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Five Apple Products You Should Avoid Buying Right Now
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I think the actual words were "that's for another day" and I did get the impression that they were carefully choosing their words to avoid any sort of commitment.
I'm not going to be dogmatic and say "there will be no new Mac Pro" - but I think people should "manage their expectations".
Back in 2012, Apple thought the trashcan was the way forward for the Mac Pro (I'd also speculate that, in 2017, the iMac Pro was going to be the "new Mac Pro" & got push-back from some key partners, leading to that panicky press briefing). The problem they admitted with the trashcan was the "thermal corner" and their inability to keep it updated with new CPUs and GPUs. If the trashcan had "kept up", the 2019 "big box'o'slots" Mac Pro might not had happened. Another trashcan problem was that they waited until the 2010 Mac Pro was thoroughly out of date (and had been discontinued in the EU for about a year, for want of a fan guard) so the radical new design was forced on customers with no notice.
Now we have the Studio Max and Ultra which really are the Trashcan sans quirky thermal chimney design, far more thunderbolt bandwidth (the TB 2 to 3 basic bandwidth improvement plus dedicated controllers for each of the 6 ports, rather than 2 ports per controller) and future CPU/GPU designs completely under Apple's control to guarantee regular updates. Alongside it, the 2019 Mac Pro is still current, selling alongside the Studio, reasonably up-to-date and a more conventional design that could easily be spec bumped to the latest CPUs and GPUs (and can use regular PCIe GPUs if MPX modules aren't forthcoming). If Apple wanted to have another crack at the Trashcan solution, now would be the ideal time.
On the flipside of that - Apple Silicon has been a huge success in laptops, pretty effective in low/mid-range small-form-factor desktops and, with the ultra, already outperforms the Mac Pro CPU-wise.
The justifications for a Mac Pro over the Studio Ultra are (a) RAM capacity, (b) PCIe expansion and (c) The power of high-end PCIe GPUs. That's totally at odds with the strengths of the Apple Silicon we've seen so far which are (1) Low power consumption/battery/heat (2) Ultra-fast - but limited capacity - unified RAM, (3) Integrated, low-power GPUs hitting above their weight because of unified RAM and Metal-optimised software and (4) Lots of on-chip Thunderbolt controllers for external expansion.
(Low power consumption/heat is never a bad thing but it's at it's least important in a full-size personal workstation where there's plenty of space for PSU and cooling - it only gets important again as you move into high-density computing and start racking them up by the dozen, which the Mac Pro isn't).
Essentially, the Mac Studio "Trashcan 2022" concept seems like a better use of the strengths of Apple Silicon than trying to replicate the 2019 Mac Pro and its huge RAM, PCIe bandwidth and 3rd party GPU support. Even with a M? Extreme - if it can be made to work - we'd still be talking about integrated GPU, max 256GB RAM (maybe 512GB if larger chips are now available - but remember the M1 Pro/Max/Ultra already got the M2's LPDDR5 RAM update) and Thunderbolt I/O (unless the on-chip TB4 ports can be configured as 4x PCIe lanes) - which still sounds to me like a "Studio Extreme" rather than a big box'o'slots.
There's no fundamental reason why Apple couldn't produce an ARM ISA "Xeon-killer" chip, with external RAM and shedloads of PCIe, except that it would be a hugely expensive development for the smallest-selling Mac, vs. gluing M? Max dies designed for MacBook Pros together.
My prediction for the Mac Pro remains Mac Studio-like guts in a 1U rackmount case (with matching TB-to-PCIe expansion rack for those specialist interfaces) - maybe with an M? Extreme option if that's viable, with Intel Mac Pro production continuing for an indeterminate time for people who need their quad AMD GPUs and 1.5TB ECC RAM. Don't take that to the bank, though
Yes it should say don't buy one unless you have none for a TV or it breaks. Our first gen 4K works fine in the bedroom. Only difference I can even see from the newest one in the living room is the remote
I just ordered a 14" MacBook Pro (M1 Pro base config: 512GB/16GB) for $1,599 on Amazon. I also have a 15% off coupon from Amazon that they previously issued to me that would bring it down to $1,359.
It is my first Mac laptop (upgrading from a 2018 Dell Inspiron 15" 7000), and I'm excited to get familiar with a completely new OS, as I've only ever used Windows PCs.
I'm not a creator, plan on just using this for media consumption, browsing, emails and maybe doing some light video editing.
I think it's a pretty outstanding deal for what I'm getting, considering the M1 Pro is already overkill for my usage.
Thoughts?
It is my first Mac laptop (upgrading from a 2018 Dell Inspiron 15" 7000), and I'm excited to get familiar with a completely new OS, as I've only ever used Windows PCs.
I'm not a creator, plan on just using this for media consumption, browsing, emails and maybe doing some light video editing.
I think it's a pretty outstanding deal for what I'm getting, considering the M1 Pro is already overkill for my usage.
Thoughts?
Rumors suggest that Apple still has several new devices that are coming before the end of the year, including a range of Macs and iPads. It's not looking like we're going to get an October event in 2022, but refreshes are coming soon, probably via press release. If you're planning to buy a Mac or an iPad, make sure to check out our list to know what's safe to pick up now and what's not.
iPad Pro
The iPad Pro was last updated in April 2021, and we're expecting an updated version before the end of 2022. There are no design huge changes that we know of coming, but there are some features worth waiting for.
Both the 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models will get a refresh, but rumors suggest just the 12.9-inch model will have a mini-LED display, despite some information that had indicated Apple could bring the technology to both models.
Apple's updated iPad Pros are expected to use the M2 chip that was first introduced in the new MacBook Air in June, bringing speed and performance improvements. There have also been rumors of wireless charging support, with Apple perhaps adding a new larger glass Apple logo at the back that would allow for MagSafe charging.
Reverse wireless charging is also a possibility with the new iPad Pro models able to charge iPhones, AirPods, and other devices.
Low-Cost iPad
Apple has long offered a low-cost basic iPad that is available at a ~$300 price point, but this year, the cheap iPad is getting some trickle down features that have previously been limited to higher-end iPads.
Apple is going to refresh the tired old design the low-cost iPad has been using for years, introducing 10.5-inch display with a more modern look featuring flat edges and rounded corners. We've previously seen this design used for the iPad mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro.
The flat-edged design usually accompanies a bezel-free interface, but rumors right now suggest the iPad will continue to have top and bottom bezels along with a Touch ID Home button, but it remains to be seen if that's true. Apple could opt for the same power button Touch ID design used for the iPad mini and the iPad Air.
With the exception of the low-cost iPad, every iPad uses a USB-C port, and Apple is going to swap Lightning for USB-C with the 10th-generation iPad refresh.
We could also see some improvements to the camera, and a faster chip is a sure thing (likely the A14), but one thing the iPad might lose is the headphone jack. Removing the headphone jack would bring the low-cost iPad in line with the rest of the iPad lineup.
14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro
The M1 Pro and M1 Max MacBook Pros came out in October of last year, and we might see new M2 Pro and M2 Max models released before the end of the year. New MacBook Pro models are said to be planned for release as soon as this fall, but there is a chance the timing could be pushed back because of supply constraints that Apple has been dealing with.
Mac Mini
There hasn't been a Mac mini refresh since 2020 when the M1 chip was added, but Apple doesn't yet plan on discontinuing the desktop machine. A refresh is in the works, and updated Mac mini devices could include M2 and M2 Pro chips.
We're not expecting any design changes, and the highest-end chips will likely be reserved for the Mac Studio, which is like a hybrid of the Mac Pro and the Mac mini.
Apple TV
Apple last updated the Apple TV in April of 2021, and it may be time for a refresh. Rumors suggest that there is a new model with an A14 chip and 4GB RAM in development, and it could be ready to launch before the end of 2022.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said several times this year that Apple is planning to lower the price of the Apple TV when it's refreshed, but whether that will actually happen remains to be seen.
Bonus: Mac Pro
Since the Mac Pro hasn't been updated since 2019 and doesn't yet use Apple silicon chips it's obvious that now is not a great time to buy. While we did hear some early 2022 rumors suggesting that the Mac Pro could get a refresh before the end of the year, it's now looking like a new Mac Pro isn't coming until 2023.
While we may have several months to go before the Mac Pro sees an update, we don't recommend buying one right now. You're definitely going to want to wait on Apple to bring its ultra fast Apple silicon chips to its highest-end pro machine.
Rumors suggest that the Mac Pro will use an M2 Ultra, an upgrade to the M1 Ultra first introduced in the Mac Studio, and an even more powerful M2 Extreme chip. The M1 Ultra features up to a 20-core CPU and a 64-core GPU, and the M2 Ultra could be even more powerful.
The M2 Extreme will be Apple's most powerful chip to date, and Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has said that the chip could have upwards of 40 CPU cores and 128 GPU cores.
Wrap Up
Note that this list is based on rumors that we've heard, so it's possible that some of these refreshes could be delayed into 2023. Timing Apple product releases is not always straightforward, but if you can wait on a purchase, it's a good idea to hold off until a new product announcement if you're concerned about having the latest and greatest device.
We have more product release timelines available for every Apple device in our dedicated Buyer's Guide, which is an invaluable resource for Apple fans.
Article Link: Five Apple Products You Should Avoid Buying Right Now
To checkout the Apple M2 I picked up a MacBook Air M2 I bumped up the RAM and drive, I needed a small laptop. I thought if I don't think much of it I will trade it in when next 14" MacBook Pro M2 ??? comes out. Have to say I'm quite impressed with this MBA M2, it's taken me a bit to get used the small screen but I find myself using it a lot because of its small size. Sure it would be nice to have all the ports of MBP but with a hub I've got that covered. So unless the spec's of the M2 Pro chip are way different this MBA M2 is probably going to be a keeper.
My only gripe with the MBA M2 like most MacBooks is the camera, why doesn't Apple put a decent camera in these MacBooks?
So what would a more powerful Apple TV 4K allow us to do over the existing model?
I have an Apple TV 4K version 1 that I use every day as a TV streaming device (TV+, Netflix, iPlayer, Disney+, Prime Video etc). The only thing I don't think I can do, compared to the current version 2, is to play compatible Youtube videos back at 4K/60fps.
I have an Apple TV 4K version 1 that I use every day as a TV streaming device (TV+, Netflix, iPlayer, Disney+, Prime Video etc). The only thing I don't think I can do, compared to the current version 2, is to play compatible Youtube videos back at 4K/60fps.
Gotta hand it to this site. A lot of other sites might have been concerned about Apple seeing this and getting pissed off.
No, the point of sunk cost is, not everybody has them. Especially those people who bought the mini, specifically because it was the cheapest way to buy a Mac. Not the cheapest way to upgrade your Mac Pro + 5K display combo with an M1 processor. That's a completely different use case for a totally different group of people.
Yes, buying a M1 Mini as an "upgrade" for a 2019 Mac Pro + 5k display would be ridiculous. So either @StudioG is nuts or maybe - just maybe you misread what they posted:
So, probably at best a 2012 (pre-Trashcan) Mac Pro and certainly no 5k displays. Unless that 10+ year old MP is fully loaded with RAM and GPU upgrades then a M1 Mini will thrash it - and is a reasonable way of upgrading to Apple Silicon.
A 10-year-old Mac is obsolete and not officially supported by the any current MacOS. The displays are likely to be perfectly usable, even if they're not 4k.
...and you're still ignoring all the other reasons why people might already have perfectly good displays, keyboards etc.
Yup - it's odd that nobody is talking about the 24" M1 iMac which is coming up to its 18 month birthday.
Presumably the MacBook Air is the biggest seller by a long chalk (and the 13" MBP pro also seems to be inexplicably important to Apple, probably some large corporate/government contract) - so they're getting priority in the supply of M2 chips.
No, they're not. Even for a 24" monitor, you need at least 4.5K to achieve Retina resolution of 218dpi. 27" needs 5K and 32" needs 6K. Everything else is just trash.
Just bought a 16" M1 Max for a great price on amazon (20% discount) and I'm super happy. I think the iMac and Mac mini should have the priority for an update. There is absolutely no need to update the MBP now that the studio came out with the same chips. Many people waited for months to get their machines, but now they are already releasing a new model..when there is still a Mac Mini running intel..Will never understand apple.
Yes the desktops are only represented by Mac mini, M1 24" iMac, Mac Studio/Display, and intel Mac Pro. Pathetic isn't that people keep asking for more laptop updates from Apple given the nice selection of models presently over badly needed desktop updates.
does the the new Air overheat often bc it is fanless? My 2016 MacBook Pro gets super hot sometimes so I really question buying the Air. I can’t stand the 2016 webcam so it’s either the Air or MacBook Pro 16 with the 1080p. I don’t think I can wait for the new version bc my screen seems to be dying and the pc has frozen a couple of times today and yesterday. 🧐🤔
It appears I misspoke, it was indeed $1599 - still a screamer of a deal.
Glad someone around here is showing some reason.
Actually it was a 2009 Mac Pro on its 4th video card (if you count the one that came with it), 2nd SSD and 2nd set of processors. It had a good run and served its purpose as my daily driver for years. The thing was built to last. But yes, my M1 Mini totally thrashes it at a fraction of the cost.
Both displays are 4K. I upgrade my displays at a different rate than my computer. This cr*p about 4K not being good enough or "just trash" is ridiculous. They do what I need, and I see no need to upgrade my displays in lock-step with my computer, either forced because the display is the computer (iMac), or "just because". If I swap out my M1 mini for the mythical mini pro or a Mac Studio am I supposed to mindlessly replace my monitors too?
My keyboard and mouse are also perfectly good.
Perhaps, out of a sense of tradition, Apple will announce a new, Apple Silicon powered Mac Pro just before the holidays, so no orders will be processed until after the new year, and no product will ship until next March. (The tradition to which I refer is the introduction of the Mr. Fusion Mac Pro in “2013.”)
And for the nigglers, yes, Apple did ship a very small number of the 2013 Mac Pros before Santa engaged his afterburners that year, but the next ones literally didn’t ship until early March, 2014.
And for the nigglers, yes, Apple did ship a very small number of the 2013 Mac Pros before Santa engaged his afterburners that year, but the next ones literally didn’t ship until early March, 2014.
Is there any credible intel there will be any new 14" & 16" Pro's released in 2022? I've seen a lot of information it could be next Spring and not everyone seems convinced the M2 is that much more desirable than the M1. There were nearly two years between the last versions, I need a new computer yesterday and all the 'Don't Buy' advice is giving me anxiety.
Still $1599 at Best Buy and Amazon last I checked. I'm waiting until the release of the new MBPs (whether through an event or press release) to see if there are any further drops. Ideally I'd like a 1TB model but the best I've seen is $1899 at B&H with the same 8/12 cpu/gpu as the base 512GB, the step up 10/14 cpu/gpu with 1TB is $2099, a bit more than I'd like to pay ($2500+ with tax and AppleCare).