I love my M1 MacBook Pro

Its been 9 months and I wouldn’t trade it for anything

The Devout

Mac fans are die hard fans and I have been a fan of Macs for a long time. I just couldn’t afford one growing up. When the finances are tight, one must only think of what’s practical. So I had to wait. I went to school, got a job and did my time. Finally I felt I could afford one and I thought I had made it. It was the most basic MacBook you could have and I remember it was just so nice and white and shiny. I used it for years. Eventually, it made it to my parents as their Skype computer. Not sure what happened to it after that, but they did tell me that some ants had made a colony in there and so they had to put in on the table otherwise they would get ant bites. It still worked! What a machine!

I have always had cheapo PC computers and they were just clunky. Games have always lagged and that meant that when my computer got upgraded, I could only play the games that came out 2–3 years ago. Closing and opening programs and switching between apps was all just a giant chore. I could write my papers and that is of course, what a computer is for. When I saw Mac videos with their smooth graphics and beautiful hardware, I could only dream. Once I was in the Mac club, I didn’t look back. Even recently, when buying a MacBook Pro on eBay, I didn’t hesitate for a second when buying the 3 year old machine. I just knew it will work. I put Civilization V on it and it ran it like a dream. My childhood shackles were off and I was running. Three years on, that computer is still going strong and now my daughter is using it, also for Civilization V!

The M1

So now comes the news that Apple is ditching Intel processors. How can that be? Are we to believe that it is even possible. What is Apple cooking? My mind was completely locked in. I couldn’t focus and I had to have one. I just did. They didn’t even bother changing the style and I didn’t care. The pure performance of the M1 chip was more than enough for me. I ordered mine and started counting down the days to shipment. It was a drug and I had to have my fix. Everybody on the Internet was convinced that the MacBook Air was a better buy. It promised the same with a lower out of pocket. But what is the point of that? If nobody notices my cool TouchBar, does it even validate my existence?

In all seriousness, I decided that the increased brightness and better battery life were worth it, and went for the Pro over the Air.

The Practical

I put Civilization VI on the computer and put it to the test.

The Stamina

The battery in the computer is incredible. If I stick to simple tasks, it lasts me for days. Days and Days. The stupid machine just won’t die.

The Speed

It is Incredible, unbelievable and other superlatives as well. It never feels laggy, never struggles; plays Civilization VI with comfort and ease. There can be many apps in full screen and many desktops with a bunch of things running, and it just works. No matter what I throw at it.

The Size

It is light. I can carry it with me anywhere, and I do. My separation anxiety is always at bay. I know I have plenty of charge and I can work at a moment’s notice and justify my new computer purchase.

The Ports

There are only two USB-C ports and that means USB 2.0 is missing. I wish it had more ports, I do. Over the last 9 months it has only been a problem once and I carry around an adapter. That is what we do in Apple’s dongle work. I wish there were more ports but more on this later.

The Intangible

What really makes the computer so great is not just how well it functions, but how it feels to work on it. I go around in life and I feel and I touch everything; that’s 90% of what we do. I worked as a carpenter and I love how lumber and wood and leather feel in my hand. I don’t like touching plastic. It is very off-putting. So the keyboard and the trackpad not just work but they food good. They feel solid and well-built and that brings me joy.

To pick up my thought from before, while I do wish there were more ports, I also like that there should be only two ports. Having more would in my mind make the computer feel cluttered. Again, it’s not a practical thing for me, it’s an emotional thing. A simple, clean look with fewer things to look at makes me feel like I am focusing on work. And sometimes just that perception of focus gets me going and working.

I am not sure if Apple is going to make the Mac touchscreen, but I don’t miss it at this point. The reason is that I am so happy with how it feels right now. I can’t comprehend it getting better. There is one more issue though. I don’t like the fingerprints on the screen. Is it possible to make a touchscreen and have some sort of screen coating that reduces fingerprints? If that happens, then maybe I will be more accepting of it, but to be able to touch little buttons on the screen and then just see all the fingerprints there seems counter to our cult ethos.

The Touch Bar

This is my first laptop with the Touch Bar. For all the debate about it seems that folks are in two camps. You either love it or hate it. I couldn’t wait to try it and I didn’t mind paying the up-charge for it. Admittedly, it is not a productivity booster. Hotkeys and keyboard shortcuts are way more efficient. However, every once in a while when I am using some random app and the Touch Bar lights up, I just find myself pressing buttons on it. It is not a way to get work done fast, I will fess up, but it is a way to work slowly with some style. Glorious.

The Other

In the beginning, before M1 native apps started to come out, I did run into some issues. I was taking a course in android programming. Android Studio has an emulator and the emulator did not want to work with ARM based chip. The program itself downloaded and ran without a glitch, I was able to code on it, but I couldn’t test what I had done. I knew getting into that this could be a problem but I went ahead anyway. It happens when the technology is new. There is now an Android Studio updated for the ARM chip so the simulator should work.

Parallels works on M1. If you are considering running it for a specific program, I would highly recommend it. I run my stock brokerage program, Tradestation with Parallels. It has worked well so far. Occasionally there is a glitch, but I don’t know if it was Parallels issue or a Windows issue. Recently, there is an update for Parallels that promises even better integration with the M1 Mac.

Professional specific programs in certain fields such as accounting and economics may not end up working seamlessly with Parallels anyway. It doesn’t feel natural. It feels like ill-fitting suit. The material itself may be good but it feels like it was made for somebody else.

The Final

The computer is a paradigm shift. For too long we have been beholden to Intel’s token upgrade to their chips, and the insane cooling systems they require. The fan noise, the heat and the price were always there and we got used to them. Now we can do more with less. Less noise, less heat and even more power for the money. We pay the Apple surtax but we are happy to pay it.

If you are thinking about it and can get one, then get one! If you can wait and get the new ones coming in a few months, even better!