As of 11/11/20, Apple is launching new MacBook and Mac Mini models with Apple's custom built M1 processors. These processors use a different instruction set and mean a lot of changes.
Is my Mac Affected?
Any Mac purchased before November 2020 is not affected.
If your Mac was purchased in or after November 2020, open up "About this Mac" by selecting the Apple icon on the top left
Under Processor, check if Intel is listed or Apple Silicon.
Existing Programs Compatibility
Existing programs will automatically be launched using Rosetta 2, a program on macOS that converts old programs into the new system. However, this is much slower than if the app supports Apple Silicon. For this reason, most apps may start and run slower than expected.
Microsoft Office, for example, is expected to take 30 seconds longer to start on the new M1 chip.
Please check with the applicable software vendor to make sure an application will work on computers using the new chipset.
BootCamp Compatibility
The new Macs running Apple Silicon are NOT compatible with Boot Camp to run windows.
Virtualization Compatibility
Programs the use virtualization, such as Citrix/AnyWare, Parallels, VMWare Horizon, or Oracle VM VirtualBox may be extremely slow, buggy, or have issues starting. These issues will be especially persistent until mid 2021 when developers are expected to make their applications fully compatible.
Upgrading System Memory
Apple computers using the new M1 chip or any Apple Silicon processors cannot have memory (RAM) upgraded.
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