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I know no one is reporting it, and I'm probably wrong, but a part of me actually feels we could see the 24" iMac tomorrow.

The 21" wasn't updated this year and in my opinion a ASi 24" model could live in harmony with the last Intel 27".
You're so right, I have a gut feeling that there's going to be a 23"-24" (obviously ASi based) iMac tomorrow. Fingers Crossed. 🤞
 
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You're so right, I have gut feeling that there's going to be a 23"-24" (obviously ASi based) iMac tomorrow. Fingers Crossed. 🤞
Well when Apple switched to Intel processors, they had an iMac & the MacBook Pro. So here’s to tradition! It doesn’t look like that’s happening.

Interestingly, at the earnings call Tim said there were a few more things left. Not a couple. A few. So 3 things. Either it’s a combination of 2 13” MacBooks & the 16” (Gurman) or the 2 13” MacBooks & the iMac.

(And just so we’re clear the “one more thing” refers to switching the Mac to Apple silicon)
 
The MacBook Pros and iMacs do have very long shipping times right now; 4-5 weeks for some models (especially 13" MBP and 21" iMac).

That doesn't really mean that much, the 27" iMac has had long shipping times for months before it was finally updated. But it might be an indication that something is going on.
 
One thing where I'm not clear on my expectations for tomorrow is exactly what processors we'll be seeing. I think my assumption, and the assumption of many on here, has been that the 4x4 A14X was destined for the Macbook Air (and obviously iPad Pro later), while the 13" Macbook Pro would get the so-called "Bloomberg" SoC, with its speculated 8x4 setup.

The rumors have been pretty consistent that such an 8x4 chip will exist, and all the most recent reports suggest it could be called the A14T (at least internally). As far as I can tell though, every recent leak regarding the Apple Silicon chips has focused on three versions: A14, A14X, A14T, and every single report has pegged the A14T as being an iMac chip. This has been repeated enough that I'm starting to wonder if we won't see the 8x4 chip at all this fall, with it making its first appearance in the redesigned 24" iMac (and probably the 16" Macbook Pro) in the Spring / Summer. If that's the case, that would mean that the first 13" Macbook Pro with Apple Silicon will just be using some version of the A14X.

It seems strange (and unlikely?) to me to release an Air and a Pro with the exact same chip in it, but I feel like the rumors may lean that way at the moment. Presumably the A14X variant in the pro might have more GPU cores or something (maybe they call it the A14Z), but still the same CPU configuration. If the A14X performs anything like extrapolation suggests it might, a Macbook Pro with that chip would still significantly outperform a hypothetical Tiger Lake MBP variant, so it's certainly not beyond the pale that Apple might see that as sufficient, especially if paired with big gains in GPU and battery life.
 
I doubt it. Apple has stated numerous times that they're not interested in doing this.
Yes but Apple has said many things and then later changed their minds. Things change. In order for users to have the best experience using iOS apps on a Mac, and Apple said the experience would be great, there has to be touch screens. Touch screens combined with a keyboard/trackpad is the best of both worlds. I have no doubts we will see touch screens Macs eventually.
 
The rumors have been pretty consistent that such an 8x4 chip will exist, and all the most recent reports suggest it could be called the A14T (at least internally). As far as I can tell though, every recent leak regarding the Apple Silicon chips has focused on three versions: A14, A14X, A14T, and every single report has pegged the A14T as being an iMac chip. This has been repeated enough that I'm starting to wonder if we won't see the 8x4 chip at all this fall, with it making its first appearance in the redesigned 24" iMac (and probably the 16" Macbook Pro) in the Spring / Summer. If that's the case, that would mean that the first 13" Macbook Pro with Apple Silicon will just be using some version of the A14X.

It seems strange (and unlikely?) to me to release an Air and a Pro with the exact same chip in it, but I feel like the rumors may lean that way at the moment. Presumably the A14X variant in the pro might have more GPU cores or something (maybe they call it the A14Z), but still the same CPU configuration. If the A14X performs anything like extrapolation suggests it might, a Macbook Pro with that chip would still significantly outperform a hypothetical Tiger Lake MBP variant, so it's certainly not beyond the pale that Apple might see that as sufficient, especially if paired with big gains in GPU and battery life.

That is a good question (and I hope we will have an answer tomorrow). Personally, I don't think that we will see more than 4 high-performance cores in a 13" model (be it Air or Pro). Already a 4+4 config (presumed A14X) would rival the 6-core Intel i7 in the 16" model... an 8+4 config (presumed A14T) would most likely be in the ballpark of 12 or even 16-core Xeons. That would be almost too good to be true.

Therefore, I believe that 8+4 CPU will be reserved for higher-end models such as the 16" refresh and the iMac. Even with the 4+4 CPU a 13" MBP will outperform any rival laptop in its bracket.
 
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Someone commented when the invite first came out, “new chassis logo”, or something like that. I’d love them to go back to a lit logo on the back of the screen! Imagine if it was a very slowly moving rainbow gradient similar to the design of the invite? That would be an amazing way of signaling the new era of their computers, building hype (when the “new” thing is so clearly identifiable, people tend to want it; if you have a rainbow logo you have the new generation), it would be a noticeable statement without a complete redesign (easier to implement), and it would honor their roots (original logo and color scheme), which would be really fitting considering they’re putting AS inside. I’m probably dreaming, but at the same time they do seem to want to honor the rainbow theme in some ways, with all the recent iOS devices color selection!
 
That is a good question (and I hope we will have an answer tomorrow). Personally, I don't think that we will see more than 4 high-performance cores in a 13" model (be it Air or Pro). Already a 4+4 config (presumed A14X) would rival the 6-core Intel i7 in the 16" model... an 8+4 config (presumed A14T) would most likely be in the ballpark of 12 or even 16-core Xeons. That would be almost too good to be true.

Therefore, I believe that 8+4 CPU will be reserved for higher-end models such as the 16" refresh and the iMac. Even with the 4+4 CPU a 13" MBP will outperform any rival laptop in its bracket.
Yes, I think I agree with you. It will be interesting to see what that means for the small MBP as a model though. My impression has been that there's not a lot of room for clocking up the individual A14 cores (though that impression is based on AT's tests on the A13, so perhaps something is different this generation), so ST performance is probably not going to increase much from device to device, and increasing core count / MT performance is the path to more performant ASi chips. As you said, even an A14X that is simply the iPhone chip with the CPU cores doubled and put in a better cooled chassis is probably sufficient to outperform Intel and AMD in the laptop space. But if the A14X cores in the MBP are essentially unchanged from the iPad Pro and Macbook Air, that leaves Apple with a lot of thermal headroom in the MBP chassis. Do they just throw a ton of GPU cores at it? Complex ML and asics? What differentiates it performance-wise from the MBA? Or do the MBA and MBP at the same screen size become like the iPhone v iPhone Pro, differentiated by features rather than performance?
 
You're so right, I have gut feeling that there's going to be a 23"-24" (obviously ASi based) iMac tomorrow. Fingers Crossed. 🤞
Imagine how shocked we would be if first they transitioned their entire laptop lineup to ASi, and then as a One More Thing transitioned the original modern Mac over as well with a complete redesign.. would be insane.
 
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Someone commented when the invite first came out, “new chassis logo”, or something like that. I’d love them to go back to a lit logo on the back of the screen! Imagine if it was a very slowly moving rainbow gradient similar to the design of the invite? That would be an amazing way of signaling the new era of their computers, building hype (when the “new” thing is so clearly identifiable, people tend to want it; if you have a rainbow logo you have the new generation), it would be a noticeable statement without a complete redesign (easier to implement), and it would honor their roots (original logo and color scheme), which would be really fitting considering they’re putting AS inside. I’m probably dreaming, but at the same time they do seem to want to honor the rainbow theme in some ways, with all the recent iOS devices color selection!
I'm on board with an updated design to signal this new generation, but a moving rainbow gradient logo screams gamer PC aesthetic (no shade!).
 
I'm on board with an updated design to signal this new generation, but a moving rainbow gradient logo screams gamer PC aesthetic (no shade!).
Yeah, I get what you mean...I don’t know, I’m just convinced they could pull it off tastefully? Like I’m literally imagining the invite (so just a few colors at a time), moving so slowly that you don’t actually notice it. Maybe dimmed or with some kind of a dark/textural surface treatment so it doesn’t look like Christmas lights. I love color so I’d be on board with that. But yeah, maybe it’s been associated with gaming PCs for too long to not have that association.

(edit: typos)
 
The "one more thing" at the One More Thing event...!

An all-new Cube...!!

Or maybe the xMac we have wanted FOREVER...!!!

;^p

Cube had the issue of CD/DVD slot occupying a whole lot of space and getting all scratched. The lack of DVD Drive will give a lot of space in the Cube and since cooling would be a lesser issue with the Apple Silicon. I hope relaunches cube yet again, the 3rd gen cube; in the line of NeXT Cube (1st gen), Apple Cube (2nd gen).
 
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Cube had the issue of CD/DVD slot occupying a whole lot of space and getting all scratched. The lack of DVD Drive will give a lot of space in the Cube and since cooling would be a lesser issue with the Apple Silicon. I hope relaunches cube yet again, the 3rd gen cube; in the line of NeXT Cube (1st gen), Apple Cube (2nd gen).

The rumored sized-down Mac Pro sounds a lot like a Cube to me...
 
The rumored sized-down Mac Pro sounds a lot like a Cube to me...

I hope Apple does not forget that a pro machine has to perform, and not just look beautiful. Cube would be a good midrange Mac but I don't think an efficient design to replace the current Mac Pro form factor. Apple can replace the current Mac mini with the Apple Cube, now that is what I would defiantly buy (should I have the option to do so).
 
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Hope we see Apple give developers free machines when they launch like they did with the Intel machines. 🤞
Makes sense to get a retail Mac mini ready and grab the dev kits back in and hand those out instead. Then devs have the final hardware to use for any fine tuning needed going forward.
 
Like, for example, will they keep the Touch Bar in the MacBook Pro? I'd just assume jettison it — but that's more of a personal thing than a likelihood at this point.

This would be the icing on the cake for me. An Apple Silicon Macbook Pro with a full keyboard? Amazing!!
 
Big Sur is so obviously built for touch screen that it would unimaginable that the new Apple silicon Macs to not support touch natively
Apple won't add touch screen to laptops in its current form factor. The ergonomics of such a setup were terrible five years ago when it was 'envisioned' by some and still are now. It just doesn't make sense to hold your arm up in the air to scroll instead of resting in the trackpad. They *might* have touch-screen Macs in their plans but not with the old designs. And so far there hasn't been any leak regarding a redesign for the first batch of Apple Silicon Macs.
 
The only thing I'm crossing my fingers for is a straight transition from what we have now to what we have now but with Apple silicon and the benefits it brings.

- Improved battery life.
- Just as good or better performance.
- Longer life of the product overall

I personally don't think we need more or less TB3 ports or a thinner chassis or a new keyboard or anything like that. Slimmer bezels maybe for a bigger screen, maybe, but the 16" MBP is actually very well designed and solid.
 
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I'd like to see Apple do a chiplet design like AMD have done with their Zen cores. A range of SoCs with say 1 to 4 A14 cores and a shared IO chip. The Macbook could have 1 A14, the MBP with 2 A14s and the iMac with 4.
 
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