Forbes goes in hard with damming review on M1 Pro

[Moi Ici]

Forbes have been writing anti-apple stories for years. It’s their thing. There is one particular writer, can’t rent his name, but it became ridiculous how much venom he threw at every new Apple product that was released over the years. I’ve blocked all and every Forbes article I’ve come across since.

 

[matrix07]

I haven't read the article, but it sounds like someone who doesn't embrace change very well.
Or have the vision or courage to see where things are going.
And you wonder why the PC market has been stagnant for the past decade.

You nailed it. Typical PC user who wont want to move out of their comfort zones.

 

[KPOM]

To be perfectly fair though, who shouldn't buy is just as important as who should.
And if your software demands are limited to Microsoft Edge, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Word, Microsoft OneNote and Microsoft Skype for Business then maybe a Mac isn't for you. Perhaps Microsoft Windows is more suited to you.
To quote the "analyst" himself; "I think the new MacBook Pro 13” M1 will be fine for users who use 100% Apple software[...]".
I think the guy should stick to his Microsoft Surface which is fine for users who use 100% Microsoft software.

Outlook, Word, and OneNote have native apps in beta. I'm sure Edge won't be that far behind.

 

[matrix07]

Maybe you should read the article first before posting an opinion about an article you did not read

Personally I won’t give clicks to Forbes. I saw most of their Apple reporting are scare mongerings (or the headlines always are) in my Apple News so no thanks.

 

[bluecoast]

I have Forbes blocked as a source in Apple News for a while now, as its obviously clickbait.

 

[KPOM]

Marketing 101. Apple only gives review models to those who post pretty. Those who step out of line don't get review models. The volume of flag waving reviews drowned out anybody else who said anything negative. It's a classic Apple Marketing tactic we see every product release. This Forbes reviewer simply took an alternate approach by skipping the stuff you know about and reporting the issues he's encountered. I think it's a pretty clever piece that drives home the lack of objectivity in the Apple 'review' press.

That said, Anandtech DID get a review unit, and they had Andrei Frumusanu review it. Andrei says on his Twitter account that he uses Windows and Android almost exclusively because he doesn't like the macOS and iOS UIs. However, he gave a very positive review of the M1 Macs.

 

[matrix07]

The author of the article writes a very balanced view of the M1. Many in the comments section I am assuming have not read the complete article because if they did, they would realise and understand that the author is talking about the M1 macbook PRO, PRO being aimed at professional users and as such

Oh come on. This has been discussed ad nauseam. This is no different and yet much better in every ways to Intel 13” MacBook Pro 2 ports.

 

[m1maverick]

Much of his criticism (seems to be centered on things which are to be expected from a new architecture. Whether one agrees with those criticisms I do feel he raises points which should be considered before buying into any new architecture. For example I do a lot of virtualization which is an unknown at this time. Time will likely address that but I would avoid purchasing an Apple Silicon Mac until such time as virtualization on them had matured.

 

[acidfast7_redux]

Apple fandom is very strong with the M1. Apple could have built a kill switch into the machine that renders the machine useless after 2 years and many members would still defend Apple. It's enjoyable to read to see the lengths people will go to to defend Apple against any negativity

I would. Even for only two-years of usage, M1 MBA at under £900 is an excellent deal.

 

[matrix07]

Users who occasionally need windows are obviously out of luck.

You just know this after reading this (uninformed) review? Really?

 

[matrix07]

Forbes being negative about Apple! No, you don’t say!

I really think he didn’t update to 11.0.1 which was available day one. 11.0 was buggy on the M1 and I can see how he collected so many crash screen shots. Most reviewers updated to 11.0.1.

That said most of the review is typical Forbes drivel. They don’t even bother to hide the bias. WTF does Apple-Chosen press mean? There are tones of videos on YouTube by people that bought the systems and were equally awestruck by the M1 systems.

Exactly!

 

[matrix07]

That's typical of Apple forums, but every contrarian fancies themselves the oh-so-oppressed, only-sensible one. It's tiring.

Nailed it.

 

[matrix07]

Forbes is a joke. About once a week they have an article about a "nasty little surprise about your iPhone"

This is true.

 

[Sanpete]

I learned some time ago that Forbes specializes in click bait, at least in regard to Apple, as several others here have pointed out, so I resolved not to reward it by clicking. Guess I'll miss the wisdom of that review.

 

[matrix07]

I don't know if this has been mentioned but that Edge error came while he was updating Big Sur in the background. He probably hasn't even finished letting macOS finish up all the stuff it needs to do on a clean install. Tech reviewer indeed.

I’m not surprised. A good thread for those haters to jump to though.

 

[FirePak]

This is insane.

 

[KPOM]

Much of his criticism (seems to be centered on things which are to be expected from a new architecture. Whether one agrees with those criticisms I do feel he raises points which should be considered before buying into any new architecture. For example I do a lot of virtualization which is an unknown at this time. Time will likely address that but I would avoid purchasing an Apple Silicon Mac until such time as virtualization on them had matured.

Considering that the M1-based Macs Apple released are their entry-level models geared toward average consumers (and that includes the 2-port MacBook Pro), it is unlikely many will need virtualization. My guess is that by the time the 14" MacBook Pro is released and the 16" MacBook Pro is updated, Parallels will be out with its virtualization solution. We'll see whether or not Microsoft releases a retail version of Windows on ARM.

 

[raccoontail]

Oh come on. This has been discussed ad nauseam. This is no different and yet much better in every ways to Intel 13” MacBook Pro 2 ports.

If currently have 2 external displays on your desk and swap your 2 port Intel MBP for the M1, discovering only one of your displays works will probably not make you think it is better in every way.

 

[matrix07]

If currently have 2 external displays on your desk and swap your 2 port Intel MBP for the M1, discovering only one of your displays works will probably not make you think it is better in every way.

It‘s a well known fact that M1 support ONE external monitor.

 

[m1maverick]

Considering that the M1-based Macs Apple released are their entry-level models geared toward average consumers (and that includes the 2-port MacBook Pro), it is unlikely many will need virtualization. My guess is that by the time the 14" MacBook Pro is released and the 16" MacBook Pro is updated, Parallels will be out with its virtualization solution. We'll see whether or not Microsoft releases a retail version of Windows on ARM.

I just used virtualization as an example because it is a use case that I specifically considered.

 

[raccoontail]

It‘s a well known fact that M1 support ONE external monitor.

Quite a limitation for a "Pro" branded product. At the very least the M1 MBP should support 1 thunderbolt and 1 HDMI display like the non-pro M1 mac mini does. A mini-HDMI port for the 2nd display would have been fine. Every MBP from late 2016 until this M1 has supported two external displays. Not a problem for many users, but that second monitor gives many people a bigger productivity boost than the faster M1 processor does.

 

[matrix07]

Quite a limitation for a "Pro" branded product.

This is also discussed ad nauseam. There are many different kinds (and levels) of pro. If supporting 2 external monitors are your requirement then wait for a new advanced M1 next year.

 

[dmccloud]

“1#-ranked tech analyst” should be an indication that this review is not to taken seriously

He's only ranked the #1 analyst in his own mind. Moorhead is just a s***poster who tries to pass himself off as someone knowledgeable. But if you read that "review", it's really nothing more than him stating "I want a computer to run this specific way and if it doesn't I'm gonna tell people to avoid it." And let's be honest here, those Windows-based machines that are LTE capable are running ARM-based chips also, and the stories of the horror of Windows-on-ARM are becoming legendary. Of all the areas to compare the M1 to Windows-based machines, he unfortunately (for his already shady reputation) chose one where Apple's approach clearly is superior to Microsoft's half-baked one.

 

[raccoontail]

If supporting 2 external monitors are your requirement then wait for a new advanced M1 next year.

I do plan to wait. And this was the point of this Forbes article. While the M1's performance is awesome, it is not better in every way than its Intel-based predecessors, and many users should wait for future Apple Silicon models.

 

[LonestarOne]

Quite a limitation for a "Pro" branded product. At the very least the M1 MBP should support 1 thunderbolt and 1 HDMI display like the non-pro M1 mac mini does. A mini-HDMI port for the 2nd display would have been fine. Every MBP from late 2016 until this M1 has supported two external displays. Not a problem for many users, but that second monitor gives many people a bigger productivity boost than the faster M1 processor does.

Then those people should not buy a laptop with an. M1 processor. Problem solved.