Apple’s M1 processor for the Mac made its debut in November 2020 and started a new revolution in computing. The M1 chip in the MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini blew everyone’s mind with its performance that told the industry that Apple as a chip maker was not to be taken lightly. The excitement carried on through 2021 with the 24-inch iMac in the first part of the year, and the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips in the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro later in the year. Then in March 2022, we got the Mac Studio with the M1 Max and M1 Ultra.
And that was it. [sound of crickets]
Apple teased a new Mac Pro during its March event, and we spent the rest of the year waiting for it. But it never came, and the roll that Apple was on ground to a halt. Mac enthusiasts are left wondering, what is going on?
However, let’s put it all into perspective. If Apple came out today and said, “That’s it, the two-year Apple silicon transition is done. The next several cycles over the next few years will have your typical standard Mac updates,” Mac enthusiasts would probably be okay with that. After all, we have fantastic M-series chips with more than enough performance for most people, redesigns that modernize the Mac and make it more useful, and new models that widen our options.
Here’s the thing: We always want more. Fortunately, we are going to get more in 2023. The thrill is coming back, and it’s not only going to recharge the enthusiasm that started to wane in the second half of 2022 but also bring it to new heights. Here’s how Apple is going to do it.
The year of the Mac Pro
Ever since Apple announced its Apple silicon chip transition, the Mac Pro is the one Mac that everyone has anxiously been awaiting. Not because we’re all going to buy one–most of the people reading this (not to mention me, my editor, and other co-workers) won’t even consider the Mac Pro. It’s a pricey machine and the work that we do is handled just as well by any Mac in the current lineup. Rather, it’s the most intriguing Mac in Apple’s lineup because it’s so out of reach of most users and does do much more than they’ll ever need.
The Mac Pro is for the most demanding Mac user, the one who can never get enough processing power. The M-Series Mac Pro is the machine to address those needs, and we know it’s going to be fast, despite recent rumors that claim it won’t be as fast as Apple originally intended. But it’s also Apple’s opportunity to flex its muscles and show the competition how high the bar is going to be raised. Let’s see what an M processor can do when it’s unleashed.
Will the wait for the update to the Mac Pro finally end in 2023?
IDG
Perhaps more important than processing prowess is the design of the Mac Pro. Users have a lot of questions here: Will it be a tower? How much user accessibility will it have? How much expansion will it support? Will the “cheese grater” continue, will the “trash can” have a revival, or will Apple do something totally different? …….