Updated September 2026: in April 2021 I explained why I was not buying the first Apple silicon MacBook: worries about long-term reliability, about Apple restricting which software could run, and a belief that the second generation would be better. I have rewritten it with how those concerns played out.
I had wanted to replace my laptop for a long time and waited for Apple's move to its own chips. When the M1 MacBooks arrived in late 2020, reviews were excellent, but I held back. I worried whether the chips would prove reliable, whether Apple would lock Macs down so that only approved software could run, and whether, as with many Apple products, the second generation would be the one to buy.
Did Apple silicon Macs prove reliable?
Broadly, yes. M1 Macs from 2020 have held up well, with strong battery life and performance that still covers everyday work comfortably. They continue to receive current macOS releases. The first-generation risk I worried about turned out to be small.
Did Apple restrict which apps you can run?
No, not in the way I feared. Apple silicon Macs run apps from outside the Mac App Store, as before, with Gatekeeper warnings for unidentified developers. Rosetta 2 translated older Intel apps smoothly during the transition. What Apple does restrict is installing modified or pirated software that bypasses security, which is not something to rely on anyway.
Was waiting for the second generation worth it?
Only partly. The M2 arrived in 2022 with modest gains, and the design refresh of the MacBook Air mattered more than the chip for many buyers. Apple has since moved through M3, M4 and M5 generations. For most people, the performance difference between generations is small in daily use; the bigger factors are memory and storage, which cannot be upgraded later.
What should you look for when buying a Mac now?
- Memory: 16 GB is a sensible minimum today, and newer base models ship with it.
- Storage: buy enough for several years, since it cannot be expanded internally.
- Software support: Apple has said macOS Tahoe, released in 2025, is the last version for Intel Macs, so any Mac bought now should be Apple silicon.
- Price over generation: a discounted previous-generation model is often better value than the newest chip.
What would I tell myself in 2021?
The concerns were reasonable for a brand-new architecture, but the M1 answered most of them. Waiting meant more time on an ageing laptop. For anyone in a similar position now, the rule is simpler: buy an Apple silicon Mac with enough memory and storage, and do not wait for a future chip.