The most bipolar Mac setup that you shouldn’t have.
A buddy of mine got the Studio Display XDR and I thought - why not pair it with one of Apple’s new computers released last week.
Which computer you may ask?
Well the MacBook Neo of course.
No one, I mean no one, should have this setup. For the love of God, your monitor should not have more RAM and a stronger processor than your computer.
A buddy of mine got the Studio Display XDR and I thought - why not pair it with one of Apple’s new computers released last week.
Which computer you may ask?
Well the MacBook Neo of course.
No one, I mean no one, should have this setup. For the love of God, your monitor should not have more RAM and a stronger processor than your computer.
MacBook Neo in Indigo - what does it look like in different lighting scenarios?
If my memory serves me correctly, the Midnight Blue MacBook Air was darker than this Indigo color, making the Neo a bit more pleasing to the eye. Anyway here are the photos 📓
If my memory serves me correctly, the Midnight Blue MacBook Air was darker than this Indigo color, making the Neo a bit more pleasing to the eye. Anyway here are the photos:
In low, warm light.
Morning productivity.
It is a fingerprint magnet.
Near a window, with overcast skies.
Logo is matte finished instead of the usual glossy finish.
Outdoors in overcast skies. Wasn’t planning on snow today…
Dorm room, warm, low light simulation. Almost looks like the iPhone 14 Pro in Deep Purple.
I like the color matched keyboard, and I think the Indigo has the most colored keyboard out of the bunch. You really notice the lack of a backlight. Speaking of…
In complete darkness, you get some light on the keyboard from the screen, but not enough to compensate for no backlight.
Dave2D finally answers my most important question about MacBook Neo.
When the MacBook Neo was announced, I wanted to know if Apple cut a corner on the hinge, since the price point was so low:
The only unanswered question on my mind - can you open the lid with one finger?
That is a signature Apple feature, and it doesn’t surprise me that Apple kept it. The one-finger lift is a sign of premium build quality, and any laptop without it automatically is a deal breaker for me personally. Even when I was a Chromebook user, I only bought the best.
Professional laptop reviewer Dave2D not only confirmed it, but he gave it some screentime, emphasizing the importance of what many would consider an insignificant feature.
When the MacBook Neo was announced, I wanted to know if Apple cut a corner on the hinge, since the price point was so low:
The only unanswered question on my mind - can you open the lid with one finger?
That is a signature Apple feature, and it doesn’t surprise me that Apple kept it. The one-finger lift is a sign of premium build quality, and any laptop without it automatically is a deal breaker for me personally. Even when I was a Chromebook user, I only bought the best.
Professional laptop reviewer Dave2D not only confirmed it, but he gave it some screentime, emphasizing the importance of what many would consider an insignificant feature.
Why MacBook Neo can only have 8GB of RAM.
AleksandarK from TechPowerUp, explaining why the RAM in MacBook Neo is limited to 8GB:
Some online criticism emerged regarding Apple's decision to offer a laptop with only 8 GB of RAM in 2026, with no options for higher RAM capacity. However, this 8 GB of RAM is a design choice Apple made at TSMC's packaging facilities for the A18 Pro chip. Inside the MacBook Neo, Apple decided to reuse the iPhone 16 Pro's chip, which comes from TSMC with 8 GB of LPDDR5X memory. This memory is attached directly above the A18 Pro SoC using Integrated Fan-Out Package on Package (InFO-PoP), creating a 3D wafer-level fan-out package. This package is designed to hold memory directly above the SoC die, resulting in a smaller PCB design without the LPDDR5X module taking up over 100 mm² of PCB area.
Therefore, Apple's MacBook Neo configurations are limited to what the A18 Pro SoC is originally packaged with. These are 8 GB LPDDR5X modules that are shipped directly to TSMC for integration into the InFO-PoP package, which is later shipped back to Apple for integration into these new MacBook Neo laptops.
Future upgrades to the MacBook Neo, say to the A19 Pro, would mean it would get 12GB of RAM.
AleksandarK from TechPowerUp, explaining why the RAM in MacBook Neo is limited to 8GB:
Some online criticism emerged regarding Apple's decision to offer a laptop with only 8 GB of RAM in 2026, with no options for higher RAM capacity. However, this 8 GB of RAM is a design choice Apple made at TSMC's packaging facilities for the A18 Pro chip. Inside the MacBook Neo, Apple decided to reuse the iPhone 16 Pro's chip, which comes from TSMC with 8 GB of LPDDR5X memory. This memory is attached directly above the A18 Pro SoC using Integrated Fan-Out Package on Package (InFO-PoP), creating a 3D wafer-level fan-out package. This package is designed to hold memory directly above the SoC die, resulting in a smaller PCB design without the LPDDR5X module taking up over 100 mm² of PCB area.
Therefore, Apple's MacBook Neo configurations are limited to what the A18 Pro SoC is originally packaged with. These are 8 GB LPDDR5X modules that are shipped directly to TSMC for integration into the InFO-PoP package, which is later shipped back to Apple for integration into these new MacBook Neo laptops.
Future upgrades to the MacBook Neo, say to the A19 Pro, would mean it would get 12GB of RAM.
My old advice aged worst than gorgonzola.
Before the MacBook Neo was announced, I said it would be a bad idea to make any upgrades to it:
Apple’s new rumored MacBook with multiple deep color options might be the best deal for students and first-time Mac users, but the minute you go past the base model’s specs, it’s value proposition and charm will fumble.
Rumored to start at 8GB of RAM and at 256GB of memory, it’s a solid computer for an alleged $599-$699 starting price. 8GB of RAM is a limitation though and historically Apple charges a $200 upgrade to 16GB. Now we’re at $799-$899 for this smaller laptop, right in MacBook Air territory, making the M4 MacBook Air the logical purchase since it’s always on sale for $799.
At the time there was no certainty about price and what chip and RAM configurations it would have. Now that it has been revealed, the only upgrade is the $100 option for Touch ID and 256GB of extra storage. Well worth it as I explained in greater detail.
Before the MacBook Neo was announced, I said it would be a bad idea to make any upgrades to it:
Apple’s new rumored MacBook with multiple deep color options might be the best deal for students and first-time Mac users, but the minute you go past the base model’s specs, it’s value proposition and charm will fumble.
Rumored to start at 8GB of RAM and at 256GB of memory, it’s a solid computer for an alleged $599-$699 starting price. 8GB of RAM is a limitation though and historically Apple charges a $200 upgrade to 16GB. Now we’re at $799-$899 for this smaller laptop, right in MacBook Air territory, making the M4 MacBook Air the logical purchase since it’s always on sale for $799.
At the time there was no certainty about price and what chip and RAM configurations it would have. Now that it has been revealed, the only upgrade is the $100 option for Touch ID and 256GB of extra storage. Well worth it as I explained in greater detail.
Should you upgrade your MacBook Neo for $100 to get Touch ID and more storage?
The $100 upgrade price is the only upgrade option on MacBook Neo and it gives you two features:
256GB of extra storage, for a total of 512GB.
Touch ID instead of a Lock button.
In my opinion it is well worth the upgrade for these two features. 256GB is already limiting for a MacBook, and if you take a lot of photos and videos on your iPhone, the 512GB of storage comes in handy for local storage. Even though this laptop isn’t really a “creator’s laptop” due to its lower specs, it does give people plenty of power to dabble in photo or video editing, where storage once again comes in handy. There’s also the possibility of faster read and write speeds with double the storage and better performance when your 8GB of RAM is full, forcing the computer into swap memory. We will have to wait for the teardown to see if Apple is using single or dual NAND chips but like I said previously:
If I were a betting man, I would assume the base model comes with a single NAND 256GB chip instead of dual NAND 128GB chips. You would get extra performance if you had dual 128GB chips since you have more “lanes” for data transfer and memory swap, but since this is the budget MacBook, it’s hard to tell until someone does a teardown.
Even if there was no difference in SSD speeds and performance, the price upgrade is worth it.
The second reason - Touch ID, a huge time saver when you add the cumulative amount of time you would spend either typing in your password, or hoping your “Apple Watch to Unlock” feature is going to work. Don’t get me wrong - using your Apple Watch to unlock your Mac works really well most of the time…but you need an Apple Watch. Even if you have one, the times where it doesn’t work makes it annoying to manually type your password, potentially making it a security risk if people are snooping around.
Let’s not forget about the other benefits of Touch ID:
Apple Pay.
You can easily fill usernames and passwords more securely. Without Touch ID, you simply click your username and password from iCloud Keychain to fill the field with no authentication other than when you unlocked your MacBook. In this case Touch ID is less convenient (barely), but more secure.
Passkeys - if you’re trying to login with a passkey, there’s a lot less friction with Touch ID. Simply touch and you’re in. Without Touch ID, you would have to use an iPhone or iPad and scan a QR code, adding more friction.
Apple kept the upgrade path simple with MacBook Neo, and the $100 upgrade is a no-brainer. At $699, this is still a great deal and the deal gets even better with education pricing at $599.
The $100 upgrade price is the only upgrade option on MacBook Neo and it gives you two features:
256GB of extra storage, for a total of 512GB.
Touch ID instead of a Lock button.
In my opinion it is well worth the upgrade for these two features. 256GB is already limiting for a MacBook, and if you take a lot of photos and videos on your iPhone, the 512GB of storage comes in handy for local storage. Even though this laptop isn’t really a “creator’s laptop” due to its lower specs, it does give people plenty of power to dabble in photo or video editing, where storage once again comes in handy. There’s also the possibility of faster read and write speeds with double the storage and better performance when your 8GB of RAM is full, forcing the computer into swap memory. We will have to wait for the teardown to see if Apple is using single or dual NAND chips but like I said previously:
If I were a betting man, I would assume the base model comes with a single NAND 256GB chip instead of dual NAND 128GB chips. You would get extra performance if you had dual 128GB chips since you have more “lanes” for data transfer and memory swap, but since this is the budget MacBook, it’s hard to tell until someone does a teardown.
Even if there was no difference in SSD speeds and performance, the price upgrade is worth it.
The second reason - Touch ID, a huge time saver when you add the cumulative amount of time you would spend either typing in your password, or hoping your “Apple Watch to Unlock” feature is going to work. Don’t get me wrong - using your Apple Watch to unlock your Mac works really well most of the time…but you need an Apple Watch. Even if you have one, the times where it doesn’t work makes it annoying to manually type your password, potentially making it a security risk if people are snooping around.
Let’s not forget about the other benefits of Touch ID:
Apple Pay.
You can easily fill usernames and passwords more securely. Without Touch ID, you simply click your username and password from iCloud Keychain to fill the field with no authentication other than when you unlocked your MacBook. In this case Touch ID is less convenient (barely), but more secure.
Passkeys - if you’re trying to login with a passkey, there’s a lot less friction with Touch ID. Simply touch and you’re in. Without Touch ID, you would have to use an iPhone or iPad and scan a QR code, adding more friction.
Apple kept the upgrade path simple with MacBook Neo, and the $100 upgrade is a no-brainer. At $699, this is still a great deal and the deal gets even better with education pricing at $599.
Apple debuts all-new MacBook Neo, starting at $599.
A very low entry price, and even lower at $499 with education pricing. The main specs:
Powered by A18 Pro, the same chip in iPhone 16 Pro, except with one less GPU core.
You can only get 8GB of RAM, which is a bummer, but makes sense for the target audience.
Base storage of 256GB.
For $100 extra, you get double the storage and Touch ID. Totally worth the $100, which could even be a wash when sales start happening. If I were a betting man, I would assume the base model comes with a single NAND 256GB chip instead of dual NAND 128GB chips. You would get extra performance if you had dual 128GB chips since you have more “lanes” for data transfer and memory swap, but since this is the budget MacBook, it’s hard to tell until someone does a teardown.
Side firing stereo speakers - they sound promising (haha), and Apple does a good job of giving decent audio even in budget products.
No MagSafe 3 - totally expected and I barely use it on my wife’s 14-inch M1 Pro.
Two USB-C ports - a plus since I was expecting a single port. Supports one 4K display alongside the Neo’s display.
Four colors:
Silver
Blush (light pink),
Citrus (excess vitamin intake piss yellow),
Indigo
No backlit keyboard, but you do get color matching keycaps, which could be problematic in dark environments.
Full specs comparing the two models. I’ll be testing the base model which matches my M1 Air in terms of memory and RAM, so we’ll see if the performance at least matches my M1.
In all fairness, I’ve been happy with 8GB of RAM on my M1 Air, and for people who only use stock apps and maybe Chrome or Firefox, this will be a beast.
The only unanswered question on my mind - can you open the lid with one finger?
A very low entry price, and even lower at $499 with education pricing. The main specs:
Powered by A18 Pro, the same chip in iPhone 16 Pro, except with one less GPU core.
You can only get 8GB of RAM, which is a bummer, but makes sense for the target audience.
Base storage of 256GB.
For $100 extra, you get double the storage and Touch ID. Totally worth the $100, which could even be a wash when sales start happening. If I were a betting man, I would assume the base model comes with a single NAND 256GB chip instead of dual NAND 128GB chips. You would get extra performance if you had dual 128GB chips since you have more “lanes” for data transfer and memory swap, but since this is the budget MacBook, it’s hard to tell until someone does a teardown.
Side firing stereo speakers - they sound promising (haha), and Apple does a good job of giving decent audio even in budget products.
No MagSafe 3 - totally expected and I barely use it on my wife’s 14-inch M1 Pro.
Two USB-C ports - a plus since I was expecting a single port. Supports one 4K display alongside the Neo’s display.
Four colors:
Silver
Blush (light pink),
Citrus (excess vitamin intake piss yellow),
Indigo
No backlit keyboard, but you do get color matching keycaps, which could be problematic in dark environments.
Full specs comparing the two models. I’ll be testing the base model which matches my M1 Air in terms of memory and RAM, so we’ll see if the performance at least matches my M1.
In all fairness, I’ve been happy with 8GB of RAM on my M1 Air, and for people who only use stock apps and maybe Chrome or Firefox, this will be a beast.
The only unanswered question on my mind - can you open the lid with one finger?
Apple’s new M5 Pro and M5 Max debut in the MacBook Pro, now starting with 1TB of storage.
Apple today announced the latest 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro with the all-new M5 Pro and M5 Max, bringing game-changing performance and AI capabilities to the world’s best pro laptop. With M5 Pro and M5 Max, MacBook Pro features a new CPU with the world’s fastest CPU core, a next-generation GPU with a Neural Accelerator in each core, and higher unified memory bandwidth, altogether delivering up to 4x AI performance compared to the previous generation, and up to 8x AI performance compared to M1 models. This allows developers, researchers, business professionals, and creatives to unlock new AI-enabled workflows right on MacBook Pro. It now comes with up to 2x faster SSD performance and starts at 1TB of storage for M5 Pro and 2TB for M5 Max. The new MacBook Pro includes N1, an Apple-designed wireless networking chip that enables Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, bringing improved performance and reliability to wireless connections. It also offers up to 24 hours of battery life; a gorgeous Liquid Retina XDR display with a nano-texture option; a wide array of connectivity, including Thunderbolt 5; a 12MP Center Stage camera; studio-quality mics; an immersive six-speaker sound system; Apple Intelligence features; and the power of macOS Tahoe. The new MacBook Pro comes in space black and silver, and is available to pre-order starting tomorrow, March 4, with availability beginning Wednesday, March 11.
The new storage bumps lead to both price increases and decreases, and this piece from Macworld explains all the price changes to the new MacBooks (including the MacBook Air).
Apple today announced the latest 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro with the all-new M5 Pro and M5 Max, bringing game-changing performance and AI capabilities to the world’s best pro laptop. With M5 Pro and M5 Max, MacBook Pro features a new CPU with the world’s fastest CPU core, a next-generation GPU with a Neural Accelerator in each core, and higher unified memory bandwidth, altogether delivering up to 4x AI performance compared to the previous generation, and up to 8x AI performance compared to M1 models. This allows developers, researchers, business professionals, and creatives to unlock new AI-enabled workflows right on MacBook Pro. It now comes with up to 2x faster SSD performance and starts at 1TB of storage for M5 Pro and 2TB for M5 Max. The new MacBook Pro includes N1, an Apple-designed wireless networking chip that enables Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, bringing improved performance and reliability to wireless connections. It also offers up to 24 hours of battery life; a gorgeous Liquid Retina XDR display with a nano-texture option; a wide array of connectivity, including Thunderbolt 5; a 12MP Center Stage camera; studio-quality mics; an immersive six-speaker sound system; Apple Intelligence features; and the power of macOS Tahoe. The new MacBook Pro comes in space black and silver, and is available to pre-order starting tomorrow, March 4, with availability beginning Wednesday, March 11.
The new storage bumps lead to both price increases and decreases, and this piece from Macworld explains all the price changes to the new MacBooks (including the MacBook Air).
What will Apple cut from the new budget MacBook?
According to a Weibo leak (reported by Tom’s Guide) the following limitations might apply to the new MacBook in order to reach a cheaper price point:
No backlit keyboard
The display may have a lower max brightness
No True Tone color adjustment for the display
Slower SSD speeds
No 1TB or 2TB storage capacity options
No fast charging support
No N1 chip (the chip used to improve performance and reliability of connectivity features like AirDrop)
No high-impedance headphones support
What I think should also be on this list:
Single central speaker instead of stereo speakers
Starting at 8GB RAM
No MagSafe (but keeping a fast charging USB-C port)
Single USB-C port
Bonus feature that could be a surprise welcome (complete wild guess):
Vapor chamber similar to iPhone 17 Pro
We’ll find out soon enough.
According to a Weibo leak (reported by Tom’s Guide) the following limitations might apply to the new MacBook in order to reach a cheaper price point:
No backlit keyboard
The display may have a lower max brightness
No True Tone color adjustment for the display
Slower SSD speeds
No 1TB or 2TB storage capacity options
No fast charging support
No N1 chip (the chip used to improve performance and reliability of connectivity features like AirDrop)
No high-impedance headphones support
What I think should also be on this list:
Single central speaker instead of stereo speakers
Starting at 8GB RAM
No MagSafe (but keeping a fast charging USB-C port)
Single USB-C port
Bonus feature that could be a surprise welcome (complete wild guess):
Vapor chamber similar to iPhone 17 Pro
We’ll find out soon enough.
Apple’s new budget MacBook will be an absolute deal - just don’t upgrade it.
Apple’s new rumored MacBook with multiple deep color options might be the best deal for students and first-time Mac users, but the minute you go past the base model’s specs, it’s value proposition and charm will fumble.
Rumored to start at 8GB of RAM and at 256GB of memory, it’s a solid computer for an alleged $599-$699 starting price. 8GB of RAM is a limitation though and historically Apple charges a $200 upgrade to 16GB. Now we’re at $799-$899 for this smaller laptop, right in MacBook Air territory, making the M4 MacBook Air the logical purchase since it’s always on sale for $799.
The Air will have the same storage and RAM numbers for that $799 price, but performance and monitor support will be significantly better compared to the new MacBook. My gut tells me most people will go for the base model anyway to keep prices low. Those that go for the higher spec’ed new MacBook know they’re getting a worse computer for the same amount of money, but the power of real colors on a MacBook is going to suck a lot of people in, logic be damned.
It’s already working for the orange iPhone 17 Pro.
Apple’s new rumored MacBook with multiple deep color options might be the best deal for students and first-time Mac users, but the minute you go past the base model’s specs, it’s value proposition and charm will fumble.
Rumored to start at 8GB of RAM and at 256GB of memory, it’s a solid computer for an alleged $599-$699 starting price. 8GB of RAM is a limitation though and historically Apple charges a $200 upgrade to 16GB. Now we’re at $799-$899 for this smaller laptop, right in MacBook Air territory, making the M4 MacBook Air the logical purchase since it’s always on sale for $799.
The Air will have the same storage and RAM numbers for that $799 price, but performance and monitor support will be significantly better compared to the new MacBook. My gut tells me most people will go for the base model anyway to keep prices low. Those that go for the higher spec’ed new MacBook know they’re getting a worse computer for the same amount of money, but the power of real colors on a MacBook is going to suck a lot of people in, logic be damned.
It’s already working for the orange iPhone 17 Pro.
Should you buy a 15-inch 2013 MacBook Pro in 2026?
I probably overpaid for this device back in 2018 ($900 on eBay), but 8 years later, I would say it was worth the money. I got a pretty good spec too:
2.6 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7
16 GB 1600 MHz DDR3 RAM
NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M 2 GB graphics card
1TB SSD
Battery cycle count - 476 (as of today)
Battery condition - Normal
15.4” retina display.
The battery doesn't last more than a few hours, but the real issue is the News app not working reliably. I’ve been using it for about a week straight and it crashes without fail, but it’s still great for almost everything else. Basic computing with a huge screen, MagSafe charging, and plenty of USB-A ports for legacy devices along with HDMI and a full-sized SD card slot makes it a great deal for newbie mac users or just as a secondary backup device. As long as you use Safari for browsing the web, you’ll be fine.
Don’t use Chrome.
What’s the pricing like? When you factor in the cost of a new, legitimate $70-$80 MagSafe 2 charger - yes, Apple still makes these - you’re at less than $250 all in. Some previous price history (price includes cost of a new charger):
~$900 in 2018
~$480 in 2023
~$380 in 2024
~$230 in 2026
If you’re a DIYer, you can get a cheaper storage config and put your own SSD in. This was the last design that allowed for user upgradeable storage and is a great way to backup your photos in iCloud. More thoughts in my previous posts below.
I probably overpaid for this device back in 2018 ($900 on eBay), but 8 years later, I would say it was worth the money. I got a pretty good spec too:
2.6 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7
16 GB 1600 MHz DDR3 RAM
NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M 2 GB graphics card
1TB SSD
Battery cycle count - 476 (as of today)
Battery condition - Normal
15.4” retina display.
The battery doesn't last more than a few hours, but the real issue is the News app not working reliably. I’ve been using it for about a week straight and it crashes without fail, but it’s still great for almost everything else. Basic computing with a huge screen, MagSafe charging, and plenty of USB-A ports for legacy devices along with HDMI and a full-sized SD card slot makes it a great deal for newbie mac users or just as a secondary backup device. As long as you use Safari for browsing the web, you’ll be fine.
Don’t use Chrome.
What’s the pricing like? When you factor in the cost of a new, legitimate $70-$80 MagSafe 2 charger - yes, Apple still makes these - you’re at less than $250 all in. Some previous price history (price includes cost of a new charger):
~$900 in 2018
~$480 in 2023
~$380 in 2024
~$230 in 2026
If you’re a DIYer, you can get a cheaper storage config and put your own SSD in. This was the last design that allowed for user upgradeable storage and is a great way to backup your photos in iCloud. More thoughts in my previous posts below.
My kids like my 2013 MacBook Pro for one reason…
The glowing light.
Simple, elegant, and no longer an “in your face” flex. Times have changed, along with Mac security, meaning the glowing Apple logo is no longer a theft target on your back. It would be nice if it made a return in the next generation of MacBook Pro devices, but in Apple’s new (more justified) quest for thinness and possible touch-screen capabilities, don’t expect it to make a comeback.
The glowing light.
Simple, elegant, and no longer an “in your face” flex. Times have changed, along with Mac security, meaning the glowing Apple logo is no longer a theft target on your back. It would be nice if it made a return in the next generation of MacBook Pro devices, but in Apple’s new (more justified) quest for thinness and possible touch-screen capabilities, don’t expect it to make a comeback.
You can buy a MacBook sleeve that looks like a macOS folder.
The Untitled Folder Purse is the Untitled Folder Wallet grown up to laptop size, this time as genuine leather instead of vegan (fake) leather. A great gift for any Apple fan, and more practical than the iPhone Pocket.
For a genuine leather product, the $120 (14-inch) and $140 (16-inch) price tags seem reasonable.
The Untitled Folder Purse is the Untitled Folder Wallet grown up to laptop size, this time as genuine leather instead of vegan (fake) leather. A great gift for any Apple fan, and more practical than the iPhone Pocket.
For a genuine leather product, the $120 (14-inch) and $140 (16-inch) price tags seem reasonable.
How to convince your family to buy you a MacBook Air.
Clever (and desperate?) Parent Presentation provided by Apple to convince your parents to buy you a proper MacBook instead of a cheap windows laptop.
Do yourself a favor and don’t forget to add a slide telling your parents that you can also get free AirPods, a $179 value.
Can’t believe Apple didn’t include that in the slide deck.
Clever (and desperate?) Parent Presentation provided by Apple to convince your parents to buy you a proper MacBook instead of a cheap windows laptop.
Do yourself a favor and don’t forget to add a slide telling your parents that you can also get free AirPods, a $179 value.
Can’t believe Apple didn’t include that in the slide deck.
Will Apple make an M4 Ultra chip?
Apple’s answer according to Ars Technica:
When asked why the high-end Mac Studio was getting an M3 Ultra chip instead of an M4 Ultra, Apple told us that not every chip generation will get an “Ultra” tier. This is, as far as I can recall, the first time that Apple has said anything like this in public.
“Not every chip generation will get an ‘Ultra’ tier.”
This is not some sort of breakthrough statement like Ars Technica is reporting. It just means Apple will continue to give ambiguous answers about future products in a very strategic way to keep you guessing, while psychologically comforting you to buy your “inferior” M3 Ultra.
Apple’s answer according to Ars Technica:
When asked why the high-end Mac Studio was getting an M3 Ultra chip instead of an M4 Ultra, Apple told us that not every chip generation will get an “Ultra” tier. This is, as far as I can recall, the first time that Apple has said anything like this in public.
“Not every chip generation will get an ‘Ultra’ tier.”
This is not some sort of breakthrough statement like Ars Technica is reporting. It just means Apple will continue to give ambiguous answers about future products in a very strategic way to keep you guessing, while psychologically comforting you to buy your “inferior” M3 Ultra.
MacBook Air updated with the M4 chip, launches in Sky Blue.
Apple Press:
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today announced the new MacBook Air, featuring the blazing-fast performance of the M4 chip, up to 18 hours of battery life,1 a new 12MP Center Stage camera, and a lower starting price. It also offers support for up to two external displays in addition to the built-in display, 16GB of starting unified memory, and the incredible capabilities of macOS Sequoia with Apple Intelligence — all packed into its strikingly thin and light design that’s built to last. The new MacBook Air now comes in an all-new color — sky blue, a metallic light blue that joins midnight, starlight, and silver — giving MacBook Air its most beautiful array of colors ever. It also now starts at just $999 — $100 less than before — and $899 for education, making it an incredible value for students, business professionals, or anyone looking for a phenomenal combination of world-class performance, portability, design, and durability. With two sizes to choose from, the new 13- and 15-inch MacBook Air are available to pre-order today, with availability beginning Wednesday, March 12.
Apple’s target audience for this upgrade is M1 Air owners and Intel users. I’m still using an M1 Air with just 8GB of RAM, and it works just fine for basic tasks and even some graphical work in Canva. The M4 is up to twice as fast as the M1, which actually speaks to how great the M1 still is. The main upgrade reason isn’t speed, but the other features, such as the bigger display, support for two external monitors, better FaceTime camera, and MagSafe charging.
I’m glad that Space Gray is gone. Never liked it. Sky Blue does look very similar to Sierra Blue on the iPhone 13 Pro, and it would be the color I pick. 15-inches please.
Apple Press:
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today announced the new MacBook Air, featuring the blazing-fast performance of the M4 chip, up to 18 hours of battery life,1 a new 12MP Center Stage camera, and a lower starting price. It also offers support for up to two external displays in addition to the built-in display, 16GB of starting unified memory, and the incredible capabilities of macOS Sequoia with Apple Intelligence — all packed into its strikingly thin and light design that’s built to last. The new MacBook Air now comes in an all-new color — sky blue, a metallic light blue that joins midnight, starlight, and silver — giving MacBook Air its most beautiful array of colors ever. It also now starts at just $999 — $100 less than before — and $899 for education, making it an incredible value for students, business professionals, or anyone looking for a phenomenal combination of world-class performance, portability, design, and durability. With two sizes to choose from, the new 13- and 15-inch MacBook Air are available to pre-order today, with availability beginning Wednesday, March 12.
Apple’s target audience for this upgrade is M1 Air owners and Intel users. I’m still using an M1 Air with just 8GB of RAM, and it works just fine for basic tasks and even some graphical work in Canva. The M4 is up to twice as fast as the M1, which actually speaks to how great the M1 still is. The main upgrade reason isn’t speed, but the other features, such as the bigger display, support for two external monitors, better FaceTime camera, and MagSafe charging.
I’m glad that Space Gray is gone. Never liked it. Sky Blue does look very similar to Sierra Blue on the iPhone 13 Pro, and it would be the color I pick. 15-inches please.
An Apple Watch, a MacBook, and an iPhone all for less than $300?
Saw Luke Miani’s recent video, and it is a compelling ecosystem for a young adult. I’m talking about a late tween or early teenager, especially if they’re homeschooled and their current laptop is a Chromebook that makes the original MacBook Air screen look like a Retina display.
Yes, it’s that bad.
The fact that a 5 year old watch, a 10 year old laptop, and an almost 3 year old phone can still communicate with each other just seems incredible. It shouldn’t really surprise me since I’ve been using an 11 year old laptop that communicates with the newest iPhone and Apple Watch for logging in and Apple Pay.
Saw Luke Miani’s recent video, and it is a compelling ecosystem for a young adult. I’m talking about a late tween or early teenager, especially if they’re homeschooled and their current laptop is a Chromebook that makes the original MacBook Air screen look like a Retina display.
Yes, it’s that bad.
The fact that a 5 year old watch, a 10 year old laptop, and an almost 3 year old phone can still communicate with each other just seems incredible. It shouldn’t really surprise me since I’ve been using an 11 year old laptop that communicates with the newest iPhone and Apple Watch for logging in and Apple Pay.
ChatGPT can now read your Apple Notes on Mac.
Tim Hardwick from MacRumors:
OpenAI has expanded the capabilities of its ChatGPT app for macOS, adding support for Apple Notes and a range of popular third-party apps. The update builds on last month's release that introduced the ability to read on-screen content from select Mac apps…
OpenAI says that users maintain full control over which apps ChatGPT can access, and all data handling follows the same OpenAI privacy protocols as the app's regular conversation history. The expanded app integration feature remains exclusive to paid subscribers, including ChatGPT Plus, Pro, Team, Enterprise, and Edu users.
You do have to give ChatGPT permission to use the app, but that’s a lot of sensitive data to give to a 3rd party application, especially one as controversial as ChatGPT. People store all kinds of data in their Notes, including passwords, personal reflections, Driver’s license, medical and financial information, you name it.
I’m a free user of ChatGPT, so I have nothing to worry about, for now.
Tim Hardwick from MacRumors:
OpenAI has expanded the capabilities of its ChatGPT app for macOS, adding support for Apple Notes and a range of popular third-party apps. The update builds on last month's release that introduced the ability to read on-screen content from select Mac apps…
OpenAI says that users maintain full control over which apps ChatGPT can access, and all data handling follows the same OpenAI privacy protocols as the app's regular conversation history. The expanded app integration feature remains exclusive to paid subscribers, including ChatGPT Plus, Pro, Team, Enterprise, and Edu users.
You do have to give ChatGPT permission to use the app, but that’s a lot of sensitive data to give to a 3rd party application, especially one as controversial as ChatGPT. People store all kinds of data in their Notes, including passwords, personal reflections, Driver’s license, medical and financial information, you name it.
I’m a free user of ChatGPT, so I have nothing to worry about, for now.
Is an 11-year old MacBook still usable in 2024?
I posted about this last year, but the 2013 15-inch MacBook Pro with the 2GB NVIDIA GT 750M graphics card, 1TB SSD, and 16GB of RAM still holds up well today. I recently went on a 3-day work trip, and I took this laptop as my primary laptop. I had my work desktop as a backup computer if anything went wrong, but everything worked out just fine.
I left the base model M1 Air at home even though it would run circles around this beast from 2013. It is always nice to retreat back to a 15.4 inch screen. The M1 Air is obviously the better choice for portability, but I was using the 15-incher as a desktop. I had it elevated on a stand, and paired it with the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID. Plugged in a USB-A mouse, and I was good to go. No, Touch ID does not work on the Magic Keyboard, but everything else does. When I did need to use Apple Pay, I had my watch and my iPhone nearby, so it wasn’t an issue when I had to buy lunch, or anything else that caught my eye online.
When I got back to the hotel, I just used the laptop’s keyboard and trackpad, a delightful and reliable experience. This is pre-butterfly keyboard mayhem.
The most limiting factor about this laptop for me is ironically, the blog platform for my website, which is Squarespace. In the past, Squarespace was the Achilles’ heel as it would constantly cause the fans to spin up and slow down this computer. I eventually took a hiatus from blogging, and when I came back months later, I noticed that Squarespace had changed its design and layout and updated their platform altogether. I was skeptical if a 2013 laptop would keep up, especially now that it has been improved with a more modern UI.
To my surprise it actually performed better than before! Whatever optimizations Squarespace did in the background ended up breathing new life into this machine. Still not as fast as a modern computer, but nothing that would make you call it a slow machine and make you want to hurl it down the street after typing for 15 minutes, only to find out that nothing was saved due to website errors and not pressing the save button frequently enough. I used to blame the laptop for those issues before, but in hindsight, maybe it was Squarespace that was the kink in the armor?
It just goes to show that software optimization can go a long way in making an old computer work like new.
Not everything is great, of course, since we are still talking about an 11-year old laptop. The battery life is at best 3 hours, which is good enough for me and probably most people who would use this as a backup computer. Once again my main use for this laptop was as a desktop, and the hardest I pushed it would be using Squarespace while doing some graphical work in Canva. I would also have the typical Apple apps open in the background, such as Mail, Safari, Notes, and Apple News. Safari works fine and you can easily browse any website with no issues, including YouTube.
When I bought it in 2018, I paid around $800 for it. Now, you can get these for $300 at the high end, which is insane. I’m not saying you should buy this laptop, since for another $300 you could get an M1 Air that is miles ahead of this Intel based laptop. What I am trying to say is, if you have one of these lying around, you should definitely give it another life.
Maybe you know someone who wants to try macOS but doesn’t want to take the plunge? Let them borrow this for a while. Or you have a child who needs a real computer (sorry Chromebooks, and iPads).
If you do want to tinker around and get one, remember to get the right spec. It has to have 16GB of RAM since that is not user upgradeable, and you should get the GT 750M graphics. It helps a ton. For more details, check out Louis Rossman’s video about which older Macs are worth buying. Remember, this video came out during the butterfly keyboard era, and also before Apple introduced the M1 chip.
Unfortunately if you need to buy a charger, they’re still $80 brand new for a real one. Don’t get a fake one and burn your house down.
I posted about this last year, but the 2013 15-inch MacBook Pro with the 2GB NVIDIA GT 750M graphics card, 1TB SSD, and 16GB of RAM still holds up well today. I recently went on a 3-day work trip, and I took this laptop as my primary laptop. I had my work desktop as a backup computer if anything went wrong, but everything worked out just fine.
I left the base model M1 Air at home even though it would run circles around this beast from 2013. It is always nice to retreat back to a 15.4 inch screen. The M1 Air is obviously the better choice for portability, but I was using the 15-incher as a desktop. I had it elevated on a stand, and paired it with the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID. Plugged in a USB-A mouse, and I was good to go. No, Touch ID does not work on the Magic Keyboard, but everything else does. When I did need to use Apple Pay, I had my watch and my iPhone nearby, so it wasn’t an issue when I had to buy lunch, or anything else that caught my eye online.
When I got back to the hotel, I just used the laptop’s keyboard and trackpad, a delightful and reliable experience. This is pre-butterfly keyboard mayhem.
The most limiting factor about this laptop for me is ironically, the blog platform for my website, which is Squarespace. In the past, Squarespace was the Achilles’ heel as it would constantly cause the fans to spin up and slow down this computer. I eventually took a hiatus from blogging, and when I came back months later, I noticed that Squarespace had changed its design and layout and updated their platform altogether. I was skeptical if a 2013 laptop would keep up, especially now that it has been improved with a more modern UI.
To my surprise it actually performed better than before! Whatever optimizations Squarespace did in the background ended up breathing new life into this machine. Still not as fast as a modern computer, but nothing that would make you call it a slow machine and make you want to hurl it down the street after typing for 15 minutes, only to find out that nothing was saved due to website errors and not pressing the save button frequently enough. I used to blame the laptop for those issues before, but in hindsight, maybe it was Squarespace that was the kink in the armor?
It just goes to show that software optimization can go a long way in making an old computer work like new.
Not everything is great, of course, since we are still talking about an 11-year old laptop. The battery life is at best 3 hours, which is good enough for me and probably most people who would use this as a backup computer. Once again my main use for this laptop was as a desktop, and the hardest I pushed it would be using Squarespace while doing some graphical work in Canva. I would also have the typical Apple apps open in the background, such as Mail, Safari, Notes, and Apple News. Safari works fine and you can easily browse any website with no issues, including YouTube.
When I bought it in 2018, I paid around $800 for it. Now, you can get these for $300 at the high end, which is insane. I’m not saying you should buy this laptop, since for another $300 you could get an M1 Air that is miles ahead of this Intel based laptop. What I am trying to say is, if you have one of these lying around, you should definitely give it another life.
Maybe you know someone who wants to try macOS but doesn’t want to take the plunge? Let them borrow this for a while. Or you have a child who needs a real computer (sorry Chromebooks, and iPads).
If you do want to tinker around and get one, remember to get the right spec. It has to have 16GB of RAM since that is not user upgradeable, and you should get the GT 750M graphics. It helps a ton. For more details, check out Louis Rossman’s video about which older Macs are worth buying. Remember, this video came out during the butterfly keyboard era, and also before Apple introduced the M1 chip.
Unfortunately if you need to buy a charger, they’re still $80 brand new for a real one. Don’t get a fake one and burn your house down.
Upgrade your Mac Studio Storage for a fraction of the cost - with a huge caveat.
Apple’s rates for upgradable storage has always been absurd, and people are always trying to find a solution for quality and cheaper storage.
Polysoft Services has managed to reverse-engineer Apple’s SSDs and is offering up to 8TB of storage for around $1160 vs $2400 from Apple.
That’s a huge savings.
Their 4TB option is $845 vs $1,200 from Apple.
The price difference becomes more negligible for the 2TB option at $420 vs $600 from Apple.
Polysoft was able to reverse engineer Apple’s SSD modules, and even upped Apple by including overvoltage protection, which was notorious for frying MacBooks:
So, we sacrificed a SSD module, removed all its small components one by one using a laser station, inventoried them and measured their characteristics, then we oil sanded every layer with fine-grained sandpaper and scanned every layer with a flatbed scanner.
We could then start making our own schematics from this work. But not only did we want to make MacStudio upgrades possible, we also wanted to customize the SSD modules... Having repaired lot of 2019 MacBook Pros 15“ and 16” with total data loss due to a failed voltage regulator sending a surge to the soldered NANDs, we thought it necessary to design our boards differently from Apple. That's why we've added a very simple but effective overvoltage protection, which will prevent NAND from overvoltage and protect you from total data loss in the event of a voltage regulator failure.
As a tribute to Louis Rossmann work, we've called this overvoltage protection “RIROP" as in "Rossmann Is Right Overvoltage Protection”.
I like the shoutout to Louis Rossman, whose video helped me purchase my first MacBook Pro.
Although you can save a serious amount of money with these storage upgrades, do note that it could void your warranty.
In their FAQ, the first question is, “Will it void my warranty?”
Here is their answer:
Technically no, legally yes.
Apple allows you to repair your MacStudio on a self-service basis, and these boards are designed with the same components as the original, plus customized surge protection.
That said, yes, Apple's contractual terms clearly state that any use of parts not sourced by them may void your warranty.
I would interpret that as a yes.
Great feat of engineering that I’m glad exists, but only for the hardcore power users who really need that kind of storage at those kinds of speeds who are willing to go through the arduous process.
If you want to see the actual process, check out this video by Luke Miani who goes through it in detail.
Apple’s rates for upgradable storage has always been absurd, and people are always trying to find a solution for quality and cheaper storage.
Polysoft Services has managed to reverse-engineer Apple’s SSDs and is offering up to 8TB of storage for around $1160 vs $2400 from Apple.
That’s a huge savings.
Their 4TB option is $845 vs $1,200 from Apple.
The price difference becomes more negligible for the 2TB option at $420 vs $600 from Apple.
Polysoft was able to reverse engineer Apple’s SSD modules, and even upped Apple by including overvoltage protection, which was notorious for frying MacBooks:
So, we sacrificed a SSD module, removed all its small components one by one using a laser station, inventoried them and measured their characteristics, then we oil sanded every layer with fine-grained sandpaper and scanned every layer with a flatbed scanner.
We could then start making our own schematics from this work. But not only did we want to make MacStudio upgrades possible, we also wanted to customize the SSD modules... Having repaired lot of 2019 MacBook Pros 15“ and 16” with total data loss due to a failed voltage regulator sending a surge to the soldered NANDs, we thought it necessary to design our boards differently from Apple. That's why we've added a very simple but effective overvoltage protection, which will prevent NAND from overvoltage and protect you from total data loss in the event of a voltage regulator failure.
As a tribute to Louis Rossmann work, we've called this overvoltage protection “RIROP" as in "Rossmann Is Right Overvoltage Protection”.
I like the shoutout to Louis Rossman, whose video helped me purchase my first MacBook Pro.
Although you can save a serious amount of money with these storage upgrades, do note that it could void your warranty.
In their FAQ, the first question is, “Will it void my warranty?”
Here is their answer:
Technically no, legally yes.
Apple allows you to repair your MacStudio on a self-service basis, and these boards are designed with the same components as the original, plus customized surge protection.
That said, yes, Apple's contractual terms clearly state that any use of parts not sourced by them may void your warranty.
I would interpret that as a yes.
Great feat of engineering that I’m glad exists, but only for the hardcore power users who really need that kind of storage at those kinds of speeds who are willing to go through the arduous process.
If you want to see the actual process, check out this video by Luke Miani who goes through it in detail.