I agree that M1/M2 Macs are good, but I implore everyone to not get sucked into and stuck into the Apple ecosystem. Nothing good can come out of tech dominance.
So much this. Every time I hear something good about the M1/M2 it's interesting but it's like "aah, such a shame I can never use it without loosing my sanity due to all of the strings it has attached".
Context: There are some Linux users who want to use the hardware (so they can enjoy the M1/2 whatever) so there are efforts to get it running as a Linux machine (Asahi Linux), which would certainly keep me far more sane - but I still abhor giving money to Apple for the hardware (even 2nd hand which supports resale value and thus retail value)... I also don't trust that they wont simply pull the rug on such efforts in future by doing some kind of over the wire firmware update to brick those machines. Why do business with people who don't like you, it's just going to be a constant fight.
Every time an article comes up reminding me of how great the M1/M2 laptops are, I think about maybe getting a used one in a few years to run Debian on, but the soldered on SSD worries me (especially since early Apple software issues burned through erase cycles).
The dance between hardware, software, and devices, and its consistency, is a measurable good. To me, this is the "magic sauce" of Apple that makes them successful.
But, to agree with your point, my general rule is: Apple hardware, with third party services (besides iCloud). And, a PC or console for gaming. :)
Those processors will be able to run Windows and linux. More efficiency for non apple ecosystem. I consider that win for everyone
Actually, I'm not sure why Apple would be the "supporting tech dominance" choice here as opposed to Intel.
The fact that M1/M2 can run something is almost irrelevant. It can because Apple allows you to run it and can stop that at any moment. It wouldn't be the first time they would decide something like that out of the blue.
The lead Asahi Linux developer has addressed this point.
>Okay, it's been over a year, and it's time to end the nonsense speculation.
I have heard from several Apple employees that:
Apple explicitly engineered 3rd party OS support in, and it is a hard policy requirement that it continue to work.
Yes, I shouldn't expect Raspberry to run non-ARM software... but why exactly shouldn't I? Where are the trillion-upon-trillion-dollar players like Google, Samsung and others with their Rosetta-like translation layers? And Qualcomm with competitive CPUs?
For what its worth, there are some rosetta like options on RPi - you can run x86 containers in QEMU, for example. Its just again you've bought a 35 dollar computer - its not going to be fast enough to be performant for most tasks when translating (in real time!) software written for a completely different CPU architecture.
> https://gist.github.com/Sitin/bfa5e770b80ab4b8740c88e648666c...
Linux is being developed mostly by trillion-dollar corporations. Intel. Google. Samsung. etc.
ARM chips are designed and produced by Samsung, Qualcomm etc.
You'd think they would:
- come up with a competitive chip, and
- Rosetta-like software
that even "$35 dollar hobbyist computer" would be able to do this with, quote "powerful 64-bit CPU".
Alas.
And no, I'm not buying the whole "you shouldn't expect". Because, as it turns out, I can't expect this from any computer, be it hobbyist, educational, family, gamer, professional, or whatever adjectives you can put in front of it. Except Apple.
If you want Broadcom to release a CPU that's on par with the M1, half of your Pi's circuit board will be just the CPU die's BGA pins.
Intel's (and others') price gouging and market segmentation does not in any way imply that it's possible to manufacture an i7/i9/R7/R9/M1 at $20 a piece.
--- start quote ---
Because, as it turns out, I can't expect this from any computer, be it hobbyist, educational, family, gamer, professional, or whatever adjectives you can put in front of it. Except Apple.
--- end quote ---
The other side of the puzzle is software. I'm pretty sure there is a lot of headroom in the rpi hardware, if only someone re-write and re-optimize the os and software for it.
That's part of the magic of Mac - they got to hire as many people to optimize the os as they did to build the chip / computer itself.
Surprisingly performant and very impressive.
It's great at emulating arcades! that's totally non-arm software.