For one, it isn't really a gaming laptop – it's more of a professional-and-general-use laptop that has the ability to run certain games. MacBook Pro M1 – Performance & GamingIt's hard to compare the MacBook Pro directly to other gaming laptops we test. And frankly, while it can't cut a block of cheese like the MacBook Air can, the Pro is still very thin and light. The Air also gets rid of the fans for a completely silent design – while I wouldn't consider the Pro noisy by any means, it does use that active cooling for more sustained, unthrottled performance when needed. For its slimmer design (and price tag), the Air eschews one of the M1's GPU cores (in certain models), the Touch Bar, and 10Wh of battery capacity. All told, it's extremely similar to the M1-equipped MacBook Air, which has almost the exact same internal and external hardware for a lower price. I still have plenty of USB-A devices, not to mention the occasional need for an extra display, and fumbling with a series of dongles is not my idea of a good time. Two measly USB-C ports is just not enough, particularly when one of those is often taken up by your laptop charger. Apple's port selection still bugs me to no end, unfortunately. Cramming some speakers along the sides of the keyboard works well, and while they'll never come close to a dedicated set of speakers (or headphones), they'll do in a pinch if you're watching YouTube videos or streaming tunes without a pair of earbuds nearby – I'd even argue they sound better than a lot of 15-inch laptops I've tested in the past year. The speakers sounded surprisingly decent for a 13-inch laptop, which usually require less-than-stellar downward-firing drivers. Using an X-Rite i1Display Pro and Displa圜al software, I measured the display's brightness at 521 nits (plenty for most environments) with a solid contrast ratio of 1459:1 and 97% coverage of the DCI-P3 color space, which allows for bright, vivid colors across the spectrum. The Retina display is sharp and beautiful, with a black bezel around the edge that's wider than competing Windows models, which makes it feel just a tad dated – but I'm honestly splitting hairs given how premium the rest of this machine feels. The Touch ID sensor on the power button, however, is still a hugely welcome inclusion for quick logins and security checks, though I wish Apple would implement facial recognition already to keep up with its Windows-based competitors. It's not a deal breaker by any means, and perhaps I'm just a fuddy duddy who refuses to get with the times, but it's not for me. I often find the shortcuts I actually want are buried behind an extra tap-to-expand gesture, because the rest of the bar is wasting space on something useless. But in practice, it just feels a little ham-fisted. All that said, I'm still not in love with the touch bar – in theory, it's a great idea, giving you different shortcuts based on the context of what you're doing. It's actually very satisfying, and hopefully the lack of moving parts means one less point of failure. The trackpad is large, smooth, and still one of the most accurate you'll find on the market – though instead of a physical button, you get Apple's Force Touch haptic feedback that simulates a click feeling. Still, I found it comfortable enough for casual browsing and longer writing sessions alike. It has significantly deeper key travel than the previous version, but not quite as deep as the MacBooks of old. The keyboard is, thankfully, the new-old "Magic" keyboard designed to replace Apple's disastrous butterfly design. The unibody aluminum finish is clean and understated, with a black Apple logo on the lid and a thin, lightweight chassis you can easily fit in a backpack. MacBook Pro M1 – Design and FeaturesIn terms of appearance, the M1 MacBook Pro looks just like every other MacBook we've seen for years.
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