Last year, Apple announced the transition to Apple silicon. This is a great thing moving forwards for Apple, but is it? I was extremely sceptical about it until I received a Mac mini M1 for work recently. Those benchmarks are not fake. M1 is fast and silent compared to an Intel based MacBook Pro. Do I enjoy using it? Absolutely. Will Apple succeed with this transition? Absolutely. However, I am still worried about it.
At the end of my Surface Pro post, I mentioned the reason why Surface Pro still exists. I think in general, why Windows still exists. If mac OS and Mac devices are truly perfect, who needs a Windows device? Windows can do everything but not good at any except for gaming maybe. Mac OS is great in certain areas but not all.
Prior to M1, users could install Windows 10 via Bootcamp and thus, having two systems in one shell. I used to own a 15 inch MacBook Pro and this worked well for me. I could get the best of both and run anything. Now, this is no longer the case. M1 devices are now mac OS only. There are ways to run Windows 10 ARM but it isn’t great yet. Now, it depends on Microsoft because it might be a good time to push Windows 10 ARM and Surface Pro X. However, it will take time.
Another issue with M1 is compatibility. Even though Apple is doing an amazing job, there are still applications that won’t run with Rosetta 2. If one single software I use cannot run on M1, I won’t get one even if it is more powerful. Yes, it will be supported eventually but what if Not? Apple always asks developers to catch up with them. They make it very simple but what if the developer doesn’t maintain it anymore. It is great to move forward but sometimes, it is nice to look back but in Apple’s world, there is no such thing.
Overall, M1 is great and I recommend it if you don’t worry about ARM compatibility and Windows. My worries are just mine. Apple is smarter than me and I think they should be fine. Because of M1, Intel, AMD and Qualcomm are making better chips. It is great for us in the end. Now, I can’t wait for the next gen M1 devices.