Have we really never seen a computer like the new iMac M1?
The new design is kind of cool, and the new M1 chip has surprised many of us. But is it really a machine that we have never seen before?
So it’s been a couple of months now since the new, redesigned iMac M1 got released. And as usual, the internet exploded with reviews, opinions, and breakdowns of this new machine. I’ve read all kinds of things about this new iMac, but the only question is whether we really have never seen a computer like this.
A Redesigned iMac
The very first noticeable thing is its design. We now have a flat-edged chassis that’s so thin that you can just put it in little places without having it taking much space. But how did they managed to get all components a computer needs into this tiny skeleton? Well, that’s all thanks to this Apple’s new “revolutionary” silicon M1 chip.
The display is also phenomenal to look at. The 4,5K retina display makes most monitors look like your old Game Boy console, thanks to the 218 pixels brought together in just 1 inch. And, not to forget, the true-tone technology Apple is known for.
I have to say that Apple did a good job changing the colors of those bezels into white. Compared to its predecessor, the display of this iMacs
How does the M1 chip work?
So Apple introduced the Silicon M1 chip almost a year ago. And like the MacBooks and the iPad Pro, this new iMac got this revolutionary chip as well. But how does this Silicon M1 chip works anyway?
Basically, Apple took the CPU, GPU, and RAM and put it all in one tiny chip. Pretty awesome, huh? Well, that might be, but be aware that all these specs, on their own, are not that powerful. But that’s not a problem because a chip like this one doesn’t have to consist of powerful components to run well.
The fact that the CPU, GPU, I/O controller, and the ML engine are brought together in one container (the M1 chip) makes any machine run much faster. How is that possible? Well, all these components are located in the same place. Therefore, communication goes more quickly when computing heavy tasks, such as editing pictures on Photoshop or rendering videos with Final Cut Pro.
This system of multiple components integrated into just one chip is also known as the SOC (System On Chip).
With this M1 chip under its hood, the new Mac line can now perform tasks more efficiently. It uses little to no power when running multiple applications at the same time. I’m also talking about heavy applications such as Adobe software, video editors like Final Cut Pro, and the like.
What else do you get?
Okay, so when buying the iMac, we get a thin display with the most powerful chip Apple has manufactured. So what else do we get? Well, you also get a keyboard with touch ID. This one enables you to unlock your iMac with just a touch on a button. You also get a 1080p camera to appear clear on a Zoom call. And some pretty decent speakers located underneath its chin. And that’s it.
You can upgrade your RAM up to 16GB, which is not much for a computer meant to do stuff like video editing and even gaming. But, unfortunately, the storage is limited to 512GB (even though this problem is solvable with an external SSD hard drive).
My point of view
So if you would ask me, we already saw a computer like this one before. Granted, we now have a redesigned Mac with a new silicone chip underneath the skeleton. But is it a revolutionary machine that will change the way we interact with our computers? I’m afraid not.
Don’t get me wrong, though. I’m not here to bring this iMac down. It’s genuinely a beautiful machine that’s doing its job well. But I think that we still have to wait a couple of more years before we see an extraordinary Mac that will blow us away.
