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Latest predictions about forthcoming M1 Mac laptops


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I'm considering a Mac Mini, but Apple's in-house monitors come in a bit dearly. I'm primarily looking to use Logic in a crisp manner. HD for movies is a downstream gain to me. Any suggestions for a serviceable monitor that's closer to an Earth-price?

 "I want to be an intellectual, but I don't have the brainpower.
  The absent-mindedness, I've got that licked."
        ~ John Cleese

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I hate Face ID

Sorry if you've mentioned this before, but why?

I haven't. Even with Apple being better with security and privacy than pretty much everyone else out there among the major players, I find facial recognition really creepy.

 

On a practical level, have you ever tried using Face ID when you get a call in the middle of the night or want to answer a call on speakerphone while you're driving? I can keep full control of the car while touching the ID button, but I don't want to take my eyes off the road to look at the damn phone!

Dr. Mike Metlay (PhD in nuclear physics, golly gosh) :D

Musician, Author, Editor, Educator, Impresario, Online Radio Guy, Cut-Rate Polymath, and Kindly Pedant

Editor-in-Chief, Bjooks ~ Author of SYNTH GEMS 1

 

clicky!:  more about me ~ my radio station (and my fam) ~ my local tribe ~ my day job ~ my bookmy music

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I'm considering a Mac Mini, but Apple's in-house monitors come in a bit dearly. I'm primarily looking to use Logic in a crisp manner. HD for movies is a downstream gain to me. Any suggestions for a serviceable monitor that's closer to an Earth-price?

Oh, any HDMI monitor will work great. I just bought a curved Samsung display for under $200 at MicroCenter and will be replacing one of my current monitors with it ASAP.

Dr. Mike Metlay (PhD in nuclear physics, golly gosh) :D

Musician, Author, Editor, Educator, Impresario, Online Radio Guy, Cut-Rate Polymath, and Kindly Pedant

Editor-in-Chief, Bjooks ~ Author of SYNTH GEMS 1

 

clicky!:  more about me ~ my radio station (and my fam) ~ my local tribe ~ my day job ~ my bookmy music

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Both of my Mac Minis are connected by HDMI to 1920x1080 HDTV sets (Samsung). Gives me a 32" monitor at a great price. With two HDMI inputs, I can connect both a PC and Mac and switch the monitor. Also have a PC with a 39" monitor (a bit too big for desk use, but shows videos well, and a 55" in the Living room that has internal TV, Cable Box, and PC. That one is Windows 8.1 with Media Center, and is used for recording TV shows and playing back, and for streaming.

 

For some reason (probably how many are produced) the complete HDTV with similar specifications is usually cheaper than a Monitor only of the same size and specs.

Howard Grand|Hamm SK1-73|Kurz PC2|PC2X|PC3|PC3X|PC361; QSC K10's

HP DAW|Epi Les Paul & LP 5-str bass|iPad mini2

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

Jim

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For some reason (probably how many are produced) the complete HDTV with similar specifications is usually cheaper than a Monitor only of the same size and specs.

This is very good advice. As long as there is HDMI connectivity, pixels is pixels. The only reason I didn't go this route is because of very specific ergonomic / setup issues that require a small and lightweight monitor.

Dr. Mike Metlay (PhD in nuclear physics, golly gosh) :D

Musician, Author, Editor, Educator, Impresario, Online Radio Guy, Cut-Rate Polymath, and Kindly Pedant

Editor-in-Chief, Bjooks ~ Author of SYNTH GEMS 1

 

clicky!:  more about me ~ my radio station (and my fam) ~ my local tribe ~ my day job ~ my bookmy music

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I hate Face ID

Sorry if you've mentioned this before, but why?

I haven't. Even with Apple being better with security and privacy than pretty much everyone else out there among the major players, I find facial recognition really creepy.

I can *kind of* relate to this, but knowing how the Secure Enclave works, and knowing that my facial profile never even leaves that part of the chip (neither the CPU nor any code running on it can ever access it; interaction is limited to merely comparing an abstract checksum generated from the image), let alone ever leaves the device, really puts my mind at ease. There is no difference, technically, between how Touch ID and how Face ID work, beyond how the physical profile data is generated.

 

On a practical level, have you ever tried using Face ID when you get a call in the middle of the night

I don't get this: there is absolutely no difference between using Face ID in the pitch dark or outside in daylight.

 

or want to answer a call on speakerphone while you're driving? I can keep full control of the car while touching the ID button, but I don't want to take my eyes off the road to look at the damn phone!

This is soooo true.

 

Super-annoying regression in usability. Since they added unlocking via Apple Watch when you're wearing a mask, that's literally the only situation where I prefer Touch ID, though.

"The Angels of Libra are in the European vanguard of the [retro soul] movement" (Bill Buckley, Soul and Jazz and Funk)

The Drawbars | off jazz organ trio

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Thanks for the monitor tips, all. I've been happy with my nose fairly close to the screen, but it won't bother me to up my real estate by 25% or so. I've always been an iMac user and a DVD hobbyist. Never found the need to go HDMI at all. I also mysteriously missed the days of the MiniDisc. My knees are still just good enough to take the SSD leap. Keeping up with the rapid tech changes is like playing Twister with a centipede.

 "I want to be an intellectual, but I don't have the brainpower.
  The absent-mindedness, I've got that licked."
        ~ John Cleese

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I will eventually be forced to use Face ID, I know, but I still don't like it. I am going to probably buy the latest iPad Air as a gesture of solidarity with the Touch ID world, since they actually built a Touch ID sensor into the power button. I got to try it at long last and REALLY dug it, it works great.

Dr. Mike Metlay (PhD in nuclear physics, golly gosh) :D

Musician, Author, Editor, Educator, Impresario, Online Radio Guy, Cut-Rate Polymath, and Kindly Pedant

Editor-in-Chief, Bjooks ~ Author of SYNTH GEMS 1

 

clicky!:  more about me ~ my radio station (and my fam) ~ my local tribe ~ my day job ~ my bookmy music

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Part of the reason I asked about your dislike of Face ID is because I see people using iPhones in public (or at least I used toâ¦), and I've seen So Many people entering their passcode every time they pull their phone out. I'm sure they either have Touch ID or Face ID, and I'm like, "what?" I'm often close enough to be able to tell what they entered, but out of courtesy I look away. My MIL surely won't use it, because she's one of those insecure nuts who doesn't like to have her photo taken. I'm sure even if we convinced her no one would see her "picture", just that set up step of looking at the phone and moving her head around would bother her.

 

As analogika said, Face ID works fine in total darkness. Apple even demos that and shows it in their materials. The sensor throws "light" (IR? I don't remember) at you to "see" the contours of your face in all lighting or lack thereof.

 

As far as using it while driving? I use CarPlay. :D The times I have needed to unlock the phone while driving, a quick glance is all it took. Also, you can answer the phone without unlocking it (unless that's a setting I have allowed and you haven't).

 

IOW, I think this works better than you realize. ;)

"I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck

 

"The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI

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I will consider those points, but I still confess to being uncomfortable about it. I should know, however, that it is unlikely that I will be able to afford a car that has CarPlay in it for a very long time. My integrated automobile system is an iPhone on a clamp. :-)

Dr. Mike Metlay (PhD in nuclear physics, golly gosh) :D

Musician, Author, Editor, Educator, Impresario, Online Radio Guy, Cut-Rate Polymath, and Kindly Pedant

Editor-in-Chief, Bjooks ~ Author of SYNTH GEMS 1

 

clicky!:  more about me ~ my radio station (and my fam) ~ my local tribe ~ my day job ~ my bookmy music

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Does your car have Bluetooth, even if not Car Play. If so, it probably can be setup to make calls or answer calls, and mute the other audio at the same time. My 2012 Volt has that. even has buttons on steering wheel to initiate and end calls.

If not, the recent Garmin GPS that I bought to replace the 10 year old one that died has Bluetooth, answers to "OK Garmin" or can set a phrase, and can be used for hand-free calls in the vehicle.

Howard Grand|Hamm SK1-73|Kurz PC2|PC2X|PC3|PC3X|PC361; QSC K10's

HP DAW|Epi Les Paul & LP 5-str bass|iPad mini2

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

Jim

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I will consider those points, but I still confess to being uncomfortable about it. I should know, however, that it is unlikely that I will be able to afford a car that has CarPlay in it for a very long time. My integrated automobile system is an iPhone on a clamp. :-)

In that case, your face will always be within range of Face ID anyway (once you've trained it a bit), and unlocking the phone will work even better and with even less effort than when using Touch ID. It'll just automatically be unlocked once you try to interact with it.

 

This can be disconcerting because it doesn't feel like you're actually unlocking, like there's no security at all (all you see is the little lock unlocking), but the effect is what's so nice about Face ID: most times, you never even notice it was there. You just *use* the phone.

 

My misgivings about Face ID in the car are due to the fact that the phone lies face-up on the center console in front of the armrest. I need to slightly lift the phone and briefly glance down to unlock it. That won't be an issue for you.

"The Angels of Libra are in the European vanguard of the [retro soul] movement" (Bill Buckley, Soul and Jazz and Funk)

The Drawbars | off jazz organ trio

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I should know, however, that it is unlikely that I will be able to afford a car that has CarPlay in it for a very long time.

After my wife got a new car that had CarPlay, I became so enamored with CarPlay that I bought a new Pioneer head unit with CarPlay and installed it myself.

 

The bitch was inventin' the CandyGram.

"I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck

 

"The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI

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Now THAT is interesting, but I think my current automobile is a bit too old to warrant a sound system upgrade. It's nearly as old as my oldest child, and is coming up fast on 328,000 miles....

Dr. Mike Metlay (PhD in nuclear physics, golly gosh) :D

Musician, Author, Editor, Educator, Impresario, Online Radio Guy, Cut-Rate Polymath, and Kindly Pedant

Editor-in-Chief, Bjooks ~ Author of SYNTH GEMS 1

 

clicky!:  more about me ~ my radio station (and my fam) ~ my local tribe ~ my day job ~ my bookmy music

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I should know, however, that it is unlikely that I will be able to afford a car that has CarPlay in it for a very long time.

After my wife got a new car that had CarPlay, I became so enamored with CarPlay that I bought a new Pioneer head unit with CarPlay and installed it myself.

 

The bitch was inventin' the CandyGram.

 

Same here - had my first experience with CarPlay when a family member got a new car and now wish i had it in my older vehicle :thu:

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My car is a 2005 (Acura RSX Type-S if you must know) with low mileage. I was already working from home and we probably could have gone down to one car but I have no regrets because it's a great and fun car to drive. If it was an old beater I probably wouldn't have made the upgrade.

"I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck

 

"The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI

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  • 2 weeks later...

Got an email from Apple about their trade-in program.

 

Thinking of trading in my iMac towards a Macbook Pro (one without Touch Bar). The iMac has a crack on the screen which drops its resale value quite a bit anyway. I expect the credit from Apple for this iMac to be modest at best, but it's better than just having it sitting around taking up space.

 

I also have an old PowerMac from the 2004 or so timeframe. I wonder if they'll take that.

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You'll get top dollar for broken or very old Macs from Mac Of All Trades, but you can at least ask Apple about your iMac. In my experience, their cutoff for tradeins is machines that are only only a few years old, but they're happy to responsibly recycle older ones.

Dr. Mike Metlay (PhD in nuclear physics, golly gosh) :D

Musician, Author, Editor, Educator, Impresario, Online Radio Guy, Cut-Rate Polymath, and Kindly Pedant

Editor-in-Chief, Bjooks ~ Author of SYNTH GEMS 1

 

clicky!:  more about me ~ my radio station (and my fam) ~ my local tribe ~ my day job ~ my bookmy music

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  • 3 weeks later...
I'm very strongly considering an M1 Mac Mini as a replacement for my 2012 MBP and as a kickstart to my new studio space. Just waiting to see if I should spring for whatever new model might come out or else maybe have the price come down every so slightly.

 

Sorry, but you might have just missed this sale. I don't follow Mac Mini news that much.

https://www.macrumors.com/2021/06/08/deals-save-100-on-m1-mac-mini/

 

Something about a high-end Mac Mini under development. Work on it probably affected by the same delays that are delaying the next Macbook models

https://www.macrumors.com/2021/05/25/high-end-mac-mini-renders/

 

Currently overall recommendation is Neutral - not Buy or Don't Buy

https://buyersguide.macrumors.com/#Mac_Mini

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It's cool to see so many iOS apps are now showing up as compatible on the M1 (For example, just saw that the Lumbeat drum machines now run on M1 Macs, same for iMidiPatchbay.). It looks like I'll be able to consolidate all my music and other software onto one hardware platform! That's a nice upgrade feature :laugh:

 

But I'm not giving up on the iPad/iPhone yet, it just makes it easier to off-load certain programs to the iOS devices.

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I am in holding-pattern mode for the foreseeable future, for a variety of reasons. I might upgrade my big iPad to get started on the iOS USB-C ecosystem, but I'm not getting an M1 Pro on my current budget. It's encouraging to see all the reports of solid performance, but I will remain on the trailing edge for now.

 

Keep those hands-on experience stories coming, folks!

Dr. Mike Metlay (PhD in nuclear physics, golly gosh) :D

Musician, Author, Editor, Educator, Impresario, Online Radio Guy, Cut-Rate Polymath, and Kindly Pedant

Editor-in-Chief, Bjooks ~ Author of SYNTH GEMS 1

 

clicky!:  more about me ~ my radio station (and my fam) ~ my local tribe ~ my day job ~ my bookmy music

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