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The Mac has a big problem in 2024.
Scrap that – let’s call it a challenge. That sounds more positive.
It starts with Vision and ends with Pro. Rumours suggest that we’re going to see the retail-ready version of Apple’s leap into spatial computing within the next few weeks.
I’m excited by this. Not because I think Vision Pro is going to change everything, or because I think Apple has nailed the pricing of its brand-new product; I need convincing on both fronts. I’m excited because it’ll give me something new to talk about, and provide some fascinating talking points for the rest of the year.
As a result, the Mac needs to shout as loud as possible to be heard in 2024. So, with that in mind, I thought I’d note down what we need to see from Apple’s oldest and most treasured product this year.
M3 MacBook Air
I’m still running my business primarily on a 15-inch M2 MacBook Air. It has its issues, thanks to the base configuration M2 chip, and I don’t undertake any form of production work on it, but I wouldn’t be without it.
That’s how the MacBook Air gets under your skin and remains there. Introducing a 15-inch version last year was inspired, and, I think, what a lot of people wanted. For me, now that I’ve switched to a 14-inch MacBook Pro for travel reasons, the MacBook Air provides the most screen estate I can grab on a mobile device without sacrificing my back.
However, at the time of writing, there’s no M3 version. The good news for the MacBook Air is that we don’t need any form of redesign – the current chassis is still young enough to hold its own, and the aforementioned 15-inch edition was a key addition to the line-up.
Time to shove an M3 in there, Tim!
M3 Mac Mini
I’ve never hidden my love for the Mac mini. It’s a topic I’ve rinsed dry in Mark Ellis Reviews Land on multiple occasions.
There’s two reasons for this. Firstly, I genuinely cannot get enough of that Mac. Every time I sit down at it, I’m excited by what can be achieved and, without fail, always marvel at how powerful and silent it is. Still. In the same chassis, we’ve had for years.
However, therein lies the problem and the opportunity for the Mac mini in 2024. Firstly, it needs an M3 chip, because as powerful as it might be (particularly in M2 Pro form) it now lags behind the MacBook Pro and the iMac.
Secondly, as much as I love the power that emanates from that little chassis, it has been around an awfully long time. If you’ve ever seen a dissected Apple silicon Mac mini, you’ll know there’s barely anything inside. The available space is cavernous, compared to the Intel days.
I understand why the Mac mini hasn’t received a redesign. Why bother when you’ve got a production line and toolset that has already paid for itself? Are people clamouring for a new Mac mini design with funky colour options? Probably not. If Apple knows how to do anything well, it’s how to squeeze every last drop of profit out of a device, and boy are they doing that with the Mac mini.
Regardless, I think the time has come, and with Vision Pro due to steal most of the limelight this year, a redesigned Mac mini with a fruity colour selection designed to pique the interest of creatives and the younger generation would be a smart move.
M3 Mac Studio
Fun fact: I’ve never used a Mac Studio. I’ve never felt inclined to buy one, either.
For production work, I’ve always been a MacBook Pro kinda guy, simply because of the portability (and, I’ll admit, the kudos that will forever be attached to that machine). Owning a Mac Studio has never made sense – even for the person who buys more Macs than he does trousers.
I understand why others buy it, though, and as I noted during the M3 chip launch last year, I don’t envy anyone who needs one now.
Just like the Mac mini, the Mac Studio is still standing in line waiting for an M3 update. Will it get one? I hope so. I see no need for the Mac Pro these days (I know those who rely on increased I/O options will say differently, but I think that market is shrinking) and if you do not need portable power, the Mac Studio is a brilliant investment.
The brilliance of the Mac Studio (which is, when all is said and done, a supersized Mac mini) is that it enables Apple to shout as loud as possible about its desktop credentials for serious work. The more it can do that in 2024, the more the Mac will have a pedestal from which to shine.
A MacBook For Gaming?!
The M3 Max chip has proven itself capable of competing with Nvidia’s RTX 3070 graphics card in synthetic benchmarks. There are also rumoured big gaming titles heading the Mac’s way in 2024, that will join recent releases such as Resident Evil 4, Stray, and Baldur’s Gate. As a result, all but the most ardent of PC gamers are starting to talk about the Mac in more glowing terms in the gaming arena.
That’s quite a departure from where Apple used to reside in that realm. Which was precisely nowhere. However, the march of Apple silicon and the incredibly impressive feats it has achieved with graphics performance have led to an inevitable demand for Apple to start taking gaming seriously.
There are two problems with this. The first is that game developers still need a viable reason to divert significant resources to native Mac game development. The second problem is the only thing that will solve the developer issue: we need a lower-cost point of entry into Mac gaming.
I must preface this by noting that I’m not a gamer. However, following the brief research I’ve undertaken, it’s clear that if you’re serious about gaming, you need an M3 Max-equipped Mac. Which costs a fortune.
Granted, speccing-up a gaming PC is also expensive, but the current range of MacBook Pros is something else. For more people to jump on the Mac gaming bandwagon, we need a gaming-focused consumer MacBook.
Sounds like pie in the sky? It isn’t if Apple really is serious about gaming.
iMac 32-inch
I won’t labour the point here. If Apple wants the Mac to still be heard above the din of spatial computing this year, it needs to give us that big iMac.
No matter how many videos I make about the 24-inch iMac, and no matter how many times I tell my audience that those 24 inches are much bigger than you might think, the most common response I receive is, “yeah, but I want the big one”.
I’m confident it’s nearing the consumer-ready stage, and it would make perfect sense to see it this year, wouldn’t it, Tim?
Wrap up
As much as I’m ready to dive into spatial computing in 2024, I’m equally excited about a big year for the Mac.
It feels like we’ve reached a key point in the Apple silicon era where computing power has been completely democratised. That’s a good thing, but there’s no doubt that the lineup remains rather confused and in need of a proper spring clean.
Bring it on.
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