In the carefully controlled Mac universe, you have fewer intangibles. That’s because they have to be backward compatible with countless devices, operating systems, and applications. There are also big gains to be had in performance and efficiency when you design your own components, much like a tailor-made suit.īy comparison, chips from Intel and AMD are more one-size-fits-all. So why go through all the hassle to develop your own processor? For one thing, it means Apple no longer has to depend on Intel to develop the processors that go into its computers. All came up short in our labs, with slow performance hindering everything from launching apps to conducting video calls to browsing the web. In recent years, other manufacturers have tried to pull off the same feat, releasing Windows-based laptops-including the HP Envy X2 and Microsoft Surface Pro X-with ARM-based processors. It’s a bit like replacing the foundation of a house, then trying to restore every last detail of the house to its original condition. Transitioning from one style of processor to another is a huge undertaking, the kind of task that required Apple and its legion of app developers to rework their operating system and software top to bottom. (The new MacBook Pro, which uses the M1 processor as well, still features a fan.)Īnd in my informal trials, the Air managed to do all that without the hiccups one might expect from such a significant design change.
#GAME FOR MACBOOK AIR M1 INSTALL#
The M1 also appears to deliver on Apple’s promise to hum along without unleashing heat waves, effectively eliminating the need to install a built-in fan inside the Air’s thin chassis.