Apps that have been developed to run on a specific processor and are actually run on that processor, can say that they ‘run natively’. Native mode refers to the ‘normal’ running mode of a computer. Software runs in either native mode, or emulation mode: This relates to how software runs on your computer. Instead of Processor and Graphics, you’ll see Chip, and ‘Apple M1’ next to it. If your Mac uses an Apple processor, the listed details are slightly different. If your Mac is built on Intel architecture, you’ll see both Processor and Graphics details listed (and ‘Intel’ somewhere in the description).

A dialogue will appear, displaying an overview of your Mac device. You can find this out easily by clicking the  Apple menu and selecting About this Mac from the pop-up menu options. How can I tell what processor (architecture) my Mac uses? If Apple executes their transition from Intel processors to Apple silicon on time, these remaining systems will be powered by Apple chips sometime between now and mid- to late-2022. It’s also important to note that only the 16-inch MacBook Pro, 27-inch iMac and Mac Pro remain as systems that use Intel processors. The key difference between each is the form factor (tablet, laptop, or desktop). It’s interesting that Apple uses the same M1 chip to power the iPad Pro, the MacBook Air, the 13-inch MacBook Pro, the Mac mini, and the 24-inch iMac. What you want to know are the key user benefits of the M1-performance and power usage improvements.

While the Apple M1 chip is the first personal computer System on a Chip (SoC) built using a 5 nanometer processor with 16 billion transistors, those chip-level details don’t help us understand how it works in a Mac. The M1 is the first Apple silicon chip to power a production Mac. But if you’ve purchased a new Mac since November 2020, you may have an Apple M1-based Mac. Second, if your Mac was purchased before November 2020, it won’t have an Apple M1 chip. In the below post, we cover some of the questions you may have about the new Apple M1 chip.ĭo I need to know about Apple silicon (M1)?įirst, any discussion about the Apple M1-based Macs are only applicable to macOS users Windows users can safely tune out. You may have read about apps offering ‘native support for Apple silicon (M1) devices’, but what does that actually mean for you?

Macbook air m1 indesign