If you benefit enough from the 2nd external monitor then you can easily afford and justify the upgrade.
If you’d just like the 2nd external monitor then go nuts and spend your money on the upgrade. Or don’t and buy a different laptop.
Supporting multiple external monitors is such a basic feature, it is absurd that apple insists on using it to differentiate products.
it's akin to making me shell out $400 extra dollars if I want the laptop to have a trackpad, or if I want both the left and right halves of the screen to work
It’s a basic feature to you. To Apple, for whatever reason, it’s a premium feature.
You’d probably be better off with a different laptop if you’re looking for a budget option that meets your needs.
Sure SOME people can tolerate it or are dumb enough to reward Apple for it, but it doesn't make a basic feature premium.
If all you do is tail the competition. Most laptop users don’t use a second monitor. This is a silly gripe.
Go to any software company and see how many people are using dual monitors with their company issues laptops
And many of those developers have dual monitor at home
Same for many other people who work on data/finances/etc who need multiple, large monitors to work efficiently
For Apple laptops the bar is whatever Apple decides it is.
> The 2020 Intel i3 MBA which was $999 could do two
Neat! Buy one of those.
Do you get a buzz for defending the $2tn mega-corp? Why do you do it? What's the point?
That's why I don't give my money to Apple.