Apple has become quite verbose with its naming conventions lately. We get that throwing in a “Pro” signifies that a device is a premium product worthy of a premium price, with all the emotional connection to that. But one “Pro” is enough. You start throwing in more than one in a single product’s name, and it gets confusing.
Apple (and most other retailers) have discontinued all levels of the MacBook Pro M3, preferring to focus on the MacBook Pro M4, which replaced it last November. However, Best Buy still has a few deeply discounted MacBook Pro M3 models available.
That’s the mid-level chip, the one I argue is far more worthy of your dime than the entry-level MacBook Pros. These are brand-new ones, too, not refurbs.
the worthy chip
Just like the MacBook Pro M4, there are three sub-models within the 2023 MacBook Pro M3 lineup: Pro M3, Pro M3 Pro, and Pro M3 Max, ranging from entry-level to top-level. I generally say that the entry-level chips on the MacBook Pros aren’t worth it.
Good thing, then, that this deal is for the mid-level M3 Pro chip. Even though the MacBook Pro M3 line was released a year earlier than the current MacBook Pro M4 line, this deal makes it significantly cheaper than the M4.
Comparing the M3 Pro to the M4 Pro, the former is $1,499 on this deal, while the latter runs $1,785. Both models come with 512GB of storage, although the M4 Pro features 24GB of RAM, compared to the M3 Pro’s 18GB of RAM. That’ll make the newer laptop faster.
Is the MacBook Pro M3 Pro a good deal? It’s nearly $300 cheaper, which isn’t chump change. The M4 Pro is a marked improvement, though. It’ll be faster, and it also features the quicker Thunderbolt 5 connection, which is an upgrade from Thunderbolt 4.
It’s your call. With computers, which tend to last many years (especially Apple computers), I urge people to buy the newer MacBook Pro (below). But if $1,499 for the M3 Pro is already a tight squeeze on your budget, grab that one. It’ll still last for years as a fast, solid performer.
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