IFixit tools on Apple launch event

The Right To Repair is a big issue. IFixit and Louis Rossman have spread the word out how Apple making it difficult to repair products outside their service centers.

On Tuesday, Apple hosted its ‘One More thing’ event, unveiling three brand new Apple Silicon Macs running on Apple’s new M1 chip “by far the most powerful chip Apple has ever made”.

Repair company iFixit pointed out that some of its own repair tools were on display behind Craig Federighi during the keynote.

screenshot_20201113-070709_facebook

The irony was not lost on Twitter.

“that moment when you can’t open your own machines without iFixit tools”

Sources:
iFixit tools spotted during Apple event, irony lost on no-one
https://www.imore.com/ifixit-tools-spotted-during-apple-event-irony-lost-no-one?utm_source=im_fb&utm_medium=fb_link&utm_content=71165&utm_campaign=social
https://mobile.twitter.com/stev0650/status/1326281700993863680
https://mobile.twitter.com/MehNitesh2/status/1326350128479920129
https://mobile.twitter.com/stephendy/status/1326266952260710406
https://www.ifixit.com/Info/background

65 Comments

  1. Tomi Engdahl says:

    AnandTech Calls Apple’s Fastest CPU Core Claim for M1 ‘Extremely Plausible’
    https://www.macrumors.com/2020/11/11/apple-fastest-cpu-core-m1-extremely-plausible/

    Reply
  2. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Apple’s New M1 Processor Demolishes the 2019 iMac with 8th Gen Core i5 6-core CPU
    By Aaron Klotz a day ago
    The ARM vs x86 battle is heating up
    https://www.tomshardware.com/news/apples-new-m1-processor-demolishes-the-2019-imac-with-8th-gen-core-i5-6-core-cpu?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_medium=social

    In the CPU tests, the M1 chip wins hands down, being on average 25% faster than the Core i5 CPU. The M1 is also not much slower than the RX 580X in the GPU scores. This is exciting for Apple’s M1 chip, which clearly demonstrates its ARM based architecture can go toe to toe with previous-gen Intel x86 chips in performance. In the past, ARM was a great for attaining great power efficiency and long battery life. Now Apple is demonstrating we can have the best of both worlds: high performance and long battery life.

    There are of course caveats. This is only one set of benchmarks, which could be specifically optimized for the M1 chip. This is also against a base model 8th Gen Core i5.

    Reply
  3. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Looks like those Apple Silicon benchmarks weren’t bunk.

    The first M1 Mac reviews prove overwhelmingly positive.

    https://www.cultofmac.com/728128/reviews-unboxing-videos-surface-for-apples-new-m1-macs/

    Reply
  4. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Samuel Axon / Ars Technica:
    Craig Federighi, Johny Srouji, and Greg Joswiak on how Apple designed M1, the importance of UMA, non-linear increase in performance at higher power levels, more — Craig Federighi, Johny Srouji, and Greg Joswiak tell us the Apple Silicon story. — Some time ago, in an Apple campus building, a group of engineers got together.

    “We are giddy”—interviewing Apple about its Mac silicon revolution
    Craig Federighi, Johny Srouji, and Greg Joswiak tell us the Apple Silicon story.
    https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2020/11/we-are-giddy-interviewing-apple-about-its-mac-silicon-revolution/

    Reply
  5. Tomi Engdahl says:

    MacBook Air with M1 chip unveiled: Apple enters a new era
    By Phillip Tracy 10 days ago
    Apple’s first ARM-based laptop runs on an M1 chip
    https://www.laptopmag.com/news/macbook-air-with-apple-silicon-unveiled-apple-enters-a-new-era

    Reply
  6. Tomi Engdahl says:

    https://9to5mac.com/2020/11/20/windows-can-run-natively-m1-macs-apple-silicon/

    While the transition to Apple Silicon has been impressively smooth overall for the first M1 Macs, a big lingering question is what Windows support will look like as Boot Camp is not supported on the new generation of Macs. Now in a new in-depth interview, Apple’s VP of software engineering Craig Federighi has said that the ARM version of Windows could run natively on Apple Silicon Macs, but it will be up to Microsoft.

    Reply
  7. Tomi Engdahl says:

    We can confirm that in single-threaded workloads, Apple’s Firestorm cores now clock in at 3.2GHz, a 6.66% increase over the 3GHz frequency of the Apple A14. As long as there’s thermal headroom, this clock also applies to all-core loads, with in addition to 4x 3.2GHz performance cores also seeing 4x Thunder efficiency cores at 2064MHz, also quite a lot higher than 1823MHz on the A14.
    https://www.anandtech.com/show/16252/mac-mini-apple-m1-tested

    During average single-threaded workloads on the 3.2GHz Firestorm cores, such as GCC code compilation, we’re seeing device power go up to 10.5W with active power at around 6.3W. The active power figure is very much in line with what we would expect from a higher-clocked Firestorm core, and is extremely promising for Apple and the M1.

    In workloads which are more DRAM heavy and thus incur a larger power penalty on the LPDDR4X-class 128-bit 16GB of DRAM on the Mac mini, we’re seeing active power go up to 10.5W. Already with these figures the new M1 is might impressive and showcases less than a third of the power of a high-end Intel mobile CPU.

    In multi-threaded scenarios, power highly depends on the workload. In memory-heavy workloads where the CPU utilisation isn’t as high, we’re seeing 18W active power, going up to around 22W in average workloads, and peaking around 27W in compute heavy workloads.

    Reply
  8. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Kuo: Redesigned MacBooks With Apple Silicon to Launch in Second Half of 2021
    https://www.macrumors.com/2020/11/24/kuo-redesigned-apple-silicon-macbooks/

    Reply
  9. Tomi Engdahl says:

    ARM-based M1 in MacBook Air destroys AnTuTu benchmark and all the Apple silicon can go home now
    https://www.notebookcheck.net/ARM-based-M1-in-MacBook-Air-destroys-AnTuTu-benchmark-and-all-the-Apple-silicon-can-go-home-now.506017.0.html

    appearance on the AnTuTu benchmark as the key component in a MacBook Air. The M1 managed to rack up way over one million points, leaving the Apple silicon, including the A12Z Bionic in the iPad Pro 4 and the performance-friendly A14 in the iPad Air (2020), trailing far behind.

    Reply
  10. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Mac Mini Teardown Provides Real-World Look at M1 Chip on Smaller Logic Board
    https://www.macrumors.com/2020/11/18/apple-silicon-mac-mini-teardown/

    Reply
  11. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Playing Call of Duty: Mobile on an M1 Mac will get you banned
    https://www.cultofmac.com/729081/call-duty-mobile-m1-mac-ban/

    New M1 Macs let users run iPhone and iPad apps natively for the first time, but gamers should think twice about loading up Call of Duty: Mobile. Playing Activision’s popular shooter on one of the super-fast new computers could get them banned.

    The newest Call of Duty games haven’t been ported to Mac, so it might seem like a fun idea to load up Call of Duty: Mobile and kick back with a controller while enjoying some fast-paced action on a bigger screen.

    But don’t. CoD: Mobile is one of several iPhone and iPad games that should be avoided on macOS if you don’t want to get banned from playing.

    “Loading Call of Duty: Mobile on M1 Macs will get your account banned,” warns one player on Reddit. David Harry, a YouTuber who has been testing iOS games on Mac, describes the same problem in a video

    Some players speculate that the game companies think those playing CoD: Mobile or PUBG Mobile on an M1 Mac are using jailbroken iOS devices. These titles prohibit jailbreaking because it could be used to apply in-game exploits.

    In the meantime, be careful about what you attempt to play on an M1 Mac, especially if you have data tied to an account that you don’t want to lose. And let us know if you’ve been banned from any games on macOS.

    Reply
  12. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Corellium Releases ‘Completely Usable’ Version of Linux for M1 Macs
    https://www.macrumors.com/2021/01/20/corellium-linux-m1-macs/

    Ubuntu Linux is installable and functional on M1 Macs thanks to work done by Corellium, Corellium CTO Chris Wade announced early this morning. Security researchers at the company have developed a port that has been released on GitHub with an installation tutorial coming later today.

    https://github.com/corellium/linux-m1

    Reply
  13. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Intel Fires Back at Apple’s M1 Processors With Benchmarks
    https://www.tomshardware.com/news/intel-fires-back-at-apple-m1-processors-with-benchmarks

    In November 2020, Apple announced M1. By the end of the year, it announced three devices — the MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and the Mac Mini — that ditched Intel’s processors.

    Those devices received largely positive reviews based on benchmark performance and battery life. But Intel has also released its 11th Gen “Tiger Lake” processors, and after several months of silence, now it’s firing back at Apple.

    Reply
  14. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Linux on Apple M1 Project Reveals New Details About M1 System Architecture
    https://www.tomshardware.com/news/apple-m1-linux-reveals-system-architecture?utm_content=tomsguide&utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com

    Apple’s M1 systems use multiple proprietary technologies.

    Reply
  15. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Apple is positioning its M1 quite differently from any CPU Intel or AMD has released. The long-term impact on the PC market could be significant.

    Apple’s M1 Positioning Mocks the Entire x86 Business Model
    https://www.extremetech.com/computing/322120-apples-m1-positioning-mocks-every-x86-cpu-amd-and-intel-have-ever-launched?utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A+Trending+Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=facebook

    On Tuesday, Apple updated the iMac with new SKUs, display panels, and various color options. The new systems are powered by Apple’s M1 CPU, which uses the ARMv8 ISA rather than an Intel or AMD x86 CPU.

    That sentence is a bit more revolutionary than it might seem. The three new iMacs, which are priced at $1,299, $1,499, and $1,699, respectively, do not differ by memory (8GB) or by CPU core count. Apple calls the M1 an eight-core, and it nominally is. But it’s better understood as a 4+4 CPU architecture, with four high-performance CPU cores and four high-efficiency CPU cores. The only difference between the M1 you get at $1,299 and the one you get at $1,699 is a single GPU core.

    If you want to buy a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro, Apple will sell you an M1. Want a Mac Mini? You get an M1. Interested in the iMac or the new iPad Pro? You get an M1. It’s possible that the M1 CPUs inside the iMac will have different thermal or clock behavior than those inside the systems Apple has already launched, but the company’s decision to eschew clock speed disclosures suggests that these CPUs differ only modestly. The iMac might have the same 3.2GHz base clock but hold its frequency better under load, for example.

    But outside of that, Apple is selling a single CPU across a wider range of products than any competing Intel or AMD CPU is ever sold. This speaks volumes as to what Apple believes it has its hands on, namely: a CPU fast enough at the quad-core level — because, scaling-wise, the M1 is effectively a quad-core chip, with four low-power cores to handle low-power workloads and provide a little extra performance boost — to address a huge range of markets, while drawing so little power, it can also be sold in a laptop.

    Part of the reason Apple can get away with doing this is that it’s been selling badly underpowered systems at certain price points.

    Apple couldn’t position the M1 this way if it wasn’t an excellent CPU in its own right. The M1’s dramatically higher efficiency and improved performance relative to x86 allowed Apple to standardize on a single CPU core across a wide range of products and price points. This is in complete opposition to the way PCs are traditionally positioned.

    Where OEMs Fear to Tread
    x86 OEMs almost never standardize a product family on a single CPU.

    Apple is betting that the M1 is good enough to serve a much larger range of markets than x86 can typically address and that the M1’s innate performance is good enough to satisfy consumers at this range of price points.

    According to Apple, the M1 is the right CPU for a $699 computer, and a $999 computer, and a $1,699 computer. It’s the right chip if you want maximum battery life and the right CPU for optimal performance. Want the amazing performance of an M1 iMac, but can’t afford (or have no need) for the expensive display? Buy a $699 Mac mini, with exactly the same CPU. Apple’s M1 positioning, evaluated in its totality, claims the CPU is cheap and unremarkable enough to be sold at $699, powerful and capable enough to sell at $1699, and power-efficient enough to power both a tablet and a pair of laptops priced in-between.

    No single x86 CPU is sold this way or positioned as a solution to such a broad range of use cases.

    Selling the M1 in both $699 and $1,699 machines challenges the idea that a computer’s price ought to principally reflect the CPU inside of it.

    Apple’s gamble, with the M1, is that its custom CPU performance is now so high, at such low power consumption, that the choice of chip inside the system has become irrelevant within a given product generation.

    Apple can stretch a single M1 SoC design across desktop, tablet, and mobile, but it can’t stretch a 4+4 CPU with 16GB of on-package RAM to address the workstation market. The most likely outcome here is a future M-class CPU with eight to 32 “big” cores and a conventional DRAM interface, based on either DDR4 or DDR5. This version of the SoC would presumably omit the on-package DRAM in favor of more CPU and possibly GPU cores.

    There’s no chance Apple can address the entirety of its market with a single SoC, but it might be able to do so with just 2-3 different core designs

    Reply
  16. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Apple Silicon is ratcheting up the pressure on Intel’s flagship processors.

    The Apple M1 iPad Pro is fast, and Intel is in trouble
    Apple Silicon is ratcheting up the pressure on Intel’s flagship processors
    https://www.zdnet.com/article/the-apple-m1-ipad-pro-is-fast-and-intel-is-in-trouble/?ftag=COS-05-10aaa0h&utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A+Trending+Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=facebook

    Reply
  17. Tomi Engdahl says:

    https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/12238-applen-seuraava-prosessori-on-jo-tuotannossa

    Apple on kesän jälkeen esittelemässä uusia Macbook-kannettavia. Nyt näyttää siltä, että niiden moottorina toimii odotetusti Applen toisen polven oma prosessori. Nikkei Asia kertoo, että M2-piirit ovat olleet TSMC:n tuotannossa huhtikuusta lähtien. Nikkei Asian mukaan M2-piirit valmistetaan TSMC:n N5P-prosessissa, mikä on trimmattu 5 nanometrin tuotantoprosessi.

    Reply
  18. Tomi Engdahl says:

    https://www.tivi.fi/blogit/apple-on-uusi-ibm/2a34dcc4-436a-40cd-90d0-88411ffdccdd

    Applen viime vuonna julkistama M1-prosessori oli jälleen yksi virstanpylväs. Kun kaikki toiminnot ovat samassa sirussa, teho kasvaa ja virrankulutus laskee. Epäilemättä myös valmistuskustannukset alenevat.

    Apple tekee parhaansa sulkeakseen ekosysteemin uudelleen.

    Oman prosessorin ansiosta Apple pystyy hallitsemaan arvoketjua alusta loppuun: oma laitevalmistus, käyttöjärjestelmä, jakeluketju, sovelluskauppa ja palvelut. Halusitpa sitten pilvitallennusta, elokuvia, musiikkia, maksupalvelua tai mitä tahansa, Applen omat palvelut näkyvät ensimmäisinä.

    Kun kaikki on Applen itsensä tekemää tai ainakin hyväksymää, kaikki toimii yhteen. Monimutkaistuvassa maailmassa ihmiset arvostavat juuri vaivattomuutta.

    Sillä on kuitenkin kääntöpuolensa. Koko 90-luvun teimme töitä päästäksemme keskustietokoneiden suljetusta maailmasta avoimeen ekosysteemiin, missä laitteet, ohjelmat ja palvelut voi valita keneltä tahansa. Kaikki nykyinen hyvä on kilpailun tulosta.

    Apple tekee parhaansa sulkeakseen ekosysteemin uudelleen. Se haluaa myydä itse laitteet, ohjelmistot, palvelut ja sisällöt. Oma prosessori mahdollistaa teknisen sulkemisen, mikä antaa yhtiölle täyden vallan esimerkiksi salaus- ja suojaustekniikoista päättämiseen.

    Reply

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