Apple Event Monday 18th Oct 6pm UK time

[redlester]

https://www.apple.com/uk/apple-events/

Presumably Monterey becomes the 'current' OS next week then?

[Forum Admin]

Could be the much-rumoured unveiling of the M1x (or whatever the 2nd gen silicon is named) 'more pro' MacBooks?

https://www.tomsguide.com/uk/news/macbo ... tedly-leak

Personally, I'm very happy with my 13-inch 16GB/1TB M1 MBPro as I plug it into a Thunderbolt display anyway, and the dinky 13-inch size and light weight is great for travelling.

[Kennyscrown]

Literally had the Apple website open ready to purchase an M1 MacBook Air with 16GB memory and a 1TB SSD when I read your thread.

Now I’m wondering if I should just wait. Doubt I’ll be able to afford an upgraded MacBook Pro though…

Hmmm.

[Forum Admin]

From what I gather there are a LOT of Mac owners sitting on the fence waiting for a better, more expandable (it is hoped) MB Pro with a 14" or 16" screen.

Given the worldwide 'chip crisis' it might well be 2022 before any M1X Macs become available and demand will be high. My wife ordered my MacBook Pro M1 in November 2020 and it did not get built and shipped to me until 20th January 2021, as there was such a backlog. I was happy to live without my big Christmas present, and kept using my 2010 Intel MB Pro for work as I used my Mac Pro trashcan for the studio.

Then again, Apple may not announce new Macs on 18th October. It's anyone's guess.

The 1st Gen M1s are superb tools. No complaints here.

[Luke W]

From what I gather there are a LOT of Mac owners sitting on the fence waiting for a better, more expandable (it is hoped) MB Pro with a 14" or 16" screen.

I've been sitting on a similar fence for the past few years. I got myself a pre-touchbar Intel MBP a few years ago to use as an in-between studio machine while I waited for either A) A new Mac Pro, or B) A more powerful Mac Mini. The Mac Pro happened but not in my price range, and the Mini also got an update but when all of the talk of Apple Silicon started I decided to hold off some more rather than go for an Intel model that was almost certainly going to get replaced before long.

My home machine is a (now very tired) 2008 MacBook Pro, and so I'm hoping to replace it with my studio MBP, and put something there in place as my main DAW machine. So I'm rather interested to see what gets announced.

[redlester]

Whether they release any new computers or not, surely it will include the announcement of Monterey?

Which means if you want a brand new Mac, but want to avoid any compatibility issues for plug-ins etc., you might need to be prepared to have to 'downgrade' the OS as soon as you turn it on.

Having only just 'moved up' to a trash can Mac Pro am happy to wait for all the new technology to become more settled before I dive into it.

[rACed2]

Whether they release any new computers or not, surely it will include the announcement of Monterey?

Which means if you want a brand new Mac, but want to avoid any compatibility issues for plug-ins etc., you might need to be prepared to have to 'downgrade' the OS as soon as you turn it on.

Having only just 'moved up' to a trash can Mac Pro am happy to wait for all the new technology to become more settled before I dive into it.

Excepting that ‘downgrading’ to a prior to release OS is generally not possible.

[tea for two]

M1 Max : 10hpc, 32gpc, 64GB unified memory, 8TB upto 7.4GB/s nvme.

Looking at my 2010 mbp it's alright my dear I am loyal I still like you, I shall hold on to you, I shan't trade you for a newer younger model (unless you give up the ghost).

[MOF]

Well now that the announcements have been made I’m very impressed but personally I’m going to stick with my M1 13” MBP and 27” Intel iMac.

[Kennyscrown]

The new MacBook Pros do look very very cool.

But after purchasing a refurbished M1 MacBook Air last week I’m kind of relieved they are leaving that model untouched. Also quite pleased that to get the same memory/SSD it will still cost £700 more than I paid.

And the M1 seems so incredibly fast. It’s like magic after my 2013 iMac.

[Forum Admin]

And the M1 seems so incredibly fast. It’s like magic after my 2013 iMac.

Very true. I'm a lifelong 1985-on Apple fanboy, but I dislike the way Apple's launches hook me in and make me look at my latest, recently bought Apple devices with disdain... until reality kicks in and I recognise fully that "last year's model" is still highly usable.

The transition to Apple Silicon is chalk and cheese compared to my Intel Macs, and my M1 MBPro 13" is a superb machine. It plugs into my CalDigit for its power supply and port options, so that side is well covered. 8TB of SSD on these new MacBook Pro M1 Pro/M1 Max processors costs a fortune, so external large capacity SSDs are still the sensible option, plugged into the computer or a Thunderbolt hub.

But I did enjoy the presentation last night.

[Luke W]

Very true. I'm a lifelong 1985-on Apple fanboy, but I dislike the way Apple's launches hook me in and make me look at my latest, recently bought Apple devices with disdain... until reality kicks in and I recognise fully that "last year's model" is still highly usable.

I've actually felt rather smug with the last few releases after going for the last of the TB2 machines once the touch bar models were announced/released. I use a 2019 MBP at work (the ones before they swapped out the keyboards and added physical escape buttons) and for various reasons it makes me pretty content with the choice I made.

However, these new machines look pretty tasty... I've only skimmed through the details from the event, but the chip announcements are really interesting. I'm not in the market for another laptop, but an M1 Max in a Mini shell would certainly get my attention.

[Kwackman]

but an M1 Max in a Mini shell would certainly get my attention.

Yes, that would be something that might make my 2010 cheese-grater feel a little bit worried about it's long term future!

[Luke W]

but an M1 Max in a Mini shell would certainly get my attention.

Yes, that would be something that might make my 2010 cheese-grater feel a little bit worried about it's long term future!

I think it'd fill a real gap in the current line of products, that or the scaled-down Pro that I've heard rumours about would be very handy. I'm very nearly at the "need" rather than "want" stage for a new home laptop, and I'd much rather pinch my studio one and put a nice desktop in it's place.

[BigRedX]

I'd also be looking at an M1 Max Mac Mini to replace both my main desktop Mac and my server.

[tea for two]

M1 Max in a Mini shell would certainly get my attention.

Yes, that would be something that might make my 2010 cheese-grater feel a little bit worried about it's long term future!

I'd also be looking at an M1 Max Mac Mini to replace both my main desktop Mac and my server.

Aha. M1 Max Mini with newer design. Now this I wouldn't feel like I'm being disloyal to my 2010mbp. Lol.
It may be considered an inanimate object yet the amount of feels I put into my 2010mbp to make music since 1st lockdown, I couldn't cast it aside.

[therobyouknow]

One can never win with the tech race. One can go out and buy a brilliant M1 Pro or M1 Max Mac note book. Come Autumn 2022, inevitably there will be the M2, potentially making one feel inadequate with the M1 Max. And so on.

The only bits of advice I could give is to either buy soon after the announcement, or a little bit later, once you know that compatibility with software and hardware is as you require. And that the new purchase is really what you need.

The worst thing one can do is buy last year's hardware just before the new product announcement as that same money could get better value buying the latest. Unless of course last year's is discounted, but wait see what the new stuff is to compare anyway.

Or opt out now and then, from this race and enjoy what you already have,wanting what you got, as Sheryl Crow would say.

Like I have: https://www.soundonsound.com/forum/view ... 20&t=34405 and https://www.soundonsound.com/forum/view ... 23&t=79739 - making more out of vintage hardware, keeping it going. Vintage and retro a worthy virtue in electronic music making, more notable examples being Moog, 808, 909.

Variety and competition is healthy, as well interoperability. My preference will be to work with ardour.org for a DAW and https://www.bespokesynth.com/ rather than get too heavily vested any one Company's product roadmap.

[Forum Admin]

I think I watched every YouTube Mac blogger's pre-announcement videos and they all predicted a "pro" Mac mini. So it was a little disappointing not to see one - but it's probably safe to say there will be one in 2022 along with a 32" display iMac Pro that offers the M1 Pro and/or M1 Max chip/memory options.

Disclaimer: I have no inside info and this is my guess.

[Forum Admin]

One can never win with the tech race. One can go out and buy a brilliant M1 Pro or M1 Max Mac note book. Come Autumn 2022, inevitably there will be the M2, potentially making one feel inadequate with the M1 Max. And so on.

Too true! But work-wise we sometimes have to renew machines if they fail or too expensive to repair, so inevitably one ends up with last year's model.

The new MBPros look fab, but I'm getting used to the touch bar on my 2020 MBPro M1 after re-siting where it sits on my desktop so that I can use its screen and touchbar in open mode rather than clam shell mode plugged into my larger display.

OTT but my best recent purchase has to be the new Extended Magic Keyboard whose touch ID fingerprint button is a real boon. I've mapped its 19 F-keys out to Studio One functions/shortcuts which works well when I'm not using my Faderports.

BTW therobyouknow - kudos for including your gear list in your Forum signature. Helps enormously. Perhaps it might encourage more members to do likewise.

[Dave Rowles]

It's very tempting, but my 2017 MBP doesn't show any signs of slowing down, though I think it's getting close to battery replace time. I'll be holding off till I finally get an update that won't install and I want, or things break more. I reckon I've got at least 2 more years on this unit.

Any yeah...Gotta get my tech list in my profile now....

[ConcertinaChap]

I got an iMac Pro 3 years back and now I'm glad I did. The power of the thing is so much greater than my needs that I can be reasonably dispassionate about the whole Apple silicon thing. Unless I'm very unlucky I'm not going to need to replace it for years and by the time I do its replacement will be a pretty cool machine, I'd guess. Nice one, Apple.

CC

[johnny h]

I think I watched every YouTube Mac blogger's pre-announcement videos and they all predicted a "pro" Mac mini. So it was a little disappointing not to see one - but it's probably safe to say there will be one in 2022 along with a 32" display iMac Pro that offers the M1 Pro and/or M1 Max chip/memory options.

Disclaimer: I have no inside info and this is my guess.

These youtube mac bloggers are just grifters - they don't have any inside information and just read the same rumour blogs that everyone else does!

Clearly the Pro and Max chips will make their way into forthcoming products, but probably not this year. The 16" Apple Silicon was the computer I've been waiting for, and it's coming next week. I'm looking forward to retiring the trusty big desktop for good.

[Luke W]

Clearly the Pro and Max chips will make their way into forthcoming products, but probably not this year. The 16" Apple Silicon was the computer I've been waiting for, and it's coming next week. I'm looking forward to retiring the trusty big desktop for good.

Definitely. Given the move away from Intel was planned to take course over two years, one of which has now passed, I'd be very surprised if there isn't some form of "Pro" desktop sporting an M1 Max/Pro within the next twelve months.

I assume the reason that the current high end Mini stayed with Intel was to do with the limited RAM capacity of the first gen Apple chips, so that seems a prime candidate for an update. How they transition the Mac Pro will be interesting as well, although it's safe to assume that will remain outside of what I'll be wanting, or needing, to spend.

[Forum Admin]

I assume the reason that the current high end Mini stayed with Intel was to do with the limited RAM capacity of the first gen Apple chips, so that seems a prime candidate for an update.

Given Mac mini M1 models released in 2020 can be bought with 16GB RAM, restricting expansion I think was a deliberate move by Apple to produce a low-cost M1 Mac mini for the masses. It is an incredibly powerful computer, and able to run way more plug-ins etc than the higher-end Intel-based Mac mini can. People are doing decent video editing on 8GB of RAM (let alone 16GB) with this 8-core M1 machine.

There will be the rumoured redesigned glass-topped M1 Pro/M1 Max Mac mini coming in 2022, I'd bet money on it, but don't discount the current 1st Gen M1 Mac mini - at £699 (inc 20% UK VAT) for 256GB Flash storage, yes it is way too little, but easy to connect a Thunderbolt SSD or USB3 Samsung 2TB T7 SSD and run sample libraries off that. And doing so will give you one heck of a beast for music production for PC-like money.