This article is a subjective, long-term review of the MacBook Pro M4, written from the perspective of a user upgrading from a MacBook Air M1. The author prioritizes silent operation and long battery life. The primary factor in choosing the Pro model over the Air was the superior nano-textured display, which significantly reduces reflections with minimal perceived loss in vibrancy. To maintain quiet operation, the base M4 chip was selected over the M4 Pro. Key impressions include exceptional, all-day battery life that surpasses the M1 Air, and a fan that remains silent in almost all conditions. The review also highlights an interesting benefit of the 120 Hz ProMotion display: it can reduce perceived latency for fast-responding tasks, such as local web development, by shortening the wait time for the next frame render. The author concludes that while the hardware is impressive, their ideal machine would be a MacBook Air equipped with the nano-texture display, and they ultimately prefer to run Linux on the device once support matures.
A User's Six-Month Review of the MacBook Pro M4
Motivation for Purchase: The author upgraded from a 4-year-old MacBook Air M1, seeking to maintain its silent operation and long battery life while getting a more recent model.
Nano-Textured Display: The Deciding Factor: The key reason for choosing the MacBook Pro over the Air was its exclusive nano-textured display option. In-person comparisons showed it was exceptionally effective at eliminating reflections from bright lights, making it ideal for use on a train or outdoors, without a noticeable loss in color vibrancy.
Performance & Configuration: To ensure the fan remains off as much as possible, the author chose the base M4 chip (10-core CPU, 10-core GPU) over the hotter M4 Pro. The machine was configured with 32 GB of RAM and a 2 TB SSD.
Exceptional Battery Life: The battery life is described as "amazing" and even better than the M1 Air. As an example, watching videos for 3 hours consumed only 10% of the battery. This longevity makes the MagSafe charger a nice-to-have feature rather than a necessity.
The 120 Hz Display's Hidden Benefit: Beyond smoother animations, the author discovered that the 120 Hz refresh rate can make low-latency tasks feel faster. For a page load taking 6ms, the maximum delay before it can be displayed is 8.3ms (one frame) on a 120 Hz screen, compared to 16.6ms on a 60 Hz screen, which can make interactions feel up to twice as responsive.
User Experience & Downsides: The laptop's fan almost never turns on, confirming a key goal for the author. However, the machine sometimes gets warm even when suspended. The author dislikes macOS and intends to install Asahi Linux once M4 support and external display output are available, noting the laptop is not used for "serious work."
Final Verdict: The author's ideal machine would be a MacBook Air that incorporates the Pro's nano-texture display, combining the preferred form factor with the superior screen technology.