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The heaviest usage will be using FFmpeg for some video processing, that my 2015 Macbook Pro handles well enough (for comparison).
With a newer technology, often priced higher, it's always better to wait for the 2nd or 3rd generation iteration as they usually iron out all the pre- and post-manufacturing bugs, and becomes cheaper over time (don't see that happening with Apple though).
E.g. External boot disks still don’t work properly with M1 Macs: https://eclecticlight.co/2021/02/10/external-boot-disks-stil...
The iPhone 1, first macbook pro intel, all were refreshed with more capable models.
Personally, I'm wondering what an apple-cpu mac pro will look like... if they refresh quicker than 6 years :)
As one of my friend always says, "Let the rich pay for the development of the new tech, while we commoners can settle for the tried and tested." With a newer technology, often priced higher, it's always better to wait for the 2nd or 3rd generation iteration as they usually iron out all the pre- and post-manufacturing bugs, and becomes cheaper over time (don't see that happening with Apple though). E.g. External boot…
Is your 6 years old laptop still good enough? Wait. Do you want/need a new faster laptop with an exceptional battery life now? Get a MacBook pro M1.
Buy the hardware when you need it. Better hardware will always be coming. Is your 6 years old laptop still good enough? Wait. Do you want/need a new faster laptop with an exceptional battery life now? Get a MacBook pro M1.
Second generation usually has the bugs worked out.
Apple has done an impressive enough job with the M1 that if I really needed a new computer right now, I might make exception -- the reviews have been phenomenal -- but barring that, I'd wait for M2.
Perhaps irrelevant to this discussion, but with non-critical things, I also often buy used. It's eco-friendly. I wouldn't buy a used /work/ computer, but for something like school or entertainment, there's a lot of upside to buying used:
* You can find teardowns on iFixit if you need to fix something.
* Someone has figured magical Linux kernel commands to disable NCQ to prevent some oddball crash.
* All the bleeding-edge stuff is supported; drivers are in mainline.
* If there's a keyboard design issue, fan failure, etc. people will have discovered it.
* In a lot of domains, you can also get upgraded/off-lease corporate/industrial equipment, which tends to be cheap and a few quality brackets up. Companies will offload old AV equipment, off-lease laptops, lab equipment (oscilloscopes, etc.), etc. A 5-year-old professional 1080 camcorder will wipe the floor with consumer 4k equipment.
Buying older stuff, you also spend around 1/2 to 1/3, and it's no different from having been born 2-5 years earlier. If you were born in 1990, you'll get the same equipment at the same age as someone far wealthier than you born in 1985.
Except for expiring Android phones and Chromebooks. Google like landfills.
As one of my friend always says, "Let the rich pay for the development of the new tech, while we commoners can settle for the tried and tested." With a newer technology, often priced higher, it's always better to wait for the 2nd or 3rd generation iteration as they usually iron out all the pre- and post-manufacturing bugs, and becomes cheaper over time (don't see that happening with Apple though). E.g. External boot…
The m1 air is the cheapest computer apple sells
I would buy it now if I were you; probably you can sell it off for a good price anyway when the new one arrives.
But for my day-to-day use, even with barely leaving the house, a 15-16" display is much better for me. I would appreciate the speed and other features of the next-gen machines but the real deciding factor is the display. Sure, I would use it on my 27" 4K monitor a lot, but I like moving around even if it's just to the porch or couch, and my use of machines with 12-14" has felt fairly cramped when doing actual dev work.
I know the M1 MBP's fan is apparently very, very quiet but if I were recording podcasts, I'd be really tempted to go totally fanless with the Air. No noise, no vents to block, no dust build-up, true all-day battery life, no &#(* touch bar, and relatively cheap.
A huge factor for waiting is if you want to run multiple external displays. The M1 MBP and MBA can only drive the internal display and one external. I personally like one big display but if you need that multi-monitor life, you need to wait (or get the M1 Mini or use a DisplayLink adapter).