MacBook

Last year I picked up a very expensive computer — a top of the line 2019 16-inch MacBook Pro upgraded to an i9, 1TB of storage, and 16GB of RAM. But I just couldn’t wait to see how these M1 chips actually perform, so I decided to pick up the base $999 MacBook Air to see how it would hold up side-by-side with my 16-inch behemoth. The results are incredible.

MacBook maker Compal has reportedly been hit by a ransomware attack over the weekend, the hackers claiming to have encrypted files and stolen unencrypted data.

It comes just ahead of today’s event to announce the first Apple Silicon MacBooks, and at a time when Apple has reportedly placed very large orders for the next-generation MacBooks …

As it’s become a little tradition this fall, Apple has included another little Easter egg on its events page for the “One more thing” special November event. And this time around the subtle AR surprise hints that the first Apple Silicon Mac will be a new MacBook.

A Chinese-language newspaper has posted what it claims is the chip roadmap for the first Apple Silicon Macs, citing supply-chain sources to suggest three versions of the A14 chip.

The report says that there will be three variants of the A14 processor so far seen in the iPad Air and iPhone 12, two of which will power Apple Silicon Macs …

Noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes that Apple’s miniLED plans are being accelerated, the company using the screens in more 2021 iPads and MacBooks than expected.

His previous estimates had suggested that the new backlighting technology for LCD screens would be used only on the top models next year, but it now appears that it will make it into some mid-range models too …

It was suggested earlier this week that we might see an Apple Silicon 12-inch MacBook before the end of the year, as one of Apple’s first ARM-powered Macs.

If the report is true, I’ve already talked myself into buying one, despite one rather awkward fact…

An unreleased MacBook battery appears to have made its way through a pair of regulatory databases this month. Details are unclear, but new filings with the China Compulsory Certificate database and the UL Demko certification reveal what seems to be a Mac with the model number A2389 and a 4,380mAh battery.

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Apple today updated the 13-inch MacBook Pro with the Magic Keyboard, alongside performance and tech spec improvements. The new 13-inch Pro features scissor switch keys, marking the end of the butterfly keyboard MacBook era.

The new MacBook Pro is available to order today, starting at $1299. Apple has doubled the base SSD storage across all configurations.

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We’ve been wondering for years when we might see the first ARM-powered Mac, and a Bloomberg report today suggests that it will be next year.

Apple is set to release its first Mac based on a custom ARM chip next year, according to Bloomberg. This lines up with previous timeline reported from Bloomberg, which cited late 2020/2021 timeframe, and other reports from publications like analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

The different architectures make it difficult to predict the relative power of an ARM-based Mac against an Intel one, but there’s no reason in principle why an ARM-powered Mac couldn’t be more powerful than some of today’s machines …

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Satechi launched its latest multi-device USB-C charger at CES back in January and it comes with the most ports and power you’ll find in pretty much any option on the market. Read on for our full review of Satechi’s 108W USB-C PD Desktop Charger.

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A supply-chain report predicts that laptop production in China will be severely hit by the coronavirus outbreak and that global shipments for this quarter will be down by anything between 29% and 36%.

Quanta, which makes most of Apple’s MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models, has contingency plans in place, but these are not expected to be sufficient…

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RAVPower is out with a new GaN charger that features dual USB-C PD ports, a svelte design, and up to 90W output (even from just one of the ports). We’ve been testing out the RAVPower 90W 2-Port Wall Charger for the last couple of weeks. Here’s why we think it offers a compelling package of form and function.

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Apple’s augmented reality focus has so far been on iPhones and iPads, but AR on MacBooks may also be in the company’s sights. A new patent granted today could be useful for both conventional games and AR applications.

The patent for virtual positioning of audio sources builds on one granted last month…

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Scarcely a month goes by without a new class action lawsuit against Apple. The vast majority of them are frivolous, often absurd, but there is one that deserves to succeed: the keyboard class action lawsuit over the failed butterfly design.

We learned yesterday that a federal judge has rejected Apple’s attempt to have the case dismissed, and ruled that it will proceed to trial…

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Hooray! Apple has a new MacBook Pro with what we all surely hope will turn out to be an actually reliable keyboard! If you’ve been using a MacBook computer introduced in the last four or five years, this is really great news.

We’ll have to test the new keyboard out for ourselves before we reach a final verdict, but the key change here is higher travel and the return to scissor switch keys versus problematic butterfly key switches.

So does that mean it’s safe finally safe to buy an Apple laptop again without concern about durability? It’s complicated, but in short, I wouldn’t recommend my family spend $1000 and up on a new MacBook just yet.

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