Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
No, they're MUCH harder to build, and the yields are very low. Apparently, the interconnector fusing the two packages together is extremely prone to failing at the testing stage.

It wouldn't surprise me if soon, a new type of "Ultra" chip is released that isn't two Max SoCs fused together, but it a completely new chip instead, as it might end up being cheaper and easier to do.
Yes, it’s important to remember that Apple pioneered the InFO-LSI “advanced packaging” that is used for UltraFusion—they were the first to use it in a commercial product (M1 Ultra) and the first to use it with TSMC 3nm (M3 Ultra). Both of these projects were complex undertakings, and both took time.

It’s rumored that Apple has some architectural changes in store for M5 Pro/Max/Ultra, we’ll see what happens, but optimism is warranted, IMHO.

People often don’t really grasp just how much Apple and TSMC have pushed the technological envelope—they are not alone (Nvidia and AMD are also involved, perhaps now also Qualcomm), and there have been setbacks and failures, but that comes with the territory.
 
The Ultra chips have all been huge disappointments and I was under the impression that Apple gave up on that and was instead going to build dedicated pro power chips instead of the complete fail that gluing two chips together was.
 
How many years before base mac mini gets thunderbolt 5?

Anyone care to take a guess?

I don’t think it’ll be the 8GB to 16GB wait…but close
 
If this is true, it’s because the numbers of sales of these units represent a tiny proportion of Mac sales.

I thought the "media" industry runs on macs (music studios, hollywood films) or did things change and now Windows PC out compete them in hardware+price?

after all, adobe is adobe on both operating systems
 
I thought the "media" industry runs on macs (music studios, hollywood films) or did things change and now Windows PC out compete them in hardware+price?

after all, adobe is adobe on both operating systems

MacOS is still used a lot but Apple really doesn't want to be in the business of servicing niche pro market. It's low volume with demanding users who don't need to change systems for many years as to not break production workflows. The professional media market that can't be serviced by existing Macbooks/Mac Minis/iMacs and requires more powerful desktops with more IO is very niche compared to the rest of Apple's MacOS user base and this is exponentially true with the amount of users who need a Mac Pro over a Mac Studio.

Apple simply put resources into what makes the most money. The niche desktop pro stuff is a "when we get to it" attitude. Example how they did a 2013 Mac Pro and didn't update anything until 2019 and said if you want a desktop go get a iMac/iMac Pro.
 
  • Like
Reactions: p.willis and xbjllb
do we really need an iMac, Macbook Air or Mini update every single year?
most people surely dont go "oh new processor I better upgrade my perfectly good device".
that's the realm of a few phone users.

The pro devices need to stay ahead and offer more so they could be updated.

And no I dont want to return to the previous 4 years between mini updates.

Watch seems to get a renamed chip that offers little difference for a gen at least.
Phones are bread and butter and will probably always push the tech forward as much as they can.
 
  • Love
Reactions: turbineseaplane
256GB is ridiculously small in 2025. 512GB should be the bare minimum and anything labeled Pro (name or chip) needs to start at 1TB.
The chip, memory and storage sizes are based on the Mac mini & Mac Studio.

I am writing this from a realistic point of view rather than "wishful thinking"
 
Last edited:
do we really need an iMac, Macbook Air or Mini update every single year?
Agreed, no we dont.

But what i dont agree with is paying the same msrp for a 2 years old product without any kind of upgrades.

For example, either reduce the price the second year or offer more ram or storage for the same original price.
 
  • Like
Reactions: p.willis
Agreed, no we dont.

But what i dont agree with is paying the same msrp for a 2 years old product without any kind of upgrades.

For example, either reduce the price the second year or offer more ram or storage for the same original price.

But there's absolutely no motivation for a company to offer a lower price on year old tech unless the same company has released a new iteration which the year old tech is competing with.

From the producer's side, it is insane to reduce the price of their current line-up just because it was refreshed last year rather than earlier this year.

The only reason to offer a discount is if you were holding a lot of unsold stock and needed to clear it out.

Businesses aren't charities. Business are not interested in what consumers want as long as consumer keep buying from the business.

If you want Apple to have prices that you think are fairer than they have now, stop buying Apple products and convince a large enough amount of people to also stop buying Apple products. Unless you do that, you have no leverage with Apple.
 
But there's absolutely no motivation for a company to offer a lower price on year old tech unless the same company has released a new iteration which the year old tech is competing with.

From the producer's side, it is insane to reduce the price of their current line-up just because it was refreshed last year rather than earlier this year.

The only reason to offer a discount is if you were holding a lot of unsold stock and needed to clear it out.

Businesses aren't charities. Business are not interested in what consumers want as long as consumer keep buying from the business.

If you want Apple to have prices that you think are fairer than they have now, stop buying Apple products and convince a large enough amount of people to also stop buying Apple products. Unless you do that, you have no leverage with Apple.
i would love to buy an iMac with more built in storage but the prices continue to be skyhigh.

so instead i trade off and prefer a better processor or more system memory (less so now the base i 16 not 8) and then add cheap external drives. i have way to many external hard drives and SSD drives. the SSDs are not really much bottleneck in real world activities and slight inconvenience.

we get businesses arent charities but enough people seem to find value in what they sell.
i just get less headaches after decades of Window viruses and crashes. or fixing friends machines.
the hardware seems to last longer and get updates as well which offsets the added expense.
 
  • Like
Reactions: neomorpheus
But there's absolutely no motivation for a company to offer a lower price on year old tech unless the same company has released a new iteration which the year old tech is competing with.

From the producer's side, it is insane to reduce the price of their current line-up just because it was refreshed last year rather than earlier this year.

The only reason to offer a discount is if you were holding a lot of unsold stock and needed to clear it out.

Businesses aren't charities. Business are not interested in what consumers want as long as consumer keep buying from the business.

If you want Apple to have prices that you think are fairer than they have now, stop buying Apple products and convince a large enough amount of people to also stop buying Apple products. Unless you do that, you have no leverage with Apple.
I never understood the mentality of a customer that actually do not want better products and cheaper prices for themselves and others and instead keep defending the money hungry anti consumer companies.

But talking about surplus, havent you noticed how "suddenly" there are boatload of sealed, brand new Macs showing at steep discounts on places like Amazon and others?

Do you really think that apple is not behind those?

Explain how sellers are able to sell sealed, brand new Mac Studios M1 today?

They could stop being so arrogant and do offer some nice sales every now and then to clear inventory.
 
  • Love
Reactions: turbineseaplane
I never understood the mentality of a customer that actually do not want better products and cheaper prices for themselves and others and instead keep defending the money hungry anti consumer companies.

I don't get it either.

It feels like a hostage relationship with Apple and people have become conditioned to love their captor, no matter what they do to them.

Stockholm syndrome basically.
 
  • Love
Reactions: neomorpheus
I still haven't digested the speed bump from upgrading my M1 Air and M1 iMac to the M4 versions of each. They just feel ridiculously fast for everything I do regularly.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.