When Intel co-founder Gordon Moore formulated what then became a sort of guide to the evolution of computing for decades to come, systems-on-a-chip were not yet known (” system-on-a-chip Or SoC, in English). Who would have thought that these processors that appeared initially on the mobile side would end up sending Moore’s Law in the trash? Apparently Apple, judging by its newer Mac.
Apple is launching two versions of its MacBook Pro these days which, for the first time in nearly ten years, really have something new to offer under the hood: the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips, developed in California, but far from the labs of Intel or Qualcomm, so far the two main chipmakers in North America.
Moreover, the fall novelties of Apple, Microsoft and Google all have different mechanics that prevent direct comparisons. All three manufacturers believe that the future of electronic components lies elsewhere than in the miniaturization which, so far, has allowed Intel to do well. Rather, they talk about better ergonomics, better algorithms and better applications.
We talk less about gigahertz and transistors to define the improvement of technology. Performance per watt, a more subjective value as it varies by application, is the new standard. It establishes the power according to the energy consumption, which is much more in tune with the times.
Unprecedented capacities
Since it was presented in virtual mode three weeks ago, the North American techno scene has only had it for the MacBook Pro. This hyper-powerful mobile workstation can be transformed as needed into a high-end personal entertainment system, thanks to excellent spatial sound and a bright, high-contrast display.
Above all, this newcomer serves as a huge snub to Intel. Apple’s laptop can do things never before seen and, as an added bonus, it can do them without being plugged into a power outlet. No Intel-based PC does so today.
Apple primarily targets its device for audiovisual entertainment professionals: creators of mobile applications or video games, musicians, mixers and music producers, TV or film directors who edit on the road, wherever they are.
The handling of the MacBook Pro is therefore done accordingly: the software to create apps, edit music or edit video sequences are loaded and ready to roll mechanics. And the mechanics are rolling: “beta-testing” without jitter a video game on seven simulators of mobile devices simultaneously, mixing without false note a musical piece with 1,500 tracks, half of which are the instruments of three different orchestras recorded separately, or recreating the atmosphere of the planet Mars in real time on seven 8K resolution video streams without losing a single frame is unheard of on a laptop. Disconnected. And all of this on the same load, too.
All this is enabled by this system on chip mentioned above, which facilitates the interaction between the main components that drive the device: its processor, its graphics card, a video coprocessor dedicated exclusively to image processing and another coprocessor. called Neural Engine which does in machine learning, another sub-category of advanced calculations that we include in artificial intelligence.
Obviously, the heavier the tasks, the shorter the advertised 17-hour battery life of the base 14-inch-screen MacBook Pro, the model that, compared to its 16-inch-screen counterpart, offers the best compromise in size. , performance… and price. Because these Macs are not cheap. Their retail price starting at $ 2,500 blithely rises above $ 4,000 if we equip them a little.
Not for everyone
Apple likes to compartmentalize things and says it bluntly: the MacBook Pro won’t be right for everyone. The lack of a touch screen remains its main shortcoming, an interface so natural on the PC side that we fear for the possible survival of the mouse. Its camera, housed at the top of the screen in a black notch that takes away some of the glamor of its LED display, cannot recognize faces to automatically unlock the laptop.
And for video game enthusiasts, even though Apple has been catching up in recent years in this sector, it’s still fingers crossed that the increased performance of new products will eventually attract publishers of the most prominent titles on the side. consoles and even Windows-based PCs.
It must be said that at the other end of the spectrum, Microsoft is pulling in all directions with its own line of Surface personal computers and its most high-end model, the Surface Laptop Studio, also sold at a stratospheric price. A sign of the times, Microsoft continues to bet on Intel processors, but relies on a graphics card from the company Nvidia for its more efficient models.
And if there is one trend that emerges from the fall launches, it is this: the future evolution of personal computing does not depend solely on the size or the number of circuits that can be printed on. a computer chip. Moore’s Law no longer holds water. And, surprisingly, it’s probably for the best.