It’s been four years since I got my M1 MacBookPro¹. In that time I’ve remade this website multiple times, worked as a cybersecurity TA, watched countless plane crash documentaries on a plane, and made a few vacation videos, all on this Mac. So, after four years, how is it?

Like New

Unlike my last MacBookPro², this one still feels like new four years in. It never feels like I’m waiting for it to catch up.

I did do a fresh clean install of macOS last week. So that definitely helps. But a fresh install can only help but so much, if the hardware can’t keep up. And this hardware still surprises me.

ARM?

With how good the performance is, and how good Rosetta 2 is, I tend to forget that this isn’t x86_64.

I remember when 4k video editing on a laptop was a pipe dream. Something that was just starting to become possible, but only with a “laptop” that needed its own suite case. So the fact the this thin machine can do it, on battery, for a transcontinental flight, is still crazy to me.

That battery continues to impress me³. Lasting way longer than anything I’ve used, even after four years. Never having to really think about it is crazy. And, with the laptop using USB-C, charging up when I need to, is super easy.

Upgrade?

I would be lying if I said I haven’t thought about upgrading. I have. But the more I’ve thought about it, the more I don’t really want to. Sure, it would be nice to have the bigger screen, or the SD card reader. But just two things don’t make sense for a whole new laptop. I’ll be keeping this one for the next few years.