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My New Laptop

Yesterday I ordered a new Apple Silicon Mac. The 13-inch Pro, to be precise. With all the trimmings.

I did this, even though:

  • This is clearly a Mac meant to be a replacement for the entry-level 2-port model of the 13-inch Pro. Not the high-end 4-port model I am using to type this.
  • A higher-end version (perhaps with the rumored smaller-bezel 14-inch screen) could be coming as soon as next spring.
  • 16 GB of RAM max.
  • Aren’t we supposed to avoid first-gen hardware?

Here’s why:

  • This 13-inch Pro with M1 (if Apple’s bragging is to be believed) is going to outperform my maxed out 2020 Intel MacBook Pro 13-inch, anyway. Particularly at graphics.
  • My battery life is likely to be close to double what I’m currently getting.
  • I’m betting the better efficiency means the fans will kick into high speed less often.
  • I’m betting the lower RAM ceiling doesn’t impact me as much as most people think.
  • I’ve been buying first-gen Apple hardware for decades and have never regretted it.

All this, for a price that’s $700 cheaper than the Pro I currently own.

And in Silver, of course. Space Gray is so 2015.

This is but the first step in a long transition for the Mac. And it’s historic. My limited experience with the DTK over the summer has shown me that Apple Silicon is the real deal. Rosetta apps don’t feel like emulation. And given how easy porting to Apple Silicon is, most apps will be native very quickly, anyway.

If the more-expensive small Pro ends up getting announced next year, upgrading again is always an option.

Small price to pay for being on the cutting edge of the Mac’s evolution.