Dropbox Updates macOS App to Offer Native Support for M1 Chips
Dropbox Updates macOS App to Offer Native Support for M1 Chips
The newer Apple M1-enabled computers sure are capable beasts, but many software developers have yet to offer native support to take advantage of the silicon chipset. Dropbox was one such developer, but times have changed, as the company has finally updated their popular macOS cloud storage app to run natively on the Apple Silicon platform. This update is fully compatible with the ARM architecture of the M1, M1 Pro, and M1 Max chips, though it is still in beta.
Prior to this release, Dropbox could still run on M1 Macs, but the software would be put through a translation application called Rosetta 2. That software allowed Intel apps to run via ARM but came with some performance loss. This update to Dropbox takes full advantage of the M1 architecture, meaning faster load times, more efficient runtimes, and less power consumption, which should make it easier for MacBook users who like to operate unplugged.
The company has not released a statement as to why it took nearly 15 months to offer M1 support. Back in October, there was a minor controversy when Dropbox staffers suggested Apple’s in-house chip would need a stronger consumer base before they’d begin working on an update, as reported by the Verge.
The beta version of Dropbox M1 is available to download via this official forum. Dropbox has not announced when the release would exit beta.
M1 iMac
We purchased the Apple M1 iMac so our reviewer could put it to the test. Keep reading for our full product review. The Apple M1 iMac (2021) represents the first major update to the line since 2016. It’s forward-looking as the first iMac to sport Apple silicon under the hood, but it also hearkens back to days gone by with a fanciful selection of color options.
This iteration of hardware has a bigger display, an upgraded microphone, speakers, and camera, and an optional TouchID-enabled Magic Keyboard, in addition to a number of other upgrades and design tweaks compared to the last Intel iMac.
Having already spent a lot of time with the M1 MacBook Air and Mac mini Apple released in 2020, I was quite curious to see how similar hardware might be implemented in the iMac line. I chose the entry-level model for testing, decked out in a soothing two-tone metallic blue, cleared some desk space, and replaced my regular work rig for about a month.
Over the course of my month with the M1 iMac, I specifically tested things like network performance and gaming benchmarks, but I also used it for work, media, voice and video calls, and gaming. There were a few instances where I had to fall back to my Windows rig, specifically for unsupported games, but the M1 iMac handled just about every other task without issue.
Design: Colors are back, and they look better than ever
Apple could have taken the easy route and just swapped the M1 hardware into the existing iMac line, but the M1 iMac represents a total redesign from the ground up. The basic look is fairly similar, but the new design has cleaner lines, a uniformly thin body, thinner screen borders, and comes in a variety of attractive colors.
The latter represents a bit of a return to form, as the iMac line was once known for its bright, friendly color options, but the last few iterations have been available only in shades of white, silver, and grey. While the front of the new iMac looks fairly similar to the last version, with a thick bezel and big chin, the similarity fades when you view the machine side-on. Instead of a big bulge on the back to house the internals, the M1 iMac is flat like a tablet. The guts are all located in the chin, which is why it’s still so big.
Expect to invest in a USB-C hub if you don’t already have one.
The stand has also been re-envisioned, as it no longer flares out at the base. It actually looks a lot like the $999 Pro Stand, although it has only a simple hinge to tilt the screen forward and back instead of allowing you to raise and lower it a bit as well. Even without the flare, it provides a rock-solid base.
The USB ports are located on the back of the M1 iMac on the left side. The base model is limited to two USB-C/Thunderbolt ports, while the upgraded version adds two additional USB-C ports. There’s also a microphone jack located on the left side of the chassis, and some models include an Ethernet port built into the power supply. The base model I tested had only the two Thunderbolt ports and no Ethernet port.
Regardless of which model you’re looking at, the bottom line is the 2021 iMac doesn’t have enough ports. The four Thunderbolt and USB-C ports found on the higher-end model aren’t enough, and the paltry two ports you get with the lower-end model definitely fall short. Expect to invest in a USB-C hub if you don’t already have one.
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While the jump to Apple silicon is the biggest story here, Apple really hit the design out of the park as well. This is an all-in-one that looks great from every angle. It’s a shame it’s held back by a few small issues, like a baffling lack of ports, but that doesn’t stop it from looking great on your desk.
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Display: Beautiful 24-inch retina display
Apple bumped the screen size from 21.5 inches to 24 inches for the M1 iMac refresh, and the difference is remarkable. Apple refers to the panel as a 4.5K Retina display, which translates to a resolution of 4480 x 2520 and a pixel density of 218ppi in terms of hard numbers.
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Colors also look fantastic, as the display covers the entire DCI-P3 gamut, and it’s quite bright as well. I found myself running it at about 60 percent most of the time, despite the big, south-facing windows in my office.
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Performance: The M1 chip continues to impress
The 2021 iMac packs in the same M1 chip first seen in the 2020 Mac mini and MacBooks, and it’s just as impressive here. The version of the hardware I tested came with an 8-core CPU and 7-core GPU, but you can also get the 2021 iMac with an 8-core GPU if you need the extra performance.
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Like other M1 Macs, the CPU here is split into four high-performance cores and four energy-efficient cores. This means it’s more energy efficient than a lot of the competition, and single-core performance is remarkably strong, but multi-core performance is only middling.
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To get a performance baseline that you can compare to other hardware, I ran a handful of benchmarks. I started off with Cinebench, which has both single and multi-core tests. As expected, the M1 iMac performed exceptionally well in the single-core test and not as great in the multi-core test.
The M1 iMac scored 1492 in the single core Cinebench test, which is only a bit shy of the 1532 scored by an 11th gen Intel Core i7. In the multi-core test, it scored a lower 6893. These numbers are both a bit lower than I saw from the M1 Mac Mini, which put up a single core score of 1521 and a multi-core score of 7662.
After Cinebench, I loaded up GFXBench Metal to run a few gaming benchmarks. The first one I ran was Aztec Ruins (High Tier), which simulates a high end game with real-time lighting and other effects. In that benchmark, the M1 iMac managed to run at about 22 FPS. That’s less than ideal, but on the edge of being playable.
Next up, I ran the Car Case benchmark that simulates a high-speed racing type game. In that benchmark, the M1 iMac managed about 21 FPS. That’s a bit low, but I saw a better result when I ran the less-intense T-Rex benchmark. In that benchmark, the M1 iMac hit 60 FPS.