text: Apple Reveals New M1-Equipped MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac Mini
  Apple has revealed its new MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini devices, which are powered by its new M1 chip.
  Apple says that the MacBook Air will have up to nine times faster Machine Learning workload and 2x faster SSD performance thanks to the CPU. The 8-core GPU gives it “up to 5x faster” graphical performance. The device will also have a quiet, fanless design, two Thunderbolt ports with USB 4.0 support, and “up to 15 hours of wireless web browsing and up to 18 hours of video playback — the longest battery life ever on a MacBook Air”. The price is RM4,399 for the 7-core GPU and 256GB storage option and RM5,399 for the 8-core GPU and 512GB storage option.
  The 13-inch MacBook Pro is also touted to have vastly improved battery life, said to be “up to twice the battery life of the previous generation and the longest battery life ever on a Mac”. It offers 17 hours of wireless web browsing and up to 20 hours of video playback. Machine Learning functions on the device are up to 11x faster, while the 8-core GPU gives it improved graphical performance of up to 5 times. The device itself is said to be 3x faster “than the best-selling Windows laptop in its class” due to the M1. The 256GB storage option costs RM5,599 while the 512GB storage option is RM6,399. For comparison, their Intel-armed counterparts are RM7,999 and RM8,799 respectively.
  For the Mac mini, Apple says that the M1 gives it up to 3x faster performance than the last generation, while the 8-core GPU gives it 6x better graphics performance. In addition, Machine Learning workloads are “up to 15x faster performance over the previous generation” and 5x faster than “the best-selling Windows desktop in its price range”. The device also has a thermal design that ensures quietness and two-display support. The 256GB storage option costs RM2,999 while the 512GB storage option costs RM3,799.
  Image source: Apple
  Aside from the M1, all of the devices come with the new macOS Big Sur. “Big Sur is engineered, down to its core, to take full advantage of all the capability and power of M1, delivering a massive boost in performance, astonishing battery life, and even stronger security protections,” said Apple. Apple also spoke about software compatibility with M1, saying, “All of Apple’s Mac software is now Universal and runs natively for M1 systems. Existing Mac apps that have not been updated to Universal will run seamlessly with Apple’s Rosetta technology. And iPhone and iPad apps can now run directly on the Mac.”