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Anyone regret getting an M1 Pro/Max?
- Thread starter Ballgag
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If I am understanding your remarks and the OP's, if the issue is with the moving 7-year window, then it doesn't matter what you ever upgrade to. There's always that 7-year window (give or take) that is there regardless of when you upgrade or not. It seems like a totally moot point then and we're back to the advice of upgrade when you have a need to do so.
“Scared”? This is a complete clickbait post…unfortunately, it seems to have worked.
I bought an M1 Pro at launch, am typing on it right now. Best laptop I've ever owned. I also use an M1 Studio and a 2015 iMac and my backup latop is a 2015 MacBook Pro 15. They are limited to Monterey but they run just fine. I also use a 2010 iMac 27 for watching videos on my spin bike. I am shopping for a 2020 iMac 27 to replace my 2015 and then that goes to my wife or I'll sell it. My 2012 Camry is way out of warranty but it drives just fine too.
OP's concern is thinking his window already had a good year lobbed off from the start which I don't believe is correct. Fairly certain it's attached to the actual model release date than processor family.
Also it looks like the warranty is actually attached to the last time of sale by Apple, and is an undefined period of over 5 years but less than 7. I imagine it's a bit loose to account for things like still having the M1 Air on sale.
"Products are considered vintage when Apple stopped distributing them for sale more than 5 and less than 7 years ago."
Obtaining service for your Apple product after an expired warranty - Apple Support
Learn about your options for getting service and parts for Apple devices that are past their warranty period.
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I think we're going to find that Apple supports Apple Silicon machines longer than they supported Intel. There's a lot less innovation that would break the OS (e.g. T2) in their CPU's vs the intel era.
I'm perfectly happy with my M1 Max, and this may very well become my first 4 or 5 year mac. I see no reason to upgrade to the M2 or M3 Max...there just isn't a material enough difference to justify it.
Ah, I see. In that case, yeah, OP is incorrect. The window is NOT tied to the processor family or the processor but rather the actual release of the computer that s/he bought.
I don't have a Silicon Mac, but I have an Intel Mac from 2017. I've owned Macs since 1989 and I think this current Mac that I have (MBP 13" touchbar, intel, bought in 2017) is the longest period I've been able to keep a computer without the computer feeling like it is approach or has approached its limit for what I use it for. Processing power and ability has gotten so good for what I need them for that I feel like I can keep using this machine until it actually breaks. Six years and counting; and I'm hoping this computer makes it at least to 2027 and beyond!
I think for all my other computers in the past, after owning them for about 4 years, they would be showing signs of not being able to keep up with modern-day software and requirements.
Need is a funny word, because you almost certainly don't need a computer. If your computer breaks, you can just stop using it. If you used it for work, you can find another job.
It's better to think computers as investments. You spend some money now, and you get some expected value from using it in the future. And as with other investments, it sometimes makes sense to delay the investment if you expect that better options will be available soon.
I got an M1 Max around 5 months ago, no matter how powerful Mac Apple releases, for a long time to come, this still we be a powerhouse of performance, easily able to rival out pretty much most of the professional machines, including the iMac Pro. So in that sense, I am still quite happy with my Mac, and not worried about the new release. I believe we will at least have 7 Years of OS Upgrades on these Machines. Or rather we can also say as long as M2 Series also have support, cause these machines, are not huge of a difference compared to the M1 Family, they both have quite the same fabrication and similar performance (or in cases 20% faster for M2 Series, but still that isn't as big of a leap, which the M3 Did)
I bought a MBP14 half a year ago with a double binned M1 Pro. A few days ago I bought a MPB16 with an unbinned M2 Pro on eBay for 2000 €-bucks. So why didn't I buy the new M3 Pro? Because I just wanted a bigger Display. Perfomance was/is plenty both on M1 Pro/Max and M2 Pro/Max, even the double binned M1 Pro is more than sufficient for >95% of the population. So I would have spend a full thousand €-bucks more for the M3 Pro, and for what? Same perfomance in the same chassis. It's just not worth it.
Meaning there is simply no reason to regret anything for anyone... with the only exception of M2 Ultra Studio buyers. They've been screwed by Apple and I would be seriously pissed off if I had bought a M2 Ultra Studio a couple of month ago, knowing I could've waited and put a friggin Macbook on the table instead and freely move around with it.
Meaning there is simply no reason to regret anything for anyone... with the only exception of M2 Ultra Studio buyers. They've been screwed by Apple and I would be seriously pissed off if I had bought a M2 Ultra Studio a couple of month ago, knowing I could've waited and put a friggin Macbook on the table instead and freely move around with it.
"If you used it for work, you can find another job."
That is going to unrealistic, far-fetched extremes. Yes, you can take that approach if you want, but it becomes nonsensical when applied as general advice. Who is going to go get a job that does not use computers only because their current computer for their work is no longer working or no longer working properly?
That's taking an argument to nonsensical extremes.
Sure, if it helps you to think of it as an investment. Need can be seen as another way to say investment.
One had to determine what ones needs are just like one should get clarity on WHAT the investment is for. Is it a need for fun? Is it an investment for fun? Or is it a need for work, etc.
Something that I learned in hanging out in the Mac Studio forum is that there are a lot of people that think nothing of the cost of an M1 Max or Ultra and that's because they earn their livings from the devices. They think in terms of what will allow them to do their work faster so that they can sell and do more work.
It's not the same thing as an employer giving you a machine that has specs that may or may not be enough for you but the buyer deciding on the value proposition of what the machine can do to increase revenues; where cost is small in relation to revenues.
Not really. Sure i want the shiny new chips. But if i'm being rational, i've barely scratched the surface of the performance the M1 Max provides.
Therefore, i don't see myself buying a new MBP until there's a redesign. That will also give me time to save up, and possibly harvest my kidney.
If the M1 Max is still good enough for MKBHD, there's no reason to regret it whatsoever
Therefore, i don't see myself buying a new MBP until there's a redesign. That will also give me time to save up, and possibly harvest my kidney.
If the M1 Max is still good enough for MKBHD, there's no reason to regret it whatsoever
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Given the current options nowadays I massively regret not picking up the 14" M1 Pro base, it was as low as £1400-1500 at some points in the UK. Considering it had 6 performance cores, 2 efficiency cores, 16GB RAM, higher memory bandwidth and 3 USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4 and multiple external display support it is IMO vastly superior to the new base model. It's a real shame I passed up on this!
I'm struggling to see why most people with an M1 Pro/Max would feel the need to upgrade unless switching processor class e.g. going from Pro to Max or needing a change in screen size.
I have a base M1 MBA and have to say I've never really tested the CPU, the 8GB RAM is my issue. I will probably upgrade to an M3 laptop, whether air or Pro but it's an annoyingly hefty price to pay when all I really need is more RAM.
I'm struggling to see why most people with an M1 Pro/Max would feel the need to upgrade unless switching processor class e.g. going from Pro to Max or needing a change in screen size.
I have a base M1 MBA and have to say I've never really tested the CPU, the 8GB RAM is my issue. I will probably upgrade to an M3 laptop, whether air or Pro but it's an annoyingly hefty price to pay when all I really need is more RAM.
M3 Max CPU performans is substantially higher than M1/M2 Max. GPU 3D rendering performance is miles ahead judging by Redshift and Cycles render times (M3 Max renders Blender Scanlands scene in almost 1 minute while M1 Max more than 6 minutes and M2 Max takes just over 4 minutes.). Given most people with M1/M2 Max are people who use the device to its limits, it makes perfect sence to get M3 Max especially when M1/M2 Max still has high resale value.
I am perfectly happy with my M1 Max and refuse to give in to the Apple marketing hype telling me that I need the extra performance increase. For my current workflow, I don't. And I suspect for a large number of users, they don't either.
Are you using your machine to make money? If so, continue using it until it's no longer supported, or until you can't write off the value anymore.
Are you using your machine for pleasure/ personal use? Continue using it until it's no longer supported.
I have and M1 pro 161tb. fantastic for general use, i do not need more. I also have a 16core 2019 mac pro, its great too, but clearly i do not need all the ram ....
I got my M1 Pro for the screen size, output displays and RAM. The CPU/GPU were not the primary consideration. I also have an M1 mini and that has the CPU that I need but not enough RAM and not enough displays. I'd guess that there are others like me that needed 1 or 2 things that you could only get with the M1 Pro; and not necessarily CPU/GPU.
I wanted to drive 4 monitors off the MacBook Pro and just assumed that you could. I didn't realize that only the MAX would support 4 external monitors. So I eventually got a Studio. I don't need the CPU/GPU on the Studio, though. Just the monitor support and RAM.
If I had to upgrade the MBP 16 and Studio, I'd probably look for more RAM. Shame that 48 GB isn't offered. Or is it?
My M1 Pro is the best all-round machine I have ever owned from any vendor, including self built high spec machines like the one in my sig. It's a massive step up in every way from previous MacBooks I have owned, it's not even close. Previous Macs for me performed about as well as expected coming from PC portable hardware. The M series just blast that into the weeds.
I do not regret.
There's always something new coming down the pipe. Buy what you need today, budget to plan to upgrade in 3-4 years, push it to 5 or so if it's still good, repeat. Expecting computers to last forever is unrealistic, a lot changes in 3-5 years to render older machines obsolete no matter how high you spec them (new ports, storage standards, wifi standards, etc. baseline cpu/gpu performance improvement, etc.).
I'll upgrade to an M4 or M5 when this one is getting tired, but for now, its still great.
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The only slight regret I have is going for a Pro instead of a Max. I might go for a Max next time depending on how well the Apple gaming scene takes off. Whilst the pro will run games OK, if the macOS gaming platform takes off a bit, and parallels windows virtualisation + x86 emulation keeps getting better, it may be worth going for the max and ditching my gaming PC in the future. Unfortunately one of the PC games I actually play is quite heavy (DCS world) so expecting that to run on a Mac Windows VM is maybe unrealistic. For now.
But if a future Max can help get rid of my gaming PC (and I think by then it might), there's significant budget I'd otherwise be spending on a desktop PC for Mac hardware.
I do not regret.
There's always something new coming down the pipe. Buy what you need today, budget to plan to upgrade in 3-4 years, push it to 5 or so if it's still good, repeat. Expecting computers to last forever is unrealistic, a lot changes in 3-5 years to render older machines obsolete no matter how high you spec them (new ports, storage standards, wifi standards, etc. baseline cpu/gpu performance improvement, etc.).
I'll upgrade to an M4 or M5 when this one is getting tired, but for now, its still great.
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The only slight regret I have is going for a Pro instead of a Max. I might go for a Max next time depending on how well the Apple gaming scene takes off. Whilst the pro will run games OK, if the macOS gaming platform takes off a bit, and parallels windows virtualisation + x86 emulation keeps getting better, it may be worth going for the max and ditching my gaming PC in the future. Unfortunately one of the PC games I actually play is quite heavy (DCS world) so expecting that to run on a Mac Windows VM is maybe unrealistic. For now.
But if a future Max can help get rid of my gaming PC (and I think by then it might), there's significant budget I'd otherwise be spending on a desktop PC for Mac hardware.
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I feel the same way about mine. My daughter feels the same way about her M1 Air (she builds systems too).
It's a lot easier to just game on a Windows desktop.
I only went with the M1 Pro because it was the base option for the 14" MacBook Pro. If they had offered the M1 for $400 less, I would have happily gone that route because I don't need anything the M1 Pro offers over the M1 (I just wanted the MiniLED Pro-Motion display, which is why I did not buy the M1 MacBook Air).
Yes, for the scenario you describe, CPU/GPU are less relevant. I, too, wish Pro chip would offer more memory and external siaplay support as well. There can be small details that push you to the Max chip sometimes.