[pwpw]

Huh I’ve been using a Thinkpad X1 Nano for nearly 2 years now primarily for personal dev work, and it’s by far my favorite laptop I have ever owned. It replaced a 2020 M1 MacBook Air, which replaced a 2016 MacBook Pro, which replaced a 2009 MacBook Pro. This laptop is so good, it will take a really good reason for me to upgrade before a decade. I pair it with a much more powerful desktop, so I wanted a lightweight laptop that’s totally capable, and I have found it absolutely delivers. I’ve been running Arch Linux on it for what it’s worth.

On the other hand, I cannot stand my work M1 MacBook Pro, but that’s primarily because it weighs so much and the keyboard is pretty mediocre, so it’s not fun to travel with. It’s more of a docking laptop, which defeats the purpose of a portable machine for me.

[brailsafe]

The 14" MBP is about 3.5lbs compared to just under 2 for the X1 Nano, is your work computer a 16"? I had a 16" for work, but wouldn't get one personally, it's a bit bulky.

[pwpw]

Yeah it's a 16". I spent two weeks vacationing in Europe and then a 3rd week working at night, and it was a pain to carry that MacBook around! It forced me to bring an entire backpack to carry it. Not fun to add all of that weight when I was also hauling a camera around. That's where the Nano thrives. Even the 14" is considerably heavier than Nano as you've pointed out.

[brailsafe]

As seanmcdirmid pointed out below, I'd agree that the Macbook Air would probably be the closest approximation in the mac lineup in terms of weight, but intended to compare the weight between the 14" MBP and the Nano favourably. To me, yes the weight and size of the 16" would be a bit of a pain to carry around for any substantial amount of time, but the added 1.5lbs of the MBP 14" or the 0.8lb difference of the Air doesn't seem too significant to me, perhaps even less so when compared with the camera gear you might be hauling.

I used to see a fair number of 11" MBP Airs at conferences when they were a thing; relatively low burden mac-based computing device. I'm sure if there was an M series version it would acquire a following among those who are more likely traveling than in a position to require the largest thermal envelope.

[pwpw]

Just for clarification, the parent I was originally responding to was expressing their negative view about the Nano and how they love their M1 MacBook Pro, so I wanted to provide my experience with the two laptops that I have used extensively.

I did briefly have a 2020 M1 Air for 2 years. It was fine for carrying around. It failed for portability primarily in its inability to dock to a 2 monitor workstation. I still vastly prefer my Nano as a portable laptop to travel with (e.g. plane or bus travel outside of my city). The Air indeed weighs very little, but it still weighs 40% more than a Nano! I usually travel with a portable screen that weighs half a pound, so my combo still weighs less than just an Air.

It’s hard to describe the experience with an Air, since weight is about physical feel, but that weight saving does make a difference. The Nano is so lightweight that I can quickly pick it up and use it on the sofa as comfortably as an iPad. My Nano even has a 5G SIM card slot that I can pop my cellphone SIM into. However, that only works on the Windows side for now. Finally, the keyboard is much more pleasant to type on with the Nano. It really is a great travel laptop. Add in the ability to natively run Arch Linux, and I’m happier than ever with it.

[brailsafe]

I'm always interested to learn about the setups that people eventually find working for them. Right now, I have a MS Sculpt keyboard (which I can toss in my backpack and use at a cafe, a little bulky for travel but doable) on a regular desk, and a somewhat budget 13" 2019 Intel MBP with 16gb of ram and a touch bar; the computer sits on stand next to my Dell 30" Ultrasharp (U3011 that I bought in ~2014) and a Logitech MX Master, as well as an old gaming PC that still provides use and I swap all the peripherals over to when needed. Have never personally owned an air or any other laptop than 13" Macbook Pros of varying specs now that I think of it, but used to develop on Windows when I was starting out, and typically do any server stuff on Debian over ssh or running Docker.

There are two areas that seem like such a miss to me on current macs, one of which you mentioned; cellular connectivity. I don't know if a physical SIM slot would be necessary, but it's just ridiculous that I still need to tether. That and a lack of any other appearance than grey or silver. Let me get a damn red, forest green, or lavender Macbook Pro!

I don't particularly care for the keyboard on the laptop, but my opinion more broadly, hence the Sculpt keyboard, is that any situation where my arms come in from an angle and I have to strain my wrists toward a rectangle of keys isn't really ideal. Went through a series of other external keyboards, apple keyboards, and what tends to be my preference is the key-depth of probably your Lenovo, a manta-ray like shape, wireless, and 10-keyless size; I'd really like backlit keys and a non-proprietary dongle or better wireless and internal battery that charges over usb-c.

[seanmcdirmid]

Isn’t the more obvious comparable to the 2.1 pound X1 Nano a 2.8 pound MacBook Air, not a 3.5 pound MacBook Pro?

[brailsafe]

I'd agree with that