So it's just a few days beyond six months since I first took delivery of my 32/32/2TB Studio Max. I figured I'd summarise my likes and dislikes of this particular product during this period, for the benefit of anyone potentially interested.
Let's get the negatives out the way first:
Let's get the negatives out the way first:
- From first power-up I got no display on my Samsung LU28R55 HDMI->HDMI. This wasn't a great start, and seems to be just a fundamental incompatibility issue. Thankfully I was able to circumvent this by using a 'borrowed' HP G5 dock from work which comes with a Displayport output. Without that, I think the Studio would have been returned because I wasn't going to head down some rabbit-hole of endlessly buying monitors to see which ones may or may not work with it. I can imagine the outcome of me going into Curry's and asking their 'product specialist' which monitor is going to be compatible with a new Mac they don't stock which was only launched three weeks ago...
- Now and again (let's say weekly), the computer drops connection to all hardware connected to it via USB-A and/or C. This was an hourly occurrence during the two weeks of August when the room temperature was over 35C (in the UK our houses don't have aircon), but it can still be an issue even now. I've learned to recognise the early warning signs and I just reboot, which solves the issue 'til next time. Also I'm one of those people who shuts-down the computer every night, so it's nothing to do with how long the computer has been on, either. No idea if this is hardware related or Monterey, but considering it seemed to be influenced by base room temperature, I'm going with hardware, somehow.
- Not its fault, but it is too powerful for my needs (hence was overpriced for what I need): what I really wanted was an M1 Mini Pro, which doesn't exist. Superficially you could argue overspec'ing a computer buys you a longer period before obsolescence. In reality that doesn't happen. Likely all M1 Macs will be obsoleted by the exact same future MacOS, irrespective of their individual hardware specifications. We've seen this before when certain Mac Pros were prohibited from running the then-latest MacOS even though their hardware could wipe the floor with newer compatible MBAs or MBPs.
- Impossible, it would seem, to upgrade memory and storage. I knew this going in. And I know this goes for nearly all current Apple computers, but I can't in good faith have a 'negatives' list which doesn't include this glaringly-obvious issue. Spending two grand or more on a computer - especially a 'BYOKM&M' desktop computer, rather than an AIO or laptop - you shouldn't need to predict at that point what your memory and internal-storage requirements will be in 12, 24 or 48 months' time, or even next week.
- Incompatibility with some 3rd-party hardware and software is still a real issue, two years in to Apple Silicon. I know this is not the machine's fault, but it's still a factor. During my worst periods of frustration when I've been struggling to get things to work (chiefly my Icon control surfaces), I seriously wished I'd given it about 5 years before transitioning, to give RotW outside Apple a chance to catch up and make their hardware, firmware and software M-series compatible.
- A front-facing USB-A port would have been nice, as well as (or instead of) on the back. I find it hard to believe that users with a frequent need to temporarily rig-up USB-A devices make up just a tiny minority of people buying this kind of prosumer gear. I even have a client who stores all her backing tracks on an iPod Classic, which I need to connect with a 30-pin to USB-A cable. Most bring USB-A thumb-drives. Years ago I used two-part epoxy to jerry-rig a USB-A extension cable into the base of what used to be an old Wifi antenna, to stop me needing to fumble round the back of my Mac Mini or iMac to plug USB-A accessories in. While I still use it, the Studio had an opportunity to give me a front-facing USB-A port, but failed, IMO for no other reason than Apple not wanting an 'obsolete' port on the front of their flagship desktop unit.
- Very quiet. I've not undertaken any tasks which cause the fans to increase from anything but their default tickover speed. And it's not that I have tried to be extra genteel: it gets used as a tool. Also, my early machine does not suffer from 'squeal-gate', despite some people on here insisting that it must do, and I'm just deaf. Well my 20 y/o twin sons aren't deaf and all they claim to hear from it is the faint whirr of the fan if they put their ears close to the case. So no, as far as I'm concerned I'm one of the lucky ones and it's a non-issue on my machine.
- Very fast and capable. I can't foresee a time when my workflows and uses will require anything with more power than this computer. Huge multitrack audio projects? Loads of VSTs with real-time effects? All no problem. Editing multi-stream 4K videos with colour-grading and correction? Also no problem. I know full well in three OS's time the incremental slow-downs that each OS always brings will start to be noticeable; I've been down that road before. But for now, on MacOS Monterey, all is (very much more than) good, speed-wise.
- Sleek, well-built, compact design that doesn't dominate the desk. I know some people have compared the Mac Studio's form factor to that of a couple of house-bricks with curved edges, but I don't think so at all. For all that I'm quick to knock Apple when I think they deserve it, the understated elegance of their designs, including that of this machine, is something that has no equal. By comparison, competitors' products look like pre-production proof-of-concept Kickstarter projects, in need of final aesthetic finesse.
- Great selection of I/O, other than the aforementioned lack of even just a solitary front-facing USB-A port.
- Portable. It's true that mostly when I'm recording somewhere 'in the field', or visiting a client with my first rough mix, more likely I'll take my Macbook Air, but it's great to have the option to be able to throw my main computer into a backpack-sized carrier and just go. Competitors' machines with this level of power and I/O, you're mostly talking about lugging a tower-unit around, weighing about as much as a paving slab.
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