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How many people really need M1 Pro or M1 Max
- Thread starter SpartaMAC
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I don’t really need an M1 Pro or M1 Max. These days, I’m doing most of my stuff on my iPad Pro or my M1 Mac Pro.
My desktop machine, which mostly sits idle at the moment, is a 2014 5K iMac with 24GB of RAM. I could easily replace it with an M1 iMac, but I’m unwilling to give up the 5K display, and I don’t see the point in replacing it which something that’s no more powerful than my laptop.
So, I’m looking forward to an M1 Max, or M1 Super Max, in a 5K iMac, which will last me 5-10 years.
My desktop machine, which mostly sits idle at the moment, is a 2014 5K iMac with 24GB of RAM. I could easily replace it with an M1 iMac, but I’m unwilling to give up the 5K display, and I don’t see the point in replacing it which something that’s no more powerful than my laptop.
So, I’m looking forward to an M1 Max, or M1 Super Max, in a 5K iMac, which will last me 5-10 years.
Is that a waste? Hmm... (JK)
Some people NEED that power, and often not just to make software go faster. *shrug* If someone wants to pay that, and can afford it, (or even can't) it's not my position to tell them they don't need it. Like the 'Little old lady from Pasadena'.
And my uncle had a blueprinted monster Plymouth when he was younger. It looked 'dad's car', but would go through tires like Kleenex. It ended up being a 'grocery getter'. One day, someone recognized it and offered him a really insane amount of money for it. (Yeah, the testosterone relatives were seriously bummed) But, if you can afford it, and the gas, and tickets, and AppleCare, DO IT!!! (I'd love a loaded Mac Pro, but all my richer relatives have already died)
'Go granny, go granny, go granny, go!'
And VOLCANO PORN!!! WOW!!! It's still going!
I think there's a point of diminishing returns. I've lived through the growth of the computer industry and I can say a computer from 2001 can still meet the needs of many users. It's software which has obsoleted those old computers, not the users needs.
Oops, second post: I've been guilty of that myself. 'It's only a hundred bucks...' HAH!!! Do that with memory/storage though, seriously...
The question wasn't of want but need. I didn't get the impression the OP was attempting to tell people what or what not to purchase.
Are we? Apple has been designing processors for quite some time. They've just finally decided to put them into Macs.
From what I can tell from these new processors Apple is following the Intel path...increase core counts with little, if any, IPC increase. Of course I only have the M1 to M1 Pro / M1 Max to make this judgement and I hope I am wrong and that future processors will have substantial IPC gains (as we saw in the 286 to 386 to 486 to etc. days).
From a certain point of view, you are totally correct. Like when the App Store size limit was lifted. Make way for the bloated poorly written and optimized apps. ICK...
Yeah, I loved Windows 2000. Devices have outpaced what it could support. I used to chuckle at the car analogy. Imagine a new car requiring a totally different version of 'go juice' from what your old car used, or required a totally different type of road. People would rise up, and with good reason, but that kind of thing happens in the computer industry seemingly all the time. Watch out for upgrades...
I am a little worried taking my laptop with me on a regular traveling basis. Perhaps here and there to locations I know are safe. The cost and the fact that it would be my primary is the reason. But 14 seems so much more portable. The 16 is not only thick but it’s considerably heavier than the 14 and prior 16 versions. Carrying 5 pounds of weight is uncomfortable for me. I do like the 16 to serve as a secondary monitor to my ultra-wide 34 inch monitor.
There was no expectation of IPC increase for M1 to M1 Max. They all use effectively the same core, and this was predicted before M1 Pro/Max was released.
The real question is whether or not M2 will have a significant IPC increase, but it's likely that won't have a large increase either, judging by A14 vs A15. Maybe up to 10% or so.
Such an increase would fall in line with what Intel has been doing for years. Slight IPC increases with increases in core counts.
Unless M2 is meant to build on A16. A15 looks like an efficiency focused spin with a minor process update, A16 will move to the next process node, if I understand correctly.
I don't see any reason the phones wouldn't run on an annual cadence and the Macs on a 2 year cadence. That seems to agree with Apple's planned release schedule.
Software and hardware have a symbiotic relationship. Give a software developer new features and more power and they will find a way to consume those gains. Then the hardware team needs to come up with more power and features to meet the increasing needs of modern software. A vicious cycle making all of our systems obsolete.
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As a non-pro, I think Apple has taken a step back. These new MBPs are thick and heavy, unpleasant to look at (overall design and notch), and inefficient compared to the M1. Yes, these are very powerful, so far at least on paper, but I bet many pro users will gladly trade down for a future MBP M2. MAG safe is OK, but I prefer all other ports to be UBS-C only.
Since the laptop is called MacBook Pro, you're probably not their target demographic. I actually think the previous generations of MBP was a misstep by Apple. The MacBook Air is probably what you're looking for.
True, I am not a pro therefore not the target demographic but I still think (and I’m sure many pro users would agree) that the new 14/16 leaves a lot to be desired.
If end-users use the software applications created by this process it also impacts them. The result is they can no longer get good performance on a familiar app when they upgrade to the latest version. And are eventually forced to upgrade their system or switch applications.
We still have some Pentium 4s with XP at the office to run old, expensive equipment. Gotta say, those are pretty painful to use.
2009 with 45nm Core 2 or 1st gen Core i-series ain't too bad though.
It sounds possible the M2 will be A16 based if the rumours of the next MBA not launching until H2 2022 are true. That would allow Apple to accumulate a couple of YoY single core gains for a slightly bigger jump between M series generations.
Thick and heavy? The 14" MBP is essentially the same thickness as the 13" MBP and weighs a whopping 2.6 oz more. I'd hardly call that thick and heavy compared to the 13" MBP.
For what purpose are you using them that would make them painful to use? Was the software supplied with the equipment painful to use?