Boring Is What We Wanted →

Stephen Hackett, writing on 512 Pixels:

Apple silicon has been nothing but upside for the Mac, and yet some seem bored already. In the days since Apple announced the M5, I’ve seen and heard this sentiment more than I expected:

This is just another boring incremental upgrade.

That 👏 is 👏 the 👏 point.

Back in the PowerPC and Intel days, Macs would sometimes go years between spec bumps, as Apple waited on its partners to deliver appropriate hardware for various machines. From failing NVIDIA cards in MacBook Pros to 27-inch Intel iMacs that ran so hot the fans were audible at all times, Mac hardware wasn’t always what Apple wanted.

[…]

The difference is that with Apple silicon, Apple owns and controls the primary technologies behind the products it makes, as Tim Cook has always wanted. It means that it can ship updates to its SoCs on a regular cadence, making progress in terms of both power and efficiency each time.

A predictable update schedule means that incremental updates are inevitable. Revolution then evolution is not a bad thing; it’s okay that not every release is exciting or groundbreaking. It’s how technology has worked for decades.

This is such a well-written piece by Stephen, and he really hits the nail on the head. The switch to Apple Silicon has been one of the best things to happen to Mac hardware in modern times. I’ve owned an Intel iMac as well as an Intel MacBook Pro in the past. As he mentions, it’s completely okay that not every release is exciting or groundbreaking, because barely anyone upgrades on a yearly cycle. Most customers jump from one Mac to the other every 3-4 years, so these releases are never boring for them.