Macboostville is an entrepreneurial economy, driven by architects, musicians, film editors, app developers… basically every element of the creative economy working under one roof. Here, people may not have career plans mapped out but they certainly have a career in mind and they are always looking at new mountains to conquer. What binds them together is a solid Internet connection, a propensity for coffee with cookies and access to the MacBook Pro.

So Apple has its task cut out for the MacBook Pro — don’t break the trust. What makes this year’s lineup different is that the base-level model in the category doesn’t feel like making tradeoffs.

For review, we have the MacBook Pro with M4 chip, comprising 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16GB unified memory, 1TB SSD and nano-texture display. It’s a solid computer that’s fast and powerful.

Attach a controller and this can be a good gaming machine

There is a vast user pool that wants to make the jump from MacBook Air to MacBook Pro, MacBook Pro Intel chip to MacBook Pro Apple silicon, and MacBook Pro M1 to M4. Where does the base-level model fit in?

It’s different and…

Design-wise, there’s nothing different if you are comparing the machine comprising M4 and M4 Pro or M4 Max chip. The M4 model has an additional port on the righthand side matching the ports on the M4 Pro and M4 Max MacBook Pro for a total of three Thunderbolt ports an HDMI port an SD card slot, a 3.5 mm headphone jack and the MagSafe charging port.

There is one notable difference despite the M4 version gaining an additional Thunderbolt port — the new M4 Pro and Max versions get a faster Thunderbolt 5 version of those ports that can reach max transfer speeds of 120 Gb/s, enabling faster external storage, expansion chassis, and powerful docking and hub solutions.

It is a big difference between the models but it is also a difficult metric to measure right now due to fewer Thunderbolt 5 accessories available. In theory, it can mean the capability to drive higher resolution and faster refresh rate displays. Think of this port upgrade mainly as a way to future-proof yourself for high-end accessories. For most people, the speeds and capabilities offered by Thunderbolt 4 will be fast enough, considering it’s still faster than all of the regular USB-C connections you might use daily.

Working on any creative app is easy on the MacBook Pro M4, be it Garage Band, Shapr 3D or LumaFusion

All MacBook Pro models feature an HDMI port that supports up to 8K resolution, a SDXC card slot, along with support for Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.

Brighten up your day

What you need to decide on is whether you want the 14-inch version or the 16-inch model.

I am someone who wants to move from MacBook Air to MacBook Pro, so the 14-inch version with M4 is more than enough for me. In this size, you can also get the M4 Pro and M4 Max chips but once you move up the size ladder, there are only the latter two chip options available. With the 14-inch, there is a form factor that makes it suitable for coffee shops, film schools as well as work, besides, of course, the ability to fit inside any bag.

What I am more impressed by is the Liquid Retina XDR display; 3024x1964 native resolution at 254 pixels per inch. MacBook Pros now come with a brighter 1,000-nit display which gets extremely bright and is great for use in bright environments or outdoors. The figure goes up to 1,600 nits of peak brightness when watching HDR content.

Using the 12MP Centre Stage camera with Desk View

But here’s the impressive bit — Nano-texture display option. What we would suggest you spend money on as an upgrade is this display technology. Spend that extra few thousand bucks to go beyond the standard display and you will not regret the decision for many years to come.

When you work outside or even at home or office, at times light reflects off the screen, making visibility poor. With Nano-texture display the problem is solved and the display will go easier on the eyes.

There are times when by mistake you put finger smudges on the screen; think of people who eat fried chicken and fries while working on their MacBook. These smudges are invisible with the Nano-texture display.

In case you do have smudges, how do you fix it? There is a polishing cloth in the box.

If contrast level worries you, here’s the deal: You won’t lose the contrast. Speaking about clarity of text on the standard screen versus Nano-texture, there is the same level of sharpness. The standard display may appear more pop-y if both machines are kept side by side but remember, you will be using the device for long hours and years. There will be less eye fatigue on the upgraded display if you are staring nine-10 hours into the screen.

Using the iPhone Mirroring app

Colours don’t look washed out like on many Windows laptops. Most Windows gaming laptop displays look terrible when placed next to the Nano-texture option from Apple.

What makes the technology a marvel is that this isn’t a coating, it’s etched into the glass, ensuring light rays hitting the display are reflected off at a range of angles, eradicating most of the glare in the process.

Needless to say, the display supports 120Hz. Watching videos with a high frame rate or playing games will feel smoother.

Smile, you’re on camera

MacBook Pros get a new 12MP Centre Stage webcam. Not only do you get a better image with more detail but this webcam can also track you and follow you around for a really cool tracking shot effect and its ultra-wide angle easily lets you fit more people into a video call.

The field of view is so wide you can even use what Apple calls Desk View which can record what’s directly in front of the MacBook Pro. It is particularly helpful if you want to present a quick hands-on demonstration of something you have on the desk, for example, an illustrator taking online classes. Combine this with studio-quality mics and a six-speaker sound system with support for Spatial Audio. This is an immersive audio experience.

Celebrate the ‘pro’ in you

The M4 MacBook Pro has that extra USB-C port to make workflows easy

Since the MacBook Pro is meant for professionals, it is good to have support for external displays. You can connect up to two external displays with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt, or one external display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt and one external display with up to 4K resolution at 144Hz over HDMI.

What’s powering the machine? The review unit has the M4. The 10-core CPU has four performance cores and six efficiency cores. And there is a 10-core GPU.

Obviously, if you spend more money, you will get more performance. For most everyday tasks, you will not notice any difference. Both machines are equally snappy, offering the same level of performance. The difference is with multi-threaded CPU performance, which obviously translates into an increase in speed. Also, the M4 Pro will offer better GPU performance as it has 16- and 20-core options, meaning you will get better frame rates while playing a game like Shadow of the Tomb Raider.

But does it make a huge difference for everyone? It all depends on where your tasks rest on the professional ladder.

I use the MacBook for a few things — DaVinci Resolve and LumaFusion for video editing, Photoshop for photo editing and graphic design and Shapr 3D for 3D design, besides the usual email, web browsing, writing notes or watching videos. When it comes to Shapr 3D, the designs are basic and I don’t have to go over the top. The MacBook Pro M4 can handle all of this without breaking a sweat.

We can go benchmark after benchmark to show differences but that’s not helpful. After all, we all know that M4 Max will be more powerful than the M4 Pro, and M4 Pro will have an edge over M4. What is helpful to know is that the M4 chip performs well and the CPU performance can easily match (and better) M3 Pro. So, the chip is worthy of being called a ‘pro’; the value it provides is definitely ‘pro’ level.

It’s an energy-efficient chip, which means you get a full 24 hours of battery life. And the M4 chip runs cooler when you push it to its limits, translating into a quieter laptop than any Windows laptop.

Another feature I have been using a lot lately: iPhone Mirroring. You can wirelessly interact with your iPhone and its apps and notifications from your Mac. Often, we keep our phones elsewhere when working on the laptop and it’s a hassle getting up to access it time and again. You don’t have to. Use the feature to have full access to the iPhone, even to the point of dragging and dropping files from the phone, besides the ability to use any app that only has an iPhone version.

The general fluidity of the MacBook Pro is better than ever and there are some nice redesigned elements and even a calculator app that has a currency conversion feature built-in.

The other feature you could be interested in is Apple Intelligence or Apple’s suite of AI-powered features. There are quite a few options already available as part of Apple Intelligence and more are rolling out every few weeks. Apple has already given us AI tools that we are getting accustomed to, like writing tools where you can just select text and have it summarise or change the tone in the Photos app; you can clean up a photo easily without Photoshop by using the Cleanup tool.

Make the call

There is no point getting into the keyboard and trackpad as they remain unchanged and stellar.

Given the pricing, the M4 MacBook Pro is more than enough for most needs. It’s a great starting point for pro-level tasks — video editing, music production, coding, 3D modelling, gaming and so on. Where the higher M4 Pro chip can come into play is for users who are already making money from their craft and want to push their skill levels.

What Apple has done is deliver a very good laptop, one you can trust. Remember, in Macboostville secret smiles hide behind screens; it’s the smile of satisfaction. The M4-powered MacBook Pro ensures you have an advantage over the rest and there are definitely many reasons for you to smile.