Apple’s M1 MacBooks have received good reviews. IMac faces more demanding obstacles

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For years, the tech industry used to joke that Apple and its co-founder Steve Jobs had a “distortion field of reality,” a special magic that made people want their products. It is possible that the devices have good software, the criticism would work, but underneath are just the same parts with a glossy finish and a higher price.

However, Apple does something different with its Mac computers. Since last year, the company has started adding something different to its computers called the M1 chip, a microprocessor brain designed internally by the same team that produces custom chips to power the iPhone and iPad. With the M1, Apple has become the only major PC maker that shouldn’t rely on outside companies like Intel, AMD or Nvidia to create microprocessors to power its devices. But M1 is new and unproven, and switching the microprocessor brain is an important undertaking.

The technology industry has wondered, will the distortion field reach reality?

The first test came at the end of last year, when the first MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and Mac Mini desktops with M1 operation were put on sale. CNET reviewer Dan Ackerman was impressed, saying the speed and battery life are promising. But, he warned, the results “should be considered preliminary” until we see more devices and more programs built for them.

On Tuesday, Apple is expected to move its bet further. It is rumored that the company will launch a new iMac at its Spring Forward product event, which is expected to include new iPads. Now, the new iMac desktop would also be powered by the M1. If Apple maintains its trend compared to last year, the devices may not look too different on the outside, but they will be radically changed under the hood. And technicians will start learning exactly how well these new chips can work.

Read more: How to watch the Apple Spring Forward event on April 20th.

“When we make bold changes, it’s for a simple but powerful reason: so we can make much better products,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook when he first discussed his chip plans last summer. “We will take the Mac to a whole new level.”

Most people may not care about a change in a component of their Mac computers – we just want these things to work. But Apple’s moves could mean big changes, both for its Macs and for the technology industry. Apple has spent at least $ 1 billion buying more than half a dozen companies, in addition to more than a decade of research and development to create M1. Now, says Apple, its chips are more powerful and energy efficient than the Intel chips it previously relied on. This will result in smaller and thinner designs, longer battery life and new technologies.

“My Mac’s battery never runs out,” said Carolina Milanesi, an analyst at Creative Strategies and an early M1 laptop user. “I can use it all weekend and I never connect it.”

IMac will be a good case to test the computing power of M1. This computer comes in an all-in-one design with on-screen processing brains. Its size and location as a drop from $ 5,999 Apple Mac Pro computers mean they will face high expectations.

The entry-level iMac costs $ 1,099 and uses an Intel chip similar to the MacBook Pro. But the latest generation iMac, currently powered by a much more capable Intel microprocessor and paired with an AMD graphics card, costs about $ 5,099. That’s just $ 100 under Mac Pro, Apple’s most powerful computer, sold to professional video, graphics and photography publishers.

Aceterman, from CNET, said he will look to see how Apple positions its new iMacs and whether it will choose to use the M1 in its state-of-the-art cars or stick to the basic ones for now. “Does Apple have the confidence to take Intel out of its remaining products?” he asks.

Trend setter

When Apple announced its M1 last summer, it used its typical superlatives to describe the technology. The principals called her an “industry leader” and “the best in the class.” The chip designs are similar to the A-series chips that Apple creates for its iPhones and iPads. So, Apple said, the M1 is already operating on a “huge scale.”

Assuming Apple’s iMac lives up to hype, analysts say it will likely raise the bar for other computer makers. After all, Apple tends to push new trends, whether it’s giving up the floppy disk in 1998, destroying laptop DVD drives in 2007, or plugging in headphones in 2016.

But analysts say it is much harder for technology companies to hire engineers to produce custom chips. Apple worked for years before these investments paid off with the first iPad. If the M1 becomes the game changer Apple says, then it can put pressure on chip makers to improve their design. It will also likely push companies like Microsoft, which has partnered with Qualcomm to create specialized chips for its Surface Pro X devices.

“I think everyone is looking at M1 as striking a new balance between performance and energy efficiency,” said Jon Erensen, an analyst at Gartner. “It’s about being able to turn on instantly or have a long battery life.”

So far, Apple’s competitors have responded by pointing out their differences from the Mac. Intel, for example, has produced a series of commercials in which former Apple mascot / actor Justin Long misses a touch screen on his Mac or small game library.

“The computer world has experienced more,” added Erensen, including Microsoft, Asus, Dell and HP, whose devices have blurred the lines between laptops and tablets. Razer, the gaming brand, even prototyped laptops with three screens attached. “We are just at the beginning of many of these trends.”

This includes Apple chips, for which the company’s high promises are still in the “wait and see” stage. But with the iMac and, finally, an updated Mac Pro desktop for professionals, Apple can finally prove if this distortion field was actually just reality all the time.