Looking for the best MacBook for business? Apple lover or not, I don’t think anyone can deny that the MacBook is truly a wonderful machine. If you’re in the market to buy a new computer, and happen to be on the fence between purchasing a Mac or PC, this article will help you decide which computer is right for you.
Some people are confused about what makes the best MacBook for business. There are many things to look at when considering what is the best MacBook for business. Some people think that the best MacBook for business is one that has the most expensive price tag.
However, this is not always true. The best MacBook for business should incorporate many features that can be beneficial to a person who uses their computer on a daily basis.
A MacBook is a great option for business users looking to work on the go. The slim design of this Apple computer allows it to be easily transported within a briefcase or backpack. The MacBook’s screen has an anti-reflective coating that helps prevent glare and make it easier for users to see their display in bright environments. Additionally, the MacBook has a built-in webcam that allows owners to chat with clients or coworkers without having to plug in an external camera or webcam.
The MacBook also includes many software programs that make it easy for users to conduct business over a network or the Internet. In addition, the MacBook can connect directly to printers and digital cameras without having to purchase additional hardware accessories. For business users who want a portable computer with a variety of useful applications and online connectivity options, this Apple laptop is an excellent choice.
When looking for a new MacBook, it is important to look at the battery life of the computer. The amount of time someone spends on their computer each day may make it necessary for them to have a long-lasting battery. It may also be important to have multiple ports available on your MacBook. Having these ports available will allow you to use your computer in a way in which you were unable to before. Having multiple ports will allow a person to connect their laptop to multiple devices at one time, or they can use only one port and connect numerous devices using an adapter. At times, it can be very beneficial having both options available.
For those who haven’t done their research, it’s important to know that Apple makes three different lines of laptops: the Airs, the Pros and the Macbooks. The Airs are thinner and lighter than both the Pros and Macbooks but they only come with USB-C ports (one on each side), which means you can’t use peripherals like an external hard drive or printer without buying an adapter. For instance, if you have an external hard drive with a Firewire connection—no dice. The Pros offer more ports as well as dedicated graphics cards for better performance when editing videos or playing games. The Macbooks are ultra light, with very solid build quality—they’re basically the same size as an Air but have a lot more ports (two regular USB 3 ports and two USB-C ports).
“Business users can use the MacBook for video editing, project management. Also small business owners that provide online services, MacBook is a good investment for managing and invoicing your customers. Freelancers and creatives can use Zintego to create invoices and it works seamlessly with Apple computers.”
Gone are the days when people used a typewriter to write down their thoughts and a pen and paper to keep track of other stuff. Things have changed and laptops are more necessary part of our daily lives than ever. While PC is still dominant platform for business, Mac has carved a niche for itself in the market of personal use. Multiple sources show that more and more professionals are switching from PC to MacBook when it comes to getting things done at work and home. So let-us take an overview of what makes Mac best suited for Businesses and home offices alike.
Choosing the best MacBook for you may be hard, especially if you haven’t used a MacBook before. You could be concerned about things like getting enough storage space, compatibility and features. To help you find the best MacBook for your office work, I’ve created a list of what I consider to be the best laptops for business.
Regardless of which model you pick, be sure to read our guide on how to clean a MacBook screen to keep it looking its best.
MacBook starting configurations
| 14-inch MacBook Pro | 16-inch MacBook Pro | MacBook Air (13-inch, M1) | 13-inch MacBook Pro (M1) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | M1 Pro or M1 Max | M1 Pro or M1 Max | M1 | M1 |
| No. of GPU cores | 14-16 (M1 Pro), 24-32 (M1 Max) | 16 (M1Pro), 24-32 (M1 Max) | 7 | 8 |
| Screen size | 14.2 | 16.2-inch | 13.3-inch | 13.3-inch |
| Screen resolution | 3,024×1,964 pixels | 3,456×2,234 pixels | 2,560×1,600 pixels | 2,560×1,600 pixels |
| Starting storage | 512GB | 512GB | 256GB | 256GB |
| Starting RAM | 16GB | 16GB | 8GB | 8GB |
| Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | 720p | 720p |
| Networking | 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0 | 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0 | 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0 | 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Connections | Thunderbolt USB-C x3, HDMI, SDXC card, MagSafe 3 | Thunderbolt USB-C x3, HDMI, SDXC card, MagSafe 3 | Thunderbolt USB-C x2 | Thunderbolt USB-C x2 |
| Weight | 3.5 lbs | 4.7 lbs | 2.8 lbs | 3.0 lbs |
| Starting price | $1,999 | $2,499 | $999 | $1,299 |
These are the 6 best business mac laptops to buy right now
You’d like to buy a new MacBook for Business. It’s been several years since you’ve bought a laptop, and it feels like the time is right. The first thing to ask yourself is what kind of work you’re going to be performing on your laptop. Is it for office work? Web development? Social media? We’ve got a list of the best MacBooks for business in each category so you can easily find the one that suits your needs best.
So without further ado, here is the list based on my experience:
1 MacBook Pro (2021) – The overall best MacBook for business
MacBook Pro 2021 is one of the best MacBooks for business. It comes with two choices, Apple M1 Pro chip or Apple M1 Max chip. The former is a 10-core processor and the latter is a 32-core processor. They are both extremely fast and capable of handling any load you throw at them. The CPU clock speed ranges between 3.7GHz – 4.2GHz depending on the chip model you choose.
The MacBook Pro 2021 features up to 16GB of RAM, which should be sufficient to handle anything you can think of doing on this laptop. Combined with that is 8TB of SSD storage, so no matter how much data you can generate from work tasks, it will never be an issue with this machine in terms of storage space for your files and documents.
The screen is a wide display, at 31.26 x 22.12 inches, so it’s the perfect size for anyone who wants to do some serious work or play on their laptop without dealing with small text or uncomfortable viewing angles when in your lap or on a table — though you could always mount it to your desk or wall if you wanted to go that route too!
The M1 Pro chip is one of the most significant changes. It replaces the standard Atom processors that were used in every previous generation of MacBooks (and nearly every other laptop on the market), and it has many more cores than even the highest-end models from previous years: up to 10 cores for the 14-inch model, and up to 32 for the 16-inch version. This makes it extremely powerful—in fact, some people think it’s too powerful for an ultraportable machine like this. The M1 Max chip is similar to the M1 Pro, but with more cores on a smaller die (and thus lower power consumption) so that there’s room for it in a MacBook Air or non-Retina MacBook.
The M1 Pro chip is also powerful enough for desktop level gaming performance. Some of the games you will be able to play on a MacBook Pro 2021 include Battlefield 5, Star Wars Battlefront 2, Forza 7, Madden 18, Fallout 5, Call of Duty: WW2, and many other popular launch titles.
➡ Why is my Mac fan so loud? Fix MacBook fan noise
If you’ve been using a MacBook Pro for the last few years, then you’re probably familiar with the frustration of not having enough USB ports. The new MacBook Pro models solve that by including three USB Type-C Thunderbolt ports. What does this mean? It means that the new MacBook Pro models are running on Apple’s new M1 Pro or Max chips. This is what gives the laptops their incredible speed and power. This is also what allows the laptops to have such a great display thanks to their Liquid Retina XDR displays. These displays are 16 inches on the two larger models, and 14 inches on the smaller model, and they feature mini-LED tech, up to 1000 nits sustained (full-screen) brightness, 1600 nits peak brightness, and P3 Wide color. That’s a lot of information to take in, but what it means is that these are some of the best MacBook Pro models ever released.
REASONS TO BUY
- Sleek, elegant design
- Plenty of ports
- Excellent performance
- Stellar battery life
- Stunning display
REASONS TO AVOID
- Expensive entry point
- No USB-A port
2 MacBook Air (M1, 2020) – Best Portable laptop for business people on the go
The MacBook Air is a laptop designed for professionals on the go. The M1 chip and high-resolution display are meant to maximize mobility and efficiency, and the depth of 0.41″ inches does not mean it can’t pack in a large amount of memory. With up to 16 GB of RAM, the MacBook Air can be as fast as your desktop computer at a price that can’t be beat. The 256 GB SSD means you have plenty of local storage, but you can easily expand it to 2TB SSD storage or with an SD card or USB drive if you need more space.
The M1 chip allows the MacBook Air to manage temperatures well even when the CPU is under heavy load. It also has some new security features like Secure Boot and Boot Guard that protect against malware and unauthorized booting.
The battery life of this laptop is good enough to get you through a full work day at most jobs, but if you’re using it for long flights or commutes then bring a charger with you just in case.
The new MacBook Air is a perfect example of Apple’s minimalist design philosophy. The thin and light machine is easy to transport, making it the ideal laptop for business professionals who need to be mobile at all times. To pack in the full range of features into such a small form factor, Apple has made some important compromises.
For example, the M1 chip is significantly slower than the M1 Pro and M1 Max models, making the machine unable to process data as quickly as its predecessors. This is most noticeable when multitasking, as the machine can feel slow and laggy if you open too many tabs in your browser or switch between programs too often.
However, most people doing business on their laptops won’t need to handle too many at once, and with up to 16GB of memory available Apple is anticipating an uptick in tasks requiring large amounts of storage space. The machine has been criticized by some reviewers for its lack of ports, but this was clearly done in order to keep the device slim—the machine’s dimensions are slim enough.
➡ Best Monitor For MacBook Pro
The new MacBook Air (M1, 2020) is an incredible machine. The unibody aluminum chassis is sturdy and beautiful, and the integrated speakers are loud and clear. This Mac also has great battery life, and its light weight makes it easy to carry around anywhere. The keyboard is a joy to type on and looks nice as well.
- The high-resolution display with its vivid colors really pops, making the text easy to read even when looking at the screen from different angles. It gives you plenty of room to spread out documents without feeling like you’re squinting at tiny letters or icons.
- For such a thin device, the speakers sound full and rich. Streaming music is a pleasure, whether you’re using Spotify or Apple Music. The sound quality will easily fill a small room, but if you need more power than that, there are jacks for external speakers right on the side of the MacBook Air (M1, 2020).
- It’s very fast—it can handle anything you throw at it with ease. There’s no lag when opening programs or switching between them, so you can get more done in less time.
The new MacBook Air is truly a beautiful machine. In an age where we’re used to seeing our computers as nothing more than machines that are good at running apps, it’s refreshing to see the focus still be on its aesthetics and user-friendliness. It’s so thin that it almost feels like it was carved into a single solid block of aluminum. The unibody enclosure is also quite sturdy, despite being only 0.68″ thick and weighing 2.8 lbs—it’s even stronger than the original MacBook Air which was released in 2010.
The display is bright and crisp, with deep blacks and vivid colors—the 13″ version has a resolution of 2560×1600, which Apple calls “Retina Display.” This technology has been available for some time now on Apple’s iPhone devices, but this is its first appearance on a Mac laptop. One of the best things about it is how natural everything looks when you close the lid to put your computer to sleep—it’s as if there are no pixels at all; it just looks like a matte black screen with no bezel around it.
The battery life is extraordinary—even in heavy use, you can expect to get more than 14 hours on a single charge, which means you could watch a movie on your flight from coast to coast. It’s also equipped with high-quality speakers for better sound than most laptops, and the keyboard is full-size and optimized for efficiency and comfort. The MacBook Air includes some incredible technology—it’s not just thin and light, but it performs beautifully while still being able to deliver nearly two full days of battery life.
REASONS TO BUY
- Breathtaking performance
- Outstanding battery life
- Slim unibody aluminum chassis
- Great speakers and Magic keyboard
REASONS TO AVOID
- Few ports
If you are a traveler and need a laptop to run business operations, the best laptop is Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020). As it has got all the features an individual needs to stay productive. To sum up, MacBook Air (M1, 2020) with aluminum anti-scratch keyboard and palm rest is an ultra-thin and light aluminum laptop that offers reliable performance. Thanks to Thunderbolt 3 interface technology and USB-C port, you can connect MacBook Air to a variety of other USB peripherals such as an external hard drive or printer.
3. MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, Late 2020) – The best Apple laptop for most Business users
The MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, Late 2020) is the best Apple laptop for most business users. We recommend it for anyone who needs a high-powered laptop for travel, school, or work—especially those who need to run demanding apps or programs. The 16-inch MacBook Pro (M1 late 2020) is also a great choice if you can’t fit your needs into a 13-inch screen and want a little more power.
The new MacBook Pro is packed with high-performance features that make it ideal for professionals and students. Its beautiful 13.3-inch Retina display gives you gorgeous colors and details that bring your work to life—and the high resolution means you can fit more of your work on screen at once. It has fast Apple M1 processors that give you plenty of processing power while being more efficient than some previous models. The system has up to 16GB of RAM and up to 2 terabytes of solid state storage so you can load as many apps as you want without worrying about running out of space. The MacBook Pro’s Thunderbolt 3 ports provide super fast data transfers and support up to two 5K displays at once, making it ideal for creatives who need to connect several monitors.
ProMotion technology delivers display performance that’s up to twice as fast as previous generations, so everything feels smoother and more responsive. The 13-inch screen has a 2560 x 1600 resolution at 227 pixels per inch, which is as crisp as an HD display but with a 16:10 aspect ratio that makes it perfect for split-screen viewing or side-by-side comparisons. The True Tone display also works with Apple’s FaceTime HD camera, so your face appears just like it does in person—with rich color matching the true tone of your skin.
REASONS TO BUY
- Stellar overall and gaming performance
- Excellent battery life
- Lightning-fast SSD+Great webcam
REASONS TO AVOID
- Not enough ports
4. MacBook Pro (14-inch, 2021) – Best Business Mac for content creators pros
The best portable Mac for serious pros is the MacBook Pro 14-inch. It marries a lightweight and compact design with powerful hardware that can handle the most demanding tasks. Its brilliant display makes it the perfect companion for both casual and professional users.
This is a laptop that’s meant to be taken on the go, so it’s not surprising that it has a smaller footprint than its bigger Pro brothers. However, its design also plays an important role in making the 14-inch Pro more portable than you might have expected: despite its small size, it still manages to fit in a full-sized keyboard—one that is arguably better than what other models offer. That’s because Apple has managed to squeeze in larger keys with deeper travel.
The display measures out at 14 inches—large enough to accommodate most tasks, but compact enough for portability. It comes with a 3072 x 1920 resolution display and support for P3 wide color gamut, which are perfect for creatives who need to edit images or video. The new MacBook Pros also include True Tone technology, which adjusts the screen temperature depending on ambient lighting conditions. This feature works especially well on the laptops’ displays, allowing you to see colors as they appear in real life without having to make any manual adjustments.
With the advances in silicon technology and manufacturing, Apple has been able to make a machine with a better display, more memory, and more storage space than ever before. For all that extra power, though, it’s still not too heavy to carry around.
Apple has been making great laptops for a long time now, but 2015 marked an important new development: they switched from the aging Core M line of processors that they were using in their MacBook Airs and cheaper laptops to their new M1 line of processors. With the M1 chip in their Pro laptops, Apple moved from Intel’s outdated Broadwell architecture to their brand new Skylake architecture. The move from one generation to another is the biggest processor upgrade you can get out of Apple.
The MacBook Pro 14-inch is a portable powerhouse that’s great for anyone who needs to get serious work done on the go. With a pixel-dense, 3072 x 1920 display, a super-fast processor, and discrete graphics that can handle any game you throw at it, this laptop will keep up with you wherever you go. And it’s portable enough to fit in your backpack with ease.
The CPU is Apple’s new M1 Pro, which is substantially faster than the previous M1. Its clock speed runs up to 3.5 GHz, and it has dedicated graphics that are more powerful than those of the last generation. The M1 Pro also now supports eGPUs like the TB3 Quantum Break External Graphics Card Adapter so you can use one or more external GPUs for extra power when you’re working on intensive tasks like video rendering or editing. It’s an especially good investment if you plan to do VR development work on your laptop; it’ll help keep your machine from overheating compared to trying to run VR from within the machine itself.
The MacBook Pro 14-inch has a lot to offer for its premium price. With a gorgeous display, next-generation processors, and a battery that will last all day, the MacBook Pro is certainly worth buying. It’s disappointing that Apple didn’t offer any lower-end configurations with last year’s M1 chip, but if you can afford it, the Pro is worth it.
REASONS TO BUY
- Sleek, elegant design
- Plenty of ports
- Excellent performance
- Stellar battery life
- Stunning display
REASONS TO AVOID
- Expensive entry point
- No USB-A port
5. Apple iMac (27-inch, 2019) – Best budget all-in-one Mac for business
The iMac is a great all-in-one Mac for business, but there are plenty of alternatives if you’re looking for something more budget friendly. The iMac 27-inch sports a gorgeous 5120 x 2880 resolution with a 3.6GHz 8-core Intel Core i9 processor, AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 graphics, and 64GB of RAM, meaning that it’s perfect for editing media and crunching data, running multiple virtual machines, or doing any number of other CPU-intensive tasks.
It has 8GB of onboard memory and a 1TB Fusion Drive, which allows it to boot up in seconds, open applications instantly, and load files in an instant. You can also upgrade it with up to 2TB of solid state storage to make sure the apps you need run as quickly as possible. This particular model comes with a beautiful 27-inch (diagonal) Retina 5K display and comes in silver—it’s not cheap at $4369.00 USD, but for a professional computer that will last years, it’s money well spent.
The Apple iMac 27-inch is the best all-in-one Mac for business because of its breathtakingly high resolution and large screen. The 27-inch screen is big enough to be an excellent replacement for two 24-inch monitors on their side, and the 5K resolution can even give two 4K monitors a run for their money. The Retina 5K display is also an ideal size for working with lots of windows or applications open at once, but it’s not so large that it becomes unwieldy to move and put away.
Apple’s iMac is also a great choice for running business software in Windows. It comes with Boot Camp, which allows you to install Windows 10 directly on your Mac, and then switch between operating systems with a simple keystroke. This makes it easy to use Microsoft Office (which Apple does not offer natively) or other software that you need Windows for. And with up to 64GB of RAM, you can run as many programs as you want without slowing down your system at all.
To keep all this power running cool, Apple uses a custom thermal design that incorporates four cooling fans, six radiators and dual sets of vents, which they claim allows them to create a quiet machine that still runs at full power even under heavy workloads.
6. Mac mini – Best Mac workstation for business
The Mac mini is convenient for small businesses and creative professionals who need to work on the go. The small form factor takes up very little space and comes in a space gray finish. It has one Thunderbolt 3 port, four USB-C Thunderbolt ports, an HDMI port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Because of its Intel UHD Graphics 630 card, the Mac mini is an excellent choice for video editing on Final Cut Pro X. You can also use this device to run Adobe Premiere Pro CC or other video editing software.
The Mac mini also works well as a server or as a workstation for running Lightroom or Photoshop on multiple monitors.
➡ Best Monitor for Mac Mini (M1) in 2021: 4K, Ultra wide
The 1TB Fusion drive has 128GB of solid state storage and a 1TB hard drive. This setup is fast, with read speeds of up to 3GB/s, and it’s quiet because the drives aren’t in constant motion to keep cool.
The processor is the i5 2.6GHz model; it has more than enough power to run your applications smoothly, even when multiple programs are open at once. The 8 GB DDR4 memory should be plenty for business applications and allows users to multitask easily without having to close programs when they’re done using them.
The Mac mini has been a secret weapon in the workstation arsenal for years. The small, efficient machine is loaded with storage space, RAM and power. It’s the perfect computer for running the Adobe Creative Cloud suite, without compromising on quality and performance. The i5 processor and 8 GB of RAM give you just enough to run multiple programs simultaneously and keep everything running smoothly, no matter how strenuous your workload is.
In addition to all this, Apple’s newest model comes with a space-saving design that takes up much less space than previous models. With four USB-C Thunderbolt ports, you can connect everything from a keyboard to a monitor to an external hard drive—all without sacrificing space on your desk or having cords all over the place. The Mac mini is the perfect computer for anyone looking for both power and efficiency in their workstation.
How to choose the best MacBooks for you?
When we review laptops, we generally use them in a variety of different settings and conditions. This means that each laptop we test requires us to make a lot of different preparations and ensure that the environment is right for its particular strengths and weaknesses.
For the most part, this involves finding out what the target market for a given laptop is going to be used for—for instance, if it’s geared toward being used as a desktop replacement without being taken on the road often, it won’t need to be very portable.
On the other hand, if it’s treated like a tablet with no keyboard planned to be attached, it’ll need an extremely long battery life. We also look at things like how portable the hardware specs are in relation to the price point, how much RAM is available, how hot-swappable any components like hard drives or memory sticks are, how many USB ports there are (and whether they’re 3.0), what kinds of input options are available and whether they’re standard or proprietary (like mini-DisplayPorts on Apple computers), whether or not there’s an optical drive, what kind of ports there are for outside connections like Thunderbolt and HDMI, what kinds of internal connections like mini-PCIe slots and M.2 ports are available.
Choosing the best MacBook for you is a complicated process because there are so many options. The first step to narrowing down your choices is to decide what kind of computer you’re looking for. Do you need a laptop that allows you to work on multiple projects simultaneously? Or do you just want a simple machine for browsing the web, checking email, and keeping up with social media?
How much money are you willing to spend on a new computer? If you don’t have a lot of cash available, then it might be better to look at refurbished models rather than brand new ones. You can find good deals on refurbished Macs from Apple’s online store. You could also save money by purchasing a used device from an individual or from sites such as eBay or Craigslist.
Problems with used computers: While buying a used MacBook can save you money, it might not be the best choice if your needs are complex. A used Mac might not have enough memory or processing power to handle all of your tasks. And even if the hardware works perfectly, a used computer might still have other problems that aren’t apparent until after it’s already yours. For example, did the previous owner install any viruses or malware on the Mac?
- When you’re deciding what kind of MacBook to buy, the first thing you should do is get a good idea of what it is you need the computer for. Are you going to be using it primarily for typing documents and spreadsheets? Will you be editing photos and videos? Will you be using it as a portable entertainment center? Do you want to use it for work and play, or just one or the other? The answers to these questions will help you focus your search so that you’re not wasting time looking at options that don’t fit your needs. For example, if portability is an important factor for your everyday computing, then a MacBook Air or Pro would be a great choice. If on the other hand, you’ll mainly be using yours at home or in an office setting, your best bet could very well be a MacBook Pro with Retina Display.
- Once you’ve settled on what type of device will work best for your lifestyle and needs, it’s time to choose from among that particular model’s various configurations. Currently, there are several configurations of each model available on Apple’s website, including different processors and flash storage sizes.
- One of the things that you have to pay attention to when choosing a new MacBook is size. You have to make sure that it fits your needs. If you like big screens and lots of space, then think about getting a bigger model. However, if you travel a lot and the laptop will stay in your office most of the time, then smaller models will do just fine.
- Also, remember about battery life. It’s very important for those who use their laptops frequently and need to work in various locations where charging stations are limited. Therefore it’s crucial to choose a model with at least 10 hours of battery life.
- In addition, there are some crucial technical details that should be mentioned here too: processor speed, RAM size and hard drive capacity .
If you’re a student or a freelancer, you need a MacBook that’s portable yet powerful. You might also want one that has a longer battery life so you can work more efficiently. If you’re an engineer or graphic designer, you’ll want to be able to do more with your Mac. You may need one that’s powerful enough to handle the demands of professional software like Final Cut Pro X or Adobe Photoshop. And if you’re an executive, you’ll likely be using your Mac for business purposes, and therefore will want to consider a laptop that will be compatible with business software such as Microsoft Office.
How we test MacBook laptops?
MacBook laptops have been a staple of Apple’s lineup since 2006, and our review process has evolved along with the computers themselves. Back in 2014, we tested them by booting them up, using them for a few days as our primary computers, and then writing about what we liked and disliked about each model. We had an office full of MacBooks at the time, and it made sense to test them all in person before giving each one a letter grade.
These days, it takes much longer to test a MacBook because we’re doing more tests. We run all the hardware through the wringer in our labs here at Consumer Reports—we stress-test screens and keyboards, measure battery life, look for performance issues under heavy load, use them day in and day out to get a feel for how they function as everyday computers, and more. In short, we do everything we can to answer two questions: Is this computer good enough? And is this computer worth its price?
Every year, we test MacBooks to make sure we’re giving our readers the best advice. The Apple laptop market is constantly changing, and we need to test new models each year to make sure you get accurate and up-to-date information about which models are the best options for your needs. For example, this past year we tested 15-inch MacBook Pros with Retina displays that are over twice as fast as previous generations of 15-inch models. We also tested the 13-inch MacBook Air, an ultraportable that offers a lot of power in a very thin and light package.
We start by making sure the laptop is in good working condition, then we run the preinstalled macOS software to make sure all of its features are functioning. We also test the Apple-installed apps and programs to be sure they work properly, as well as checking that our own software on the machine has been optimized to run properly. Once we have a feel for whether or not this computer will be able to do its job, we proceed to run a few tests.
In order to verify the performance of the MacBook’s processor, we use an application called Geekbench. This tests just how fast the CPU will be able to handle different situations. From there, we run some other standard applications on the computer to check how it runs under everyday tasks, such as editing photos, running spreadsheets for business uses, and video editing for those who want to do more than just watch content.
Finally, we put it through its paces with a series of stressful tasks in order to make sure its processor can handle heavier loads than your average person would need it for. We test its ability to compile source code using Xcode and Apache OpenOffice, then measure how well it performs while rendering videos in QuickTime Player and Adobe Premiere Pro. We also test its graphics capabilities by running several gaming softwares.
To create a consistent base line for comparison between models, we use Google Chrome to perform the same tasks on each laptop and record how long they take to complete. We look at how quickly the device boots up, and how often it shuts down unexpectedly. We then use an image editor and Adobe Photoshop to measure how long it takes the MacBooks to edit photos, create collages, and convert large images into smaller ones.
Next, we use programs such as iTunes, Apple Mail, Steam (a gaming platform), Microsoft Word for Mac, Microsoft Excel for Mac, and Microsoft Powerpoint for Mac to measure performance within these applications. We also open multiple tabs in Google Chrome while performing other tasks to see if there are any delays when switching between applications.
We then run a series of actions common to most users: copying files from one location on the disk to another, creating a 100MB file out of random data, and finally copying that same file back to its original location.
This is done several times, with the results averaged for each test. The next step is to use disk utility to create an image of a hard drive, after which we make sure to delete any local copies of that image so that it doesn’t already exist elsewhere on our test machine. Finally, we take an image of our test bed using a program called Stellar Drive Image. After this point, we can begin our testing by copying files back and forth between the two virtual hard drives created prior. The results are averaged once again and displayed as a bar chart in seconds or MB/s based on how quickly they were able to complete.