[NBJack]

But has Apple Silicon justified the investment? I don't doubt it's good tech, but the market share hasn't necessarily reflected it. In 2024, total shipped units dropped quite a bit. Judging by the available data, I wouldn't use the term "wildly successful" just yet (particularly if we account for pre/post pandemic sales).

[daft_pink]

I think their problem is that laptops and computers are so well made these days that there is no real need or want to upgrade.

[xnx]

Build quality is definitely factor, but that probably dates back to the 2008 unibody laptops. An equally big factor is that most specs have plateaued: retina screens can't get much better, SSD is fast enough for most data, processing is fast enough to play HD video. M1 was worthwhile upgrade for many because it improved battery life to be more phone-like.

[flohofwoe]

Isn't that true, before I bought my current M1 MBP in 2022, I was on a 2014 13" MBP.

[NewJazz]

Haven't macs had that reputation for a while?

[daft_pink]

I had a Macbook Pro with a butterfly keyboard before and it was terrible and would break constantly and my Applecare was offered without accidental damage warranty and only lasted 3 years.

Now I have a MacBook Pro and I pay a small annual fee and have full coverage Applecare with accidental damage and if the battery goes out they replace it, etc. The only reason I would upgrade at this point would be for a built in cellular modem or face id.

[flohofwoe]

Yeah, but the ARM Macs offered such an obvious advantage over their Intel predecessors that (I guess) a lot of Mac owners made the switch around the same time.

But today, even the first 2021 M1 MBPs are still very good devices (I still don't feel like I need to upgrade to a more recent model).

What would make me buy a new Mac is a good OLED display. The display in my new Windows laptop is the one component that's better compared to my 2021 MBP.

[scarface_74]

Apple Silicon is just a marketing name for the computer variants of the ARM chips for iPhones. How much of an extra investment could it really be to make a better version of a chip with less cooling and power constraints than the same chips that power phones?

Of course they were worth marginal investment even if you just consider they now only have one architecture to support, they are better computers and margins are better since they don’t have to pay Intel.

[postalcoder]

PA Semi was acquired for $278 million in 2008. I'm going to stick my neck out there and say the investment was indeed justified.