🕷️ Crawler Inspector

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Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 188 (from laksa171)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa188.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://chuniversiteit.nl/productivity/m1-macbook-pro-long-term-review\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://chuniversiteit.nl/productivity/m1-macbook-pro-long-term-review\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/productivity\/m1-macbook-pro-long-term-review","crawl_time":1771869816,"first_indexed_time":1684506090,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"nl,chuniversiteit!\/productivity\/m1-macbook-pro-long-term-review s443","src_root_hash":"2149320383343047788","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"A long-term review of the M1 MacBook Pro | Chuniversiteit","meta_descriptions":["The 2021 MacBook Pro may not be perfect, but I have (nearly) zero regrets about choosing this machine, which doesn’t happen very often."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"Through sheer luck and peculiar procurement processes I’ve had the opportunity\nto try out both the 14″ and 16″ versions of the 2021 MacBook Pro. Both models\nwere similarly specced. After a brief evaluation of both models I ended up\nchoosing the\n14″ MacBook Pro\n, which I have been using as my daily driver for\nabout six months now. Time for a long-term review!\nSpecifications\nI’ll start by listing the specifications, but they don’t tell you all that much.\nMy machine is configured with an M1 Max chip, which has a 10-core CPU and a\n32-core GPU. That’s pretty much all the information I could find on the product\npage. Apple doesn’t advertise clock speeds and other technical details any more,\nand to be fair, it doesn’t matter all that much any way.\nProcessor\nApple M1 Max-chip with 10-core CPU\nMemory\n32 GB 6400 MHz LPDDR5\nDisk\n1 TB\nGraphics\nApple M1 Max-chip with 32-core GPU\nDisplay size\n14″ (3024⨉1964)\nWeight\n1.6 kg\nRetail price\n€3669 (about three kidneys)\nAll good things\nThere’s much to like about the 2021 MacBook Pro:\nThe\nscreen\nis amazing. It’s bright, the colours look nice, and I haven’t\nseen any glaring issues (aside from some literal glare). The 14″ only feels\nmarginally smaller than the 15″ displays I had in my previous MacBooks.\nThe\nbezels\nhave also become much smaller. Consequently, the screen now has\na\nnotch\n: a small cut-out where the webcam resides. It’s a bit more\nnoticeable on the 14″ model, but you quickly get used to it. Most importantly,\nthe notch doesn’t take away any valuable screen estate. You still get your\nfull 16:10 space below it.\nThe\nbattery\nusually lasts about six hours for me, which doesn’t even come\nclose to the advertised battery life. It’s even less when I participate in\nTeams meetings with a\nKandao 360° camera\n. Then again, I’m running heavy\nworkloads in the background most of the time. Other laptops don’t last more\nthan two hours with this setup.\nWith regard to\nweight\n, the 14″ model is small and light enough that it can\nbe comfortably held with just one hand. It’s perfect.\nThe 16″ model on the other hand is\nmassive\n. You’ll want to hold it with both\nhands and you definitely don’t want to carry it on your back all day long when\nyou’re on call.\nNewer MacBooks don’t produce much\nnoise\nor\nheat\n. You can\nnpm install\nor compile large programs all you want, but\nyou’re almost never going to\nhear the fans\n(side note:\nSadly, my colleagues don’t have M1 MacBooks, so I’m still\nhearing\ntheir\nfans. 🥲\n)\nspin up.\nI’m still happy with the\nkeyboard\n. It works fine and looks nice. I still\nthink ThinkPads have (or had?) slightly better keyboards, but really, I can’t\ncomplain.\nMacBooks still have one of the best\ntouchpad\ns on the market. The\nTouch\nID\nbutton also doesn’t feel cheap any more, now that the stupid\nTouch Bar\ngone.\nThe 14″ MacBook Pro’s\nspeakers\nmay not be as good as those of its larger 16″\nsibling, but they’re still miles ahead of those in other similarly priced\nlaptops. Heck, these speakers sound better than my 48″ TV!\nThe\nHDMI port\nis an absolute godsend for me, as I regularly have to give\npresentations or share my screen in different meeting rooms.\nMagSafe\nhas also made its way back to the MacBook. I didn’t really need it,\nbut it’s nice that I can see if my laptop is charging.\nAs long as Apple doesn’t revert to its old habit of taking things away just\nbecause they can, pretty much all of these pros also apply to the newer M2 models.\n(Please) come to an end\nThe M1 MacBook Pro has a long list of pros, but there are also a few cons. Most\nof these have been around for a long time now, although there are also a few\nissues that are new and still present in the 2023 M2 models:\nMacBook Pros are\nexpensive\nas ****. I understand getting one if you’re\nplanning on using it professionally (or someone else is buying it for you),\nbut there are zero rational reasons to pick a MacBook Pro over a “normal”\nMacBook for personal use unless you’re absolutely loaded.\nThe 14″ MacBook Pro comes with three USB-C ports, but almost all of my\nperipherals at work use USB-A. I didn’t choose the\ndongle\nlife, the dongle\nlife chose me!\nMost people know that Macs are\npickier with\nperipherals\nthan Windows\nmachines\n(side note:\nWindows – in my experience – at least tries to work with everything.\nThe downside of that approach seems to be that crappy drivers can bring down\nthe entire system.\n)\n. The 2021 MacBook Pro gets along better with external\ndevices than previous models, but it still doesn’t support everything I want.\nMost notably, touch screens.\nPersonally, I’m glad that the\nTouch Bar\nis gone. But I understand why some\npeople might miss it.\nI’ve been using Macs for nine years, but I still don’t like\nmacOS\n. Then\nagain, I don’t really like Windows either (too many reboots) and I don’t have\nthe energy to deal with Linux’s shortcomings on laptops.\nThe only reason I use macOS is because it’s a rock-solid Unix system.\nSome\niPhone and iPad apps\ncan be run natively on Apple silicon Macs. It\nworks, but it’s awkward. Running mobile apps in desktop environments wasn’t a\ngood idea on Windows and it isn’t a good idea in macOS either.\nApple M1 chips have been around for about 2.5 years now, but still do not\nofficially\nsupport operating systems other than macOS\n. Boot Camp has become\na thing of the past, so if you want Windows on your MacBook, you’ll have to\nrun it in a virtual machine. For those who prefer Linux there’s\nAsahi Linux\n,\nbut it’s probably not a good idea to install that on a company laptop…\nAbout Apple silicon…\nThe reason why newer MacBooks no longer support Windows and Linux natively of\ncourse has to do with Apple silicon. The\nM1\n(side note:\nAnd any successors, like the\nM2\n)\nis a very good reason to purchase these new MacBook Pros, but it can\nalso be a very good reason to stay away from them.\nAs you probably know, the M1 chip is ARM-based (like Androids and iPhones).\nMost popular Mac software is compiled for ARM-based chips and will work natively\non Apple silicon, but there’s a lot of older software that hasn’t been compiled\nfor ARM yet. You’ll still be able to run that software however, due to Rosetta 2;\na\ncompatibility\nlayer that “translates” x86-64 software\n(side note:\nIf only they\ncould’ve done something like this for 32-bit Mac apps…\n)\nfor Apple’s new M1\nchips on the fly.\nThis doesn’t mean that migrating to M1 is a walk in the park. Depending on your\nuse cases, there\nwill\nbe obstacles.\nContainer images\nMost widely used Docker images support multiple platforms. Docker generally\ndownloads the image that’s most suitable for your platform, but sometimes this\nisn’t possible.\nMany older images do not support ARM yet, so if your team is stuck with older\nversions of software (e.g. MySQL or Elasticsearch) you’ll need to explicitly\ntell Docker that you want to run the “normal” version by adding\n--platform linux\/amd64\nto your\ndocker run\ncommand or\nplatform: linux\/amd64\nto your Compose file.\nThis is where Rosetta usually starts to come apart, so keep in mind that your\ncontainers may run slow as molasses or not at all.\nRunning Windows\nLike I said earlier, the newer MacBook Pros do not support any operating system\nother than macOS. If you want to run Windows, you’ll have to run it inside a\nvirtual machine.\nI use Parallels Desktop, which works very well for the most part. Apple silicon\nis powerful enough that you’d probably have a hard time telling that Windows is\nrunning in a virtual machine. The cooling fans don’t even have to come on!\nI could definitely imagine myself running Windows on my MacBook like this\nliterally all day long.\nWhere all of this breaks down though, is that at the end of the day everything\nis still running in a virtual machine. What’s even worse, you’re not running the\nnormal version of Windows, but the ARM version – and pretty much everything you\nwant to run on Windows is made for x86-64. Fortunately Windows also has a\nRosetta 2-like emulation layer built in. Most software will still work as expected.\nMany older video games work just fine,\nalbeit with a bit of fan noise\n(side note:\nIn\nfact, this appears to be the only reliable way to get your MacBook Pro to sound\nlike a vacuum cleaner or turbofan engine.\n)\n. However, any software that\nrequires DirectX 12 won’t work at all due to technical limitations in Metal,\nApple’s low-level 3D graphics API. So if you want to use an Apple silicon Mac to\nplay games like Hogwarts Legacy, you’re shit out of luck.\nIt does.NET work\nI’m part of a team that writes services in C#\/.NET (among other things). Services\nthat use .NET 6 or newer works just fine on macOS, but I can’t get any of our\nlegacy .NET framework-based services to compile on macOS. It technically works\nin my Windows virtual machine, but the experience is absolutely awful. Especially\nif your preferred IDE is Rider, because then you’re running an IDE that runs in\na virtual machine that runs inside another virtual machine, which has a\nvery\nnoticeable effect on frame rate.\nIn other words: don’t buy a MacBook if you need to maintain legacy software that\nare written using Windows-only SDKs or libraries.","attrs_markdown":"[![Chuniversiteit logomark](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/images\/static\/logomark.png)![Chuniversiteit.nl](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/images\/static\/logotype.png)](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/ \"Home\")\n\n[Skip to content](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/productivity\/m1-macbook-pro-long-term-review#main)[Home](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/)[About](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/about)[Archive](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/archive)[Search](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/search)\n\n[Superproductivity at Room Temperature](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/productivity)\n\n# A long-term review of the M1 MacBook Pro\nPublished\n\n4 Mar 2023\n\nWritten by\n\nChun Fei Lung\n\nThe 2021 MacBook Pro may not be perfect, but I have (nearly) zero regrets about choosing this machine, which doesn’t happen very often.\n\n![A 14″ M1 MacBook Pro](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/images\/content\/2023\/m1-macbook-pro.png)\n\nIt’s an M1 Mac with an M1 Max\n\n1. [Back to top](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/productivity\/m1-macbook-pro-long-term-review)\n2. [Specifications](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/productivity\/m1-macbook-pro-long-term-review#specifications)\n3. [All good things](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/productivity\/m1-macbook-pro-long-term-review#all-good-things)\n4. [(Please) come to an end](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/productivity\/m1-macbook-pro-long-term-review#please-come-to-an-end)\n5. [About Apple silicon…](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/productivity\/m1-macbook-pro-long-term-review#about-apple-silicon)\n   1. [Container images](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/productivity\/m1-macbook-pro-long-term-review#container-images)\n   2. [Running Windows](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/productivity\/m1-macbook-pro-long-term-review#running-windows)\n   3. [It does.NET work](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/productivity\/m1-macbook-pro-long-term-review#it-doesnet-work)\n\nThrough sheer luck and peculiar procurement processes I’ve had the opportunity to try out both the 14″ and 16″ versions of the 2021 MacBook Pro. Both models were similarly specced. After a brief evaluation of both models I ended up choosing the [14″ MacBook Pro](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/personal\/computers#inspiration), which I have been using as my daily driver for about six months now. Time for a long-term review\\!\n\n## Specifications\n[![Link](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/images\/static\/link.svg)](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/productivity\/m1-macbook-pro-long-term-review#specifications \"Copy link to heading\")\n\nI’ll start by listing the specifications, but they don’t tell you all that much. My machine is configured with an M1 Max chip, which has a 10-core CPU and a 32-core GPU. That’s pretty much all the information I could find on the product page. Apple doesn’t advertise clock speeds and other technical details any more, and to be fair, it doesn’t matter all that much any way.\n\n|   |   |\n|---|---|\n| Processor | Apple M1 Max-chip with 10-core CPU |\n| Memory | 32 GB 6400 MHz LPDDR5 |\n| Disk | 1 TB |\n| Graphics | Apple M1 Max-chip with 32-core GPU |\n| Display size | 14″ (3024⨉1964) |\n| Weight | 1\\.6 kg |\n| Retail price | €3669 (about three kidneys) |\n\n## All good things\n[![Link](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/images\/static\/link.svg)](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/productivity\/m1-macbook-pro-long-term-review#all-good-things \"Copy link to heading\")\n\nThere’s much to like about the 2021 MacBook Pro:\n\n- The **screen** is amazing. It’s bright, the colours look nice, and I haven’t seen any glaring issues (aside from some literal glare). The 14″ only feels marginally smaller than the 15″ displays I had in my previous MacBooks.\n  The **bezels** have also become much smaller. Consequently, the screen now has a **notch**: a small cut-out where the webcam resides. It’s a bit more noticeable on the 14″ model, but you quickly get used to it. Most importantly, the notch doesn’t take away any valuable screen estate. You still get your full 16:10 space below it.\n- The **battery** usually lasts about six hours for me, which doesn’t even come close to the advertised battery life. It’s even less when I participate in Teams meetings with a [Kandao 360° camera](https:\/\/www.kandaovr.com\/). Then again, I’m running heavy workloads in the background most of the time. Other laptops don’t last more than two hours with this setup.\n- With regard to **weight**, the 14″ model is small and light enough that it can be comfortably held with just one hand. It’s perfect.\n  The 16″ model on the other hand is *massive*. You’ll want to hold it with both hands and you definitely don’t want to carry it on your back all day long when you’re on call.\n- Newer MacBooks don’t produce much **noise** or **heat**. You can `npm install` or compile large programs all you want, but you’re almost never going to hear the fans (side note: Sadly, my colleagues don’t have M1 MacBooks, so I’m still hearing *their* fans. 🥲) spin up.\n- I’m still happy with the **keyboard**. It works fine and looks nice. I still think ThinkPads have (or had?) slightly better keyboards, but really, I can’t complain.\n- MacBooks still have one of the best **touchpad**s on the market. The **Touch ID** button also doesn’t feel cheap any more, now that the stupid **Touch Bar** gone.\n- The 14″ MacBook Pro’s **speakers** may not be as good as those of its larger 16″ sibling, but they’re still miles ahead of those in other similarly priced laptops. Heck, these speakers sound better than my 48″ TV\\!\n- The **HDMI port** is an absolute godsend for me, as I regularly have to give presentations or share my screen in different meeting rooms.\n- **MagSafe** has also made its way back to the MacBook. I didn’t really need it, but it’s nice that I can see if my laptop is charging.\n\nAs long as Apple doesn’t revert to its old habit of taking things away just because they can, pretty much all of these pros also apply to the newer M2 models.\n\n## (Please) come to an end\n[![Link](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/images\/static\/link.svg)](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/productivity\/m1-macbook-pro-long-term-review#please-come-to-an-end \"Copy link to heading\")\n\nThe M1 MacBook Pro has a long list of pros, but there are also a few cons. Most of these have been around for a long time now, although there are also a few issues that are new and still present in the 2023 M2 models:\n\n- MacBook Pros are **expensive** as \\*\\*\\*\\*. I understand getting one if you’re planning on using it professionally (or someone else is buying it for you), but there are zero rational reasons to pick a MacBook Pro over a “normal” MacBook for personal use unless you’re absolutely loaded.\n- The 14″ MacBook Pro comes with three USB-C ports, but almost all of my peripherals at work use USB-A. I didn’t choose the **dongle** life, the dongle life chose me\\!\n- Most people know that Macs are pickier with **peripherals** than Windows machines (side note: Windows – in my experience – at least tries to work with everything. The downside of that approach seems to be that crappy drivers can bring down the entire system.). The 2021 MacBook Pro gets along better with external devices than previous models, but it still doesn’t support everything I want. Most notably, touch screens.\n- Personally, I’m glad that the **Touch Bar** is gone. But I understand why some people might miss it.\n- I’ve been using Macs for nine years, but I still don’t like **macOS**. Then again, I don’t really like Windows either (too many reboots) and I don’t have the energy to deal with Linux’s shortcomings on laptops. The only reason I use macOS is because it’s a rock-solid Unix system.\n- Some **iPhone and iPad apps** can be run natively on Apple silicon Macs. It works, but it’s awkward. Running mobile apps in desktop environments wasn’t a good idea on Windows and it isn’t a good idea in macOS either.\n- Apple M1 chips have been around for about 2.5 years now, but still do not officially **support operating systems other than macOS**. Boot Camp has become a thing of the past, so if you want Windows on your MacBook, you’ll have to run it in a virtual machine. For those who prefer Linux there’s [Asahi Linux](https:\/\/asahilinux.org\/), but it’s probably not a good idea to install that on a company laptop…\n\n## About Apple silicon…\n[![Link](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/images\/static\/link.svg)](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/productivity\/m1-macbook-pro-long-term-review#about-apple-silicon \"Copy link to heading\")\n\nThe reason why newer MacBooks no longer support Windows and Linux natively of course has to do with Apple silicon. The M1 (side note: And any successors, like the M2) is a very good reason to purchase these new MacBook Pros, but it can also be a very good reason to stay away from them.\n\nAs you probably know, the M1 chip is ARM-based (like Androids and iPhones). Most popular Mac software is compiled for ARM-based chips and will work natively on Apple silicon, but there’s a lot of older software that hasn’t been compiled for ARM yet. You’ll still be able to run that software however, due to Rosetta 2; a **compatibility** layer that “translates” x86-64 software (side note: If only they could’ve done something like this for 32-bit Mac apps…) for Apple’s new M1 chips on the fly.\n\nThis doesn’t mean that migrating to M1 is a walk in the park. Depending on your use cases, there *will* be obstacles.\n\n### Container images\n[![Link](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/images\/static\/link.svg)](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/productivity\/m1-macbook-pro-long-term-review#container-images \"Copy link to heading\")\n\nMost widely used Docker images support multiple platforms. Docker generally downloads the image that’s most suitable for your platform, but sometimes this isn’t possible.\n\nMany older images do not support ARM yet, so if your team is stuck with older versions of software (e.g. MySQL or Elasticsearch) you’ll need to explicitly tell Docker that you want to run the “normal” version by adding `--platform linux\/amd64` to your `docker run` command or `platform: linux\/amd64` to your Compose file.\n\nThis is where Rosetta usually starts to come apart, so keep in mind that your containers may run slow as molasses or not at all.\n\n### Running Windows\n[![Link](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/images\/static\/link.svg)](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/productivity\/m1-macbook-pro-long-term-review#running-windows \"Copy link to heading\")\n\nLike I said earlier, the newer MacBook Pros do not support any operating system other than macOS. If you want to run Windows, you’ll have to run it inside a virtual machine.\n\nI use Parallels Desktop, which works very well for the most part. Apple silicon is powerful enough that you’d probably have a hard time telling that Windows is running in a virtual machine. The cooling fans don’t even have to come on! I could definitely imagine myself running Windows on my MacBook like this literally all day long.\n\nWhere all of this breaks down though, is that at the end of the day everything is still running in a virtual machine. What’s even worse, you’re not running the normal version of Windows, but the ARM version – and pretty much everything you want to run on Windows is made for x86-64. Fortunately Windows also has a Rosetta 2-like emulation layer built in. Most software will still work as expected.\n\nMany older video games work just fine, albeit with a bit of fan noise (side note: In fact, this appears to be the only reliable way to get your MacBook Pro to sound like a vacuum cleaner or turbofan engine.). However, any software that requires DirectX 12 won’t work at all due to technical limitations in Metal, Apple’s low-level 3D graphics API. So if you want to use an Apple silicon Mac to play games like Hogwarts Legacy, you’re shit out of luck.\n\n### It does.NET work\n[![Link](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/images\/static\/link.svg)](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/productivity\/m1-macbook-pro-long-term-review#it-doesnet-work \"Copy link to heading\")\n\nI’m part of a team that writes services in C\\#\/.NET (among other things). Services that use .NET 6 or newer works just fine on macOS, but I can’t get any of our legacy .NET framework-based services to compile on macOS. It technically works in my Windows virtual machine, but the experience is absolutely awful. Especially if your preferred IDE is Rider, because then you’re running an IDE that runs in a virtual machine that runs inside another virtual machine, which has a *very* noticeable effect on frame rate.\n\nIn other words: don’t buy a MacBook if you need to maintain legacy software that are written using Windows-only SDKs or libraries.\n\n## More about Apple\n[![PC guy and Mac guy standing next each other](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/images\/content\/2019\/pc-versus-mac.png)Has Apple lost its mind?Most will agree that Apple still makes good products – but they are not as innovative as they used to be.](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/flat-earth\/has-apple-lost-its-mind)\n\n[![Space shuttle Discovery](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/images\/content\/2021\/space-shuttle-discovery-launch.png)Computers for commuters: A brief history of my mobile (and less mobile) computing devicesFor reasons that are no longer clear to me, I tried to name each of my computers after a space shuttle (and gave up after 22 years).](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/personal\/computers)\n\n[![Apple and Windows logos, side by side](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/images\/content\/2025\/mac-versus-windows.png)Should your next laptop be a Mac or a PC?There is no right answer to that question, but having used both for quite some years, I can share what I like and dislike about each.](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/productivity\/mac-versus-windows)\n\n## More about Docker\n[![Tux stares at you through Windows](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/images\/content\/2021\/tux-in-windows.png)Should you use Docker with WSL2 to develop large PHP apps on Windows?Spoiler alert: no.](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/operations\/should-you-use-docker-with-wsl2-to-develop-php-apps)\n\n[![Flag of Amsterdam, with the last white cross replaced by an underscore](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/images\/content\/2025\/amsterdam-xx.png)xx execs commands for you in your Docker Compose projectsThis is a short blog post about a short Perl script that I wrote to execute commands in running Docker Compose containers.](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/projects\/xx)\n\n[![A container is sent through a stargate in space](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/images\/content\/2023\/stargate-container.png)Cargo-cult containerisationContainers are often used for development and deployment of server-side software. For good reason or are we all just cargo culting?](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/papers\/cargo-cult-containerisation)\n\n## Chuniversiteit\n- [About](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/about)\n- [Portfolio](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/projects)\n- [Archive](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/archive)\n- [RSS feed](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/feed.xml)\n- [Blogroll](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/links)\n\n## Main sections\n- [Career & productivity](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/productivity)\n- [CS & SE paper summaries](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/papers)\n- [Software development](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/programming)\n- [DevOps (but mostly Ops)](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/operations)\n- [Mildly interesting stuff](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/flat-earth)\n\n## People often view\n- [Dutch trains in CSS](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/projects\/dutch-trains-in-css)\n- [My curriculum vitae (![Dutch](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/images\/static\/flags\/nl.svg))](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/about\/cv.pdf)\n- [My book collection](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/personal\/books)\n- [Where to pursue a PhD in SE](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/personal\/rankings)\n- [Conway’s Game of Life](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/flat-earth\/game-of-life)\n\n## Let’s connect\n- [GitHub](https:\/\/github.com\/chunfeilung)\n- [LinkedIn](https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/chunfeilung\/)\n- [Bluesky](https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/chuniversiteit.bsky.social)\n- [Threads](https:\/\/www.threads.net\/@chunfeilung)\n- [Steam](https:\/\/steamcommunity.com\/id\/chuniversiteit\/)\n\n![Flag of the Netherlands](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/images\/static\/flags\/nl.svg)![Flag of the European Union](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/images\/static\/flags\/eu.svg)\n\n© 2018–2026 Chun Fei Lung. Published from the Netherlands. Almost everything (except for third-party logos, names, etc.) licensed under [CC BY-NC](https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/).\n\n![](https:\/\/stats.chuniversiteit.nl\/count?p=\/productivity\/m1-macbook-pro-long-term-review&t=A%20long-term%20review%20of%20the%20M1%20MacBook%20Pro)","attrs_readable_markdown":"Through sheer luck and peculiar procurement processes I’ve had the opportunity to try out both the 14″ and 16″ versions of the 2021 MacBook Pro. Both models were similarly specced. After a brief evaluation of both models I ended up choosing the [14″ MacBook Pro](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/personal\/computers#inspiration), which I have been using as my daily driver for about six months now. Time for a long-term review\\!\n\n## Specifications\n[![Link](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/images\/static\/link.svg)](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/productivity\/m1-macbook-pro-long-term-review#specifications \"Copy link to heading\")\n\nI’ll start by listing the specifications, but they don’t tell you all that much. My machine is configured with an M1 Max chip, which has a 10-core CPU and a 32-core GPU. That’s pretty much all the information I could find on the product page. Apple doesn’t advertise clock speeds and other technical details any more, and to be fair, it doesn’t matter all that much any way.\n\n|   |   |\n|---|---|\n| Processor | Apple M1 Max-chip with 10-core CPU |\n| Memory | 32 GB 6400 MHz LPDDR5 |\n| Disk | 1 TB |\n| Graphics | Apple M1 Max-chip with 32-core GPU |\n| Display size | 14″ (3024⨉1964) |\n| Weight | 1\\.6 kg |\n| Retail price | €3669 (about three kidneys) |\n\n## All good things\n[![Link](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/images\/static\/link.svg)](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/productivity\/m1-macbook-pro-long-term-review#all-good-things \"Copy link to heading\")\n\nThere’s much to like about the 2021 MacBook Pro:\n\n- The **screen** is amazing. It’s bright, the colours look nice, and I haven’t seen any glaring issues (aside from some literal glare). The 14″ only feels marginally smaller than the 15″ displays I had in my previous MacBooks.\n  The **bezels** have also become much smaller. Consequently, the screen now has a **notch**: a small cut-out where the webcam resides. It’s a bit more noticeable on the 14″ model, but you quickly get used to it. Most importantly, the notch doesn’t take away any valuable screen estate. You still get your full 16:10 space below it.\n- The **battery** usually lasts about six hours for me, which doesn’t even come close to the advertised battery life. It’s even less when I participate in Teams meetings with a [Kandao 360° camera](https:\/\/www.kandaovr.com\/). Then again, I’m running heavy workloads in the background most of the time. Other laptops don’t last more than two hours with this setup.\n- With regard to **weight**, the 14″ model is small and light enough that it can be comfortably held with just one hand. It’s perfect.\n  The 16″ model on the other hand is *massive*. You’ll want to hold it with both hands and you definitely don’t want to carry it on your back all day long when you’re on call.\n- Newer MacBooks don’t produce much **noise** or **heat**. You can `npm install` or compile large programs all you want, but you’re almost never going to hear the fans (side note: Sadly, my colleagues don’t have M1 MacBooks, so I’m still hearing *their* fans. 🥲) spin up.\n- I’m still happy with the **keyboard**. It works fine and looks nice. I still think ThinkPads have (or had?) slightly better keyboards, but really, I can’t complain.\n- MacBooks still have one of the best **touchpad**s on the market. The **Touch ID** button also doesn’t feel cheap any more, now that the stupid **Touch Bar** gone.\n- The 14″ MacBook Pro’s **speakers** may not be as good as those of its larger 16″ sibling, but they’re still miles ahead of those in other similarly priced laptops. Heck, these speakers sound better than my 48″ TV\\!\n- The **HDMI port** is an absolute godsend for me, as I regularly have to give presentations or share my screen in different meeting rooms.\n- **MagSafe** has also made its way back to the MacBook. I didn’t really need it, but it’s nice that I can see if my laptop is charging.\n\nAs long as Apple doesn’t revert to its old habit of taking things away just because they can, pretty much all of these pros also apply to the newer M2 models.\n\n## (Please) come to an end\n[![Link](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/images\/static\/link.svg)](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/productivity\/m1-macbook-pro-long-term-review#please-come-to-an-end \"Copy link to heading\")\n\nThe M1 MacBook Pro has a long list of pros, but there are also a few cons. Most of these have been around for a long time now, although there are also a few issues that are new and still present in the 2023 M2 models:\n\n- MacBook Pros are **expensive** as \\*\\*\\*\\*. I understand getting one if you’re planning on using it professionally (or someone else is buying it for you), but there are zero rational reasons to pick a MacBook Pro over a “normal” MacBook for personal use unless you’re absolutely loaded.\n- The 14″ MacBook Pro comes with three USB-C ports, but almost all of my peripherals at work use USB-A. I didn’t choose the **dongle** life, the dongle life chose me\\!\n- Most people know that Macs are pickier with **peripherals** than Windows machines (side note: Windows – in my experience – at least tries to work with everything. The downside of that approach seems to be that crappy drivers can bring down the entire system.). The 2021 MacBook Pro gets along better with external devices than previous models, but it still doesn’t support everything I want. Most notably, touch screens.\n- Personally, I’m glad that the **Touch Bar** is gone. But I understand why some people might miss it.\n- I’ve been using Macs for nine years, but I still don’t like **macOS**. Then again, I don’t really like Windows either (too many reboots) and I don’t have the energy to deal with Linux’s shortcomings on laptops. The only reason I use macOS is because it’s a rock-solid Unix system.\n- Some **iPhone and iPad apps** can be run natively on Apple silicon Macs. It works, but it’s awkward. Running mobile apps in desktop environments wasn’t a good idea on Windows and it isn’t a good idea in macOS either.\n- Apple M1 chips have been around for about 2.5 years now, but still do not officially **support operating systems other than macOS**. Boot Camp has become a thing of the past, so if you want Windows on your MacBook, you’ll have to run it in a virtual machine. For those who prefer Linux there’s [Asahi Linux](https:\/\/asahilinux.org\/), but it’s probably not a good idea to install that on a company laptop…\n\n## About Apple silicon…\n[![Link](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/images\/static\/link.svg)](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/productivity\/m1-macbook-pro-long-term-review#about-apple-silicon \"Copy link to heading\")\n\nThe reason why newer MacBooks no longer support Windows and Linux natively of course has to do with Apple silicon. The M1 (side note: And any successors, like the M2) is a very good reason to purchase these new MacBook Pros, but it can also be a very good reason to stay away from them.\n\nAs you probably know, the M1 chip is ARM-based (like Androids and iPhones). Most popular Mac software is compiled for ARM-based chips and will work natively on Apple silicon, but there’s a lot of older software that hasn’t been compiled for ARM yet. You’ll still be able to run that software however, due to Rosetta 2; a **compatibility** layer that “translates” x86-64 software (side note: If only they could’ve done something like this for 32-bit Mac apps…) for Apple’s new M1 chips on the fly.\n\nThis doesn’t mean that migrating to M1 is a walk in the park. Depending on your use cases, there *will* be obstacles.\n\n### Container images\n[![Link](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/images\/static\/link.svg)](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/productivity\/m1-macbook-pro-long-term-review#container-images \"Copy link to heading\")\n\nMost widely used Docker images support multiple platforms. Docker generally downloads the image that’s most suitable for your platform, but sometimes this isn’t possible.\n\nMany older images do not support ARM yet, so if your team is stuck with older versions of software (e.g. MySQL or Elasticsearch) you’ll need to explicitly tell Docker that you want to run the “normal” version by adding `--platform linux\/amd64` to your `docker run` command or `platform: linux\/amd64` to your Compose file.\n\nThis is where Rosetta usually starts to come apart, so keep in mind that your containers may run slow as molasses or not at all.\n\n### Running Windows\n[![Link](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/images\/static\/link.svg)](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/productivity\/m1-macbook-pro-long-term-review#running-windows \"Copy link to heading\")\n\nLike I said earlier, the newer MacBook Pros do not support any operating system other than macOS. If you want to run Windows, you’ll have to run it inside a virtual machine.\n\nI use Parallels Desktop, which works very well for the most part. Apple silicon is powerful enough that you’d probably have a hard time telling that Windows is running in a virtual machine. The cooling fans don’t even have to come on! I could definitely imagine myself running Windows on my MacBook like this literally all day long.\n\nWhere all of this breaks down though, is that at the end of the day everything is still running in a virtual machine. What’s even worse, you’re not running the normal version of Windows, but the ARM version – and pretty much everything you want to run on Windows is made for x86-64. Fortunately Windows also has a Rosetta 2-like emulation layer built in. Most software will still work as expected.\n\nMany older video games work just fine, albeit with a bit of fan noise (side note: In fact, this appears to be the only reliable way to get your MacBook Pro to sound like a vacuum cleaner or turbofan engine.). However, any software that requires DirectX 12 won’t work at all due to technical limitations in Metal, Apple’s low-level 3D graphics API. So if you want to use an Apple silicon Mac to play games like Hogwarts Legacy, you’re shit out of luck.\n\n### It does.NET work\n[![Link](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/images\/static\/link.svg)](https:\/\/chuniversiteit.nl\/productivity\/m1-macbook-pro-long-term-review#it-doesnet-work \"Copy link to heading\")\n\nI’m part of a team that writes services in C\\#\/.NET (among other things). Services that use .NET 6 or newer works just fine on macOS, but I can’t get any of our legacy .NET framework-based services to compile on macOS. It technically works in my Windows virtual machine, but the experience is absolutely awful. Especially if your preferred IDE is Rider, because then you’re running an IDE that runs in a virtual machine that runs inside another virtual machine, which has a *very* noticeable effect on frame rate.\n\nIn other words: don’t buy a MacBook if you need to maintain legacy software that are written using Windows-only SDKs or libraries.","meta_canonical":null}

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Boilerpipe Text	Through sheer luck and peculiar procurement processes I’ve had the opportunity to try out both the 14″ and 16″ versions of the 2021 MacBook Pro. Both models were similarly specced. After a brief evaluation of both models I ended up choosing the 14″ MacBook Pro , which I have been using as my daily driver for about six months now. Time for a long-term review! Specifications I’ll start by listing the specifications, but they don’t tell you all that much. My machine is configured with an M1 Max chip, which has a 10-core CPU and a 32-core GPU. That’s pretty much all the information I could find on the product page. Apple doesn’t advertise clock speeds and other technical details any more, and to be fair, it doesn’t matter all that much any way. Processor Apple M1 Max-chip with 10-core CPU Memory 32 GB 6400 MHz LPDDR5 Disk 1 TB Graphics Apple M1 Max-chip with 32-core GPU Display size 14″ (3024⨉1964) Weight 1.6 kg Retail price €3669 (about three kidneys) All good things There’s much to like about the 2021 MacBook Pro: The screen is amazing. It’s bright, the colours look nice, and I haven’t seen any glaring issues (aside from some literal glare). The 14″ only feels marginally smaller than the 15″ displays I had in my previous MacBooks. The bezels have also become much smaller. Consequently, the screen now has a notch : a small cut-out where the webcam resides. It’s a bit more noticeable on the 14″ model, but you quickly get used to it. Most importantly, the notch doesn’t take away any valuable screen estate. You still get your full 16:10 space below it. The battery usually lasts about six hours for me, which doesn’t even come close to the advertised battery life. It’s even less when I participate in Teams meetings with a Kandao 360° camera . Then again, I’m running heavy workloads in the background most of the time. Other laptops don’t last more than two hours with this setup. With regard to weight , the 14″ model is small and light enough that it can be comfortably held with just one hand. It’s perfect. The 16″ model on the other hand is massive . You’ll want to hold it with both hands and you definitely don’t want to carry it on your back all day long when you’re on call. Newer MacBooks don’t produce much noise or heat . You can npm install or compile large programs all you want, but you’re almost never going to hear the fans (side note: Sadly, my colleagues don’t have M1 MacBooks, so I’m still hearing their fans. 🥲 ) spin up. I’m still happy with the keyboard . It works fine and looks nice. I still think ThinkPads have (or had?) slightly better keyboards, but really, I can’t complain. MacBooks still have one of the best touchpad s on the market. The Touch ID button also doesn’t feel cheap any more, now that the stupid Touch Bar gone. The 14″ MacBook Pro’s speakers may not be as good as those of its larger 16″ sibling, but they’re still miles ahead of those in other similarly priced laptops. Heck, these speakers sound better than my 48″ TV! The HDMI port is an absolute godsend for me, as I regularly have to give presentations or share my screen in different meeting rooms. MagSafe has also made its way back to the MacBook. I didn’t really need it, but it’s nice that I can see if my laptop is charging. As long as Apple doesn’t revert to its old habit of taking things away just because they can, pretty much all of these pros also apply to the newer M2 models. (Please) come to an end The M1 MacBook Pro has a long list of pros, but there are also a few cons. Most of these have been around for a long time now, although there are also a few issues that are new and still present in the 2023 M2 models: MacBook Pros are expensive as ****. I understand getting one if you’re planning on using it professionally (or someone else is buying it for you), but there are zero rational reasons to pick a MacBook Pro over a “normal” MacBook for personal use unless you’re absolutely loaded. The 14″ MacBook Pro comes with three USB-C ports, but almost all of my peripherals at work use USB-A. I didn’t choose the dongle life, the dongle life chose me! Most people know that Macs are pickier with peripherals than Windows machines (side note: Windows – in my experience – at least tries to work with everything. The downside of that approach seems to be that crappy drivers can bring down the entire system. ) . The 2021 MacBook Pro gets along better with external devices than previous models, but it still doesn’t support everything I want. Most notably, touch screens. Personally, I’m glad that the Touch Bar is gone. But I understand why some people might miss it. I’ve been using Macs for nine years, but I still don’t like macOS . Then again, I don’t really like Windows either (too many reboots) and I don’t have the energy to deal with Linux’s shortcomings on laptops. The only reason I use macOS is because it’s a rock-solid Unix system. Some iPhone and iPad apps can be run natively on Apple silicon Macs. It works, but it’s awkward. Running mobile apps in desktop environments wasn’t a good idea on Windows and it isn’t a good idea in macOS either. Apple M1 chips have been around for about 2.5 years now, but still do not officially support operating systems other than macOS . Boot Camp has become a thing of the past, so if you want Windows on your MacBook, you’ll have to run it in a virtual machine. For those who prefer Linux there’s Asahi Linux , but it’s probably not a good idea to install that on a company laptop… About Apple silicon… The reason why newer MacBooks no longer support Windows and Linux natively of course has to do with Apple silicon. The M1 (side note: And any successors, like the M2 ) is a very good reason to purchase these new MacBook Pros, but it can also be a very good reason to stay away from them. As you probably know, the M1 chip is ARM-based (like Androids and iPhones). Most popular Mac software is compiled for ARM-based chips and will work natively on Apple silicon, but there’s a lot of older software that hasn’t been compiled for ARM yet. You’ll still be able to run that software however, due to Rosetta 2; a compatibility layer that “translates” x86-64 software (side note: If only they could’ve done something like this for 32-bit Mac apps… ) for Apple’s new M1 chips on the fly. This doesn’t mean that migrating to M1 is a walk in the park. Depending on your use cases, there will be obstacles. Container images Most widely used Docker images support multiple platforms. Docker generally downloads the image that’s most suitable for your platform, but sometimes this isn’t possible. Many older images do not support ARM yet, so if your team is stuck with older versions of software (e.g. MySQL or Elasticsearch) you’ll need to explicitly tell Docker that you want to run the “normal” version by adding --platform linux/amd64 to your docker run command or platform: linux/amd64 to your Compose file. This is where Rosetta usually starts to come apart, so keep in mind that your containers may run slow as molasses or not at all. Running Windows Like I said earlier, the newer MacBook Pros do not support any operating system other than macOS. If you want to run Windows, you’ll have to run it inside a virtual machine. I use Parallels Desktop, which works very well for the most part. Apple silicon is powerful enough that you’d probably have a hard time telling that Windows is running in a virtual machine. The cooling fans don’t even have to come on! I could definitely imagine myself running Windows on my MacBook like this literally all day long. Where all of this breaks down though, is that at the end of the day everything is still running in a virtual machine. What’s even worse, you’re not running the normal version of Windows, but the ARM version – and pretty much everything you want to run on Windows is made for x86-64. Fortunately Windows also has a Rosetta 2-like emulation layer built in. Most software will still work as expected. Many older video games work just fine, albeit with a bit of fan noise (side note: In fact, this appears to be the only reliable way to get your MacBook Pro to sound like a vacuum cleaner or turbofan engine. ) . However, any software that requires DirectX 12 won’t work at all due to technical limitations in Metal, Apple’s low-level 3D graphics API. So if you want to use an Apple silicon Mac to play games like Hogwarts Legacy, you’re shit out of luck. It does.NET work I’m part of a team that writes services in C#/.NET (among other things). Services that use .NET 6 or newer works just fine on macOS, but I can’t get any of our legacy .NET framework-based services to compile on macOS. It technically works in my Windows virtual machine, but the experience is absolutely awful. Especially if your preferred IDE is Rider, because then you’re running an IDE that runs in a virtual machine that runs inside another virtual machine, which has a very noticeable effect on frame rate. In other words: don’t buy a MacBook if you need to maintain legacy software that are written using Windows-only SDKs or libraries.
Markdown	[![Chuniversiteit logomark](https://chuniversiteit.nl/images/static/logomark.png)![Chuniversiteit.nl](https://chuniversiteit.nl/images/static/logotype.png)](https://chuniversiteit.nl/ "Home") [Skip to content](https://chuniversiteit.nl/productivity/m1-macbook-pro-long-term-review#main)[Home](https://chuniversiteit.nl/)[About](https://chuniversiteit.nl/about)[Archive](https://chuniversiteit.nl/archive)[Search](https://chuniversiteit.nl/search) [Superproductivity at Room Temperature](https://chuniversiteit.nl/productivity) # A long-term review of the M1 MacBook Pro Published 4 Mar 2023 Written by Chun Fei Lung The 2021 MacBook Pro may not be perfect, but I have (nearly) zero regrets about choosing this machine, which doesn’t happen very often. ![A 14″ M1 MacBook Pro](https://chuniversiteit.nl/images/content/2023/m1-macbook-pro.png) It’s an M1 Mac with an M1 Max 1. [Back to top](https://chuniversiteit.nl/productivity/m1-macbook-pro-long-term-review) 2. [Specifications](https://chuniversiteit.nl/productivity/m1-macbook-pro-long-term-review#specifications) 3. [All good things](https://chuniversiteit.nl/productivity/m1-macbook-pro-long-term-review#all-good-things) 4. [(Please) come to an end](https://chuniversiteit.nl/productivity/m1-macbook-pro-long-term-review#please-come-to-an-end) 5. [About Apple silicon…](https://chuniversiteit.nl/productivity/m1-macbook-pro-long-term-review#about-apple-silicon) 1. [Container images](https://chuniversiteit.nl/productivity/m1-macbook-pro-long-term-review#container-images) 2. [Running Windows](https://chuniversiteit.nl/productivity/m1-macbook-pro-long-term-review#running-windows) 3. [It does.NET work](https://chuniversiteit.nl/productivity/m1-macbook-pro-long-term-review#it-doesnet-work) Through sheer luck and peculiar procurement processes I’ve had the opportunity to try out both the 14″ and 16″ versions of the 2021 MacBook Pro. Both models were similarly specced. After a brief evaluation of both models I ended up choosing the [14″ MacBook Pro](https://chuniversiteit.nl/personal/computers#inspiration), which I have been using as my daily driver for about six months now. Time for a long-term review\! ## Specifications [![Link](https://chuniversiteit.nl/images/static/link.svg)](https://chuniversiteit.nl/productivity/m1-macbook-pro-long-term-review#specifications "Copy link to heading") I’ll start by listing the specifications, but they don’t tell you all that much. My machine is configured with an M1 Max chip, which has a 10-core CPU and a 32-core GPU. That’s pretty much all the information I could find on the product page. Apple doesn’t advertise clock speeds and other technical details any more, and to be fair, it doesn’t matter all that much any way. \| \| \| \|---\|---\| \| Processor \| Apple M1 Max-chip with 10-core CPU \| \| Memory \| 32 GB 6400 MHz LPDDR5 \| \| Disk \| 1 TB \| \| Graphics \| Apple M1 Max-chip with 32-core GPU \| \| Display size \| 14″ (3024⨉1964) \| \| Weight \| 1\.6 kg \| \| Retail price \| €3669 (about three kidneys) \| ## All good things [![Link](https://chuniversiteit.nl/images/static/link.svg)](https://chuniversiteit.nl/productivity/m1-macbook-pro-long-term-review#all-good-things "Copy link to heading") There’s much to like about the 2021 MacBook Pro: - The screen is amazing. It’s bright, the colours look nice, and I haven’t seen any glaring issues (aside from some literal glare). The 14″ only feels marginally smaller than the 15″ displays I had in my previous MacBooks. The bezels have also become much smaller. Consequently, the screen now has a notch: a small cut-out where the webcam resides. It’s a bit more noticeable on the 14″ model, but you quickly get used to it. Most importantly, the notch doesn’t take away any valuable screen estate. You still get your full 16:10 space below it. - The battery usually lasts about six hours for me, which doesn’t even come close to the advertised battery life. It’s even less when I participate in Teams meetings with a [Kandao 360° camera](https://www.kandaovr.com/). Then again, I’m running heavy workloads in the background most of the time. Other laptops don’t last more than two hours with this setup. - With regard to weight, the 14″ model is small and light enough that it can be comfortably held with just one hand. It’s perfect. The 16″ model on the other hand is massive. You’ll want to hold it with both hands and you definitely don’t want to carry it on your back all day long when you’re on call. - Newer MacBooks don’t produce much noise or heat. You can `npm install` or compile large programs all you want, but you’re almost never going to hear the fans (side note: Sadly, my colleagues don’t have M1 MacBooks, so I’m still hearing their fans. 🥲) spin up. - I’m still happy with the keyboard. It works fine and looks nice. I still think ThinkPads have (or had?) slightly better keyboards, but really, I can’t complain. - MacBooks still have one of the best touchpads on the market. The Touch ID button also doesn’t feel cheap any more, now that the stupid Touch Bar gone. - The 14″ MacBook Pro’s speakers may not be as good as those of its larger 16″ sibling, but they’re still miles ahead of those in other similarly priced laptops. Heck, these speakers sound better than my 48″ TV\! - The HDMI port is an absolute godsend for me, as I regularly have to give presentations or share my screen in different meeting rooms. - MagSafe has also made its way back to the MacBook. I didn’t really need it, but it’s nice that I can see if my laptop is charging. As long as Apple doesn’t revert to its old habit of taking things away just because they can, pretty much all of these pros also apply to the newer M2 models. ## (Please) come to an end [![Link](https://chuniversiteit.nl/images/static/link.svg)](https://chuniversiteit.nl/productivity/m1-macbook-pro-long-term-review#please-come-to-an-end "Copy link to heading") The M1 MacBook Pro has a long list of pros, but there are also a few cons. Most of these have been around for a long time now, although there are also a few issues that are new and still present in the 2023 M2 models: - MacBook Pros are expensive as \\\\. I understand getting one if you’re planning on using it professionally (or someone else is buying it for you), but there are zero rational reasons to pick a MacBook Pro over a “normal” MacBook for personal use unless you’re absolutely loaded. - The 14″ MacBook Pro comes with three USB-C ports, but almost all of my peripherals at work use USB-A. I didn’t choose the dongle life, the dongle life chose me\! - Most people know that Macs are pickier with peripherals than Windows machines (side note: Windows – in my experience – at least tries to work with everything. The downside of that approach seems to be that crappy drivers can bring down the entire system.). The 2021 MacBook Pro gets along better with external devices than previous models, but it still doesn’t support everything I want. Most notably, touch screens. - Personally, I’m glad that the Touch Bar is gone. But I understand why some people might miss it. - I’ve been using Macs for nine years, but I still don’t like macOS. Then again, I don’t really like Windows either (too many reboots) and I don’t have the energy to deal with Linux’s shortcomings on laptops. The only reason I use macOS is because it’s a rock-solid Unix system. - Some iPhone and iPad apps can be run natively on Apple silicon Macs. It works, but it’s awkward. Running mobile apps in desktop environments wasn’t a good idea on Windows and it isn’t a good idea in macOS either. - Apple M1 chips have been around for about 2.5 years now, but still do not officially support operating systems other than macOS. Boot Camp has become a thing of the past, so if you want Windows on your MacBook, you’ll have to run it in a virtual machine. For those who prefer Linux there’s [Asahi Linux](https://asahilinux.org/), but it’s probably not a good idea to install that on a company laptop… ## About Apple silicon… [![Link](https://chuniversiteit.nl/images/static/link.svg)](https://chuniversiteit.nl/productivity/m1-macbook-pro-long-term-review#about-apple-silicon "Copy link to heading") The reason why newer MacBooks no longer support Windows and Linux natively of course has to do with Apple silicon. The M1 (side note: And any successors, like the M2) is a very good reason to purchase these new MacBook Pros, but it can also be a very good reason to stay away from them. As you probably know, the M1 chip is ARM-based (like Androids and iPhones). Most popular Mac software is compiled for ARM-based chips and will work natively on Apple silicon, but there’s a lot of older software that hasn’t been compiled for ARM yet. You’ll still be able to run that software however, due to Rosetta 2; a compatibility layer that “translates” x86-64 software (side note: If only they could’ve done something like this for 32-bit Mac apps…) for Apple’s new M1 chips on the fly. This doesn’t mean that migrating to M1 is a walk in the park. Depending on your use cases, there will be obstacles. ### Container images [![Link](https://chuniversiteit.nl/images/static/link.svg)](https://chuniversiteit.nl/productivity/m1-macbook-pro-long-term-review#container-images "Copy link to heading") Most widely used Docker images support multiple platforms. Docker generally downloads the image that’s most suitable for your platform, but sometimes this isn’t possible. Many older images do not support ARM yet, so if your team is stuck with older versions of software (e.g. MySQL or Elasticsearch) you’ll need to explicitly tell Docker that you want to run the “normal” version by adding `--platform linux/amd64` to your `docker run` command or `platform: linux/amd64` to your Compose file. This is where Rosetta usually starts to come apart, so keep in mind that your containers may run slow as molasses or not at all. ### Running Windows [![Link](https://chuniversiteit.nl/images/static/link.svg)](https://chuniversiteit.nl/productivity/m1-macbook-pro-long-term-review#running-windows "Copy link to heading") Like I said earlier, the newer MacBook Pros do not support any operating system other than macOS. If you want to run Windows, you’ll have to run it inside a virtual machine. I use Parallels Desktop, which works very well for the most part. Apple silicon is powerful enough that you’d probably have a hard time telling that Windows is running in a virtual machine. The cooling fans don’t even have to come on! I could definitely imagine myself running Windows on my MacBook like this literally all day long. Where all of this breaks down though, is that at the end of the day everything is still running in a virtual machine. What’s even worse, you’re not running the normal version of Windows, but the ARM version – and pretty much everything you want to run on Windows is made for x86-64. Fortunately Windows also has a Rosetta 2-like emulation layer built in. Most software will still work as expected. Many older video games work just fine, albeit with a bit of fan noise (side note: In fact, this appears to be the only reliable way to get your MacBook Pro to sound like a vacuum cleaner or turbofan engine.). However, any software that requires DirectX 12 won’t work at all due to technical limitations in Metal, Apple’s low-level 3D graphics API. So if you want to use an Apple silicon Mac to play games like Hogwarts Legacy, you’re shit out of luck. ### It does.NET work [![Link](https://chuniversiteit.nl/images/static/link.svg)](https://chuniversiteit.nl/productivity/m1-macbook-pro-long-term-review#it-doesnet-work "Copy link to heading") I’m part of a team that writes services in C\#/.NET (among other things). Services that use .NET 6 or newer works just fine on macOS, but I can’t get any of our legacy .NET framework-based services to compile on macOS. It technically works in my Windows virtual machine, but the experience is absolutely awful. Especially if your preferred IDE is Rider, because then you’re running an IDE that runs in a virtual machine that runs inside another virtual machine, which has a very noticeable effect on frame rate. In other words: don’t buy a MacBook if you need to maintain legacy software that are written using Windows-only SDKs or libraries. ## More about Apple [![PC guy and Mac guy standing next each other](https://chuniversiteit.nl/images/content/2019/pc-versus-mac.png)Has Apple lost its mind?Most will agree that Apple still makes good products – but they are not as innovative as they used to be.](https://chuniversiteit.nl/flat-earth/has-apple-lost-its-mind) [![Space shuttle Discovery](https://chuniversiteit.nl/images/content/2021/space-shuttle-discovery-launch.png)Computers for commuters: A brief history of my mobile (and less mobile) computing devicesFor reasons that are no longer clear to me, I tried to name each of my computers after a space shuttle (and gave up after 22 years).](https://chuniversiteit.nl/personal/computers) [![Apple and Windows logos, side by side](https://chuniversiteit.nl/images/content/2025/mac-versus-windows.png)Should your next laptop be a Mac or a PC?There is no right answer to that question, but having used both for quite some years, I can share what I like and dislike about each.](https://chuniversiteit.nl/productivity/mac-versus-windows) ## More about Docker [![Tux stares at you through Windows](https://chuniversiteit.nl/images/content/2021/tux-in-windows.png)Should you use Docker with WSL2 to develop large PHP apps on Windows?Spoiler alert: no.](https://chuniversiteit.nl/operations/should-you-use-docker-with-wsl2-to-develop-php-apps) [![Flag of Amsterdam, with the last white cross replaced by an underscore](https://chuniversiteit.nl/images/content/2025/amsterdam-xx.png)xx execs commands for you in your Docker Compose projectsThis is a short blog post about a short Perl script that I wrote to execute commands in running Docker Compose containers.](https://chuniversiteit.nl/projects/xx) [![A container is sent through a stargate in space](https://chuniversiteit.nl/images/content/2023/stargate-container.png)Cargo-cult containerisationContainers are often used for development and deployment of server-side software. For good reason or are we all just cargo culting?](https://chuniversiteit.nl/papers/cargo-cult-containerisation) ## Chuniversiteit - [About](https://chuniversiteit.nl/about) - [Portfolio](https://chuniversiteit.nl/projects) - [Archive](https://chuniversiteit.nl/archive) - [RSS feed](https://chuniversiteit.nl/feed.xml) - [Blogroll](https://chuniversiteit.nl/links) ## Main sections - [Career & productivity](https://chuniversiteit.nl/productivity) - [CS & SE paper summaries](https://chuniversiteit.nl/papers) - [Software development](https://chuniversiteit.nl/programming) - [DevOps (but mostly Ops)](https://chuniversiteit.nl/operations) - [Mildly interesting stuff](https://chuniversiteit.nl/flat-earth) ## People often view - [Dutch trains in CSS](https://chuniversiteit.nl/projects/dutch-trains-in-css) - [My curriculum vitae (![Dutch](https://chuniversiteit.nl/images/static/flags/nl.svg))](https://chuniversiteit.nl/about/cv.pdf) - [My book collection](https://chuniversiteit.nl/personal/books) - [Where to pursue a PhD in SE](https://chuniversiteit.nl/personal/rankings) - [Conway’s Game of Life](https://chuniversiteit.nl/flat-earth/game-of-life) ## Let’s connect - [GitHub](https://github.com/chunfeilung) - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/chunfeilung/) - [Bluesky](https://bsky.app/profile/chuniversiteit.bsky.social) - [Threads](https://www.threads.net/@chunfeilung) - [Steam](https://steamcommunity.com/id/chuniversiteit/) ![Flag of the Netherlands](https://chuniversiteit.nl/images/static/flags/nl.svg)![Flag of the European Union](https://chuniversiteit.nl/images/static/flags/eu.svg) © 2018–2026 Chun Fei Lung. Published from the Netherlands. Almost everything (except for third-party logos, names, etc.) licensed under [CC BY-NC](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). ![](https://stats.chuniversiteit.nl/count?p=/productivity/m1-macbook-pro-long-term-review&t=A%20long-term%20review%20of%20the%20M1%20MacBook%20Pro)
Readable Markdown	Through sheer luck and peculiar procurement processes I’ve had the opportunity to try out both the 14″ and 16″ versions of the 2021 MacBook Pro. Both models were similarly specced. After a brief evaluation of both models I ended up choosing the [14″ MacBook Pro](https://chuniversiteit.nl/personal/computers#inspiration), which I have been using as my daily driver for about six months now. Time for a long-term review\! ## Specifications [![Link](https://chuniversiteit.nl/images/static/link.svg)](https://chuniversiteit.nl/productivity/m1-macbook-pro-long-term-review#specifications "Copy link to heading") I’ll start by listing the specifications, but they don’t tell you all that much. My machine is configured with an M1 Max chip, which has a 10-core CPU and a 32-core GPU. That’s pretty much all the information I could find on the product page. Apple doesn’t advertise clock speeds and other technical details any more, and to be fair, it doesn’t matter all that much any way. \| \| \| \|---\|---\| \| Processor \| Apple M1 Max-chip with 10-core CPU \| \| Memory \| 32 GB 6400 MHz LPDDR5 \| \| Disk \| 1 TB \| \| Graphics \| Apple M1 Max-chip with 32-core GPU \| \| Display size \| 14″ (3024⨉1964) \| \| Weight \| 1\.6 kg \| \| Retail price \| €3669 (about three kidneys) \| ## All good things [![Link](https://chuniversiteit.nl/images/static/link.svg)](https://chuniversiteit.nl/productivity/m1-macbook-pro-long-term-review#all-good-things "Copy link to heading") There’s much to like about the 2021 MacBook Pro: - The screen is amazing. It’s bright, the colours look nice, and I haven’t seen any glaring issues (aside from some literal glare). The 14″ only feels marginally smaller than the 15″ displays I had in my previous MacBooks. The bezels have also become much smaller. Consequently, the screen now has a notch: a small cut-out where the webcam resides. It’s a bit more noticeable on the 14″ model, but you quickly get used to it. Most importantly, the notch doesn’t take away any valuable screen estate. You still get your full 16:10 space below it. - The battery usually lasts about six hours for me, which doesn’t even come close to the advertised battery life. It’s even less when I participate in Teams meetings with a [Kandao 360° camera](https://www.kandaovr.com/). Then again, I’m running heavy workloads in the background most of the time. Other laptops don’t last more than two hours with this setup. - With regard to weight, the 14″ model is small and light enough that it can be comfortably held with just one hand. It’s perfect. The 16″ model on the other hand is massive. You’ll want to hold it with both hands and you definitely don’t want to carry it on your back all day long when you’re on call. - Newer MacBooks don’t produce much noise or heat. You can `npm install` or compile large programs all you want, but you’re almost never going to hear the fans (side note: Sadly, my colleagues don’t have M1 MacBooks, so I’m still hearing their fans. 🥲) spin up. - I’m still happy with the keyboard. It works fine and looks nice. I still think ThinkPads have (or had?) slightly better keyboards, but really, I can’t complain. - MacBooks still have one of the best touchpads on the market. The Touch ID button also doesn’t feel cheap any more, now that the stupid Touch Bar gone. - The 14″ MacBook Pro’s speakers may not be as good as those of its larger 16″ sibling, but they’re still miles ahead of those in other similarly priced laptops. Heck, these speakers sound better than my 48″ TV\! - The HDMI port is an absolute godsend for me, as I regularly have to give presentations or share my screen in different meeting rooms. - MagSafe has also made its way back to the MacBook. I didn’t really need it, but it’s nice that I can see if my laptop is charging. As long as Apple doesn’t revert to its old habit of taking things away just because they can, pretty much all of these pros also apply to the newer M2 models. ## (Please) come to an end [![Link](https://chuniversiteit.nl/images/static/link.svg)](https://chuniversiteit.nl/productivity/m1-macbook-pro-long-term-review#please-come-to-an-end "Copy link to heading") The M1 MacBook Pro has a long list of pros, but there are also a few cons. Most of these have been around for a long time now, although there are also a few issues that are new and still present in the 2023 M2 models: - MacBook Pros are expensive as \\\\. I understand getting one if you’re planning on using it professionally (or someone else is buying it for you), but there are zero rational reasons to pick a MacBook Pro over a “normal” MacBook for personal use unless you’re absolutely loaded. - The 14″ MacBook Pro comes with three USB-C ports, but almost all of my peripherals at work use USB-A. I didn’t choose the dongle life, the dongle life chose me\! - Most people know that Macs are pickier with peripherals than Windows machines (side note: Windows – in my experience – at least tries to work with everything. The downside of that approach seems to be that crappy drivers can bring down the entire system.). The 2021 MacBook Pro gets along better with external devices than previous models, but it still doesn’t support everything I want. Most notably, touch screens. - Personally, I’m glad that the Touch Bar is gone. But I understand why some people might miss it. - I’ve been using Macs for nine years, but I still don’t like macOS. Then again, I don’t really like Windows either (too many reboots) and I don’t have the energy to deal with Linux’s shortcomings on laptops. The only reason I use macOS is because it’s a rock-solid Unix system. - Some iPhone and iPad apps can be run natively on Apple silicon Macs. It works, but it’s awkward. Running mobile apps in desktop environments wasn’t a good idea on Windows and it isn’t a good idea in macOS either. - Apple M1 chips have been around for about 2.5 years now, but still do not officially support operating systems other than macOS. Boot Camp has become a thing of the past, so if you want Windows on your MacBook, you’ll have to run it in a virtual machine. For those who prefer Linux there’s [Asahi Linux](https://asahilinux.org/), but it’s probably not a good idea to install that on a company laptop… ## About Apple silicon… [![Link](https://chuniversiteit.nl/images/static/link.svg)](https://chuniversiteit.nl/productivity/m1-macbook-pro-long-term-review#about-apple-silicon "Copy link to heading") The reason why newer MacBooks no longer support Windows and Linux natively of course has to do with Apple silicon. The M1 (side note: And any successors, like the M2) is a very good reason to purchase these new MacBook Pros, but it can also be a very good reason to stay away from them. As you probably know, the M1 chip is ARM-based (like Androids and iPhones). Most popular Mac software is compiled for ARM-based chips and will work natively on Apple silicon, but there’s a lot of older software that hasn’t been compiled for ARM yet. You’ll still be able to run that software however, due to Rosetta 2; a compatibility layer that “translates” x86-64 software (side note: If only they could’ve done something like this for 32-bit Mac apps…) for Apple’s new M1 chips on the fly. This doesn’t mean that migrating to M1 is a walk in the park. Depending on your use cases, there will be obstacles. ### Container images [![Link](https://chuniversiteit.nl/images/static/link.svg)](https://chuniversiteit.nl/productivity/m1-macbook-pro-long-term-review#container-images "Copy link to heading") Most widely used Docker images support multiple platforms. Docker generally downloads the image that’s most suitable for your platform, but sometimes this isn’t possible. Many older images do not support ARM yet, so if your team is stuck with older versions of software (e.g. MySQL or Elasticsearch) you’ll need to explicitly tell Docker that you want to run the “normal” version by adding `--platform linux/amd64` to your `docker run` command or `platform: linux/amd64` to your Compose file. This is where Rosetta usually starts to come apart, so keep in mind that your containers may run slow as molasses or not at all. ### Running Windows [![Link](https://chuniversiteit.nl/images/static/link.svg)](https://chuniversiteit.nl/productivity/m1-macbook-pro-long-term-review#running-windows "Copy link to heading") Like I said earlier, the newer MacBook Pros do not support any operating system other than macOS. If you want to run Windows, you’ll have to run it inside a virtual machine. I use Parallels Desktop, which works very well for the most part. Apple silicon is powerful enough that you’d probably have a hard time telling that Windows is running in a virtual machine. The cooling fans don’t even have to come on! I could definitely imagine myself running Windows on my MacBook like this literally all day long. Where all of this breaks down though, is that at the end of the day everything is still running in a virtual machine. What’s even worse, you’re not running the normal version of Windows, but the ARM version – and pretty much everything you want to run on Windows is made for x86-64. Fortunately Windows also has a Rosetta 2-like emulation layer built in. Most software will still work as expected. Many older video games work just fine, albeit with a bit of fan noise (side note: In fact, this appears to be the only reliable way to get your MacBook Pro to sound like a vacuum cleaner or turbofan engine.). However, any software that requires DirectX 12 won’t work at all due to technical limitations in Metal, Apple’s low-level 3D graphics API. So if you want to use an Apple silicon Mac to play games like Hogwarts Legacy, you’re shit out of luck. ### It does.NET work [![Link](https://chuniversiteit.nl/images/static/link.svg)](https://chuniversiteit.nl/productivity/m1-macbook-pro-long-term-review#it-doesnet-work "Copy link to heading") I’m part of a team that writes services in C\#/.NET (among other things). Services that use .NET 6 or newer works just fine on macOS, but I can’t get any of our legacy .NET framework-based services to compile on macOS. It technically works in my Windows virtual machine, but the experience is absolutely awful. Especially if your preferred IDE is Rider, because then you’re running an IDE that runs in a virtual machine that runs inside another virtual machine, which has a very noticeable effect on frame rate. In other words: don’t buy a MacBook if you need to maintain legacy software that are written using Windows-only SDKs or libraries.
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