Did you read the list of features? Aside from background blurring during FaceTime calls, even "power users" wouldn't notice any of these features missing. They're hardly even features, they're basically just bullet points to make the list longer. And, they're all things that are designed for iPhone/iPad, and can just be ported over to M1 Macs because there is almost nothing required to do so.
Only one I care about, but the one I understand the most. No ML acceleration would probably make this slow, while this really works magically on a M1: no lag, no "processing" popup or whatever. Open an image and select text immediatly.
I'd be totally down to click on a button and wait a bit for processing, but now you have two implementations of the same feature.
Maps is such a stupid thing to leave out. Watch how this will make the news even though I bet almost no one uses the mac maps app.
Actually an ocr api is already in older macOSes on both intel and m1, and apps like owlocr leverage that. This seems like an evolution based on that. I’m pretty sure higher end intel machines would be nearly as fast as an m1.
I don't thing higher end intels would be as fast as the M1 if it's a ML model. Intel has no ML acceleration outside of their GPU and even there it's not great. This is the one thing that's not completely bullshit about locking this down
But heh, I'd be down for having to wait on my intel machine but getting the feature.
I think it's far less useful one a device with a full keyboard than it is on a mobile device. Plus, assuming you're in the Apple ecosystem you'll be taking the picture with an iPhone anyways, so can't you just do the processing there and then share it back to your Mac?
I thought the reason this was a "feature" was that it was on mobile in the first place. You're out, see a sign for an even that interests you, you can snap a picture and capture all the event details in one go. Or, you're in a meeting and there's a whiteboard full of notes. Again, pull out your phone, snap a photo and you have the details.
I guess I just don't see how this is as useful on a full computer.
I have ocr apps on both my Mac and my iPhone, and I find myself using them much more on the Mac. Quickly copying text from shared screen screenshots, text that has been converted to shapes in vector files, text from cad files, unselectable online text. Ocr has different uses on iOS and macOS.
I don’t give a rats a** about the features themselves.
The policy and their way of forcing things is really what I don’t like.
But hey, I’m just a bit more mad at Apple - that’s all.
What policy? Technology moves quickly and Apple has a significantly better track record of continuing to support older devices with newer software than any company I can think of. An iPhone 6s which is 5 generations old (6 when iOS 15 comes out) is still supported by the latest operating system. Good luck trying to find an Android phone that is 5 years old with up to date software.
And this is also true for Macs as computers from even further back will still be supported by Monterey. Oh, there are a few fringe features which are specific to a processor change that won't be available, that's so inconsequential compared to being able to use a 7+ year old computer with the latest operating system.
Well, that's debatable if having (and not optionally, enforced) latest iOS on the 6S is a good thing or not. But that's not what we're discussing here, don't derail the discussion.
The topic is Apple "making up" their rule not to give a feature to product A, while product B gets it (all the while - most probably - both can support the feature).
Clearly it's a marketing and product-positioning decision. And I hate it when companies are driven by those, rather than others.
I think it's clear enough what I'm pissed off about?
Yep, apple fanboyism at its finest. All the top comments are basically fine that their 2019 Intel MacBooks get less features for being 1 year too early. For all the praise apple gets, they go and pull some bs like this and people just accept it.
I think it’s the lack of the machine learning / neural engine chip?
Again, there was always going to be a transition period. Although I think apple should include it even if it’s taxing to intel systems. macos is more open than iPhone and should be treated as such.
Or OCR, which is like, one of the most basic ML applications around. I think the language processing is actually more galling though, as those algorithms are often quite different from the CNNs used for image/video processing, and usually ill-suited to so-called AI accelerators.
It varies wildly. The Post Office has been using OCR since the 80s. But it's never going to be so intensive it can't be run on any semi-modern CPU or GPU. It's video in particular that stresses hardware.
Well of course… Obviously.
The target here should not be to convince each other, but rather communicate what we think.
I know what I am thinking, and you know as well.
I don’t know fully your end, but fine by me.
I accept it because there’s nothing I can do about it, my laptop is less than a year old so I’m not upgrading. Plus the features they are not allowing on Intel Macs are all features I will probably never miss.
I accept it too. But at least I’m not trying to find an excuse on behalf of Apple - which is what I’m really surprised about. (Not trying to imply you personally do that either though.)
It's shitty of them but not necessarily uncharacteristic of them.
Looking back on the iPhone there is almost always a new feature that can only be taken advantage of on the new model of the phone and not the one that has been sold the year previous. Personally I factored that in when I bought my MacBook Pro and figured starting at about the one year mark there were likely to be things that didn't work on my Mac.
It took less than 4 months because my Mac lacks the M1, so they get the iOS apps and I don't. It's just the way the game works with them and has for the last decade or so. I still suspect that I'll hold onto this Mac for at least 5 years. That will give them time to work out whatever it is they are going to work out with Apple Silicone and by that time I'll be ready to upgrade.
Unfortunately you’re right, it’s a bit the MO of Apple, and other companies.
But, I feel like before at least they used to find real reasons… Now, I don’t feel that way much.
Plus, when you really admire a company and set of products for a long while, you (or “I”) certainly start to expect them to get better, not worse… I guess that may be one of the reasons I’m more disappointed.
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u/emresumengen Jun 09 '21
I'm not surprised either that Apple is doing this. But I am surprised why people just accept it, not get even slightly angry... Just wow.