John Gruber posted a link to a <a href="http://mjtsai.com/blog/2016/10/27/new-macbook-pros-and-the-state-of-the-mac/">blog</a> by Michael Tsai (not exactly sure who that is). Gruber says he can't remember an Apple event that had such negative reaction from the Mac community. I can understand being upset about the state of the Mac Pro but I don't get the venom directed towards the MacBook Pro. It's a better machine in pretty much every way. This whole temper tantrum over 32GB RAM. I could maybe understand it if it was something Apple previously had but now took away. But that's not the case. There were absolutely no rumors that these new MacBook Pro's would even offer that option. And people are losing their minds yet they haven't spent one minute with these machines nor have there been any reviews.
Frankly I think it's ridiculous and seems a bit like herd mentality sort of like when Marco Arment posted that article about Apple's software using a clickbait headline and then everyone in the tech community was freaking out over Apple's software. Now Phil Schiller responds to why there isn't a 32GB option for the MBP and everyone in the tech world loses their mind. Ridiculous.
That's a very long list of disgruntled and unhappy potential customers and it shows that Apple is not in touch with what it's current user base wants. If you look at the comments there are a litany of issues there, not just about the amount of RAM. Everything from the reality that these units have gone up in price for the same spec, to the failure to update the rest of the Mac line up with modern chips, to the fact that to use ANY peripheral you now need a bag of expensive dongles. It's obvious that there is a lot of pent up frustration at how Apple is managing the Mac product line and not listening to their customers. My own take on it is that Apple is so enamored with it's iOS devices and the dictats of Johnny Ive that no one is standing up and saying what needs to be said. Pretty sad but also pretty true when you look at the reality. Yes, please make a thin, light laptop but why not make a bigger unit that includes backwards compatibility but allows the use of more RAM, bigger battery, etc so that the end users can decide which one they want to use and what is more important for them. If Apple is convinced that the MB Pro is so good what is the harm in creating some differentiation?
More likely it's just a tiny minority that's very vocal right now and the tech echo chamber amplifies everything. Btw it's Jony not Johnny and I think people assign him way more power than he has. If the rest of the executive team said we need a desktop class notebook with 32GB RAM and the biggest battery possible that's what the engineers and designers would be producing. To me this freakout after every Apple hardware release is getting old and boring. iPhone 7 has been on the market for over a month now and the freakout over the lack of headphone jack is pretty much non existent. It would be easier to accept some of these criticisms if they were made after extensive use of these new machines. But not one person bitching has spent any time with them. It's all based on a spec sheet and freakouts on social media.
To all those who would trade back the touch bar, smaller sizes and wide gamut displays for a marginally faster processor, I say: don't do it.
Id rather have apple doing their thing, pushing new concepts, making formerly-rare features mainstream.
I am am happy that I can finally run my 30" Eizo 10-bit per channel in full 10 bit mode on an Apple laptop. Had they ignored the deep color in an effort to chase higher raw GPU scores, I'd have a faster GPU that still wouldn't support the features of my high end display.
The hardcore nerds here are strutting their stuff, saying they'd trade all the ergonomics and new interface tech for faster hardware. I say they are wrong. This upgrade is a good balance of hardware improvement AND big-picture strategic design improvement.
Gruber says he can't remember an Apple event that had such negative reaction from the Mac community.
I watched it last night, the second time as the first time was a lot of communicating with people about it live, and I think it was one of their best events. Not just in terms of the products which I believe are innovative, but the event itself was well done. I can't wait for mine to arrive.
You didn't think it was rather thin, given that the only announcements were an app and two upgraded sizes of notebook?
I though it felt very stretched out, like they were covering for something that had slipped.
My opinion: There wasn't enough to show off to warrant an event. These days if Tim Cook is giving updates rather than getting right to new products it means they don't have a lot to show off. I think they weren't planning to have an event but added one because of all the grumbling claiming Apple no longer cares about the Mac.
The event was so thin that I thought Apple is firing on one cylinder.
Not crying, just tired of getting less for more money. These are NOT pro machines! If you want to see what this should be (and I NEVER thought i would be saying this), check out the Dell XPS series.
Not crying, just tired of getting less for more money. These are NOT pro machines! If you want to see what this should be (and I NEVER thought i would be saying this), check out the Dell XPS series.
Non-P3 display? Plastic case? No touch bar? All it has are some marginally faster components. Not enough for me.
John Gruber posted a link to a <a href="http://mjtsai.com/blog/2016/10/27/new-macbook-pros-and-the-state-of-the-mac/">blog</a> by Michael Tsai (not exactly sure who that is). Gruber says he can't remember an Apple event that had such negative reaction from the Mac community. I can understand being upset about the state of the Mac Pro but I don't get the venom directed towards the MacBook Pro. It's a better machine in pretty much every way. This whole temper tantrum over 32GB RAM. I could maybe understand it if it was something Apple previously had but now took away. But that's not the case. There were absolutely no rumors that these new MacBook Pro's would even offer that option. And people are losing their minds yet they haven't spent one minute with these machines nor have there been any reviews.
Frankly I think it's ridiculous and seems a bit like herd mentality sort of like when Marco Arment posted that article about Apple's software using a clickbait headline and then everyone in the tech community was freaking out over Apple's software. Now Phil Schiller responds to why there isn't a 32GB option for the MBP and everyone in the tech world loses their mind. Ridiculous.
That's a very long list of disgruntled and unhappy potential customers and it shows that Apple is not in touch with what it's current user base wants. If you look at the comments there are a litany of issues there, not just about the amount of RAM. Everything from the reality that these units have gone up in price for the same spec, to the failure to update the rest of the Mac line up with modern chips, to the fact that to use ANY peripheral you now need a bag of expensive dongles. It's obvious that there is a lot of pent up frustration at how Apple is managing the Mac product line and not listening to their customers. My own take on it is that Apple is so enamored with it's iOS devices and the dictats of Johnny Ive that no one is standing up and saying what needs to be said. Pretty sad but also pretty true when you look at the reality. Yes, please make a thin, light laptop but why not make a bigger unit that includes backwards compatibility but allows the use of more RAM, bigger battery, etc so that the end users can decide which one they want to use and what is more important for them. If Apple is convinced that the MB Pro is so good what is the harm in creating some differentiation?
Yep. The emperor has no clothes.
This chip seems better suited to an updated MacBookAir, but I think Apple is more concerned about maintaining profit margins even if there are fewer sales. They should have done an update to the Airs with 2 or 3 TypeC connectors and waited on refreshing the Pro. Apple has said that they expect the future to be one where users have just laptops. So I do think that Apple's Pro should start at 16 GB and go to at least 32 GB RAM. (Also keep magsafe on the Pro).
People should not be surprised that Apple raised the price on the MBP after they also raised the price on the iPad Pro's over the Air. It's a gamble that only Apple could do. The touch bar looks nice but really not compelling for me. Although I love the touch ID button.
More likely it's just a tiny minority that's very vocal right now and the tech echo chamber amplifies everything. Btw it's Jony not Johnny and I think people assign him way more power than he has. If the rest of the executive team said we need a desktop class notebook with 32GB RAM and the biggest battery possible that's what the engineers and designers would be producing. To me this freakout after every Apple hardware release is getting old and boring. iPhone 7 has been on the market for over a month now and the freakout over the lack of headphone jack is pretty much non existent. It would be easier to accept some of these criticisms if they were made after extensive use of these new machines. But not one person bitching has spent any time with them. It's all based on a spec sheet and freakouts on social media.
Well everyone is entitled to their own opinion and I think this quote from John Gruber sums it up "Rather astounding how much backlash last week’s event has generated. I can’t recall an Apple event that generated such a negative reaction from hard-core Mac users.". With respect this isn't about removing a headphone jack so you can't listen to music. People have invested significantly in the Mac platform in Hardware, peripherals and software. When Apple makes these kinds of crazy moves (like moving to USB C when there are very few peripherals that support it) then it gets people crazy because they could do it differently, and have done so in the past. I have an older MB Pro that has an Ethernet port, Firewire port, Thunderbolt, 2 x USBs, An SD slot and a mag safe power socket. It was clear over time that Firewire was being killed off and USB would replace it and it gave people time to adapt. Yes in 3 years USB C will likely be a good option but if I want to go there now I have to trash all of my monitors, keyboards, etc that are wired and move to the "new" standard. It doesn't need to be like that, but Apple is arrogant enough to believe it should be, whatever the inconvenience or expense to its customers. The reality is that they could have provided MB Pros earlier this year that had Skylake, USB A and USB C, Thunderbolt, etc but obviously chose not to. They had a way of bridging their customers from one set of tech standards to another but didn't take that option. Bad move on their part. BTW You should read up on how much power Sir Jony Ive has in the Apple hierarchy and I think you would be shocked...... This is from Appleinsider but there is plenty more out there.......http://appleinsider.com/articles/11/10/21/steve_jobs_left_designer_jony_ive_more_power_than_anyone_at_apple
John Gruber posted a link to a <a href="http://mjtsai.com/blog/2016/10/27/new-macbook-pros-and-the-state-of-the-mac/">blog</a> by Michael Tsai (not exactly sure who that is). Gruber says he can't remember an Apple event that had such negative reaction from the Mac community. I can understand being upset about the state of the Mac Pro but I don't get the venom directed towards the MacBook Pro. It's a better machine in pretty much every way. This whole temper tantrum over 32GB RAM. I could maybe understand it if it was something Apple previously had but now took away. But that's not the case. There were absolutely no rumors that these new MacBook Pro's would even offer that option. And people are losing their minds yet they haven't spent one minute with these machines nor have there been any reviews.
Frankly I think it's ridiculous and seems a bit like herd mentality sort of like when Marco Arment posted that article about Apple's software using a clickbait headline and then everyone in the tech community was freaking out over Apple's software. Now Phil Schiller responds to why there isn't a 32GB option for the MBP and everyone in the tech world loses their mind. Ridiculous.
That's a very long list of disgruntled and unhappy potential customers and it shows that Apple is not in touch with what it's current user base wants. If you look at the comments there are a litany of issues there, not just about the amount of RAM. Everything from the reality that these units have gone up in price for the same spec, to the failure to update the rest of the Mac line up with modern chips, to the fact that to use ANY peripheral you now need a bag of expensive dongles. It's obvious that there is a lot of pent up frustration at how Apple is managing the Mac product line and not listening to their customers. My own take on it is that Apple is so enamored with it's iOS devices and the dictats of Johnny Ive that no one is standing up and saying what needs to be said. Pretty sad but also pretty true when you look at the reality. Yes, please make a thin, light laptop but why not make a bigger unit that includes backwards compatibility but allows the use of more RAM, bigger battery, etc so that the end users can decide which one they want to use and what is more important for them. If Apple is convinced that the MB Pro is so good what is the harm in creating some differentiation?
Yep. The emperor has no clothes.
This chip seems better suited to an updated MacBookAir, but I think Apple is more concerned about maintaining profit margins even if there are fewer sales. They should have done an update to the Airs with 2 or 3 TypeC connectors and waited on refreshing the Pro. Apple has said that they expect the future to be one where users have just laptops. So I do think that Apple's Pro should start at 16 GB and go to at least 32 GB RAM. (Also keep magsafe on the Pro).
People should not be surprised that Apple raised the price on the MBP after they also raised the price on the iPad Pro's over the Air. It's a gamble that only Apple could do. The touch bar looks nice but really not compelling for me. Although I love the touch ID button.
You suggest that the strategy Apple has used since the original iMac should be abandoned? Apple has made billions and increased their Mac business for almost 20 years by leaving a wake of abandoned legacy ports, oversized cases & batteries as well as other outdated features.
they have pushed an impeccable fit & finish, innovative materials & manufacturing, elevating formerly pedestrian components to impressive design achievements. I feel they should continue this strategy.
To all those who would trade back the touch bar, smaller sizes and wide gamut displays for a marginally faster processor, I say: don't do it.
You know that if Apple only did an incremental update and didn't change a damn port on the MBP the same people bitching about the Touch Bar as being a gimmick and USB-C being useless would be complaining that Apple is no longer innovating and push boundaries.
Intel's sluggish performance in recent years provides Apple plenty of reason to use ARM processors in Macs. Two or four iPhone ARMs running in parallel would be more powerful yet far less costly than one Intel DryLake processor.
Well, except for the performance hit on running a lot of existing software.
Well, it's Apple's fault that they keep using Intel processors instead of something based on their wind-storm ARM cores.
ARM still has not caught up to Intel in terms of performance, so claiming about the performance of Apple's Intel-based machines and wishing for ARM instead is an odd position to be taking.
This keeps happening. People keep going "Apple will use ARM in their MacBooks" and all you have to do is look at the iPad Pro and go "why would they bother?"
The iPad Pro is better at being a laptop than many of the Intel-based i3 parts. There is no demand to run macOS software on the iPad Pro. This is different from Microsoft's problem where they completely fumbled by releasing not one, but two different products that people didn't want. They released Windows 8 without the "classic" interface, thus subjecting desktop users to what is clearly a touch-interface that nobody had (Microsoft didn't learn this lesson with Windows CE/Mobile either) but they then put out an ARM-based Windows Surface laptop/tablet that didnt't run Windows classic software either. Microsoft illustrates the folly of trying to have one OS be everything. Microsoft should have literately stolen Apple's idea and released the "Windows 8 UI" as it's own OS even if the underlying OS could still run classic applications through a control panel widget. It should be been "Buy all your apps from the Microsoft store" just like Apple. They might have even gotten away with calling the Windows 8 UI OS "Windows Metro 8 " and then later releasing a "Windows 8 64-bit" for the desktop/laptop and drop support for 32-bit CPU's.
But no, Microsoft in all it's brilliant screwups since Bill Gates left, opted for the ARM chip for no reason and then abandoned it. See also Zune, and Windows CE/Mobile where Microsoft just outright abandoned a software/hardware product and shot off their own foot in the process. Who was going to buy a Windows Phone now? Microsoft is just going to abandon Windows Phone users, and have done so. If you want the mass market to adopt something you have to put your full support behind it, and unfortunately Microsoft only puts their full support behind their Office product and the Xbox. Nothing else. A surface-series computer is a hard sell because you know Microsoft is not going to support it for 8 years.
Exactly. All they'd need to do would be to add a trackpad to that flip-cover keyboard they have for the iPad Pro and voilà, there's your ARM-based laptop.
:sigh: You can't fucking add a piece of HW to the iPad and make it work like a windowed OS or have the same functionality as a traditional PC. If and when Apple moves to an ARM-based traditional PC it'll be based on macOS, not iOS.
You can quite easily make the mouse work; you just add the software to draw a cursor on the screen, add support for Bluetooth mice to control said cursor, and simulate "tap" actions via mouse clicks. A mouse interface is literally already implemented via the iOS simulator; they would just need to port this to the actual mobile OS. It also exists already in Android and Windows Mobile, so this is not some crazy out-there idea.
Adding a trackpad to the iPad Pro's keyboard cover would make content creation easier on it; when typing up a document, for instance, it would make selecting small amounts of text to fix typos much easier. Now that apps such as iMovie, Photoshop, and other creative apps are on iOS, it's not too hard to imagine cases in which pixel-precise actions would be helpful there as well. This would probably address about 95% of what people want in a cheap ARM-based laptop, TBH.
The reality is MacOS runs on Intel processors - that cannot be changed without a huge investment in time and resources, not to mention reprogramming the OS, all apps and getting all developers to do the same!
In large part, iOS is macOS beneath the user-facing portion. And does not require Intel processors to run.
This is not to argue to it would be easy to revamp macOS, much less third-party application for macOS, to run on Ax-series processors at anything near to acceptable performance in the near term.
:sigh: You can't fucking add a piece of HW to the iPad and make it work like a windowed OS or have the same functionality as a traditional PC. If and when Apple moves to an ARM-based traditional PC it'll be based on macOS, not iOS.
You can quite easily make the mouse work; you just add the software to draw a cursor on the screen, add support for Bluetooth mice to control said cursor, and simulate "tap" actions via mouse clicks. A mouse interface is literally already implemented via the iOS simulator; they would just need to port this to the actual mobile OS. It also exists already in Android and Windows Mobile, so this is not some crazy out-there idea.
Adding a trackpad to the iPad Pro's keyboard cover would make content creation easier on it; when typing up a document, for instance, it would make selecting small amounts of text to fix typos much easier. Now that apps such as iMovie, Photoshop, and other creative apps are on iOS, it's not too hard to imagine cases in which pixel-precise actions would be helpful there as well. This would probably address about 95% of what people want in a cheap ARM-based laptop, TBH.
You're missing the point. There's no need to shoehorn anything when macOS is the OS that is ideal for a traditional PC design. Just try to get it out of your head that iOS is the only way that you can have an ARM-base system and you'll finally understand just how wrong you are about trying to make a notebook or desktop that runs iOS over macOS.
More likely it's just a tiny minority that's very vocal right now and the tech echo chamber amplifies everything. Btw it's Jony not Johnny and I think people assign him way more power than he has. If the rest of the executive team said we need a desktop class notebook with 32GB RAM and the biggest battery possible that's what the engineers and designers would be producing. To me this freakout after every Apple hardware release is getting old and boring. iPhone 7 has been on the market for over a month now and the freakout over the lack of headphone jack is pretty much non existent. It would be easier to accept some of these criticisms if they were made after extensive use of these new machines. But not one person bitching has spent any time with them. It's all based on a spec sheet and freakouts on social media.
.. Yes in 3 years USB C will likely be a good option but if I want to go there now I have to trash all of my monitors, keyboards, etc that are wired and move to the "new" standard. It doesn't need to be like that, but Apple is arrogant enough to believe it should be, whatever the inconvenience or expense to its customers....
Yes, everyone is entitled to their opinion. However, what you wrote in that section above is complete hyperbole. Adapters are not ideal, but they are the typical transition approach, and only cost a few 10s of $ for most. When a peripheral is wired already, putting a short adapter (basically an extended wire with a different connector) onto that wire is not that big of a deal. I am assuming you don't carry your monitor and keyboard with you, so it is a one time type change an inconvenience. For those mobile warriors who utilized all of the ports on the previous version on the go - say a photographer using SD card slot, USB portable disks - then carrying more than a couple adapters would be an annoyance.
:sigh: You can't fucking add a piece of HW to the iPad and make it work like a windowed OS or have the same functionality as a traditional PC. If and when Apple moves to an ARM-based traditional PC it'll be based on macOS, not iOS.
You can quite easily make the mouse work; you just add the software to draw a cursor on the screen, add support for Bluetooth mice to control said cursor, and simulate "tap" actions via mouse clicks. A mouse interface is literally already implemented via the iOS simulator; they would just need to port this to the actual mobile OS. It also exists already in Android and Windows Mobile, so this is not some crazy out-there idea.
Adding a trackpad to the iPad Pro's keyboard cover would make content creation easier on it; when typing up a document, for instance, it would make selecting small amounts of text to fix typos much easier. Now that apps such as iMovie, Photoshop, and other creative apps are on iOS, it's not too hard to imagine cases in which pixel-precise actions would be helpful there as well. This would probably address about 95% of what people want in a cheap ARM-based laptop, TBH.
You're missing the point. There's no need to shoehorn anything when macOS is the OS that is ideal for a traditional PC design. Just try to get it out of your head that iOS is the only way that you can have an ARM-base system and you'll finally understand just how wrong you are about trying to make a notebook or desktop that runs iOS over macOS.
iOS is not "the only way" that you can have an ARM-based system, and I'm in no way saying that it is. However, among the operating systems that Apple owns, iOS is the one with the existing ARM-based architecture and software library. In addition, its high-end product, the iPad Pro, is already being used by many as a laptop replacement. It fits quite well, whereas there really aren't many compelling arguments for an ARM-based macOS product.
With so many setbacks that Intel is having lately, I wouldn't be surprised if Apple decides to switch to its own ARM chips.
Remember PowerPC not being able to catch up with performance per watt when Apple was obsessed with battery efficiency and Apple just announced it's switching to Intel.
Also, another sign that Apple is going to use ARM is CoffeeLake, the next generation after KabyLake, will be on 14nm instead of 10nm due to poor yield. And it's not even that impressive. How do you think Apple feels with all the limits imposed by Intel and it just cannot wait and wait and wait?
John Gruber posted a link to a <a href="http://mjtsai.com/blog/2016/10/27/new-macbook-pros-and-the-state-of-the-mac/">blog</a> by Michael Tsai (not exactly sure who that is). Gruber says he can't remember an Apple event that had such negative reaction from the Mac community. I can understand being upset about the state of the Mac Pro but I don't get the venom directed towards the MacBook Pro. It's a better machine in pretty much every way. This whole temper tantrum over 32GB RAM. I could maybe understand it if it was something Apple previously had but now took away. But that's not the case. There were absolutely no rumors that these new MacBook Pro's would even offer that option. And people are losing their minds yet they haven't spent one minute with these machines nor have there been any reviews.
Frankly I think it's ridiculous and seems a bit like herd mentality sort of like when Marco Arment posted that article about Apple's software using a clickbait headline and then everyone in the tech community was freaking out over Apple's software. Now Phil Schiller responds to why there isn't a 32GB option for the MBP and everyone in the tech world loses their mind. Ridiculous.
That's a very long list of disgruntled and unhappy potential customers and it shows that Apple is not in touch with what it's current user base wants. If you look at the comments there are a litany of issues there, not just about the amount of RAM. Everything from the reality that these units have gone up in price for the same spec, to the failure to update the rest of the Mac line up with modern chips, to the fact that to use ANY peripheral you now need a bag of expensive dongles. It's obvious that there is a lot of pent up frustration at how Apple is managing the Mac product line and not listening to their customers. My own take on it is that Apple is so enamored with it's iOS devices and the dictats of Johnny Ive that no one is standing up and saying what needs to be said. Pretty sad but also pretty true when you look at the reality. Yes, please make a thin, light laptop but why not make a bigger unit that includes backwards compatibility but allows the use of more RAM, bigger battery, etc so that the end users can decide which one they want to use and what is more important for them. If Apple is convinced that the MB Pro is so good what is the harm in creating some differentiation?
Yep. The emperor has no clothes.
This chip seems better suited to an updated MacBookAir, but I think Apple is more concerned about maintaining profit margins even if there are fewer sales. They should have done an update to the Airs with 2 or 3 TypeC connectors and waited on refreshing the Pro. Apple has said that they expect the future to be one where users have just laptops. So I do think that Apple's Pro should start at 16 GB and go to at least 32 GB RAM. (Also keep magsafe on the Pro).
People should not be surprised that Apple raised the price on the MBP after they also raised the price on the iPad Pro's over the Air. It's a gamble that only Apple could do. The touch bar looks nice but really not compelling for me. Although I love the touch ID button.
You suggest that the strategy Apple has used since the original iMac should be abandoned? Apple has made billions and increased their Mac business for almost 20 years by leaving a wake of abandoned legacy ports, oversized cases & batteries as well as other outdated features.
they have pushed an impeccable fit & finish, innovative materials & manufacturing, elevating formerly pedestrian components to impressive design achievements. I feel they should continue this strategy.
You really sound brainwashed. The only thing that's insanely great at the moment is the price point.
Comments
To all those who would trade back the touch bar, smaller sizes and wide gamut displays for a marginally faster processor, I say: don't do it.
Id rather have apple doing their thing, pushing new concepts, making formerly-rare features mainstream.
I am am happy that I can finally run my 30" Eizo 10-bit per channel in full 10 bit mode on an Apple laptop. Had they ignored the deep color in an effort to chase higher raw GPU scores, I'd have a faster GPU that still wouldn't support the features of my high end display.
The hardcore nerds here are strutting their stuff, saying they'd trade all the ergonomics and new interface tech for faster hardware. I say they are wrong. This upgrade is a good balance of hardware improvement AND big-picture strategic design improvement.
I like it.
Yep. The emperor has no clothes.
This chip seems better suited to an updated MacBookAir, but I think Apple is more concerned about maintaining profit margins even if there are fewer sales.
They should have done an update to the Airs with 2 or 3 TypeC connectors and waited on refreshing the Pro. Apple has said that they expect the future to be one where users have just laptops. So I do think that Apple's Pro should start at 16 GB and go to at least 32 GB RAM. (Also keep magsafe on the Pro).
People should not be surprised that Apple raised the price on the MBP after they also raised the price on the iPad Pro's over the Air.
It's a gamble that only Apple could do. The touch bar looks nice but really not compelling for me. Although I love the touch ID button.
they have pushed an impeccable fit & finish, innovative materials & manufacturing, elevating formerly pedestrian components to impressive design achievements. I feel they should continue this strategy.
Adding a trackpad to the iPad Pro's keyboard cover would make content creation easier on it; when typing up a document, for instance, it would make selecting small amounts of text to fix typos much easier. Now that apps such as iMovie, Photoshop, and other creative apps are on iOS, it's not too hard to imagine cases in which pixel-precise actions would be helpful there as well. This would probably address about 95% of what people want in a cheap ARM-based laptop, TBH.
This is not to argue to it would be easy to revamp macOS, much less third-party application for macOS, to run on Ax-series processors at anything near to acceptable performance in the near term.
Remember PowerPC not being able to catch up with performance per watt when Apple was obsessed with battery efficiency and Apple just announced it's switching to Intel.
Also, another sign that Apple is going to use ARM is CoffeeLake, the next generation after KabyLake, will be on 14nm instead of 10nm due to poor yield. And it's not even that impressive. How do you think Apple feels with all the limits imposed by Intel and it just cannot wait and wait and wait?
Sporty ...
The only thing that's insanely great at the moment is the price point.