MacBook

Along with updating its Retina MacBook Air and MacBook Pro notebooks today, Apple has discontinued its 12-inch MacBook and previous-generation MacBook Air. The refreshed lineup now consists of the Retina 13-inch MacBook Air and 13- and 15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar.

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After acknowledging issues with its 2018 butterfly keyboards earlier this year, Apple has today expanded its Keyboard Service Program to cover the 2018 MacBook Pro and MacBook Air notebooks. The company is also using a new material in a revised third-gen butterfly keyboard that it claims should resolve issues like missed key presses and double key-presses. Additionally, Apple has started another Service Program for MacBook Pros with backlight display failures.

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Apple has earned another first place ranking for its laptop customer service when compared to other tech companies. Laptop Mag today released its 2019 study that found Apple far ahead of competition like Samsung, Microsoft, HP, and more when it comes to both phone and web support for computers.

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Apple’s MacBook keyboard replacement program solved one problem: customers would no longer have to pay for a fix for an Apple design failure. But, as I wrote recently, it still left many of us with another one: the hassle of living without our machine for a week – even those of us fortunate enough to have a backup machine.

I called an Apple Store, and they told me they’d need it for about five days, and that’s a much bigger deal […] It’s not that it’s impossible to be without it – I managed before – but it is a major hassle. I have my key work apps and bookmarks set up on my MacBook Air, but I know from that experience that there are a zillion small things that will drive me nuts in the week I’m without the machine.

I suggested a solution, and it’s one that Apple has now implemented …

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I wrote recently about my MacBook Pro keyboard issues worsening, and the difficulty in getting it resolved given the time I’d be left without my machine.

A reader helpfully pointed me to an interesting software-based solution for a hardware problem – and it has solved 95% of my issues …

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TF Securities’ Ming-Chi Kuo has released a report which lays out Apple’s product interest in mini-LED technology. Kuo says that Apple will launch a 31.6-inch (6K resolution) external display in the second or third quarter of 2019 and feature a mini-LED backlight.

By late 2020 or early 2021, Kuo says that Apple will also launch a new iPad and new MacBook with mini-LED displays. It seems that whilst the 2019 31.6-inch display will only use mini-LED technology for the backlight, these future iPad and MacBook would feature true end-to-end mini-LED screens. This is why the timeline for these products stretches further into the future.

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While most ultra wide monitors on the market with Thunderbolt 3 go for well over a thousand dollars, Samsung offers an interesting option with a 34-inch curved display, Thunderbolt 3, and a more affordable price. The CJ791 doesn’t bring a 4K resolution to the table, but it does come in at $800 with a compelling overall package. Read on for our full review of this ultra wide Thunderbolt 3 monitor that works well with the MacBook Pro and other MacBooks.

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Complaints about the durability of Apple’s recent MacBook keyboards are nothing new, but Apple’s third-generation butterfly keyboard was expected to remedy lingering issues with sticky keys. Joanna Stern’s latest column in the WSJ explores the infamous keyboard problem, however, and suggests we’re not out of the woods yet. Included in the piece is an Apple spokesperson statement acknowledging ongoing issues.

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Intel hasn’t yet revealed its 2019 CPU line-up, but it has disclosed the names of this year’s chips and given a few details about what we can expect from them.

We can never know for sure when Apple will adopt a new generation of Intel CPU even when it is available, but we can make some educated guesses …

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It can only be a matter of time before Apple adds Face ID to MacBooks, but the question is: what approach should the company take?

Apple has applied two different solutions to iPhones and iPads. For iPhones, Apple opted for super-slim bezels and a notch to house the TrueDepth cameras and other sensors. For the iPad, the company instead chose to keep the bezels thick enough to house the module.

Should it adopt the iPad solution for MacBooks, or should it copy an approach seen in one of the latest Asus laptops … ?

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Apple’s notebook lineup has been crowded and confusing for a while, and that’s especially true for the 12-inch MacBook and new MacBook Air. If Apple made one small change to the 12-inch MacBook, however, the prices for these two machines would make a lot more sense.

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After years since a major update, the new Retina MacBook Air was unveiled yesterday sporting a major design refresh, updated processor, Touch ID, USB-C and much more. Let’s take a look at how the Retina MacBook Air compares to the rest of the MacBook lineup and which one you should buy.

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Alongside its new MacBook Air in three new colors today, Apple has quietly discontinued the rose gold 12-inch MacBook. In its place, however, the 12-inch MacBook’s standard ‘gold’ color has been updated to match that of the new MacBook Air.

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Earlier this month, we learned about Apple’s upcoming October iPad Pro and Mac event. Many people are wondering what Apple will announce on 10/30. While I don’t know what Apple will announce, I do have high hopes that Apple will solve a problem I am facing in my job. 
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As we look towards the rest of 2018 for Apple, Microsoft today unveiled a handful of new Surface products, including the Surface Pro 6, Surface Laptop 2, Surface Headphones, and Surface Studio 2. The devices were unveiled at a media event in New York City today.

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Apple includes three different USB-C chargers depending on the MacBook model you have. While the 61W charger is powerful enough to juice up all of Apple’s notebooks at full speed except for the 15-inch MacBook, is it still the best choice when replacing or picking up a second charger for any MacBook? Follow along for our hands-on test.

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