This video is brought to you by Backblaze! This is my new 16" M1 Max MacBook Pro that
I waited for 3 months to arrive. With just a week of use, this powerhouse has ramped
up my coefficient of performance significantly. As excited as I am though, I think I made
a mistake when ordering this custom configuration. Let me explain.
While unboxing the laptop, let’s go over the specs. As much as I'll be missing the
smaller form factor of the 13” Pro, I went for the larger 16" variant because I want
to be able to go through entire video projects without being tethered to a desk, and 13 inches
is just not enough. I've always compromised with performance throughout the years. Still,
this time I didn't, and as much as everyone else says that M1 Pro is more than enough,
I went for the M1 Max - 10-Core CPU and 32-Core GPU with 32GB of unified memory.
I rarely notice improvements with apple packages, but I see what you did with this laptop, Apple.
I appreciate you (Shaq meme popping up). Aside from the smaller and compact packaging, I
immediately noticed the attention to detail on the wrapping paper. We actually have a
double-layered wrap with a round cutout to one of the layers to make the laptop's Apple
logo more visible when cocooned in it. The black stickers excited me, too, even though
I still have no idea where to stick them. So first impressions! I love the new design
language that Apple went for. We have fewer slopes, sharper edges, and more flatter profiles
and distinct corners. As always, the attention to detail is like no other where the chamfered
edges on the inside of the body are just right to save my palms from scraping while also
outlining the shape of the computer. The bottom de-bossed logo screams PRO, and the new rubber
feet state firmness in the new design trends. Think recent car tendencies - more prominent
emblems, sharp and cleaner edges, more muscular and sharper lines. On the inside, I thought
I would be missing the touch-bar. Still, before I shed a tiny tear, the complete function
keys row snapped me back to reality, helping me realize how much I've missed the physical
buttons. The blacked-out keyboard tray makes me think that all MacBooks of the past should've
looked like that, immediately making older models look obsolete. I've always paid my
respects to industrial craftsmanship that turns a recipe of subtle changes into a MICHELIN
star dish. Look at these models from the top for example and tell me that one doesn't already
look old, despite being almost the same. These nuanced changes, like the blacked-out keyboard
and the amazingly fast, carved-out touch ID button, made me go for the silver color this
time around. The contrast between light grey and black is on point.
Now let's get serious and talk ports. I've always been a docking station type of guy,
but I was really struggling last year with the 13" M1 MacBook Pro and its 2 ports. Since
I had to use an external drive to edit all my videos, on many occasions, I felt ready
to pay a subscription fee to Apple to unlock a third thunderbolt port had that been an
option. With 3 thunderbolt ports and the return of the SD Card and MagSafe, I have everything
I could ask for from a Pro machine. The return of the MagSafe made me really happy, BTW.
I remember how excited I was about it way back in 2006 when I purchased my first MacBook.
I wish Apple had returned the glowing Apple Logo too...but hey - Courage. Going back to
the SD Card slot, the UHS-II standard supports read speeds of 250 Mb/s. This could've been
better considering the release of the UHS-III standard and its doubled rates. However, for
many, the current offering is still more than enough...and you know what? The Memory card
adapters are back in the game, baby. Suppose you are not much of an SD Card slot user.
In that case, you can mount a flush adapter and increase the internal storage with another
TB of storage via Micro SD and use it for whatever.
I almost forgot the HDMI port - it is back. And just like the SD card reader, it is not
the newest model, but HDMI 2.0. There are reasonable explanations for that (CHIP BANDWIDTH).
Still, just to clarify for those wondering - the downside of 2.0 and not 2.1 (which is
the latest standard) is that you can't take advantage of devices that support 2.1. For
example, if you have a newer model monitor that runs with 2.1, you won't be able to take
advantage of the 4k and high refresh rates and cap at 4k|60. PHEWWW...I could've done
a separate video about the ports, it seems. I'll end the ports situation with the fact
that the 3.5mm jack is finally on the correct - left side of the laptop. Enough said, let's
move on to a more colorful topic. This is the ultimate portable display. I say
ultimate because the blooming or glowing present on the Liquid retina XDR iPad displays is
almost non-existent here. On top of it, Pro Motion or 120HZ enters the stage, which makes
my monitor recommendation choices very limited. Why would you use anything besides this 1600
peak brightness beast? I have a few ideas, though, and I plan to update my monitor guide
soon, so you might consider subscribing to the channel.
For a brief moment in time, I had a 2019 16" MacBook Pro whose speakers were nothing more
than spectacular. This newer model is no different...and I mean no different. You can expect the best
quality sound system ever put in a laptop, but don't expect to be blown away if you come
from a 2019 16" model. Maybe a bit richer bass and mostly a lot of fun.
So all those ports, all this power, all this picture quality, all that rich sound finally
allows me to sit on the couch and start and finish a project free of desks, monitors,
docks, dongles, speakers, and external drives. I can even jump in a FaceTime call without
being embarrassed about the camera quality. The updated picture that the notch produces
is finally decent as long as you introduce enough light. And BTW, this notch is cute.
It makes the MacBook silhouette very recognizable. I honestly don't care that much about it but
but I do care about the well-utilized space around it and the perfectly even bezels all
around. The menu bar finally looks balanced with the spaced-out icons.
While sitting on the couch, I get to appreciate the return of MagSafe even more because my
charging sessions are at no expense for the USB-C ports. On the other hand, since I don't
care that much about ports, because I have everything, I can juice up the laptop no matter
where I am sitting - left and right. So, as I mentioned at the beginning of the
video, I have some regrets about this custom-ordered MacBook Pro, and the reason for that is my
choice of configuration. Since I had plenty of time to re-think my order, I was first
concerned that I should've opted for 64GB of RAM. After editing my last 2 videos on
these machines, I am relieved that 32 seems more than enough for my current workflow.
I do regret not going higher in the internal storage capacity, though. I kept thinking
from the perspective of past self, where a project would rarely cross the 500GB mark,
but recently, as I am trying to up my production quality I've had more than one case of projects
ending at 2TB - my recent Apple Watch video being one of them. I can always rely on external
storage for such cases since a project like the Apple Watch video is an exception, but
having the ability to enjoy the read and write SSD speeds of 3500 MB|s definitely questions
my choice, especially in the long run. I recently found out that the 8TB model even doubles
that speed, which might be the next step for the channel. BUT...MUUUUCH LATER
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So how has this laptop ramped up my coefficient of performance? For starters, it has unplugged
me from all peripherals, dongles, hard drives, and docks. The time I save not dealing with
external drives and SD Card readers alone is worth the upgrade. I no longer need to
dock myself every time I do some serious work, and I can create from anywhere. Second, this
is THE VERY FIRST computer that can catch up to my workflow. I don't want to pad myself
on the back by I consider myself very quick at all my tasks. As long as a job appears
to be repetitive, I turn it into a shortcut or template combo. In the past, I always...ALWAYS
had to wait for the computer to catch up with the last 5 things I did through shortcuts
and prompt commands. Now, I miss the beachball of death and haven't heard the fans at all
yet. When video editing, I might have to wait for a second or two for raw footage to take
a breath before I began adding presets, LUTs, corrections while also working on graphics
and images on other programs at the same time. Mighty and efficient machine. As you can expect,
efficiency also comes in battery life. It is too early to put numbers behind my average
battery performance. Still, I feel very confident working on a project without plugging in a
power outlet. Since everything happens internally and the computer is highly efficient, I don't
need to do preliminary transcodes or proxies, and what's even more remarkable, I can just
close the project halfway and continue where I left off no matter where I am.
I am yet to discover more features and potential of the 16"" M1 Max MacBook Pro, like potentially
running some AAA games. I sure will report on my observations at a later point, but for
now - MMMM...M1 Maxterpiece. If you enjoyed this video, check out my MacBook
playlist, and if you got this far in the video, subscribe...because WHY NOT?!?
As always, it's been an absolute pleasure, This is E
Over and out