I've been a dormant Mac-user for the last two decades. Personally, I wasn't happy about paying more for less performance back then. PCs have had more expansion options and in a pinch, I could also make my PC a Hackintosh build with compatible motherboards.<p>I think Apple was lucky and well prepared for the moment 2020-2021 came around because Intel kept increasing performance but thermals have also increased. RISC-based processors were dominating at Hz/watt. Apple already had a proven processor in their phones so it made sense to simply add more cores, increase the clock, and add active cooling.<p>Jump to 2020-2021, PC-builders have had difficulty acquiring GPUs because of the resurgence of cryptocurrency, and supply-chain disruptions. Apple could also easily air-freight MacBooks and Mac Minis from China. Genius! The lure of a computer with single-threaded performance comparable or faster than an i9 all without taking additional space in the home made the purchase of the latest M1's a nobrainer. <a href="https://www.cpubenchmark.net/singleThread.html" rel="nofollow">https://www.cpubenchmark.net/singleThread.html</a>