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Return of the Mac

May 21, 2021

Hey everyone, it's Mark. For most of recent memory, Intel Corp. and PC makers like Lenovo Group Ltd., HP Inc. and Dell Technologies Inc. didn't need to worry about Apple Inc. Those three hardware makers essentially owned the industry. Apple computers were largely seen as a pricier, niche and less capable alternative.

Today it's a different story: The Mac is resurgent. Last quarter, sales of Apple Mac computers topped $9 billion, a record for the company, and its U.S. PC market share jumped three percentage points. Some have pinned the Mac's recent growth on Covid-19 and the sale of more work-from-home devices. But late last year the company also released its first Macs with processors designed in-house. That shift away from Intel technology is likely an overlooked driver of surging sales. 

Personally, I use a 16-inch MacBook Pro from 2019—the latest available model. It's Apple's top-end laptop and uses an Intel chip. Nearly since the beginning of using it, I've found that the computer randomly slows down, has a fan that spins like a jet engine, overheats and freezes when running what I don't consider to be tasks too advanced for a Pro notebook. Those are issues plenty of Mac users have faced, but they're also commonplace enough in the world of PCs that most people don't find them strange.

Contrast that with the experience of using an iPhone or an iPad. I'd bet if you polled 1,000 Apple phone or tablet users, barely any would have serious complaints along the lines of what I've experienced with my Mac. And as Mac computers move away from Intel chips and over to the same underlying technology found in the iPad and iPhone, users could see speedier and more reliable systems.

So far, only four different Macs use Apple processors—the new entry iMac, the low-end MacBook Pro, the MacBook Air and the low-end Mac mini. But that will soon change. Revamped Mac Pros, MacBook Airs, high-end iMacs, high-end Mac minis, high-end MacBook Pros and others are destined to get higher-performing Apple processors over the next several months.

Of course, these new Macs could pose challenges of their own for the company. One of their most touted features is support for iPhone apps, but many major apps are yet to hop on board. There's also the question of Apple truly rivaling the speed and performance of the very highest-end Intel chips.

Still, I'm looking forward to the next wave of MacBook Pros with Apple chips. PC makers and Intel, meanwhile, should probably be worried. So far, the early reception of Apple's chip move has been mostly positive. If Apple nails the performance on its high-end Macs, you might see the company's Mac revenue (and market share) take even further leaps. —Mark Gurman

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Dozens of states have raised proposals to make it easier to fix devices for consumers and schools, but tech companies including Apple and Microsoft have worked to quash them.

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