Apple M3

I found Apple's presentation "Scary Fast" to be not scary but somewhat disturbing. Or perhaps "disappointing" is the better adjective.

Apple's M3 processors are impressive, but perhaps not as impressive as the "Scary Fast" presentation implies. I'm not saying that Apple is lying or presenting false information, but they are picking the information very carefully.

Apple compares the M3 to the M1 processor, and the MacBook Pro (with an M3 Pro) to the fastest Intel-based MacBook.

I find those comparisons odd. Why compare the M3 to the old M1 processor? Why not compare it to the M2. And comparing an M3-based MacBook Pro to an Intel-based MacBook seems even odder. (Is anyone still using Intel-based MacBooks? Other than me?)

But Apple's cherry-picking for performance comparisons is not the major disappointment.

The big issue, the one issue that I think Apple misses completely, is that its hardware is outrunning its software. Apple's M3 processors are fast and capable, but so were Apple's M2 processors. The M2 processors were so powerful that the low-end, plain M2 processors was more than enough for almost everyone. If I were equipping an office with Apple devices, I would give everyone a MacBook Air, or possibly a low-end MacBook Pro. Those are enough for just about all typical office work. (Folks editing video or running large test sets might benefit from the higher processors, but they are a small portion of the audience.)

Apple's hardware is faster than everyone else's, just as high-end sports cars are faster than the average automobile. But for most people, average automobiles are good enough. Most people don't want the expenses of a high-end sports car, nor can they take advantage of the speed. Apple's M3 processors are fast, but pure speed translates into performance for only a few users. It is quite likely that today (that is, with no M3 processors in the field) most people have computers that are more than fast enough for their needs.

Apple concentrates on hardware and invests little in a number of other areas:

- Cloud-based computing

- Artificial intelligence

- Design of programming languages, multi-threaded applications, parallel tasks, and coordination of distinct processes

- Programming tools, from command-line tools to IDEs

- Automated testing of GUI programs

- Voice recognition

That's not to say that Apple has done nothing in these areas. My point is that Apple has done a small amount and relies on others to do the work in these areas. And that work isn't getting done. Apple's obsession with hardware is costing them opportunities in these areas. It holds Apple back, preventing it from growing the technology. It also holds us back, because we have to wait for Apple.