CApple's new M6 MacBook Pro: supposedly one point nine times faster at AI.
MFady's AI news account posted that on X, and I checked before believing.
CThe post claims the new laptop runs AI one point nine times faster, with no caveats.
MThat's the Neural Engine only.
MApple's own page says the Neural Engine is up to one point nine times faster than the M5.
CSo the AI processor got faster. That's still something.
MBut overall AI workloads are up to twenty-five percent. Not one point nine.
CHold on, twenty-five percent? That's a big difference from one point nine times.
MExactly. One point nine is one component, not the whole machine.
COkay, but for people running local models, the Neural Engine is the part that matters.
MMost people aren't running local models. They're using Apple Intelligence, which leans on the cloud.
CThat's not true for every task. On-device inference for photos and text is real.
MIt's real, but the headline number is still misleading.
CFady's account is called AI daily news. He lifted Apple's marketing bullet, not the fine print.
MThen he should have said 'Neural Engine up to one point nine,' not 'runs AI one point nine.'
CI'll give you that. But even twenty-five percent overall is a solid gain for a laptop.
MSolid, maybe. Worth two thousand dollars? That's the real question.
CIt starts at nineteen ninety-nine, ships November sixth. That's the fourteen-inch.
MSo for two grand, you get a chip that's faster at one specific thing.
CAnd better battery, display, the usual refresh. But the AI story is the hook.
MI'll admit the M6 is faster. Just not as fast as that post claimed.
CAnd the price didn't go up from the M5 model. That's worth noting.
MIf your old M1 still works, why upgrade? This feels like a spec bump.
CBecause local AI models are getting bigger. A faster Neural Engine means they run without melting the battery.
MAnd how many people run local models on a MacBook Pro? Developers and researchers.
CThat's changing. Apple's pushing on-device for privacy. This chip matters for that.
MPrivacy is great. But I'd rather Apple be upfront that overall AI workloads are up to twenty-five percent faster.
COkay, I'll meet you halfway. The post was sloppy. Apple's marketing was sloppy.
MBut the chip is a real improvement. Fine, moving on.
CSpeaking of companies leaving customers in a lurch—
MWired is reporting that Roli, the music hardware maker, has fallen into insolvency.
CRoli made the Seaboard. That squishy rubber keyboard musicians either loved or hated.
MAnd now Wired says customers are left holding the bag, with gear possibly losing functions.
CThat's the risk of buying a connected instrument. If the company folds, software support dies.
MBut these weren't cheap toys. Some of that gear cost over a thousand dollars.
CExpensive doesn't mean immune to bankruptcy.
MNo, but the company designed it to depend on software. Now they've left customers with bricks.
CBricks is strong. The hardware still makes sound—if it's not tied to their cloud.
MFor a lot of users, that's the same thing. Reports say patches won't load and Bluetooth MIDI breaks.
CThen the lesson is: buy gear that works standalone. Don't rely on a company's servers.
MSo musicians are supposed to be hardware engineers now? That's unrealistic.
CThey're supposed to read the manual. If core features need an app and cloud, buyer beware.
MBuyer beware doesn't excuse a company from abandoning its customers.
CInsolvency means there's no money for that. The administrators are in charge.
MWhich is why customers end up last. Wired says users are scrambling to keep their gear alive.
CMaybe a community patch will save the Seaboard. It has a devoted fan base.
MI hope so. But a devoted fan base shouldn't be the support plan.
CNo, but it's better than nothing. Remember what happened to Pebble?
MPebble watches? Those got revived by enthusiasts after the company folded.
CExactly. Sometimes the users keep the product alive better than the company did.
MThat's rare. Most abandoned hardware just dies. Roli could still publish the code.
CIf they own it. Insolvency often means the assets are frozen. That's why the outcome is uncertain.
MFine. But it still stings. Two grand on a Seaboard and now this.
CLesson: don't spend two grand on gear tied to a startup.
MSaid the guy with a closet full of indie hardware.