Did I get up at 3 AM to watch the Apple Announcement about the M1 iMac? Yes, I did. I was up at 3:AM watching the event. I’m geeky like that.
In a previous post about my predictions about the Apple Spring Loaded event, My predictions were actually not too bad. Everything that I predicted did get announced. Though I was not expecting a purple iPhone 12 or the Ipad pro update. (Bonus!!!) And yes I did say that there was not going to be an announcement of the “Apple Car” however, I must admit that is like going to the store and getting a few scratchers and predicting you will win nothing.
The M1 iMac
24″ Retina 4.5K Display
As an artist just the idea of working on a display like this makes me want to get out my Wacom tablet and start digital sketching. I’m actually thinking that the problem will be that some of the software may have a hard time using the full capacity of the display. (There are worse problems). I also like the idea that it is 24″. I have worked with some of the 27″ iMacs in the past and they were just too big.
Up to 2T SSD storage
One of the problems that Mac users have been facing lately is that Apple has been adding the storage directly to the Logic Board. Though this does improve the performance quite a bit it does, however, mean that it will require a little more forethought when it comes to buying an M1 iMac as you will not be able o upgrade the internal storage later. (Blog post on Why Time Machine is going to be important coming soon)
M1 iMac Colours!
This is a welcome return to the iMac’s roots. The iMac and its colours saved Apple from extinction in the early 90s. Personally, I would love to get my hand on one of the Blue M1 iMacs. Though when we open a Mac retail shop in Lithgow it will most likely be pink or orange to better match our logos. (We will see).
History tells us that the unpopular colour will be discounted. (Get ready for discounts on Orange). I personally remember working at a retail store in California called CompUSA. (Like a JB-Hifi on steroids that only sells computers). We had ordered too many of the Orange iBooks and had to drastically discount them because nobody wanted orange.
Personally I hate it when someone comes to buy a computer and they care more about if the colour will match their sofa than the system specifications.
Magnetic Power port
This is whereas a Tech I’m a little concerned. One of the things that I like about previous iMac models is that they take a universal kettle cord. Easy to replace and I think I have like five of them lying around in my box of spare cables. The idea of a magnetic connector is that if someone trips on your cable it breaks away very easily and does not send your computer flying along with the cable. This is fantastic when it comes to an expensive MacBook Pro that has a battery. But an iMac does not have a battery. This means that the iMac could be damaged when the power is removed while you are working on something. (I do not have all the info as the M1 chip may operate differently and just force the computer into sleep mode… I need to update that information)
USB-C Thunderbolt
I know a lot of folks do not like USB-C but you are the same folks who argued that not having an A Drive was going to make Apple go out of business. USB-C is faster, can carry video, You never plug it in wrong. And you can get USB-C to USB-A adapters and they are not expensive. Soon everyone will be using USB-C and it will be a non-issue.
AirTags
As someone who has ADHD, I have a hard time with object permanence. This means I can forget objects exist on a regular basis. Or in my case, I am Hyper-vigilant to not lose things. (You should see my system of keeping track of customer iPhones and MacBooks… kind of impressive.) When I leave a customers house I check my equipment sometimes three times to make sure that I do not leave anything. There is a lot of stress in my life when it comes to not losing things.
AirTags looks like it might be something that we are going to get to help me relax a little bit.
AirTags addressed my privacy concerns
As someone who is studying computer Hacking, privacy is a big deal for me. So when I learned about the steps that Apple is going to take to keep the privacy of the users safe, I was impressed. (Hackers have easier ways of tracking you)
- Nobody can use an AirTag to track you without your permission (They start beeping if not near their owner)
- Your information is kept safe by anonymizing the data
- Bluetooth transmission
iPad Pro, Purple iPhone & Apple Tv
Currently I do not have a lot of opinions on these devices but as soon as I do there will be a blog post.
Will I be repairing M1 iMacs in the future?
sure! As a Mac tech, I personally can’t wait to get my hands on an M1 iMac that I can take apart. Though at this time All M1 Macs will be under Apples Warranty and it is best to take them to Apple for repair. I’m sure that by the time we open our retail Mac Shop in Lithgow we will start doing M1 Mac repairs.
What I wanted to see but did not get
I wanted to see an M1 MacBook Pro in either a 15″ or 16″ version. I feel that that is an important size for the MacBook Pro Range. I’m overdue for a Major Macbook upgrade and I want an M1 MacBook Pro. (I will continue to use my 2012 Macbook pro 13″ for other reasons).