Fourth Mac (initiated since 2002) with the MacBook Pro - late 2008 still working, even in a secure Mint Linux environment. As my main workstation for the past 7 years, I have been using a carefully set up desktop PC, as well as older/slower Macs. However, I didn't hesitate to switch to the ARM processor generation, as my work requires Photoshop / Lightroom / Davinci, and I prefer macOS - I finally wanted something portable with power and autonomy like back in 2008. I wasn't disappointed.
I didn't expect not to want to open the PC though. Only for gaming.
To keep it brief, the laptop has no rival for its price, and if it had a SIM card slot, I would even throw away my phone. It outperforms the office's i7 10700 with 32GB RAM - not necessarily always in export time, but more in terms of user experience. When the PC is exporting/rendering or performing any intensive task, it gets overwhelmed and struggles with other tasks, sometimes unbearably. Of course, Windows is to blame... but let's not dwell on that.
The laptop doesn't feel tired, it is lightweight, and it requires minimal energy because its battery life/consumption is astronomical, as others have mentioned in their reviews. It has the power of a desktop PC with the consumption of a tablet. It's almost unbelievable. In a demanding situation, it can handle a 4-hour+ render with parallel processes, in normal use, I can easily get 9 hours, and in web browsing, videos, etc., it can easily exceed 12 hours before reaching 5-10% and needing to be charged.
The energy consumption on an annual basis is negligible? It's contradictory to think that when there are two hydroelectric plants operating within a 100km radius of my home.
So, the gap has closed, and the user experience is of high quality, with iPad-like responsiveness and the flexibility of macOS, which has become somewhat verbose lately, but fortunately, you can easily tailor it to your needs. Don't complain about the operating system, it's top-notch. It has everything, but it requires some customization by the user, as all operating systems do.
So, when it's not on the couch, it is used at the desk, connected to a 4K monitor, and everything that was previously connected to the PC is now connected to the Dock, which will naturally remain in service because the build is custom, and the collection on Steam & Epic is monumental. Although Rosetta 2 is almost perfect, not all previous Intel-based applications run flawlessly yet, but updates are constantly being released. Make sure that the software you heavily use is compatible and ideally optimized for ARM architecture in any case, to fully enjoy its capabilities.
Finally, and briefly:
Build quality 9/10, display 9/10, sound 8/10, battery life 10/10, speed 9/10, webcam 6/10, multitasking 10/10, and only connectivity with 2/10 stars because, okay, I had to buy a serious adapter for over +100€ (forget about affordability - you won't get 60Hz on 4K), as the two ports are laughable. It needed at least two more ports on the other side, and I remind you that its cousin from 12 years ago had MagSafe, Mini DVI, Ethernet, 2 USB-A, FireWire 800, PCI expansion slot, Mic, Headphone jack, Superdrive, and an IR sensor. So, okay, they wanted to simplify it, but not like this.
The evaluation was done for the MacBook Air with 16GB RAM, and I'm afraid that if you're looking for a laptop, it's still the best choice, and even the 8GB option for most people up to €1000 will be rewarding.
Update 2024: The little machine is still shaving. I don't want to think about what the new M3 can offer...