Input on Apple's New Desktop with their Own M-1 System, [Not Intel]

[mso489]

My good old 2009 Mac desktop has closed down completely for the second time, and my local independent tech shop won't work on computers made before 2012, so I am looking at the soon to be released PC desktop with Apples M-1 system instead of the Intel base they used before. The price is relative low for Apple. There are things I like and don't like. Only two USB ports, and rechargeable mouse and keyboard, whereas I'd prefer wired (which you can use, but taking up one of only two ports). It is extra slim and comes in zippy colors, for all the good that will do me. I know people love their laptops and tablets, but the PC is enough of a bad habit, and at least it stays in one place and forces me to live life otherwise. Microsoft is out after major bad experiences with it on my first home computer -- actual crimes resolved in a class action suit by cadre of state's attorney generals, so I'm happily stuck with Apple. For now, I'm on my wife's PC, and she's mostly on her iPhone and her fading iPad. Any input on this new desktop from Apple will be respectfully considered. Thanks.

 

[sablebrush52]

How many USB ports do you need? I'm assuming that you're referring to the newly announced iMac? the M1 is a fast chip.

 

[warren]

You could simply a USB hub if you need more than the two.

 

[Casual]

I can’t tell you about the desktop, but I got a MacBook Air with the same new M1 chip and it’s a really fast machine. Couldn’t be happier with it, even for taxing activities such as development. These modern machines are beyond what a normal person should need, save for gamers. But they’re using Windows anyway.

If you can afford one upgrade to help future-proof your iMac, I suggest to get 16GB of memory, as the 8 GB that comes standard will likely become a limitation, and I don’t think it can be upgraded later.

 

[BROBS]

How many USB ports do you need? I'm assuming that you're referring to the newly announced iMac? the M1 is a fast chip.

Yes it’s the newest iMac.

@mso489 i don’t foresee you having any issues. ?

 

[BROBS]

I can’t tell you about the desktop, but I got a MacBook Air with the same new M1 chip and it’s a really fast machine. Couldn’t be happier with it, even for taxing activities such as development. These modern machines are beyond what a normal person should need, save for gamers. But they’re using Windows anyway.

If you can afford one upgrade to help future-proof your iMac, I suggest to get 16GB of memory, as the 8 GB that comes standard will likely become a limitation, and I don’t think it can be upgraded later.

8gb should be just fine for home use. He’s not running any graphics or heavy ram-use editing programs like Adobe suite etc.

so in his case 16gb would most likely be a waste of $$

 

[BROBS]

The reason they won’t work on a pre-2012 Mac is because none of the new software is compatible with the old OS.

also, for USB ports you shouldn’t need even 2 since the mouse/keyboard don’t use one. Also @mso489 they go to “sleep” after a short while so the battery lasts quite a long time. I only replace mine at work maybe 3-4 times a year and that’s with all-day use. Also helps to use the “tech” batteries of whatever type

 

[jackets]

8gb should be just fine for home use. He’s not running any graphics or heavy ram-use editing programs like Adobe suite etc.

Not sure what the price difference is but if we are talking about someone who’s used the same PC for 12 years the upgrade to 16 gb may not be a bad idea.

 

[Casual]

8gb should be just fine for home use. He’s not running any graphics or heavy ram using editing programs like Adobe suite etc.

His last Mac lasted twelve years. I’ve found that the best way to get long life out of a mac is to have an SSD (which comes standard on the iMac finally) and as much ram as possible to account for future OS bloat.

 

[BROBS]

His last Mac lasted twelve years. I’ve found that the best way to get long life out of a mac is to have an SSD (which comes standard on the iMac finally) and as much ram as possible to account for future OS bloat.

Dats a lotta bloat

it’s most likely a failure of the HD

 

[saltedplug]

Six years ago my hardrive failed in my 2007 iMac, and by way of remedy I installed El Capitan 10.11.6. along with a SSD. With it I can stream from two different sources, have 20 push button tabs on one browser and a half-dozen on another, along with word processing. So I'm good, and I've resisted the urge to buy a new system because I can still do everything that I want to do.

 

[Sonorisis]

As has already been noted, you can easily split a USB port into as many as you need. You are then free to use whatever input device your heart desires. I bought my first Mac in 1984. Have watched people suffer with Microsoft operating systems ever since. That is: I've witnessed 35 years of other peoples' suffering. You will never look back, I promise you that. It is nice to have a friend who is familiar with the Mac operating system as you work at changing your thinking about how these things ought to function. Wireless Mouse and Keyboard are soooooo nice because -- wait for it -- there are no wires cluttering your physical desktop. Buy as much Ram as you can afford and have one built with a solid state hard drive if you've got the coin.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

The dedicated cup set, to the Apple OS, should be better than Intel. Doesn't matter, you're not doing anything on it to come remotely close to stressing the processing power. If all you're doing is browsing the net, but a chrome book for a couple hundred.

 

[3rdguy]

The AOL software may take up a lot of that 8GB

 

[anantaandroscoggin]

Abandoned the Windows environment when 2.0 was released, and spent most of the days thereafter at work rebooting the things. Had some good laughs years later with the sightings of T-shirts saying "Windows 95 -- Like Macintosh SINCE 1984"

I can offer a couple of Mac SE-30 units, one with a 20-MB hard drive.

 

[jpmcwjr]

The SE's- that's bout 30 years old now, yes?

And the M-1 processor is said to greatly improve the behavior of RAM due to its structure, so 8 Gigs should be plenty, absent heavy use, such as editing videos or large photos, music editing = any larger rendering tasks.

Enjoy!

 

[Casual]

And the M-1 processor is said to greatly improve the behavior of RAM due to its structure, so 8 Gigs should be plenty,

It is also the vram.

 

[mso489]

Lots of good input here. Who knew there is a USB hub; now I can ask for one as if I know what I'm talking about. Other than browsing the web and emails, the word processing function is useful to me. I wonder if I should continue with Apple's Pages, or if I should go to Microsoft Word which Apple used to offer, or if they have a new word-processing program. I didn't grow up with this stuff and had some pretty bad work place introductions with a no-name desk top that was discontinued and much more, too detailed to recount. I do few visuals, no games. Play the occasional movie. Do manuscripts. Was learning to use Submittable, an online manuscript submission system, before my old computer went belly up. I joke I'm a quill pen and parchment guy. A super tech electronic composer I know says I'm not non-tech, just uninformed; I try not to test his patience. If he only knew.What we do share are pipes.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Stay with Pages, unless you have a lot of collaboration with folks using Word.

And doing what you described, why do you need multiple USB ports? [Don't forget, new new ports are completely different from what USB used to be.]

Enjoy!

 

[Sloopjohnbee]

What’ve you got to lose, order it, I’ve bought PCs, macs, and ran Unix and Linux machines. Apple never disappointed even during the years Steve jobs(god bless him) wasn’t around. They are a very Clever company.