MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2020, M1) Review

A picture of a Macbook Pro M1.

If you wonder which Mac to buy with the M1 chip, it doesn’t matter as the performance is about the same. In my opinion, the MacBook Pro 13-inch vs. Mac mini vs. iMac 24″ M1’s, are the same, just different exterior look and feel. I didn’t have a positive experience with the Mac mini M1, as I had Bluetooth issues, and it kept crashing, as noted in my last review here. I like the new iMac 24″ M1 in green design, but I cannot get past the fact that the border is white. I feel that the white screen border would distract me after long hours of reading/writing code. That leaves us with the last option. As you would have guessed, yes, I upgrade to the 2020 MacBook Pro 13-inch M1.

Performance

The performance is about the same as the entry-level Mac mini M1 I previously owned. It is everything I’d expect a Mac to be. It’s fast, reliable, and the best part of all is, it’s a portable computer. I can take this anywhere. I am planning on traveling, so this is perfect.

The ports, or lack thereof

*A picture of my Macbook Pro and many plugs in a dongle hub.*

Yes, I have officially joined the #DongleLife. It is not ideal, but I am learning to live with it. The only drawback of this hub is Xcode does not recognize iPhones or iPads when they are connected. They need to be plugged directly into the computer’s USB-C port, not through the hub. Other than that, it seems the USB-C hub has solved Apple’s issues of not providing us with enough ports to use the computer.

Touch Bar

After experiencing the touch bar for the first time, I fell in love with it. I like how we can listen to YouTube and pause/play while using another app. We can adjust the screen brightness, slide through the duration of videos and songs quickly, and so many other cool features you have to experience yourself. All these small features help users stay productive throughout the day.

Does Apple Provide Power Adapter with MacBook Pro?

Yes! I am glad Apple still provides this power adapter. Unfortunately, they gave up on including one for new iPhones as I recently bought a new power adapter separately from the latest iPhone. I had this same question as I was deciding which Mac to purchase.

For future iPhones, please provide power adapters to your customers, Apple. Thank you.

List of my accessories

MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2020, M1) – Space Gray – 8 unified ram – 256GB SSD.
USB-C Hub (ethernet, 4K HDMI, 1 USB 2.0, 2 USB 3.0, 1 USB-C, 1 SD card, 1 Micro SD).
Antique Book Case.
Green SOHO Ribbed Drafting Chair.
Standup Desk.
27″ Samsung Curved Monitor.
Laptop Riser for MacBook Pro.

Conclusion

No matter which M1 Mac you buy, I’d personally get one that is either an iMac or a MacBook Pro. Both of these are all-in-one computers. The Mac mini M1 is just as fast, but I think my external monitor was causing the Mac mini to crash for some odd reason. Apple has done a fantastic job at optimizing its software to work beautifully with its hardware. That is why I’d stick with either an iMac or MacBook Pro moving forward. The MacBook Pro M1 has been everything I expected. The only headache is we only have 2 USB-C ports available.