If it's able to run dual monitors, I'm sold. I want to get something that's light and has has better graphics performance than the Intel integrated garbage.
Why not all of 12, 14, and 16 sizes for both Air and Pro lines? This idea that only high power users want a bigger screen, and only low power users want a small screen is nonsensical. You just said yourself you'd never go back to 12, but do you need Pro power or is Air fine for you? Why not have the choice?12" is too small. I've used an 11.6" MacBook Air for years, then switched to a 13.3" model. In comparison that screen is HUGE. I wouldn't want to go back to 12".
On the other hand, a 12" MacBook Air, 14" MacBook Pro and 16" MacBook Pro would make a lot of sense to me.
Yeah and the more I look into this, the more I realise that the reason iPads don't have fans, is not because they have magical heat avoiding powers, but because by and large they aren't doing anything processor intensive. But as soon as you crank up the video encoding, they get hot. I'm beginning to think this Apple silicon thing is mostly hype, and just an excuse to turn Macs super proprietary and screw more $$$ out of users. I hope I'm wrong, as I love macOS compared to Win, but I have a feeling this might be about to turn worse, not better. Maybe I might be joining you on a 16MBP when my 2015 eventually dies (long may it live), and hopefully Big Sur turns out much better than Catalina.
People are saying elsewhere that this result is not unexpected, since the x265 encoder has specifically been hand optimized for x86, sometimes even to the point of optimizing in assembly.Some tests we did on the Apple Transition kit with Apple Silicone.
Encoding the free animation movie bbb_sunflower_1080p_30fps to a MP4 format with HEVC and AAC with a video bitrate of 6000k and audio bitrate of 256k
Encoding with FFmpeg 4.3.1 compiled versions for ARM and Intel (with x265 library)
Both system running Mac Big Sur Beta 5
Software encoding for video and audio:
Intel Core i9 2.3Ghz 8core 5:09
Intel Core i3 2.8Ghz. 23:18
Apple Silicone A12Z 36:43
Hardware encoding with Apple Videotoolbox (*) for video and audio:
Intel Core i9 2:58
Apple Silicone A12Z 10:51
Intel Core i3 N/A (does not have HEVC hardware accelerated encoding)
Although the Apple transition kit is not using the most powerful ARM atm it does clearly indicate they are much slower in doing hard crunching numbers. With the A14 it may be a bit closer to Intel Core i3
The hardware accelerated encoding was much slower too (which was a surprise).
Basically a Core i5, i7 and i9 will be much faster for the foreseeable future.
A side note: the Apple kit got incredible warm and it may have did some throttling along the test.
(*) Although it’s faster to encode, the file size is much bigger compared when using the software x265 encoder for achieving the same quality. This is a known problem/side effect when using VideoToolbox hardware accelerated APIs. If you need smal file size with high quality, you’re only choice is software encoding.
Glad I just went ahead and bought the 16” MBP the other day. Seems like there probably won’t be a chip variant ready for it for over a year at a minimum when the A15 comes out. I’ve needed a MBP since the spring and finally caved. Glad I did. It seems fine so far and it will be a couple more years until third party Mac software is fully optimized for ARM and the bugs are worked out. Wish I had realized this sooner.
I had the 12" macbook from 2015 and I loved loved loved the form-factor, and how light it was. The current Air is such a lump next to it. ... but it was underpowered, and the single USB-C port was too limiting. You couldn't satisfactorily dock it with a 4K monitor. Fix those problems (a single port is fine if that port is thunderbolt or, probably now, USB-4) and i'm in.
I don’t see why it would. The old rMB didn’t need one and the Apple chips thus far have not utilized a fan either (iPhones/iPads). Maybe on the MacBook Pro you’ll see one but I doubt very much on the 12” MacBook.
I miss the days of lining up at the doors for new Apple hardware release. Is it easier to go online in your underwear and order? Sure. But easier isn’t always better. And certainly not always more fun. It’s one of the Angela-era decisions I actually felt, and still feel, was a bad one. This community is what makes this company so strong. And removing that social component and energy, to me, was when I felt Apple had changed most. IMO.
Anyway, hoping the new chips usher in some new hardware design language. From a bottom line POV, putting new chips in existing hardware sounds like an iterative move that’s right in Tim‘s wheelhouse. New chips cost in R&D. So too does design upgrades. Why implement both when you KNOW these babies will fly off the shelves based solely on the ARM switch?
Regardless, I can’t help but feel this next chapter of Apple might be its most exciting to date - which yes, is saying something. Time will tell.
I had the 12" macbook from 2015 and I loved loved loved the form-factor, and how light it was. The current Air is such a lump next to it. ... but it was underpowered, and the single USB-C port was too limiting. You couldn't satisfactorily dock it with a 4K monitor. Fix those problems (a single port is fine if that port is thunderbolt or, probably now, USB-4) and i'm in.
Works fine with a 4Kp60 monitor if you have the right dongle. I have confirmed this with the 2017 model, but IIRC the 2015 model is reported now to work too.The old 12” wont dock with a 4K monitor? I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. I was just going to buy one for an old 12” I’ve got in the shop for a new battery. The new ARM whatever can’t come soon enough!?
Imo I'm sure vertical integration is part of the reason.Yeah and the more I look into this, the more I realise that the reason iPads don't have fans, is not because they have magical heat avoiding powers, but because by and large they aren't doing anything processor intensive. But as soon as you crank up the video encoding, they get hot. I'm beginning to think this Apple silicon thing is mostly hype, and just an excuse to turn Macs super proprietary and screw more $$$ out of users. I hope I'm wrong, as I love macOS compared to Win, but I have a feeling this might be about to turn worse, not better. Maybe I might be joining you on a 16MBP when my 2015 eventually dies (long may it live), and hopefully Big Sur turns out much better than Catalina.
Yeah but people calling it "silicone" is almost as annoying as old codgers calling the computers Apple makes MAC.
Glad I just went ahead and bought the 16” MBP the other day. Seems like there probably won’t be a chip variant ready for it for over a year at a minimum when the A15 comes out. I’ve needed a MBP since the spring and finally caved. Glad I did. It seems fine so far and it will be a couple more years until third party Mac software is fully optimized for ARM and the bugs are worked out. Wish I had realized this sooner.
Much of the weight is due to the battery. Considering that Arm will likely be more power efficient, it's quite possible it won't increase in weight.The current 13" MacBook "Air" at 1.29 kg is 40% (!!) heavier than the 0.92 kg 12" MacBook. "Air" is not actually that light it seems.
This 40% weight difference is substantial and very noticeable. Especially if you carry it around all day long.
But if Apple aims for a "less than 1 kg" or "less than 2 1/2 pounds" marketing slogan, this would still leave some room compared to the 12" MacBook. If they make it a bit less than 10% heavier they should still remain below 1 kg, or at 20% heavier still be below 2.5 pounds. In both cases it is still lighter than the "Air" and yet the slight weight increase could be used for a beefier battery and the slightly thicker (and heavier) "magic keyboard".
That way they would not have to go with a butterfly keyboard and also increase the battery life comfortably to the reported 20 hours.
So my guess is that the new ARM 12" MacBook (if it happens) is actually slightly heavier than the current one.
For a MacBook there is no need to clock it higher than an iPad Pro. In fact, I think they'd be fine to clock it lower in terms of raw performance. Even the A14 non-X would already be much faster than the fastest 12" Intel MacBook for general purpose usage.My guess is that the reported A14X is a great CPU but not nearly as power efficient when clocked at higher frequencies for a laptop.
So to get to 20 hours they probably will have to do both, increase the battery and use an A14X to get there.
I presume the Mac-specific desktop ARM CPU variant they will develop in future will be more energy efficient for Mac computing as it is not merely a chip focussed on low-power (iPhone/iPad) clocked at higher frequencies.
But even if they don't change the battery at all, the magic keyboard is bigger and heavier than the butterfly keyboard.
So unless they keep using the butterfly keyboard (unlikely) or make the battery smaller, they cannot really keep the 0.92 kg weight, I feel.
Wouldn't be surprised but not sure what's available to upgrade to right now. Maybe a processor bump? But I thought the newer Intel chips were running hotter since they use more power on the same process node. This thing actually runs fairly cool (around body temperature or a little less) during normal use and under a decent load it doesn't seem to get as hot as MBPs I had in the past. Though I probably wouldn't want to keep it on my lap for a long render. 1080p FaceTime and WiFi 6 would be nice upgrades. I read that RAM and SSD prices are going to be falling quite a bit this autumn so maybe a slightly lower price for upgrades. But right now you can save a chunk on refurbs. I saved about $600 on my config which is in my signature.I was hoping we'd get one more refresh on the MBP 16" (as the higher end on the new MBP 13" is very nice) and I'd have to consider that. Then I could wait for a few generations for the Apple Silicone versions to get perfected and software to be adapted.
Wouldn't be surprised but not sure what's available to upgrade to right now. Maybe a processor bump?