Apple M1 Looks REALLY Good - WAN Show November 20 , 2020

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: The episode covers Apple M1 early reviews, AMD’s RX 6800 launch problems, Apple’s App Store fee changes, YouTube’s new ad policy, and a heated side discussion about what counts as a review/sponsored content. The hosts argue that manufacturers, platforms, and audiences all benefit from clearer expectations, better transparency, and more honest benchmarking than marketing hype.

Main Topics: Apple M1 early reviews and performance (Priority: 5/5): The hosts discuss the surprisingly strong early results for Apple’s M1 Macs, especially thermals, fan behavior, and Rosetta 2 x86 translation performance. They also note limitations like multi-monitor support and the importance of getting hardware early for proper testing. Manufacturing hype vs. honest product launches (Priority: 5/5): A major thread is criticism of Apple’s marketing presentation for M1 and broader frustration with vague, unlabeled claims. The hosts argue that manufacturers should give hard numbers and realistic expectations instead of overblown claims. AMD RX 6800 launch shortages and paper-launch concerns (Priority: 5/5): The RX 6800 launch is described as badly stocked, with major retailers receiving little or no inventory. The hosts compare it to broader GPU market scarcity, demand spikes, and limited 7nm supply. Apple App Store fee reduction for smaller developers (Priority: 4/5): Apple’s new lower fee tier for developers making under $1 million annually is analyzed as a win for small developers but largely irrelevant to the biggest revenue generators. The discussion focuses on how opaque Apple’s policies remain and how that affects businesses like Floatplane. YouTube monetizing channels not in the Partner Program (Priority: 4/5): The hosts react to YouTube’s updated terms allowing ads on channels without monetization enabled. They say they are not surprised, but worry about conflicts of interest and reduced transparency in how ad inventory is allocated. Review culture, sponsored content, and clickbait (Priority: 4/5): A long debate addresses what qualifies as a review, whether unboxings can be reviews, and how sponsored videos differ from reviews. They argue that sponsorship and product access do not automatically invalidate useful information, but do change the framing. Community questions and platform logistics (Priority: 3/5): The episode also touches on giveaways, international legal restrictions, mouse pad shipping delays, PS5 scarcity/scalping, and the practical difficulty of testing and reviewing products without early access.

Key Arguments: Apple’s M1 results are stronger than expected, particularly in thermals and emulated app performance via Rosetta 2, which appears far more efficient than traditional x86 emulation. The hosts argue that Apple’s launch presentation was unnecessarily vague and inflated; they would have preferred honest, specific performance numbers over marketing claims. The RX 6800 launch failed on supply, not just product quality; even a merely competitive card would have succeeded if inventory existed. YouTube monetizing non-Partner Program channels is unsurprising, but it creates a potential incentive for YouTube to favor self-dealing over revenue sharing. A sponsored video is not the same thing as a review, even if the information is accurate and useful; transparent framing matters. Reviewers need early access to products because video production requires testing, scripting, filming, editing, and upload time, especially for hardware launches. Apple’s new App Store fee tier helps many small developers, but the biggest apps still generate the bulk of revenue, and the policy remains unclear and hard to navigate. International giveaways are legally complex and often impractical because of varied taxes, import duties, and jurisdiction-specific laws.

Data Points: Apple M1 thermal behavior: Fans often do not ramp up; Mac mini fan reportedly didn’t turn on - Early M1 review discussion, emphasizing cool operation and efficiency Rosetta 2 performance: About 50–60% of native performance in some cases; as high as 80%+ in others - Host discussion of x86 emulation on Apple silicon App Store developer fee tier: 15% - Apple’s reduced commission for developers earning under $1 million annually App Store standard fee tier: 30% - Applied to developers earning over $1 million annually Small developers share: 98% - Estimated share of app developers affected by Apple’s lower fee tier Revenue share from small developers: 5% - Estimated share of App Store revenue from the 98% of developers under the threshold Large developer share of revenue: 95% - Estimated share of App Store revenue generated by the top 2% of developers YouTube Partner Program threshold: 4,000 public watch hours and 1,000 subscribers - Eligibility requirement discussed when explaining YouTube’s monetization changes RX 6800 launch inventory: 0 units at some retailers - Best Buy USA, B&H Photo, and Memory Express reportedly received no cards Short Circuit long sleeve price: $24.99 - Merchandise update mentioned during the show Build Redux build fee: $75 - Sponsor segment describing the PC builder service SteelSeries Aerox 3 Wireless weight: 66 grams - Sponsor segment highlighting the mouse’s ultra-light design SteelSeries battery life: 200 hours - Sponsor segment SteelSeries fast-charge claim: 40 hours in 15 minutes - Sponsor segment Apple M1 multi-monitor limitation: 1 external display on one Thunderbolt port plus HDMI - Review notes on a limitation of the M1 Macs PS5 resale anecdote: 640 pounds - Viewer shared paying this amount for a PS5 from a scalper

Pivotal Quotes: "if you really wanted tech news you would go watch tech linked anyway" — Host: Opening banter about how the show only covers tech news part of the time "if i had access to the hardware early then what it does is it makes it so that i can be well informed on the topic" — Linus: Explaining why reviewers need early access to hardware before launch "if you don't flip-flop when new information comes out you're a tool" — Linus: Response to criticism that he changed his view as more M1 information arrived

Implications: The episode underscores how much hardware coverage depends on early access, transparent benchmarks, and clear labeling of review vs. sponsored content. It also highlights continued supply-chain strain and platform power imbalances across Apple, YouTube, and GPU vendors.