MacBook M3 Pro
Three years in, the M3 chip still surprises me with how much it handles without breaking a sweat.
Moved to the M3 Pro after running an Intel MBP from 2019 into the ground. The jump was genuinely jarring — not subtle. Build times that used to take minutes are now seconds. Figma files that used to stutter scroll instantly. Running Xcode simulators alongside a dev server alongside a dozen browser tabs doesn't even register on the fans.
The 14-inch size is the one I always come back to. There's something about the form factor that scales well between desk-anchored work and travel. Heavy enough to feel like a real machine, light enough to grab without thinking.
What I didn't expect was how much the display upgrade would matter. The Liquid Retina XDR screen at this size makes colour work noticeably better — I stopped needing to double-check on an external monitor as often. The notch still looks weird at first and then you completely forget about it.
MagSafe returning was the right call. The charge port stays free for peripherals and I've saved the laptop from a cable-trip at least twice since.