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Abstract

r produce any noise.The laptop could get some heat if you are performing some processor-intensive tasks, like rendering a video or working with multiple websites at the same time.However, the heat is not a big deal comparing to a fan noise that I was constantly getting from the Intel Macbook Pro that I had before. Honestly? I cannot even go back to Intel MacBooks afterward. The fan noise just destroys the whole experience. Maybe I became way too picky, but once you get used to something good it’s hard to go back.<h1 id="1513">Compatibility</h1>Yes, we know that compatibility is a big concern. Not everything has been ported to an ARM platform and I see apps crashing from time to time.VLC is crashing for me periodically, some of my other apps are crashing and overall it needs some additional love and polish.Intel x86 virtualization is slow. If you ever wanted to run your Virtual Machines and many solutions are not even available, e.g VMWare Fusion or VirtualBox.There are <a href="https://nomadic-dmitry.medium.com/apple-silicon-m1-how-to-run-x86-and-arm-virtual-machines-on-it-cdd9d9054483">some virtualization options</a>, but my recommendation would be to buy a separate laptop for your virtualization needs. It’s just common sense to run applications natively on a platform that it’s supposed to run rather than trying to adapt something for ARM and expect it to work the same way.<h1 id="ccfc">Ports and accessories</h1>Oh, well. Coming from a MacBook Pro 2014 which had enough ports for everything, HDMI was there out of the box and ports were from both sides — this is hard to swallow indeed.I am now using dongles, adapters and plugging all those together. It’s a mess. I hope that this part will be improved in the future, at least on Pro models.But as of now, I think that this part is falling short indeed. There should be more options and ports available. Not everyone is fun of buying accessories and carry those around everywhere.<h1 id="09b5">Random Glitches</h1><p id="e40

Options

4">There are some effects of a new platform that are hard to describe in better terminology rather than “random glitches”.When my Intel MacBook Pro started to hang or being unresponsive I typically observed the fans going on a full speed and some other things happening. In the case of the M1 MacBook Air, I see a different kind of behavior. Typically, the cursor just hangs and computer stops responding to any interaction.There were display glitches, USB devices being disconnected randomly, MacBook and devices not being charged, and other effects that I would consider strange, to say the least.Fortunately, all those effects are temporary and don’t give too much discomfort. Eventually, it starts working. Some people probably never hit those issues, while others are experiencing those.<h1 id="f0fb">Conclusion</h1>I’ve <a href="https://readmedium.com/is-apple-switching-to-arm-architecture-a-good-idea-5-pros-and-cons-of-the-switch-5c01e8a13dfb?source=your_stories_page-------------------------------------">mentioned multiple times</a> that I think that switch to an M1 chip would create an array of problems and compatibility issues. Fortunately, it turned out the opposite.I am no longer dependent as much on electricity and can travel without thinking much about re-charging my Macbook. It just works long enough to write my articles, render a video or two, and stay connected with friends. If there is a need to charge my Mac I could just use a couple of battery packs and be on my way.Essentially, my Mac became a device similar to a phone (because it has the same architecture) with a larger screen. And seems like this is actually beneficial.Am I surprised? Yes, I am. Does it fully replace Intel x86 machines? Yes, for the most part.But you still need to have a separate computer if you need to run Windows and have specific apps that are mandatory for you. Typically, those are scientific apps that the M1 chip is not compatible with (yet).</article></body>

Apple M1 Processors. I was wrong about those. Here is Why

I’ve bought an M1 MacBook Air despite many concerns that I thought of and voiced in one of my Medium articles. I was concerned about the new architecture, the closed platform I am subscribing myself into and many other factors. Let’s see if any of those were indeed true?

Battery Life

Well, Apple has claimed a phenomenal battery life that will outperform anything else. It seems like it lived up to the promise, however it mostly behaves like that when Apple applications are used (e.g Safari, Mail, etc.) and not as great when using other apps.

I am using Firefox as a browser most of the time and battery life was really good, but not as much as Apple claimed. Still, it’s probably one of the most efficient devices that I ever had.

Portability

Have you ever expected a computer that you could use from a battery pack? And yet that happened and we indeed got a computer with incredible efficiency.

I’m traveling extensively and knowing that I can bring a battery pack, portable solar panel and my mobile phone to get connected almost anywhere is a quite refreshing feeling.

I am not as worried as before and no longer rely on coffee shops and other places to charge my laptop. Yes, it’s a liberating feeling I should say.

Fan noise and Heat

Since I’ve got MacBook Air there is not a single sign of fan noise. In fact, there is no fan — that’s why it will never produce any noise.

The laptop could get some heat if you are performing some processor-intensive tasks, like rendering a video or working with multiple websites at the same time.

However, the heat is not a big deal comparing to a fan noise that I was constantly getting from the Intel Macbook Pro that I had before. Honestly? I cannot even go back to Intel MacBooks afterward. The fan noise just destroys the whole experience. Maybe I became way too picky, but once you get used to something good it’s hard to go back.

Compatibility

Yes, we know that compatibility is a big concern. Not everything has been ported to an ARM platform and I see apps crashing from time to time.

VLC is crashing for me periodically, some of my other apps are crashing and overall it needs some additional love and polish.

Intel x86 virtualization is slow. If you ever wanted to run your Virtual Machines and many solutions are not even available, e.g VMWare Fusion or VirtualBox.

There are some virtualization options, but my recommendation would be to buy a separate laptop for your virtualization needs. It’s just common sense to run applications natively on a platform that it’s supposed to run rather than trying to adapt something for ARM and expect it to work the same way.

Ports and accessories

Oh, well. Coming from a MacBook Pro 2014 which had enough ports for everything, HDMI was there out of the box and ports were from both sides — this is hard to swallow indeed.

I am now using dongles, adapters and plugging all those together. It’s a mess. I hope that this part will be improved in the future, at least on Pro models.

But as of now, I think that this part is falling short indeed. There should be more options and ports available. Not everyone is fun of buying accessories and carry those around everywhere.

Random Glitches

There are some effects of a new platform that are hard to describe in better terminology rather than “random glitches”.

When my Intel MacBook Pro started to hang or being unresponsive I typically observed the fans going on a full speed and some other things happening. In the case of the M1 MacBook Air, I see a different kind of behavior. Typically, the cursor just hangs and computer stops responding to any interaction.

There were display glitches, USB devices being disconnected randomly, MacBook and devices not being charged, and other effects that I would consider strange, to say the least.

Fortunately, all those effects are temporary and don’t give too much discomfort. Eventually, it starts working. Some people probably never hit those issues, while others are experiencing those.

Conclusion

I’ve mentioned multiple times that I think that switch to an M1 chip would create an array of problems and compatibility issues. Fortunately, it turned out the opposite.

I am no longer dependent as much on electricity and can travel without thinking much about re-charging my Macbook. It just works long enough to write my articles, render a video or two, and stay connected with friends. If there is a need to charge my Mac I could just use a couple of battery packs and be on my way.

Essentially, my Mac became a device similar to a phone (because it has the same architecture) with a larger screen. And seems like this is actually beneficial.

Am I surprised? Yes, I am. Does it fully replace Intel x86 machines? Yes, for the most part.

But you still need to have a separate computer if you need to run Windows and have specific apps that are mandatory for you. Typically, those are scientific apps that the M1 chip is not compatible with (yet).