6 ms·

It seems that Apple kept its eyes on the goal of beating Intel, while underestimating AMD (like just about everyone else). Still, now Apple has the #2 fastest

by mtgx 6y ago

It seems that Apple kept its eyes on the goal of beating Intel, while underestimating AMD (like just about everyone else). Still, now Apple has the #2 fastest CPU on the market and with different ISA. Intel....#3. Oh, how the mighty has fallen. At least AMD won't get to rest on its laurels now, as Apple will definitely try to surpass Zen 4, too, now, or at least Zen 5.

hu3 6y ago
I wonder what will happen when AMD launches 5nm processors.
- ogre_codes 6y ago
  It's always a slippery slope comparing future products to present day products. Apple has additional CPUs coming out over the next 2 years as well. It's going to be an interesting couple of years.
- wmf 6y ago
  Apple will be releasing 3nm M3 processors that will probably still be faster.
jmull 6y ago
Well, Apple released the M1 as their low-end chip, putting it in the entry-level slot of their low-power Macs. They may have something with substantially more power in store soon.
- vel0city 6y ago
  The cheapest MacBook Air with an M1 chip is $1,000. The cheapest Mac Pro with an M1 chip is $1,300. I don't consider a $1,000+ laptop "entry level" or "low end". These are high-end machines.
  - mikey_p 6y ago
    You may not consider it such, but they are the entry level Apple machines at the lowest end of their product range.
    - acmecorps 6y ago
      You have the Mac Mini, which is way below $1k, but for mobile macOS? yes, $1k is the minimum
    - rowanG077 6y ago
      That doesn't mean they are low end laptops. A rolls-royce is also not ever a low-end car. They are the cheapest products Apple offers. But they are still high-end.
  - Toutouxc 6y ago
    High-end, maybe. Not high-performance. There are segments and use cases where Apple simply doesn't have an offering.
  - alwillis 6y ago
    I don't consider a $1,000+ laptop "entry level" or "low end". These are high-end machines. In the Apple ecosystem, a $1000 laptops are low-end devices. The iMac Pro [1] and the Mac Pro [2] are high-end, professional level machines. The iMac Pro starts at $5,000; the Mac Pro at $6000. The biggest difference is that Apple doesn't sell commodity hardware that virtually every PC OEM does. That was a deliberate choice many years ago. BTW, the M1 Mac mini starts at $699 and blows away all the PCs in it's class, including those that cost more. Some Hollywood studios have already talked about replacing much more expensive computers with the Mac mini because it's so fast [3]. No joke. To be clear, you're not going to render a full-length movie in 4k on an M1-based Mac mini—that's what the Mac Pro is for. But for less demanding 4k editing tasks that would have been unthinkable on an under $1000 machine a year ago, certainly. [1]: https://www.apple.com/shop/buy-mac/imac-pro https://www.apple.com/shop/buy-mac/imac-pro [2]: https://www.apple.com/shop/buy-mac/mac-pro https://www.apple.com/shop/buy-mac/mac-pro [3]: Hollywood thinks new Mac mini 'could be huge' for video editors: https://appleinsider.com/articles/20/11/12/hollywood-thinks-new-mac-mini-could-be-huge-for-video-editors https://appleinsider.com/articles/20/11/12/hollywood-thinks-...

by mtgx 6y ago

hu3 6y ago

I wonder what will happen when AMD launches 5nm processors.

ogre_codes 6y ago
It's always a slippery slope comparing future products to present day products. Apple has additional CPUs coming out over the next 2 years as well. It's going to be an interesting couple of years.
wmf 6y ago
Apple will be releasing 3nm M3 processors that will probably still be faster.

jmull 6y ago

Well, Apple released the M1 as their low-end chip, putting it in the entry-level slot of their low-power Macs. They may have something with substantially more power in store soon.

vel0city 6y ago
The cheapest MacBook Air with an M1 chip is $1,000. The cheapest Mac Pro with an M1 chip is $1,300. I don't consider a $1,000+ laptop "entry level" or "low end". These are high-end machines.
- mikey_p 6y ago
  You may not consider it such, but they are the entry level Apple machines at the lowest end of their product range.
  - acmecorps 6y ago
    You have the Mac Mini, which is way below $1k, but for mobile macOS? yes, $1k is the minimum
  - rowanG077 6y ago
    That doesn't mean they are low end laptops. A rolls-royce is also not ever a low-end car. They are the cheapest products Apple offers. But they are still high-end.
- Toutouxc 6y ago
  High-end, maybe. Not high-performance. There are segments and use cases where Apple simply doesn't have an offering.
- alwillis 6y ago
  I don't consider a $1,000+ laptop "entry level" or "low end". These are high-end machines. In the Apple ecosystem, a $1000 laptops are low-end devices. The iMac Pro [1] and the Mac Pro [2] are high-end, professional level machines. The iMac Pro starts at $5,000; the Mac Pro at $6000. The biggest difference is that Apple doesn't sell commodity hardware that virtually every PC OEM does. That was a deliberate choice many years ago. BTW, the M1 Mac mini starts at $699 and blows away all the PCs in it's class, including those that cost more. Some Hollywood studios have already talked about replacing much more expensive computers with the Mac mini because it's so fast [3]. No joke. To be clear, you're not going to render a full-length movie in 4k on an M1-based Mac mini—that's what the Mac Pro is for. But for less demanding 4k editing tasks that would have been unthinkable on an under $1000 machine a year ago, certainly. [1]: https://www.apple.com/shop/buy-mac/imac-pro https://www.apple.com/shop/buy-mac/imac-pro [2]: https://www.apple.com/shop/buy-mac/mac-pro https://www.apple.com/shop/buy-mac/mac-pro [3]: Hollywood thinks new Mac mini 'could be huge' for video editors: https://appleinsider.com/articles/20/11/12/hollywood-thinks-new-mac-mini-could-be-huge-for-video-editors https://appleinsider.com/articles/20/11/12/hollywood-thinks-...