Worst of Apple Silicon Macs?

[playtech1]

I think the Apple Silicon Mac range is the best Mac line-up in at least a decade, possibly ever.

But... although I am interested in what people think has best realised the Apple Silicon vision, I thought a poll on where Apple fell short would be more interesting.

The 13 inch M1 and M2 MacBook Pro seem like obvious contenders, but what does everyone think?

Other contenders might be the M1 Studio Ultra, with M1 Ultra being a solution looking for a problem, or the M1 iMac which has too small a screen and the colours only look good on the back.

 

[uller6]

I'm pretty happy with my M1 MBP. Yes, it has a Touch Bar, and yes, it's an older design, but it's a really solid machine. And compared to the Intel machines in the same skin, an entire world of difference.

 

[Juicy Box]

I listed the M2 MBP, but could just have easily gone with the M1 as well. Maybe the M2 MBP is just a little bit worse as it is still holding onto the older design, no MagSafe, lower spec camera, etc.. Two years in, the 13" MBP should have a new design. Plus, for just a little more $$$, you could get a M1 Pro 14" MBP, which is superior in almost every way.


For the opposite end, I think the M1 Mac Mini is the most impressive of the AS line up, due to its ability and performance for the price.

The M1 Mac Mini is a great deal, even with just the base model. With current retail prices, it is the cheapest Mac Apple has ever sold when adjusted for inflation. Not only that, the M1 Mac Mini is the fastest entry-level Mac Apple has ever sold, having more single-core performance than any Mac prior to its release.

 

[maflynn]

I think the poll/title is misleading.

I'm of the opinion that all of the M1 Macs are great, some are better then others. Each model fits a different need (with varying levels of overlap). To say one model is the worst does a disservice simply because that is not the worst, its just not the most best - if that makes sense.

 

[FSMBP]

M2 MBP...It is such a hard recommendation when the Air is better in almost every single way.

 

[playtech1]

I think the poll/title is misleading.

I'm of the opinion that all of the M1 Macs are great, some are better then others. Each model fits a different need (with varying levels of overlap). To say one model is the worst does a disservice simply because that is not the worst, its just not the most best - if that makes sense.

I realise it's like choosing 'the worst of the best', but there definitely are models that just don't quite hit the mark as well as others.

The M1 MacBook Air for me was the best realisation of the Apple Silicon vision: top level performance, low price, great battery life, lightweight.

Whereas I think that M1 iMac is actually a bit lacklustre for a desktop machine once you look past the pretty colours. M1 was mobile first and I that has come across in a compromised desktop range, without the expansion or upgrade options you might reasonably expect and performance that is basically no better than a laptop.

 

[maflynn]

Whereas I think that M1 iMac is actually a bit lacklustre

I think the mini is the most lackluster. I love iMac line, I have no need for one, but I think Apple really hit it out of the park with the iMacs

 

[Falhófnir]

Of course the M1/M2 13" pro is the most difficult to define a raison d'être for, yes there's a fan in it, but then the Air had a fan in it for the otherwise identical Intel models, so it's a sort of weird segmentation. IMO this model should have used the 15" Touch Bar chassis instead, then there would have been a clear purpose to each machine.

 

[mi7chy]

I'd say the iMac since it's in a weird spot as far as product overlap, bad value and tiny 24" when Mac Mini or Macbook with external monitor makes more sense. And, never been a fan of AIO concept of throwing out monitor with computer.

 

[DaKKs]

The M1/M2 13" Macbook Pro has a stupid place in the lineup and in my opinion they are extremely difficult to rationalize from a buyers perspective.

Not a bad device, just meh, compared to the others.

 

[Warped9]

There is no worst without context and perspective. They are all exceptional devices, but they each suit differing needs.

I still think the M1 MacBook Air is THE best bang-for-the-buck laptop Apple offers and possibly best bang-for-the-buck laptop on the market. But that is based on mostly mainstream use. If you’re a dedicated professional with demanding needs then you need to look to the 14 or 16 MacBook Pro.

 

[tmoerel]

Please distinguish the 13" M1/M2 crapbook from the rest. I am missing those!

 

[EmanuelF]

M1 MPB came at a time when only M1 MBA was available and the difference between them was enormous, especially if you wanted faster charging, much larger battery, better speakers, mic, screen a fan. Also, for those like me, who skipped the 2016 redesign, the Touch Bar is still an interesting selling point because it looks so 2040.

Overall is a well rounded machine. Comparing it to old air that has the cons mentioned above and the chunky boy 14" that most people don't need for its extra power, I would say is a good buy and in 2022 I would still pick it.

Can't say its M2 succesor should exist though.

 

[c84216]

I'd say the iMac since it's in a weird spot as far as product overlap, bad value and tiny 24" when Mac Mini or Macbook with external monitor makes more sense. And, never been a fan of AIO concept of throwing out monitor with computer.

I have to respectfully disagree. I don't know how you get "bad value" here unless you're just making an assumption.

Now, my 24" M1/512/8 iMac is my daily driver.

By the time I configured an equivalent spec Mini ($899), TouchID keyboard ($149), mouse ($99), and with an external display that's as crisp and vibrant as the one Apple packs into the iMac ($699 for Lg UltraFine 4K), I've already sailed past the cost of my iMac ($1699 for the iMac v. $1846 for the equivalent Mini). If I were to get the cost down, yes, I could find a cheaper display but I'd be sorry. The highlight of the 24" iMac for me is, besides the performance, how dadgum good the display is. And when I bought my iMac, I was not bringing anything else to go with it; I was starting from scratch. So no cost savings there.

For my use case, a Macbook anything makes no sense because my iPad Pro is my portable daily driver (I do not want or need a portable macOS system). Besides, an equivalent M2 MacBook Pro (the M1 MPB was the same chip set-up as the iMac while M2 is priced the same) would cost $1499. Add on the same UltraFine display, mouse, and keyboard and suddenly I'm at $2446 for the Pro + good display. Yikes. For giggles and grins, if I took an M1 Air, the cheapest portable in Apple's lineup, and got it close to equivalent spec ($1199 but the M1 in the iMac has another GPU core), I'm still looking at $2146 when all is said and done. Also yikes!

At the end of the day, the iMac is a steal over anything else equivalently specced.

And of course the AIO format is a personal preference, but I prefer it to reduce wire clutter. And for me 24" is perfect, too. But that's, again, entirely personal. But personal preference ≠ objectively worst, best, or in the middle.

 

[Juraj22]

and would be good to add that all of those are so much better than intel based ones.

 

[Cinder6]

M2 Pro. Not a bad computer, but it's the least-good. Probably the only point in its favor is it has a more pleasing shape than the modern redesigns (IMO, as an owner of a 16" M1 Pro).

 

[BanjoDudeAhoy]

Now, my 24" M1/512/8 iMac is my daily driver.

Sorry for trimming this xD
It was an interesting read. My partner has an M1 iMac and I have an M1 mini. I bought the mini because I wanted a bigger display and to be able to replace it, should I desire an even bigger one (it’s 27” now).

The AIO style, however, is neat and I would like to reduce the amount of wires around my desk.
All this is to basically say, if they had done a 27” M1 iMac in the same colors, I would very likely have gotten that instead of the mini. I would have had to get a different keyboard, though, because I don’t like the standalone Magic Keyboard 🙈

 

[Bento.Box]

I would say the worst ones were the first M1 devices that allowed 16GB RAM at best.
Some even were sold with only 8GB. Launching a flagship product with ancient specs was baffling to me.

I'm also not a fan of the imacs in general (not for arm reasons), since PCs and displays usually have different lifecycles. If the PC is stationary, space usually isn't as important, and it would be nice to have a proper case with upgradeable components and a bit of oomph. If size is an issue, than the mac mini is great. Mine has spent its last decade in production without being connected to a display.

 

[EdT]

I have to respectfully disagree. I don't know how you get "bad value" here unless you're just making an assumption.

Now, my 24" M1/512/8 iMac is my daily driver.

By the time I configured an equivalent spec Mini ($899), TouchID keyboard ($149), mouse ($99), and with an external display that's as crisp and vibrant as the one Apple packs into the iMac ($699 for Lg UltraFine 4K), I've already sailed past the cost of my iMac ($1699 for the iMac v. $1846 for the equivalent Mini). If I were to get the cost down, yes, I could find a cheaper display but I'd be sorry. The highlight of the 24" iMac for me is, besides the performance, how dadgum good the display is. And when I bought my iMac, I was not bringing anything else to go with it; I was starting from scratch. So no cost savings there.

For my use case, a Macbook anything makes no sense because my iPad Pro is my portable daily driver (I do not want or need a portable macOS system). Besides, an equivalent M2 MacBook Pro (the M1 MPB was the same chip set-up as the iMac while M2 is priced the same) would cost $1499. Add on the same UltraFine display, mouse, and keyboard and suddenly I'm at $2446 for the Pro + good display. Yikes. For giggles and grins, if I took an M1 Air, the cheapest portable in Apple's lineup, and got it close to equivalent spec ($1199 but the M1 in the iMac has another GPU core), I'm still looking at $2146 when all is said and done. Also yikes!

At the end of the day, the iMac is a steal over anything else equivalently specced.

And of course the AIO format is a personal preference, but I prefer it to reduce wire clutter. And for me 24" is perfect, too. But that's, again, entirely personal. But personal preference ≠ objectively worst, best, or in the middle.

I bought a 24 inch iMac back in 2008 or 2009. I bought a MacBook Pro in 2011. I didn’t really use it as a portable, and I never bought a separate monitor or keyboard. When I looked to replace using that MacBook Pro in early 2016 I looked at the MacBook Pro of that era, with touch bar and flaky keyboard, and a 27 inch iMac. The iMac had more memory, a 5k screen just as few I/O points and it was a lot cheaper. The only downside was the hybrid fusion drive. I had a laptop but it soon got put in a closet and never used. My wife said she would use it but it’s still in that closet right now. The desktop gets a lot of use. Buying a laptop with the equivalent power/memory would have been about $5-600 more. I give up portability but got a more powerful machine and a better display and based on a 4 year history portability wasn’t something that I was using.

 

[QCassidy352]

I understand the votes for M2 MacBook Pro because it's so easily beaten by the M2 MacBook Air that it's hard to see why it exists. But my vote is for the M1 iMac: overpriced, lousy colors, awful white bezels, obvious upsell from the crippled base model just to get ethernet and more than 2 ports, lack of ports other than usb-c (on a desktop!), overpriced, 16 GB max RAM (on a desktop!), 256 base storage (on a desktop!), oh and did I mention overpriced?

Just a glorious cluster of bad decisions and intentional crippling of what has always been my favorite Mac. I remember actually feeling sad the day they released it. By contrast, the M2 MacBook Pro isn't BAD, it's just kind of redundant.

 

[Ethosik]

MacBook Pro with touch at definitely. Don’t know why it still exists.

 

[HowardEv]

At the end of the day, the iMac is a steal over anything else equivalently specced.

And of course the AIO format is a personal preference, but I prefer it to reduce wire clutter.

Apple ought to offer same display and a mini for about the same price.

There is more wire clutter with an AIO iMac, with a thick power cable (that can be pulled out!) and all your USB cables visible on the back. With separates, all the cables would plug into the head unit, and just one usb cable would go to the display (it could even have built in battery and be wirelessly connected for zero wire clutter on desk).

 

[Wahlstrm]

Any of them that doesn’t allow for 2x external monitors over thunderbolt/usb-c.

 

[theorist9]

I think they're all great products for their intended use. Though you might criticize the M1 and M2 Macs as a group because they are a step backward in the number of displays they can drive compared with the Intel products they replaced.

I think the only AS-era Mac product that missed the mark is the one you haven't listed -- the ASD. As petapixel remarked, it's "Accurate, Consistent, Pricey, and Aged."

Apple Studio Display Review: Accurate and Consistent, Pricey and Aged

It does so much well while falling short elsewhere.

petapixel.com

 

[Larsen2k4]

I'm pretty happy with my M1 MBP. Yes, it has a Touch Bar, and yes, it's an older design, but it's a really solid machine. And compared to the Intel machines in the same skin, an entire world of difference.

Same here. Totally happy with my M1 MBP as well. Runs so fast and smooth - it's a bless.