New MacBook Pro with M1 processor

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bluebolt
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New MacBook Pro with M1 processor

Post by bluebolt »

I have an aging 2014 13" MacBook Pro with a battery whose life is a fraction of what it was originally. Earlier this year, when Apple said it would take a few years to migrate to their processors, I thought I'd just wait it out a year or two to replace it and maybe spend $129 on a replacement battery for my current MBP.

With yesterday's announcement of a new MBP with the M1 processor, I am leaning toward buying it. Performance and battery life seem to be a big improvement over my six-year old machine. Budget is not an issue. Anyone else considering the same and any reason to wait rather than make the purchase soon?

Not interested in a PC v Mac discussion as I've used both extensively and prefer Mac.
cheesepep
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Re: New MacBook Pro with M1 processor

Post by cheesepep »

Go buy it. Your Mac is so super old.

I'm going for a Mac mini myself.
inbox788
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Re: New MacBook Pro with M1 processor

Post by inbox788 »

Enjoy the new M1! I assume you'll choose the Pro with longer battery life (presumably from bigger battery at slight cost in weight) and touch bar seemed to be the main differences from the Air at the low end. They may have faster processors and more memory and storage, but expect to pay high upgrade prices, so plan or budget around $2k.

If battery life is the only issue, one thing I recently came across that I hadn't considered before is a USB-C to Magsafe adapter. I was thinking of getting a backup or extra magsafe charger, but this little cable can be plugged into any USB-C adapter (you want higher power for the laptop). It can also be plugged into a USB-C battery bank. So it's a cheap way to get power to your old Macbook and the adapter or battery bank have future uses.

https://www.amazon.com/Charge-Power-Cab ... B083ZMVM87

Be sure to check Magsafe 1 vs 2 and power requirements.

https://www.macworld.co.uk/feature/comp ... e-3607036/
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CyberBob
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Re: New MacBook Pro with M1 processor

Post by CyberBob »

Ordered a MacBook Pro M1 on day one. Should be here next Wednesday. iPhone 12 Pro Max will be here on Friday. Good week for me. 8-)

Rumors are that a new physical design of the MacBooks will be here late summer or early fall 2021, but that’s too long a wait for me.
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Leif
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Re: New MacBook Pro with M1 processor

Post by Leif »

I have a mid-2014 MBP. My battery is at 87%. But I use it as a desktop much of the time with it outlet powered. So battery is not really an issue for me.

I saw the Apple Event a couple of days ago. The M1 looks like a big improvement.

I guess it depends on how you are using it. For me, most of the time, I used it for web browsing, so not too demanding. So speed is not an issue for me. I plan to keep this laptop as long as possible. I was happy to see that they are still support the 2014 with the Big Sur OS update coming soon. Once my laptop can no longer support an OS upgrade I'll consider the newer laptop.

Plus, I like the key travel on this keyboard. The later butterfly keyboard was bad. The current Magic keyboard is better, but I researched it and the key travel is less than what I have.

The oldest MBP that supports Big Sur is 2013. So I'm hoping for at least one more update after Big Sur.
Last edited by Leif on Wed Nov 11, 2020 10:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.
StrangePenguin
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Re: New MacBook Pro with M1 processor

Post by StrangePenguin »

Like the OP I'm in a position where I really need to upgrade my current, ancient MBP. I was going to order a new Intel-based one but now I'm conflicted. My main concern is the longevity of a machine with only 16 GB of RAM, which is the maximum available right now. (It also only has 2 ports.) I suppose that eventually they will release a higher cost variant of the 13" with larger RAM options, but I can't really wait much longer.

Any thoughts on whether my concern about RAM is irrational? I don't do a huge amount of heavy computing. The most hefty application I run regularly is Adobe Lightroom to edit RAW photo files.
LifeOfRiley
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Re: New MacBook Pro with M1 processor

Post by LifeOfRiley »

Planning to be traveling quite a bit and was originally looking at transitioning from an iMac 27" to a MacBook Pro 16". I'm now thinking I'll get the 13" MacBook Air 8 core GPU with the M1 chip, 16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD. Looks like the 13" MacBook Air M1 is a lot like the 13" MacBook Pro M1.
randomguy
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Re: New MacBook Pro with M1 processor

Post by randomguy »

LifeOfRiley wrote: Wed Nov 11, 2020 10:39 pm Planning to be traveling quite a bit and was originally looking at transitioning from an iMac 27" to a MacBook Pro 16". I'm now thinking I'll get the 13" MacBook Air 8 core GPU with the M1 chip, 16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD. Looks like the 13" MacBook Air M1 is a lot like the 13" MacBook Pro M1.
The processor looks to be very similar but without a fan it might turnout that you can't run at full speed for long before hitting thermal limits when comparing the air to the pro. Unless you need to be the first on the block, wait a month for reviews and benchmarking to happen. And to see how any program you use works. I don't expect many issues but in past transitions there have always been a few gotchas. 8gbs seems a bit stingy but personally. I have found 16gb to be plenty the past couple years as I tend to sit in the 6-12gb range unless I go crazy with opening a zillion tabs. I wouldn't be shocked if after meeting initial demand that they make a 32gb chip (ram is built into the m1 module). but short term it make sense to minimize the number of chips you need to produce.
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catdude
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Re: New MacBook Pro with M1 processor

Post by catdude »

I'm considering the new Mac mini. Not exactly a need, but a want. My current mini is a low-end two-year old model (i3 processor, 8 gb RAM, 128 gb storage). According to Apple's website, its trade-in value is $330. So I can get a new mini for a net price of $369. Not bad... But I think I'll wait & see what the reviews are like...
catdude | | All generalizations are false, including this one.
inbox788
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Re: New MacBook Pro with M1 processor

Post by inbox788 »

Here's the comparison between the Air, Pro and Mini.
https://www.apple.com/mac/compare/?mode ... ac-mini-M1

Pro vs Air
20 hrs battery (vs 18)
Touch Bar
"Up to 8-core GPU" on the Air (vs just "8-core GPU") -- there is a 7-core GPU version in the $999 Air
500 nits (vs 400)
0.2 lb (.11kg) more weight
58.2-watt-hour battery (vs 49.9)
61 watt adapter (vs 30)
USB-C power port - what is this and why is this not listed in the Air?
chuckb84
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Re: New MacBook Pro with M1 processor

Post by chuckb84 »

They look like great computers to me. I'd get the MBP, not the Air. The weight difference is trivial and the fan cooling of the MBP will matter on any sustained demanding tasks. However....

Think about what apps you use. There will be a period of time in which many apps will rely on Rosetta 2, an Intel to Arm on-the-fly code translator. Apps will run slower, perhaps much slower with that. In time, apps will be recompiled as Arm native, but the interim period could be annoying.

Apple has taken a conservative approach with these first machines. They are almost identical to the Intel models they replace: No upgraded camera, still pretty large screen bezels, no cellular modem built in, and no touch screen.

However, this is the future of Macs and possibly Windows as well. These machines have about 1.8 times the performance of the laptops they replace and nearly double the battery life -simultaneously-. That's quite a feat.
stimulacra
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Re: New MacBook Pro with M1 processor

Post by stimulacra »

Mac Mini for me. At that price point it's a bargain.

It seems like battery life and low power consumption are the main draws.

Apple's continual reduction of ports, addition of ports, and reduction of ports are borderline comical.
CycloRista
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Re: New MacBook Pro with M1 processor

Post by CycloRista »

inbox788 wrote: Wed Nov 11, 2020 9:50 pm Enjoy the new M1! I assume you'll choose the Pro with longer battery life (presumably from bigger battery at slight cost in weight) and touch bar seemed to be the main differences from the Air at the low end. They may have faster processors and more memory and storage, but expect to pay high upgrade prices, so plan or budget around $2k.

If battery life is the only issue, one thing I recently came across that I hadn't considered before is a USB-C to Magsafe adapter. I was thinking of getting a backup or extra magsafe charger, but this little cable can be plugged into any USB-C adapter (you want higher power for the laptop). It can also be plugged into a USB-C battery bank. So it's a cheap way to get power to your old Macbook and the adapter or battery bank have future uses.

https://www.amazon.com/Charge-Power-Cab ... B083ZMVM87

Be sure to check Magsafe 1 vs 2 and power requirements.

https://www.macworld.co.uk/feature/comp ... e-3607036/
Thanks for posting this information.

I have a 2012 MBP that is still going strong other than the old power supply. Order up one of the power cables moments ago!
hunoraut
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Re: New MacBook Pro with M1 processor

Post by hunoraut »

bluebolt wrote: Wed Nov 11, 2020 9:35 pm With yesterday's announcement of a new MBP with the M1 processor, I am leaning toward buying it. Performance and battery life seem to be a big improvement over my six-year old machine. Budget is not an issue. Anyone else considering the same and any reason to wait rather than make the purchase soon?
For pure indulgence sake, I wanted to wait for a new chassis and thinner-bezel display.
For practicality sake, I wanted to wait for the hope of a SD slot and a legacy USB-A port.

Knowing that the latter is highly, highly unlikely, I think im going to pounce on this one. The apparent performance on the M1(written about from credible, 3rd party technical sources) is incredible and surpasses my expectations. Want to wait for a few benchmarks to roll in, but im pretty much set on getting the new machine.
xerxes101
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Re: New MacBook Pro with M1 processor

Post by xerxes101 »

I am a PC guy seriously thinking about a Mac Mini...curious what "...and breakthrough machine learning performance with the Apple Neural Engine" (borrowed from Apple's M1 introduction text) refers to exactly... :shock:
I am totally impressed with this machine :beer
Topic Author
bluebolt
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Re: New MacBook Pro with M1 processor

Post by bluebolt »

Thanks for all the thoughtful responses. My battery is at about 68% of original capacity, and the reduction is really noticeable. That's pushing more toward buying a new one. I'll probably wait a bit to see some initial real world reviews.
Inframan4712
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Re: New MacBook Pro with M1 processor

Post by Inframan4712 »

I have a loaded 2017 MacBook Pro that more than meets my needs but I am considering the upgrade solely because the new models can run iOS apps. There are several I use a fair amount so it would be nice to have them on my MacBook.

I only use it for web browsing and Office, so I don’t need the speed. And I already get plenty of battery life. Don’t need Windows at all, ever, so lack of Bootcamp doesn’t bother me.

My light use has me considering the Air. I never use my Pro hard enough for the fans to be audible, so I don’t think I need to worry about thermal throttling on the new Air.

I’ll wait for reviews though.
crazygrow
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Re: New MacBook Pro with M1 processor

Post by crazygrow »

I’m an Apple guy. People need to know though that many of the stats they put out in their conference are very misleading. Like that the MacBook Air is faster than 98% of PCs sold in the last year. Regardless it is a decent improvement (especially over a 2014 machine) but but not nearly the promised increase over my 2017 15” MacBook Pro capabilities. I’m still looking at getting one as I’m mostly at my desk now and my computer stays closed while I use my big monitor.
Topic Author
bluebolt
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Re: New MacBook Pro with M1 processor

Post by bluebolt »

crazygrow wrote: Thu Nov 12, 2020 5:38 am I’m an Apple guy. People need to know though that many of the stats they put out in their conference are very misleading. Like that the MacBook Air is faster than 98% of PCs sold in the last year. Regardless it is a decent improvement (especially over a 2014 machine) but but not nearly the promised increase over my 2017 15” MacBook Pro capabilities. I’m still looking at getting one as I’m mostly at my desk now and my computer stays closed while I use my big monitor.
I roll my eyes when I hear them compare performance to 98% of PCs sold or compare it to the most popular laptop sold.
onourway
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Re: New MacBook Pro with M1 processor

Post by onourway »

crazygrow wrote: Thu Nov 12, 2020 5:38 am I’m an Apple guy. People need to know though that many of the stats they put out in their conference are very misleading. Like that the MacBook Air is faster than 98% of PCs sold in the last year.
This claim appears to be entirely true. The Air model with no fan is faster than the 16” Macbook Pro - even the top of the line i9 model. https://www.macrumors.com/2020/11/11/m1 ... benchmark/

It’s not much of a stretch to believe 98% of PC’s sold in the last year are slower.
hunoraut
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Re: New MacBook Pro with M1 processor

Post by hunoraut »

xerxes101 wrote: Thu Nov 12, 2020 5:25 am I am a PC guy seriously thinking about a Mac Mini...curious what "...and breakthrough machine learning performance with the Apple Neural Engine" (borrowed from Apple's M1 introduction text) refers to exactly... :shock:
I am totally impressed with this machine :beer
Basically the actual chipset is optimized for the type of highly distributed math computation used by machine learning routines. It sounds like marketing-infused mumble jumble but chances are you already have a device with neural engines (aka NPU) on the hardware, and already using features employing those routines, such as voice dictation and translation (siri?) or editing photos
hunoraut
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Re: New MacBook Pro with M1 processor

Post by hunoraut »

bluebolt wrote: Thu Nov 12, 2020 5:31 am Thanks for all the thoughtful responses. My battery is at about 68% of original capacity, and the reduction is really noticeable. That's pushing more toward buying a new one. I'll probably wait a bit to see some initial real world reviews.
im excited that the battery performance has a carryover effect - itll continue lasting longer, for longer.

(1) more efficient consumption means you'll reduce the cycle count of the battery
(2) lower power draw means less heat, and less thermal degradation of battery
(3) wide battery envelope means spending less time at the damaging extreme state of charge of battery

thats why when battery on any device starts to "go", that wear seems to accelerate.
this one should maintain performance for a long time.
crazygrow
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Re: New MacBook Pro with M1 processor

Post by crazygrow »

onourway wrote: Thu Nov 12, 2020 5:43 am
crazygrow wrote: Thu Nov 12, 2020 5:38 am I’m an Apple guy. People need to know though that many of the stats they put out in their conference are very misleading. Like that the MacBook Air is faster than 98% of PCs sold in the last year.
This claim appears to be entirely true. The Air model with no fan is faster than the 16” Macbook Pro - even the top of the line i9 model. https://www.macrumors.com/2020/11/11/m1 ... benchmark/

It’s not much of a stretch to believe 98% of PC’s sold in the last year are slower.
Then the question is: why replace your two less expensive machines with a faster chip than your more expensive machine? If the claim was fully true you would start there, but those buyers are also more discerning.

The claim is true, like most marketing, under certain conditions and circumstances. Like that probably 98% of PC laptops cost substantially less than these machines. There are plenty of PC machines in the price range of these that is the real comparison, but as usual, it comes down to what that company wants to test. These won’t be the fastest gaming laptops (not what they are made for) but may be the fastest at running Apple software as they are specifically optimized to be so.
hunoraut
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Re: New MacBook Pro with M1 processor

Post by hunoraut »

crazygrow wrote: Thu Nov 12, 2020 6:00 am Then the question is: why replace your two less expensive machines with a faster chip than your more expensive machine? If the claim was fully true you would start there, but those buyers are also more discerning.

The claim is true, like most marketing, under certain conditions and circumstances. Like that probably 98% of PC laptops cost substantially less than these machines. There are plenty of PC machines in the price range of these that is the real comparison, but as usual, it comes down to what that company wants to test. These won’t be the fastest gaming laptops (not what they are made for) but may be the fastest at running Apple software as they are specifically optimized to be so.

Because they are rumored to be working on a new chassis for next year, including new MiniLED based display, which could be dedicated for the high-end machines. And because RAM memory is now packed onto the SoC, high-end 32GB+ specs might be for 2nd generation chipset production, ala M1z, M2, etc. And users of high-end machines now may have very specific x86-based software dependency.

Architecture changes cannot happen overnight - for this one Apple expressed a 2 year transition from Intel to ARM.

Their performance claims go beyond "98% of PCs" - they have various other benchmarks with footer specifying the basis of comparison, including class-competitive computers, and/or current-gen Intel Macs.
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PicassoSparks
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Re: New MacBook Pro with M1 processor

Post by PicassoSparks »

crazygrow wrote: Thu Nov 12, 2020 6:00 am Then the question is: why replace your two less expensive machines with a faster chip than your more expensive machine? If the claim was fully true you would start there, but those buyers are also more discerning.
Because those machines are their top selling models. Apple goes where the money is. And then next year as they continue to replace the lineup, they'll have some kind of M1x or whatever chip that is even faster and more powerful. Notice that they are selling the exact same chip with no upgrade options on both laptops and the Mini. They are clearly getting to scale.

This is a transition process. It's always a little weird during a transition process. We're seeing a similar thing with the iPad Air which has a better chip and almost all the same features as the iPads pro. It's a weird situation that will sort itself out when they release new iPads Pro sometime next year. (Remember that this is the company that kept the same aging cylinder Mac Pro model unchanged for 2,182 days, while more and more of its lower end lineup surpassed the formerly top of the line model.)

For now, the M1 has less RAM and not the same level of GPU capacity as an all-the-fixin's 16" but by all accounts the leap in performance is impressive and will continue to be so when it comes to the rest of the lineup.
bluebolt wrote: Wed Nov 11, 2020 9:35 pm With yesterday's announcement of a new MBP with the M1 processor, I am leaning toward buying it. Performance and battery life seem to be a big improvement over my six-year old machine. Budget is not an issue. Anyone else considering the same and any reason to wait rather than make the purchase soon?
To the OP, the only reason to wait is because the transition to Apple Silicon might be bumpy as far as maintaining compatibility with software, depending on how quickly companies get their updates out. So if you have any concerns there, I'd wait a bit to see how the upgrade shakes out. The hardware looks amazing and will certainly be fantastic in the long run, but a change in hardware architecture also tends to throw a little chaos into the software ecosystem. It's often wise to wait and see with 1.0 Apple devices.
Galaxy8
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Re: New MacBook Pro with M1 processor

Post by Galaxy8 »

I will say, I'm incredibly impressed how long Macs last compared to PCs.

My current MBP is a 2012 12" model. :D

I upgraded the HD to an SDD, increased the ram to 16GB and have replaced the battery. It still works great!
mike@jb
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Re: New MacBook Pro with M1 processor

Post by mike@jb »

My “mid-2012” MBP still works fine.
It periodically hangs and requires a reboot.
I’ll probably get an M1 Air or MBP next year.
I am usually slow to upgrade - I just replaced my iPhone 5s this year :happy
JEC
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Re: New MacBook Pro with M1 processor

Post by JEC »

I second installing a SSD in your 2014 MacBook to get more years out of it. You'd be surprised how much of a difference they make. I recently upgraded my 2011 iMac's HDD to an SSD and it made a night and day difference. That and a clean OS install made things run like new.
TravelGeek
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Re: New MacBook Pro with M1 processor

Post by TravelGeek »

StrangePenguin wrote: Wed Nov 11, 2020 10:21 pm Like the OP I'm in a position where I really need to upgrade my current, ancient MBP. I was going to order a new Intel-based one but now I'm conflicted. My main concern is the longevity of a machine with only 16 GB of RAM, which is the maximum available right now. (It also only has 2 ports.) I suppose that eventually they will release a higher cost variant of the 13" with larger RAM options, but I can't really wait much longer.

Any thoughts on whether my concern about RAM is irrational? I don't do a huge amount of heavy computing. The most hefty application I run regularly is Adobe Lightroom to edit RAW photo files.
I am currently still using a late 2013 13” MBP as my main machine. I maxed out the configuration back then and have 16 GB of RAM and a 512 GB SSD. It has been a wonderful machine and still does most of what I want it to do.

I was planning to buy the new 13” M1 MBP, but that plan came to a screeching halt when I saw that the max RAM I could get was 16 GB. No way am I going to buy a replacement that comes with the same RAM as my seven year-old machine. Is 16GB the new “640Kb ought to be enough for everyone?” :shock:

The last Intel-based generation, introduced earlier this year, would give me a 32GB option, and perhaps I should consider it, but I am hesitant to buy the last model of that series when the direction Apple is going is obviously Apple Silicon for everything. What limitations will I face in three years?

I believe Apple will offer Apple Silicon models (M2?) with > 16 GB next year (the new Mini is facing the same limit, and clearly the Pro will need more). Since my trusty old 2013 model is still doing okay, I will stick with it for what might be another 6-12 months. In the meantime I have a new Intel NUC (with 32 GB) to keep me busy with projects.
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bluebolt
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Re: New MacBook Pro with M1 processor

Post by bluebolt »

JEC wrote: Thu Nov 12, 2020 7:28 am I second installing a SSD in your 2014 MacBook to get more years out of it. You'd be surprised how much of a difference they make. I recently upgraded my 2011 iMac's HDD to an SSD and it made a night and day difference. That and a clean OS install made things run like new.
If you were addressing this to me, my MBP came with an SSD.
JEC
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Re: New MacBook Pro with M1 processor

Post by JEC »

bluebolt wrote: Thu Nov 12, 2020 10:05 am [quote=JEC post_id=5595420 time=<a href="tel:1605187711">1605187711</a> user_id=98664]
I second installing a SSD in your 2014 MacBook to get more years out of it. You'd be surprised how much of a difference they make. I recently upgraded my 2011 iMac's HDD to an SSD and it made a night and day difference. That and a clean OS install made things run like new.
If you were addressing this to me, my MBP came with an SSD.
[/quote]
In that case go for the new one!
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Leif
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Re: New MacBook Pro with M1 processor

Post by Leif »

I don't like the near port-less MacBooks these days. Especially on the so called Pros. My 2014 has Magsafe power, 2 lightning ports, 2 USB, a headphone port, an HDMI port, and a SD port. Now you need to get adaptors and hubs for everything. A big backward step IMO. Long live my 2014!
bondsr4me
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Re: New MacBook Pro with M1 processor

Post by bondsr4me »

Leif wrote: Thu Nov 12, 2020 10:38 am I don't like the near port-less MacBooks these days. Especially on the so called Pros. My 2014 has Magsafe power, 2 lightning ports, 2 USB, a headphone port, an HDMI port, and a SD port. Now you need to get adaptors and hubs for everything. A big backward step IMO. Long live my 2014!
+1
hunoraut
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Re: New MacBook Pro with M1 processor

Post by hunoraut »

TravelGeek wrote: Thu Nov 12, 2020 9:55 am
StrangePenguin wrote: Wed Nov 11, 2020 10:21 pm Like the OP I'm in a position where I really need to upgrade my current, ancient MBP. I was going to order a new Intel-based one but now I'm conflicted. My main concern is the longevity of a machine with only 16 GB of RAM, which is the maximum available right now. (It also only has 2 ports.) I suppose that eventually they will release a higher cost variant of the 13" with larger RAM options, but I can't really wait much longer.

Any thoughts on whether my concern about RAM is irrational? I don't do a huge amount of heavy computing. The most hefty application I run regularly is Adobe Lightroom to edit RAW photo files.
I am currently still using a late 2013 13” MBP as my main machine. I maxed out the configuration back then and have 16 GB of RAM and a 512 GB SSD. It has been a wonderful machine and still does most of what I want it to do.

I was planning to buy the new 13” M1 MBP, but that plan came to a screeching halt when I saw that the max RAM I could get was 16 GB. No way am I going to buy a replacement that comes with the same RAM as my seven year-old machine. Is 16GB the new “640Kb ought to be enough for everyone?” :shock:

The last Intel-based generation, introduced earlier this year, would give me a 32GB option, and perhaps I should consider it, but I am hesitant to buy the last model of that series when the direction Apple is going is obviously Apple Silicon for everything. What limitations will I face in three years?

I believe Apple will offer Apple Silicon models (M2?) with > 16 GB next year (the new Mini is facing the same limit, and clearly the Pro will need more). Since my trusty old 2013 model is still doing okay, I will stick with it for what might be another 6-12 months. In the meantime I have a new Intel NUC (with 32 GB) to keep me busy with projects.

Someone can correct my rationale on this - the integration of memory into the SoC and PCIe storage means less dependency on ram capacity, because the paging/swapping that's done when RAM is full is now much faster.


Data doesn't need to travel from southbridge to northbridge and so on.

That's the theory. But we know nothing in computer ever demands less...only more.

I think 16gb is great for all my photo work so far
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Re: New MacBook Pro with M1 processor

Post by TheOscarGuy »

cheesepep wrote: Wed Nov 11, 2020 9:43 pm Go buy it. Your Mac is so super old.

I'm going for a Mac mini myself.
I am rocking a 2012 iMac, by that standard mine is pre-historic. :P
But I might get the min too.
palanzo
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Re: New MacBook Pro with M1 processor

Post by palanzo »

crazygrow wrote: Thu Nov 12, 2020 5:38 am I’m an Apple guy. People need to know though that many of the stats they put out in their conference are very misleading. Like that the MacBook Air is faster than 98% of PCs sold in the last year. Regardless it is a decent improvement (especially over a 2014 machine) but but not nearly the promised increase over my 2017 15” MacBook Pro capabilities. I’m still looking at getting one as I’m mostly at my desk now and my computer stays closed while I use my big monitor.
Agreed. I'm also an Apple guy but this claim takes the cake.
Testing conducted by Apple in October 2020 using preproduction 13-inch MacBook Pro systems with Apple M1 chip and 16GB of RAM. Performance measured using select industry-standard benchmarks. PC configurations from publicly available sales data over the last 12 months. Performance tests are conducted using specific computer systems and reflect the approximate performance of MacBook Pro.
What a load of $%^&. Which benchmarks? Which "specific" computer systems?

Sounds more like advertising from the auto industry.

https://www.pcworld.com/article/3596814 ... ptops.html

I hope the anti-trust lawyers are aware of this deceptive advertising.
Last edited by palanzo on Thu Nov 12, 2020 12:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.
palanzo
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Re: New MacBook Pro with M1 processor

Post by palanzo »

onourway wrote: Thu Nov 12, 2020 5:43 am
crazygrow wrote: Thu Nov 12, 2020 5:38 am I’m an Apple guy. People need to know though that many of the stats they put out in their conference are very misleading. Like that the MacBook Air is faster than 98% of PCs sold in the last year.
This claim appears to be entirely true. The Air model with no fan is faster than the 16” Macbook Pro - even the top of the line i9 model. https://www.macrumors.com/2020/11/11/m1 ... benchmark/

It’s not much of a stretch to believe 98% of PC’s sold in the last year are slower.
You got to be careful. GB5 left out several GB4 benchmarks. These are synthetic. Given that many laptops including MacBook Pro models have a discrete GPU it will be interesting to see the results of GPU benchmarks and real world apps.
rich126
Posts: 4475
Joined: Thu Mar 01, 2018 3:56 pm

Re: New MacBook Pro with M1 processor

Post by rich126 »

Personally I'd wait if I could and see how things go with the M1 and how much of it is PR and how much of it is true with reviews from various sources down the road. But everyone has a different situation.

I finally threw away, after destroying the hard drive a MacBook Pro from ~2006. It still booted up, the case was extremely heavy duty but obviously it was past its prime. My GF uses my old 2010 iMac27". Another one reaching EOF soon.

Different computers have their pros/cons and at work I'm usually on Windows and Linux systems but I haven't had any issues with my Apple computers at home. I didn't start using them until 2006.

Back to the OP, generally I prefer to wait for a while to make sure things are working ok before jumping in with new technology.
----------------------------- | If you think something is important and it doesn't involve the health of someone, think again. Life goes too fast, enjoy it and be nice.
palanzo
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Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2019 4:28 pm

Re: New MacBook Pro with M1 processor

Post by palanzo »

onourway wrote: Thu Nov 12, 2020 5:43 am
crazygrow wrote: Thu Nov 12, 2020 5:38 am I’m an Apple guy. People need to know though that many of the stats they put out in their conference are very misleading. Like that the MacBook Air is faster than 98% of PCs sold in the last year.
This claim appears to be entirely true. The Air model with no fan is faster than the 16” Macbook Pro - even the top of the line i9 model. https://www.macrumors.com/2020/11/11/m1 ... benchmark/

It’s not much of a stretch to believe 98% of PC’s sold in the last year are slower.
Try running Red Dead Redemption II on the MacBook Air and compare the performance to 98% of PCs sold last year.
palanzo
Posts: 2146
Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2019 4:28 pm

Re: New MacBook Pro with M1 processor

Post by palanzo »

crazygrow wrote: Thu Nov 12, 2020 6:00 am
onourway wrote: Thu Nov 12, 2020 5:43 am
crazygrow wrote: Thu Nov 12, 2020 5:38 am I’m an Apple guy. People need to know though that many of the stats they put out in their conference are very misleading. Like that the MacBook Air is faster than 98% of PCs sold in the last year.
This claim appears to be entirely true. The Air model with no fan is faster than the 16” Macbook Pro - even the top of the line i9 model. https://www.macrumors.com/2020/11/11/m1 ... benchmark/

It’s not much of a stretch to believe 98% of PC’s sold in the last year are slower.
Then the question is: why replace your two less expensive machines with a faster chip than your more expensive machine? If the claim was fully true you would start there, but those buyers are also more discerning.

The claim is true, like most marketing, under certain conditions and circumstances. Like that probably 98% of PC laptops cost substantially less than these machines. There are plenty of PC machines in the price range of these that is the real comparison, but as usual, it comes down to what that company wants to test. These won’t be the fastest gaming laptops (not what they are made for) but may be the fastest at running Apple software as they are specifically optimized to be so.
I guess sales of 16” MacBook Pro will go to zero in this case? :oops:
palanzo
Posts: 2146
Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2019 4:28 pm

Re: New MacBook Pro with M1 processor

Post by palanzo »

Galaxy8 wrote: Thu Nov 12, 2020 6:59 am I will say, I'm incredibly impressed how long Macs last compared to PCs.

My current MBP is a 2012 12" model. :D

I upgraded the HD to an SDD, increased the ram to 16GB and have replaced the battery. It still works great!
Yup but sadly you have not been able to do that with Apple HW for a while now.
Bob.Beeman

Re: New MacBook Pro with M1 processor

Post by Bob.Beeman »

TheOscarGuy wrote: Thu Nov 12, 2020 11:17 am I am rocking a 2012 iMac, by that standard mine is pre-historic. :P
But I might get the min too.
Right now I am posting this with my "24 inch 4GB early 2009 iMac" running 10.10.3. Works fine for general browsing and developing interactive web pages. Also my 2008 MS Office still works.

Obviously I use ONLY my 2018 MacBook Pro for EMAIL, Medical stuff, banking, taxes, investments, and anything else I wouldn't want the whole world to have access to. I have a MS Office subscription on that one.

But the "old iMac" is still working. We old folks have trouble with laptop tiny screens and trackpads (yes, I use a Bluetooth mouse for the laptop). Will buy a new iMac when this one stops working.

Macs normally last a long time.

Bob.Beeman
inbox788
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Re: New MacBook Pro with M1 processor

Post by inbox788 »

If you're a Costco member or know one, take a look at their pricing and warranty on the new Macs. Or try price match at Best Buy, Target or other stores. Sometimes, you might find even better sale prices or added bonuses, like accessories, even on brand new, newly released, Apple products.
https://www.costco.com/new-macbook-air- ... 88289.html
Last edited by inbox788 on Thu Nov 12, 2020 12:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.
SwampDonkey
Posts: 321
Joined: Sun Dec 26, 2010 7:49 pm

Re: New MacBook Pro with M1 processor

Post by SwampDonkey »

I'm a Boglehead at heart so I've never been able to justify paying 2x the money for an Apple laptop vs a comparable Windows laptop.

After considerable research and a recommendation here on Bogleheads, I bought the LG Gram laptop from Costco a few weeks ago for ~$1250.

Then the M1 happened.

My curiosity was piqued enough that I called Apple yesterday and had a 15-min phone call with one of their advisors. Based upon what I've read online and yesterday's phone call, I'm returning the LG laptop (unopened) and finally taking the plunge into Apple laptops.

I'll be making an appointment to buy the MacBook Air at an Apple store next week. Based upon Apple's website, the spec'd MBA with M1 should be around $1250.
crazygrow
Posts: 231
Joined: Sun Apr 24, 2016 8:56 am

Re: New MacBook Pro with M1 processor

Post by crazygrow »

palanzo wrote: Thu Nov 12, 2020 12:00 pm
crazygrow wrote: Thu Nov 12, 2020 6:00 am
onourway wrote: Thu Nov 12, 2020 5:43 am
crazygrow wrote: Thu Nov 12, 2020 5:38 am I’m an Apple guy. People need to know though that many of the stats they put out in their conference are very misleading. Like that the MacBook Air is faster than 98% of PCs sold in the last year.
This claim appears to be entirely true. The Air model with no fan is faster than the 16” Macbook Pro - even the top of the line i9 model. https://www.macrumors.com/2020/11/11/m1 ... benchmark/

It’s not much of a stretch to believe 98% of PC’s sold in the last year are slower.
Then the question is: why replace your two less expensive machines with a faster chip than your more expensive machine? If the claim was fully true you would start there, but those buyers are also more discerning.

The claim is true, like most marketing, under certain conditions and circumstances. Like that probably 98% of PC laptops cost substantially less than these machines. There are plenty of PC machines in the price range of these that is the real comparison, but as usual, it comes down to what that company wants to test. These won’t be the fastest gaming laptops (not what they are made for) but may be the fastest at running Apple software as they are specifically optimized to be so.
I guess sales of 16” MacBook Pro will go to zero in this case? :oops:
I honestly can't tell if you are agreeing or disagreeing with the point, but I believe the M1 chips have some sort of limitation they aren't discussing, which is why it is only in their low-end machines. If it was truly revolutionary you would take it to the top-end first and charge a premium for it. Apple never lets an extra dollar get away from them.
palanzo
Posts: 2146
Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2019 4:28 pm

Re: New MacBook Pro with M1 processor

Post by palanzo »

crazygrow wrote: Thu Nov 12, 2020 2:06 pm
palanzo wrote: Thu Nov 12, 2020 12:00 pm
crazygrow wrote: Thu Nov 12, 2020 6:00 am
onourway wrote: Thu Nov 12, 2020 5:43 am
crazygrow wrote: Thu Nov 12, 2020 5:38 am I’m an Apple guy. People need to know though that many of the stats they put out in their conference are very misleading. Like that the MacBook Air is faster than 98% of PCs sold in the last year.
This claim appears to be entirely true. The Air model with no fan is faster than the 16” Macbook Pro - even the top of the line i9 model. https://www.macrumors.com/2020/11/11/m1 ... benchmark/

It’s not much of a stretch to believe 98% of PC’s sold in the last year are slower.
Then the question is: why replace your two less expensive machines with a faster chip than your more expensive machine? If the claim was fully true you would start there, but those buyers are also more discerning.

The claim is true, like most marketing, under certain conditions and circumstances. Like that probably 98% of PC laptops cost substantially less than these machines. There are plenty of PC machines in the price range of these that is the real comparison, but as usual, it comes down to what that company wants to test. These won’t be the fastest gaming laptops (not what they are made for) but may be the fastest at running Apple software as they are specifically optimized to be so.
I guess sales of 16” MacBook Pro will go to zero in this case? :oops:
I honestly can't tell if you are agreeing or disagreeing with the point, but I believe the M1 chips have some sort of limitation they aren't discussing, which is why it is only in their low-end machines. If it was truly revolutionary you would take it to the top-end first and charge a premium for it. Apple never lets an extra dollar get away from them.
I'm agreeing with you! :)
DesertMan
Posts: 355
Joined: Tue Dec 07, 2010 11:54 am

Re: New MacBook Pro with M1 processor

Post by DesertMan »

I would not buy a new Mac, or anything else Apple makes, until there is an official confirmation that the T2 security flaw has been fixed.

AFAIK, Apple has yet to even acknowledge the flaw, let alone confirm that it is fixed in the Apple Silicon Macs.

If Steve Jobs (God rest his soul) was still in charge, Apple would have already instituted a repair program and everyone responsible for the flaw would have been fired. The Apple of his time went out of the way to prove that they could be trusted with your digital life. I do not think that today's Apple is the same company.
Dyloot
Posts: 328
Joined: Mon Oct 14, 2013 8:04 am

Re: New MacBook Pro with M1 processor

Post by Dyloot »

As a fan of tech, 2020 is really turning out to be amazing. I do chuckle at all the companies declaring they are the best on the block.

In the end, anyone buying new devices have tons of amazing options.

- Gen 10 Intel CPUs
- AMD 3000 and 5000 series CPUs
- Apple Silicon CPUs
- NVIDIA 3000 series GPUs
- AMD 6000 series GPUs
- XBox Series X and S
- PS5

There are lots of strong opinions and click-bait YouTube videos to consume, but from my perspective we should all pick out the products we love and enjoy every ounce of the new tech coming out now.

For all of you buying the new Apple Silicon devices, please come back and report your experiences with them. Can't wait to hear more.
Dyloot
Posts: 328
Joined: Mon Oct 14, 2013 8:04 am

Re: New MacBook Pro with M1 processor

Post by Dyloot »

crazygrow wrote: Thu Nov 12, 2020 2:06 pm
palanzo wrote: Thu Nov 12, 2020 12:00 pm
crazygrow wrote: Thu Nov 12, 2020 6:00 am
onourway wrote: Thu Nov 12, 2020 5:43 am
crazygrow wrote: Thu Nov 12, 2020 5:38 am I’m an Apple guy. People need to know though that many of the stats they put out in their conference are very misleading. Like that the MacBook Air is faster than 98% of PCs sold in the last year.
This claim appears to be entirely true. The Air model with no fan is faster than the 16” Macbook Pro - even the top of the line i9 model. https://www.macrumors.com/2020/11/11/m1 ... benchmark/

It’s not much of a stretch to believe 98% of PC’s sold in the last year are slower.
Then the question is: why replace your two less expensive machines with a faster chip than your more expensive machine? If the claim was fully true you would start there, but those buyers are also more discerning.

The claim is true, like most marketing, under certain conditions and circumstances. Like that probably 98% of PC laptops cost substantially less than these machines. There are plenty of PC machines in the price range of these that is the real comparison, but as usual, it comes down to what that company wants to test. These won’t be the fastest gaming laptops (not what they are made for) but may be the fastest at running Apple software as they are specifically optimized to be so.
I guess sales of 16” MacBook Pro will go to zero in this case? :oops:
I honestly can't tell if you are agreeing or disagreeing with the point, but I believe the M1 chips have some sort of limitation they aren't discussing, which is why it is only in their low-end machines. If it was truly revolutionary you would take it to the top-end first and charge a premium for it. Apple never lets an extra dollar get away from them.
Apple announced a two-year transition from Intel to ARM back in June. My assumption is that the Intel-based units will still be desired for running applications that still rely on the x86 architecture.
Topic Author
bluebolt
Posts: 2137
Joined: Sat Jan 14, 2017 8:01 am

Re: New MacBook Pro with M1 processor

Post by bluebolt »

DesertMan wrote: Thu Nov 12, 2020 2:14 pm I would not buy a new Mac, or anything else Apple makes, until there is an official confirmation that the T2 security flaw has been fixed.

AFAIK, Apple has yet to even acknowledge the flaw, let alone confirm that it is fixed in the Apple Silicon Macs.

If Steve Jobs (God rest his soul) was still in charge, Apple would have already instituted a repair program and everyone responsible for the flaw would have been fired. The Apple of his time went out of the way to prove that they could be trusted with your digital life. I do not think that today's Apple is the same company.
Sounds like an attacker needs physical access to your machine for this exploit.
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