Poll: *** The official 2020 MacBook Air/13" MacBook Pro thread (it has the M1 chip and everything!) ***

[MOOGLEYS]

I have to ask (mostly for my own sanity) but everyone keeps going on about how quick the new machines are but how much quicker can they be?
I’m not trying to rain on anyone’s new M1 parade, far from it, but honestly ever since I disabled font smoothing on my 16 Pro it’s been lightning fast and hasn’t struggled with anything I’ve thrown at it.
My other gripe is that most YouTube ‘comparison’ videos do speed tests with things like video rendering etc but none actually compare real world desktop/web browsing experience.
I mean, how much faster do we need Safari to open?
Is there really much of a difference?

Or is it one of things that needs to be seen in person to appreciate?

For me being able to play games like CIV/Divinity in high detail settings without fan noise is great. On my old intel 13” MacBook it ran pretty badly at low settings. The M1 has no issues at all and stays pretty much silent.

Not the usual use for a MacBook but I like my strategy games and also much prefer osx for general use too. Things seem to open pretty instantly it’s very nice to use in general. It’s a big step up from the intel 13”.

 

[englishpremier]

I have to ask (mostly for my own sanity) but everyone keeps going on about how quick the new machines are but how much quicker can they be?
I’m not trying to rain on anyone’s new M1 parade, far from it, but honestly ever since I disabled font smoothing on my 16 Pro it’s been lightning fast and hasn’t struggled with anything I’ve thrown at it.
My other gripe is that most YouTube ‘comparison’ videos do speed tests with things like video rendering etc but none actually compare real world desktop/web browsing experience.
I mean, how much faster do we need Safari to open?
Is there really much of a difference?

Or is it one of things that needs to be seen in person to appreciate?

Well for basic stuff like safari opening, a machine from 2008 would be perfectly adequate and unlikely to affect browsing performance. I don't think anyone would be buying an M1 MacBook because it can open a safari tab in 0.015 seconds compared to 0.09 seconds of a decade old machine.

The speed increase is most useful for tasks that actually work the processor. Encoding, editing, audio, photo, video tasks, compiling, chess engines etc...

 

[Biz.Kid09]

I have to ask (mostly for my own sanity) but everyone keeps going on about how quick the new machines are but how much quicker can they be?
I’m not trying to rain on anyone’s new M1 parade, far from it, but honestly ever since I disabled font smoothing on my 16 Pro it’s been lightning fast and hasn’t struggled with anything I’ve thrown at it.
My other gripe is that most YouTube ‘comparison’ videos do speed tests with things like video rendering etc but none actually compare real world desktop/web browsing experience.
I mean, how much faster do we need Safari to open?
Is there really much of a difference?

Or is it one of things that needs to be seen in person to appreciate?

I dont own a device (yet) but my view on it is that we are talking about a chip that for general day to day use are lightening fast which of course is to be expected but then it seems like they can then step up and start matching machines that cost 2/3x the amount as well which is pretty ridiculous I think.

You then look at the fact it has a 10hr+ battery life and in some models they are completely fanless for silent operation. Pretty damn impressive package all round.

For years people were pining for the 'instant on' type operation of the iPad but in a bigger form and a proper keyboard etc and Apple have delivered it.

Just as little dig, do you not find it a bit ironic you mention you had to disable font smoothing to get your 2k+(?) macbook to run fast lol.

 

[GMac11]

Useful insights. I see a lot of anecdotal evidence from people saying how fast it is etc etc but none of this evidence is ever quantified - perhaps that’s just the logical part of my brain overthinking!
My main uses are basic browsing, document work and photo editing. The latter (from what I can see) doesn’t really see much of a performance boost with the M1 chip plus I had read that good and all as the M1 is at graphics processing it still doesn’t match the dedicated GPU in the 16 but again I’ve not seen this first hand.
I had toyed with a Mac Mini just to see what the performance is like plus it’s a very decent price on Amazon at the minute.

 

[GMac11]

Just as little dig, do you not find it a bit ironic you mention you had to disable font smoothing to get your 2k+(?) macbook to run fast lol.

Ha! It does seem that way doesn’t it! I had been doing a bit of research on it and it seems the whole font smoothing thing is pretty much surplus to requirements on the Retina display MacBooks. It does seem to cause more problems than it solves.

 

[englishpremier]

GMac11, for your usage then you won't need the speed of the M1 Macs. Might as well wait for next generation.

I upgraded for two main reasons. Firstly the battery life, and secondly the speed, as my 2015 MBP really struggled editing 4k video in FCPX once effects and grade were applied it was impossible.

 

[GMac11]

Yeah the battery life seems to be the big thing, I carelessly omitted that from my initial argument. That being said my 16 hasn’t been found wanting in that department but that’s more because I tend to have it plugged in most of the time but iPad-esque battery life on a MacBook Pro is an outstanding proposition.

There’s always the usual ‘something’s round the corner’ argument but I think an apple silicone MacBook Pro with a 120hz screen would be just the ticket.
I also found the change from my old 2015 13 inch to the 16 very refreshing and couldn’t go that small again although a 14 could well be the sweet spot.

 

[Matthew.M]

I'm a light user and this is basically what I was trying to get across a few posts ago. It's fast, but day to day it isn't noticeably better than other modern machines. There's a lot of hype surrounding these (although it's still a very good laptop all round).

 

[MOOGLEYS]

I'm a light user and this is basically what I was trying to get across a few posts ago. It's fast, but day to day it isn't noticeably better than other modern machines. There's a lot of hype surrounding these (although it's still a very good laptop all round).

I also have a 2018 Quad Core i5 13" Pro and I would say using both the M1 is noticeably snappier even in general use. It's not worth upgrading too but its certainly enough to be noticeable for what I do. The GPU is leagues ahead of the intel machine.....

 

[englishpremier]

I'm a light user and this is basically what I was trying to get across a few posts ago. It's fast, but day to day it isn't noticeably better than other modern machines. There's a lot of hype surrounding these (although it's still a very good laptop all round).

Ah fair point. The hype is from people actually using them to do tasks, like video, photos, compiling etc.. In those type of tasks it is so much faster than any intel MacBook it's not even funny, but if you're not using it for that type of work/fun, then the difference doesn't really matter much.

I think the design change between 2015 and 2016 is worth a mention though. Those who travel often with a 2015 chassis would benefit from the improvements in size and weight over the 2016+ machines, then again from the M1 battery life.

 

[fez]

I think there is a lot of hype because they are crazy machines. My new 13" M1 MBP with 16gb RAM absolutely smokes my 2019 (latest revision) 16" macbook pro in every task I throw at it and it feels like a toy. The weight and size of it is amazing. The 16" was fast in most areas but you don't really know what you are missing until you have it. Opening a new tab isn't any faster but loading a webpage is 2-3x faster at times. Its almost instant. I hit the return key on a URL and its just there. Build times on my apps are reduced significantly. I am genuinely amazed that someone can own one of these and not be impressed by what you are getting.

Small, lightweight laptop with a full travel tactile keyboard, touchbar, touchID, 16gb ram, as fast a processor as possible in a lot of tasks until you are spending crazy money or doing things it doesn't excel at or run natively, amazing battery life even when taxing the processor and all for about £1600.

I have happily put a £2400 machine to bed and the only thing I miss is the native capability to drive more than one monitor but you can get around that limitation with a bit of faffing. For me, the M1 is faster in every regard, doesn't sound like a jet engine when running 2 displays and has a battery that lasts more than 2.5 hours when I'm working. They have blown it out of the water IMO.

 

[Feek]

Small, lightweight laptop with a full travel tactile keyboard, touchbar, touchID, 16gb ram, as fast a processor as possible in a lot of tasks until you are spending crazy money or doing things it doesn't excel at or run natively, amazing battery life even when taxing the processor and all for about £1600.

And in the case of the MBA, doing all that totally silently while barely getting warm to the touch.

 

[MOOGLEYS]

And in the case of the MBA, doing all that totally silently while barely getting warm to the touch.

Even the M1 Pro is just about silent. The fan is so quiet you have to hold it up to your ear to hear it. It’s amazing what they have done with the M1 for noise and performance.

 

[fez]

And in the case of the MBA, doing all that totally silently while barely getting warm to the touch.

I have thought about that a few times because my pro version hasn't had the fans running or been warm to the touch once either. Its honestly a bit annoying when I go to use it on my lap and its freezing cold the whole time. I could use the old one as a lap warmer.

 

[shiver]

MacBook Air seems perfect as a non-work Mac for me (I did spec extra RAM and SSD for future proofing a bit).

My work Macs comprise of a 2017 iMac 5K" and 15" rMBP 2018 6core. Both are very capable but Xcode compiling, app launching and battery life (on laptop) are definitely behind my M1 MBA. I'm looking forward to see what other Pro skus come our way this year and I'll convince work I need 1 or 2

 

[GMac11]

I think there is a lot of hype because they are crazy machines. My new 13" M1 MBP with 16gb RAM absolutely smokes my 2019 (latest revision) 16" macbook pro in every task I throw at it and it feels like a toy. The weight and size of it is amazing. The 16" was fast in most areas but you don't really know what you are missing until you have it. Opening a new tab isn't any faster but loading a webpage is 2-3x faster at times. Its almost instant. I hit the return key on a URL and its just there. Build times on my apps are reduced significantly. I am genuinely amazed that someone can own one of these and not be impressed by what you are getting.

Small, lightweight laptop with a full travel tactile keyboard, touchbar, touchID, 16gb ram, as fast a processor as possible in a lot of tasks until you are spending crazy money or doing things it doesn't excel at or run natively, amazing battery life even when taxing the processor and all for about £1600.

I have happily put a £2400 machine to bed and the only thing I miss is the native capability to drive more than one monitor but you can get around that limitation with a bit of faffing. For me, the M1 is faster in every regard, doesn't sound like a jet engine when running 2 displays and has a battery that lasts more than 2.5 hours when I'm working. They have blown it out of the water IMO.

That’s very useful to know thanks!

The fan can be a bit of an annoyance sometimes for sure.
The main reason I would keep the 16 for now is having owned a 13 previously I couldn’t give up the larger display or the speakers on the 16 - I don’t think any amount of power could replace those.
I’d be interested to see what the rumoured 14 inch would be like and obviously the 16 will get an upgrade but I’m not sure I could drop £2k+ on a computer for a second year in a row!

 

[fez]

That’s very useful to know thanks!

The fan can be a bit of an annoyance sometimes for sure.
The main reason I would keep the 16 for now is having owned a 13 previously I couldn’t give up the larger display or the speakers on the 16 - I don’t think any amount of power could replace those.
I’d be interested to see what the rumoured 14 inch would be like and obviously the 16 will get an upgrade but I’m not sure I could drop £2k+ on a computer for a second year in a row!

I am planning to sell my personal 16" MBP now that I have one through work and then perhaps look at getting another one if the M1 based ones later in the year blow me away.

The truth is that the older macs are still great machines in most respects. They just have some serious annoyances and when you compare them to the new M1 macbooks which are basically the low end macs, they don't show so well.

To get my dual monitor setup on the M1 I have had to buy a dock (not sure if thats necessary but i wanted one for other reasons) and a USB-A to displayport adaptor. The adaptor was about £70 and the dock about £200.

 

[Alpherah]

Just a heads up - there’s a few m1 MBP’s on Apple refurb at the moment if anyone’s interested

 

[Squink]

Just a heads up - there’s a few m1 MBP’s on Apple refurb at the moment if anyone’s interested

The base model refurb is only ninety quid cheaper than buying brand new from Amazon. I know Apple refurbs are good, but for such a little difference I’d buy new.

The 16gb ram refurbs make a better buy since you don’t have to wait a couple of weeks for them.

 

[englishpremier]

Got my new pluggable NVME M2 enclosure today. This one has the Realtek chip rather than the JMicron. Perfectly compatible and Plugable were kind enough to send it to me abroad without any cost. They have no reason to replace my old one since it's not their fault Apple dropped support, so that was a nice gesture.

Write speeds are around 750MB/s and read about 830MB/s via USB-C using the Type 3.1 standard.

One day I'll buy a thunderbolt one to benefit from up to 40Gbps, rather than the 10Gbps of USB 3.1