The new M1 Macs seem to deliver much more than expected.  This little machine runs everything smoother than my existing PC if the apps are native for the M1.  I won't say faster because some tasks still run faster on my PC because of the dedicated video card, but not many.  I was afraid 8gb was not enough memory, but it has been plenty for Lightroom, Photoshop, Xcode, GarageBand,and other apps I use daily.  It is silent when running.  I really wish it had upgradable memory and storage, but Apple is not the only one making computers this way.While almost perfect, here are a few issues I have had.I have lost connection to my older Magic keyboard a few times and could not login.  Make sure you have a wired keyboard handy if this happens.  I think the newer keyboards have a lightning connector to help if this happens.Some external USB Drives did not work well on the USB-C/Thunderbolt ports.  They work fine on the USB-A ports.  If you have slow drive speeds, try the other ports.