11/24/20
9:00 am
Should You Buy a New Mac Now?

With some new M1 Macs out, and other updates to the Mac line coming in 2021, I'm being asked by many people if they should wait and buy a new M-class Mac, or pick up an Intel Mac now. I'm going to change my advice on buying new Macs in this special situation.
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Video Transcript: Hi, this is Gary with MacMost.com. With the end of 2020 approaching let's look at whether or not you should be buying a new Mac. 
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So this is an odd time to be buying a new Mac. Apple has just started its transition from Intel processors to its own M class processors. They started at the low end with the MacBook Air, the Mac Mini, and the 2 thunderbolt port 13 inch MacBook Pro. I expect them next to go to the mid range and come out with new iMacs and perhaps a mid range MacBook Pro. We'll probably see that in the first six months of 2021. Then they'll probably go to the high end covering the iMac Pro and the Mac Pro. Now whether or not the 16 inch MacBook Pro is included in the high end or the mid range we'll have to see. I do expect there to be different processors in each of these groups. So we have the M1 processor in the low end machines. In the mid range we'll get something new. Maybe it will be the M2. Maybe it will be called the M1A. We'll have to see. Then probably another jump in performance for the high end machines. They'll probably wrap it all up either at the end of 2021 or the first six months of 2022. So if you're in the market for a new Mac this puts you in an odd position. If the type of Mac you want, say the iMac, is still using an Intel processor do you buy what they have now or do you wait until they upgrade the processor and then get that model.
Now usually I advise people to buy a new Mac when they want it or need it. Not delay that purchase just because of a rumor or some predicted schedule of release. Usually the next update is only incrementally better and as soon as that comes out there are already rumors for the model after that. So I say just get what they have now because now is when you want or need the Mac and don't pay attention to rumors and things. However this is a special situation. It isn't a rumor that Apple is going to replace these Intel Macs with M class processor Macs. It's going to happen and it isn't even speculation on when. Apple says they'll complete this by 2022. So with 2021 just around the corner we can predict that in the next 12 to say 18 months we'll probably see everything replaced and Apple no longer selling Intel Macs. As of matter of fact you could look at all of Apple's Intel Macs now and say that these are the top of the line Intel Macs. Apple is never going to come out with more powerful Intel Macs than what they have right now. The next step for every model is going to be to a M class processor. 
In addition to that all of the reports from everybody behind these new M1 Macs is that it's a significant performance leap over the Intel Macs. I've got a new MacBook Pro myself and I tested it and seen that it's true. As a matter of fact in some tests it even beats my 12 core Xeon Mac Pro machine. I'm talking about the low end version. Probably whatever they put in iMacs is going to be even more powerful. So it's really hard for me to advise anybody now to buy an Intel Mac. It's going to be replaced with something more powerful very soon. But there are some reason you still might want to pick up an Intel Mac. One is if you really really need it now and you've got the budget for it. Say you use it for work and you're having problems with your existing Mac or it's just too old to take on a new project that you're working on. Then you may want to consider getting that new iMac or high end MacBook Pro or iMac Pro or Mac Pro just because you need it right now and you can't wait for the new M class version of that Mac to come out. I would try to hold off if you can but if you really can't then you've got to go with what's available now. You know that you'll still be able to use it for several more years. The other reason is if you use Windows on your Mac. If you dual boot to Windows on your Mac or you use something like Parallels or VM ware to access Windows' apps that's only possible in the current Macs because they have Intel processors. So once you go to a M class Mac you will no longer be able to do that. Maybe there might be some solution in the future. But right now I wouldn't count on it. So if that's really important to you and getting just a second computer that's a PC to take care of those tasks isn't an option then you may want to consider getting one of the Intel Macs out today. They're the top of the line. Apple is never going to produce more powerful Intel Macs than what they have now. So buying one now makes sense or maybe even waiting a little while and picking up a used or refurbished one would make sense because there's not going to be a newer model. 
But back to the M1 Macs. Are there any down sides to buying one right now. Yes, there are. There's compatibility issues with some software. Now for the most part things just work. If you're already using Catalina or Big Sur on your current Mac then it's not going to be a huge deal because Catalina and Big Sur already require that you're using 64-bit apps. So if you were using any old 32-bit apps you've already updated those apps or found replacements. For the most part the 64-bit apps used now are going to work fine on the M1 processor. A lot of them have already been updated to run natively on their processor. All of the Apple apps have. Even ones like Final Cut Pro, Logic and Motion. Now a lot of the big apps from other companies like Microsoft and Adobe run fine in emulation but both of those companies have already said that they've got new native versions of those apps coming very soon. So if you use other software it's really easy to figure out whether or not that app runs well on the M1 Macs. All you need to do is go to the developers website. They'll either say their app runs find in emulation. They might say that they have a new version of the app out. Many developers, like Affinity, Pixelmator, Panic, they have already come out with their new native apps for the M1. Other apps may work fine in emulation. Sometimes even running faster than on your existing Mac. Some apps, like the app I use to record, Screen Flow, works mostly fine but a key function is missing on the M1. However, they have already said they are working on it. This is already very different than when Apple switched from the power PC to the Intel Macs. It seemed like it took forever for developers to catch up. Here we have many major developers releasing new versions of their apps that run natively on the M1 processor right from day one. It seems like it's happening a lot faster probably because it's a lot easier transition. So while there are some growing pains right now I think as the days, weeks, months, go by those will go away as developers simply update their apps.
So if there is some piece of software that doesn't work on the new M class processors right now by the time an iMac or higher end MacBook Pro comes out it probably will. So looking at whether or not you should buy if you're thinking of a MacBook Air, well Apple only sells the M1 processor MacBook Air now. So the decision there is easy. If you're thinking of a 13 inch MacBook Pro and just want the one with two thunderbolt ports, well that's the M1 processor as well. But anything with more thunderbolt ports including the 16 inch MacBook Pro you're going to have to wait for Apple to come out with a new version using the M1 or M1A or M2 or whatever it's going to be. The same goes for all iMacs. I really wouldn't buy an Intel iMac right now if you can help it. Instead wait for Apple to come out with new iMacs next year. It's a little trickier with the Pro models because I don't expect there to be an iMac Pro or Mac Pro next year. There might be towards the end of the year but I think Apple is really going to want to boost the performance in these processors, maybe even to see if they can work in a separate GPU for those as well. So you may have to wait a whole other year for those machines. So if you're one of those people that wants a top of the line machine and is willing to buy a new Mac every other year or so, then the current iMac Pro or Mac Pros are probably still a valid choice. But I think the general answer for most people is to buy one of the new M1 Macs if that model is the one you want. Otherwise wait for Apple to upgrade the iMac or new MacBook Pro that you want to the new M class processors before buying. 
Let me know what you think. Are you considering buying one of the new Intel Macs now or are you waiting for Apple to improve the M class processors a little bit more before getting a new Mac.
Comments: 45 Responses to “Should You Buy a New Mac Now?”

Ron Melzer
4 years ago
If the expense of a new Intel Mac can be written off as a business expense then if you need an upgrade just do it. A Mac for personal use is a balance of need and expense, so it depends.
Will
4 years ago
Thanks, Gary. I wonder if the Intel macs will be discounted because they are becoming old stock and old technology?
Comments: 45 Responses to “Should You Buy a New Mac Now?”

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