November 17, 2020: Apple releases the first three Macs powered by the company’s new M1 chip. The Apple silicon processor sparks a renaissance at Apple, with the excellent new computers surprising nearly everyone with their bold mix of power and efficiency.
The switch to Apple silicon could not have come soon enough for Apple. The era of Intel-powered Macs began promisingly enough, but went out with a long whimper. The stark contrast in Apple’s commitment to the platform, and the unbelievable value the new Mac models offered, made the Apple silicon era a golden age for the Mac.
The first three M1 Macs launch in November 2020
Photo: Apple
Apple introduced the M1 chip on three of its lowest-end products: the MacBook Air, the entry-level MacBook Pro and the Mac mini. The M1 MacBook Pro was essentially the same as the M1 MacBook Air but with a fan and Touch Bar. The M1 Mac mini was essentially the same machine in a small desktop case. The original base M1 chip could also only be configured with up to 16GB of unified memory.
On paper, these first M1 Macs might not have looked remarkable. But when people got these computers in their hands, everyone lost their minds. It was unbelievable how such a tiny, fan-less laptop could juggle so many apps, edit giant images in Photoshop, cut high-res video in Final Cut Pro, and compile projects in Xcode without breaking a sweat. The battery life was like nothing anyone had ever seen before.
The M1 chip was just the beginning, and it seemed like a magic trick. Is it bigger on the inside — is there a full-size desktop tower hiding in there?
These Macs also came at the same price as their prior Intel counterparts, or even lower, making them the absolute best deal in the computer industry. They ran circles around an expensive Intel MacBook Pro for a fraction of the price.
Apple follows it up with hit after hit
Photo: Apple
The Macs that followed in the coming years didn’t disappoint, either. Apple redesigned the iMac in 2021 with a gorgeous, razor-thin chassis in six bright, vibrant colors (and silver).
That same year, the new MacBook Pro fixed every single problem with the old model. It brought full-height function keys, the return of MagSafe, a built-in HDMI port and SD card slot, and a larger XDR display. The M1 Pro and M1 Max chips proved that Apple silicon can scream at the high end, too.
In 2022, the redesigned MacBook Air took its inspiration from the right place, with its thinnest and lightest chassis yet.
Apple didn’t forget about its desktops, either. Much the opposite — Apple added a brand-new model, the Mac Studio, powered by the super-powerful M1 Ultra chip. And its Studio Display was the midrange Retina 27-inch monitor everyone had been yearning for.
This wasn’t a one-off wave of inspiration. From the M2 onward, Apple has maintained an annual update cadence with significant improvements every year. All its most important Macs get updated nearly every year. (Sorry, Mac Pro.)
First M1 Macs power a historic turnaround for Apple
Photo: Apple
Part of what made the release of the first M1 Macs feel so euphoric was the dark and depressing Intel era that preceded it. The only Mac receiving regular updates was the MacBook Pro — to little avail, as the laptops were panned for their broken butterfly keyboards, disappointing Touch Bar feature and strictly USB-C ports.
The 12-inch MacBook was an impractically thin design for any Intel processor. The Mac mini and MacBook Air went years between updates. The iMac and Mac Pro were each going through an identity crisis.
Apple silicon truly saved the Mac — and we have those humble three M1 models to thank for kicking it all off.
Also on this day in Apple history …
Image: Apple/Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
1995: Copland, Apple’s ‘unreleased’ Mac OS, ships to devs
Apple releases the first beta version of its new Mac OS Copland operating system to approximately 50 developers. Not so much a Mac OS update as a totally new operating system, it offers next-gen features designed to help Apple take on the then-mighty Windows 95. Sadly, Copland OS will never reach the public. Read the full story here.
D. Griffin Jones is a writer, podcaster and video producer for Cult of Mac. Griffin has been a passionate computer enthusiast since 2002, when he got his first PC — but since getting a Mac in 2008, he hasn’t turned back. His skills in graphic and web design, along with video and podcast editing, are self-taught over 20+ years. Griffin has a bachelor’s degree in computer science and has written several (unpublished) apps for Mac and iOS. His collection of old computers is made up of 40+ desktops, laptops, PDAs and devices, dating back to the early ’80s. He brings all of these creative and technical skills, along with a deep knowledge of Apple history, into his work for Cult of Mac.
