Apple recently released the M5 MacBook Pro. It may not look new, as Apple kept the sleek aluminum body, the 14-inch display, and the two colors: silver and space black. However, the big changes are made inside. This laptop offers breathtaking performance, but is it too powerful for students, or is it worth the upgrade? Let’s dive in.
Performance and Battery life.
Apple’s new M5 chip is the latest and fastest chip ever. It can easily manage heavy software like Photoshop, Illustrator, Final Cut Pro, and other software effortlessly and smoothly, thanks to the 10-core GPU and CPU, making it six times faster than the M1 chip released in 2020. For SMIS students, this could be a potential upgrade. Many students here take film, digital arts, and design technology classes, which require professional software like Illustrator and Premiere Pro. Computer science students will also feel a massive upgrade, making coding tasks easier and smoother. Even for non-STEM students using their laptops for normqa tasks like browsing, essay writing, and gaming, the new chip will feel seamless for everyday use. Another thing making this laptop great for students is the battery life. The new Mac has a battery life of 24 hours, making it ideal for students studying all day and for those who forget to charge their laptops at night.
Display and Size
The new MacBook Pro has a stunning Super Retina XDR Display, capturing every single color and detail. This new display has 1,600 nits of brightness at its peak, making it easier to see things on the screen, whether you’re outside or in a dark environment. For students editing, watching videos, and making presentations, the color contrast (which highlights the main subject) will make a noticeable difference. For those who want the most out of the screen, the optional nano-texture display will reduce glare and reflections, allowing for more precision and giving you outstanding image quality in outside lighting conditions. Talking about size, the M5 MacBook Pro has a 14-inch display; the perfect size to fit in your backpack, and it will capture most photos, videos, and text. This new Mac weighs approximately 3.4 pounds (1.55kg), which is slightly heavy (light considering the performance), but it won’t break your back.
Price
Now, let’s talk about the price. The base M5 MacBook Pro starts at 248,800 yen, but optional extras can significantly raise the price. Essential options like Apple Care+ for 3 years will cost an extra 44,000 yen, so it would be wise to say the price with the ideal options will be roughly 33,000 yen. It obviously isn’t cheap at all, but Macs are famous for lasting years, potentially making it a worthy investment.
Verdict
So, should students consider buying the new M5 MacBook Pro? While the overall design remains the same, this model offers significant performance upgrades, making various tasks much quicker and easier to handle. The verdict: Yes! Those upgrading from older chips (Intel or M1) will experience a big leap in performance. This new laptop is especially beneficial for users of demanding software (and those prepared to make a 300,000 yen investment). While it may not be necessary for everyone, this new laptop sets a new benchmark in terms of performance and practicality.
