Update repo content to reflect current EC2 Mac instance lineup (June 2026)

# Update repo content to reflect current EC2 Mac instance lineup (June 2026)

## Summary

The repository content is significantly outdated — it covers instances through M2 Pro but is missing several instance families launched in 2025–2026. This issue tracks the updates needed to bring documentation in line with current AWS documentation.

## What needs updating

### 1. README.md — Instance type list

**Current state:** References x86, M1, M2, M2 Pro, and M1 Ultra only.

**Should include all current instance types (verified via ****[EC2 User Guide](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSEC2/latest/UserGuide/ec2-mac-instances.html)**** and ****[What's New](https://aws.amazon.com/about-aws/whats-new/)****):**

| Instance Type | Chip | Hardware | CPU Cores | GPU Cores | Memory | Neural Engine |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `mac1.metal` | Intel Core i7 (8th gen) | 2018 Mac mini | 6 physical / 12 logical | — | 32 GiB | — |
| `mac2.metal` | Apple M1 | 2020 Mac mini | 8 | 8 | 16 GiB | 16-core |
| `mac2-m1ultra.metal` | Apple M1 Ultra | 2022 Mac Studio | 20 | 64 | 128 GiB | 32-core |
| `mac2-m2.metal` | Apple M2 | 2023 Mac mini | 8 | 10 | 24 GiB | 16-core |
| `mac2-m2pro.metal` | Apple M2 Pro | 2023 Mac mini | 12 | 19 | 32 GiB | 16-core |
| `mac-m4.metal` | Apple M4 | 2024 Mac mini | 10 | 10 | 24 GiB | 16-core |
| `mac-m4pro.metal` | Apple M4 Pro | 2024 Mac mini | 14 | 20 | 48 GiB | 16-core |
| `mac-m4max.metal` | Apple M4 Max | Mac Studio | 16 | 40 | 128 GB | 16-core |
| `mac-m3ultra.metal` | Apple M3 Ultra | Mac Studio | 28 | 60 | 256 GB | 32-core |

**Sources:**

- EC2 User Guide: [https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSEC2/latest/UserGuide/ec2-mac-instances.html](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSEC2/latest/UserGuide/ec2-mac-instances.html)
- M4 Max GA announcement (Jan 23, 2026): [https://aws.amazon.com/about-aws/whats-new/2026/01/amazon-ec2-m4-max-mac-instances-ga/](https://aws.amazon.com/about-aws/whats-new/2026/01/amazon-ec2-m4-max-mac-instances-ga/)
- M3 Ultra GA announcement (May 14, 2026): [https://aws.amazon.com/about-aws/whats-new/2026/05/amazon-ec2-m3-ultra-mac-instances-generally-available/](https://aws.amazon.com/about-aws/whats-new/2026/05/amazon-ec2-m3-ultra-mac-instances-generally-available/)
- M4 and M4 Pro GA announcement (Sep 12, 2025): [https://aws.amazon.com/about-aws/whats-new/2025/09/amazon-ec2-m4-pro-mac-instances-generally-available](https://aws.amazon.com/about-aws/whats-new/2025/09/amazon-ec2-m4-pro-mac-instances-generally-available)

---

### 2. README.md — Supported Apple platforms

**Current:** "iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and Safari" **Should be:** "iPhone, iPad, Mac, **Vision Pro**, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and Safari"

**Source:** [https://aws.amazon.com/ec2/instance-types/mac/](https://aws.amazon.com/ec2/instance-types/mac/) and the What's New announcements reference "visionOS" as a supported platform.

---

### 3. README.md — Supported macOS versions

**Current:** Lists Mojave through Sequoia (15) **Should be updated to include:**

- macOS Mojave (10.14) — x86 only
- macOS Catalina (10.15) — x86 only
- macOS Big Sur (11) — x86 and M1
- macOS Monterey (12) — x86 and M1
- macOS Ventura (13) — all instances; M2/M2 Pro require 13.2+
- macOS Sonoma (14) — all instances
- macOS Sequoia (15) — all instances; **M4/M4 Pro require 15.6+**
- macOS Tahoe (26) — referenced in AMI release notes

**Note:** The Sequoia Local Network Privacy policy requirement should be documented (users must approve via GUI for IMDS access).

**Source:** [https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSEC2/latest/UserGuide/macos-ami-overview.html](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSEC2/latest/UserGuide/macos-ami-overview.html)

---

### 4. README.md — Typo fix

**Current:** "Arm65" **Should be:** "Arm64"

---

### 5. README.md — Instance store volumes

The M4 and M4 Pro instances include a **2TB instance store volume** per Dedicated Host for low-latency caching and build/test performance. This is a significant new feature not mentioned anywhere in the repo.

**Source:** M4/M4 Pro blog post: [https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/aws/announcing-amazon-ec2-m4-and-m4-pro-mac-instances/](https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/aws/announcing-amazon-ec2-m4-and-m4-pro-mac-instances/)

---

### 6. README.md — Hardware clarification

Current text says "built on Apple Mac mini and Mac Studio computers" but doesn't specify which instances use which hardware:

- **Mac mini:** x86, M1, M2, M2 Pro, M4, M4 Pro
- **Mac Studio:** M1 Ultra, M4 Max, M3 Ultra

---

### 7. README.md — Important caveats to add

Per the official docs, the following should be noted:

- **Apple Intelligence is NOT supported** on EC2 Mac instances (boot from external EBS volume prevents it)
- **FileVault must NOT be enabled** — use EBS encryption instead
- **EC2 Mac instances support Auto Scaling** (link to blog)
- Dedicated Host auto recovery and reboot-based host maintenance are supported

**Source:** [https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSEC2/latest/UserGuide/ec2-mac-instances.html](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSEC2/latest/UserGuide/ec2-mac-instances.html)

---

### 8. ec2-macos.md — Needs refresh with current instance family

The getting started guide likely references older instance types and should be verified against the current lineup.

---

### 9. collateral.md — Add recent blog posts and announcements

New collateral to add:

- [Announcing Amazon EC2 M4 and M4 Pro Mac instances](https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/aws/announcing-amazon-ec2-m4-and-m4-pro-mac-instances/) (Sep 2025)
- [M4 Max GA announcement](https://aws.amazon.com/about-aws/whats-new/2026/01/amazon-ec2-m4-max-mac-instances-ga/) (Jan 2026)
- [M3 Ultra GA announcement](https://aws.amazon.com/about-aws/whats-new/2026/05/amazon-ec2-m3-ultra-mac-instances-generally-available/) (May 2026)

---

### 10. Regional availability

M4 Max and M3 Ultra are currently available in **US East (N. Virginia) and US West (Oregon)** per their announcements. The repo should note that regional availability varies by instance type and link to the [EC2 instance types by Region](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/ec2/latest/instancetypes/ec2-instance-regions.html) page.

---

## All sources verified against official AWS documentation

Every fact in this issue is sourced from:

1. AWS EC2 User Guide (docs.aws.amazon.com)
2. AWS What's New announcements (aws.amazon.com/about-aws/whats-new/)
3. AWS News Blog (aws.amazon.com/blogs/aws/)
4. EC2 Mac product page (aws.amazon.com/ec2/instance-types/mac/)