TECH THAT...
A ROUND-UP OF THE LATEST NEWS IN THE DIGITAL WORLD
MACBOOK PRO REVIEW
YOU wouldn’t know it to look at them, but Apple’s latest Macs represent one of the biggest revolutions in personal computing in years.
What’s different about the new computers – the Macbook Air, the Macbook Pro and the Mac Mini – is the processor. All three now sport silicone designed and built by Apple itself, and this new M1 chip is an absolute game-changer.
Having had a 13in Macbook Pro for a couple of weeks, to see just what it is capable of, it’s even more impressive than Apple suggests.
The Pro is obviously the top-end, with the Air its cheapest. Yet both they, and the new Mini, sport the same chip. The only real difference, in terms of the processor, is that the Pro has an “active cooling system” (don’t call it a fan) which allows the machine to run at faster speeds for longer.
I put it through its paces editing video and photo and recording audio, as well as regular tasks like browsing the web and sorting email, and I was unable to stretch it to its limit – you wait for almost nothing.
Anyone familiar with macos will know how the app icons bounce to indicate they are opening. Apps now not only open instantly, but you can literally run down the line of icons and open all apps at once – it’s like magic.
The Pro also runs all day (20-hours of video playback!), even doing heavy lifting, and does it quietly without overheating.
Apple claims twice the battery life of previous generations, despite the dramatic performance improvement.
This is a computing revolution, and a game-changer for on-location photographers and videographers who need to run fast and long, or for students on campus all day.
The new Macs allow Apple to take control of everything – so software and hardware can work together from start to finish for the best experience, performance and battery life.
And with prices unchanged (the Pro starts at £1,200 while the Air begins at £999), other manufacturers will wonder how to keep up.