I’ve transcoded 10-bit ProRes 4K video from my EOS R (recorded over HDMI to Ninja V), imported thousands of images into Lightroom Classic (which is obviously still run through Rosetta 2), and run every benchmarking tool I can think of. I’m honestly running out of ways to test its limits.

To quote a fellow tech editor who purchased the new M1 Mac Mini for himself: This was particularly true of Lightroom Classic, which didn’t seem to struggle at all.

The fans almost never turn on, the chassis stays cool to the touch during the most extreme benchmarks, and every app we used-weather it was optimized for Apple Silicon or being emulated in real-time by Apple’s Rosetta 2 software-performed better than we expected. The Apple Silicon M1 System on a Chip (SOC), combined with some brilliant software from Apple, allows the new MacBook Pro to do things that no Intel-based laptop I’ve ever owned could do. On the Inside – A RevolutionĮverything that makes this computer so special is tucked away inside. Nothing much has changed, and while I would have loved to see Apple use this opportunity to reveal the mythical 14-inch MacBook Pro with smaller screen bezels and an even bigger battery, the current design and build quality is still “premium” by any definition, even if it’s starting to look a bit dated. In summary: on the outside, it’s business as usual. Based on our measurements using a DataColor Spyder X Elite, you can expect 100% coverage of the Display P3 gamut and 89% coverage of AdobeRGB. The new “Magic” keyboard is among the best on the market, the touchpad is still the most responsive you’ll find on a laptop, and the display is bright and color accurate. More ports are almost certainly coming to future iterations of the M(x) processor as Apple Silicon is developed further.īeyond the lack of ports, the computer is identical to its predecessor. This might be a deal-breaker for some, but if it is, all you have to do is wait. The only thing setting these two computers apart on the outside is the Thunderbolt 3 ports: the top-end Intel Macs still come with 4 ports, while the new Apple Silicon Macs feature only two 1. Same chassis, same keyboard, same trackpad, same fingerprint sensor, same webcam (sigh), same Touch Bar (meh), no SD card slot (ugh). On the outside, there is almost nothing to distinguish an M1 MacBook Pro from the 13-inch Intel-based machine we reviewed earlier this year. If I were recommending a configuration for photographers, I’d tell you to get this same computer with only 1TB of built-in storage instead of 2, which brings the total price down to $1,900. That extra 1TB of hard drive space adds a lot to the price. ML Processor: 16-core M1 Neural Engine.

M1 macbook air lightroom classic