Apple’s new M1 Mac chip promises bigger changes



[ad_1]

For now, Apple’s new M1 chip – fast, smart, and literally cool – is just a major hardware upgrade that is winning rave reviews.

But on the road, the M1 will pave the way for new Apple devices that could bridge the gap between Mac and iPhone / iPad computing and transform the devices we use every day.

The big picture: The success of the M1 is an opportunity for Apple’s competitors, and not just for Intel, whose semiconductors Apple leaves behind after 15 years. Microsoft and Qualcomm have tried – and are struggling – to make a similar leap with Windows, but the M1’s success shows that Apple still maintains its lead in innovation.

Apple has jaded us with ho-hum product unveilings for so long it was easy to dismiss the company’s hype for the new processor. But once the M1-based computers landed around the world – including ours – it became clear that the new chip deserved its applause.

Between the lines: Replacing processors isn’t easy, and when Apple announced the change, our advice would have been not to buy a new Mac unless you really need it.

  • In tech, you usually never want to buy the first version of a new thing, or the last of an old one (unless you’re sentimental).

But the performance of the M1 exceeded expectations.

  • To be sure, when the M1 is running applications designed for it, it runs much faster than the Intel chips it replaces.
  • But even when the M1 is running older applications, which require translation to work, the new chip performs faster than Intel chips that run these programs natively.

Ina tried a loaned M1-based MacBook Air for about a week and found that it easily outperforms Intel Macs for basic tasks like browsing the web and taking notes – and battery life was unlike anything it has seen .

  • The only caveat: The two new Apple laptops only have two USB-C / Thunderbolt ports, which leaves some people struggling to connect certain devices. (They also don’t support external monitors the same way older versions did.

Apple’s success should be a wake-up call not only for Intel but also for Microsoft and Qualcomm.

  • These companies have worked for years to run Windows on Qualcomm’s chips, but the results have been far more complicated than what Apple provided.
  • With each generation, Qualcomm claims to have made dramatic improvements in performance and compatibility, but devices built on this approach remain a small niche with mixed reviews.

Apple wins this match for several reasons.

  1. Apple has a much smaller device and software landscape to support than Microsoft and has been willing to sacrifice compatibility if it needs to evolve its products.
  2. Apple’s control over its ecosystem, from chips to hardware to software, gives it more chances to optimize the performance of every element.
  3. Apple has a strong track record with this kind of transition, having already twice changed the chips that power the Mac for three and a half decades – and also switched from the original Mac OS to the Unix kernel that powers Mac OS X.

And after: With these computers, Apple simply replaced new chips with existing designs. The MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac Mini are virtually identical to their Intel counterparts, apart from the heart transplant.

  • But this is only version 1.0. Apple didn’t make this massive change just to increase its speed specs and save power (but for many buyers, that may be enough).
  • Apple also said it is monitoring brand new types of devices that Intel processors have not allowed. We might not see them immediately, as the company’s top priority is bringing the M1 and its successors to the rest of the Mac lineup.
  • Apple always keeps an eye on its plans. But we know the M1 is based on the processor used in the iPhone – and that opens up a whole lot of possibilities.
  • Think: integrated cellular technology. Devices with removable touch screens. Laptops potentially even smaller and lighter.

Go more geek: Apple’s Craig Federighi, Jonny Srouja, and Greg Joswiak explained to Ars Technica how Apple made the M1 so fast.

[ad_2]

Source link