I have the same experience here with my MacBook Air M1 from 2020 with 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD. After three years, I upgraded to a MacBook Pro with M3 Pro, 36GB of RAM, and 2TB of storage. I use this as my main machine with 2 displays attached via a TB4 dock.
I'm working in IT and I get all new machines for our company over my desk to check them, and I observed the exact same points as the OP.
The new machines are either fast and loud and hot and with poor battery life, or they are slow and "warm" and have moderate battery life.
But I had no business laptop yet, ARM, AMD, or Intel, which can even compete with the M1 Air, not to speak of the M3 Pro! Not to speak about all the issues with crappy Lenovo docks, etc.
It doesn’t matter if I install Linux or Windows. The funny point is that some of my colleagues have ordered a MacBook Air or Pro and use their Windows or Linux and a virtual machine via Parallels.
Think about it: Windows 11 or Linux in a VM is even faster, snappier, more silent, and has even longer battery life than these systems native on a business machine from Lenovo, HP, or Dell.
Well, your mileage may vary, but IMHO there is no alternative to a Mac nowadays, even if you want to use Linux or Windows.
I'm still using my MacBook Air M1 with 8gb of Ram as my personal workhorse. It runs docker desktop and VSC better than my T14 whatever windows machine with 32gb ram. But that is windows and it has a bunch of enterprise stuff running. I assume it would work better with Linux, or even windows without whatever our IT does to control it.
With Nvidia Now I can even play games on it, though I wouldn't recommend it for any serious gamers.
Ha. Same here. My personal MBA M1/8GB just chugs along with whatever I need it to do. I have a T480 32GB linux machine at home that I love, but my M1 just does what I need it to do.
And at the shop we are doing technology refreshes for the whole dev team upgrading them to M4s. I was asked if I wanted to upgrade my M1 Pro to an M4, and I said no. Mainly because I don't want to have to move my tooling over to a new machine, but I am not bottlenecked by anything on my current M1.
I understand, it is that for me, as a hardware addict, it is almost personally offensive that someone would refuse an upgrade. I am unsettled and disturbed. :-D
I'm using Geforce Now on my M1 Air and it's wonderful. Yeah, i'll play competitive multiplayer on dedicated hardware (primarily Xbox Series X because i refuse to own a Windows machine and i'm too lazy for Linux right now -- also, i'm hoping against hope for a real Steam console), but Geforce Now has been wonderful for other things, survival, crafting, MMO, single player RPGs, Cyberpunk, Battlefield, pretty much anything you can deal with a few milliseconds of input latency. To be honest, what they're doing here is wizardry to my dumb brain. The additional latency, to me, just feels like the amount of latency you will get from a controller on an Xbox. However, if you play something that requires very quick input (competitive FPS, for example) AND you're connected to servers through the game with anywhere from 5ms to 100ms+ latency (playing on EU servers, for example), that added latency just becomes too much. I'll say this though: I've played Warzone solo on Geforce Now, connected to a local server with no more than 5ms latency via that connection, and it felt pretty decent. Definitely playable, and i think i got 2nd or 1st in a few of those games, but as soon as it gets over like 15-20ms, you're cooked.
I need to point this out all the time these days it seems, but this opinion is only valid if all you use is a laptop and all you care about is single core perfomance.
The computing world is far bigger than just laptops.
Big music/3d design/video editing production suites etc still benefit much more from having workstation PCs with higher PCI bandwidth, more lanes for multiple SSDs and GPUs, and high level multicore processing performance which cannot be matched by Apple silicon.
Music production is overwhelmingly Apple. It comes from the fact that Protools was Mac only until the late 2000s and Logic Pro, Apple's DAW and alternative to Protools was also very popular and also Mac only. That left Cubase for windows and a few others like Ableton and less popular DAWs like Reaper, fruity loops etc. Today there are a few more options for Windows like Studio One who is very good though
Add to that the fact that most of the audio interfaces were firewire and plug and play on mac and a real struggle on windows. With windows you also had to deal with ASIO, and once you picked your audio interface it has to be used for both inputs and outputs (still to this day) forcing you to compound interfaces with workarounds like Asio4All if you wanted to use different interfaces, while Mac os just lets you pick different interfaces for input and output
Linux had very interesting projects, unfortunately music production relies on a lot of expensive audio plugins that a lot of time come in installers and are a pain in the butt to use through proton/wine, when it's possible at all. That means that doing music production on Linux means possibly not using plugins you paid and not finding alternatives to them. It's a shame because I'd love to be able to only use Linux
With Apple removing Firewire support this Fall, and so many devices still plugging along in so many studios, I wonder what's going to happen this fall.
I remember Logic Pro becoming quite popular after version 8, even though veterans who knew protools backwards had no reason to switch, a lot of the newer studios used logic.
You're right about protools on Windows. I got confused about protools not requiring the use of their own interfaces
The MacBook Pro and Mac Studio are incredibly popular for people who do music stuff. A DAW running native Apple Silicon VSTs runs circles around PC alternatives, allowing you to stack tons of synths/samplers and effects without worrying about the system being able to keep up. And usually it'll do it without fan noise that gets picked up by microphones.
Another bonus is that the MBP can drive high impedance headphones on the go, without needing an external audio interface.
It also helps that Logic was popular for awhile, and Pro Tools (the OG DAW) was a Mac thing, though Ableton overall is more popular these days.
> Doesn't Apple have significant market share for pro music and video editing?
I thought so too, but I see a lot more people using non-Apple systems for music production than I expected. I don't know whether I was too influenced by Apple's marketing (computers for creators) or something has changed.
> Well, your mileage may vary, but IMHO there is no alternative to a Mac nowadays, even if you want to use Linux or Windows.
I guess I'd slightly change that to "MacBook" or similar, as Apple are top-in-class when it comes to laptops, but for desktop they seem to not even be in the fight anymore, unless reducing power consumption is your top concern. But if you're aiming for "performance per money spent", there isn't really any alternative to non-Apple hardware.
I do agree they do the best hardware in terms of feeling though, which is important for laptops. But computing is so much larger than laptops, especially if you're always working in the same place everyday (like me).
I don't disagree but Mac Studio is also way too expensive. I can build a professional Linux workstation for 70% of the price of a non-minimal Studio, and I'll get a lot of goodies in the package (and future-proofed configuration too).
install linux, get vmware pro for free and install win 11 in a VM. VMWare emulates TPM so it will run like a charm. Only thing you need is 8Gigs or so extra ram.
plus you have the benefits of running windows in a VM. No backup problems, snapshot funcionality, etc etc.
works absolute fine for me
I installed Windows 11 and Visual Studio 2022 on my Mac Mini M2 and it works like a bloody charm. It's not as fast as my main Windows development machines, but it's 100% functional and operational.
Bonus: I'm running Little Snitch on the OSX side, and it does a brilliant job of stomping all over Microsoft's telemetry.
That's an Arm version of Windows though. The main reasons to install Windows revolve around the need to use Windows only x86/x64 versions of drivers or software.
There is no M2 version of Visual Studio. The version of Visual Studio 2022 I installed was x64. I have some other x64 software installed as well (Notepad++, AWS CLI, git, etc.) and all of them work just fine under the ARM version of Windows 11 running under VMWare Fusion.
Here is a good example of someone who shies away from responsibility for himself and others.
2 years time for what? To build something with other people? A partner, family, children?
Nope, just doing what brings him fun or fulfillment or whatnot...
I'm not saying it's bad to take care of yourself from time to time. But as a father of 5, I can definitely say that the best and most instructive moments in my life were definitely the ones where it wasn't about me but about people who were important to me.
And the money issue that most people seem to be talking about here:
Go to work and earn money. That's life. It always has been. If people would only do what fulfills them, there would be no sewer workers or garbage collectors. Whenever you take advantage of a developed society, you always have a duty to give something back to it.
If there is not Time enough after a 8 hour shift to to what you want, you have a serious Problem.
I totally disagree and don’t even know where to begin…
People are different. Some are just not “as resilient” as others. Some have mental issues. Some have other priorities in life. Some people are just overwhelmed when they have to focus on more than one thing (their own wellbeing) - which should and cannot be confused with selflessness.
Not everyone wants to accept the common conceptions of life. And that’s ok.
Some people might consider a family of 5 in the current climate to be a gross level of over consumption... Do you take responsibly for your actions here?
I have more than enough trouble to tuch any buttons in an fancy ui which is changing after every software-update. you have to search them, then you have to touch them correctly, all while the car is shaking or whatever. And all that while you have better use for your eyes in keeping it straight out of the car and observing the traffic outside.
Physical buttons can be "feeled". In the dark, when you know where they are and your muscle-memory got used to their position any you can keep your eyes ot in the traffic.
I love RPN!
I got used to it while my Engineer-Studies in Germany, around 1992.
I got an HP 48SX an it was a hard time to really understand this RPN.
But when you checked it, it was boosting my Math-skills. Because to work properly with RPN you MUST understand what you are doing. it's the exact mimic of calculating with pen and paper. If you don't understand what you are doing, you are doomed.
And so i have to understand what i was doing, which was very supportive to learn math the right way!
By the way, the most funny part of using aa RPN machine was the fact thats Students which wantes to lean my Calculator gave it right back after trying to use the thing the algebraic way.
Is there a "humen right" or something that says: NO ONE SCHOUL HAVE LESS THAN 16 GIGS!
A Pro(!) Machine which costs 4.000 Bucks with M3 Max, 36 Gigs and 1TB of SSD and ist used for 3 years or so costs 112 Bucks a month. For an absolute powerhouse which is doing Desktop-class Worstation-Performance on the go! And for a machine i am working on 8 hours a day and earn my money!
And as a Pro who has to buy a 112$/month machine you should have paid this thing in one or two hours work per month.
As a hobyist - well, it's a hobby! Buy whatever you can afford.
you dont't organize eating, sleeping, shtting, loving,...
Did you ever forgot to eat or hug your beloved one and organize a birthday party for your wife / children / whoever?
so why do you want to "organize" the other aspects of your life?
The only things i need to push me forward in the important aspects of my life are values*.
The values are working like a compass and pushing me fully "from self" in the right directions.
If one value is punctuality then you will find a natural way to reach this value.
If the Value is your own and it is real, then you will find various ways to reach it.
So go and look out for the real important values in your life. If you need "lists" or "organisation tricks" to reach goals, then, maybe, these goals are not your own goals.
Not very helpful advice for any folks with ADHD. We forget to eat, organize parties, go to the bathroom, etc. It is unfortunate but entirely outside our control. There is no "natural way" for me to reach the things I value because my brain is a dragon trying to find more new and shiny gold to horde while ignoring everything else around him. If I leave myself to "natural ways" then I play video games, watch videos, or binge Wikipedia all day.
I'm not sure this is helpful advice for anyone, to be honest. "The goals you think are important actually aren't if you need any reminders or tools to get there!" is a bad take for the majority of people, I think. If it works for you, that's great. I'm jealous that things align that way for you. But I'm guessing that for the majority of people, that isn't the case.
Forgetting things actively gets in the way of me living life.
I wouldn’t vouch for over-planning since that’s going to topple over the second you slip up, but having a list of “things you probably don’t want to do but past-you thought was important” is how I manage to do the big fun parts of living!
This reads like someone who doesn’t have to keep track of the house and kids. Getting appointments lined up for handymen, doctors, teachers, tutors, taxes, repairs, play dates, date dates with the significant other, etc. and somewhere in between it’s good to do the housework, eg laundry, cooking, cleaning, which means regular grocery runs.
This doesn’t ring true to me. There’s plenty I want to do in accordance with my values and emotional priorities that I fail to do because my organization could be better. Planning to do things further ahead with family and friends would be “living” and yet I often don’t because my planning could improve. I’m sure others have different challenges.
That's not how it works if you have even a little bit of complexity in your life, which anyone with responsibilities has.
> Did you ever forgot to eat or hug your beloved one and organize a birthday party for your wife / children / whoever?
Some do, yes. And how does one even throw a party without some basic organizations?
But what about the boring parts? Taxes, doctor visits, household, managing finances... Not everyone can afford to thrift through live.
> If one value is punctuality then you will find a natural way to reach this value.
>If the Value is your own and it is real, then you will find various ways to reach it.
People call that organization.
> maybe, these goals are not your own goals.
Staying alive and healthy is may goal, I still sometimes forget some duties which support this, because life is more than what is under my nose.
> So go and look out for the real important values in your life. If you need "lists" or "organisation tricks" to reach goals, then, maybe, these goals are not your own goals.
Terrible advice. It's like saying, eat whatever you want. If you find yourself continually eating funnel cakes deep and deep fried turkey legs, just go with it because obviously you must be passionate about being fat. Humans are lazy. Exercise is generally good for us, but most don't have so much passion for running or lifting that we just wake up everyday and magically find ourselves in a squat rack.
Unless you fail to remember about paying bills, taking medications, picking up deliveries, attending meetings, registering on time, filling taxes, not overbooking oneself, etc, etc.
Even though something is one's core value, it is still challenging to focus on executing it. This is especially true for people with ADHD. But most people who accomplish things are able (one way or the other) to organize themselves.
I disagree completely.
The best thing I did was starting to budget. Something I only started doing recently.
It is such a relief to know what my expenses will be for the coming months. It has also had the added effect that I am no longer wasteful. Like a switch went off in my head, I have reduced my daily food expenses to $5 from god knows what.
Alas, part of my life, and a part in alignment with my values that I really enjoy is "Run projects of huge complexity". As well as "have multiple hobbies" and "travel a lot"
And all the "live your life freely" advice in the world is not going to help me there.
I also have ADHD. I value the shit out of punctuality, but punctuality does not reciprocate without elaborate time management tools. And yes, I've forgotten to eat, or to hug a loved one, or to organize a birthday party.
The idea that there is "one weird trick" that'll just work for everybody is ignoring that we all live different lives. And there is value in exposing people to different approaches. But let's stop pretending that "Don't do A. Do B!" is good advice. The best we can do on this kind of advice is "here's what works for me"
Partially true. If I will not organize eating I will be hungry. If I will not organize sleeping I will be tired, because I went to sleep too late or can't sleep, because my mind is on full rev.
Sleeping and eating (though a tasty meal can be) are not my goals, but I need them in order to do interesting things.
Among those various ways to "reach it" is organizing things.
I try to write what I think my values are close to every day. They are often not the same, and writing it down helps me consciously align to my values.
I'm working in IT and I get all new machines for our company over my desk to check them, and I observed the exact same points as the OP.
The new machines are either fast and loud and hot and with poor battery life, or they are slow and "warm" and have moderate battery life.
But I had no business laptop yet, ARM, AMD, or Intel, which can even compete with the M1 Air, not to speak of the M3 Pro! Not to speak about all the issues with crappy Lenovo docks, etc.
It doesn’t matter if I install Linux or Windows. The funny point is that some of my colleagues have ordered a MacBook Air or Pro and use their Windows or Linux and a virtual machine via Parallels.
Think about it: Windows 11 or Linux in a VM is even faster, snappier, more silent, and has even longer battery life than these systems native on a business machine from Lenovo, HP, or Dell.
Well, your mileage may vary, but IMHO there is no alternative to a Mac nowadays, even if you want to use Linux or Windows.