I feel like i'm alone to dislike M1/what is it good for (Merged Mega Thread)

[russell_314]

Universal control works sometimes with my iPad Pro, sound output utilizing HDMI (Stereo only when connecting my heater system). Screen sharing continually disconnects. Happens on multiple storks or even when wired to my iPad. Multiscreen supports seems to forget my display setup. Safari woks at time with a high refresh, but not always. Surprisingly the Notch is a non issues for me.

Sounds like a lot of issues with an external display. I've heard 12.3 was supposed to fix some but I guess not. Maybe it's a good thing I'm not getting the Studio display yet.

As for bootcamp I would really like to see this unit have dedicated bootcamp support, I utilize virtualization where applicable although we have engineer software that requires Windows on non virtualization for security measures.

That's never going to happen IMO. Bootcamp is dead. If you need hardware to boot into Windows consider something like a small form factor PC and connect it to a different port on your monitor. There are quite a few of them that are about the size of a Mac mini and will do anything except workloads that require a lot of GPU power.

Even under virtualization Windows is not licensed on Mac. There is no valid license to run in VM on Mac. Yes people do it with Parallels but it's technically not legal. Microsoft has a contract with Qualcomm for exclusive rights to Windows on ARM. Perhaps when this expires (I think soon) there will be actual MS support for Windows VM on Mac. I don't ever see Apple allowing hardware boot to Windows but who knows anything could happen. Even then it would be the ARM version of Windows so many apps would not work on it.

 

[usagora]

There is a positive to limits (e.g. unwilling to pay for storage, option is not available): you’re coerced/forced to improve efficiency/streamline. For example, I had 1TB of primary storage on my 2012 Mac mini, but was able to snag this M1 mini, which has half the internal capacity, for a great price. Thus, I was forced to review and clear out a couple hundred GBs or so of long forgotten about files. As expected, there really were a lot no longer usable, irrelevant, uninteresting, etc. The process is akin to when moving residences or hitting the problem of “I don’t know where I am going to put this” when obtaining something new. Equally, while the task is very tedious and obnoxious, the end result is ultimately satisfying (for me).

Good point. I purchased Duplicate File Finder Pro from the App Store last year which really helped me eliminate a good amount of GBs right off the bat. It also finds "similar" files. Dupes are harder to search for manually if you have thousands of files, as you can easily forget that you've already seen a certain file before.

 

[ArkSingularity]

Good point. I purchased Duplicate File Finder Pro from the App Store last year which really helped me eliminate a good amount of GBs right off the bat. It also finds "similar" files. Dupes are harder to search for manually if you have thousands of files, as you can easily forget that you've already seen a certain file before.

OmniDiskSweeper is another good one, it maps out the disk and shows exactly where the space is being used. Helped me clear out a lot of useless caches.

 

[branchus]

2/ Lack of compatibility

My solution to this is to have micro-windows PC somewhere. then use Remote Desktop on my Mac

 

[MayaUser]

Hey everyone,

I recently had a M1 Mac Mini, 1TB Storage, 16 gb of RAM. I never had M1 Mac before, just "Classic" Intel Mac. 😄

And you know what ? I kept it 2 months, and sold it.

I have a really "mixed" feeling about that M1 chips.

Of course, M1 chips have really very great performances. I was impressed to see a Mac Mini with such perfs.

But there a couple of things i really can't stand with that M1 chips.

1/ Zero upgrade possiblity.

Let's be clear, i always hated that apple decision to solder components, BUT i can admit it gives advantages about performances.
But what i feel is like Apple saying "You won't touch inside our machines. We will do everything possible to make it non-upgradeable. Don't touch our computers. You should pay 2X or 3x times the normal price with our configuration."

Look at the poor Luke Miani who had a hope when he opened his Mac Studio... He tried swapping the modules and got 100% locked by Apple. I could feel hope in his eyes, but reality came back very fast 😂

Of course, Apple was never reputed for making upgradeables machines. We all know that Steve Jobs didn't want this.
But at least, most of machines before 2012 could be upgraded with RAM and new Hard drives. I think it was really the minimum Apple could offer to customers. And i'll be honest, i always enjoyed that.
Look at 2020 iMac, memory was still accessible.

In my mind, i really can't stand to be stuck with my machine. I know if i want to change anything in my machine, i have to change the whole machine. And i really feel sad about it.

I feel like : Having a very great machine but being prisoner of it.

2/ Lack of compatibility

Of course, Rosetta is good, and ARM chips are just like the transition from PowerPC to Intel in the mid 2000's. It's totally normal that it lacks of compatibility.
However, i've been so much used to run multiple systems like Linux or Windows, additional to MacOS that it frustrates me a lot.
I won't expand on this topic, i think it's useless.

BTW, i feel very mitigate about M1 Computers, and i feel very alone. Everyone seems to love it so much.
Anyone feeling like me ? 😉

so you bought this thing without knowing basics like these?
Every mac users already knew about zero upgrades and less compatibility
Next time, do some research before you buy something, or buy it and use it for 2 weeks and make the return, this way you dont lose any-money

 

[MayaUser]

I'm buying Mac since 15 years😂
I just share my feelings about Apple policy with Macs

in 15 years you should share those feelings with Apple not with us
We are not those who build the soft and hardware

 

[tny]

AWS EC2 is billed per second these days, so you can build on a true "on demand" fashion without incurring charges for more than you use.

If you need 24x7x365 access then Reserved Instance or Savings Plans will save you some cash, but probably ad-hoc dev environments can use Spot Instances to save even more:

Amazon EC2 – Secure and resizable compute capacity – AWS

There are three ways to pay for Amazon EC2 instances: On-Demand, Savings Plans, and Amazon EC2 Spot Instances. Learn more about each.

aws.amazon.com

Thanks, great correction! Obviously I haven't checked out ec2 billing lately!

 

[theluggage]

Why not just buy a cheap windows laptop? I bought a Surface laptop base model with AMD chip and love it .

I think that hits the nail on the head - back in 2006, being able to run Windows on a Mac avoided having a whole Mini Tower or chunky laptop (...or a smaller laptop with a feeble processor) on the desk. Now, you can have a Surface or a NUC or various cheaper "ultrabooks" with a reasonable amount of power - or a bog-standard tower PC tucked away somewhere that you can access via remote desktop.

Then you have all the cloud-based possibilities (its early days for non-corporate Windows in the cloud, but if you need an x86 Linux instance there are a ton of very cheap options).

On top of that, annoying things like websites that only worked with IE6 or windows-only banking applications etc. are much less of a problem, with IE6 all but dead and replaced with more standards-compliant browsers and more and more "client" apps for banking etc. coming in the form of iOS and Android apps.

So, yes, although some people really do need x86/Windows compatibility, it is far less of an issue than it was when Intel Macs first appeared, and is probably only going to recede further.

The question is, at what stage does maintaining Windows or x86 compatibility stop being an advantage and start holding back the development of Macs. Using Intel was a good thing in the '10s, but the Mac has been suffering because of the limitations of x86 tech which has, increasingly, only been surviving because of the huge dependence on legacy Windows compatibility - and a lot of that is in the corporate /business market where Apple doesn't really operate. Apple Silicon lets Apple do what they do best - mobile devices tightly integrated with swish laptops and small-form-factor devices, and video/audio production 'appliances' - better.

(Personally, I think Windows/x86 is already "dead" - the rise of mobile tech and the internet was the fatal blow - but was so big that it's going to take another decade or two before the corpse stops moving).

 

[ChrisA]

in the old days, interfce between the parts of a computer were slow enough that they could runs the wires out to a connector. I remeber buying "RAM cards for my old computer in the lates 1970s. Then RAM got too fast and they have to go with special SIMM cards and you could no longer buy the RAM chips and iplace them on the board youself.

This has happened several times. Not the interface with RAM is so fast they need to specially design the PCB traces and closly control the lengths of the printed wires. ockets are out of the question.

Same to GPUs, With unified RAM, the data moves too fast for a bus and even too fast for a PCB, so the GPU is inside the chip.

The speed of light is surprisingly slow. a one foot long ruler is about one nanosecond. Can you imagine a 1 inch long wire with a 24 GHz signal on it. There would be two pulses in the wires at the same time. Yes the volts in the wires would be different depending on where along the wires you measured. Obviously adding a plug-in card dramatically changes the length of the wires. At today's speeds we can't add cards. It has to be built at the factory.

 

[LonestarOne]

1/ It's not a reason to justify that Apple Policy. It's too bad.
2/ Same

No one forces you to buy from Apple. You have many other options. If you don’t like the products Apple offers, there’s no reason to buy them. Apart from your desire to complain about them here, that is.

 

[JMacHack]

(Personally, I think Windows/x86 is already "dead" - the rise of mobile tech and the internet was the fatal blow - but was so big that it's going to take another decade or two before the corpse stops moving).

If the last decade has taught me anything, it’s that the future is unpredictable.

Still, I’m not sure you’re right here. x86 is not gonna go down without a fight, and it has two very big players in its corner and a heavy advantage in legacy software (which CANNOT be underestimated).

As amazed as I am with Apple Silicon, no one else has yet come to make an ARM cpu anywhere close as powerful (in its space), or even match the A14, and even when the performance is on par with even older chips, the efficiency is lacking in comparison.

Windows is a dinosaur as well, but unless some big dick throws their weight behind Linux, it will remain dominant for sheer size factor. And even Microsoft is hedging their bets and developing an ARM version.

Maybe in the coming decades you’ll be right, but I just can’t see it going that way.

 

[nonns]

I see all modern macs apart from the mac pro being ostensibly like different form factor laptops with varying power capabilities aimed at different customer types with different use cases.

If you look at most Intel based PC devices in use; Dell, Microsoft, Samsung and the various other off the shelf devices then most of them demonstrate equally little upgradabilty often with less aesthetically pleasing designs.

If you want a Mac which is upgradable then you're shifting into the realms of specialist kit and the MAC Pro.

The number 1 problem for anyone who has a need to host their tech in house has always been that of sizing and cost. Private consumers who want a Mac should pay attention to this when they specify their machine. I usually want my equipment to last as long as possible so I tend to overspecify the processor and memory. I go lighter on the (expensive) built in fast storage and should I find myself running short invest in external storage either through external hard drives/SSD's or a NAS. Taking that route I have never been caught out. I have also never suffered a need for premature upgrades. I have a PC only for gaming. I am beginning to wonder if a m1 ultra based Mac with plenty of memory could replace it at a much lower power consumption level.

 

[LonestarOne]

If you look at most Intel based PC devices in use; Dell, Microsoft, Samsung and the various other off the shelf devices then most of them demonstrate equally little upgradabilty often with less aesthetically pleasing designs.

The vast majority of card slots in desktop PCs are never used. It’s not like the old days when you might need to add a card just to get some basic function like 8-bit sound. Beyond the motherboard and graphics card, there’s not much the average person needs, and most people are perfectly happy with whatever graphics card comes with the computer. (Yes, gamers, they are. You are not the average user.)

 

[sigamy]

Hey everyone,

I recently had a M1 Mac Mini, 1TB Storage, 16 gb of RAM. I never had M1 Mac before, just "Classic" Intel Mac. 😄

And you know what ? I kept it 2 months, and sold it.

I have a really "mixed" feeling about that M1 chips.

Of course, M1 chips have really very great performances. I was impressed to see a Mac Mini with such perfs.

But there a couple of things i really can't stand with that M1 chips.

1/ Zero upgrade possiblity.

Let's be clear, i always hated that apple decision to solder components, BUT i can admit it gives advantages about performances.
But what i feel is like Apple saying "You won't touch inside our machines. We will do everything possible to make it non-upgradeable. Don't touch our computers. You should pay 2X or 3x times the normal price with our configuration."

Look at the poor Luke Miani who had a hope when he opened his Mac Studio... He tried swapping the modules and got 100% locked by Apple. I could feel hope in his eyes, but reality came back very fast 😂

Of course, Apple was never reputed for making upgradeables machines. We all know that Steve Jobs didn't want this.
But at least, most of machines before 2012 could be upgraded with RAM and new Hard drives. I think it was really the minimum Apple could offer to customers. And i'll be honest, i always enjoyed that.
Look at 2020 iMac, memory was still accessible.

In my mind, i really can't stand to be stuck with my machine. I know if i want to change anything in my machine, i have to change the whole machine. And i really feel sad about it.

I feel like : Having a very great machine but being prisoner of it.

2/ Lack of compatibility

Of course, Rosetta is good, and ARM chips are just like the transition from PowerPC to Intel in the mid 2000's. It's totally normal that it lacks of compatibility.
However, i've been so much used to run multiple systems like Linux or Windows, additional to MacOS that it frustrates me a lot.

There are VERY tangible benefits to Apple's SOC approach with the M1 line. The packaged unified memory is extremely fast. There are downsides too--you can't upgrade RAM after the fact. But IMHO the benefits *greatly* win. Vast majority of computers sold are laptops. What percentage of people *ever* upgrade the RAM on their laptop?

I enjoy some of Luke Miani's videos but those videos on upgrading the "SSDs" in the Studio were--at best--uninformed/poorly researched, or at worst clickbait faux outrage. Those aren't traditional SSDs, same as in the MacPro.

The Studio is not meant to be user serviceable, Apple made no such claims. Of course, as a consumer, you can say this does not meant my requirements, that is fine. THEN DON'T BUY THE MACHINE!

For your #2...I don't know what to say. Apple announced two years ago they were switching architectures. This was well communicated and KNOWN. You are upset that you can't run other OS'es after the fact? Again, if the products that Apple offers do not meet your requirements, then...don't buy Apple products.

 

[Fomalhaut]

I never used bootcamp and always used VM's. (long before I got my first Mac, and that was a long time ago. My first Mac was a Core Duo mini.). I'm too impatient to take the time to reboot.

My first (Intel) Mac was a Core Duo MacBook Pro (2007). That a workhorse for me, and I experimented with all sorts of dual & triple boot options with Windows/Linux/macOS and ran VMFusion & Virtual Box VMs on it extensively for work. It had all sorts of hardware failures though - failed Nvidia GPU, swollen battery, and eventually both the keyboard and trackpad gave up the ghost due to some weird intermittent failure of the ribbon cable that eventually failed completely.

It was also pretty easy to upgrade, and I went from 2GB to the maximum 6GB RAM, replaced the primary HDD with an SSD (big upgrade!) and then the CD-ROM drive with a second HDD using an adaptor kit.

 

[tmoerel]

My first (Intel) Mac was a Core Duo MacBook Pro (2007). That a workhorse for me, and I experimented with all sorts of dual & triple boot options with Windows/Linux/macOS and ran VMFusion & Virtual Box VMs on it extensively for work. It had all sorts of hardware failures though - failed Nvidia GPU, swollen battery, and eventually both the keyboard and trackpad gave up the ghost due to some weird intermittent failure of the ribbon cable that eventually failed completely.

It was also pretty easy to upgrade, and I went from 2GB to the maximum 6GB RAM, replaced the primary HDD with an SSD (big upgrade!) and then the CD-ROM drive with a second HDD using an adaptor kit.

Yes all true. And now that is the past and most users won't care. If it bothers you then there is a whole PC world waiting for you. You are not Apple's use case anymore. Sorry!

 

[Arctic Moose]

The point is that it’s far better to isolate your files and use the internal drive for is and apps.

But why? Assuming there is sufficient free space (I rarely go above 50%) I still only see a few relevant pros, and lots of cons.

 

[TheFluffyDuck]

Yeah, especially of one part fails, like the SSD, you have to a whole new motherboard instead of a $150 part. It's really anti-consumer.

 

[Pskordilis]

Best troll post i ever seen on macrumors.

 

[zidarko]

Unlike us, Apple has solid numbers showing the failure rate of their SSDs that likely indicate this doesn't happen often enough to warrant making them user replaceable.

 

[JMacHack]

Yeah, especially of one part fails, like the SSD, you have to a whole new motherboard instead of a $150 part. It's really anti-consumer.

I always hear this scenario repeated, but have never in my life heard of SSDs failing before other parts of a machine.

 

[darngooddesign]

Unlike us, Apple has solid numbers showing the failure rate of their SSDs that likely indicate this doesn't happen often enough to warrant making them user replaceable.

Or after six years of soldered SSDs Apple's numbers say that doing so is more profitable because people are likely to buy a new laptop instead of replacing the logicboard on an older computer. The Mac Studio has demonstrated that Apple can have a replaceable SSD without sacrificing performance.

 

[ct2k7]

I always hear this scenario repeated, but have never in my life heard of SSDs failing before other parts of a machine.

I have; but only in server environments. I’d have thought that technology has progressed to reduce the incidents and provide adequate warnings prior. If I’m going to keep this for 8+ years, which is possible with my Studio configuration, i might not expect the whole thing to survive that long.

 

[darngooddesign]

I have; but only in server environments. I’d have thought that technology has progressed to reduce the incidents and provide adequate warnings prior. If I’m going to keep this for 8+ years, which is possible with my Studio configuration, i might not expect the whole thing to survive that long.

You will be fine because you can replace a failed SSD in your Studio; not possible with every other M1 computer Apple has released so far. Your Studio has demonstrated that there is no performance penalty to having a replaceable SSD.

 

[JMacHack]

I have; but only in server environments. I’d have thought that technology has progressed to reduce the incidents and provide adequate warnings prior. If I’m going to keep this for 8+ years, which is possible with my Studio configuration, i might not expect the whole thing to survive that long.

I see, I don’t have experience in server environments. In my experience GPUs and HDDs are the most common failure points.