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As much as I want M3 now, I hope that the extra time between A17's tape out and M3's was well spent on architecture so that it's more impressive a gain than it, as well as not burning more power which M2 already did over M1
 
Ray Tracing: only if you’re a gamer, in which case you’ll probably have a a gaming PC and/or a videogame console.

Definitely not only if you're a gamer. The same RTX acceleration is dominant on rendering apps like Blender and much much faster than everything else. I hope Apple's has developers on board for pro apps too.
 
So what will be the benefits of AV1 (and Ray Tracing) to the normal user?
AV1 matters because more online services will move to it over the coming years. The efficiency of Macs would drop if suddenly services were using codecs that your Macs didn't have hardware acceleration baked into the silicon.

Ray Tracing doesn't matter to most users, but probably will eventually. :)
 
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I am really looking forward for the M3.
Especially the Max version and especially for the GPU.

I would really love to see the gaming industry change on Apple devices (all, mobile and Mac), and the recent A17 Pro is the way to go with Desktop class GPU.
M3 can be the moment for the Mac.

Unfortunately gaming for Mac is the chicken and the egg. Not enough gamers because not enough games, not enough games because not enough gamers.

I love to play on my M1 Max MBP, and not having to buy a separate Windows machine just for that would allow me to have a better Mac where to do both.

Very curious to see what is gonna be the M3
Not gonna happen anytime soon. Even if it does start to evolve, itll be years before a decent library of games is available on the Mac.

if you want to game, pc is the way to go.
 
Guys, I need a new laptop because my 2012 mbp is really slow now. Should I get the M2 now or wait for M3 (but not sure March or June 2024?)
 
Guys, I need a new laptop because my 2012 mbp is really slow now. Should I get the M2 now or wait for M3 (but not sure March or June 2024?)

If you need a computer, buy one now.

If you can wait, the computer will always be better.

There's nothing really wrong with the M2 models.

Perhaps consider the Apple refurbished store, as there is good value there.
 
It wouldn’t surprise me if we don’t see M3 until 2024 however Apple seems to be on an 18 month cycle with M-series chips. That said it would be peculiar if Apple had nothing to show this fall for the Mac. It would be disappointing.

Apple is still selling the M1 Air it announced 3 years ago. If no MacBooks arrive this fall I’d expect Apple to at least release an M3 iMac & perhaps another 13” MacBook Air price reduction by discontinuing the M1 Air & putting the M2 Air at the $999 price point.
I do not think Apple will keep the M1 around and discount it when M3 comes along. That would be three MacBook Airs available for purchase. Philosophy is different from phones.

But an M1 MacBook Air at a “cheap” for Apple pricing may do well, even if it is three years old now. M1 is still a decent option for some, especially if you like the older form factor.
 
I do not think Apple will keep the M1 around and discount it when M3 comes along. That would be three MacBook Airs available for purchase. Philosophy is different from phones.

But an M1 MacBook Air at a “cheap” for Apple pricing may do well, even if it is three years old now. M1 is still a decent option for some, especially if you like the older form factor.
My fear is that Apple will keep the M1 MBA around at its current price point and just stop selling the M2 MBA.
 
My fear is that Apple will keep the M1 MBA around at its current price point and just stop selling the M2 MBA.
Humm…possibility. That would mean people buy the M1 just for the form factor instead of internals (or pricing).

My wife is one who said she would rather have the M1 than the M2 Air because she likes the old form. I of course would want the M2 or M3 due to increase in power and tech…

Will be interesting what occurs when the M3 airs come out..
 
It is going to be a lackluster Xmas for Apple.
Apple is now primarily a phone company. Everything else are distant 2nd, 3rd place products. There are Plenty of new iPhone products on the shelves for the holidays. While I’m not excited by the iPhone 15s. There is more than enough “new stuff” for Xmas.
 
I'm itching to see the M3 iMac and what, if anything else, it offers.

As it is I'm of two minds. My brain, and whatever level of maturity I have, is telling me to stay calm and be patient--wait a little longer until Spring if necessary. I'm not dying for or desperate for a new computer--my current machine is running well and can easily hang on for awhile longer.

That said the impulsive adolescent in me is eager to make a move. And over on the Apple site a refurb M2 Mac Studio with 32GB RAM and 1TB SSD looks awfully tempting.

*Sigh*
 
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Apple is now primarily a phone company. Everything else are distant 2nd, 3rd place products. There are Plenty of new iPhone products on the shelves for the holidays. While I’m not excited by the iPhone 15s. There is more than enough “new stuff” for Xmas.
The 15 is a flop though.
 
The 15 is a flop though.
As always, it is very hard for us to judge how successful Apple views a product. Only Apple knows for sure.

I'll be sad if the 15" MBA goes away... While I probably wouldn't buy one, I had been asking for them to make the product for years! :)
 
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Timeline... for the 3nm Mac chip

M3 by Q1 2024

- MacBook Air 13" & 15"
- MacBook Pro 13"
- iPad Pro 11" & 12.9"
- Vision Pro
- iMac 24"

M3 Pro & M3 Max by WWDC 2024

- MacBook Pro 14" & 16"
- Mac Mini

M3 Ultra by Christmas 2024

- Mac Studio
- Mac Pro
 
I would be shocked if we saw a 2nd gen Apple Vision before the end of 2024... or more likely: 2025.
If Apple said M3 on Vision Pro it would materially reduce sales of M2 Macs & iPads.

The "free" upgrade has already been costed in advance and it is good PR to increase battery life of a ~2hr battery life device.
 
Hopefully the iMac gets an "M3 Pro".
Apple could ship a Mac mini with an "M3 Max" if they wanted (given that it can fit in a laptop).
The MBP 13" probably could get an "M3 Pro".

I noted the combinations that Apple could fill in their product line with here (a pity the Quadra has no known future):

 
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Hopefully the iMac gets an "M3 Pro".
Apple could ship a Mac mini with an "M3 Max" if they wanted (given that it can fit in a laptop).
The MBP 13" probably could get an "M3 Pro".

I noted the combinations that Apple could fill in their product line with here (a pity the Quadra has no known future):

Overall agree, but I think a potential 11” or 12” MacBook would come with an M* SoC
 
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Hopefully the iMac gets an "M3 Pro".
Apple could ship a Mac mini with an "M3 Max" if they wanted (given that it can fit in a laptop).
The MBP 13" probably could get an "M3 Pro".

I noted the combinations that Apple could fill in their product line with here (a pity the Quadra has no known future):

Length-wise and width-wise any of the Mac chips can fit a Mac mini.

But the thickness/height has to do with Apple's operational noise targets.

Nosier MBP 14" & 16" is acceptable. Quieter is nice to have but not at the expense of thickness and weight.

For a desktop power consumption, thickness and weight matters less.

The 2020 Mac mini M1 could have had the M1 Pro in it but timing and unit volume of the Pro chip may have been prioritized for the MBP.
 
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