Review: M1 Max MacBook Pro After Three Months

[bradman83]

Really Yay? what do you miss about it? (touchbar). For us it's been completely useless since day 1 lol, of course you "could do" stuff, but 99% of it was slower & less efficiently than physical keys.

I liked that I could use the Touch Bar as a replacement for several items that would otherwise go in the menu bar (I’m a stickler for an uncluttered menu bar). Adjusting variable settings like screen brightness or sound volume was faster on the pop-up slider than having to tap the increase or decrease buttons multiple times, and physical buttons provide no visual feedback on if sound is muted or not; I have to put the sound menu item back in the menu bar or open Control Center. I didn’t care that most apps didn’t use it; I found it most useful as a customizable control strip.

 

[nvmls]

Then go to settings and turn it off, dah

We did 😅

 

[likegadgets]

My M1 MAX PRO is a 16", 4T, 64 GB RAM - picked up at the store on day 1 - they had it in stock (not a pre-order)
I have a CalDigit TS3+ and connected to it: ethernet, an LG ultra fine 5k 27" Monitor, TWO Sandisk 2TB SSD drives, 1 5T Seagate mechanical drive, BOSE external speakers, a USB HUB that in turn connects to a label printer, a Fujitsu scanner, an External DVD writer, another 5TB external drive and an APC power BU unit. All these connect to a thunderbolt port on the Mac with a single TB3 cable.

I also connect on the other side an XDR Apple Monitor with a Logitech 4K webcam with the TB3 cable.

The M1 MAX Pro is mostly on clamshell mode with the 2 monitors running. I never experienced a crash with many of the devices running when in sleep or with the closed lid. (I runt several backups a day to different drives. I have also copied large files from the internal SSD to and from the Sandisk SSDs - did not noticed slowdowns.

The ONLY and very MAJOR problem I have is that TIME MACHINE on Monterey 12.1 on this machine simply does not work. (I am backing up using CCC and SuperDuper). Apple has acknowledged the issue, and it is document on the forums here. But the system is crippled by its native backup program not functioning. Maybe with 12.2 this will be fixed.

It is an awesome system so far, albeit the Time Machine issues.

 

[0ceans]

I don't understand the appeal of the 16" model. You used to need to get the large Macbook Pro to get a discrete GPU and top of the line CPU, but that's no longer the case. If you need real estate, an extra 2 inches is meaningless and you'll want some monitors hooked up anyways. So why bother with the extra weight and size of the 16"?

I say this as someone with a 2019 16", and I can't wait to finally drop to a decently sized laptop without sacrificing top of the line specs.

 

[bradman83]

I don't understand the appeal of the 16" model. You used to need to get the large Macbook Pro to get a discrete GPU and top of the line CPU, but that's no longer the case. If you need real estate, an extra 2 inches is meaningless and you'll want some monitors hooked up anyways. So why bother with the extra weight and size of the 16"?

I say this as someone with a 2019 16", and I can't wait to finally drop to a decently sized laptop without sacrificing top of the line specs.

100% agree. I always disliked I had to sacrifice CPU and GPU power for the size and form factor of the 13” Pro. I love that Apple silicon means the 14” can have the same specs as the 16” model. I have the 14” right now and it’s such a dramatic improvement over my 2018 13” MBP.

 

[mielie]

Really Yay? what do you miss about it? (touchbar). For us it's been completely useless since day 1 lol, of course you "could do" stuff, but 99% of it was slower & less efficiently than physical keys.

+1 for keeping the Touch Bar on the 13". This is one of the main reasons I didn't go for the new MacBook Pro's. I don't think the touchbar is a simple out and in swap of function keys in that it takes a little bit of time and effort to learn how to use it properly, but once you've made the effort it makes a massive difference. A lot of my workflows involve using the touchbar and as an application developer I've built a lot of tools to help that use this awesome feature. I would be really upset to see it go.

I think this review also subtly vindicated Apple's original move with ports 'great to have the HDMI port, I don't use it but its nice to have in case I need it in the future'...

Although saying that, yesterday I actually did use HDMI on my laptop, I wanted to plug my laptop into a hotel monitor and they had conveniently provided an extra long HDMI cable for such a purpose. I always carry the HDMI multiport dongle so I can use HDMI and USB-A whenever I need to.

I used to really love MagSafe on my 2011 and 2015 MacBook Pro's, but times have definitely changed now. I don't have my laptop plugged in for power in precarious places much at all because the battery life is so great. When it is plugged in, it is docked on my desk and there is zero chance of someone knocking it out of its dock.

Just my own personal feeling, this is marmite territory and I know a lot of people feel differently about this stuff!

Sure, you won't get the same future proofing with the original M1 than you will with M1 Pro or Max, but my M1 with 16GB RAM and the 1Tb SDD kills everything right now, the battery life is also insane and the machine is really portable.

Strikes me that in keeping the touchbar and USB-C ports on the 13" machines, Apple can keep everyone happy!

 

[-BigMac-]

For those considering a purchase, Dan says that he wishes that he had gone with a 2TB SSD over a 1TB because of his video editing needs, and he's not sure that he's happy with the weight and size of the 16-inch MacBook Pro when the same functionality is available with the smaller and more portable 14-inch MacBook Pro.

That’s what you get when you decide to get a 16 inch, the weight and size of a 16 inch.

Same functionality on the smaller model? Thats like saying people should only buy the 13 Pro, not the max. Same functionality… you know.. if you ignore the screen size and resolution - which affects functionality

 

[clevins]

Sorry but after looking at this tank of a machine I decided against purchase. Huge stop backwards in both weight and size. Not interested in lugging something that's comparable to a unibody design from 2008.

WTH did you expect from a 16" laptop?

 

[Bandaman]

This is also a great review:

 

[thenahon]

I feel bad that your main audio is so terrible that laptop speakers sound better.

Lol don’t feel bad. I’ve never had a sound bar plus sub that give me the booming base they *should* provide.

 

[cult hero]

Thunderbolt has always been dicey for me with docks and sleep. I had an Elgato dock with my 2012 Air and sleep would often result in kernel panics. It improved over time with updates.

When I moved to my 2016 MBP with Thunderbolt 3 it was like hitting the reset button on the stability progress. Sleep and Thunderbolt were hit and miss. Over time, this improved.

I have a feeling this is just a matter of bug reports and fixes with drivers. Even the LG 5K gave me a headache for a while in its first 3-6 months.

It even seems chipset specific. My jump from the 2016 to a 2020 MBP resulted in less stability that got fixed over time.

Otherwise the only thing I find to nitpick here is the comment about HDMI. You haven’t used it. I find myself thinking, “if only there was some kind of port that wasn’t single function that could be adapted to anything… oh wait.”

I still hate the inclusion of HDMI. USB-A would have been more useful.

 

[OxOOCOFFEE]

Any one noticed issue with M1 14 inch related to lagging BT mouse? It does not happen often. Usually when I walk away from aching for some time. Machine was plugged in to the wall Al the time. BT Mouse it is not apple mouse.
Today I was working and everything was fine until I used air pods pro 2. Mouse did become very very laggy

 

[ThunderSkunk]

I always enjoy Dan's videos a lot. Aside from the relevant perspective, he projects a really warm calming quality that makes for a nice sort of relaxing vibe. Keep on keepin on, Dan.

 

[tekmoe]

I have been very satisfied with my 16" Max 👍

 

[bonaccij]

It's now been a few months since the M1 Pro and M1 Max MacBook Pro models launched in October, and MacRumors video editor Dan Barbera has been using one of the new machines since they debuted. Over on the MacRumors YouTube channel, Dan has shared a three month review of his MacBook Pro to see how it has held up over time and how it's changed his workflow.

Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.​

Dan is using the 16-inch MacBook Pro that features an M1 Max chip with 10 compute cores and a 32-core GPU, aka the top of the line chip. The machine features 32GB RAM and a 1TB SSD, and it is the high-end pre-configured version that Apple offers.

In usage, the MacBook Pro is close to perfect, but Dan does go over a handful of complaints in his video. The MacBook Pro is subject to crashes and restarts when used in clamshell mode, which could be attributed to third-party Thunderbolt accessories.

The SSD can also malfunction randomly when transferring footage from an external drive. At times, transfer speeds slow to a crawl, an issue fixed with a restart. These are the two major issues that Dan has experienced, and he has otherwise had no problems. Performance overall is excellent, the display is beautiful, and the extra ports are useful.

For those considering a purchase, Dan says that he wishes that he had gone with a 2TB SSD over a 1TB because of his video editing needs, and he's not sure that he's happy with the weight and size of the 16-inch MacBook Pro when the same functionality is available with the smaller and more portable 14-inch MacBook Pro.

Make sure to watch Dan's video for his full review, and let us know in the comments how you're liking your 2021 M1 Pro/M1 Max MacBook Pro if you have one.

Article Link: Review: M1 Max MacBook Pro After Three Months

I bought one but ended up returning it. I wasn't finding that big of a speed difference between my 2019 MBP (Intel i9) and the one that I ended up purchasing. If I'm going to spend upwards of $3,000 for a computer, it should be leaps and bounds better than the one that I currently have, and this one just wasn't. I really feel like Apple (which used to be "the computer for the rest of us") is now becoming very targeted when it comes to their computer systems. They are really only wanting high-level creative people to use them. Every reviewer (because they all do YouTube videos) praises this SD card slot, and I honestly just cannot tell you the last time I stuck an SD card into any computer I have. It is just such a niche thing. Same with the HDMI port. Sure, there are a bunch of lazy people out there who don't want to carry a dongle... I get it... but this isn't even HDMI 2.1... it's just HDMI 2.0. Useless if you have a high-end monitor. Anyway - I'm sure there are a lot of people that will gush over this laptop. But the truth is, there are other companies out there putting out much, much, much better stuff at half (if not less) the price. For those who think a 120Hz refresh monitor is something to admire, I suggest you check out just about every other laptop maker out there. They offer screen refreshes of 144Hz, 165Hz, 240Hz, and even 300Hz. The truth is, 120Hz really is just Apple throwing people a bone... and not even a very good one. Not to mention the fact that, though Mini LED is adequate, a lot of these other laptop manufacturers are actually putting in full OLED screens in their laptops. I think Apple just really banks on the fact that people aren't going to look any further if they are already invested in the ecosystem.

 

[TheFluffyDuck]

The con is the price. My god Apple made me bleed.

 

[VArase]

Hardware reviews which ignore the problems in the (mandatory) operating system are meaningless.

The 3 Month Review, done properly:

"Great hardware, probably more than you need, all crippled by a shoddy quality OS & apps."

Ah ... another shoddy review from a Windows user.

There are bugs and some problems with Monterey, but they'll be fixed rapidly by new releases of the OS. Unfortunately, with a new model like the 2021 MacBook Pro you can't backtrack to the previous OS. Until then, you just have to live with the hairballs ... part of the price of buying an entirely new architecture.

Really, any problems are mostly due to Monterey ... the apps should be pretty solid except for those adapting to AArch64 (newly minted universal apps).

 

[NeekonMike]

So far very happy with the base 14" M1 Pro with 2TB SSD. Thermal efficiency is amazing, I run in Low Power Mode and I never feel that I'd want better performance. Display and speakers are superb.

One thing I don't love is the new form factor, thicker and heavier than the previous generation. I don't miss the Touch Bar, but the overall size/weight of the old 13" model was very nice. Perhaps the 13" M1 would be a better choice for me, although it's the older display and only two USB-C ports... first world issues for sure! ?

 

[VArase]

Loving the 14" as well, though the software has been a bit rocky to be frank, spotlight completely toasted, Safari is an unfixable abomination at this point, so we've just stopped using it altogether. Hopefully next versions will help polish the rest of the OS.

Huh? What's wrong with Safari?

 

[mielie]

I bought one but ended up returning it. I wasn't finding that big of a speed difference between my 2019 MBP (Intel i9) and the one that I ended up purchasing. If I'm going to spend upwards of $3,000 for a computer, it should be leaps and bounds better than the one that I currently have, and this one just wasn't. I really feel like Apple (which used to be "the computer for the rest of us") is now becoming very targeted when it comes to their computer systems. They are really only wanting high-level creative people to use them. Every reviewer (because they all do YouTube videos) praises this SD card slot, and I honestly just cannot tell you the last time I stuck an SD card into any computer I have. It is just such a niche thing. Same with the HDMI port. Sure, there are a bunch of lazy people out there who don't want to carry a dongle... I get it... but this isn't even HDMI 2.1... it's just HDMI 2.0. Useless if you have a high-end monitor. Anyway - I'm sure there are a lot of people that will gush over this laptop. But the truth is, there are other companies out there putting out much, much, much better stuff at half (if not less) the price. For those who think a 120Hz refresh monitor is something to admire, I suggest you check out just about every other laptop maker out there. They offer screen refreshes of 144Hz, 165Hz, 240Hz, and even 300Hz. The truth is, 120Hz really is just Apple throwing people a bone... and not even a very good one. Not to mention the fact that, though Mini LED is adequate, a lot of these other laptop manufacturers are actually putting in full OLED screens in their laptops. I think Apple just really banks on the fact that people aren't going to look any further if they are already invested in the ecosystem.

I don't think this is a terribly unfair post to be honest. In some ways Apple took some steps back with the new laptops, removing touchbar, adding legacy ports, etc (all controversial I know, and done to death on here), but they also did try to add something new with the notch (personally absolutely hate it, but it is an innovation I guess). IMHO, apart from the notch, these machines look much more like bland PC's than the previous generation.

I can't be the only person hoping that Apple Silicon would bring the prices down, not up! I guess the licensing costs have been replaced with quite high R&D costs to actually bring these chips into existence.

I've been an Apple user since before OS X and don't think I've ever known Apple not to be specifically targeting creative professionals above other users. The slogan used to be 'think different', but Apple definitely seem to be thinking more like PC's with this latest generation, and for the price you are paying, I can understand that you would expect better than this.

 

[VArase]

Um, those hands are up?

Anyway. I'm looking forward to some of the newer features filtering down to the 13" model when the touch bar is finally sent out to pasture. I currently have a 2018 Intel that suits all my needs nicely for now. But, the return of mag safe and varied inputs will be nice.

I know a lot of people have said that if you're looking for a cheaper than $1999 computer, then you're not in the "Pro" market. From my viewpoint, I disagree.

I'm one of those people that buys the base "Pro" model to get some sort of longevity out of the purchase. I purchased my iPad Pro in 2019 and my MBP around the same time. Both still suit my needs well, and probably will for another year, maybe two. This way, I can upgrade on my terms, not the product cycle.

But I'm not a power user, I just like nice stuff from time to time.

It's really true ... the old 13" was a Pro in marketing-speak only.

Even the 13" M1 MacBook Pro is really just a consumer laptop, similar to the Air.

That they could accomplish so much is due to the M1 SoC.

On the Intel side, MacBooks really didn't enter Pro territory until they got a discrete GPU. On the Apple Silicon side, I think the M1 Pro is the dividing line.

 

[trifid]

Loving the 14" as well, though the software has been a bit rocky to be frank, spotlight completely toasted, Safari is an unfixable abomination at this point, so we've just stopped using it altogether. Hopefully next versions will help polish the rest of the OS.

I thought I was alone in this, Spotlight is a complete disaster, I have to re-index on a daily basis, sometimes multiple times a day. Any idea what's happening?

 

[VArase]

I bought one but ended up returning it. I wasn't finding that big of a speed difference between my 2019 MBP (Intel i9) and the one that I ended up purchasing. If I'm going to spend upwards of $3,000 for a computer, it should be leaps and bounds better than the one that I currently have, and this one just wasn't. I really feel like Apple (which used to be "the computer for the rest of us") is now becoming very targeted when it comes to their computer systems. They are really only wanting high-level creative people to use them. Every reviewer (because they all do YouTube videos) praises this SD card slot, and I honestly just cannot tell you the last time I stuck an SD card into any computer I have. It is just such a niche thing. Same with the HDMI port. Sure, there are a bunch of lazy people out there who don't want to carry a dongle... I get it... but this isn't even HDMI 2.1... it's just HDMI 2.0. Useless if you have a high-end monitor. Anyway - I'm sure there are a lot of people that will gush over this laptop. But the truth is, there are other companies out there putting out much, much, much better stuff at half (if not less) the price. For those who think a 120Hz refresh monitor is something to admire, I suggest you check out just about every other laptop maker out there. They offer screen refreshes of 144Hz, 165Hz, 240Hz, and even 300Hz. The truth is, 120Hz really is just Apple throwing people a bone... and not even a very good one. Not to mention the fact that, though Mini LED is adequate, a lot of these other laptop manufacturers are actually putting in full OLED screens in their laptops. I think Apple just really banks on the fact that people aren't going to look any further if they are already invested in the ecosystem.

You don't want a pro workstation - you want a gaming laptop.

By all means, go buy one and abandon this thread.

 

[mielie]

It's really true ... the old 13" was a Pro in marketing-speak only.

Even the 13" M1 MacBook Pro is really just a consumer laptop, similar to the Air.

That they could accomplish so much is due to the M1 SoC.

On the Intel side, MacBooks really didn't enter Pro territory until they got a discrete GPU. On the Apple Silicon side, I think the M1 Pro is the dividing line.

I think the reality is actually that you will find all of Apple's laptop offerings being used by both consumers and professionals. The air has actually become quite hot on the business enterprise side which is hardly consumer. Similarly I know a few people who have purchased the M1 Max for their own personal use, not necessarily because they need the power now, but they want to 'future proof' their purchase, which I guess is fair enough.

I use my M1 MacBook Pro professionally. Check here for a review comparing the M1 MacBook Pro with an i9 MacBook Pro in a very similar field to the one I work, you can see why I use the M1 when I'm on the move!!

M1 MacBook Pro vs. Intel i9 MacBook Pro - Ultimate Data Science Comparison | Towards Data Science

M1 vs. i9-9880H - performance comparisons with synthetic benchmarks, Python, Numpy, Pandas, and Scikit Learn.

towardsdatascience.com

There isn't just a single definition of the word 'Pro', albeit most people here seem to think it applies only to those people who edit 8k video on the move which they store on an SD Card and then beam on their work projector using HDMI!

 

[nsayer]

I love my 16" Max Pro. I don't think I can add much that hasn't already been said... except that I will just throw in here that running ARM Windows 11 on Parallels is easily the best Windows experience I've ever had. It cold boots faster than any disk based operating system I have ever used, and that includes Apple ][ DOS 3. It boots almost a minute faster than Ubuntu, for heaven's sake. And Microsoft's x86 emulation is more than adequate for what I need to do.

It's certainly better than any other solution to the need to run a few Windows things from time to time - better than a separate machine, or a cloud-based VM or anything else.