MacBook

Apple is increasingly switching from suppliers based in Taiwan to those in mainland China as it seeks to drive down production costs, according to a Taiwanese report …

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After years of neglecting its standalone desktop computer, Apple has been rumored to be updating the Mac mini later this year. Now Bloomberg has reported new details about what we should expect for the 2018 Mac mini as well as Apple’s new rumored 13-inch MacBook.

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The rumor mill notched up a surprise today. We’ve long been hearing reports of Apple working on an entry-level 13-inch MacBook, and there has been speculation of a price in the $899 to $999 range.

That all seemed to make perfect sense. The existing MacBook Air is positively ancient by the standards of the rest of the MacBook line-up, so a new machine to replace this seemed an obvious fit.

But a new report today suggested that the new machine could have a price tag of $1200 – and that paints a different picture entirely …

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We first heard a report of an ‘entry-level’ 13-inch MacBook back in January. That was backed by Ming-Chi Kuo in March, who suggested that it would be branded as a new MacBook Air …

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There are a lot of laptop stands on the market, but the majority of them aren’t very convenient to travel with, or use on the go. That’s why Satechi’s folding Aluminum Laptop Stand caught my eye. With a solid, simple build, colors to match all MacBook and MacBook Pros and more, this useful accessory is worth checking out.

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After years of complaints from users, yesterday Apple officially acknowledged issues with its Butterfly keyboard design on MacBook and MacBook Pro models dating back to early 2015. The company introduced a new repair program, offering to fix faulty MacBook keyboards for free. It also said it is refunding customers who paid for similar repairs in the past.

The issue with the repair program, however, is that Apple is simply swapping the faulty keyboard for a keyboard with the same Butterfly design. That design is what is presumably leading to the issues many users are facing.

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Apple today launched a new MacBook & MacBook Pro service program that it says covers a small percentage of users that might experience sticky, repeated characters or unresponsive keys.

An Apple spokesperson provided the statement below to 9to5Mac:

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If there’s ever a problem with an Apple product, a class action lawsuit is sure to follow – and it’s rarely just one.

We’ve already seen two filed over alleged design defects in the butterfly keyboard used in the 12-inch MacBook and current MacBook Pro models, and there’s now a third …

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Apple is looking to tighten its hold over the supply of parts that manufacturers use for its products, according to a new report from Digitimes citing supply chain sources. Right now, ‘non-key’ components like screws are sourced autonomously by third-party partners with Apple approving supplier lists and quality assurance at the end. The new report says Apple will directly set pricing and order volumes of downstream parts, in a move that gives Apple even more control over how its products are made and will likely squeeze the profitability of supply chain partners.

The news was reportedly disseminated to some of Apple’s Taiwanese manufacturers in May. The new policy is expected to come into effect later this year with Apple’s forthcoming MacBook updates.

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Apple has reportedly poached multiple engineers and research staff from Intel for a new facility in Washington County, close to the chipmaker’s home base.

The hiring appears to have begun back in November, and is likely to further fuel speculation about Apple replacing Intel chips with its own ARM-based Mac CPUs within the next few years …

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Digitimes’ infamous industry sources are reporting today that Pegatron is set to receive orders from Apple to make an ARM MacBook. This follows our story from last week reporting that a similar iPad/MacBook hybrid product is making the rounds at Pegatron.

Details are still scarce but it appears some combination of iOS chips and macOS hardware is in the offing. The most likely candidate to start an ARM Mac transition would be the 12-inch MacBook line, pushing high performance in a fanless form factor with long battery life.

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Apple is continuing work on a new kind of hinge design for its devices. The company has been perfecting its work here since 2013 and this week, the European Patent Office published Apple’s latest patent claim additions, which emphasize the usefulness of this flexible hinge design for MacBooks…

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A class action lawsuit was filed earlier this month over alleged design defects in the butterfly keyboard of the 12-inch MacBook and current MacBook Pro models.

A second suit has now been filed, this one claiming that Apple is in breach of no fewer than five laws …

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Apple’s butterfly keyboard has long-been controversial, but things were escalated over the weekend when a class action lawsuit was filed against the company over the keyboard.

It has now been over three years since Apple first introduced its butterfly keyboard with the 12-inch MacBook, later bringing it to the MacBook Pro line – but user sentiment seems to be growing increasingly negative.

Do you have issues with your MacBook or MacBook Pro keyboard?

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Apple’s polarizing butterfly keyboard design is now causing the company some legal issues. A new class action lawsuit has been filed against Apple, alleging that the company knew about the reliability issues of the design before launch, yet released it anyway…

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Back in 2015, I gave my view of how I’d revamp the MacBook line-up. Leaving aside the specific sizes, based on a then-rumor that never panned out, I suggested that it didn’t make sense to retain three categories.

It seemed to me untidy to have a range which ran MacBook Air then MacBook then MacBook Pro. Assuming the reports of this year’s MacBook Air are broadly correct, things could potentially get even messier this year.

Already, the smallest laptop sits in the middle of the price range, but the rumors say this year’s MacBook Air will have a Retina display and a ‘slim design.’ If the new MacBook Air gets slimmer, and it gets a Retina display, then why would anyone pay $1299 for a MacBook rather than $899 for a MacBook Air with a slightly bigger screen … ?

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We’ve been hearing for a while that Apple is working on a new 13-inch Mac laptop with a Retina display, with entry-level prices set to dislodge the 12-inch MacBook and the MacBook Air in the lineup. In a new report today, Digitimes says that Apple has pushed back assembly of the new laptop into the third quarter.

The price of the new 13-inch MacBook is expected to be around $899, although any plans for a WWDC release appear no longer to be in the cards. The report says supply chain partners are now stuck with piling inventory of parts until Apple gives the go ahead.

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Laptop Mag is out today with its ‘Best & Worst Laptop Brands 2018’ report. While Apple received the highest score of any company for “Support & Warranty” it also scored the lowest in “Innovation” and “Value and Selection,” putting it at the bottom of the pack overall.

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Ugreen released its new USB-C Multiport 8 in 1 Adapter earlier this year and it quickly sold out with an affordable price tag of about $50. Now, we’ve gone hands on with the accessory that packs about every I/O you could need. We’ve also got an exclusive 25% off for 9to5Mac readers who want to grab this adapter for $40. Read on for our full review and coupon code.

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Bloomberg has today published a report that adds some weight behind the rumor mill ahead of Apple’s spring education event on Tuesday. Mark Gurman writes that Apple will indeed announce a new version of Apple’s cheapest entry-level iPad.

New software for schools is also in the cards, but it seems like the rumored sub-$1000 MacBook will not be shown.

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