What the M1 chip means for Apple users

What the M1 chip means for Apple users

Apple has recently announced that Intel will no longer be in its products. Instead, it will use the M1, an ARM-based chip that it has developed in house. This ends a 14 year partnership with the CPU manufacturing giant, and it is a good reason to put off any Apple purchase you might want to make for a while.

The reasons to buy now

As people realize that Apple is known for pulling support for older machines a few years after discontinuing them, or sometimes even ‘encouraging’ them to upgrade, prices of current Intel-driven Apple products will fall. If you’re not a tech geek and simply require something that works instead of the best and latest, you’ll most probably find yourself a decent deal, like most people do when there is a generation change on the horizon. However, you need to remember that not updating means that any new security holes might not be patched up, so you’re running a risk.

The reasons to put off your purchase

The M1 chip, in true Apple fashion, has made the public rethink what is possible with consumer electronics. It uses manufacturing tech that allows it to be built in a smaller space, meaning that the CPU, GPU, and RAM are all in the same place and connected to each other. There are thus no motherboard or connector limitations to speed here.

The M1 chip runs cooler, quieter, and more efficiently, meaning battery life is much improved over the current generation of Intel chips.

Finally, since it is an ARM-based chip, it will share its architecture with chips in the iPad and iPhone. This means that iOS on the MacBook will become extremely similar to the mobile devices, and eventually allow seamless transitions of apps and features from one to the other. This sphere of all the devices sharing hardware and software will take time, however, so expect anything from one to two years for this to happen.

Does the M1 have any negative points?

It is a new tech, so yes, it does. The RAM and GPU are built into the processor itself, so you cannot upgrade them, meaning you are limited to a maximum of 16GB of RAM – for now. The M1 also cannot compete with high-end Intel processors like the ones in Macbook Pros, so if you need a portable workstation that requires intensive processing, you should upgrade now. The high-end M-series chips won’t be available to the general public for at least two years.

Any new tech has teething problems, so early adopters will suffer the effects – just ask anyone who auto-updated to iOS 13. The M1 chip has great potential, but it will take some time to fully realize that potential.

Apple’s M1 chip has forced everyone to change the way we look at integration between phone, tablet, and laptop computer – it will be interesting to see how the competition responds. It is worth putting off your purchase for that at least if nothing else.

image
CEO - Chief Executive Officer