Before now, the M1 Macs were not always powerful enough for more complex workloads. It's also a way Apple can lure in higher-end creative pros who need the graphics power - previously only available in select Intel Macs - for video editing, content creation and 3D work. The new 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops represent a much wider gap between the Air and Pro models. The $699 Mac Mini? Same chip! The upshot at the time was that the MacBook Air remained the most universally useful choice for most people.

The less expensive MacBook Air and more expensive 13-inch MacBook Pro used almost identical M1 chips (with a single extra GPU core in the Pro), despite a $300 difference in their starting prices. Last year's initial wave of M1 Macs made for some confusing buying choices. The new models are available to buy now, although some configurations already show long wait times before shipping.

I doubt we'll see any more, as the Mac line continues to go all-in on Apple's own chips, allowing the company to control the design of the hardware, the OS and the CPU. The Intel/Apple partnership lasted 15 years, and now we're down to the last couple of available Intel Macs, an older Mac Mini and the 21.5- and 27-inch iMacs. The MacBook Pro started life in 2006, as a successor to Apple's PowerBook line of laptops, and part of the first wave of Intel-powered Macs. This shift means more options for new MacBook buyers to consider, as well as additional considerations about ports, screens, webcams and power - especially graphics power.

With the two new MacBook Pro laptops, a 16-inch and a 14-inch model, introduced by Apple this month, the entire MacBook laptop line has shifted to Apple's own M-series chips, and away from Intel.

Mac air vs mac pro 2017