RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK – Apple is rolling out is own processors today, breaking away from Intel, and the new “M1” chip has Apple fans cheering.
“Screaming and crying at Intel’s headquarters as we speak,” says one at MacRumors.com, the largest site covering all things Apple.
“I have the 2017 MacBook Air, I will wait to see how this goes for maybe 6 months, then I think it is time for an upgrade,” writes another.
At the virtual event via Apple’s California headquarters, Apple also announced a variety of new machines powered by the M1. The MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini will be in stores next week and can be ordered now, reports MacRumors.
“The new MacBook Air starts at $999, the new 13-inch MacBook Pro starts at $1,299, and the new Mac mini starts at $699,” MacRumors adds.
Some other samples of fan comments:
- “I can’t wait to see how some of the claims stack up in in testing”
- “Snappier”
- “2.6 TFlops on 10w onboard gpu, that’s great!!”
- “He he, I think Apple will from now on keep using their own chips forever and ever. Their ego will not let them switch anymore, even if in, say, 10-15 years they are eventually behind the silicon competition.”
MacRumors notes the M1 is “optimized for Mac systems that prioritize small size and power efficiency.”
Some highlights from Apple:
- “As a system on a chip (SoC), M1 combines numerous powerful technologies into a single chip, and features a unified memory architecture for dramatically improved performance and efficiency.
- “M1 is the first personal computer chip built using cutting-edge 5-nanometer process technology and is packed with an astounding 16 billion transistors, the most Apple has ever put into a chip.
- “It features the world’s fastest CPU core in low-power silicon, the world’s best CPU performance per watt, the world’s fastest integrated graphics in a personal computer, and breakthrough machine learning performance with the Apple Neural Engine.
- “As a result, M1 delivers up to 3.5x faster CPU performance, up to 6x faster GPU performance, and up to 15x faster machine learning, all while enabling battery life up to 2x longer than previous-generation Macs.
- “With its profound increase in performance and efficiency, M1 delivers the biggest leap ever for the Mac.”
“There has never been a chip like M1, our breakthrough SoC for the Mac. It builds on more than a decade of designing industry-leading chips for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch, and ushers in a whole new era for the Mac,” explained Johny Srouji, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Technologies for Apple.
“When it comes to low-power silicon, M1 has the world’s fastest CPU core, the world’s fastest integrated graphics in a personal computer, and the amazing machine learning performance of the Apple Neural Engine. With its unique combination of remarkable performance, powerful features, and incredible efficiency, M1 is by far the best chip we’ve ever created.”
