Linked List: April 23, 2021

Friday, 23 April 2021

‘Apple’s M1 Positioning Mocks the Entire x86 Business Model’ ★

Joel Hruska, writing for ExtremeTech:

If that doesn’t seem like a fusillade across x86’s metaphorical bow, consider the issue from a different perspective: According to Apple, the M1 is the right CPU for a $699 computer, and a $999 computer, and a $1,699 computer. It’s the right chip if you want maximum battery life and the right CPU for optimal performance. Want the amazing performance of an M1 iMac, but can’t afford (or have no need) for the expensive display? Buy a $699 Mac mini, with exactly the same CPU. Apple’s M1 positioning, evaluated in its totality, claims the CPU is cheap and unremarkable enough to be sold at $699, powerful and capable enough to sell at $1699, and power-efficient enough to power both a tablet and a pair of laptops priced in-between. […]

Apple’s willingness to position the M1 across so many markets challenges the narrative that such a vast array of x86 products is helpful or necessary. It puts Intel and AMD in the position of justifying why, exactly, x86 customers are required to make so many tradeoffs between high performance and low power consumption. Selling the M1 in both $699 and $1,699 machines challenges the idea that a computer’s price ought to principally reflect the CPU inside of it.

Bingo.

The Kindle Lock Screen Can Now Display Book Covers ★

Callum Booth, writing for The Next Web:

Mmm, I love a bit of news that seems tailor made just for me. So here it is: the Kindle lock screen can now display book covers. If you’re lucky.

The setting to turn this on only showed up for me after rebooting my Kindle. Amazing that it took them this long to add such an obvious feature.

On Raising Capital Gains Tax Rates ★

Matthew Yglesias:

Iconic American companies like Apple and Microsoft would never have been founded under the kind of punitive, 1970s-style capital gains tax rates that Biden wants to bring back.

The best part is that Joe Nocera fell for it.

New 12.9-Inch iPad Pro Isn’t Compatible With Last Year’s Magic Keyboard ★

The new 12.9-inch iPad Pro is 0.5mm thicker than the previous A12-based versions, which means it doesn’t fit in last year’s Magic Keyboard. The new 11-inch iPad Pro has the exact same dimensions as the A12-based versions, so the 11-inch Magic Keyboard isn’t changed. Sucks if you’re a big-time iPad user upgrading from one recent 12.9-inch model to the new one, but I don’t know what else Apple could have done.