Everything Apple (the Mac heads thread)

You've probably seen this, but if not is it relevant?

https://community.adobe.com/t5/premiere-pro/vertical-red-line-on-video/td-p/10681560

Need to upgrade my computer for work as going freelance.

Mostly just google docs etc, but also some heavy InDesign and light Premiere Pro. Move around a fair bit for work (tv).

Very tempted by the MacBook Air M1 (even though I know it’s yet to support PP and INDD).

Thinking about a MacBook Air 13 M1 with a second screen setup of an iPad or iPad Air running sidecar? Coming from a 15” pro. I don’t see any difference between the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro apart from the fan?

Other option is a Mac mini setup with an iPad Air for ‘on the go’.

Anyone else using sidecar to get a bit more screen real estate? Or should I just buy a monitor? Advantage of sidecar is I can take the extra space with me wherever I go whereas a monitor is a bit trickier.

Should add I already own a 2014 13” pro which is starting to show its age.

I’ve been using a 2016 MacBook 12” and an 11” iPad Pro as my portable light InDesign/amends setup. Perfectly serviceable for just about everything, but I still prefer to set up new projects on my iMac. Its slightly absurd that the ‘portable screen’ has more power than the work machine but there you go.

Ah, good to know. Is sidecar pretty seemless then? I think in an ideal world I’d get a 16” version of the new M1 pro but unfortunately I can’t wait as I need it first week December! Suppose I could always sells

I don't know anything about the new silicon chip MBs, but I do know that Premiere Pro is one of the few programs that gives my 2017 MB Pro a hard time, my gut would say that an Air would struggle with it (but I guess it also depends on the file sizes / formats you're working with).

Yeah, it is basically magic.

This.

Zero issues with sidecar.

It's battery hungry though (of course).

Air vs Pro.
The Pro has one more core and a fan, which sounds trivial but will make a big difference in real world workflows.
Early benchmarks are showing these low end M1 chips outperforming every other Mac ever made, which is a bit wild, but lets see how real world performance pans out...

The MBP has one extra GPU core than the low-end MBA (8 vs 7). And you can get 8 cores in the MBA for £50 more.

I'm unconvinced either this or the fan will make a noticeable difference unless your workflows include long intense rendering/compiling/etc steps. We'll see.

Money aside, I see very little reason to get the Air

I'd thought size but actually the pro is thinner... .61 compared to .63 on the air at its thicc-est. Same width and depth. 110g lighter.

How so? It seems like you're getting basically the same or better laptop for less money so I'd rather say get the Air or wait for the 14"/16"

I think @chrisbmx116 nails it upthread - the fan will make a big difference in real life. I'm sat listening to my minis fan at least a few times every day as either PS or Sketch gets busy

The curved shape of the Air is a much nicer object to hold and slip into a bag and whatever.

Some people (correct people) actively dislike the Touch Bar because it requires more concentration to do simple things like adjust brightness/volume and it's stupidly easy to brush accidentally and trigger things you didn't mean to.

Some people hate fans and like the idea of a computer where hearing one spin up is literally impossible.

Valid points. I've never used a touch bar daily but the idea of one doesn't tempt me. I'd love a finger print scanner though for 1password duties

But the M1 produces an order of magnitude* less heat doing the same work than anything Intel make, so that's not a good indicator that a fan is needed.

(* a binary one, not a decimal one)

True, but if Apple chucks a fan in both the macbook pro and the mac mini, I assume it might be needed, even if it's in rare occasions

Oh well, I guess we have to wait for the reviews to hit.

Classic example of closing the stable door after the horse has bolted. Also the finish is really cheap- I’d definitely pay a bit more for one that is better made.

1 Attachment

I feel you could build one that encloses / locks around the USB cable so it can't just be tugged out / won't flex from side to side. Something like Tether Tools' Jerkstopper/Tether Block:
https://www.tethertools.com/product-category/cable-management/
https://www.tethertools.com/product/jerkstopper-extension-lock/
but not orange and the size of a hand grenade.

Custom cable and power adapter?

Delete the dip to black as this is a double side transition and not suited to be used as a single side one. Use cross dissolve or better yet keyframe opacity.

Could be this. I'll try this! Thanks for your effort CYOA.

M1 real-world performance numbers are coming in.

Game over, x86.

They’re obviously not the ‘3x’ Kool-Aid-soaked numbers touted in the keynote, but for a low-end chip with 4/4 little/big arch running at TEN WATTS peak, it’s a seismic shift.

Can’t wait for software to get properly optimised, not just retargeted for ARM, and the bigger Apple Silicon chips to arrive.

Aye, looks like they are matching the low end 16 for CPU and GPU power, but with a wildly different thermal/power draw.

haha