Liveblog: All the news from Apple’s “Peek performance” event
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Can someone PLEASE explain to me why I haven’t seen any mention of the fact that Apple called it PEEK Performance and not PEAK Performance? Wouldn’t this imply that they are going to show off something related to visuals or sight in some way? I can’t rectify this in my mind. The ONLY relevant piece of information I can relate this to is VR/AR products. Maybe an incredibly high res or high density screen or something, but even that feels like a stretch to me. No one has made mention of the interesting spelling here (that I’ve found anyway). Maybe I’m overthinking this? Anyone have an explanation? Heeeellppp!!!!
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I think it might be a peek at a new very fast product not yet ready for sale. Might be completely wrong, it also reminds me of PEEK and POKE and the C64 BASIC…
A bit off topic: I would love the idea of a Mac integrated into a keyboard, we would’ve come full circle. Amiga forever!
A bit off topic: I would love the idea of a Mac integrated into a keyboard, we would’ve come full circle. Amiga forever!
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There are two Ars articles/threads about it here: https://meincmagazine.com/gadgets/2022/03 ... march-8th/
https://meincmagazine.com/gadgets/2022/03 ... -they-are/
Here is a revised version of a comment I made there:
Apple has used similar puns or double-entendres in the past, notably the “Hi, Speed” (= high speed) event for the 5G rollout. So there’s a good chance peek/peak is the key, as “Peek Performance” (= peak performance).
My best guess is the Mini is replaced by the new “Mac Studio” with the M1Pro/Max (at least), with a new “Apple Studio Display XDR” to go with it. The kicker would be an “iMac Studio” with the same display. But that wouldn’t really justify the “peak performance” part, so it seems likely that some new desktop-class M1Pro/Max configurations are going to appear. Think GPU performance.
The new edition of the high-end Apple Pro Display XDR (rumored to be 7K), along with the Mac Pro and the iMac Pro would have to wait, but could be previewed. So a triple entendre? Peek = vision (new displays); peek = sneak peek (of future Pro desktop hardware); both in the context of peak = peak graphics performance…
This would all be in order to help clear the decks for the M2 introduction in June.
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I prefer the Mini Pro, something that won't get larger. With some of the filter-down from the bigger Pros.
The current Mini's (4,5,6) just about fit in my jeans pocket (while standing up), or Khakis/cargo shorts pocket (while standing or sitting). Everytime I buy a new Dockers or other pants/shorts, I always test-fit a Mini.
They're just about the biggest-screen non-foldable devices that still fit in my pocket, which is pretty nice.
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I think the current rumor is that the alleged Mac Studio will include a M1 more powerful than the current M1 Max in the Macbook Pro as a premium option - personally my guess would be dual M1 Maxes as I know Linux developers have unearthed firmware code pointing to multiple physical processors. This would resolve the peak part of the double entendre, if the new M1 Max+ processor part is true.
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I've been thinking a Mini with the Max or Pro SOC would do just fine for me, but if Apple reveals a Dual Max/Pro machine, I might be sorely tempted.
I work in audio, so the GPU portion of the deal is not of particular interest, but two M1 Pros in a box would serve my studio incredibly well, quite possibly until I cannot hear properly anymore.
PS: I'm old, but not THAT old.
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Your comment about audio evokes another possible double entendre, as “Performance” can be understood two ways, as in musical/artistic performance versus hardware/software performance!
So let’s edit to add one more prediction (based on the fact there is apparently a laptop in the regulatory filings for this event): MacBook Studio. This would not have what Apple considers a Pro display, it would just have the standard 13-inch Retina display. But it would feature the same M1Pro/Max options available in the 14-inch MacBook Pro, just without the Liquid Retina XDR display.
But it’s high-end desktop graphics where Apple Silicon (versus Nvidia, AMD, and I guess soon Intel) still has a lot of ground to cover. This fact isn’t lost on Apple, and obviously it’s likely they plan to do something about it. I will guess the dual-die configurations will be reserved for the Mac Pro and iMac Pro hardware. Those seem unlikely to appear in the Mac Studio (or Mac mini Pro, or whatever they call it), but the rumor is there will be a premium, 12-core CPU tier of M1Max, with corresponding graphics. The current M1Pro has two tiers, so it makes sense they would do the same for the M1Max, but I think it’s more likely to be called the “M1Ultra” (see my comment below for the why and wherefore of this name).
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Posting this as a follow-up to my comment directly above, instead of making an edit, in order to highlight it.
“Ultra” is the key word in the name of the official television industry standard: “8K Ultra HD.” It’s also the key element in the name of the 4K standard, UHD = Ultra HD.
The “Ultra” there is not about resolution so much as it is about other improvements to high-end televisions that really matter (with regard to the human eye and visual experience) and can be seen, like contrast ratios, refresh rates, color ranges and depths, and brightness. High-end Ultra HD televisions don’t look great solely because they are 4K or 8K, they look great because they are improved in all those other areas. That’s what Apple is focused on for their Pro customers who work with imagery.
So I’m going to go out in a limb and predict there will, in fact, be one more type of M1 silicon, the “M1 Ultra.”
“Ultra” is the key word in the name of the official television industry standard: “8K Ultra HD.” It’s also the key element in the name of the 4K standard, UHD = Ultra HD.
The “Ultra” there is not about resolution so much as it is about other improvements to high-end televisions that really matter (with regard to the human eye and visual experience) and can be seen, like contrast ratios, refresh rates, color ranges and depths, and brightness. High-end Ultra HD televisions don’t look great solely because they are 4K or 8K, they look great because they are improved in all those other areas. That’s what Apple is focused on for their Pro customers who work with imagery.
So I’m going to go out in a limb and predict there will, in fact, be one more type of M1 silicon, the “M1 Ultra.”
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Okay, this is the last of my thoughts on this, here’s the macOS post-transition-to-Apple Silicon product structure, when the M2 is introduced:
MacBook Air (colors, gets M2 first) : MacBook Studio : MacBook Pro
iMac (colors, gets M2 first) : iMac Studio : iMac Pro
Mac Studio : Mac Pro
Apple Studio Display XDR : Apple Pro Display XDR
So that’s a good-better-best structure (actually four interlocking good-better-best structures), though perhaps Apple would call it “insanely great” : better : best … !
Finally, in a perfect world there would be a fifth as well:
Apple Display (colors, 24-inch same as the current iMac) : Apple Studio Display XDR : Apple Pro Display XDR
PS: … I am now fully prepared to be massively disappointed on Tuesday. You can be too!
MacBook Air (colors, gets M2 first) : MacBook Studio : MacBook Pro
iMac (colors, gets M2 first) : iMac Studio : iMac Pro
Mac Studio : Mac Pro
Apple Studio Display XDR : Apple Pro Display XDR
So that’s a good-better-best structure (actually four interlocking good-better-best structures), though perhaps Apple would call it “insanely great” : better : best … !
Finally, in a perfect world there would be a fifth as well:
Apple Display (colors, 24-inch same as the current iMac) : Apple Studio Display XDR : Apple Pro Display XDR
PS: … I am now fully prepared to be massively disappointed on Tuesday. You can be too!
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I ordered a fully juiced MBP back in November and now the current ship date is end of March. Lots of other folks having the same issue...seems like they're having some supply chain issues. Wonder if they'll be able to ship many devices with the new processors any time soon.
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Current rumours are pointing towards a "Mac Studio", which would be a desktop that's positioned half-way between the Mini and the Pro.
I guess this is as close as we'll ever get to a xMac? Though its "xmacness" will depend on how much internal expandability it has (my guess: not much, if any).
Still... BELIEVE
I guess this is as close as we'll ever get to a xMac? Though its "xmacness" will depend on how much internal expandability it has (my guess: not much, if any).
Still... BELIEVE
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Okay Apple I have funds set aside to replace my 2013 21” iMac with a nice new one as soon as you release one that can drive two (or more) external monitors.
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The current cheese grater pro is fully repairable/expandable, never say never.
https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Mac+Pro ... own/128922
Issue would be compatibility with the ARM chipset/macOS, like you'd never be able to drop in an Nvidia or AMD video card in there and have it at least work in Linux/Windows.
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In fairness, the need for internal expandability is significantly less than it was even five years ago, since the advent of Thunderbolt 3 and the increased availability of peripherals that use that interface. (Yes, okay, maybe a little more than five, since Skylake shipped late in 2015.) I look at Apple's current lineup, and for my needs, a Mac Mini with a couple of Thunderbolt peripherals will work adequately. The only real concern that Thunderbolt expansion doesn't cover is memory expansion (and yes, for some people that is a genuine concern; it's one of two things that really irks me about Apple Silicon. [The other is that the internal SSD can't be replaced when it wears out.])
It's too much of a niche market for Apple to be willing to chase it, in other words. That was probably true when mutterings about the xMac were first had; it's even more true now. My suspicion is that we'll see a successor to the //gs before we see a "true" xMac, as originally envisioned by the community.
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Abhi Beckert
Ars Tribunus Angusticlavius
It's been mentioned. You just haven't followed closely enough.
Personally I think it just means they'll be offering a "peek" at something very high performance (a Mac?) that won't be ready to ship yet - perhaps because of supply constraints.
Hopefully most of the stuff they announce is ready to ship.
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Can't wait! Hopefully there will be a Mac desktop box that pros are clamoring for that don't have a $4K Intel Xeon chip inside. I will follow every character of the Ars Liveblog with much anticipation!
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Yeah, BASIC was the first thing that also came to my mind. But PEEK and POKE existed in Applesoft BASIC too, you know.
It obviously follows that this announcement is going to be about Apple IIGS mark II, based on Apple M2 and running gsOS, a fork of macOS with Rosetta 3 to make it binary compatible with the original Apple ][.
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I know, but back then I was a Commodore 64 user.
To this day I regret switching from it to a 80386 PC instead of an Amiga or Macintosh. It took many years for the PC to come even close to what the Amiga could do. I made the jump to the Mac in the Power Mac G3 era, but I digress… Well, I would be really surprised if the 7K Pro Display rumors were true. Better not imagine the price tag for that.
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Indeed, the ARM-based proprietary silicon is virtually indistinguishable from standard Intel chips, people who think that the not-yet-five-year-old iPhone X was a redesign are crazy, and I for one am glad that Apple stuck to its guns and retained the original butterfly keyboard all this time.
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faustshausuk
Ars Scholae Palatinae
I upgraded to an M1 Pro last year, so there is nothing they could announce that would set my debit card twitching. A replacement for the Thunderbolt display would be lovely, but I can't imagine it'll be price competitive with any of the totally adequate 4K monitors on the market right now. I have a 2 year old Dell USB-C number that does the trick, and would only upgrade that to something that doubles as a VRR-ready screen for my Xbox Series X.
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Perhaps I’m too much of a romantic (for lack of a better term) but “adequate” doesn’t cut it for the tools I use most often. I strive for excellence. In contrast to your view, it’s the lack of an acceptable (to me) monitor that —so far— prevents my purchase of a Mini or rumored “Studio”. The XDR isn’t completely out of the question, but its not really targeted at my photography/general use case and excellence would come at a high premium for un/underused capabilities. (My experience is that they are nice to view on though.) I’m hoping the studio monitor is a reality. If nothing is available at the time the big screen iMac is released I’ll probably go that direction — just as I’ve done for my three prior desk top computers — but I am seeing the appeal of a “Mini Max”.
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None of the 4K monitors are "adequate" because they're all sub 220ppi.
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True. I am using a very good EIZO 4K display (EV3285) as a stop-gap solution. It is a 32" display, but there’s also a smaller 27" version. Both are quite good, but can’t compare to an iMac 5K. Have been considering a Pro Display XDR for a while, but will wait for whatever they’ll announce display-wise…
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faustshausuk
Ars Scholae Palatinae
My 27” 4K monitor was a pandemic purchase for work from home. I write code, and can fit my IDE and a browser side by side just fine. If I worked in design, photo or video, maybe I’d be pickier, but I didn’t need to spend more than I did.
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macosandlinux
Ars Praefectus
Well, my Pi400 is a gem, and i owned C64 and Amiga 500 back in the day.
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I’m happy this works for you. Really.
For me it’s not about the photos. If I was “just looking at pictures” I could probably be satified by a high quality, color accurate, 4K HDR monitor. For other purposes, switching between iPad Pro and other “retina” screens makes (big screen) 4K a non-starter to my aging eyes. Blocks of text and interface are fuzzy in comparison and, sadly, once seen…
I spend too much time in front of a monitor to settle for adequate. I’ll spend what’s required to meet my needs. (As I said, the Pro Display isn’t completely off the table — but I’m more likely to choose another iMac.) There are those in your camp and others in mine. Hopefully, in a few hours there will be monitors acceptable to all.
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macosandlinux
Ars Praefectus
Apple branded display with an A-series chip and the Mac mini PRO seems to be a thing.
Waited myself for a more high-end Mac mini since a decade, the Mac Pro was always a step too far (cost- and performance-wise).
Waited myself for a more high-end Mac mini since a decade, the Mac Pro was always a step too far (cost- and performance-wise).
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I just want to replace my 2015 27" iMac at work... Please, Apple, give me something here, whether it's an iMac or this mini-maxi thing and a monitor. I'm good either way.
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Translucent cases for all of their new products - so we can see all of the internal components... OK maybe not. VR/AR is a good guess, but would have expected more from the rumor mill if this was close to release.
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