The new MacBook Pro range with M1 Pro and M1 Max have been put to the test by some of the world’s finest tech writers and analysts, and the results have been overwhelmingly positive, with some describing the range as ‘Awesome’, ‘Incredible’, ‘Stunning’,  ‘Next Level’, and ‘Revolutionary!’

Built to outpower, outperform, and outlast even the most high-end Windows PC portables, the new models, now available at iStore, are flagships of Apple’s new Mac range of notebooks, which utilise a leading-edge processing technology called SOC. 

SOC  stands for System on a Chip, an engineering breakthrough that makes it possible for several previously-isolated components, such as the CPU, GPU, Neural engine, and audio and image processing hardware, to be combined on a single chip, with unified memory and up to 57-billion transistors. 

But what does all of this mean for the single most important element in the everyday computing equation — the person  who uses the machine? Let’s see what people had to say about this. 

For GQ’s Robert Leedham, the MacBook Pro M1 Pro 14-inch is a “ludicrously impressive” machine that redefines expectations of the capabilities of notebook computing. 

He is particularly impressed  by Apple’s Liquid Retina XDR display technology, which offers “startling contrast and pin-sharp clarity”, making the screen “an absolute stunner to behold”. 

Tom Barnt of PC Magazine calls the new MacBook Pro M1 Max 16-inch “the ultimate MacBook Pro,” stating that its 20-hour battery life “trounces that of its Windows competition” after a series of grueling testing.

Outside of the testing lab, the new MacBook Pros are designed to satisfy the intense and demanding needs of professional users, whether they are working from home or out in the field. So how do they live up to their name? 

According to Marques Brownlee, commonly known as MKBHD, an always-on-the-go Youtuber, the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros with M1 Pro and M1 Max are “really next level” for battery life, speed, performance, and video editing power. “I think a lot of professionals, including myself, will be quite pleased with these,” he adds.

Scott Simmons, a professional video editor, agrees, observing on the ProVideoCoalition website that the speediness of the MacBook Pro M1 Max, which “didn’t break a sweat” during testing, has direct and quantifiable benefits in an industry where time is money. 

The same principle applies to Jameson Williams, a software developer at Reddit, a popular social news curation site.

“We recently found that the new 2021 MacBook Pro range cut our Android build times in half,” he reports, adding that the machines are expected to save $100,000 in productivity for his team of nine, a massive return on investment.

Whatever your own profession or level of use, you can find out why the critics are raving about the new MacBook Pro range at iStore, where you can take advantage of an exclusive trade-in and trade-up programme for Mac and Windows PC users. 

Trade in your Windows laptop, and you can get up to R12,000 towards your cash purchase of a new Mac.

You can choose an instant discount on your cash purchase, or redeem your trade-in value as an iStore Gift Card, to be used at a later stage.

For more information on the new MacBook Pro with M1 Pro and M1 Max, please visit www.istore.co.za. DM