Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Still using my M1 MacBook Air as my main computer, with 8-core graphics and 16 GB of RAM. It's still pretty speedy and responsive, though it does slow down a little if I have too many apps and browser tabs open at once. Once I eventually get an M4 Mac Mini (with 32 GB of RAM), I'm still going to use the Air for when I'm on the go until it's time to replace it (like some time after Apple drops support for it from the latest MacOS version).
 
I understand M1 will no longer be receiving new versions of macOS, starting with macOS 17 next year.
There is no basis for that thought. The M1 Macs (AS) can fully work with Apple's AI implementations, and are then capable of seeing several more years of MacOS updates. M3 and M4 adds ray tracing/mesh shading, dynamic caching, hardware AV1 decoding, x2 neural processing, thats all. But that doesn't prevent most MacOS improvements from working fine on M1 for the foreseeable future.
 
Last edited:
M1 mini 16GB/1TB is still my daily work computer. M1 Max 32GB/1TB MacBook Pro is fine too. M1 is the most capable, 5-year-old processor I've ever used.

I upgraded my M1 mini 16GB/512GB to a M4 Pro 24GB/512GB because my brother-in-law needed a new computer so I sold him the M1. It would've continued to serve me fine but the M4 Pro will push out replacement by several years. The M1 replaced a 2012 mini 16GB/1TB Fusion.
 
I’d be extremely surprised if most M1s weren’t still fine. I’ve got a lot of mileage out of my apple laptops. 7 years on a PB 12” G4. Then a 2011 MBA 11” which is still okay after I replaced the battery. RAM is rather low at 4GB but still works for basic stuff. Currently rocking the final Intel 13” MBP from 2020 which should easily keep going for another 4 years if not more.
Considering the radical capacity of M1 or newer to launch over 24 apps at the same time successfully that wasn't practically to do on the last so many Intel Macs, I figure we might see 9 years life on the M1's.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Quackington
M1 Max MacBook Pro that I will hopefully have for a long time 🤞. So expensive but damn has it been a good computer for two years. Best laptop I have ever owned by far except for the notch which still annoys me
 
I'm still using my M1 Mini from 2020 with two monitors, 5 external drives, a Shure mic, external speakers, and 2nd or 3rd generation AirPods. It does everything I need with content creation and writing except leave the desk. I used a MacBook Air 2015 or the iPhone 15 PM for that.
 
Macs have an incredibly long shelf life for me. Until I picked up my 16" M1 Pro 10/16/16, 16GB, 2TB in 2021, I had gone 10 years and 6 months on my mid-2011 13" MBA, which still works to this day. As I tend to futureproof my purchases, especially with Macs, I intend my M1 Pro to last just as long...

... although I just spotted an Open Box 16" M1 Max 32GB 8TB on sale.. I might pick that up and give my current M1 Pro to her.

BL.
 
my m1’s are great. Configs in the sig. honestly what I really need are the software programs I use to optimize for multiple core better. I’m not sure I’d see huge gains on m4 because single core performance is better but not leaps and bounds.
 
I’m probably not supposed to be here, but I have an M2 MBP and I’ve seriously never run into a CPU bottleneck on it as far as I can tell. I have zero desire to upgrade to any newer chip. I imagine I’d be singing the same song with an M1. M2 just happened to be what was out when I needed a laptop
 
  • Like
Reactions: Apple$ and navaira
M1 Pro MacBook Pro 32/1, M1 Max Studio, M1 mini 16/512, M1 Air 16/1 all running just fine.

I sometimes have M4-envy but objectively M4 wouldn't make any difference in what I do.
 
  • Like
Reactions: LavaLevel
I was happy when I bought the MacBook Air m1, it’s a very good computer and still works fine today but now my usages changed and I might get a MacBook Pro m4 soon…
 
my m1’s are great. Configs in the sig. honestly what I really need are the software programs I use to optimize for multiple core better. I’m not sure I’d see huge gains on m4 because single core performance is better but not leaps and bounds.
From m1 with 8gb of ram to m4 with 16gb of ram, I think you might get at least twice the performance! Apple made also good upgrades from m1 to m4 for the Mac but not all of them so here is the devices you should upgrade to :

- Mac mini m1 to m4 : Sure why not, mini m4 has a new design, better performances and more (and not too much expensive) But you are not forced to…

- iMac M1 to m4 : No there isn’t a lot of upgrades from the m1 except performances but paying a full iMac for better performances might not be worth… wait !

- MacBook Air m1 to MacBook Air m4 : Sure why not, the m1 is already 4 years old, if you can afford the m4, you will get a better design, performances, battery, camera and more ! MacBook Air m1 still works today so you are not forced to upgrade…

- MacBook Pro M1 13 inch to MacBook Pro m4 ! : Sure why not, MacBook Pro m1 is very similar from the MacBook Air m1 and I am upgrading from the air m1 to the pro m4 !

Little tip : Since MacBook Pro m3, the base MacBook Pro has a higher starting price, if you are a MacBook Pro m1 user, you can also consider a MacBook Air m4 !! It will be an upgrade!

I will not talk about other Macs, but I don’t think you might upgrade for example from the M1 Pro MacBook Pro to m4 pro unless you need really BETTER PERFORMANCES!
 
I don't see myself upgrading from my M1 Pro MBP anytime soon. In fact, I am still using my MBP from 2012 sometimes and it's still working great in the sense that I am not like DAMN this is sooooo slow.

My sister's new budget Toshiba laptop meanwhile ...
 
M1 Mac mini user here. I've barely had any issues with it. I'll eventually upgrade to a MacBook Pro though, since I miss being able to get up and work outside instead of being confined to a desk like right now.
 
  • Like
Reactions: heretiq
I just use my M1 14" as a daily driver. I haven't tried anything else. For me it's internet, multimedia (plex/youtube/netflix) and really that's about it. Have to admit I've been looking for a reason to upgrade and can't. I even have a $600 credit with apple and can't find a reason to get rid of the thing. I can't tell if I'm just old now and not longer always needing the new new or what. How is yours treating you or if you've traded in how's the new unit. Was it worth it or no real reason to upgrade?
I'm running the M1 max 64gb ram and it's running great! I do videography /cine photography and it runs everything without a study! Processing in 8k no problem! Upgrading to the M4 chip still isn't enough. I'll wait until the new redesign coming next year! 90 percent of Mac Users will never use half the power the M1 chip provides. However, for the naive Apples great with their marketing making the world believe they need every small upgrade.
 
  • Like
Reactions: heretiq
M1 Max MBP with 64GB & 4TB drive, really no reason to upgrade as it handles everything I throw at it.

Photo and video editing are butter smooth, covers all my data science and scientific computing needs. It even has enough juice to play around with local LLM models as long as they aren't huge. Not planning to retire this machine for a few more years. Especially so with how eye-wateringly expensive an upgrade with the same RAM and storage would be these days.
 
The M1 MacBook Air is greatly designed, construction wise-
BUT
the OS and software is garbage (Monterey works the best, but still aggravating)
especially that systems data grows by the day which is now at 16GB as the OS is taking up 26GB?
(on a 265 GB drive that is too much of their 's data!)
which is impossible to delete unless one resets the M! To factory settings
which is a nosebleed that process should not happen in this 2020 decade!
I use my Asus ZenBook a lot more (99%) though windows is plastic and just bland.
This zen book has a better screen, battery life and does more for my daily computing task better than the M1
My problems I experienced last year that made me ditch the beloved M1 are plentiful,
but Here are 3 that picked at my nerves!
everything related to playing MY music is horrible since  cannot play FLAC files and organizing albums is a task.
I cannot open a text edit file with out a crash to the program, which is absurd.
The lid needs to be closed in order to adjust the screen brightness after every start up. Really?

Anyways sorry to burst any bubbles, but  had a great computer system
that declined rapidly since Mojave,
thankfully for me, Asus makes makes better computers!
 
Last edited:
  • Angry
Reactions: Astuces iOS
The M1 MacBook Air is greatly designed, construction wise-
BUT
the OS and software is garbage (Monterey works the best, but still aggravating)
especially that systems data grows by the day which is now at 16GB as the OS is taking up 26GB?
(on a 265 GB drive that is too much of their 's data!)
which is impossible to delete unless one resets the M! To factory settings
which is a nosebleed that process should not happen in this 2020 decade!
I use my Asus ZenBook a lot more (99%) though windows is plastic and just bland.
This zen book has a better screen, battery life and does more for my daily computing task better than the M1
My problems I experienced last year that made me ditch the beloved M1 are plentiful,
but Here are 3 that picked at my nerves!
everything related to playing MY music is horrible since  cannot play FLAC files and organizing albums is a task.
I cannot open a text edit file with out a crash to the program, which is absurd.
The lid needs to be closed in order to adjust the screen brightness after every start up. Really?

Anyways sorry to burst any bubbles, but  had a great computer system
that declined rapidly since Mojave,
thankfully for me, Asus makes makes better computers!
Wait a minute, the m1 MacBook Air is more than 4 YEARS OLD and you are comparing it with your Asus… I think you had problems with your MacBook Air and didn’t tried to resolve them…

- First of all the system data DEPENDS on what you download, for example you aren’t forced to download Apple Intelligence but if you do, it will take more than 5gb and it will be counted in system data or the os….

- 256gb is not bad for a user like a student, people who need more than 256gb are normally creators and I don’t think the MacBook Air is made especially for that… that’s why the MacBook Pro starts at 512gb !

- You are saying that your asus does all this much better but here is 2 tips to gave a boost of performance to your m1 MacBook Air : first delete files (or factory reset the Mac) to give it some free storage… this can help a lot the Mac since it can now use a bit of the ssd memory like a ram memory… (memory swap) and tip 2: make sure there isn’t a lot of programs open at the same time…

- You had problems with for example textedit that crashed every time and other problems like you say you cannot adjust the brightness (there is 2 buttons for that)… you might try to restart your Mac in safe mode and tried what I said in my previous paragraph… I never had this problem!

- Finally you said the OS is trash but apple just improved it since Monterey… MacOS had macOS Ventura, Sonoma and sequoia while windows 11 is still at windows 11…
 
Same, I'll probably replace it next year as it's then 5 years and the company pays for a new one.
Might just get a 14" instead though, or even an Air.
Next year 2026 might be a good replacement but I don’t fell it’s indispensable… I like actually MacBook Pro design… the problem is for some who don’t like it LIKE THE NOTCH !
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.