Cesar Cadenas/ZDNET
I’ve never really been an Apple guy. Most of the tech I have owned has either been Windows- or Android-related. I’ve never had an iPhone, and outside of a few instances, I never used a Mac for an extended period of time. However, writing for ZDNET has given me opportunities to try out hardware I may never have touched. And a week into testing Apple’s new M4 Max Mac Studio
Also: I spent $4K on my Mac Studio 3 years ago – should I upgrade to the 2025 model?
See, one of my pet peeves is dealing with clutter. I’m not the biggest fan of having a bunch of stuff on my desk with wires going everywhere. The Mac Studio is the complete opposite, sporting a compact form factor and minimal cabling. Apple redesigned its desktop to take up less desk space, now measuring just 7.7 x 7.7 inches. It is taller at nearly four inches, but the height is a non-issue; It’s not like the Mac Studio obscures the view of your monitor.
I knew Apple’s M4 Max was a powerful chipset going into things. But knowing something is quite different from experiencing it firsthand. I had a good first day with the SoC (system on a chip). Features powered by Apple Intelligence ran quickly. Siri is easier to talk to since it has better awareness of context. I didn’t have to repeat its name multiple times to get an inquiry across. It knew what I was talking about.