I bought a new MacBook this year, and I did something unusual for me: I downgraded.

I've been using MacBook Pro laptops for a decade, but when the time came to replace my 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M1 Max chip, I opted for the 15-inch MacBook Air with the M4 chip.

Realistically, I don't require the kind of power that the Pro offers, at least not in a laptop. But the main reason for going with the Air was the fact that it was just so much lighter than the bulky old Pro. It might not matter at home, but lugging the thing around conference floors, I felt the extra pounds.

I'm not alone. Apple 's chips have become so powerful over the past couple of years that several of my friends who work in the IT industry have recently opted for the Air. It's hard to justify the Pro when the Air does most tasks effortlessly while being so much more portable.

The reductions in weight and size are mainly made possible thanks to the new OLED display.…