New year, new tech. It’s almost one year after the pandemic when most of the world had to shift to their computer as their portal to work, learn, and socialize. As a result, the latest and greatest technology became all the more important . Of course, Apple is one of the front-runners in terms of brand popularity and technology quality. In November of 2020 Apple released their new models of MacBooks AKA their laptop line that has been evolving for the past 30 years. While on the outside they look similar, Apple has introduced brand-new technology that is a game-changer for computer processing. Now look, the computer I am reviewing is not for everyone as everyone has a different budget BUT this should give you a good idea on whether or not a computer upgrade is worth it. Additionally, some features are only available to the MacBook Pro, which I will point out throughout the review. That being said, these are my thoughts on the brand new MacBook Pro:
The M1 Chip:
The main upgrade introduced in this version over the others is the brand-new CPU. In an effort to regain control of the CPU market, Apple created their own chipset to better adapt to their software system while also provide faster computing power and stabilization than from chips by Intel. In layman’s terms, this computer is fast. It takes the computer 15 seconds to start up and instantly wakes whenever you want to use it again. While gaming can be a hit-or-miss depending on the intensity, it can definitely handle multitasking, video editing, and video streaming. The only downside as of 1/9/2021 is that not every app you can get on the Intel Macs supports the new chip yet, however, that is expected to change in the coming year. Still, the best reason to upgrade is because of the M1 Chip.
The Hardware:
While borrowing the same features from its previous iteration, the hardware of the M1 MacBook is nothing to cast aside. The screen, while not bezel-less, is still full of detail with high levels of brightness and color brightness.
The only unfortunate thing is that it is only available in a 13″ variant as opposed to the 16″ model that Apple offers with the Intel chips, although this will hopefully change in 2021. Although there is no touchscreen, there is a Touch Bar, which is a touch screen that replaces the function keys on the keyboard and adapts to each app, offering functions and shortcuts that change with each app (only on the MacBook Pro). The keyboard has also improved significantly with the move to scissor-switches instead of butterfly-keys, since butterfly-keys kept on getting stuck if there was any debris in the key, therefore Apple scrapped the design and redesigned the keyboard from scratch. The mousepad is also fast and responsive although I would recommend used a separate mouse for more precise control. The last thing about the hardware that I found to be great was fingerprint reader, which replaces the power button and, like the name implies, can log into your computer with the touch of your finger. This also offers an easy way to access your online accounts as well as make purchases on iTunes or the App Store by simply suing your fingerprint, something that is very efficient compared to a password. The hardware is solid all around and hopefully it will improve in the future with a better screen.
The Software:
With the release of Apple’s new operating system (called Big Sur), Apple has added in new features that not only benefit this computer but other recent MacBooks as well. The main features that set the M1 MacBooks and Intel MacBooks are the ability to download and use iPhone and iPad apps directly on the MacBook, allowing for a wider arrangement of apps to be accessed by the user. Additionally, every app, Intel or not, can be used on the M1 MacBook thanks to Rosetta 2, which essentially emulates older apps directly on the MacBook. That being said, it all depends on whether the App Developer would want to port the app to the new computers, however, this is subject to change very soon. Big Sur offers faster performance and battery health as well as makes the UI easier to use. Apple’s OS, in my opinion, is much better than Windows OS.
Final Thoughts:
Overall, the M1 MacBooks are fantastic and a sufficient upgrade to its predecessors. The M1 MacBook Pro starts at $1299.99, however, if that price is too expensive the M1 MacBook Air starts at $999.99 and offers almost all of the same features as the MacBook Pro. If you are looking for a brand new computer, I cannot recommend the M1 MacBooks enough. Thank you for reading my thoughts on the new MacBooks, and be on the lookout for more reviews soon!