The Apple Silicon discussion and experience thread

Yeah, while USB-C does have its weird problems, it's handy to only have to bring one brick for the iPad and Mac. If only the iPhone would ditch the Lightning port now, it's more than served its purpose.
 
I guess it's to be expected but I love the look of the new iMac. I can see why they didn't get rid of the chin - it's iconic at this point, people stick stuff to it like post-its, and use it to adjust the screen angle. The white bezels to "blend in" with the surrounding environment thing makes sense even if i'm not the biggest fan of it.

The biggest issue i have is the choice to use muted colors on the front of the machine - I'd want one in orange and it doesn't look quite as nice as the back does.
 
Had to buy a PC laptop this week. The requirements were fairly portable, numeric keyboard and available immediately in town the next morning. I researched this late at night. No time to order. I ended up with a 15” Samsung Galaxy Book. The keyboard is worse than the one Apple used to have, the fan comes on every now and then and the entire chassis flexes when you type. Oh, and it has a trackpad with a physical click that feels like a Model T gearbox.

Compared to an M1 air that costs maybe a couple hundred more depending on spec and available deals, this is shoddily built and horrible value for money. I bet people still buy it thinking they got the better deal.

It came with 15 months worth of Office 365, though. This is nice. Apple already gives you iwork but they should really throw in a terabyte of cloud storage for a year or something with all their products.
 
Apple event announced for next Monday, with the most likely leaks/rumors finally pointing to "proper" Apple Silicon-based MBPs. The following is expected:

- M1X chip, bigger/faster than the base M1, with up to 32GB RAM
- 14" and 16" models with identical hardware
- Return of a HDMI port and a card reader in the case
- Some new form of MagSafe for charging instead of USB-C
- No TouchBar, normal F-key row

Imho: 32GB max is a bit meh, I'd prefer a 64GB option for proper futureproofing. Also, I'd really want it to support 2 or more external displays vs. the single one the current M1 Macbooks do... though given the "new" HDMI port plus retaining multiple USB-Cs, I think this is likely.

Still, even with those limitations this is extremely likely to be my next work laptop - and since my current one is long overdue for replacement, I'll be ordering immediately upon announcement (or at least our IT will be). Not sure which size to go for if they are really identical spec-wise... probably the 16" still, for the bigger battery and more screen real estate when not working with external displays. Cost isn't really a factor, this being a work laptop provided by the company.
 
I've been waiting for those to come out to ask my company to get me a laptop, whatever the specs they'll surely be an upgrade compared with whatever Intel offerings Apple still currently has.
 
I'm absolutely not in the market for new Mac hardware now but it's going to be interesting to see what direction the laptops will be taking. I get the feeling they got some backlash over the last few years with the keyboards, lack of ports and so forth.

I support them ripping the band-aid off and going USB-C though. Apple have a good history when it comes to this, and I was around when the world was making fun of the G3 iMac's lack of legacy ports too.

I'm tired of car journos complaining on youtube that Honda or whoever can't fit a "normal usb port" so you'll "need to buy an adapter" or something such.
 
I'm really looking forward to see if there will be a new top-end Mac Mini with the M1X chip. That thing would be very intriguing to me, heck, the current M1 Mac Mini with 16GB of RAM is already making me think of selling my PC.

I am, however, wary of their lack of repairability or user upgradeability, but I guess it's the price you have to pay.
 
I'm absolutely not in the market for new Mac hardware now but it's going to be interesting to see what direction the laptops will be taking. I get the feeling they got some backlash over the last few years with the keyboards, lack of ports and so forth.

I support them ripping the band-aid off and going USB-C though. Apple have a good history when it comes to this, and I was around when the world was making fun of the G3 iMac's lack of legacy ports too.

I'm tired of car journos complaining on youtube that Honda or whoever can't fit a "normal usb port" so you'll "need to buy an adapter" or something such.

My 2015 VW electric car came with a cable to connect to its infotainment system. The cable has a 30-pin apple connector. Not only is it an out-of-date apple connector, (lightning was already out for 3 years), but neither of us even have had iPhones the whole time we've had the car.
 
My 2015 VW electric car came with a cable to connect to its infotainment system. The cable has a 30-pin apple connector. Not only is it an out-of-date apple connector, (lightning was already out for 3 years), but neither of us even have had iPhones the whole time we've had the car.

Wasn't this down to VW/Audi signing a contract with some tech brand that sold the special cable and in 2015 the contract finally expired?
 
My 2015 VW electric car came with a cable to connect to its infotainment system. The cable has a 30-pin apple connector. Not only is it an out-of-date apple connector, (lightning was already out for 3 years), but neither of us even have had iPhones the whole time we've had the car.

My 2014 Opel with GM’s IntelliLink just had a normal USB-A port. It interfaced with iPhones in exactly the same way it would an iPod from 2003. If it had been a year newer it would have had carplay.

Not sure what you’re getting at, though.
 
Apple event announced for next Monday, with the most likely leaks/rumors finally pointing to "proper" Apple Silicon-based MBPs. The following is expected:

- M1X chip, bigger/faster than the base M1, with up to 32GB RAM
- 14" and 16" models with identical hardware
- Return of a HDMI port and a card reader in the case
- Some new form of MagSafe for charging instead of USB-C
- No TouchBar, normal F-key row

Imho: 32GB max is a bit meh, I'd prefer a 64GB option for proper futureproofing. Also, I'd really want it to support 2 or more external displays vs. the single one the current M1 Macbooks do... though given the "new" HDMI port plus retaining multiple USB-Cs, I think this is likely.

Still, even with those limitations this is extremely likely to be my next work laptop - and since my current one is long overdue for replacement, I'll be ordering immediately upon announcement (or at least our IT will be). Not sure which size to go for if they are really identical spec-wise... probably the 16" still, for the bigger battery and more screen real estate when not working with external displays. Cost isn't really a factor, this being a work laptop provided by the company.
Yes, a lot of people have been waiting for this. If the rumoured performance numbers materialise, it will make almost any non-gaming high performance laptop obsolete. The standard bread & butter M1 already made Intel freak out, so the M1X (or whatever they call it) will definitely turn up the pitch here.

Will be interesting to see next Monday.
 
If the rumoured performance numbers materialise, it will make almost any non-gaming high performance laptop obsolete.

Don't worry, Windows users will still claim you get "twice the performance for half the money" when you buy a $randompcbrand.
 
In 24 hours or so we'll allegedly get a new MacBook Pro and Mac Mini with a new CPU and more RAM. Any guesses on how long it'll be before supply catches up with the demand?
 
I dunno, but if they also announced a refreshed mac mini I may seriously begin regretting my need for food :p
 
Rumor has it they've got a "Mac Mini Pro" in the works, with a new design and the same kind of performance as the upcoming MacBook Pros.

I have a 16GB M1 mini and it does everything I could possibly ask from a computer. It also lives behind the monitor so I really don't care what it looks like but it's been looking the same since the Clinton administration so I don't think a redesign would hurt.
 
Rumor has it they've got a "Mac Mini Pro" in the works, with a new design and the same kind of performance as the upcoming MacBook Pros.

I have a 16GB M1 mini and it does everything I could possibly ask from a computer. It also lives behind the monitor so I really don't care what it looks like but it's been looking the same since the Clinton administration so I don't think a redesign would hurt.
Well, if the rumours are true (unlike with the series 7 Apple Watch) it will end up looking more like the original Mac Mini, just thinner. The power PC Mac Mini was launched in January 2005, so technically the second Bush administration. The current Mac Mini (2018 Coffee Lake redesign) is basically the same as the first unibody which is from 2010, so more than a decade old so your point is valid. ?
 
Taking in and processing all of that will take some time, but damn, this moves the game on. Even the ”base” M1 Pro makes a mockery of the highest end x86 16” Core i9 MacBook Pro with the Radeon 5600m graphic. The M1 Max is knocking on desktop levels of performance, so odd that they didn’t show off the Mac Mini with that chip.

Either way, x86 is now dead on non-gaming notebooks. I definitely understand why Intel are so desperate with their cringy commercials lately, they probably saw this coming after the launch of the low power M1 last year.
 
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