The new Apple M1 chip is a gamechanger. The pluses for this technological breakthrough are numerous. The M1 chip is ARM architecture. That is translated as “the same style of chip that powers smartphones and tablets”.
That means many things:
1) The first is that basically you are running a REALLY powerful smartphone/tablet. Apps (once they are modified by the developers to compensate for increased dimensions) should make for a seamless work flow. The user experience of working in an app environment will be standardized. Gone are the days of learning the quirks and idiosyncrasies of an app on the different platforms (computer, smartphone, tablet). That isn’t the only good news though. Macs will be optimized for the M1. That will mean dramatically better battery life. That will also mean faster processes, computations, faster booting times, easier multitasking, etc. Basically you will be using a top of the line computer.
2) Apple is also taking the fear out of technology. No longer will customers be forced to use the command line or be aware of obscure IP addresses to insure their safety. Apple will take care of everything. That way people can just get on with their lives, secure in the fact that their Mac “Just Works”. The trustd daemon is automatically queried to check the safety and validity of each and every process on your Mac. It has been in use for a number of years but it has been used in conjunction with OCSP “Online Certificate Status Protocol” recently, since MacOS Mojave, to insure the safety and validity of the Developer Certificates for each App. This lets the user concentrate on their life without being burdened by uncertainty.
3) On a more macroeconomic level, this can be viewed as favorable for US trade. The manufacture of the M1 chip takes a bite out of the share of silicon chips being manufactured worldwide. It is also the latest step in the “vertical integration” of Apple. Apple is getting closer to being completely responsible for every piece of tech that they sell. This ensures that the end users experience is standardized and exactly what Apple envisions. All of the benefits listed above and a reduction in the manufacturing cost leads to a win/win scenario for Apple. Happy customers as well as an increase in their profit margin.
With current technology we are getting close to maximizing everything we can out of silicon chips. The changes will be incremental in nature, and that is what makes every improvement so important. The slice of the pie is getting smaller and with Apple’s M1 they are in a great position as “king of the hill”. At least until quantum computer technology becomes widespread and adopted. Then, this whole cycle will repeat again.
