5 ms·

Can You Upgrade an M1 MacBook Pro to an M2?

10 points by chazeon 4y ago

ComputerGuru 4y ago
(Obvious?) answer conveniently omitted from headline: no.
- Pakdef 4y ago
  It wouldn't surprise me that it would be because of a software block by Apple because that's the kind of thing that they like to do (but this is complete speculation).
  - einherjae 4y ago
    Not sure why that would make sense. The only source of M2 chips is from Apple, and then only by buying an entire computer…
    - Veliladon 4y ago
      Because a lot of the security stuff is aimed at making it harder even for people with relatively unlimited resources, like nation states, to break into someone's machine. Like if one has a TouchID sensor paired with a certain Secure Enclave at the factory or with Apple authorized tools one can be fairly certain that an intelligence agency can't (easily at least) just take swap the factory TouchID sensor for a compromised one. It may not be 100% fool proof but it also has the effect of forcing adversaries to focus on specific targets instead of being able to use a dragnet style approach.
- v0x 4y ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betteridge%27s_law_of_headlines https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betteridge%27s_law_of_headline...
- ternaryoperator 4y ago
  Once again, Betteridge's Law of Headlines applies. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betteridge%27s_law_of_headlines https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betteridge%27s_law_of_headline...
josephcsible 4y ago
If you want a computer you can upgrade instead of tossing in a landfill when the next shiny new thing comes out, then Apple is about the worst manufacturer you could pick. Buy a Framework instead.
- asguy 4y ago
  This opinion is ignoring the fact that Apple's build quality and long-term compatibility keeps their machines alive and useful longer than most other machines out there. Lenovo/IBM not withstanding. The used market shows this.
  - josephcsible 4y ago
    When I think about the build quality of MacBooks, the first three things that come to mind are the displays spontaneously shattering, the butterfly keyboards, and Flexgate. As for "long-term compatibility", consider the Mac Pro for sale in mid-2013. The latest version of macOS it can run is Mojave, which went EOL in 2021, for a total of 8 years from purchase to no more security updates. Compare this to PCs, where Windows 10 1809 runs on computers from 2015 and won't go EOL until 2029, for a total of 14 years from purchase to no more security updates. Or to really drive the point home, compare it to Linux instead. It still supports the 486 processor, launched in 1989 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qbp_KQ4a2DQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qbp_KQ4a2DQ shows that it really does still work), and AFAIK there are no current plans to remove it. And even if it were to be removed from Linus's tree today, the last CIP SLTS kernel would keep it supported until 2031, for a total of 42 years from purchase to no more security updates.
SamuelAdams 4y ago
Here’s a lesson I learned 10 years ago when first staring my career: when buying a laptop, get the max specs possible. It costs more upfront but you are more likely to hold onto it for a longer period of time. Many people decided (through their purchasing dollars) 10-20 years ago that they’d rather have thinner, lighter, more compact devices versus modular. The Framework laptop is challenging this status quo, however I’m curious to see how their quarterly volume compares to Apple’s or another manufacturer like Dell or HP. So I don’t blame Apple for making their CPU’s non-swappable. The market just isn’t there for the vast majority of consumers.

10 points by chazeon 4y ago

ComputerGuru 4y ago

(Obvious?) answer conveniently omitted from headline: no.

Pakdef 4y ago
It wouldn't surprise me that it would be because of a software block by Apple because that's the kind of thing that they like to do (but this is complete speculation).
- einherjae 4y ago
  Not sure why that would make sense. The only source of M2 chips is from Apple, and then only by buying an entire computer…
  - Veliladon 4y ago
    Because a lot of the security stuff is aimed at making it harder even for people with relatively unlimited resources, like nation states, to break into someone's machine. Like if one has a TouchID sensor paired with a certain Secure Enclave at the factory or with Apple authorized tools one can be fairly certain that an intelligence agency can't (easily at least) just take swap the factory TouchID sensor for a compromised one. It may not be 100% fool proof but it also has the effect of forcing adversaries to focus on specific targets instead of being able to use a dragnet style approach.
v0x 4y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betteridge%27s_law_of_headlines https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betteridge%27s_law_of_headline...
ternaryoperator 4y ago
Once again, Betteridge's Law of Headlines applies. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betteridge%27s_law_of_headlines https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betteridge%27s_law_of_headline...

josephcsible 4y ago

If you want a computer you can upgrade instead of tossing in a landfill when the next shiny new thing comes out, then Apple is about the worst manufacturer you could pick. Buy a Framework instead.

asguy 4y ago
This opinion is ignoring the fact that Apple's build quality and long-term compatibility keeps their machines alive and useful longer than most other machines out there. Lenovo/IBM not withstanding. The used market shows this.
- josephcsible 4y ago
  When I think about the build quality of MacBooks, the first three things that come to mind are the displays spontaneously shattering, the butterfly keyboards, and Flexgate. As for "long-term compatibility", consider the Mac Pro for sale in mid-2013. The latest version of macOS it can run is Mojave, which went EOL in 2021, for a total of 8 years from purchase to no more security updates. Compare this to PCs, where Windows 10 1809 runs on computers from 2015 and won't go EOL until 2029, for a total of 14 years from purchase to no more security updates. Or to really drive the point home, compare it to Linux instead. It still supports the 486 processor, launched in 1989 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qbp_KQ4a2DQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qbp_KQ4a2DQ shows that it really does still work), and AFAIK there are no current plans to remove it. And even if it were to be removed from Linus's tree today, the last CIP SLTS kernel would keep it supported until 2031, for a total of 42 years from purchase to no more security updates.

SamuelAdams 4y ago

Here’s a lesson I learned 10 years ago when first staring my career: when buying a laptop, get the max specs possible. It costs more upfront but you are more likely to hold onto it for a longer period of time. Many people decided (through their purchasing dollars) 10-20 years ago that they’d rather have thinner, lighter, more compact devices versus modular. The Framework laptop is challenging this status quo, however I’m curious to see how their quarterly volume compares to Apple’s or another manufacturer like Dell or HP. So I don’t blame Apple for making their CPU’s non-swappable. The market just isn’t there for the vast majority of consumers.