It's time for Apple to show us what its next M1 Macs can do

From CNET: Apple has always been known for its showmanship, particularly with its Mac computers. Whether it was Apple's famous 1984 Super Bowl ad, presenting the original Macintosh as a liberator from a dystopian hellscape, or with the playful "Hello, I'm a Mac" ads, the company's always tried to make its devices seem like more than merely the latest computers it can offer. But it will need more than marketing magic to justify why people should pay up for a Mac powered by its own home-grown processor.

Monday will mark a critical moment for the Mac and Apple's breakaway from Intel chips. The company is expected to announce the second generation of its Apple Silicon initiative to radically remake Mac computers with chips designed by the same team that makes custom processors for the iPhone and iPad. When it was unveiled last year, the M1 chip helped turn the company into the only major PC maker that no longer relies on outside companies like Intel, AMD or Nvidia to create microprocessors to power its devices.

Its next iteration, rumored to be called the M1X or possibly the M2, is due to be presented alongside newly redesigned MacBook Pro laptops, among other devices. Apple is said to be taking the opportunity to augment the laptop with popular features like MagSafe charging cables and better screens. But Apple's M-series chips will be the most closely watched feature within the tech industry. With it, Apple will have to prove whether it can live up to the showmanship that's made its Mac one of the world's best-regarded laptops.

"To make people happy, they will have to deliver," said Carolina Milanesi, an analyst at Creative Strategies. For her, that means showing off what the computers can do that others can't, beyond merely getting better battery life.

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