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Shaky Rumor Claims Redesigned MacBook Pros Will Feature 'M1X' Chip and Remove the Front Logo
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Excellent point about the aesthetic without the logo emphasis.I suppose it is possible it could be using the efficiency cores going into the A15/M2 paired with the performance cores from the A14/M1 - call it the "M1/2".
But honestly, I am struggling to see how "only" having two M1 efficiency cores is going to be a major drawback beyond battery drain and the larger case will allow for more battery capacity to help compensate for that.
And I don't think the 2021 MBP having an "M1X" and the 2022 MBA having an "M2" is going to be all that confusing since Apple marketing should be able to show the performance differences. The 2021 iPad Air had a "newer" SoC with the A14 than the 2020 iPad Pro did with the A12Z, but Apple made it pretty clear how the iPad Pro was the more powerful product even with the "older" SoC.
Or Apple is hoping their new design aesthetic - which seems to be slab sides - will be iconic enough that "you'll know it's an Apple product when you see it".
I personally think having the text is tacky. It's not as bad as the carrier names in iOS/iPadOS (I pay you every month for service, I know who you are) but I could see the appeal others may feel toward it. It wouldn't surprise me if it were removed, the biggest one to me was the removal of 'iPhone' from the back.
I most often see and recognize Macs in movies by seeing them from the back, and the new iMacs still have large and clearly visible logos there. I think these are more important for recognition than logotypes below the front bezel.
The article explains it clearly right at the beginning, the headline is confusing though.
I suspect quite a few people are waiting for M2 machines. For many, it's a policy of not buying the first generation of anything. As good as the M1 devices are, most of us have identified a few limitations with them. They may not matter for many buyers - and that's fine. But the M2 machines are likely to be a bit more complete and even more capable. So, if one's computer is working fine now, it may make sense to wait. On the other hand, if one needs a new device now, the M1's are great.
5 years ago apple moved its laptop users to USB-C / Thunderbolt 3 ports [only] for everything. Users eventually adapted. Many invested in solutions such as thunderbolt docks, usb-c multi-use adapters or universal power adapters. Getting back some ports is great - but considering Apple pushed its consumers to adopt an all USB-C / T3 set-up - the new [old] ports should be in addition to four T4/USB4 (with PD) ports and no less.
There is plenty of space on a 16" laptop to include 4 powered thunderbolt 4 ports, magsafe, SD slot and an HDMI port. Users should not be apologists for Apple cheaping out on ports when there is ample space to accommodate all of them on a high-end device.
TLDR: No ****.
I've set before, I have no real issue with a HDMI port so long as it doesn't steal either a physical port (ala the 'stolen schematics') or a video channel (ala the 2018/2020 Mac mini). Same goes for USB-A/SD cards: if they're not replacing physical ports, and are switched intelligently such that they don't leave us back in "these USB4 ports operate at half-speed" territory.
But when the rumours first started circulating about "more ports" (what they meant was different ports) several of us noted almost immediately, that this was likely to come at the expense of TB3 ports, because Apple very rarely just "adds ports". The technical/ideological/design reasons can be debated all day but are eventually moot - it doesn't matter if they could add the ports without sacrificing the existing ones, it matters if they will.
We were routinely told "no no, of course they'll just add the ports, why would they remove them".
Once the schematics "leaked" showing a removed port, suddenly the story changed "Oh well you still have 3 to use, its just a bit less convenient for you and a bit more convenient for us"... and then, when it's pointed out that it's not just about 'convenience' because HDMI can't adapt to **** all else, the story changes yet again... "oh but who really uses four tb3 ports anyway. I certainly don't".
Issue isn’t space, but bandwidth. Even on intel macs, there is not enough bandwidth to run all four TB ports at full speed. Adding additional ports just means that bandwidth has to come from some place. So removing one TB port and divvying up that 40Gbps for an SD slot and an HDMI port makes some sense - especially if its HDMI 2.1 and runs at 48Gbps (i.e. Faster than TB0. And you get that port back if you use the new MagSafe port to charge (i.e you have 3 useable TB ports either way).
Why do you keep saying this.
the “speed limit” is about PCIe lanes. That hdmi has a slightly higher total bandwidth is meaningless because it’s video packets not pcie packets.
you can’t use the hdmi port to connect something besides a hdmi device at 48Gbps
Video channel data is routed from the gpu and if you use the port in tb3 mode is muxed with pcie packets.
if you use it in a USB-c alt-mode like dp2.0 it’s just using that specification, the 40Gb tb3 “limit” doesn’t apply
additionally, if you run two dp displays, you can run one from each controller (ie one each side) and then get the benefit of 4 lanes of pcie from the remaining tb3 port on each controller.
They already made me buy HDMI adapters, SD card adapters and whatever else so I'm a bit underwhelmed about getting them back now that I've already spent hundreds of dollars on replacement gear. It's more of a f*** you from them at this point. And I'm not touching the magsafe again. Having to purchase 4 new chargers that only work with a single device? Not in this life.