The new Mac Studio surprises me in a key aspect.

Steve Jobs, upon returning to Apple and rescuing it from bankruptcy, established his famous product quadrant, which included a desktop and a laptop for both consumers and professionals. His approach was that each of these categories should have only one of the best Macs, which made it easier to differentiate the devices and their purpose. However, the recent introduction of the Mac Studio has raised the impression that Jobs would not be satisfied.

The new Mac Studio incorporates two chips: the M4 Max, derived from the MacBook Pro, and the new M3 Ultra. Confusion arises when trying to determine which of these chips is superior. For a new Apple customer, it would be difficult to confidently answer that question, given that "Max" suggests maximum performance, while M4 denotes a newer generation compared to M3. This ambiguity could lead to the incorrect conclusion that the M4 Max is the most powerful chip. However, Apple clarifies that the M3 Ultra offers "nearly double the performance of the M4 Max," which further complicates the choice due to the naming conventions.

It's a confusing state that Apple should have anticipated, especially considering the high price of the Mac Studio, which can exceed $14,000. The company has one of the best marketing teams in the world, making it hard to imagine their satisfaction with the current situation. Launching an older generation chip alongside one that seems superior is not a strategy that can generate excitement within the company.

The possible reason behind this slip is that Apple may have faced challenges in preparing the M4 Ultra in time and was forced to go with the M3 Ultra. Alternatively, there could be an M4 Ultra reserved for the Mac Pro, aimed at differentiating that high-end computer from the Mac Studio. This second option highlights the confusion in the current line of Macs.

Interestingly, prior to the launch of the new Mac Studio, a similar issue had already been raised. Both the Mac Studio M2 and the Mac Pro M2 offered the same maximum performance level thanks to the M2 Ultra chip, leading to doubts about the necessity of purchasing a more expensive Mac Pro when the Mac Studio provided equivalent performance in a more accessible format.

The situation becomes even more confusing with the introduction of the Mac Studio, as it seems Apple has tried to correct its course but has opted to include an older generation chip in a new device. While the M3 Ultra is powerful and surpasses any other chip that Apple has included in Macs, its naming gives an impression of obsolescence, which does not reflect its true performance.

Apple's strategy has shown that times have changed since the Jobs era, and the quadrant of four devices may not be as effective today. As technology advances, user needs also evolve, increasing the complexity of the product range. Thus, the attempt to position the M3 Ultra alongside the M4 Max in the new Mac Studio suggests that Apple has forgotten the importance of clearly communicating what its users are looking for.