> Why does it need a big expensive power hungry and environmentally impactful CPU when one 1/10 the speed would do?
Well, it's not. Every process shrink improves power efficiency. For watching videos, you're sipping power on the M4. For drawing...well if you want low latency while drawing, which generally speaking, people do, you...want the processor and display to ramp up to compensate and carry strokes as fast as possible?
Obviously if your main concern is the environment, you shouldn't upgrade and you should hold onto your existing model(s) until they die.
From what I can tell, the 2020 iPad has perfectly fine latency while drawing, and Apple hasn't been advertising lower latencies for each generation; I think they pretty much got the latency thing nailed down. Surely you could make something with the peak performance of an A12Z use less power on average than an M4?
As for the environmental impact, whether I buy or don't buy this iPad (I won't, don't worry, my 2020 one still works), millions of people will. I don't mind people buying powerful machines when the software can make use of the performance, but for iPad OS..?
The M4 is built on the newest, best, most expensive process node (right?). They've got to amortize out those costs, and then they could work on something cheaper and less powerful. I agree that they probably won't, and that's a shame. But still, the M4 is most likely one of the best options for the best use of this new process node.
Well, it's not. Every process shrink improves power efficiency. For watching videos, you're sipping power on the M4. For drawing...well if you want low latency while drawing, which generally speaking, people do, you...want the processor and display to ramp up to compensate and carry strokes as fast as possible?
Obviously if your main concern is the environment, you shouldn't upgrade and you should hold onto your existing model(s) until they die.