Mac Studio & Studio Display (1 Viewer)

[JohnRice]

Another extremely enlightening thread. I thank you all for your input.

I’ve been waiting for the smaller variant of the Mac Pro, but it sounds as if the Studio does a superb job, short of being able to swap out (I’ll use a high tech term here) the innards.

I almost hate to admit that I had no idea this area of the forum existed.

It's actually the inability to swap out innards that enables it to be so powerful, and at such a reasonable price. That's the limitation of a "System on a Chip" design.

It's a great computer, and plenty for anyone short of the most demanding video production.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

I tell yuh, John, you are bad news.

I am contemplating buying a new Studio. I don't REALLY need it given I can plug my very powerful laptop into my desktop monitor.

But if I do end up pulling the switch...

I can live with 32GB of ram as my 64GM M1 MBP is only topping out at that usage most of the time.

I can also live with 512GB hard drive as I have a 500GB SSD drive that I can plug into it for added storage.

The goal is to stay at or under $2k for the purchase.

I have seen an M1 Studio Pro (512GB, 32GB) drop as low as $1799. I am already tracking another price drop.

BestBuy has a very interesting UPGRADE PLUS program where you can finance that model for just under $44 a month for 36 months with a final $400 payment on month 37. However, that's if you buy it for the listed $2k.

It's funny, I have always just bought any Mac product I wanted without even considering financing. However, now that I am retired, I am watching everything I spend very closely.

 

[Thomas Newton]

I tell yuh, John, you are bad news.

I am contemplating buying a new Studio. I don't REALLY need it given I can plug my very powerful laptop into my desktop monitor.

But if I do end up pulling the switch...

I can live with 32GB of ram as my 64GM M1 MBP is only topping out at that usage most of the time.

I can also live with 512GB hard drive as I have a 500GB SSD drive that I can plug into it for added storage.

The goal is to stay at or under $2k for the purchase.

If your MBP has 64 GB of RAM, that implies that you must have a 14" or 16" MBP with a M1 Max chip. The entry-level $2000 Mac Studio uses the same chip. Unless you push the MBP so hard that it does thermal or electrical throttling, the two may have virtually indistinguishable performance.

On the Geekbench charts, the M1 Max MBPs and Studios had single-core scores of 1,745 – 1,756, and multi-core scores of 12,152 – 12,334. Less than 2% difference – essentially noise.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Hi Thomas!


Yes, the MBP is the Max chip.

Considering getting a STUDIO on top of what I have already is completely unnecessary and just a matter of convenience over need. Easily, I could plug my laptop into my ultrawide 45" monitor and have just an equally powerful desktop.

So, for that reason, a lot of thought is still going into this purchase but I was nudged by John's posts.

 

[JohnRice]

I tell yuh, John, you are bad news.

I am contemplating buying a new Studio. I don't REALLY need it given I can plug my very powerful laptop into my desktop monitor.

But if I do end up pulling the switch...

I can live with 32GB of ram as my 64GM M1 MBP is only topping out at that usage most of the time.

I can also live with 512GB hard drive as I have a 500GB SSD drive that I can plug into it for added storage.

The goal is to stay at or under $2k for the purchase.

I have seen an M1 Studio Pro (512GB, 32GB) drop as low as $1799. I am already tracking another price drop.

BestBuy has a very interesting UPGRADE PLUS program where you can finance that model for just under $44 a month for 36 months with a final $400 payment on month 37. However, that's if you buy it for the listed $2k.

It's funny, I have always just bought any Mac product I wanted without even considering financing. However, now that I am retired, I am watching everything I spend very closely.

Ron, there are lots of nifty little things you can use for extra storage. One option is THIS ENCLOSURE, which can hold a 2.5" SSD and an NVME drive, sits nicely on top of the Studio, and adds ports and an SD card slot. There's also various monitor stands like THIS ONE, which have the same features. I have variations of both.

I was planning on getting a base conviguration Studio for my work office, but I think I'll wait for the M2 Mini release, hopefully next Spring. A Studio would be gross overkill for that computer, but a less-than-bottom-line M2 Mini would fit the bill.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

I'm close to buying one...

I justified the purchase by cashing in on Bitcoin stock that lost a great deal of value and doesn't look like it's going to get any better anytime soon. I figured the money would be put to better use toward a Studio.

I could grab a refurbished one today for $1799.

However, I do have an Amazon Gift Card for a few hundred dollars which would save me even more. The problem is, Amazon hasn't had any in stock for some time, it seems.

So, I am just waiting for stock to arrive and at that point, I will purchase one of these babies.

 

[Sam Posten]

I personally think this is the absolute worst time of year to buy ANY Mac.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

I personally think this is the absolute worst time of year to buy ANY Mac.

Would have loved you to expand on the reasons why?

Price? True, prices were much better around the holidays.

New product potential? Yes. M2 machines are coming, though the timeline on an M2 Studio is uncertain as well as how much more expensive it will be.

Also, the performance enhancements between M1 and M2 are not incredibly vast from the reviews I have been reading.

 

[Sam Posten]

Timing

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Timing

Specifically?

You are being rather vague here and I want your honest advice.

Timing for a better price or for an M2 upgrade rumored for the Q1?

 

[Ronald Epstein]

And while you are answering the above question...

I think you ended up selling your 16" MacBook Pro and are using your iPad solely as a laptop? Am I correct on that?
I am thinking of doing the same thing. I can get $2,100 for the same MBP. I would take that money toward buying a more powerful STUDIO with 64GB and 1TB. I don't need the ULTRA, but at least I can put the power I have in my current portable into a desktop.

If I decide to go that route, I will wait for the M2 Studio anticipating there will be no price increase. Rumor is, the next STUDIO will be offered in midnight color.

I just don't need all that power in a laptop anymore as it only gets used while on the go. It kind of makes more sense to sell the laptop and put that money into a powerful desktop device for when I am at home.

I could also sell the iPad Pro and buy a MacBook Air with 16-24GB ram. That's another idea I am considering.

It's all about upsizing power where it would be most useful and downsizing the stuff I take for traveling purposes.

In any case, a STUDIO will be mine. Just a matter of how I do it.

 

[JohnRice]

With some Apple products there tends to be a need to be "up to the second", but that doesn't work with every Apple product. This isn't a MacBook or iPhone. We are 9 months into the Studio, and I expect it to be more of a 2-3-4 year product, like the Pro and Mini have always been. Now that they're no longer based on Intel chips, I don/t anticipate the "refreshes" of the past, where they just bump the clock speed one notch. Seriously, to say it's a bad idea to buy a Studio because it's been out for nine months seems a bit extreme for me. If you were talking about a Mini, yeah, absolutely wait, but you're not. Of course, you have an up-to-date solution now, and if it'll drive you crazy that four months from now an update comes out that's a 10% boost...

I just don't see anything significant happening with the Studio anytime soon, as in, before Fall 2023.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

John,


That's true. Since the introduction of M1 silicon, I think that buyers are getting way more computing power than they will ever need. I keep reading that the M2 chip being put in STUDIO won't offer significant leaps in performance over its predecessor outside of GPU.

I am now leaning towards going with an M1 STUDIO MAX with 64GB and 1TB and having a desktop that is comparable to my 16" MBP.

The sad thing is, I could simply hook up my MBP to my monitor and have the same studio performance plus have a laptop for "on the go." I would be saving $2300-$2600.

However, the 16" MBP, as much as I love it, is a heavy machine and when I travel I take my iPad with Magic Keyboard and that suffices. So, I may no longer need that 16" MBP. It's not like the old days when I would take it to conventions and do video editing on it.

 

[JohnRice]

John,


That's true. Since the introduction of M1 silicon, I think that buyers are getting way more computing power than they will ever need. I keep reading that the M2 chip being put in STUDIO won't offer significant leaps in performance over its predecessor outside of GPU.

I am now leaning towards going with an M1 STUDIO MAX with 64GB and 1TB and having a desktop that is comparable to my 16" MBP.

The sad thing is, I could simply hook up my MBP to my monitor and have the same studio performance plus have a laptop for "on the go." I would be saving $2300-$2600.

However, the 16" MBP, as much as I love it, is a heavy machine and when I travel I take my iPad with Magic Keyboard and that suffices. So, I may no longer need that 16" MBP. It's not like the old days when I would take it to conventions and do video editing on it.

What would the actual cost be? As in, what can you get for your MBP?

 

[DaveF]

…
I am now leaning towards going with an M1 STUDIO MAX with 64GB and 1TB and having a desktop that is comparable to my 16" MBP.

The sad thing is, I could simply hook up my MBP to my monitor and have the same studio performance plus have a laptop for "on the go." I would be saving $2300-$2600.

So…why not do that and put the $2500 you’re ready to spend into new software or video hardware or whatever would next benefit your hobby?

 

[Ronald Epstein]

What would the actual cost be? As in, what can you get for your MBP?

To trade in my 16" MBP today, I can get $2,100

The cost of an M1 Studio Max 64GB/1TB would be roughly $2,300-$2,500 with taxes. My girlfriend is a teacher so I could probably get an educational discount which would put the price on the low side of what I just quoted.

So…why not do that and put the $2500 you’re ready to spend into new software or video hardware or whatever would next benefit your hobby?

That's the burning question I really don't have a suitable answer for

It's probably just craziness. I'd rather have a dedicated desktop device. I don't use the 16" MBP as often as I should. I'm typing this reply on my iPad Pro with Magic Keyboard which I feel is extremely lightweight to grab and use. I also travel with it and not my 16" MBP due to weight.

New product envy is part of it too.

Yeah, no realistic answer that makes sense. However, that is part of what this hobby can be all about sometimes.

 

[JohnRice]

To trade in my 16" MBP today, I can get $2,100

The cost of an M1 Studio Max 64GB/1TB would be roughly $2,300-$2,500 with taxes. My girlfriend is a teacher so I could probably get an educational discount which would put the price on the low side of what I just quoted.

so it’s a virtual wash. Seems like an easy decision.

 

[Sam Posten]

I suspect we are going to see m2 refreshes of the entire pro line, maybe studio maybe not, very early into 2023. I’d take a refreshed m2 iMac over an m1 studio, personally.

 

[JohnRice]

I’d take a refreshed m2 iMac over an m1 studio, personally.

... and you'll never see me buy an iMac, because I want multiple monitors, want to choose and match what those monitors are, and want to keep them for a future computer, like I just did last month. That's why there are options.

 

[Sam Posten]

That’s fair. Your use case is significantly different than Ron’s tho. I don’t say that to slight Ron at all, he is a technophile like me. The added difference is that when the m2 pros come out I’d bet Ron is either going to kick himself for not waiting or upgrade to one of them on day 1

Let me add:
I’d take an m2 MBP over a studio M1 for the work I do (photography, light video editing, light gaming) and I’ll expect that suitable OLED 120hz monitors continue to propagate into the OSX ecosystem making it the best solution for both at home and on the go, what little I do to take mine on the road