2
During its Keynote on March 8, Apple presented its new iPhone SE and iPad Air, but also a completely new computer. This studio Mac is a kind of big Mac Mini, this time boosted by the M1 Max chips and the new M1 Ultra.
The new Mac Studio, here with two screens. © Apple
After a sensational entry of the Macbook Pro M1 Pro and M1 Max in our comparison a few months ago, it was difficult to predict what Apple was going to cook up for us for its March 8 Keynote as speculation was rife. If iMac Pro were mentioned, some were waiting for the arrival of a replacement for the Mac Pro, the monster – and fixed – computer from Apple which we had not heard of for a long time. Others were betting on a revamped Mac Mini, but it was finally a new machine that was unveiled.
In Apple’s range, the Mac Studio is higher than the Mac Mini. © Apple
A new Mac for creators
Straddling a Mac Mini and a Mac Pro, the Mac Studio is a fixed computer with dimensions that remain compact, despite a larger volume than the Mini version. This size gain allows it to embed the M1 Max chips already present in the Macbook Pro 14 and 16 inches, but not only. The Studio Macs will also be available with the brand new M1 Ultra which was introduced during the Keynote. It will be able to carry up to 128 GB of unified memory and Apple announces that the computer will be up to 80% faster than the Mac Pro; an announcement that will have to be checked during the tests. So we end up with a Mac whose CPU and GPU performance goes far beyond the classic M1 that we could find in the last Mac Mini.
The Mac Studio next to the brand new Studio display. © Apple
Connectivity is not to be outdone with an Ethernet port, an HDMI port, 4 USB-C Thunderbolt ports, 2 USB-A ports and a mini-jack output on the back, and a card reader on the front. SD and 2 USB-C Thunderbolt ports, which should satisfy most uses. Ventilation consists of two fans that expel air downwards, but this should only activate during very demanding tasks.
The rear connection. © Apple
In any case, the performance promises to be excellent, and you will have to pay €2,299 for the Mac Studio M1 Max and €4,600 for the Ultra version. These prices are those of the basic configurations and can quickly fly away with the most muscular configurations.