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Apple Silicon M1 chip in MacBook Air outperforms high-end 16-inch MacBook Pro

(www.macrumors.com)
1080 points antipaul | 10 comments | 12 Nov 20 00:56 UTC | HN request time: 0.477s | source | bottom
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faitswulff ◴[12 Nov 20 04:22 UTC] No.25066407[source]▶
This really flips the argument that Mac hardware is overpriced and underpowered on its head. Now Apple computers are a premium product from a performance perspective, as well.
replies(13): >>25066438 #>>25066460 #>>25066481 #>>25066592 #>>25066593 #>>25066611 #>>25066666 #>>25066717 #>>25066772 #>>25067074 #>>25067563 #>>25068229 #>>25071110 #
torbital ◴[12 Nov 20 05:16 UTC] No.25066717[source]▶
But now they are locking down their software hard. So there is really no free lunch.
replies(2): >>25066753 #>>25066822 #
1. avalys ◴[12 Nov 20 05:39 UTC] No.25066822[source]▶
In what respect is Apple “locking down their software hard” with respect to these new Macs?
replies(4): >>25067018 #>>25067027 #>>25067452 #>>25069725 #
2. sooheon ◴[12 Nov 20 06:16 UTC] No.25067018[source]▶
As a long time Mac user, the last few OS updated caused me to have to good some permission error or other just trying to run simple tools like emacs. They know they can't control the web and web apps, but they are making moves to lock down apps that run on their OS.
3. Polylactic_acid ◴[12 Nov 20 06:20 UTC] No.25067027[source]▶
Its likely the end of the days of installing an alternative OS. Bootcamp support has been dropped and Linux support will likely not exist.

And then there is the OS which is getting more and more locked down so that you can not run unsigned software without increasingly difficult workarounds.

On one hand, alternative OS support on macbooks has gotten worse and worse over the last few years but it is sad to see the final nail in the coffin.

4. josteink ◴[12 Nov 20 07:40 UTC] No.25067452[source]▶
> In what respect is Apple “locking down their software hard” with respect to these new Macs?

Locked bootloader only booting stuff signed by Apple.

So these CPUs can only be used to run MacOS, no Linux or other alternate open platforms.

replies(1): >>25068474 #
5. xenadu02 ◴[12 Nov 20 10:36 UTC] No.25068474[source]▶
Where are you people getting this from? This is not accurate. You can in fact downgrade security from recovery OS.

ARM doesn't have a generic platform like PC but I'm sure someone will figure out how the device tree works if they haven't already.

replies(1): >>25069899 #
6. delfinom ◴[12 Nov 20 13:42 UTC] No.25069725[source]▶
Apple is moving to basically ban non-Apple store installs of Mac software. It's been in progress the last few years but they are on the final stages of turning Macs into iPhones.

Gotta take their 30% cut of everyone's revenue.

replies(2): >>25069972 #>>25072842 #
7. cesarb ◴[12 Nov 20 14:02 UTC] No.25069899{3}[source]▶
ARM does have a generic platform like the PC, it's the BSA (https://developer.arm.com/documentation/den0094/a).
replies(1): >>25120638 #
8. ralfd ◴[12 Nov 20 14:09 UTC] No.25069972[source]▶
In the release event they featured prominently Cable Sasser from Panic and an App which is not in the App Store.

https://twitter.com/cabel/status/1326271980081876992

9. lasagnaphil ◴[12 Nov 20 18:17 UTC] No.25072842[source]▶
Probably not, since there are many crucial pro-level applications related to image editing, modelling and animation, video and audio production that realistically wouldn't be on the App Store (well, apart from Apple's own products).
10. xenadu02 ◴[17 Nov 20 05:43 UTC] No.25120638{4}[source]▶
LOL, I should have known someone would try to "well akshually" me.

The BSA/SBS is relatively new as far as I'm aware. The server version was released in 2014, the same year as the iPhone 6 which was already using Apple SOCs.

I don't know when the client version was released but fairly recently AFAIK. I don't know of any systems shipping based on it.

Most ARM systems are using device trees and their own custom slate of devices.

So I should amend my comment I suppose: no one is using any kind of "Standard ARM PC" definition in any quantity, and I'm not sure we should bring over UEFI or ACPI when device trees have been working well so far.

Nevertheless as I noted I'm sure enterprising hackers will figure out how to do it. If you downgrade security the SEP will sign whatever "kernel blob" you like and the system will load and jump to it at boot. Technically that isn't even required - a kext could pause all CPUs, set the correct registers, and jump to a completely different OS if you were really determined.