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Apple recently updated its operating systems for Mac and iOS (iPhone and iPad). Apple also announced a new line of computers built with its own processors. While this development is largely under the hood, these new chips represent some new potential for computing.
What does this mean for law firm users? There are three main benefits: (1) better battery life; (2) voice dictation/recognition improvements; (3) improved universal apps (the same apps available on both the Mac and your mobile devices).
What’s the big deal?
Apple is now making its own internal processors for its Mac computers, called M1. The company has done this for a while with iPhone and iPad processors, but is now bringing that experience to the Mac computer. This keeps Apple in charge of both the hardware and software components of its devices. If you are a user in the Apple world, this means your devices will work better together. If not, the computing leap made by Apple with these new chips may make you want to switch. Suffice it to say, this new chip is fast, power efficient, and yet still powerful. Typically, there are tradeoffs. You might get faster speed, but less battery life. Not so with M1. Apple says its chip can match the peak performance of the latest PC chip, using only 25% of the power. That leads to better battery life for users.
Better battery life
One of the best benefits with this new technology is increased battery life. In this time, mobility is vital. Not being tied to a power outlet and having the freedom, without worry, to go all day long without charging a battery for your computer seems like a dream come true.
The increased battery performance comes from this new chip and the new operating system, Big Sur. The chip and the operating software work intelligently together to maximize performance and battery use. The result, according to Apple, “… the best battery life ever on a Mac.”
What does that mean? If the numbers are to be believed, the Pro notebook computer will have up to 17 hours of wireless web browsing or up to 20 hours of movie playback time. It’s hard to translate that into real work numbers, but if you can get close to 12 hours of use, which seems reasonable given those numbers above, these new machines’ batteries should last as long as we do each day.
Voice recognition
One of the features that continues to improve on Apple’s devices is its voice recognition and transcription. Though not highly touted, the keynote announcement indicated that voice recognition is up to eight times faster with this new chip. If you have used voice to text on an iPhone or Mac, it is already pretty good. With this improved processing speed, this feature should continue to get better. This may be why software such as Dragon Naturally Speaking hasn’t been updated recently. I am interested to see how this works in practice as I use voice dictation through my Mac daily to work through email and manage the law firm.
Improved universal apps
Apple has been working on a way to allow developers to make apps that work on both the Mac computer system and the mobile device system. These universal apps mean that you can run iPhone and iPad apps directly on your Mac. This will continue to improve as time goes on, but it will be nice for those in the Apple world to have access to the same applications and settings across all of their devices. What will be interesting is to see how developers can take advantage of the various tools and make their apps work better for users.
Security and speed
There are many other claimed benefits, of course. Importantly, Apple continues to focus on data security with its chips. Apple claims that Big Sur and the M1 chip “offer the most advanced security of any personal computer.” Apple also demonstrated that the computer wakes instantly and app launching is almost instantaneous. All good things for users.
The new chips are available on three models (MacBook Pro 13”, MacBook Air, and Mac mini). The price points are similar to Apple’s other computers, with better chips and better base configurations. Translation: if you are in the market for a new Mac computer, now might be a good time to buy.•
• Seth R. Wilson is an attorney with Adler Attorneys in Noblesville. In addition to practicing law, he helps manage the day-to-day technology operations of the firm. He writes about legal technology at sethrwilson.com and is a frequent speaker on the subject. Opinions expressed are those of the author.
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