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Photo of Apple MacBook Pro (General) and more gear in a pedalboard, studio, and guitar

Apple MacBook Pro (General)

5.0 (1868)

397 Reviews

Find out who is using Apple MacBook Pro

69 community setups

363 wishlisted

3902 saved

Page last updated Jul 05, 2026

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Description

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Represents the latest - or general, in case the model cannot easily be determined - Apple MacBook Pro laptop computer (any screen size).

Videos

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Tech & Design

How to Use MacBook Pro - New to Mac Beginners Guide 2021

Tech & Design

Windows User Switches to MacBook Pro

kwoknation

MacBook Pro vs. MacBook Air (2020): How to Pick Your Next Mac

Digital Trends

Review: 16-inch MacBook Pro. The best MacBook Pro ever?

9to5Mac

Reviews

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PROS

Exceptional computing power and processing capability for VSTs in DAWs
Lightweight and portable, suitable for live setups
Reliable and durable, even older models perform well
Can handle large audio and video editing tasks seamlessly
Stunning Retina display enhances visual experience
Excellent battery life for extended use
Runs Logic Pro X and Reason Studios with ease
Dual boot capability allows for both macOS and Windows
Fast and responsive, ideal for on-the-go production
Known for minimal latency and strong performance with music software

CONS

Internal SSD storage fills up quickly with large VSTs
Requires multiple adapters for older USB connections
Expensive to upgrade storage and components
Some users report GPU issues in older models
Limited ports can be inconvenient for extensive setups
Can overheat during intensive tasks or in warm environments
High price tag; premium cost for features and brand
Known issues with certain models crashing frequently
Not ideal for extremely heavy video editing tasks
Touch bar functionality is underutilized by some developers

Owner Insights

We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Apple MacBook Pro (General).

Features and functionality

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The M4 MacBook Air now supports dual monitors, allowing for a total of three displays when including the built-in screen.
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The MacBook Pro has better audio with a thicker bass and more vibrant sound compared to the Air.
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The 16-inch MacBook Pro's 120Hz refresh rate, combined with its brightness and color accuracy, significantly enhances the user experience beyond just technical specifications.
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The 16-inch MacBook Pro's 1600 nits brightness capability, when paired with apps like Vivid, offers unparalleled screen clarity even in bright environments or near windows.
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Software and compatibility

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The base model M4 Air with 16GB RAM can handle IDEs, Docker containers, and local LLMs but may struggle with gaming.
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User experience

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Users report that thermal throttling is more noticeable on the M1 Air but less so on the M4 Air.
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Owners transitioning from older models report that the display upgrade on the 16-inch MacBook Pro is akin to going from an iPhone 5 to an iPhone 7, enhancing overall visual interaction.
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Use cases and applications

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The MacBook Pro's screen is particularly appreciated in environments with glare due to its higher brightness and anti-glare options.
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The 16-inch MacBook Pro's larger screen area is favored by users who frequently work with multiple windows or require more space for applications like Lightroom.
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Comparisons

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The weight difference between the 15" Air and 14" Pro is minimal, with the Air being slightly lighter by 0.1 lbs.
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Some users find the Pro's additional ports (HDMI and SD reader) useful, reducing the need for dongles compared to the Air.
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Some users who switched from Windows to macOS chose the MacBook Pro for its superior display, citing difficulty finding a comparable Windows laptop with similar screen quality.
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Users prefer the MacBook Pro's display over high-end Windows OLED panels due to its higher brightness and lack of blooming, crucial for use in natural light.
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Build quality

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The 16-inch Pro's speakers are highly praised for their quality, providing an immersive audio experience that exceeds expectations for laptop speakers.
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5.0 out of 5

Based on 397 Reviews and 1868 Ratings

5 star

4 star

3 star

2 star

1 star

speedydtm

254

about 7 years ago

(mid-2014 i7 model) My daily driver for music

I use this for all of my music production, along with Logic Pro. It's not the fastest computer ever made or the greatest thing since sliced bread, but the macOS interface is very intuitive, CoreAudio works flawlessly, the keyboard is nice to type on, and it can handle a pretty big workload before running into any problems in Logic.

customs

186

almost 9 years ago

I love this computer

I use this computer for everything whether I'm djying or watching a movie or producing music on the road its a tough computer lots of space on it i can run both windows and mac on it. its defiantly a fully all around recommended laptop to have "It's an easy computer to bring out quickly, easy to put down and pick up. It starts quickly and never has any performance issues. It's incredibly light for the performance of it, especially the new model. Even running Boot Camp Windows on it for my music, it works, like, amazing."

djstevenhan

173

over 8 years ago

Awesome but not fit for over 100 tracks.

This Mac is my first Mac to trying music production!And it work very well!It's easy to take away and let me have ability to producer anywhere! But>< when I study more and more technics, and creative more and more tracks, this Mac's CPU just running out quickly, because of I use lot of synthesizer and plugin for my new demo, so I have to bounce it after I finish the editing, that's the reason I give four star for this Mac!

welchimusic

182

over 7 years ago

Brainless

This device has been rock solid at every venue I play. Its a perfect entry level platform for Rekordbox, Serato, Traktor, AVID pro tools, FL Studio, and Ableton Live. I upgraded the RAM to 32gb, and upgraded the HD to 1TB. The screen got cracked so I want a new one. Touch pad is small.

koken

2413

almost 10 years ago

Apple MacBook Pro review

It's my second MacBook Pro, i bought it in 2015. Very nice design; aluminium body. My previous Mac had a 1920x1080 display and there were visible pixels everywhere, this problem is now fixed with the Retina display.

danilo_dawson

229

over 5 years ago

Good, specially for live performante

Very good for audio, I created several music productions with it, also for live performances with Ableton it is a "have to". But for video in 2020 is not enough. Also heavy VSTi cannot be loaded in big amounts.

Roles:

Keyboardist Composer Music Producer

samuel_febrian

almost 8 years ago

Old But Gold

This is my favorite MacBook Pro by far. It has good amount of ports, MagSafe, and powerful enough to accomplish most music producing and DJ tasks. The only drawback to this is that the machine inside is out-dated which affected the efficiency and power in comparison to newer laptops, Apple or other brands. For the era, this is the perfect laptop.

joshuasphinx

over 9 years ago

Quite a powerhorse

I use this as my main driver for all my work and music stuff, dual booting windows for music production and mac for design and development stuff. Quite a powerhorse, running and storing all my (over 100) VST plugins and on the Mac site running the full Adobe CC suite and other design and development tools. Have the maxed out 13-inch version (so that's 3,1 Ghz Core i7, 512gb SSD, 16gb ram), I guess I couldn't really do with less. This makes for a massive price tag for a laptop though, hence the 4 star rating.

tom_christopher

357

about 11 years ago

Mac

I don't like people who start to use Mac after having used Windows for ages and after some time claim that it's soo much better and shit... but I'm slowly but surely turning into one of those. If you ask me, Mac really is much better than Windows. There, I said it. Sure, it's also much more expensive, but the reason I'm writing this here is that my computer is part of my professional toolbox these days and not just some piece of luxury to show off. So there's my justification, where is yours?

mutemachine

391

10 years ago over 10 years ago

I still use windows, but my macbook is what I use on the go, to me it's just what box you are using, same with phones, and cars, and what gaming system and other stuff, just enjoy what you have...

lost_in_reverb

1558

4 years ago over 4 years ago

I just couldn´t afford something so expensive,i use an Exo laptop and it works really well,i also don´t rely all my music production/ideas on a computer to be honest,the thing i hate is when someone says something stupid like "You need a mac to make good music" and yada yada yada,there are lots of d-bags saying that and their music is pure crap or nonexistent.

r3bbit

114

almost 9 years ago

Powerful Machine!

This little guy has lasted me many years with my on-the-go producing, and (I hope) will last many of the coming years... Although it is not the beefiest computer in specs, it never was. What I fell in love with, was the operating system. Windows will never compete with such amazing look, navigation and overall ease of use. Windows is still slightly better at accessibility and portability, but I think macOS will get there soon!