Any Macbook users pull the trigger on the new M1s?

The hype is real.

I have a 2015 Macbook Pro 15" (i7, 16GB) that has served me very well but wanted a new toy for Christmas and bought a new Macbook Air (M1, 8GB). Good lord, the MBA blows my Pro out of the water. And the most recent 16" Pro out of the water, too (for the most part). Apple wasn't messing around when they said their new M1 chips were going to revolutionize things.

The only drawbacks are that they don't support Windows (Boot Camp/Parallels) and the 16" models won't be released until next year. There's a guy on Youtube (Max Tech) who does literal side-by-side comparisons and if you're into this sort of thing, you'll be amazed. The new Airs hold their own against the new Pros except in the most demanding of situations. A battery charge lasts forever. It's nuts.

To think that I nearly dropped $2200 on a new Pro...

Anyone else got their hands on one of these sweet babies?

 

I'm waiting for Apple to release more models with the M1 chip, particularly a new iMac with the M1. My guess it probably won't happen until sometime next year. I think by then, it would also have given some of the developers more time to make their software M1/Big Sur compatible. I don't want to take the plunge too soon and end up with compatibility issues with my non-Apple apps.

I've also seen how Final Cut Pro run on the M1 systems and it's blazing fast. My current iMac (2017 vintage) really struggles when editing 5.7K 360 videos with Final Cut Pro and I have one of the high-end iMacs too.

 

I have a 2013 15" Macbook and it seems to be working very well. Wife has a MBP that is 10 years old. It is a bit slow when too much is running, but works for her. Keep thinking about a new one from time to time, and then realize this damn computer is already the biggest waste of time ever. My fault of course, not the computer. LOL

 

I'll probably hold out until Q2/Q3 of 2021 before picking one up. I have a 2017 15" MacBook Pro at work that is due for an upgrade, but I want to make sure all of my software is compatible. As for my personal MacBook Pro (13", 2016), I'll run that into the ground as my needs are mostly websurfing these days.

I came across this site the other day - https://isapplesiliconready.com Shows you where various software stands with being supported by M1 and optimized.

 

I also have a '15 MBP i7 with 16GB and have been looking at possibly upgrading. When the switch to Apple Silicon was announced at WWDC, I was a little skeptical and I'm not sure why. I guess the thought of moving away from Intel seemed like it would have too many downsides. Which I admit is strange considering how well their SOC perform in the all the iOS devices however desktop computing is different. Then the M1 came out and it's blowing everything away! I still have life in my MBP so I'll probably wait till the 16 inch gets the new silicon and the possible M2(?) chip.

I do wish I had held off any picking up a new MacMini at the beginning of the year now!

 

I have a 2015 13" MBP. The battery is going, and the newer software and operating systems are running slower. Also, the case is good condition, but is starting to go. Plus, like every other techie, I want a new computer. I did upgrade to Big Sur from Catalina, but regretted it. So I looked into the M1, which I will get into. I am in the process of re-installing Catalina, almost finished.

The reason I did not get an M1 13" MBP is a couple of issues. One is what was mentioned in the original post. I use Windows under Parallels ever day I work. I literally could not do my job without it. In fact I use Windows 7 because I prefer it over Windows 10. So it is a no brainer for me, I must wait for Parallels to get it working. I do worry that they will only have Win10 working. But I will deal with that when the time comes. Another issue is that I think it is just smart to wait and see what options come up in terms of specs. One thing that slightly concerns me, although I'll admit ignorance, is RAM. The reviews I've watched seem to think that the way that Apple handles RAM with the M1 allows you to have less RAM. But since Parallels, and possibly other virtual machines, need RAM, I wonder if I will need more RAM to run multiple operating systems at the same time. I also wonder what other programs are not working natively under M1 that will be working properly in the near future.

I will say that I am not a fan of Big Sur, which is what will come with M1. I hate the whole iOS look. But Microsoft did that with Windows 10, it looks like a tablet. Maybe I should install Linux, lol!

 

Thanks for the recommendation. Thinking I will purchase the new Air 16/256 at the beginning of the year. I don't do anything that needs the added storage, so the 256 is fine. I'm excited—been an Apple owner since the late 80's when I purchased a IIE with the floppy drive. Amazing what the technology has done in the last 30 years.

 

I bought a new MacBook Pro right before this update but I knew it was coming. But I need the possibility of windows compatibility. I use Mac OS 90% of the time but I may need windows from time to time and i don’t own a windows based computer.

 

Compatibility Issues -

We are still using Office 2010 on both MACs. Had switched to a new version once but had troubles. EVERYTHING seems to work just fine with the older version.

 

Isn't Office 2010 obsoleted as of pretty soon?

 

Yeah, Microsoft ended support and security updates to Office 2010 back in October. They've been pushing their subscription based Office suite as an upgrade. I hate subscription based software, so I stopped using Office when I retired and switched over to Apple's office suite (Pages, Numbers, and Keynotes) which is free when you own a Mac.

Also, Microsoft has released a beta version of their Office 365 for Mac which makes it compatible with the M1 chip and Big Sur. Although, it uses Rosetta 2 so it's not a native M1 app yet.

 

I got the 8/512 Air. Don't really need all that storage, but my MPB is 256 and is almost full so I figured it'd be a good idea to step up even though Apple's SSD upgrades are expensive. Got an external LaCie 5TB drive to go with it.

Our first Apple was also a IIe (or as the nerds typed it, ][e ). My dad's friend was a hardware tech who worked at the only Apple retailer in this area and he loaded me up with pirated games for it. Choplifter, Lode Runner, Castle Wolfenstein, Sneakers, Bruce Lee, MicroLeague Baseball, and a bunch of others. Karateka and Dr J/Larry Bird One-on-One were my favorites. My parents still own it and my brother fired it up 10 or 15 years ago and it still worked. Would like to get that thing from them and play around with it.

 

The subscription to Office blows. One of our benefits from my employer was that we could get the full Office package for something like ten or twenty bucks. Man, that was a steal. Now we get a discount on the subscription but it isn't really much of a discount.

 

There are later versions of Office - like 2016, that are not subscription based.
Also news on that front: www.engadget.com/amp/microsoft-non-subscription-office-suite-2021-072127104.html

Thanks for the new Macbook info and review, @johnvic - I'm in the market for a new laptop eventually.

 

I loved that game. "Halt! Haltenzee!" Hitler was one bad mo'fo. Thank god for the room full of health.