This article was originally published in Japanese on November 1, 2023, and has been translated into English.
My ordered MacBook Pro has finally arrived, but my feelings are mixed—half excited, half disappointed. I definitely mistimed this purchase. Just a few days after placing my order, Apple announced the M3 at their October 31, 2023 event.
I never imagined that a product less than a year old would be considered an older model so soon. The product cycles are just too fast these days. It seems like with Apple products, buying right after launch is the safest bet. Who knows, maybe they’ll announce Macs with the M4 chip early next year.
I remember that Macs used to have “Early,” “Mid,” or “Late” added to their model names alongside the year, so multiple Macs within a year isn’t unheard of. At this point, the best time to buy is simply whenever you feel the urge.
Compared to my previous MacBook Pro 13-inch 2018 model, this one feels bulkier overall. It’s definitely thicker. The screen feels much larger too, and it’s surprising how much of a difference just one inch makes.
Performance-wise, it’s great. Even the occasional lag I used to experience on my old Mac is completely gone with this one. Unlocking and password authentication with my Apple Watch are also faster. That increased speed reduces a lot of small frustrations.
Next, I transferred my data from my old Mac. I didn’t restore it from a backup; I prefer to set up new devices as new. Since I mainly use cloud storage, there isn’t much local data to move. I see data transfer as a good chance to declutter, so I only bring over the essentials and leave behind anything unnecessary.
I’m also re-evaluating which apps I really need. Over time, I’ve accumulated several apps that I thought I’d use but rarely did. I won’t be installing those on this new Mac.
And with that, my M2 Pro MacBook Pro journey begins. This is my initial impression.
