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Tom's Guide
3 days ago
- Tom's Guide
The MacBook Pro got me through college — here's why it's perfect for today's creative students
Beyond the MacBook Pro, there is an ocean of companies trying to sell you what they think is a great laptop for your studies. Block out the noise and check out my best laptops for students guide for my expert picks that are worth your money. I was an A/V nerd back in college, spending my time obsessing over photography and videography for my degree, while recording my own music as a passion. Through it all, one laptop brought my imagination to life: the MacBook Pro. And I can safely say that is still very much the case in 2025. Ever since flipping to Mac 18 years ago for my daily driver (I felt myself grow older typing that), I've never looked back. The industry-standard software support, the display and build quality, the 'it just works' synergy of Apple's entire ecosystem, the raw horsepower for prosumer tasks, the battery life — all of this comes together to make it a must-buy for any creative in school. So what makes it so special? What makes the M4 MacBook Pro the default choice I tell anyone going into a media course similar to mine to get? Let me explain. The M4-based MacBook Pro M4 is pretty close to being the perfect laptop. You get fantastic performance from the M4 chip, useful Apple Intelligence features, a better webcam and obscenely long battery life (18:31). In our MacBook Pro 14-inch M4 review, we said it's the best laptop for power users, now with more AI features. The base model features a 14.2-inch 3024 x 1964 Retina display, Apple M4 CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. If you're looking for raw horsepower, the 14-inch MacBook Pro with M4 Pro chip is for you. It offers blistering performance and will likely speed through most of your daily tasks without so much as a hiccup. The base model features a 14.2-inch 3024 x 1964 Retina display, Apple M4 Pro CPU, 24GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. When I went to college, my MacBook Pro still had a light-up Apple logo and an Intel processor. But it was still the speed demon of the campus with somewhat decent battery life. In 2025, that's a very different story. Apple silicon continues to dominate the charts in Pugetbench creator software benchmarking and equally offering serious longevity. Photoshop (Score/Time) Premiere Pro (Score/Time) MacBook Pro M4 10,542 / 11.74 min 4,618 / 6.13 min MacBook Pro M4 Pro 12,292 / 10.94 min 8,888 / 3.59 min Dell 14 Premium (Intel Core Ultra 7 255 H / RTX 4050) 7,583 / 18.19 min n/a Asus ProArt PX13 (AMD Ryzen, RTX 4050) 7,948 / 18.32 min 7,074 / 4.70 min Even on the regular M4 MacBook Pro, the speeds of rendering a complex 4K video edit or adding large modulation, distortion and delay effects to multiple tracks in an audio composition are done rapidly. But of course, you can step it up to M4 Pro for that additional performance. Currently, I'm on an M3 Pro MacBook Pro as my daily driver, and I'm able to export a 20-minute 4K video from Final Cut Pro in around 5-6 minutes depending on the complexity. This is significant for speedily turning around work for tight deadlines. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. It's Apple's m/o after all — make great hardware, but don't forget about the software too. I do dabble in Adobe's creative suite every now and again (mostly Photoshop, but I do know my way around Premiere Pro), but in my mind, none of the competition comes close to Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro. Now I know that's a controversial take, and before I get absolutely torched in the comments, I know there are more feature-rich options out there. For example, DaVinci Resolve does have more powerful color grading tools than FCP, and Pro Tools gives you a lot more control over multi-track recording. But what I'm talking about here is the ease-of-access and the better balanced sliding scale between simple creations and the increasing complexities of pro content creation. To get to the point of color grading in DaVinci, it takes a number of steps and a ton of industrial knowhow to get there. On Final Cut, it could be as easy as clicking 'Enhance light and color' for a quick fix, or you have the flexibility to get super personal on it. To even just set up a session in Pro Tools, there's a steep learning curve (and don't even think about adding MIDI instruments, as support is weak). With Logic Pro inheriting a combined loop/timeline user interface, creating a song is a cinch, but with a huge depth of Audio FX manipulation to geek out over the millisecond response time of a reverb. And these have just gotten better over time with AI tasks boosted by that Neural Engine — tracking a moving person to walk in front of some giant text is as easy as setting a magnetic mask, and you can alter the tempo of an audio track without any noticeable digitization of the sound quality. In terms of capabilities, they are indeed apps used by pros across the world, but Apple absolutely nailed the UI on them to essentially handhold you through your first creations and gently start to layer over increased complexities in a real 'what you see is what you get' quality. Plus, a special shout-out to the fact you can just buy them outright for life — rather than being forced into a monthly fee for Adobe Creative Suite. So most of my ideas come past midnight (shout-out to my fellow insomniacs). At a time like that, you need speed and stability so as to not let that idea vanish out of your mind in the time it takes to start a laptop up. The instant-on nature of a MacBook Pro is one of the low-key best bits about the machines of today. Immediately, you can jump straight in and open what you need to open — rather than having to wait for a few seconds for your Windows laptop to wake up and be notified of any news on the Microsoft widgets bar (also those ads…you've got to love those ads). It's clean enough to jump straight into whipping something together within seconds. And this was on my 13-inch MacBook Pro from 2015 that you see here.! Fast forward to now, and that process has only gotten faster. None of this is to say there aren't viable alternatives in the Windows space. I'll be the first to admit that after falling in love with the likes of the Asus ProArt P16 (currently testing the new 2025 version). But whichever way you slice it, I always end up finding my way back to a MacBook Pro and feeling all the more creatively engaged with it. The snappiness of the performance, the worry-free battery life, the quality of that display and the utilitarian nature of the laptop just getting out of the way of you making cool stuff just gives you reassurance in what you create. And it's that feeling that makes this easily my personal pick of the pack for a laptop for any college student jumping on a creative degree. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
Tom's Guide
25-07-2025
- Tom's Guide
Apple M4 MacBook Pro now at lowest price ever, AirPods Max also $100 off and more — Power Picks
Right now, you can get a full Apple setup for less, just in time for college! The M4 MacBook Pro (my personal favorite) just returned to its lowest ever price, you can get $100 off AirPods Max for maximum focus on your work and I've just found the cheapest RTX 5070 Ti gaming laptop. As you know, I take time to select my Power Picks each day to find the best computing deals worth your hard-earned money. These are the savings that retailers are trying to keep quiet about, and today's bunch are some of the best I've seen. If you're getting into content creation — be it video, music, photo editing or all three (like me), the M4 MacBook Pro is a mighty system to get the job done with a zippy CPU and powerful GPU packed into that M4 chip, alongside that bright, vivid Liquid Retina XDR display, an upgraded 24GB RAM for multitasking, a spacious 1TB SSD, and a crazy-long 18+ hour battery life. And if you're hard at work and need to focus in on a particularly complex edit (or a more general task), zoning in with AirPods Max is unlike anything else. The drivers produce a gorgeous sound quality with plenty of immersive depth to whisk you away into a world of productivity. Plus, they're really comfortable to wear, and that noise cancellation is unmatched. Want to go the Windows route? Even better! Not only is this spec of Vector 16 HX a mighty one for creative work with an Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX, RTX 5070 Ti, 16GB DDR5 RAM and a 512GB SSD, it's also a gaming monster too. That way, you can work by day and play by night with no trouble whatsoever. The one I'd recommend from this list is the ABS Eurus Ruby with RTX 5070 Ti (my favorite GPU), which is a beast with AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, 32GB DDR5 RAM and a 2TB SSD, which is $570 off to boot! And you can get your pick of a whole bunch of the latest AAA titles and indie darlings to get free with it, too. If your content creation is steering into streaming, you need a good webcam, and the OBSBOT Tiny 2 Lite is one of the best with a 4K picture quality, 60 FPS support and HDR to add a nice dash of contrast to the picture. Now 20% off! P.S. Yesterday's Power Picks are still available! You can snag $100 off the M3 iPad Airand $400 off a monster RTX 5080 gaming PC. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
Tom's Guide
21-07-2025
- Business
- Tom's Guide
The best back-to-school laptop of 2025 is cheaper than ever, $650 off a monster RX 9070 XT gaming PC and more — Power Picks
We're back with a bang. Today's power picks are significant, as you can get $200 off my favorite budget laptop (a great back-to-school buy), a beasty AMD RX 9070 XT gaming PC for $650 off, 35% off one of the best gaming mice you can buy, and much more! But first, I need to warn you about something in my first of a (hopefully) not long-running segment — bad deals watch. So I've seen certain tech sites covering this Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 deal for 74% off. It's a big number to brag about that does get you on Google News, but there are so many red flags that make this a do not buy. But I've found something that is so much better — cheaper, more powerful and brand new with an actual warranty. It's a great get for back to school or for all your productivity needs. Oh, and those power picks I found on Friday? Yeah, they're still available! That means you can still bad $700 off the MSI Aegis gaming PC with RTX 5070 power, and $200 off the M4 MacBook Pro. But for now, let's get into today's top deals. Dodge the other Slim 3 and look for the 'x,' because with this you're getting a seriously good powerhouse for dirt cheap. It's one of my favorite budget laptops for that Snapdragon X chip bringing impressive Arm performance across all your Windows apps, alongside 16GB of DDR5 RAM, and you're getting those fantastic keyboard and touchpad ergonomics that Lenovo is known for at $200 off! Armed with an AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT, I can assure you this machine is capable of some truly supreme gaming performance from my testing. Ensuring zero bottlenecks in performance is the best gaming CPU you can buy right now — the Ryzen 7 7800X3D — alongside 32GB of DDR5 RAM and a spacious 2TB SSD. All is packed into a sleek case with plenty of cooling and a $650 discount for good measure! This is as close to MSRP as I've seen my favorite GPU, the RTX 5070 Ti, come. I always say prepare to be flexible by around $50, and this falls into that window nicely. With the power under the hood, 4K gaming is a cinch, and this one is overclockable with a three-fan cooling array to keep it from overheating under pressure. The first of a two-parter on the best gear for a wireless gaming setup. With 35% off the listing price, the Basilisk V3 Pro is an easy must-buy for those looking for ultimate game control with a 30K DPI optical sensor, optical switches with a great tactile feel, 13 programmable controls, and customizable RGB to blend it into your setup. Now for the audio part, and you can get $35 off the BlackShark V2 wireless headset to add a little extra Razer magic to your setup. At 280g, it's super lightweight on the head, but doesn't sacrifice any of the immersive sound quality for it — thanks to those huge 50mm drivers and THS Spatial Audio support. Plus with a 70-hour battery life, you've got worry-free stamina in all your sessions! Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
Tom's Guide
18-07-2025
- Business
- Tom's Guide
This is the cheapest RTX 5070 gaming PC I've ever seen! Plus, get $200 off my favorite MacBook and more — Power Picks
Friday's power picks are, well, powerful — you can get a massive $700 off the MSI Aegis gaming PC with RTX 5070 power, $200 off the M4 MacBook Pro, 20% off one of my favorite gaming headsets and more! What was funny about these is that retailers are not advertising them heavily. These are definitely the savings that they don't want you to know about — probably because all of these are either price matching or are lower than what we saw at Prime Day. And as has become pretty customary, yesterday's power picks are still available! That means an RTX 5060 gaming PC can be yours for $920 off, and the 49-inch ultrawide curved monitor I'm working on right now (my favorite ever) is $225 off. But for now, let's get into today's top deals. This $700 price cut brings this mighty MSI Aegis gaming PC into must-buy territory. Alongside that beasty RTX 5070 GPU, you'll find an Intel Core Ultra 265K CPU, 32GB of DDR5 RAM and a 2TB SSD. All of which is packed into a gorgeous case with plenty of RGB cooling to really add some flair to your desk. If I'm buying a laptop, I'll always go with the M4 MacBook Pro for its scary fast performance and power efficiency — slowly sipping that battery life while I dig into a complex 4K edit. For most creative enthusiasts (like me), the M4 chip is more than enough horsepower to get the job done, alongside 16GB of unified memory and a 512GB SSD. Everyone's favorite game is back: can you buy an RTX 50-series GPU for MSRP? The answer, unfortunately, is no. But with this 17% saving, this brings the RTX 5070 to just $30 over that $549 retail price. Plus, it's a triple fan-cooled and overclockable, and in my own time with the 5070, the ceiling on how much more performance you can get out of it (frame rates up by 15% before crashing) is impressive. Like a cable-free gaming setup? Asus' ROG Delta II wireless headset is one of the best you can get — packing giant 50mm titanium-plated drivers to deliver immersively deep sound, a 10mm super-wideband mic for comms and a 110-hour battery life. And if you're the work-from-home kinda person, a better webcam than the potato on your laptop is essential. That's where the OBSBOT Meet SE really comes into its own at under $60 — packing a sharp 1080p picture with a 100FPS refresh rate, alongside HDR and gesture control. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The best MacBooks you can get in 2025: Should you buy an Air or Pro?
All products featured here are independently selected by our editors and writers. If you buy something through links on our site, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission. Any time you shop for a new laptop, a lot of people are going to tell you the same thing: Get a MacBook. We don't blame them. The best MacBooks are fantastic laptops, and while they don't afford you the freedom of customization that other brands offer, that's not something everyone will care about. Most of us just want a high-quality laptop that'll get us through work, school, and play with minimal fuss. SEE ALSO: Laptop specs explained: A jargon-free guide to what's inside your computer Although MacBooks can get a bit pricey — with the latest M4 MacBook Pros reaching into truly frightening territory — they justify the price with Apple's signature design, user-friendly OS, and zippy M-series processors. We were excited to see that the latest M4 MacBook Air starts at a relatively budget-friendly $999. Plus, you can often find MacBook Air and Pro models on sale if you shop third-party retailers like Amazon or Best Buy. After testing out Apple's entire lineup of laptops, we're here to help you narrow down the choices and take home the Apple machine of your dreams. With today's current lineup of MacBooks, you really only have two options: The MacBook Pro or the MacBook Air. So, which is right for you? If you're a creative who regularly pushes your laptop to the limit with demanding video and photo editing applications, you'll want to aim for the Pro. The name of the game with the Pro line is processing power, and the latest iterations are the speediest and most performance-driven yet. Testing the all-rounder M4 MacBook Air. Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable Testing the super-powered M4 MacBook Pro. Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable If convenience and portability are your top priorities, then the Air will be most suited to you. It's thin and light, and it even comes in a 13-inch option if you'll be lugging it around wherever you go. Plus, ever since the debut of Apple's M Series chips, the MacBook Air has become a pint-sized powerhouse. The most current model utilizes the M4 chip, so you won't be sacrificing all that much in terms of power. SEE ALSO: The best Windows laptops we tested in 2024: Our pick lasts longer than the M4 MacBook Pro After testing out the latest Apple laptops, we think there are four MacBooks worth buying in 2025. Check out our top picks below, their pros and cons, and who we think would like each model best. This will come down to what you're willing to give up in performance, and in some cases, quality. But whatever you do deem worthy of sacrificing, you'll be paid back in savings. For example, the 2022 model M2 MacBook Air won't come with the latest chip, but you'll still be scoring an impressive laptop that frequently goes on sale for as low as $849.99. A photo from Mashable's test of the M1 MacBook Air. Credit: Zlata Ivleva / Mashable Testing the M2 MacBook Air. Credit: Molly Flores / Mashable So, if you've got a lighter budget, don't fret — you can still get a MacBook at an affordable price. Older MacBooks are still very much worthy of your consideration, and they won't cost you nearly as much.
