The M1 Mac computers cannot directly run apps developed for Intel processors. Related: Apple Silicon M1 Chip Explained: Everything You Need To Know These were dubbed ‘killer apps’ that made purchasing a personal computer an easily justifiable business expense. The first word processor retailing for personal computers was WordPerfect in 1979, which ran on MS-DOS, and the first spreadsheet, called VisiCalc, was made for an Apple II that same year. An interesting note about the history of business apps is that Microsoft didn’t invent these concepts, it just managed to make them better than competitors. Microsoft created its hugely popular Office suite of business apps in 1990, but Microsoft Word launched in 1983 and Excel followed in 1985. While the current version of Office will run on the new M1, it won’t reach its highest possible performance until the M1 version is available. Apple’s newest 13-inch MacBook laptops and Mac mini desktop computers are powered by an Apple-designed M1 chip instead of the Intel chips that were used in previous generations. Apple Silicon Mac owners will have to wait for the maximum speed, M1-supported Microsoft Office, but it is in progress.
