Apple Silicon MacBook Pro and AirPods event is on October 18

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Comments

  • Reply 41 of 64
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Desperate for a larger iMac refresh.

    What does the Armchair-Predictor reveal?
    I just want an M1 iMac without a white border on the screen, don't care what size it is. Maybe I'm just too particular, but I'm surprised the white border didn't bother more people. It's jarring when the computer is off, or when watching a show (what TVs have white borders?), or when in dark mode, and even when the screen is on you still have that thin black border. Maybe this is just a preference thing, or maybe my feelings actually reflect objective aesthetic truths, and people just don't notice these irregularities enough for it to matter, just like they don't notice the drops of morning dew on a dandelion, or the hue of the sunset, or that the gd light turned green one minute ago.
    The black screen bezels wasn’t always a thing. Monitors used to have a beige bezel, or a grey bezel, usually. When black bezels came out, people complained. Now people are so used to it that anything else seems wrong. You’ll get used to this too.

    in general, black bezels are thought to be better for still and video editing. I tend to agree. But white, or light grey (which these are closer to) are thought to be better for graphics publishing and general writing. Many flat screen TVs today, such as the Phillips, use colored lighting around the screen so it won’t be black, which gives the appearance of a larger screen.

    with bezels becoming smaller, the colot becomes less important.
    edited October 2021 ronn9secondkox2cgWerkswatto_cobra
  • Reply 42 of 64
    thttht Posts: 5,421member
    melgross said:
    tht said:
    Big questions on my mind:

    1. Will they offer 64 GB RAM, and if so, how? LPDDR5? In-package? 4 memory chips, or 8 in 4 pads stacked 2 high.
    2. What's the deal with the GPU? Will they offer 32 cores? If so, 16 cores in the SoC, 16 cores off-chip but in package? If so, makes for an MCM with 5 to 9 chips.
    3. If this M1X chip is used for the large iMac, how do they get to 128 GB RAM and 64 GPU cores?

    This is the first true blue, designed for a Mac SoC. Will be interesting to see what design paths they chose.
    I’ve also been thinking that the graphics cores could be off chip but on the substrate. I think I mentioned that once. Latency might suffer a small amount, but not much. If they offload the GPU, then two benefits. One is that they have far more room on the substrate, which can be any size. Two is that there is now a lot more room on the chip for everything else, such as more, and bigger performance cores, or a 5G modem. Thought the modem would t be this year, of course.
    For chip-to-chip comm, they'll be alright if they use an interposer or a silicon bridge between chips. However, Apple is famous or infamous for trying to make due with the minimum possible at a package level. If they can get away with using a 256 bus in the substrate PCB between a dGPU and the SoC, they will use it. Who knows.

    There's a lot of implied constraints. If there is a 16c GPU in the SoC, and a 16c dGPU in-package, I would think this would mean the OS would see it as 2 GPUs. I can't see how this would work well from either a marketing or user standpoint. I'd think Apple would want these 2 GPUs to act as one, with the same latencies and bandwidth to SLC and main memory, and doubles GPU power with developers changing code. The easiest way out of this mess is to just fab a SoC with a 32 core GPU and fuse off cores, but fusing off half the GPUs is a gigantic waste of silicon.

    Apple has to scale CPU cores and GPU cores way up for the large iMac and Mac Pro. And possibly mix and match the number of CPU vs GPU cores for different customers. It's quite the vexing problem. I think they can get out of the multi-chip integration mess if they used a silicon bridge between a dGPU and a the SoC chip switched fabric bus, and if the SLC latencies and bandwidth are the same, they can increase GPU power by just adding more in-package dGPUs. If this direct connection to the SoC fabric works. Big if.

    It's quite the problem. Or, they just won't offer much option in CPU and GPU cores. Just 1 or 2 options and call it good enough. Which means, a customer who needs a of CPU cores will get a big GPU along for the ride, and vice versa.
    fastasleeppatchythepirateFileMakerFellerwatto_cobra
  • Reply 43 of 64
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    tht said:
    melgross said:
    tht said:
    Big questions on my mind:

    1. Will they offer 64 GB RAM, and if so, how? LPDDR5? In-package? 4 memory chips, or 8 in 4 pads stacked 2 high.
    2. What's the deal with the GPU? Will they offer 32 cores? If so, 16 cores in the SoC, 16 cores off-chip but in package? If so, makes for an MCM with 5 to 9 chips.
    3. If this M1X chip is used for the large iMac, how do they get to 128 GB RAM and 64 GPU cores?

    This is the first true blue, designed for a Mac SoC. Will be interesting to see what design paths they chose.
    I’ve also been thinking that the graphics cores could be off chip but on the substrate. I think I mentioned that once. Latency might suffer a small amount, but not much. If they offload the GPU, then two benefits. One is that they have far more room on the substrate, which can be any size. Two is that there is now a lot more room on the chip for everything else, such as more, and bigger performance cores, or a 5G modem. Thought the modem would t be this year, of course.
    For chip-to-chip comm, they'll be alright if they use an interposer or a silicon bridge between chips. However, Apple is famous or infamous for trying to make due with the minimum possible at a package level. If they can get away with using a 256 bus in the substrate PCB between a dGPU and the SoC, they will use it. Who knows.

    There's a lot of implied constraints. If there is a 16c GPU in the SoC, and a 16c dGPU in-package, I would think this would mean the OS would see it as 2 GPUs. I can't see how this would work well from either a marketing or user standpoint. I'd think Apple would want these 2 GPUs to act as one, with the same latencies and bandwidth to SLC and main memory, and doubles GPU power with developers changing code. The easiest way out of this mess is to just fab a SoC with a 32 core GPU and fuse off cores, but fusing off half the GPUs is a gigantic waste of silicon.

    Apple has to scale CPU cores and GPU cores way up for the large iMac and Mac Pro. And possibly mix and match the number of CPU vs GPU cores for different customers. It's quite the vexing problem. I think they can get out of the multi-chip integration mess if they used a silicon bridge between a dGPU and a the SoC chip switched fabric bus, and if the SLC latencies and bandwidth are the same, they can increase GPU power by just adding more in-package dGPUs. If this direct connection to the SoC fabric works. Big if.

    It's quite the problem. Or, they just won't offer much option in CPU and GPU cores. Just 1 or 2 options and call it good enough. Which means, a customer who needs a of CPU cores will get a big GPU along for the ride, and vice versa.
    I imagine e they could just extend the fabric they’re using now. I believe the RAM is on that fabric now. If so, then there shouldn’t be a problem for a CPU either.

    Apple has to do something. There is simply no way that they can get 16, 32, 64 or the 128 cores on that chip. No way to get more than 6 performance core on the chip either if the GPU is still there. So eventually, I think they have to move the GPU off. They can’t just make the chip arbitrarily large, and shrinking node sizes are becoming less efficient and less able to fit more transistors in the same space according to the node, which has been a compromise since 22nm.

    possibly they,l even take the ever increasing in size neural engine out. Something has to give in the highest end models. It can’t be all done on chip at those complexity levels. I can’t imagine that Apple isn’t working on that.
    fastasleeppatchythepiratewatto_cobra
  • Reply 44 of 64
    22july201322july2013 Posts: 3,564member
    Japhey said:
    I strongly believe we are about to get a surprise from Apple that people aren’t expecting. It might be the AR/VR unveiling everyone has been waiting for. 
    AR/VR? Hmm, I've been wrong before, and my prediction today is the biggest longshot I've ever predicted, but here goes.... A few weeks ago ABBA announced new virtual reality ABBAtars of themselves, but they didn't mention any hardware platform that their VR Abbatars would be available on. The timing might be coincidental, but I'm predicting that (a) Apple will release a VR/AR device, and I also predict that (b) the first app Apple will announce for their new AR/VR device will be "ABBAtars," which will allow people to see themselves right in the midst of ABBA's performances. I've never stood in line for any product before, but I'd stand in a long line for that one.
    Uh, gee — it says all over their website what this is for — a series of concerts in London using their avatars as stand-ins for the band. There's absolutely no mention of AR/VR anywhere to be found: https://abbavoyage.com
    Of course they didn't say it was for any sort of AR/VR! That's my whole point - I'm making a prediction. You should look up the word "prediction" in the dictionary. I enjoy when other people misinterpret me and I get to tell them.
    patchythepirate
  • Reply 45 of 64
    mattinozmattinoz Posts: 2,299member
    melgross said:
    Desperate for a larger iMac refresh.

    What does the Armchair-Predictor reveal?
    I just want an M1 iMac without a white border on the screen, don't care what size it is. Maybe I'm just too particular, but I'm surprised the white border didn't bother more people. It's jarring when the computer is off, or when watching a show (what TVs have white borders?), or when in dark mode, and even when the screen is on you still have that thin black border. Maybe this is just a preference thing, or maybe my feelings actually reflect objective aesthetic truths, and people just don't notice these irregularities enough for it to matter, just like they don't notice the drops of morning dew on a dandelion, or the hue of the sunset, or that the gd light turned green one minute ago.
    The black screen bezels wasn’t always a thing. Monitors used to have a beige bezel, or a grey bezel, usually. When black bezels came out, people complained. Now people are so used to it that anything else seems wrong. You’ll get used to this too.

    in general, black bezels are thought to be better for still and video editing. I tend to agree. But white, or light grey (which these are closer to) are thought to be better for graphics publishing and general writing. Many flat screen TVs today, such as the Phillips, use colored lighting around the screen so it won’t be black, which gives the appearance of a larger screen.

    with bezels becoming smaller, the colot becomes less important.
    The current soon to be fully redundant Intel iMacs are the only iMac to have black bezels even the Bondi iMac had a light translucent grey/white bezel. 
    Sure dark mode is a thing now and more video. No bezels would be best but I don't seen white as an issue.

    Don't the Samsung Art series TV have a fine white metal bezel the timber frames magnet too. 
    ronn9secondkox2watto_cobra
  • Reply 46 of 64
    davgregdavgreg Posts: 1,036member
    In truth the entire PC industry is about to be turned upside down by the M1X, M2 and then, perhaps, the next generation of ARM processors in about two years when NVIDIA has had a chance to catch up with Apple. Microsoft appears to be well aware of this fact. They got that little memo from Apple saying that Windows ARM emulation speed is a Microsoft problem to solve. Recent build of Windows 11 for Arm are working quite well. Seeing GTA V playing at decent frame rates on the Mac Mini in Parallels is quite literally a game changer.
    Had just about given up on running Windows with the switch to ARM but this is encouraging news.

    I am not a hard core gamer but like to relax with games and the state of games on the Macintosh is pretty abysmal and it is not much better on iOS. Ad supported crap and “pay to win” games designed to mine your wallet. 

    A decade ago you could play casual games on your Mac online with a friend/family member and chat while playing using the tech built in to the OS. Game Center looks like a mess and games that use it are awful in my experience even on broadband landline internet and 5G Mobile. I have Apple One and o thing I have tried game wise seems worth the trouble.

    Not talking about FPS here, just simple “casual” games that are well done and allow online multiplayer with chat.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 47 of 64
    mjtomlinmjtomlin Posts: 2,673member
    “Unleashed” implies Apple Silicon is being set free in some way. I guess it could be confined to Pro laptops (i.e., the M1 is “unleashed” in the M1X), but you have to wonder if we’re going to see an iMac Pro or something like that, free from the thermal constraints of tablets and laptops (and ultra-thin iMacs)…

    I think the M1 is as it will ever be. We won't see an "M1X".

    "Unleashed" will be more about "widening" the architecture to support... more CPUs, bigger GPUs, more RAM, more PCIe lanes, etc. All the things needed in "professional" systems.

    While the M2 is most certainly destined to be used in MBP and new PiMac. I kind of believe Apple will use the M2 across all of its systems. Sticking with the M1 only in the lowest-end models; single model of mini, MBA, iMac24 (all with a $100 price drop).
  • Reply 48 of 64
    fastasleepfastasleep Posts: 6,408member
    Japhey said:
    I strongly believe we are about to get a surprise from Apple that people aren’t expecting. It might be the AR/VR unveiling everyone has been waiting for. 
    AR/VR? Hmm, I've been wrong before, and my prediction today is the biggest longshot I've ever predicted, but here goes.... A few weeks ago ABBA announced new virtual reality ABBAtars of themselves, but they didn't mention any hardware platform that their VR Abbatars would be available on. The timing might be coincidental, but I'm predicting that (a) Apple will release a VR/AR device, and I also predict that (b) the first app Apple will announce for their new AR/VR device will be "ABBAtars," which will allow people to see themselves right in the midst of ABBA's performances. I've never stood in line for any product before, but I'd stand in a long line for that one.
    Uh, gee — it says all over their website what this is for — a series of concerts in London using their avatars as stand-ins for the band. There's absolutely no mention of AR/VR anywhere to be found: https://abbavoyage.com
    Of course they didn't say it was for any sort of AR/VR! That's my whole point - I'm making a prediction. You should look up the word "prediction" in the dictionary. I enjoy when other people misinterpret me and I get to tell them.
    You said they announced a VR product but not the hardware it’d run on. That’s a false premise to start, so your “prediction” is meaningless. It’s not a VR product. It’s a show. 
    williamlondonwatto_cobra
  • Reply 49 of 64
    fastasleepfastasleep Posts: 6,408member
    davgreg said:
    I am not a hard core gamer but like to relax with games and the state of games on the Macintosh is pretty abysmal and it is not much better on iOS. Ad supported crap and “pay to win” games designed to mine your wallet. 

    It’s weird how people download these F2P games and then complain that they’re F2P games. I have a sizable Steam library on my Mac and absolutely none of it is that kind of game. 

    And, there are tons of multiplayer games out there. 
    williamlondonwatto_cobra
  • Reply 50 of 64
    melgross said:
    Desperate for a larger iMac refresh.

    What does the Armchair-Predictor reveal?
    I just want an M1 iMac without a white border on the screen, don't care what size it is. Maybe I'm just too particular, but I'm surprised the white border didn't bother more people. It's jarring when the computer is off, or when watching a show (what TVs have white borders?), or when in dark mode, and even when the screen is on you still have that thin black border. Maybe this is just a preference thing, or maybe my feelings actually reflect objective aesthetic truths, and people just don't notice these irregularities enough for it to matter, just like they don't notice the drops of morning dew on a dandelion, or the hue of the sunset, or that the gd light turned green one minute ago.
    The black screen bezels wasn’t always a thing. Monitors used to have a beige bezel, or a grey bezel, usually.

    Seems like that was more a function of limited tech at the time. I think Apple has done an amazing job pushing design forward, including the sleek, single pane screen with black bezel.

    When black bezels came out, people complained.

    People love to complain lol. The iPhone 4 being a good example of this of course.

    You’ll get used to this too.

    I'd prefer not to have to get used to what seems like a step backwards. Although, maybe people love it. I just hope we get a black bezel option.

    in general, black bezels are thought to be better for still and video editing. I tend to agree. But white, or light grey (which these are closer to) are thought to be better for graphics publishing and general writing. 

    Very interesting. I can't imagine why, but interesting nonetheless!

    with bezels becoming smaller, the colot becomes less important.

    I kind of like the roomy bezel on the current intel iMacs, feels like it's presenting the screen content, helps differentiate it from the background behind the computer, although it could be a tad smaller I suppose (like the size of the M1 iMacs).

    watto_cobra
  • Reply 51 of 64
    dewmedewme Posts: 5,335member
    vedelppa said:
    dewme said:
    If you watch the various computer hardware/PC builder channels on YouTube, you will see an entire industry in denial. They are trying to squeeze every last drop of precious performance out of their x86 CPUs by water cooling them, immersing them in liquid nitrogen or using fans usually reserved for Boeing 747s. Meanwhile, the M1 Mac Mini is quietly getting better single core performance than most of them. Whenever a Geekbench score is mentioned comparing the latest AMD to Intel, I have to ask "but what about the Apple M1?" I am ignored of course because that's not something they want to consider. In truth the entire PC industry is about to be turned upside down by the M1X, M2 and then, perhaps, the next generation of ARM processors in about two years when NVIDIA has had a chance to catch up with Apple. Microsoft appears to be well aware of this fact. They got that little memo from Apple saying that Windows ARM emulation speed is a Microsoft problem to solve. Recent build of Windows 11 for Arm are working quite well. Seeing GTA V playing at decent frame rates on the Mac Mini in Parallels is quite literally a game changer.

    Totally unrelated. There's a hobbyist community that's been playing around with all kinds of crazy sh** for decades seeing how far they can push various CPUs (and now GPUs and other chipsets) beyond their factory sanctioned performance specifications. These fun & games activities done by hobbyists and tech geeks have nothing at all to do with trying to keep up with Apple or anyone else. It's like saying that some dude putting a blower and nitrous oxide injection system on his '68 Camaro is trying to disrupt Ferrari or Lamborghini. Some people just enjoy having fun and seeing how far they can push things without blowing them up (or blowing them up too often). There's also a side effect that some of this hobbyist craziness identifies strategies that real product makers can incorporate, to some degree and in a controlled fashion, in real products instead of hobbies and big boy toys.

    The M1 is very cool and fast as all get out by today's standards, but in terms of next gen computing potentials it will someday be viewed as Apple's equivalent to the Intel 80386. Who knows, maybe some crazy hobbyists will soon be playing around with M1s in a few years trying to see how fast they can push them beyond what Apple originally intended. There may be upper limits in terms of where traditional RISC and CISC architectures can go, but we don't know where those limits are today, much less know where whatever technology replaces RISC and CISC and silicon will take us. Apple Silicon may have a little bit of a head start today, but the competition, including Intel and AMD, are not going to concede defeat, not by any stretch of the imagination.

    while you're full of yourself I'd remind you that those "toys" are "real products" made by serious developers on "big boy toys"... I share your excitement about Apple processors but hey, it was a bit much.. ;)
    Huh? I’m giving credit to hobbyists and hackers for sometimes identifying techniques and limitations that spill over to real products after being refined a bit and done in a controlled fashion. 

    Perhaps you’ve misconstrued the colloquial term “big boy toys” as a pejorative term? Or maybe you didn’t see that I contrasted hobbies and big boy toys from real products? My intention was referring to big boy toys as objects, machines, vehicles, etc,, that hobbyists and enthusiasts are focused on at a level of passion that far exceeds the normal or utilitarian use of the item or serves a practical need. I have an ex-boss who owns a P51 Mustang. It’s the ultimate big boy toy for someone who is a pilot and who’s passionate about WW2 aircraft. No, the Mustang is not used for company travel.

    Having been a serious developer for decades I’ve never used toys as part of my toolset. I use tools, the best ones my boss will buy for me, and no, I never mess around with trying to run these tools beyond their design limits. If they aren’t up to the task, I ask for a replacement. I won’t admit to having any big boy toys at home, but who doesn’t have a hobby or two?

    On this exact topic, saw that someone pushed a Raspberry Pi to compute module 4 to 3 GHz. No, they didn’t do it to try to catch up to Apple or the M1, they did it because they enjoy doing this sort of thing.


    williamlondonwatto_cobra
  • Reply 52 of 64
    22july201322july2013 Posts: 3,564member
    Japhey said:
    I strongly believe we are about to get a surprise from Apple that people aren’t expecting. It might be the AR/VR unveiling everyone has been waiting for. 
    AR/VR? Hmm, I've been wrong before, and my prediction today is the biggest longshot I've ever predicted, but here goes.... A few weeks ago ABBA announced new virtual reality ABBAtars of themselves, but they didn't mention any hardware platform that their VR Abbatars would be available on. The timing might be coincidental, but I'm predicting that (a) Apple will release a VR/AR device, and I also predict that (b) the first app Apple will announce for their new AR/VR device will be "ABBAtars," which will allow people to see themselves right in the midst of ABBA's performances. I've never stood in line for any product before, but I'd stand in a long line for that one.
    Uh, gee — it says all over their website what this is for — a series of concerts in London using their avatars as stand-ins for the band. There's absolutely no mention of AR/VR anywhere to be found: https://abbavoyage.com
    Of course they didn't say it was for any sort of AR/VR! That's my whole point - I'm making a prediction. You should look up the word "prediction" in the dictionary. I enjoy when other people misinterpret me and I get to tell them.
    You said they announced a VR product but not the hardware it’d run on. That’s a false premise to start, so your “prediction” is meaningless. It’s not a VR product. It’s a show. 
    I did not say that they announced a "VR product". I didn't even use the word "product." You are making up false claims to try to validate your mistakes. For a person with 5000+ posts you are sure inaccurate a lot.

    You know very well that their VR show does run on something. Maybe we will get access to something that will run it. That's my longshot prediction. Is that too hard to understand still?

    Learn to read, learn to think, and please learn to be polite.
    FileMakerFeller
  • Reply 53 of 64
    cgWerkscgWerks Posts: 2,952member
    ericthehalfbee said:
    Two, this will be our first look at just how far Apple has come with their custom processors. How they perform and what they include should give us a glimpse at future Macs (for example, CPU and GPU core counts and RAM support).
    Exactly. Besides my personal interest in a mini M1X type unit (or possibly a bigger iMac *if* they included video input, which is unlikely), I really want to get a feel for how quickly Apple is advancing with this tech. Trying to figure out the direction the GPU technology is headed is of even more interest. Will we just get lots more cores? Will options open up to eGPU additions, either Apple Silicon or AMD? I suppose we won't know for sure until the Apple Silicon Mac Pro, but maybe we'll get a good feel for it with this event.

    verne arase said:
    If this thing performs as I hope it'll have the power to run x86 games in a Parallels ARM Win VM at full speed and full resolution using ARM Win's x86 -> ARM translator. Just hope that Parallels DirectX intercepts and Metal drivers are up to the task.
    The problem would be the graphics, I'd think. But, I hope you're right. I've just come to the conclusion I need to keep my Intel mini around and add an Apple Silicon one. But, if that happens, I'd be thrilled.

    ... In truth the entire PC industry is about to be turned upside down by the M1X, M2 and then, perhaps, the next generation of ARM processors in about two years when NVIDIA  ... Recent build of Windows 11 for Arm are working quite well. Seeing GTA V playing at decent frame rates on the Mac Mini in Parallels is quite literally a game changer.
    Yeah, for that to happen, Apple will have to *really* pull out ahead and then maintain that lead for some amount of time. The problem is the software, as it won't just turn on a dime and run well enough to take advantage of all that new-found power. But, if the lead maintains, the developers will eventually be forced to take a serous look.

    That's interesting about the gaming in Parallels. I hadn't seen that. If true, you're saying Windows emulation is getting that good? How broadly does that work? (If I'm understanding, Windows ARM is emulating the X86 environment to run those apps?)

    Fred257 said:
    This is the event we’ve been waiting for!!
    Exactly... I'm actually going to watch this one! (First in a couple of years. I used to watch every single one.)

    nadriel said:
    Most interesting event of the whole year! Let's see how much overhyped our expectations are against what Apple has actually cooked for us. I'd hope being blowed away, maybe I should leave all these rumor websites.
    Yeah, that's part of the problem. We get all excited about the potential, and then Apple usually fails to quite meet those expectations. It seems like there is often some 'gotcha' aspect that kind of ruins the fun. A few times, they've totally blown us away, but usually when we have a general idea of what is coming along, our imaginations exceed the reality.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 54 of 64
    cgWerkscgWerks Posts: 2,952member
    Japhey said:
    Tell me I’m wearing a tin foil hat, but I strongly believe we are about to get a surprise from Apple that people aren’t expecting. It might be the AR/VR unveiling everyone has been waiting for. It might be the new Apple TV gaming device being whispered about online, or maybe just a new HomePod. But I really think this is going to be more than just a MacBook Pro and AirPods event. 
    I'd actually be seriously disappointed if it were about AR/VR or Apple TV gaming. Now you're scaring me.
    fastasleep said:
    If you were going by sales, the larger iMac would definitely be ahead of the mini (which has seen recent rumors/design leaks) and the Mac Pro which is almost certainly to be last. 
    Yeah, I agree with the idea that the MBP will get the priority, but I doubt they'll do them in sales-numbers order. It would kind of make sense, IMO, to release a bitter more pro iMac at this event, but I have no idea if it is ready. The Mac Pro will almost certainly be last and barely squeak into that 2yrs, if then.
    22july2013 said:
    AR/VR? Hmm, I've been wrong before, and my prediction today is the biggest longshot I've ever predicted, but here goes.... A few weeks ago ABBA announced new virtual reality ABBAtars of themselves...
    Oh please NO!!! As much as I like ABBA, this event needs to be solidly about the M1X Macs (or whatever they call it). I suppose if they wanted a 'one more thing' to close the presentation. You guys are scaring me big-time. (But, that's really cool... thanks for sharing!)
    dewme said:
    I’d vastly prefer a Mac Mini Pro to a larger iMac. Nothing against the iMac, but I’d rather have a moderately extensible and modular Mini ...
    Yeah, generally I'd agree. I wouldn't mind a good display like the iMacs have, though, so if they had a video input on them, I'd probably buy one to use as that central-hub machine. But, I love my mini (2018) and will likely just be adding another.
    edited October 2021 watto_cobra
  • Reply 55 of 64
    cgWerkscgWerks Posts: 2,952member
    fastasleep said:
    It’s weird how people download these F2P games and then complain that they’re F2P games. I have a sizable Steam library on my Mac and absolutely none of it is that kind of game. 

    And, there are tons of multiplayer games out there. 
    Heh, yeah, one of my favorite games currently (Planetside 2) is a F2P, and I don't mind the membership and purchase content at all. When I have more time, I join up or buy things, and when I don't it's free. But, I don't mind paying for a game full-out either, and have done that many times over the years, and $60-80 a pop for some games in the last several years. (Then there's Minecraft, a game I/we've gotten many, many times our investment out of and it just keeps going!)

    But, IMO, there is kind of a hole in gaming between the FPS AAA stuff, and the kind of casual games we find on iOS devices. Maybe it is just nostalgia, but there used to be some really cool stuff on the Mac years ago that kind of like the post indicated, I used to enjoy playing while chatting w/ friends. There is also kind of a hole in localized-multiplayer games that a family can enjoy together, etc.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 56 of 64
    urashid said:
    Warp speed!!!
    "They've gone to plaid."  :D
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 57 of 64
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    mattinoz said:
    melgross said:
    Desperate for a larger iMac refresh.

    What does the Armchair-Predictor reveal?
    I just want an M1 iMac without a white border on the screen, don't care what size it is. Maybe I'm just too particular, but I'm surprised the white border didn't bother more people. It's jarring when the computer is off, or when watching a show (what TVs have white borders?), or when in dark mode, and even when the screen is on you still have that thin black border. Maybe this is just a preference thing, or maybe my feelings actually reflect objective aesthetic truths, and people just don't notice these irregularities enough for it to matter, just like they don't notice the drops of morning dew on a dandelion, or the hue of the sunset, or that the gd light turned green one minute ago.
    The black screen bezels wasn’t always a thing. Monitors used to have a beige bezel, or a grey bezel, usually. When black bezels came out, people complained. Now people are so used to it that anything else seems wrong. You’ll get used to this too.

    in general, black bezels are thought to be better for still and video editing. I tend to agree. But white, or light grey (which these are closer to) are thought to be better for graphics publishing and general writing. Many flat screen TVs today, such as the Phillips, use colored lighting around the screen so it won’t be black, which gives the appearance of a larger screen.

    with bezels becoming smaller, the colot becomes less important.
    The current soon to be fully redundant Intel iMacs are the only iMac to have black bezels even the Bondi iMac had a light translucent grey/white bezel. 
    Sure dark mode is a thing now and more video. No bezels would be best but I don't seen white as an issue.

    Don't the Samsung Art series TV have a fine white metal bezel the timber frames magnet too. 
    Well, yes, exactly. The idea of black bezels was to have the bezel offset the screen from the surrounding space, and so allow the eye to maintain a proper definition of the color space and brightness. So we have graphics and video apps going black, or dark grey. But with bezels vanishing to 1.5” then to 1” and now to 0.5” or even less, that theory of using the bezel as a boundary has dissipated. It’s no longer useful.
    ronnwatto_cobra
  • Reply 58 of 64
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    melgross said:
    Desperate for a larger iMac refresh.

    What does the Armchair-Predictor reveal?
    I just want an M1 iMac without a white border on the screen, don't care what size it is. Maybe I'm just too particular, but I'm surprised the white border didn't bother more people. It's jarring when the computer is off, or when watching a show (what TVs have white borders?), or when in dark mode, and even when the screen is on you still have that thin black border. Maybe this is just a preference thing, or maybe my feelings actually reflect objective aesthetic truths, and people just don't notice these irregularities enough for it to matter, just like they don't notice the drops of morning dew on a dandelion, or the hue of the sunset, or that the gd light turned green one minute ago.
    The black screen bezels wasn’t always a thing. Monitors used to have a beige bezel, or a grey bezel, usually.

    Seems like that was more a function of limited tech at the time. I think Apple has done an amazing job pushing design forward, including the sleek, single pane screen with black bezel.

    When black bezels came out, people complained.

    People love to complain lol. The iPhone 4 being a good example of this of course.

    You’ll get used to this too.

    I'd prefer not to have to get used to what seems like a step backwards. Although, maybe people love it. I just hope we get a black bezel option.

    in general, black bezels are thought to be better for still and video editing. I tend to agree. But white, or light grey (which these are closer to) are thought to be better for graphics publishing and general writing. 

    Very interesting. I can't imagine why, but interesting nonetheless!

    with bezels becoming smaller, the colot becomes less important.

    I kind of like the roomy bezel on the current intel iMacs, feels like it's presenting the screen content, helps differentiate it from the background behind the computer, although it could be a tad smaller I suppose (like the size of the M1 iMacs).

    Bezels are going away the way they first did on TVs, phones, tablets, where they’re small, but needed in some form for holdability, and now, monitors. Look at Apple’s Pro monitor. Nothing can be done about it. Those who want bezels are doomed just as those holdouts who demanded a physical keyboard on phones were. And as they get thinner, the need for black for those who find it helpful goes away as a thin ribbon of black does nothing useful.

    any editing that has to do with color needs to be done in a dim room anyway.
    ronnwatto_cobra
  • Reply 59 of 64
    So the first segment of the event will be introduction of MacOS Monterey? Highly anticipated!
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 60 of 64
    cgWerkscgWerks Posts: 2,952member
    So the first segment of the event will be introduction of MacOS Monterey? Highly anticipated!
    Hopefully it now sucks way less. That has been Apple's weakness the last decade or so, whereas one could argue it used to be their strength (even more than hardware).
    williamlondon
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