The Neural Engine has been part of all Apple chips since the A11, including the M1/2/3 line. They might beef it up in the M4 and use it to excuse limiting some feature to the new chips to make people believe they need a new computer.
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What would make you upgrade to the M4 Macs?
- Thread starter Mity
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I just upgraded to a MBP M3 Pro, so likely nothing unless it breaks!
For the sake of argument I’d like to see TB5 and OLED in the MBP lineup. Also cheaper RAM and storage upgrades, and a higher base tier. (MBP M4 Pro should start at 36GB/1TB). But OLED probably isn’t going to be introduced until the lineup gets refreshed, and I’d be willing to bet the same goes for TB5.
For the sake of argument I’d like to see TB5 and OLED in the MBP lineup. Also cheaper RAM and storage upgrades, and a higher base tier. (MBP M4 Pro should start at 36GB/1TB). But OLED probably isn’t going to be introduced until the lineup gets refreshed, and I’d be willing to bet the same goes for TB5.
My MBA 15 M2 8/256 is fine for my needs.
I will switch to M4 always MBA 15 if maybe the basic configuration will have 16gb or 512GB ssd, so I will benefit from both more useful ram and ssd and higher speeds of cpu and gpu as well as wifi 6e or 7 and other updates.
I will switch to M4 always MBA 15 if maybe the basic configuration will have 16gb or 512GB ssd, so I will benefit from both more useful ram and ssd and higher speeds of cpu and gpu as well as wifi 6e or 7 and other updates.
internal + 3 external displays support on base M4 chip … I’d upgrade instantly
first - why they now require to pay extra for “Pro” chip to run more than 1 external display? …used to be a thing even with cheapest MacBook Airs
second - even cheap office laptops support 3 external screens with 11th gen Intel and newer
first - why they now require to pay extra for “Pro” chip to run more than 1 external display? …used to be a thing even with cheapest MacBook Airs
second - even cheap office laptops support 3 external screens with 11th gen Intel and newer
I bought my base M1 Mini to last three years and it's halfway through its fourth and still doing great for me. But I'm getting back into more serious photo editing later this year so I might upgrade to an M4 Mini with 16GB+ of RAM to get 5-7 years out of my next Mac purchase.
Maybe a 17" Air that weighs less than my 16" MacBook Pro, as the ultimate travel machine? A 32" iMac that can also (easily) function as a screen/camera/mic/USB hub for my other computers?
Built-in speakers that are good enough that I can finally throw away my $15 pair of used Logitech speakers?
The M1 series is still good enough for software development. I don't see this changing next year either.
Built-in speakers that are good enough that I can finally throw away my $15 pair of used Logitech speakers?
The M1 series is still good enough for software development. I don't see this changing next year either.
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Nothing I can think of on the Mac hardware side would make me upgrade my M2 MBP with 96 GB RAM. Note that M2 WiFi 6E is already excellent, producing exactly the same as your WiFi 7 screenshot (IMO real-world "fast") when incoming internet of those speeds is available to the WiFi 6E modem. And WiFi 7 may improve latency but does not improve range.
Latency is not something I am sensitive to but I will be interested to see if WiFi 7 latency improvements are noticeable real-world (other than to gamers where latency can be a huge issue). If I was gaming I would hardwire to the gaming box anyway.
Only software changes on my end would move me to M4. Only if I moved into heavy CAD usage, or gaming or into using something like Blender would M4 become attractive.
Edit: I have wanted a Studio in my hardware mix for years now. I bought the M2 MBP mostly for desktop use when M2 Studios were n/a. So a righteously priced M4 Studio might entice me into M4, but for the ports not for the chip.
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Your analysis is incorrect. Yes a Neural Engine is present in all M-series, but the functionality is substantially improved in M3 (ask users using 3D type apps) and probably will see even larger improvements in M4.
I suspect that competent RAM support is necessary to optimally show off the improvements. Folks who cheap out on RAM will be sub-optimizing the competence of their computers.
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The M1 Pro MacBook Pro that I have is still good enough to do everything I need to do for software and web development. Occasionally I feel that more than 32 GB of RAM would be useful, but it's not a hinderance.
Performance wise, this machine is a beast. Even for the occasional video work I need to do.
Realistically, the only thing that could get me to upgrade from M1 to M4 would be better pricing on BTO models.
Performance wise, this machine is a beast. Even for the occasional video work I need to do.
Realistically, the only thing that could get me to upgrade from M1 to M4 would be better pricing on BTO models.
I'd guess that the target market for M4 Macs is not people who own Apple silicon Macs but rather people with no Mac at all. Thousands of such people are born every day. Then the next bigger group is those with Intel Macs.
Think about Kohlor. They make kitchen sinks and toilets. They sell millions of them and do not really depend of people upgrading every few years. No one says "My sink is 3 years old, time to replace it with new latest one.
I think the entire computer and cell phone industry is beginning to be like Kohlor, Only a few True-Geeks replace computers or phones that still work.
People do not buy an M4 because it is better than their M1. They buy an M4 because they need a computer and the M4 is just the current thing in the store when they go in to buy a computer.
Ot just like when you go to Home Depot to buy a new toilet. Unless you are a true plumbing-geek you need one and buy whatever model happens to be the current one.
Think about Kohlor. They make kitchen sinks and toilets. They sell millions of them and do not really depend of people upgrading every few years. No one says "My sink is 3 years old, time to replace it with new latest one.
I think the entire computer and cell phone industry is beginning to be like Kohlor, Only a few True-Geeks replace computers or phones that still work.
People do not buy an M4 because it is better than their M1. They buy an M4 because they need a computer and the M4 is just the current thing in the store when they go in to buy a computer.
Ot just like when you go to Home Depot to buy a new toilet. Unless you are a true plumbing-geek you need one and buy whatever model happens to be the current one.
Everything you're saying is true with one problem: the upgrade culture that started with iPhone in 2007 is a big part of what drove Apple's unending growth. Not market growth, but short term year over year revenue growth. It was that growth that allowed Apple to push forward and take the time necessary to gain market share..the real growth. Now it is services the drives the growth, because the installed base is so massive.
When Apple loses upgrade revenue, things start to slide backwards. Backwards into normalcy, of course. But shareholders and trolls and market manipulators do not look at normalcy.
Wasn't that due to the addition of hardware ray tracing - a GPU feature - rather than the neural engine (which I'm sure was souped up as well)?
That is correct. The changes to the Neural Engine would have contributed less to overall GPU performance than the GPU changes and addition of ray tracing.
Apple has never been able to produce new machines every year which justify a yearly upgrade. Some people do it with the phone, but I’ve been content to upgrade roughly every other model.
Right now I have a 14” M1 MacBook Pro with 16 GB of RAM. I don’t see a need to upgrade for a few more years, even though my RAW photo editing could benefit from a faster system. I’d probably wait to get about a 2x performance boost over what I have before spending money.
Right now I have a 14” M1 MacBook Pro with 16 GB of RAM. I don’t see a need to upgrade for a few more years, even though my RAW photo editing could benefit from a faster system. I’d probably wait to get about a 2x performance boost over what I have before spending money.
The snapdragon X Elite is mopping the floor with the current M3 as far as performance. No longer king of the hill in Arm performance.
wanna get left behind? don't upgrade to an M4.
wanna get left behind? don't upgrade to an M4.
It was substantially improved from the M1 to the M2 as well:
Users here need to be weary of technology illiterate "analysts" setting the narrative. Someone heard that the NPU is getting upgraded again, and decided that was the talking point to stick to. The NPUs have been upgraded numerous times, even called out in keynotes. What's different this time is all the buzz about AI.
I still am firmly convinced, and even posted about it at the launch of M1, that Apple has been working on something in the ML/AI field for the better part of a decade that we haven't seen yet, and that is the reason the NPU has been in the iphone lineup since A11. I believe the floor for whatever they're releasing at WWDC will actually be the NPU from the M1. This will further differentiate the Apple Silicon family from the x86 world.
June is going to be interesting.
You sure about that? Like actually sure? https://www.semiaccurate.com/2024/0...g-on-their-snapdragon-x-elite-pro-benchmarks/
No one has actually seen all the claims put to test yet 🤷♂️
I’m now wondering whether I should get one of these and test Qualcomm’s claims to see how they really shake out.
I am certain that no matter what it is a sizeable jump in battery life from where PC laptops are today.
Do I think it will “compete” with Apple Silicon? No. Will there be enough benefits to make PC laptop buyers notice? Most likely 🤷♂️
At the cost of additional confusion because every Windows app will now start to offer two downloads. It's the 32/64 split all over again. Not sure why Microsoft is doing that to itself.
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