The first MacBook Pro, MacBook Air and Mac mini computers are now on sale, and we’re starting to see the capabilities of the new Arm-based M1 chip powering them.
One video in particular will catch the eye of any Mac user accustomed to the bouncing of icons in the dock while they await the opening of the app in question. The below, from MacRumors forum member iChan, shows every default app opening on the MacBook Air, one after the other, in quick succession.
The brief video shows apps like Safari, Maps, Mail, Messages, Apple TV, Keynote, Reminders and more opening without the laptop breaking stride. The video also features a look at a Mac Activity Monitor app at the end of the video showing the 8GB of RAM handling the load without issue, using up only 3.8GB of the available unified memory.
Related: MacBook Air M1 vs MacBook Air Intel
“Just opening every single default app in the dock of a fresh user and then opening the activity monitor at the end to check out RAM usage,” wrote iChan on the forum. “I dunno how useful is it to see this, but the speed and fluidity of everything is simply obscene for a MBA.”
Bear in mind, this is the base model M1 MacBook Air with 8GB of RAM, not the newest, highest-end MacBook Pro model. This Mac also lacks an internal fan for cooling, which makes the achievement all the more impressive.
This is evidence of the iPhone-like performance we were promised by Apple, and seems to suggest, on the surface, that the Intel architecture has been holding the Mac line back for quite some time.
Early reviews have suggested the new Arm-based MacBooks reset expectations for the laptop range, boasting hitherto unseen performance. Those reviews also suggest the transition to the new chips has been seamless thus far, with Intel apps continuing to work well. We’ll have our own M1 MacBook Air review in the coming days.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
