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Ode to the M1

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201–210 of 286 posts

Re: Ode to the M1

#201

2020 M1 Air here, still running strong and will soon hit 3 years (bought the day it launched). So strong that despite finding the 15 inch air appealing just in terms of screen real estate, this current laptop doesn't feel dated. Especially since work provided me with an intel macbook pro with great spec but .. just doesn't compare with the exception of remote monitor count.

The remote monitor was huge for me - when we learned that the M1 could only do one external (without dirty tricks) I held off until the M1 Max.

Multiple monitors is just a baseline requirement in my opinion.

Re: Ode to the M1

#202
post #92

I recently bought a M1 Air for $750 (25% less than regular retail) from amazon as a vacation laptop. I was expecting it to have quite a bit of performance limitation but the machine is actually fantastic. I think it may be one of the best values in a computer I have experienced in quite a while. This thing is so accessible in its affordability and performance that I think I am kinda over obsessing over if an applicat…

There used to be (and still is somewhat) an entire class of Mac-only software; some of it was extremely well made.

Re: Ode to the M1

#203
post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can't run x86 Linux quickly on macOS. What you can do is to run ARM Linux quickly on macOS and run x86 programs inside of that Linux with Rosetta quickly.

Am I missing something? Is this quicker just because you are emulating only the program and not the OS?

Yes. If you run x86 Linux in a VM on an M1 you are emulating/translating every single instruction; with a native OS you are only translating the application.

Re: Ode to the M1

#204
post #99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The main problem with devices like Apple's Mx series laptops is that everything works fine...until it doesn't. This device is non-repairable and non-upgradeable as far as CPU, RAM and disk are concerned. Now people may claim that Apple hardware is superior to other manufacturers and that it will last longer. So far I have found that to be false, I have more old non-Apple hardware that is still working fine and few Ap…

Just had a 2019 MacBook Pro 16" have its SSD die randomly. Took it to a repair shop and they said that since the internal SSD is soldered on to the logic board, there is no easy way to repair it without also getting a whole new board, so the machine is essentially completely bricked. I can't even boot it off of an external drive because Apple requires the boot volume to be the internal SSD! I couldn't believe it was…

But hey, they're super environmentally conscious at least by adding a few recycled cans to the new laptop you'll end up buying after the repair isn't worth it.

Re: Ode to the M1

#205
post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I use Ubuntu in UTM, but I installed the ARM64 server version, then the desktop packages.

Interesting, this results in a fully functional desktop version? I have a M2 and the hardware is great, but the OS that came with it not so. If I could replace the OS with Ubuntu that would be great. (Windows would also be great, but I have no experience in installing that)

Yes. You wouldn’t replace the OS but you can make UTM full screen and hardly notice it’s not the main os

There are attempts to run Linux on the Mac natively but they have limitations.

You can also get utilities that abuse Mac OS to make it imitate windows or Linux if you want.

Re: Ode to the M1

#206

The M1 is great, but I really dislike the limitation to 2 external displays unless you get the ultra model CPU. I've just gotten really used to my portrait landscape landscape setup! And of course I'm an outlier so corporate IT won't buy me an ultra CPU version. I guess that it's to force people to pay more, but it feels like such an arbitrary decision. Sure, restrict it to 2x6K displays, but I'm using 3x4K displays…

M1 Pro and greater break that one monitor limit.

There is also a trick with external docks that can get an M1 to use two external monitors but I just got a Max.

Re: Ode to the M1

#207

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Electron is quite efficient. You get a modern GPU composited UI, and JavaScript is by far the most highly optimized scripting language out there. The problem with Electron is RAM, disk space, and download size, which is because every app needs to ship its own copy of Blink. This is a solvable problem, but nobody is incentivized to solve it.

The RAM usage is from JavaScript heaps, not from multiple copies of the binaries. (There basically aren't memory metrics that can show the effect of binary sizes on macOS. It'd show up as disk reads/page ins/general slowdowns instead, but SSDs are so fast that it's very hard to see one.)

Multiple copies of the same binary can't share a memory page for the code. They do take more RAM.

Re: Ode to the M1

#209

The M1 is great, but I really dislike the limitation to 2 external displays unless you get the ultra model CPU. I've just gotten really used to my portrait landscape landscape setup! And of course I'm an outlier so corporate IT won't buy me an ultra CPU version. I guess that it's to force people to pay more, but it feels like such an arbitrary decision. Sure, restrict it to 2x6K displays, but I'm using 3x4K displays…

M1 Pro and greater break that one monitor limit. There is also a trick with external docks that can get an M1 to use two external monitors but I just got a Max.

EDIT: I think we misunderstood each other, sorry about that! You were referring to 1 external display, I was referring to 2 being the limit of the Pro Apple CPUs.

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This says otherwise: https://support.apple.com/kb/SP858?locale=en_US

M1 Pro: 2 external displays. M1 Ultra: 3 external displays.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213503

Re: Ode to the M1

#210
post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Consumers care but have no choice. Like consumers that want to buy a phone that fit in the hand… there is none at a reasonable price.

The demand for small phone is completely overblown online.

Because people who don't go online need BIGGER phones? For what?
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