Apple Silicon

Link

M1 Mac Users Report Hard Drive Health Readings That Could Limit Device Life Span

Charlotte Henry · · Add Comment

Some M1 Mac users have started to highlight hard drive health reports that might possibly indicate severe life span problems for the device. iMore rounded up some of the issues.

The issue of ‘TBW’, or total bytes written, refers to the lifespan of an SSD… If the readings being given out from these machines is correct, developer Hector Martin says it could indicate that some machines “aren’t going to last half a year”… Martin does however state this is “definitely” a bug, however its unclear if that relates to the readings being given, or macOS behavior which is causing the readings to be abnormally high (but accurate). As PC Gamer notes in its report, smart monitoring tools “are notorious for misreporting” and this could be an M1 teething problem.

 

Link

Which of the Most Popular Apps Have Native Support For Apple Silicon?

Charlotte Henry · · 1 Comment

Apple silicon has been available to consumers for two months now. AppleInsider has a good rundown of the state-of-play, and how many apps have native support for the M1 chip.

So to take a snapshot of how the transition from Intel to ARM is going, AppleInsider drew up a list of 100 major Mac apps. Our list does include ones that are niche but very important in their field — such as the screenwriting app Final Draft… It also includes a range of more technical utilities, plus the kind of general purpose apps that a large number of Mac users have. For each app, we contacted developers, we checked out support groups, and we listed apps as either having native M1 support or not. When an app had native support in beta, we counted that as it at least means the support is coming. Where it was not possible to prove that there was even official beta M1 support, we took that as a no. As of February 5, 2021, the list of 100 apps showed 53 that had native M1 support to at least some degree. And therefore 47 that did not.

Podcast

HomePod mini, Arcade, and Waiting for M-Processor Macs, with Bob LeVitus - ACM 542

Bryan Chaffin · · Add Comment

Bryan Chaffin and Bob “Dr. Mac” LeVitus have both spent time with the HomePod mini, and they offer their thoughts on what it sounds like, where it’s useful, and who should consider it. They also talk about the value of Apple’s Arcade, especially now that it’s part of Apple One. They also talk about the power of Apple’s new M1 Macs, and discuss if people should buy Intel Macs at all any more.

Link

Linux Now “Completely Usable” on Apple Silicon M1 Macs

Charlotte Henry · · Add Comment

A version of Linux now works on Apple Silicon M1 chip, AppleInsider reported. Security researchers at Corellium ported the operating system, and plan to release it under an open-source license.

The Linux version is a full Ubuntu desktop operating system booted from a USB, according to Corellium Chief Technology Officer Chris Wade. Although details are scarce, he said that Linux is now “completely usable” on Apple Silicon machines. Network compatibility is possible through a USB-C dongle, and the current update to the platform will support USB, I2C, and DART. The Ubuntu operating system is one initially meant for the ARM-based Raspberry Pi, Wade added.

Link

Ming-Chi Kuo: Redesigned Apple Silicon MacBooks Launching H2 2021

Charlotte Henry · · Add Comment

Apple fans can look forward to Apple silicon-powered, redesigned, MacBooks in the second half of 2021, according to a note by Ming-Chi Kuo. The analyst’s note, seen by MacRumors, also suggested various other new devices are on the way.

 

Kuo did not specify which models these will be, but he previously claimed that redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with Apple Silicon would launch in the late second quarter or third quarter of 2021… Kuo also expects third-generation AirPods to launch in the late second quarter of 2021… Last, Kuo predicted that the “new Apple Watch shipment’s momentum in 2021 will benefit from innovative health management functions and improved form factor design,” but it is unclear if he is referring to the Apple Watch Series 6’s new casing options like blue aluminum or to redesigned Apple Watch Series 7 models.

Quick Look Review

Apple's M1 MacBook Air: One Week In, It's the Little Things

Dave Hamilton · · 3 Comments

I was fortunate enough to receive my built-to-order M1 MacBook Air (16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, 8-core GPU) last Tuesday, and I’ve had a week to truly experience it. We’ve all read the early reviews (Snell, Gruber, and Bohn are the highlights), and they’ve focused on the specs and the highlights, so I won’t rehash (much of) that here. What I want to focus on are the little things.

Podcast

Big Sur, Apple Outages, and Thunderbolt 4 Explained — Mac Geek Gab 844

John F. Braun & Dave Hamilton · · Add Comment

There’s been a lot of confusion this week, beginning with what “Thunderbolt 4” really means for us Mac users. Thankfully OWC’s Larry O’Connor was able to join John and Dave this week to explain. That’s not all you get, though. Your two favorite geeks carry on with advice about Big Sur, more M1 thoughts, and simply answers to all your questions about everything Mac, Apple, and technological. Press play and enjoy learning at least five new things!

Link

Why The New Mac mini and M1 Chip is a Big Deal For Hollywood

Charlotte Henry · · 2 Comments

Apple put creativity front and center when unveiling its new products on Tuesday. The Hollywood Reporter found that many in the film and creative industries are excited about the possibilities of the Mac mini with it’s new M1 chip.

Veteran editor Harry B. Miller III says the new Mac minis in particular “could be huge” for the editing community. “Most of the editing industry is either on old cheese-grater or trashcan Macs. It seems to me the Mac mini with this new chip could easily and fairly cheaply replace all those old units,” he says. “Fox Studios, for example, had been refurbishing cheese-graters to keep them up to date with CPU’s and memory for more complex workflows. It would now be cheaper to replace them with the new Mini.” Miller says he plans to buy one. “I’ve used a Mini for the past 18 months for Avid [Media Composer] and [Adobe] Premiere Pro work on all my projects,” he notes. “Because of the pandemic, I know there have been a lot of equipment investments into iMacs for remote work. I could see the Mini’s replacing them as well.”