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I think the OP is saying that it could be a mistake to focus on the processor so much when it might turn out that worthy competition is just around the corner.

I think the OP is saying that it could be a mistake to focus on the processor so much when it might turn out that worthy competition is just around the corner. Apple have ever focused on processor like this before, instead opting to focus on the whole product, fit and finish, etc. Which arguably still very few rival them on even today.

jclardy 6y ago
But by the time "just around the corner" happens, we will be comparing it to the M2.
theshrike79 6y ago
Yes competitors may have worthy opponents to the M1 "just around the corner". But do you think that Apple stopped innovating after releasing the M1 last year? Don't you think the M2 (or M1X whatever it's called) is well into design and prototyping at this point?
- afavour 6y ago
  The broader point, I think, is that Apple has never really competed on specs before. Not meaningfully, anyway. They’ve competed on whole product. Competing on specs opens them up to new challenges.
  - theshrike79 6y ago
    This is like people obsessing over the amount of RAM in iPhones. Just because it matters on Android, which is a COMPLETELY different system, doesn't mean it matters as much on iOS. Yes, it matters a bit when switching between multiple apps, but app suspend is handled in a completely different way on iOS than on Android. Apples to Oranges.
giantrobot 6y ago
While the competition might have M1 competitors (perf/power) "just around the corner", Apple has the M1 out right now. You can go buy an M1 Mac today. If I need to wait until next quarter or the second half of the year to get an M1 competitor that doesn't help me much today.
rsynnott 6y ago
> Apple have ever focused on processor like this before Eh, I'm not sure that's true. They did with the original PPC, and also the G3 and G5.
- watersb 6y ago
  PowerPC was also IBM and Motorola. It's difficult to compare the Apple Silicon versus PowerPC, because the new Apple hardware is far more ambitious, the whole platform. I would expect that the memory SSD controllers are to some degree licensed from other industry players. The CPU architecture is something else again. Issues eight instructions per clock -- per core. The M1 core design has more in common with IBM mainframe POWER9 than with a typical x86 core. It's remarkable to see this design ina low end consumer device. A mobile.

jclardy 6y ago

But by the time "just around the corner" happens, we will be comparing it to the M2.

theshrike79 6y ago

Yes competitors may have worthy opponents to the M1 "just around the corner". But do you think that Apple stopped innovating after releasing the M1 last year? Don't you think the M2 (or M1X whatever it's called) is well into design and prototyping at this point?

afavour 6y ago
The broader point, I think, is that Apple has never really competed on specs before. Not meaningfully, anyway. They’ve competed on whole product. Competing on specs opens them up to new challenges.
- theshrike79 6y ago
  This is like people obsessing over the amount of RAM in iPhones. Just because it matters on Android, which is a COMPLETELY different system, doesn't mean it matters as much on iOS. Yes, it matters a bit when switching between multiple apps, but app suspend is handled in a completely different way on iOS than on Android. Apples to Oranges.

giantrobot 6y ago

While the competition might have M1 competitors (perf/power) "just around the corner", Apple has the M1 out right now. You can go buy an M1 Mac today. If I need to wait until next quarter or the second half of the year to get an M1 competitor that doesn't help me much today.

rsynnott 6y ago

> Apple have ever focused on processor like this before Eh, I'm not sure that's true. They did with the original PPC, and also the G3 and G5.

watersb 6y ago
PowerPC was also IBM and Motorola. It's difficult to compare the Apple Silicon versus PowerPC, because the new Apple hardware is far more ambitious, the whole platform. I would expect that the memory SSD controllers are to some degree licensed from other industry players. The CPU architecture is something else again. Issues eight instructions per clock -- per core. The M1 core design has more in common with IBM mainframe POWER9 than with a typical x86 core. It's remarkable to see this design ina low end consumer device. A mobile.