MacBook Pro with the M1 processor

So for the Apple event this Tuesday, one of the rumors is a new iMac, with neato colors, trim bezels (suggestions are it will be like an iPad Pro on a stand ...).

Assuming these will be AS/ARM based, but I'm wondering if it will be the same proc in the MBP and Mini? A faster clock? Or even more magical, some kind of new variant, i.e., an M1X with more than 8 cores for the CPU and/or GPU ... ? Possibly with new RAM capacity! More ports!

My gut tell me a new display tech, with a nice new physical design, but effectively a Mini All-in-One (in terms of performance / capacity).
I'm thinking it will probably be a new variant like an M1X and probably with higher RAM limits.
 
I'm looking forward to the event to see if I want a new IPad Pro. I have actually no issues with my 2018 one, but I am curious since I didn't update last time around.

I will say though I am really looking forward to if they have new iMacs. I have always wanted one, but stuck with Mac Minis. If this is a big enough deal I think I will give one a try.
 
I think the proposed pastel colors purportedly appearing on the new iMacs are pretty bad.....I wouldn't buy any of those!
 
I think the proposed pastel colors purportedly appearing on the new iMacs are pretty bad.....I wouldn't buy any of those!
Ah, but a space gray iMac with smaller bezels becomes a must buy.

Using an art program like Clip Studio Paint with sidecar & an iPad sounds great to me.
 
Yeah, I guess that's another rumor, that the iMac sizes will move up. 32" 6K makes sense for the new large, with maybe a 25" 4K as the smaller size.

I'm thinking it will probably be a new variant like an M1X and probably with higher RAM limits.
I'm cautiously optimistic, just kind of feels like an Apple play, all new FF, etc., while keeping other things the same.

That being said, there's that "M1X" that was ID'ed by a couple of CPU comparison sites, basically double the CPU/GPU cores (the CPU is suggested to be 12-core, since it's only doubling the performance cores, 4 + [2 x 4]).

Heck, I guess the M1 machines have been out for like 6 months, that seems like a reasonable timeframe to offer a new M1, and the existing products were always the "entry level" (I use that loosely given their performance), iMacs __should__ be faster than the 13" laptops.

What I'm excited about is the potential for this new M1 to go into a Mini, if they reveal an M1X iMac tomorrow, and it goes on sale immediately, I can't imagine there not being a revised M1X Mini out soon. A 16/16 core Mini, with 32 or 64GBs of RAM, and 4 ports? Yes please :D That would solve the primary issue with the Mini, the pretty lackluster GPU performance.
 
Because the graphic makes it seem like a typical iPad event, and we’re only 2 months away from WWDC (usually a Mac-focused event), we should consider the possibility of no new Macs tomorrow.
 
1618838221831.png
 
This frightens me...


While the entry-level ‌iPad‌ and the ‌iPad mini‌ will see "consistent pricing" compared to the current models, the ‌iPad Pro‌ models will apparently have "modest price increases" over the current versions.

What is "modest" for Apple?

A kidney & A foot of small intestines?
 
Space Grey would be acceptable for an iMac, or standard silver, just not pastel! Well, since I'm not interested in an iMac anyway, kind of a moot point. I'm much happier with the flexibility offered by using a MacBook Pro plus an external display in whatever size I choose (currently, the one I'm using is 24"). I can't haul around some whopping 27" iMac machine and the 21" that Apple has been offering isn't satisfactory for me, but I can handle a nice 15" MBP and a 24" external monitor without too much hassle. There's no way I'd ever be interested in an iMac with a 30" or larger screen.

My hunch is that if Apple offers a new version of the iMac tomorrow that it'll be the equivalent of the current baseline 21.5" model, redesigned in a new case with thinner bezels and no "chin," equipped with the M1 chip that is offered in the current M1 MBA, MBP and Mini. I daresay that we won't see any of the machines with the more advanced chips until later, probably not until in the autumn. Although there have been WWDC events where new Macs or other hardware have been announced, the primary focus of that conference is and always has been actually the software, with developers learning about the upcoming versions of iOS and MacOS, so that they can prepare their apps for those prior to the usual release in September or October.

I'm waiting for the M1X version of the MBP: a 16" with four Thunderbolt ports, lots of power under the hood, plus the option to go with 32 GB RAM.....
 
Someone over at Blenderartists posted this yesterday. It's based upon the rumored designs of the upcoming iMacs.

In much the same way the old iMacs looked a bit like fat iPads with a chin on the front, these new iMacs will probably look quite a bit like the current iPad Pros.

flat-imac-3d-3-teal.jpg
 
If they announce a AS iMac with higher specs I would be so tempted to get one. I'm kind of holding out for that rumored Mac Pro Mini. I would buy the shit out of a Mac Pro Mini.

Yeah, I guess that's another rumor, that the iMac sizes will move up. 32" 6K makes sense for the new large, with maybe a 25" 4K as the smaller size.


I'm cautiously optimistic, just kind of feels like an Apple play, all new FF, etc., while keeping other things the same.

That being said, there's that "M1X" that was ID'ed by a couple of CPU comparison sites, basically double the CPU/GPU cores (the CPU is suggested to be 12-core, since it's only doubling the performance cores, 4 + [2 x 4]).

Heck, I guess the M1 machines have been out for like 6 months, that seems like a reasonable timeframe to offer a new M1, and the existing products were always the "entry level" (I use that loosely given their performance), iMacs __should__ be faster than the 13" laptops.

What I'm excited about is the potential for this new M1 to go into a Mini, if they reveal an M1X iMac tomorrow, and it goes on sale immediately, I can't imagine there not being a revised M1X Mini out soon. A 16/16 core Mini, with 32 or 64GBs of RAM, and 4 ports? Yes please :D That would solve the primary issue with the Mini, the pretty lackluster GPU performance.
I couldn't imagine Apple releasing an iMac with the same specs as the current M1 lineup. I'm willing to be a good majority of iMac users are looking for higher specs. I would love to see a 32GB RAM option on there!
 
Just as they did with the first batch of M1 machines, Apple will start with a baseline model just to get things started, let the first-adopters get their hands on it and also to appeal to those purchasers who really only need and want just a baseline model in the first place, are perfectly happy with a small-capacity SSD and 8 GB RAM. The off-the-shelf 21.5" baseline model still has the stupid dog-slow HDD, for heaven's sake, and yet consumers have still been buying those and then wondering why their pretty new machine isn't all that speedy.

Some people still prefer a desktop to a laptop, but don't really need or want all the power that can come with a desktop, and instead are content with something that does the basics and sits in the family room or the kitchen or wherever. I can imagine that those pastel colors will appeal to some people (I know one person who would be thrilled to have a pink iMac sitting on her desk!), and there will be an audience for the newer, faster iMacs after years of the rather limited offerings at the 21.5" size. Even an iMac with a 250 GB SSD and 8 GB RAM in an M1 iMac will feel so much like a huge upgrade to anyone who has been using a 21.5" baseline model the past several years. I remember the 24" iMac with great fondness and always thought that 24" was an ideal size for a computer display (which is why I am now gazing at an external 24" display even as I'm typing). 21.5" was just a bit too small, although it fit nicely into places where there was limited space.

Actually, for years the iMac and the MBP have had similarities in functionality and "innards," too, with the iMac in the old days offering a laptop-sized HDD rather than a full-sized desktop HDD.
 
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If they announce a AS iMac with higher specs I would be so tempted to get one. I'm kind of holding out for that rumored Mac Pro Mini. I would buy the shit out of a Mac Pro Mini.


I couldn't imagine Apple releasing an iMac with the same specs as the current M1 lineup. I'm willing to be a good majority of iMac users are looking for higher specs. I would love to see a 32GB RAM option on there!
At least an option to add our own ram, even if you settle for the smaller version.

With the ability to go 32GB in the smaller, and even higher in the larger.
 
At least an option to add our own ram, even if you settle for the smaller version.

That won't happen with any of the M1 machines, since the RAM is entwined within the processor itself.

edit: though there have been reports of people upgrading their RAM in the current M1 laptops. Thing is, you have to have an exceedingly steady hand, nigh superhuman soldering skills, and enough disposable income to write off the 50% chance you have of ruining your machine.
 
That won't happen with any of the M1 machines, since the RAM is entwined within the processor itself.

edit: though there have been reports of people upgrading their RAM in the current M1 laptops. Thing is, you have to have an exceedingly steady hand, nigh superhuman soldering skills, and enough disposable income to write off the 50% chance you have of ruining your machine.
Which will become a big problem for many, as that door to put in your own memory is a distinct selling point for the 27.

With Apple's ram prices they are going to need one hell of a sales pitch to make up for that.

I know it borders on being a deal breaker for me.
 
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