I was wrong about the Apple M1 Pro…

Apple just wrapped up their 4th major event of the year, their October ‘Unleashed’ event and oooh baby, this event was hot. I went into this event expecting excitement, and we got a lot more than just that. Hypothetically, this should be the most exciting event of this year, right? Well, I’ve got a lot to say. Apple unveiled the new M1 Pro and M1 Max chips — my god those are god-awful names — today and smashed them in the newly redesigned MacBook Pro 14 and 16 inch that fix literally everyone’s complaints about the 2016–2020 MacBook Pros. Apple disguises this clear apology by saying “our pros love XYZ” and to that I say, no? It’s not that we like having ports and buttons, but that we hate having a stupid touch screen that replaced real buttons and the removal of fundamental ports like HDMI and an SD Card slot for thinness, Sir Jonathan Ive. Anyway, I digress. Oh, and they also announced some new HomePods and AirPods, but that doesn’t matter, right? Pfft, music is overrated anyway. With that being said, there’s a lot to talk about and very little time to waste, so let’s unleash our wallets and talk about Apple’s most exciting event of the year.

Okay, let’s get the boring stuff out of the way; Apple started their presentation by talking about their glaring passion about music. Ah yes, iTunes V2! Only one could hope. That was a joke. Anyway, Apple started by talking about new HomePod colors, namely blue, orange, and urine. The piss colored HomePod mini will be available November. Next, they talked about the new “Apple Music Voice Plan” which basically forces you into using Siri and to thank you for that, they cut the prices by $5. Who asked for this? I get that some people would maybe want an ad-supported or limited version of Apple Music for a reduced price or perhaps even free that they could use with other voice assistants, but I don’t know anyone who wants no app functionality. This honestly just seems like an idea the marketing intern cooked up to boost Siri uses. Oh, they also dropped new AirPods 3 with an AirPods Pro like design with MagSafe and Spatial Audio. What’s notably missing from this pair of earbuds is ANC and Transparency mode, as well as those removable ear tips. They start at $179, and the older AirPods 2 start at a reduced $129. Goodbye, dental floss case! And… that’s it for music! Underwhelming.

Now, we get to talk about the Mac. And specifically, Apple’s new Pro chips. M1X, and M1Z. Wait a second, they’re not called that? No, you have to be joking. What are the names? M1 Pro and M1 Max? Wait, so, let me get this straight. You’re telling me I can edit ProRes with ProMotion shot on my iPhone 13 Pro on my M1 Pro MacBook Pro on Final Cut Pro? That’s amazing! Why didn’t you tell me about this sooner? Can’t innovate anymore my ass. Silly names aside, these chips are literal computing heaven. Let’s start with the first of these professional chips; the M1 Pro. M1 Pro doubles the GPU, memory limit, and memory bandwidth while 8x-ing the amount of possible storage. It’s also available in 8, and 10 core CPU variants with 6 performance and 2 efficiency cores, and 8 performance and 2 efficiency cores respectively, 2 and 4 more performance cores than M1. So don’t feel bad if you’re buying the 8 core version, you’re still getting 50% better performance than M1. Additionally, M1 Pro now supports 3 Thunderbolt 4 ports and ProRes hardware acceleration, as well as a media engine for H.264 and HEVC, and a display engine to power up to 2 Pro Display XDRs. All much needed improvements from M1. I don’t know who’s powering 2 Pro Displays off of a MacBook, but I guess you people exist, right? All of that is possible because of a Jade 2C Chop SoC which is binned depending on which config you buy. This practice is totally normal and is found on the iPhones from this year. This chip seems ultra promising to me, and it’s the one that I’ve ordered myself. However, for those who edit tens of steams of 8K ProRes and connect to multiple Pro Displays, the M1 Max is the better option. They both have the same CPU (unless you’re buying the 8 core like myself, which is arguably better for video editors because money) but M1 Max doubles the RAM, GPU cores, and memory bandwidth. It also allows for 3 Pro Displays and more streams of ProRes (20 vs 30 4K), but other than that, these chips are the same. M1 Max is fabricated on Jade 2C (non-chop) and has the full amount of GPU cores. In terms of battery life, M1 is still the champ. No bigger batteries for these beefier Macs and chips. M1 Max and M1 Pro both perform identically in most scenarios unless you’re pushing the GPU on M1 Max. Apple says we should expect roughly 17 hours of video playback, but we all know how Apple’s numbers are far from reality. With all that being said, what’s to take away from all of the numbers? Well, M1 Pro is the big boy Pro chip all of us Pros wanted and need, and can run Final Cut, Compressor, Logic, and Motion all at once. It’s good for programmers, video editors, photographers and more, and it’s the one most professionals should get. However, if you’re a render artist, or game dev, or movie editor or motion designer, The M1 Max Macs (god, whoever thought that name was a good idea) should suit you well. It really just comes down to a Pro or a Max, or a big or a small because both sizes can configure up to the highest spec M1 Max. Great for people who need and want the power without the bulk. I’m thoroughly impressed with these new chips, and they really show the nature of Apple Silicon, which is extremely impressive. I can’t wait to see what the Mac Pro brings next year. Like I said, I ordered an M1 Pro, but you can’t just use a chip without a computer. So let’s talk about those mighty impressive computers that come with mighty impressive performance.

Apple finally, and I mean finally fixed their laptops with a brand new design, keyboard, screen, ports, and chip. Thank you, Tim! Let’s first talk about what’s fixed, and how they fixed it, and then we’ll talk about what’s new. First, they fixed the design! These computers are now thicker, and heavier with 2 fans instead of one. This is amazing. Finally, no more thermal throttling, no more putting the computer in the freezer when rendering a video, and no more room heater functionality. Well needed. Also, Apple touted that the fans usually don’t ramp up, so the computer won’t sound like a jet readying for takeoff when opening Google Chrome. Next, they fixed the godforsaken keyboard. They already swapped out the butterfly switches for the scissor switches in the MacBook Pro in 2019, fixing the sticky keys that many of us still deal with, but this time, they respected literally EVERY Mac owner of the last 5 years and removed the gosh-darn Touch Bar. Goodbye, Touch Bar, we’ll see you in the depths of hell. Instead, they expanded the function row with REAL keys and even pointed this out on stage as a clear flaw. Great job, Apple Marketing. I applaud you guys. They also finally fixed the screen. I suffered from an issue called DisplayGate, which basically referred to a thin flex cable that controlled the LED backlight breaking randomly because it was so thin. Apple seemed to have addressed this in 2019, but they didn’t. But now, because of the miniLED display, we shall never speak of this issue again. For the love of god, THANK YOU! Now the ports; Apple FINALLY added back the SD card slot that LITERALLY EVERY PROFESSIONAL IN THE UNIVERSE USED back to the MacBook Pro. THANK YOU TIM APPLE. Now, I won’t have to go searching for my stupid overpriced dongle when I’m shooting and need to wipe my SD card because it’s too full. They also added an HDMI port which I’M SORRY BUT WHY DID IT TAKE THIS LONG? Do you know how many times I’ve had to present something really quick in a room with no Apple TV and forgot my dongle and couldn’t present until I got the dongle the next day because I do and it is horrible. Apple used to make a laptop that people could actually depend upon until this stupid stovetop sack of garbage came along and ruined everyone’s past 5 years. Thank you for bringing the ports back, and why did it take this long? Also, interesting note about this HDMI port; it doesn’t support HDMI 2.1, which kinda sucks. Only 2.0. Still, I’m glad it’s back. Also, they freaking brought MagSafe back! Thank you for saving my money, Tim! I cannot express in words how many times I’ve tripped over my cable and chiseled the metal bordering the USBC. So much, in fact, that now if I just move my computer a little bit, the cable unplugs. It’s so incredibly frustrating when you charge your notebook while working, the cable falls out, you don’t notice, and then when you need to leave, it’s not charged. Thank you for bringing MagSafe and faster charging back, we all appreciate it. Also, while all of this was happening, Apple fixed the camera. Better ISP and better sensor. It’s about freaking time. I don’t understand why it took them 5 WHOLE YEARS to do this, but they did and now we can all relax. Okay, last rant before we talk about the new shiny features; Intel just had to go. I’m sorry, but the battery life and thermal throttling on Intel MacBooks was just abysmal. This design was clearly made for Apple Silicon, and I’m glad it’s gone and we’re getting Apple Silicon. It’s like a 2 for 1 combo deal at Arby’s. Okay, rant time over. Let’s talk shinies. Firstly, that new design. This computer objectively looks better compared to those thin notebooks from before. The raised feet, the thicker chassis, the rounded design, the flat top and bottom, and the MacBook Pro etching on the bottom. Beautiful. I think the design team did a great job. The new MacBook Pros also now have ProMotion, which is an absolute game changer. Like, come on. As a display nerd, that’s just insanity. It’s like a big iPad Pro! The ppi also got higher, which means things look sharper, something I’ve been begging Apple to do for years. It’s also miniLED, mirroring the iPad Pro, and now get’s WAY brighter, a game changer for HDR. But look, I’m avoiding one thing, and that’s the notch. Now I know, all the Apple fans are gonna go “but the bezels are thinner and the notch looks good!” But to that I say, you’re wrong. It may be tolerable, but saying it looks good is just dumb. Why is it so thick, and why is it not rounded? At least if they brought Face ID to the Mac, I’d be fine. But like, what is this and why is it real? Apple should be ashamed. Anyway, the speakers get a sizable upgrade. For the love of god, they did it. The MacBook Pro speakers were kind of falling behind compared to the competition, and now they’ve improved them yet again. Also, I have to mention this, the headphone jack gets a good upgrade too, most likely with a better DAC. Innovation. Thanks, Apple! And that’s it for the MacBook Pro. Wow, what a huge upgrade. Fixes all of my grievances with the current gen and brings better performance. Sign me up for this.

Okay, so what’s to take home from this event? Well, Apple Silicon is friggin insane. So powerful. The new MacBook Pros are insanely powerful with a much improved design. And Zane Lowe can suck it. This new generation of Mac laptops has brought back my respect for Apple as a premium laptop brand, and I’m glad to see it. This promising hardware combined with Mac software makes this one an instant hit in my books. The new MacBook Pro 14” starts at $1,999 while the 16” starts at $2,499 and are available in Space Grey and Silver on Oct 26, and macOS Monterey will be out on the 25th. As for which one I’ve ordered, I ordered a base spec 14” with M1 Pro, and it will be in my hands on launch day, so get ready for a review on that. This has to be by far my favorite Apple event this year, and I’m really happy with what we got. So what do you think of the new MacBook Pros, as well as M1 Pro and M1 Max? Are they cool? Too expensive? Too cheap? Let me know! And if you made it this far in this extremely long event recap with a whole bunch of chaos, give yourself a pat on the back.