Apple is transitioning the Macintosh from Intel processors to its own Apple-designed ARM-based processors over the course of the next two years. Naturally, those in the market for a new Mac are wondering whether it’s smart to buy a new Mac now or to wait for Apple silicon Macs.
Andrew O’Hara for AppleInsider:
These new machines will surely be tempting as Apple attempts to justify its transition talking up its new hardware and the power and efficiency of its own chips over Intel’s. These machines will likely be quite powerful, while having exceptional battery life.
As Apple releases these machines, they are likely to come with other new features or optimizations that its Intel Macs don’t have. We may not see that now but in future versions of macOS, there will likely be Apple silicon-specific features that won’t pertain to Intel machines.
Not to mention refreshed form factors. The most anticipated of which is the rumored redesigned “14-inch MacBook Pro” that seems likely for early 2021.
At the same time, there are many reasons one may want to hold off on buying an Apple-silicon Mac and picking one up right now.
MacDailyNews Take: Intel-based Mac will be supported for many, many years, so if you need a new Mac now, you need a new Mac now – it won’t be obsolete later this year when the first Apple silicon Macs arrive and it won’t be obsolete 4+ years from now, either.
No.
No to buy a new Mac now or No to Apple Silicon? Personally I choose no to CynicX and his usually babble of BS
The ARM Macs will be “useless on arrival” for many business and scientific applications.
True, for those who need top performance for a Windows app. Not so true for anybody else.
OR, Build up a Hackintosh for $1500, Give a finger to Apple with their jacked up prices and wait 5 years till new gear is out and fully supported.
Fanboys here are very much like liberals…unless you advocate their predetermined path of favor, your voice will be denied and or, your perspective will be kicked to the curb.
Perfect parallel; read Bari Weiss’ resignation letter from the NYT. It’s a stellar example of the liberal mind that has nothing to do with freedom of thought. It’s not far fetched to conclude this as The Paper is the truth vanguard of the majority of liberals.
Again, this is a Mac site beholden to the sacred Apple. How dare you pervert the One & Only. Now, go to your room. There will be no dinner for you tonight. Go play with your box.
Don’t tell me what to do.
Please take your conservatard and liberal-hating speech somewhere else appropriate. Like the nearest trash can. You got nothing to brag about. Apple stuff only please.
“liberal mind” is an oxymoron, it’s more like a coconut with rainbow marbles bouncing around inside
Bull. I dump on Apple all the time, and no one ever blocks or bullies me.
love this response!
Hopefully support of Intel Macs will last a few years longer than PPC Macs in the 2000s. But if not, their saving grace is their ability to run Windows and mainstream Linux distributions, possibly long after macOS support dries up
My Photoshop image files are up to 1TB in size so I do not use laptops, and I have no reason to wait for the Apple silicon iMac to arrive, which is why I just purchased a 27” iMac with a 2TB HD.
However, I am looking forward to an Apple silicon 27” iMac Pro.
Don’t worry Adobe won’t be ready like last time….
I’m personally waiting for Apple Silicon for any new Mac computers. I wanted to purchase a new iMac but I’m going to wait. I’m sick of hearing about Intel processor’s thermal-throttling and I want to be able to run some iOS apps on an iMac. I believe an Apple Silicon iMac will outperform any processor Intel can offer on an iMac. I’m sure Apple can design Apple Silicon processors with high core counts but I’ll need to actually see what Apple can deliver. I think it will be worth the wait. SoCs, in general, can have more functions designed into them than some single-purpose CPU. Any SoC Apple produces will be specifically designed for their own products and that’s going to be awesome.
My iMac is seven years old, (27-inch, Late 2013) and I really don’t see a reason to get a new one – they don’t do anything fundamentally new or much better. I can edit 4k video just fine, and play all the Apple Arcade games. I lost the ability to run some of my programs with Catalina, but of course a new Mac would not help with that.
Would an Apple-Silicon iMac be able to do anything new?
Tighten the vice.
Around your neck.