MacBook Pro with the M1 processor

[DT]

The new M1 MBA showed up today at ~2p. Display looks terrific ( better than previous MBA with retina), love the Space Gray finish, and yeah, it's fast, and this is just the base 8+7/8/256 model. I wound up skipping a migration, just setup the machine new, iCloud, accounts, and just moved over all the wife's file via an external drive (used my USB-C hub from the iPad to connect the old school USB drive). She had her old MBP for a long time, then inherited my MBP (that machine was trying to murder her ...), it's been a while since she had something brand new.

Since 99% of her use (work and personal) can be done with the OS bundled apps, she's mostly native AS. I installed AS Chrome, and for fun I installed Pixelmator, it did the Rosetta update during install, and after starting once, now it runs super fast, as fast as it runs native on my machine. I also installed the iPad version of A Better Route Planner, and wow, yeah, it just runs! Did the .1 update, as well as the updates for the bundled apps (iMovie, Keynote, etc.), went just as expected.

We had an existing (used one time) Aukey 65w PD charger, used that (and a long Aukey USB-C rated for charging) instead of even unpackaging the OEM charger or cable. Picked up an Anker USB-C_to_HDMI dongle ($11) for her external display, tested, works perfectly, will connect her KB and TP tomorrow.

For the effective net price of ~$950 to our door, it's pretty spectacular so far.

As soon as I can get an Apple appointment scheduled, I'll take the '15 MBP in for that supposedly free battery replacement. Worst case? They tell me to get bent

 

[ronntaylor]

As soon as I can get an Apple appointment scheduled, I'll take the '15 MBP in for that supposedly free battery replacement. Worst case? They tell me to get bent

Do not be shocked by how they accommodate you. Don't want to jinx it, but based on how a few friends and family members were treated, be ready for a surprise. (A good surprise)

 

[DT]

Do not be shocked by how they accommodate you. Don't want to jinx it, but based on how a few friends and family members were treated, be ready for a surprise. (A good surprise)

Is the surprise sexual in nature? Geez, I need to get scheduled ASAP ...


Yeah, I'm hoping for some sort of, er, Xmas miracle. Worst case I might buy an iFixit battery kit and DIY, better case, they swap the battery and I think the SOP for that is also replacing the topcase/KB/TP (which would kind of make it a new machine). Best case? Oh, I think I know what you mean (fingers crossed).

Actually, it doesn't look like I'll be able to get it scheduled before 2021, the new scheduler on Apple.com only shows a week at a time, and it's constantly booked up.

 

[Clix Pix]

I keep checking the online Apple store each day in hopes of eventually finding an M1 MBP with 16 GB RAM and 1 TB storage available in the store but so far no luck. I know I could order one but current shipping indicates that I wouldn't get it until mid January. I can wait until the initial excitement dies down. They'll be available in the stores' inventory eventually. I just prefer to go to the store and buy it then.

 

[Eric]

I keep checking the online Apple store each day in hopes of eventually finding an M1 MBP with 16 GB RAM and 1 TB storage available in the store but so far no luck. I know I could order one but current shipping indicates that I wouldn't get it until mid January. I can wait until the initial excitement dies down. They'll be available in the stores' inventory eventually. I just prefer to go to the store and buy it then.

I have to tell you running mine with 8 GB on the M1 has been awesome. I run both PS and LR and it's lightning fast even running through the Rosetta layer. Most of the images I'm processing are from my 26 megapixel camera, many of which are HDR and/or stacked as well and not so much as a hiccup. It outperforms my 2017 iMac with 16 GB RAM by a mile.

 

[DT]

Yeah, the wife used hers pretty much all day yesterday, like "general computing" chores, mail, browser, messages, some organizing in photos, cleaning up contacts, etc. Took it off the charger at ~9a, and at around 9p, that's __12__hours__ later, the battery indicated 70%.

 

[Clix Pix]

One reason I would go with a machine with 16 GB RAM and 1 TB SSD storage is that I am dealing primarily with files from my A7R IV, which has 61 MP.....and I shoot RAW, uncompressed. Even though I'm not planing to do a lot of processing/editing on the M1 machine when I finally get one, I still want to be able to do so when/if the occasion arises. From the look of things my guess right now is that I probably won't get my hands on one of these for a while yet, but I can wait......

 

[Eric]

One reason I would go with a machine with 16 GB RAM and 1 TB SSD storage is that I am dealing primarily with files from my A7R IV, which has 61 MP.....and I shoot RAW, uncompressed. Even though I'm not planing to do a lot of processing/editing on the M1 machine when I finally get one, I still want to be able to do so when/if the occasion arises. From the look of things my guess right now is that I probably won't get my hands on one of these for a while yet, but I can wait......

Wow 61 MP? That would be unusable on my iMac, as it is it takes 1 to 2 minutes to open a raw file at 24 MP when starting the app. You definitely have a good use case for waiting.

 

[Clix Pix]

Back in late 2018 I started thinking ahead.....I knew that I was going to be getting something new in the way of camera gear, although at that point I was still undecided about exactly what, and I also knew that I needed to improve on the tools I was using for editing, as back then I was still desperately clinging to the beloved Aperture. So while I was still wrestling with decisions about camera stuff I at least had a good idea of what would be needed for me to move forward photographically when it came to a computer..... In early December of 2018 I purchased the machine I'm now using the 2018 MBP with 32 GB RAM and 1 TB SSD storage, an i9 with plenty of processing power, plus the then-newly announced Vega 20 additional/discrete graphics card. I love this machine and she has absolutely come through for me, time after time after time!

Not quite a year after that I was finally ready to make the decision about my photography gear and took the leap from years of Nikon to going with the Sony system, purchasing the A7R IV with its incredible resolution and large files. I knew that for the kinds of things I like to shoot the high resolution would be invaluable, plus would offer great croppability when needed as well. Over the past year I've had to buy more external drives, though, in order to deal with the increased space needed for backups and such, but that's OK..... My delightful 2018 MBP handles the files and the various editing programs with aplomb, so that's a help!

The replacement for this machine of course will not be the initial M1 MBP, but rather whatever Apple brings us next, in the form of an MBP with four ports (I need those ports!) plus the possibility of 32 GB RAM, etc., etc. I figure that the M1 will serve as a great introduction to the whole new "System-on-a-Chip" setup plus give me the portability that I enjoy and a lot perkier performance than my lovely little 12" MacBook is able to provide.... Since I'm not traveling anywhere right now anyway, no urgency on getting something new, as both my machines are working just fine (knock on wood!). (Ah, OK, to be honest, I just wanna play with one of the new machines!!)

 

[Yoused]

I would be interested to know if Celestia can be made to run on M1, and how well.

 

[DT]

Yeah, the wife used hers pretty much all day yesterday, like "general computing" chores, mail, browser, messages, some organizing in photos, cleaning up contacts, etc. Took it off the charger at ~9a, and at around 9p, that's __12__hours__ later, the battery indicated 70%.

Still has not been plugged in, hahaha, WTSF, this is crazy insane

I would be interested to know if Celestia can be made to run on M1, and how well.

I'll check it out ...

 

[DT]

Installing through the app store ...

 

[DT]

Seems like it runs great, I set a destination out to Jupiter and it was super fast and smooth!

Anyway specific you want me to do in the app?

 

[DT]

BTW, I did __not__ see a Rosetta message during the install, maybe it's already native?

[edit]

Not sure if you do see the Rosetta prompt every time, __however__ under About >> System >> Software, Celestia is listed as Universal, meaning it contains both an Intel and AS binaries (vs. something like Pixelmator which is running pre-processed by Rosetta during install, and indicates just Intel).

Cool.

 

[Yoused]

Anyway specific you want me to do in the app?

No, I just wanted to know if it worked. You might be amused to know, if it means anything to you, that it has Larry Niven's ringworld – just do a name search. Pretty cool.

 

[DT]

Oh neat, yeah, it looked like a really fun app, I'll have to spend some more time with it, er, if the wife lets me use her machine

(I realize I can install it on mine, in fact, I'm curious about the graphics speed difference, so I may do just that ...)

 

[JayMysteri0]

Saw on MR that Adorama got some 16gb 512gb SSD Macbook Airs IN STOCK. So grabbed a credit card that hasn't seen the light of day for awhile and ordered one. Supposedly it's getting shipped today, it gets here tomorrow.

 

[DT]

Saw on MR that Adorama got some 16gb 512gb SSD Macbook Airs IN STOCK. So grabbed a credit card that hasn't seen the light of day for awhile and ordered one. Supposedly it's getting shipped today, it gets here tomorrow.

I saw that post, hopped over to Adorama, could've scored one (they were even $50 discounted), asked the wife if she wanted a replacement, she was like, nah, it works perfect, this plenty for me.

I'm waiting on the 32GB/4-port M1X with 16/16 cores model Mini Pro ...

 

[JayMysteri0]

I saw that post, hopped over to Adorama, could've scored one (they were even $50 discounted), asked the wife if she wanted a replacement, she was like, nah, it works perfect, this plenty for me.

I'm waiting on the 32GB/4-port M1X with 16/16 cores model Mini Pro ...

I only did it, because it sounded as if they would have it out and to you by Christmas. Any 16GB models I've seen, all say they won't go out the door until mid Jan. I was going to trade in a very old 12in Macbook Air, my 2015 MBP, & my original iPP that no one but me wants to Best Buy to knock a 3rd off the price. In that case I was looking at only base 8GB models, so I went with Adorama. Hopefully I will get it this weekend.

Update: Just got an email from UPS saying a package is coming tomorrow.

 

[DT]

I only did it, because it sounded as if they would have it out and to you by Christmas. Any 16GB models I've seen, all say they won't go out the door until mid Jan. I was going to trade in a very old 12in Macbook Air, my 2015 MBP, & my original iPP that no one but me wants to Best Buy to knock a 3rd off the price. In that case I was looking at only base 8GB models, so I went with Adorama. Hopefully I will get it this weekend.

Update: Just got an email from UPS saying a package is coming tomorrow.

It's a killer machine, if I was buying another machine that's the config I'd get. I'm just generally blown away by the CPU, GPU, battery performance on the M1 machines.