My guess is they’re doing this to solve some yield issue. M4 is a more difficult process with worse yield, so harder to make an Ultra version today. M3 has better yield so it’s tolerable to make an Ultra.
Probably either a tick/tok pattern forming, or a “previous gen gets an ultra version” pattern forming.
Currently using a MacBook Air M4 and a Mac Mini M4.
>so impressed with the MacBook
The sound on these Apple Silicon laptops is absolutely impressive, making an immediate & lasting impression upon first-timers.
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The basic configuration M4 (mini) is a very capable system, with an incredible price... it's just slightly slower than an M2Pro, for half the price.
I have an M3 (air) which is ignificantly less-capable than either (the mistake Apple made was default 8GB configuration).
The above basic-configuration models are listed from fastest to slowest, oldest to newest, most-expensive to least...
Tostino•2mo ago
Regardless, they are still great chips.
NuclearPM•2mo ago
don-bright•2mo ago
watersb•2mo ago
Transistors have many distinct features. There's the current source and drain, with the gate between them. There's a number of different ways to build these structures.
As a lousy analogy, a light switch has lots of parts: wire terminals, contact points to make a tight connection to a conducting blade that can be moved with a fancy handle, etc.
Maybe you want to print your switch with your home 3D printer. A really fancy one that can print lines that are 3nm in width on a good day.