel-friendly compact design most. Side by side with the 140-watt Apple charger, you
can see the difference in size and the number of ports I am gaining with Ugreen. I carry
no other charging solution in my backpack at this point, and I couldn't be happier.
If you use multiple devices like me, be sure to take advantage of the special limited time
discount code in the description below and grabbing the Ugreeen Nexode 100w Charger.
PAUSE And there are the ports. Their comeback is a bit like GM's EV1 car. In 1996 it was
the first mass-produced and purpose-designed electric vehicle that no one cared about.
Of course, it wasn't forced upon the society like we were forced to buy dongles and dock
ourselves into desk setups just so that we could use docking stations. It was ahead of
its time, a showcase of what was to come. In a world where Apple is still using lightning
to painfully transfer iPhone 13 Pro ProRes footage, it really begs the question of the
exclusive existence of USB-C ports on the previous generation of laptops. I don't hold
grudges and tend to forget the sour taste of the past as quickly as I can throw the
excess dongles of 2016. Just after a bad storm, I feel happy welcoming the sun into my life
and being free to work and communicate between my devices no matter where I am. If I were
to ask for more in terms of ports, it would be at least one USB-A, and it wouldn't be
a precedent. The just-released Studio Macs each have 2 USB-A ports on the back. Why not
leave one on the MacBook Pro? I guess I'll keep a dongle in my life...just in case.
I was fortunate enough (meaning I killed myself working) to make some significant upgrades
for my business over the last few months. The first impactful one was the camera that
I use, and the second was this M1 Max. Many say gear doesn't matter. That is horsepoop.
Of course, brushes don't matter for the artistically challenged among us, but to those who paint
and specifically those who are good at what they do, gear DOES MATTER...A LOT. I just
witnessed that once I got delivery of the M1 Max. I've never been as quick at my turnarounds.
I've never been as free in the way I conduct my business. I am free to be creative, be
inspired, and generate content, no matter where I am, and for that reason, I give the
16-inch MacBook Pro the Gold Standard Statue. And let's be honest, the competition will
have a hard time catching up in the next 2 to 5 years.
This video is not meant to convince anyone to purchase the 16-inch M1 Max MacBook Pro.
Although, people like my brother bought a base 16-inch model purely because of the gorgeous
screen. This video is more of a love letter and appreciation for the fact that Apple listened
and forged a Molnir that will strive for us to become the best at what we do.
If you enjoyed this video, check out my minimal MacBook Pro setup. I am sure it will help
you tidy up your Mac, giving you a sniff of productivity inspiration.
It's been an absolute pleasure This is E
Over and Out