It's a total guess, but I figure "M" is for "Mobile", and it will increment up in numbers like the A series has done in iphones/ipads
Then we'll see some other letter (Maybe) "D1" for Desktop perhaps for the machines next up the list performance-wise (higher-end Mac Book Pros and minis and lower-end iMacs.)
And finally we'll see "P1" for the pros, which is the iMac Pro and Mac Pro. The real beast, hoping for at least 128 cores.
All of them will just go up in number as the years go on.
Don't you think "M" is just for "Mac"?
It sure could be, but I'll be shocked if they have their current M1 in the $999 MacBookAir and something still called "M1(x)" in the Mac Pro that has 128+ cores and >128GB RAM, etc. etc.
IMO, that's a totally different product, and it needs a different naming convention. But I'm just guessing.
Re:Why is Apple's M1 chip so fast?
by mattnewton on Monday November 30, 2020 @04:28PM
(#25259213)
They put an M1 in a mac mini, I think it just stands for Mac. "M2 Max" or something is exactly what I expect for their next desktop chip name
I suspect M stands for Mac, but it's fair to note that the Mini (and iMac) were using mobile (laptop) hardware previously, so it's certainly plausible that M stands for mobile.
Re:Why is Apple's M1 chip so fast?
by ridiculous_fish on Monday November 30, 2020 @06:13PM
(#25260264)
The Intel Mac Mini and iMac both use Intel's desktop chip line, with 65 watt TDP.
Huh, I stand corrected, thanks. Did that change at some point or have I been consistently wrong?
Re:Why is Apple's M1 chip so fast?
by ridiculous_fish on Monday November 30, 2020 @06:40PM
(#25260505)
That I don't know! Except the original Bondi iMac definitely was laptop parts.
Both of those machines need at least 32GB options to properly replace them. I would guess we see that support in an M1X with more cores and more Thunderbolt lanes next year as they work their way up the lineup.