M1 Max is overkill, nobody needs this much power!!

[Zendokan]

“Future proofing” is almost always a bad idea. It makes no sense, unless your goal is to waste money.

Not "almost always"! It really depends for which you use your set-up.
I only replaced my 2011 MBP 17" i7 16GB this year with a new MBP 16" Max 64GB.

To be honest my old 17" was only starting to show its age last year with load and performance software testing and a 3 minute start-up. No problems at all using VSCode for Javascript, VBScript, Python, C, C++ and C#, Pixelmator (Classic), Postman, SoapUI.
Only problem that I had was that my bootcamp and Parallels only supported Window 8.1 on my system, while I only had access to Windows 10 when I needed it for RPA software that has no MacOS version.

I'm expecting my new set-up to easily work for the next eight years without it becoming a hassle professional, although I always budget in having a new system every 4 years (but if the old still works, I won't waste my money).

 

[Jim Lahey]

Xbox Series X = 12 TFLOPS
M1 Max. = 10 TFLOPS

And real world benchmarks is not something we need to go there as the Xbox Series X runs every AAA game at 4K resolution without any problems, while the M1 Max even struggles with super old games like Starcraft 2.

Looks like many people use more power than a M1 Max.

That's a bit of a misrepresentation is it not? Xbox is designed pretty much with the sole intention of rendering complex 3D video game graphics as fast as possible. Nothing else. The same can't reasonably be said of M1 Max. People generally aren't buying high-end Apple silicon in order to play Call of Duty.

Further, it's a bit of a stretch to assert that Series X can play 'every' AAA title at 4K 'without any problems'. Define problems? Very few games achieve a native 4K at 60fps. Most use some form of DRS to achieve those lofty heights and are often running at 1440p or lower in taxing scenes. Usually complemented with upscaling systems. Many of the top titles are locked at 30fps in their '4K' modes and even then, some are weighed down with frame pacing issues and data steaming hitches.

I agree with the overarching point that the current generation consoles are supreme value for money, and that M1 Max is probably overkill for most, but the two platforms are designed to do different things. The average M1 user probably isn't intending to play the latest video games. Or at least no more likely than the average Xbox gamer is intending to use their machine for encoding hundreds of hours of 2160p HDR x265 video.

 

[StudioMacs]

Further, it's a bit of a stretch to assert that Series X can play 'every' AAA title at 4K 'without any problems'.

Two of my favorite franchises are Gran Turismo and Zelda, so that’s why I own a PS4 and a Nintendo Switch, making them both better at playing AAA titles than Series X (for my needs).

 

[Jim Lahey]

Two of my favorite franchises are Gran Turismo and Zelda, so that’s why I own a PS4 and a Nintendo Switch, making them both better at playing AAA titles than Series X (for my needs).

Off topic - I really want a Switch OLED but I'm holding out for the rumored Pro...

 

[StudioMacs]

Off topic - I really want a Switch OLED but I'm holding out for the rumored Pro...

Zelda BOTW2 recently got delayed until next year, so 100% chance it launches with a new system (possibly the rumored Pro).

 

[Jim Lahey]

Zelda BOTW2 recently got delayed until next year, so 100% chance it launches with a new system (possibly the rumored Pro).

Yep. My eyes are peeled and my wallet is holstered. Not normally one to keep waiting for the next big thing but now feels like a really bad time to be buying the current Switch. Anyway sorry for the off topic chat. As you were…

 

[portland-dude]

“Future proofing” is almost always a bad idea. It makes no sense, unless your goal is to waste money.

If we are talking about misinformation, the concept of future proofing is a massive flat out lie by the marketing department. So yeah, 100% agree with you here. Buy what you need / want and shut the heck up about it, lol.

 

[staypuftforums]

Not "almost always"! It really depends for which you use your set-up.
I only replaced my 2011 MBP 17" i7 16GB this year with a new MBP 16" Max 64GB.

To be honest my old 17" was only starting to show its age last year with load and performance software testing and a 3 minute start-up. No problems at all using VSCode for Javascript, VBScript, Python, C, C++ and C#, Pixelmator (Classic), Postman, SoapUI.
Only problem that I had was that my bootcamp and Parallels only supported Window 8.1 on my system, while I only had access to Windows 10 when I needed it for RPA software that has no MacOS version.

I'm expecting my new set-up to easily work for the next eight years without it becoming a hassle professional, although I always budget in having a new system every 4 years (but if the old still works, I won't waste my money).

That machine has upgradable RAM and HDD. In what way did you “future proof” it at the time of purchase?

Using an old computer isn’t the problem. The idea of “future proofing” is the problem. It almost never makes financial sense. Especially for someone who said he plans on buying a $2,000 Mac Studio with 32GB of RAM to browse the Internet.

 

[TiggrToo]

I am just speaking facts. You guys claim all the time that only a small group of “professionals” use this much power, while it is complete non-sense.

Macrumors always seems to be spreading misinformation. An other famous one is the “8GB RAM is all you need”.

You're giving an opinion. Period.

And "8GB is all you need"? What fiction is that? First I ever heard that.

You thinking of the misquoted and misattributed "640KB is all you need" line?

 

[Mcckoe]

I think there is a misconception about SOCs. Realize new designs are expensive, and you want to try to get as much use out of a single design as possible. While yes these systems are most likely overpowered for today’s computing needs, they represent the crazy end cycle SOC leftover resource utilization; I think we will likely see occur at the end of the M2 cycle as well… Imagine a bunch of engineers getting together, looking at the resources they have left in the M1 generation, and being allowed get a little crazy by upper management with the leftovers; that’s basically the Mac Studio in a nutshell.

 

[StudioMacs]

I think there is a misconception about SOCs. Realize new designs are expensive, and you want to try to get as much use out of a single design as possible. While yes these systems are most likely overpowered for today’s computing needs, they represent the crazy end cycle SOC leftover resource utilization; I think we will likely see occur at the end of the M2 cycle as well… Imagine a bunch of engineers getting together, looking at the resources they have left in the M1 generation, and being allowed get a little crazy by upper management with the leftovers; that’s basically the Mac Studio in a nutshell.

some of the greatest cars were engineered this way — working with the best off the shelf parts of the previous generation and adding a bit of what was to come — not to be practical but to be great

 

[Zendokan]

That machine has upgradable RAM and HDD. In what way did you “future proof” it at the time of purchase?

Using an old computer isn’t the problem. The idea of “future proofing” is the problem. It almost never makes financial sense. Especially for someone who said he plans on buying a $2,000 Mac Studio with 32GB of RAM to browse the Internet.

I "future proved" it by buying at that time the top of the line MBP 17" with the i7 (i9 didn't exist) and 16Gb RAM (although the system supported in reality 32Gb, at that time Apple gave the statement that 16Gb was the max).

I know from experience that software follows an evolutionary path and not a revolutionary path once it has been tailored to a certain hardware (processor) architecture.

That just means that newer versions of software you use in the future will build on the previous code base and can be upgraded with minimum ease through the years:

After 4 to 5 years you will only notice that you haven't got the most up to date hardware when you notice that starting up software takes more time (10 to 15 seconds instead of 2 seconds), but once have the application open, all the functionality will work with the same.
After 6 to 8 years the Operating System will not be updated anymore, but it's only the OS, most individual software suites will be possible to keep up to date.
Around 9 to 10 years SOME OF those software suites will not be possible to update, but in all honesty the functionality of the previous version will be for most users all they need.

Offcourse it depends from the type of work you do, if it requieres a lot of computing power, I can understand that you want a new system faster, but a 6 year old system will be almost just bas fast as a 4 year old system

 

[StudioMacs]

I "future proved" it by buying at that time the top of the line MBP 17" with the i7 (i9 didn't exist) and 16Gb RAM (although the system supported in reality 32Gb, at that time Apple gave the statement that 16Gb was the max).

I know from experience that software follows an evolutionary path and not a revolutionary path once it has been tailored to a certain hardware (processor) architecture.

That just means that newer versions of software you use in the future will build on the previous code base and can be upgraded with minimum ease through the years:

After 4 to 5 years you will only notice that you haven't got the most up to date hardware when you notice that starting up software takes more time (10 to 15 seconds instead of 2 seconds), but once have the application open, all the functionality will work with the same.
After 6 to 8 years the Operating System will not be updated anymore, but it's only the OS, most individual software suites will be possible to keep up to date.
Around 9 to 10 years SOME OF those software suites will not be possible to update, but in all honesty the functionality of the previous version will be for most users all they need.

Offcourse it depends from the type of work you do, if it requieres a lot of computing power, I can understand that you want a new system faster, but a 6 year old system will be almost just bas fast as a 4 year old system

It depends on your usage, but it can take less time to be inconvenienced because your computer doesn’t support handoff, or won’t unlock with your watch, or doesn’t support sidecar, or won’t update the reminders on your iPhone, or launch the Home app so you can see who is at the front door, etc…

There is something to be said for a stable platform for 100% work, but it‘s impossible for you to future proof a computer because you have no idea what’s coming in the future.

This is the birth of Apple Silicon for the Mac, and the pace of change will be much faster than it was when you bought an i7. Maybe that’s why Apple didn’t release an iMac Pro. A high-end all-in-one could quickly become outdated with the next M series chips. At least this way we can trade in the Mac Studio in a couple of years but keep the monitor.

 

[Dannyshing27]

it all depends on what you want to use something for, I don't call my washing machine rubbish because I can't take a leak in it and still have my clothes smell fresh.

 

[Yebubbleman]

Xbox Series X = 12 TFLOPS
M1 Max. = 10 TFLOPS

And real world benchmarks is not something we need to go there as the Xbox Series X runs every AAA game at 4K resolution without any problems, while the M1 Max even struggles with super old games like Starcraft 2.

Looks like many people use more power than a M1 Max.

Bro, I have ZERO problems running StarCraft II on an MacBook Air with the version of the M1 that only has 7 GPU cores. The only time I have issues is when I'm playing Co-op Commanders and the other dude is using that one commander that generates tons of units. But that will bring ANY computer to its knees eventually. It's the whole Footman Frenzy computing paradigm.

I'm not saying that M1 Max is worth the money for the VAST MAJORITY of even content creators, but if you're going to drive home that the Xbox is better, at least cite a game where M1 Max will actually choke.

 

[dwaltwhit]

No one needs it right this minute perhaps, but as hardware gets stronger, software developers are able to build more demanding software. One must drive the other.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Yet a $499 Xbox Series X is 20% more powerful than a M1 Max.

Go buy an Xbox and do all your computer needs with it. Your problem is solved.

 

[EvilMonk]

Go buy an Xbox and do all your computer needs with it. Your problem is solved.

He can run office 365 in the TV version of Edge isn’t that wonderful? 😂

 

[Zendokan]

It depends on your usage, but it can take less time to be inconvenienced because your computer doesn’t support 1) handoff, or 2) won’t unlock with your watch, or 3) doesn’t support sidecar, or won’t update the reminders on your iPhone, or 4) launch the Home app so you can see who is at the front door, etc…

Most things are novelties, nothing really earth shattering for professional usage.

1) I used "handoff" from 2010 till 2022 without using Handoff...it's called using the iCloud with doing an extra manual step, namely saving your changes explicitely in the iCloud. Most professionals will still do that step because you really do not want to take any chance on losing your last updates by trusting any piece of software.
Don't believe me? Well every professional will click on the "save"-icon in Ms Office before they close the application although any Office application automatically saves at the moment of closure from the early 2000's onwards.

2) Unlocking your professional Mac by another electronical device is frowned up, you unlock a professional used Mac manually by adding a code in or using your fingerprint, never by an extra electronical device that sends out a signal.
Don't believe me: take a look at most car leasing companies that don't have keyless entry in their option list or if they do, the insurance goes up with a decent amount

3) Sidecar...really? Maybe for a consumer or a prosumer when they are working in a hotelroom, but most prosumers and all professionals will invest into an external screen once it becomes clear that this is needed.

4) The working of those types of apps is linked to the version of the operating system of your Mac and to the hardware for which they are created, not really the hardware of your Mac. Logically the app will stop working because it doesn't support anymore the newer version of MacOS (ergo younger software) you have installed that is still supported by your Mac, not the other way around.

There is something to be said for a stable platform for 100% work, but it‘s impossible for you to future proof a computer because you have no idea what’s coming in the future.

It's not impossible at all once the hardware (GPU and CPU) architecture is known.
The M2 will support the functionalities of the M1, just as the M3 will support the M2 and M1, etc... If Apple wouldn't do that it would mean that their hardware in one eco system would stop supporting any software created for that eco-system with every natural hardware evolution.
That would be a very bad business idea.
Your MS Office 2021 for Mac bought for a Mac M1 will still work in 2030 on the Mac M10.

This is the birth of Apple Silicon for the Mac, and the pace of change will be much faster than it was when you bought an i7. Maybe that’s why Apple didn’t release an iMac Pro. A high-end all-in-one could quickly become outdated with the next M series chips. At least this way we can trade in the Mac Studio in a couple of years but keep the monitor.

The pace will be at top speed a new M-version a year, each M-version will support the "legacy" architecture of the previous systems within the same eco-system. In this case it's the Silicon eco-system, justlike we had the Intel eco-system and before that the PowerPc eco-system.

The only thing that can really break Future proving is when Apple has an hardware Revolution instead of Evolution, namely when they switch architecture (PowerPc to Intel to Silicon), but if you are one of the people that bought a powerful Mac at the end of a such a cycle, you will have a minimum of 3 years where the old and new eco-system are supported, followed by another 3 years where your software, except your OS, will support your professional work without any problem at all.

 

[EvilMonk]

The pace will be at top speed a new M-version a year, each M-version will support the "legacy" architecture of the previous systems within the same eco-system. In this case it's the Silicon eco-system, justlike we had the Intel eco-system and before that the PowerPc eco-system.

The only thing that can really break Future proving is when Apple has an hardware Revolution instead of Evolution, namely when they switch architecture (PowerPc to Intel to Silicon), but if you are one of the people that bought a powerful Mac at the end of a such a cycle, you will have a minimum of 3 years where the old and new eco-system are supported, followed by another 3 years where your software, except your OS, will support your professional work without any problem at all.

This right here… ?

 

[StudioMacs]

Most things are novelties, nothing really earth shattering for professional usage.

1) I used "handoff" from 2010 till 2022 without using Handoff...it's called using the iCloud with doing an extra manual step, namely saving your changes explicitely in the iCloud. Most professionals will still do that step because you really do not want to take any chance on losing your last updates by trusting any piece of software.
Don't believe me? Well every professional will click on the "save"-icon in Ms Office before they close the application although any Office application automatically saves at the moment of closure from the early 2000's onwards.

2) Unlocking your professional Mac by another electronical device is frowned up, you unlock a professional used Mac manually by adding a code in or using your fingerprint, never by an extra electronical device that sends out a signal.
Don't believe me: take a look at most car leasing companies that don't have keyless entry in their option list or if they do, the insurance goes up with a decent amount

3) Sidecar...really? Maybe for a consumer or a prosumer when they are working in a hotelroom, but most prosumers and all professionals will invest into an external screen once it becomes clear that this is needed.

4) The working of those types of apps is linked to the version of the operating system of your Mac and to the hardware for which they are created, not really the hardware of your Mac. Logically the app will stop working because it doesn't support anymore the newer version of MacOS (ergo younger software) you have installed that is still supported by your Mac, not the other way around.

I've been using Macs professionally since 1996, so I've been through the PPC to intel to Apple Silicon ride. I've viewed each new feature added to the Mac as a potential opportunity to streamline and enhance my workflow.

I'm not saying your workflow is wrong for you. However, most of what you wrote above doesn't work for my professional workflow, which doesn't seem to be as static as yours. Your idea of "future proofing" is based on a belief that your workflow will never change or expand.

The list I gave was by no means a comprehensive list of technologies that couldn't be "future proofed" for, and while everything you wrote was opinion dressed as fact, I'll address two that I know to be factually incorrect for my usage:

"Unlocking your professional Mac by another electronical device is frowned up" So how do you unlock your Mac? A keyboard is an electronic device (wired or unwired) which can be remotely monitored via a key logger or interception of electrical signals. If someone is in the same office, it's very easy to glance over and see what the user is typing when they log in or unlock their Mac.

Unlocking my iMac with my Apple Watch has been a perfectly acceptable usage in my business, and more secure (and convenient) than typing in a password on a keyboard. When I have a sudden idea, it's nice to unlock the Mac without breaking my train of thought (even briefly) to type in a password. I'm looking forward to the added security and convenience of Touch ID, which is secure enough to authorize financial transactions.

"Sidecar...really? Maybe for a consumer or a prosumer when they are working in a hotelroom" I guess you've never heard of a Wacom tablet, or seen the price tag. Sidecar lets photo editors run the full version of Photoshop on the Mac and use the Apple Pencil to retouch images on the iPad's screen, or create an image from scratch. Working for hours is much nicer when you can sit back in your chair and work naturally as with a paper and pencil or canvas and a brush.

Again, the idea of "future proofing" assumes you know everything that's coming to the Mac and to your own workflow, and ignores the potential for drastic performance gains for the M series within the next couple of years.

 

[AltecX]

The list I gave was by no means a comprehensive list of technologies that couldn't be "future proofed" for, and while everything you wrote was opinion dressed as fact, I'll address two that I know to be factually incorrect for my usage:

"Unlocking your professional Mac by another electronical device is frowned up" So how do you unlock your Mac? A keyboard is an electronic device (wired or unwired) which can be remotely monitored via a key logger or interception of electrical signals. If someone is in the same office, it's very easy to glance over and see what the user is typing when they log in or unlock their Mac.

Unlocking my iMac with my Apple Watch has been a perfectly acceptable usage in my business, and more secure (and convenient) than typing in a password on a keyboard. When I have a sudden idea, it's nice to unlock the Mac without breaking my train of thought (even briefly) to type in a password. I'm looking forward to the added security and convenience of Touch ID, which is secure enough to authorize financial transactions.

"Sidecar...really? Maybe for a consumer or a prosumer when they are working in a hotelroom" I guess you've never heard of a Wacom tablet, or seen the price tag. Sidecar lets photo editors run the full version of Photoshop on the Mac and use the Apple Pencil to retouch images on the iPad's screen, or create an image from scratch. Working for hours is much nicer when you can sit back in your chair and work naturally as with a paper and pencil or canvas and a brush.

Again, the idea of "future proofing" assumes you know everything that's coming to the Mac and to your own workflow, and ignores the potential for drastic performance gains for the M series within the next couple of years.

Working full-time for almost 2 decades as an IT manager in a design house I can tell you NEITHER of those would fly as allowed in our environment. If we can not fully lock it down to secure our clients assets and it cant pass our security audits, its a HUGE no no.

Is that phone/watch company owned? Very unlikely, so NO it would not be allowed to unlock a company asset. All our designers get a Wacom, as its massively cheaper and easier than buying many iPads and having to then factor in their management and tracking them when they leave the office.

Maybe your situation works fine in a small mom-pop shop or as a contractor/consultant/freelancer, but in an actual business making millions a year from billion dollar companies? HELL no.

 

[StudioMacs]

Maybe your situation works fine in a small mom-pop shop or as a contractor/consultant/freelancer,

The individuals buying machines for themselves and advocating for “future proofing” in this thread are exactly in that group, or just buying it for personal use.

I have no problem if an IT department makes informed decisions based on policies and business needs (more often focusing on “backward compatibility” over “future proofing”), so your reply ignores the fact we are talking about individual purchase decisions.

IT departments are even less likely to recommend that each receptionist at all locations needs a fully loaded machine to “future proof” it. Running legacy custom-written software will be the primary requirement for enterprise customers…

 

[dwaltwhit]

Either Software companies make software that computers can't handle yet or Hardware companies make hardware that software doesn't take advantage of yet.

 

[satcomer]

I have a feeling the when final Mac Pro is released the Fall and now that all Macs dumped Intel many shareware developers need to update their Intel only software or they will look like they will to dump Mac development! Maybe more DAW plugins need at least Universal or you look like fly by night operation!