The 16-inch MacBook Pro is a potent and premium laptop, but a somewhat specialized one given the high starting price and its CPU baseline of the M4 Pro. Unless money is no object to you, be honest with yourself about your computing needs before clicking the “buy” button on this one.

With the MacBook Pro 14-inch M4, Apple has created a pro-grade portable that impresses in every respect. It joins Apple's pantheon of outstanding laptops, and is set to take a well-deserved place at or near the top of our best laptops rankings.

While Apple is releasing a number of new M4-powered Macs this year, including the redesigned, smaller Mac Mini and the MacBook Pro M4, the Cupertino-company didn't forget about the MacBook Air.

When it was introduced during the white plastic heyday of peak iPod-era Apple, the Mac mini was pitched as the cheapest way to buy into the Mac ecosystem. It was $499. And despite some fluctuation (as high as $799 for the entry-level 2018 mini, $599 for this year's refresh), the Mac mini has stayed the cheapest entry-level Mac ever since.

This detailed comparison covers the M4 MacBook Pro vs M3 Air when it comes to performance, features, specs, and more.