Are there still people using Windows in 2023?
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Yes lots and I think around Windows 10 they were starting to get things right but now with 11 I am not sure again.
Plus I will still need to use Windows for work…
I think more people use windows than macos or gnu/linux
Blockquote As of April 2022, 74% of computers worldwide run on Windows , according to StatCounter (opens in new tab). This dwarfs macOS, which accounts for 15%; with Linux, ChromeOS and “unknown” filling out the other 10%.
Not even close
I suspect that the game industry alone dwars the amount of Mac users
I use both a Windows 10 desktop and a Macbook (intel) for music (mostly using Cubase) and there isn’t really much difference between them in terms of performance or reliability. I got the Macbook because my previous Windows laptop was a pile of crap and I certainly haven’t regretted it. The desktop PC has been fine, probably because I built it myself. They are both a few years old though - if you need a new computer now I reckon Apple Silicon is pretty hard to beat
I did and no pitfalls that I can think of honestly. I now have an M1 macbook pro 16 (been about a year with it) and it has become basically a portable studio at this point.
The pitfalls I encountered were that plugins were not ready for M1 yet, but that was about it. And that has already been changing since and is not an issue. Ableton also now runs native now on M1 which is fantastic.
The other thing is you want to hold off on upgrading OS’s as long as you can. I am still on Monterey, which is fine for me. If it is working, keep it as it is until they revise the new OS a few times and everything is smooth there.
Honeslty this is the best piece of “hardware” I have ever owned for making music. It rarely crashes, very low jitter if I want to track in hardware, I have huge porjects running that dont even hit 50% CPU.
It’s a dream and has allowed me to really minimize my studio down to a few key pieces of classic hardware that I love, and I am selling everything else.
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…the only mistake u can run into as an “applefreshmen” is picking the basic model…
don’t worry about ram ever again…reason for this is the unified ram concept of the silicon models…the internal ssd read and write rates are that fast and fluently integrated, that it does pretty much all the heavy realtime lifting…BUT to do this, it needs headroom for free blocks…
so, don’t buy the naked basic model with just 256 gb capacity…
u can take the “smallest” chipset…but u need at least a 512 gb ssd…
and even if it might hurt…if u go for the 1tb, u have a truu working horse on steroids for at least a decade to come…
and forget about all the benchmarks and alt the next future promo claims of pro/max/ultra/m3/m4/mwhatnot cuppertino. speak and spell…
a macmini, two screens, a old fashioned klak klak keyboard, a trackball instead of a mouse, two external ssd’s, one daw u really learn inside out with all it’s shortcuts…
and the only limit is ur imagination…
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It is working fine for me on my min spec M2 Macbook Air (no fan, passive cooling!). I use a Syntakt with an 8-track Ableton performance template, and I route certain Syntakt machines to a drum bus, others to groove, bass, lead etc. So for me, Overbridge has worked fine for live multitrack routing, as well as multitrack recording.
I’ve had no issues at all with Overbridge, personally. It has worked great.
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Just ordered the Mac Mini 
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it’s the usual “skip one version” thing on microsoft products
use windows xp,
skip vista,
use windows 7,
skip windows 8,
use windows 10,
skip windows 11,
and so on …
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The new Mac Mini looks absolutely sick, I’m thinking of one for a future replacement machine also.
I’ve been on the verge of a new Mac lately, mostly I just wanted an M2 Air for chilling, but once you spec it up and watch a few YouTube videos, everything starts to point to the 14” MacBook Pro.
But I’ve gotta be honest, I really don’t like those new MBP’s, too heavy, too chunky. And these weird grills on the sides that slice into your fingers whenever you pick it up.
So I think for me just an Air in the meantime for portable stuff and about the house, and maybe a Mini for the studio setup down the line. Otherwise rumour has it a 15” is coming, still thin and light and hopefully an M3 at that point. Not sure if I can wait that long to upgrade the main machine but it might be worth it.
I had these concerns too at first.
My partner has an M2 Air, and it’s not really much smaller/lighter than my 14” M1 Pro. It’s pretty effortless to transport, about the same as my previous base level 13” MBP from 2018. Plus it has the cool black background to the keyboard lol.
As for the grills, I was expecting to be grossed out by them but they’re honestly fine. They do feel a little sharp but they won’t do any damage. I rarely notice them because I usually have mine on a desk or a stable table or something.
Generally the 14” M1 is incredible. I definitely don’t regret spending so much on getting something reasonably high end as opposed to my usual cheaping out (not saying getting an Air is cheaping out, I just used to always go for the cheapest option).
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Yeah, between the two in the refurb store, they’re pretty comparable price wise, so it’s not really a price thing. I’ve been going between both pretty hard, one day I’m getting the Air, the next it’s the Pro lol.
I think with the Pro, it’s like I’m making the decision that’s my all in one, an everything computer. But with the Air it’s like I just use the Air for Air things, having that light weight. But maybe they really aren’t that different as you say. I have a 2017 MBP as well so the intention isn’t for the Air to replace that, but if I go the 14” then it’s like I’m heading down that road, killing all birds with one stone, MBP replacement etc
Gah.
I think the mini could be a great case build for giging, add some synth, tape a monitor on the case, add some midi, could be a compact solution.
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With my UFX I could easily fit that all in a 3U rack case.
Yeah. I have both the 14” Pro and a standard 2021 (or 2020? I bought it in late 2021) M1 Mini (both with 16GB RAM/512GB SSD) which is my studio computer. It is a bit weird that my laptop is slightly more powerful than my desktop!
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They arent. I have a M1 Pro for work stuff (mainly audio editing in Pro Tools) and a fully specced out M2 Air for music (live, Max, but also Pro Tools if i need it etc). There’s no difference, both super nippy and both way more powerful than my moderate needs. The Air is more than capable as a main machine if you needed to use it as such. The last time i had a Macbook Air was 10 years ago and, altho fairly capable-ish, was very much a secondary machine ‘for Air things’ (as you put it)- but the current M2 is a completely different beast.
In terms of form factor, im a fan of the newer chunky MBP’s, but they are, or at least my 16 is, fairly heavy and a bit clunky portability-wise, which is mainly why it is my work computer and stays on my desk in one place all the time. Whereas the Air is super light and portable, and tends to follow me around the house. Theres a big difference there.
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That’s helpful. I think that’s one thing reviews fail to take into account, peeps live multi computer lifestyles now, and when they review the Air, they’re reviewing it as if it’s your only computer. Do you actually need to do stuff? Well, don’t get the Air, absolutely don’t get the base model. But the base model is the Air that does Air things, and at the best price possible. That’s the problem with specking this thing up, once you do, yeah, it actually does become more powerful, but it loses the value proposition that makes the Air so great.
I think I’ll probably go the Air, reluctantly bump it to 16 and 512, and then upgrade the main machine down the line to something more significant once my 2017 becomes unbearable.
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I never even noticed an issue picking up my MBP. Hd to look at the sides of mine to know what you were talking about. It’s an asbolute beast of a computer. Puts the power of a desktop in my lap, I absolutely love mine.
It is a little heavy and chunky compared to an Air but I don’t mind that at all since I get a ton of power from it and it never overheats or has fans pop on. So that is the trade off there.
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Disagree that you “have to get more than 256gb”.
I ran a M1 Air with 256gb and only 8gb of ram for over a year and have had no problems with projects in Ableton and other stuff. It was a pretty big upgrade from the 2012 15" i7 mbp with 16gb of ram and 3tb ssd with screen quality, lack of heat and fan, weight and portability. Sure, it’s nice to have more space and more memory, but it’s also nice to not blow more cash than you need to. It’s also probably the best bang for buck.
I have since bought of M1 16" 16gb 1tb mbp, but it’s overkill for my needs and I could easily switch back to the M1 Air and be really happy with it as it’s pretty much the same experience with smaller screen, in a lighter shell, with worse speakers. Perfect for travel too.
If you’re a professional and paid for your time and need a bigger screen, the fastest processor and more memory, plus if your funds and work can justify it, then it would make more sense, but I expect that a very high percentage of people would be happy with the basic model.
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