MacBook

A YouTube content creator successfully managed to install an entire Royal Kludge RK61 mechanical keyboard into a 2008 MacBook Pro. While the keyboard and MacBook Pro work without any issues, it is impossible to close the lid given the keyboard's size.

A key supplier in Apple's mini-LED supply chain has stated that it will significantly increase its mini-LED production in preparation for "two upcoming mini-LED-backlit MacBook Pro models." This news gives legs to long-standing rumors of mini-LED 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros.

The M1 Apple Silicon has now claimed the top spot in PassMark’s CPU Mark single-thread performance charts for both desktop and laptop CPUs, thanks to the hybrid processor turning up in devices such as the MacBook Pro 13 laptop and Mac Mini desktop. The Apple M1 managed to outscore powerful rivals such as the Intel Core i9-11900K, i9-11900F, AMD Ryzen 9 5980HS, and Ryzen 9 5900HS.

Apple continues to shift huge numbers of iPhones as well as Macs according to its latest quarterly results. Not only that, its Services business, which includes its App Store and subscriptions services like Apple Music, Apple News+ and Apple Arcade.

Reports claim that the M1 successor has already entered mass production at TSMC on the N5P nodes and shipments are to be expected sometime in July. The new "M2" processors could first be introduced with the 14-inch / 16-inch redesigned MacBook Pro models and 27-inch iMacs launching this fall.

Leaked schematics have seemingly confirmed details about Apple's upcoming 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros. The pair will mark the return of MagSafe for MacBooks, along with the HDMI port and a full-sized SD card slot. The Touch Bar has made way as part of a revised keyboard layout, though.

The revelation of the 2021 Apple iPad Pro with Mini LED screen has apparently increased the chances of a MacBook Pro 14 and MacBook Pro 16 being fitted with similar panel technology. The 2021 MacBook Pro laptops could star with XDR displays, potential Apple M1X Silicon, and feature the popular MagSafe charging cable.

The all-new Apple iMac has launched in multiple colors as had been expected. However, instead of being an all-screen device as some had predicted, it includes the trademark iMac ‘chin’ of old. Now, an Apple engineer has revealed the innards of the new iMac showing that this part of the design hides the M1 processor and logic board.

A young artist has produced a stunning concept render of a potential 2021 iMac powered by the Apple M1 Silicon. The striking design will have fans hoping something similar is unveiled by the Cupertino company in the upcoming Spring Loaded event. The same designer also recently created an M1X MacBook Pro 14 concept based on numerous rumors.

Twitter leaker L0vetodream speculates that Apple will bedazzle the world with its new ARM-based iMacs at the Spring Loaded event on April 20. While the tipster has been fairly accurate about previous Apple-related predictions, the chances of this one being true are grim.

The latest version of the Parallels Desktop VM manager is optimized for the new M1-powered MacBooks and allows users to run virtualized Windows 10 at native speeds. Compared to previous Intel-based MacBooks, the new M1-based models are 2.5 more energy efficient, up to 60% faster in DX 11 games and up to 30% in general when running a virtual instance of Windows 10.

THX has unveiled the Onyx, a portable hi-res audio DAC that is compatible with both Android and iPhones as well as PCs and Macs. The new device features a high-quality ESS DAC, a THX Achromatic Audio Amplifier (THX AAA) and includes a Master Quality Authenticated (MQA) decoder that will appeal to audio enthusiasts.

Some intrepid Chinese modders have managed to upgrade the storage and memory capacity of an M1 Mac Mini by desoldering the existing hardware and replacing it with identical, higher-capacity variants.

Apple has announced an expansion to its Apple Arcade subscription gaming service. Along with new titles including NBA 2K21 Arcade Edition, Star Trek: Legends and The Oregon Trail, it has added two new categories called Timeless Classics and App Store Greats.

Apple has booked TSMC’s initial production of the first next-generation 4 nm process node wafers according to Digitimes. The first chips to roll off the production line will be destined for Apple’s Mac line, which of course includes its MacBook Pro models and iMacs.

A TechTuber has offered up some staggering guesses for the potential performance of future M1 Apple Silicon SoCs. With an M1Z chip defeating a Ryzen Threadripper 3990X in Geekbench multi-core and an M1P part surpassing a GeForce RTX 3080 in OpenCL, it seems AMD and Nvidia will also be joining Intel in facing the Apple SoC threat.

The five new “Justin Gets Real” videos from Intel will likely make you laugh, but it seems unlikely that’s what Team Blue was gunning for when the company managed to snatch up "Get a Mac" veteran Justin Long to head its new anti-Mac “Go PC” ad campaign.

According to industry observers, it will be the redesigned iMac and not the MacBook Pro 16 that will truly be able to unlock the full potential of an expected M1X Apple Silicon. Even with an updated cooling solution, thermal restrictions will prevent the MacBook Pro 16 from hitting the performance heights of a larger M1X iMac device.

Intel has put up a website that details the benefits of opting for a laptop with a 11th gen Tiger Lake processor over Apple M1-powered MacBooks. The content of the website looks like Intel is focusing on the non-processor side of things for comparison. The odd benchmark or two that was highlighted is not available natively for the M1, which raises doubts over Intel's new marketing strategy.

Rumors concerning the possible unveiling and pricing strategy for numerous Apple Mac devices have surfaced. It has been alleged that a MacBook Pro 16 with 12-core M1X Apple Silicon will be joined by a redesigned mini-LED MacBook Pro 14 and mysterious ARM-based MacBook Air in being unveiled at some point in the fourth quarter of this year.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has issued a new research note forecasting that Apple’s ‘Air’ models will get upgraded displays in 2022. According to Kuo, the iPad Air will get an upgraded OLED display in the second half of 2022 while the MacBook Air will get an upgrade to a new mini-LED display although he doesn’t specify which half of the year this will happen

Performance and release date speculation concerning a potential M1X Mac Mini from Apple has been put forward by the YouTube channel Max Tech. It seems a Mac Mini with 12-core Apple Silicon could outscore a US$14,999 Mac Pro (2019) with a 12-core Intel Xeon chip in multi-core testing and also offer incredible graphics-processing performance.

Estimated multi-core performance results for the expected M1X processor have the upcoming Apple Silicon taking on power-hungry desktop rivals such as the Intel Core i9-10900K and AMD Ryzen 7 5800X. Speculated Geekbench 5 and Cinebench R23 scores for the Apple M1X chip are based on it offering 1.77x the performance of the current M1 silicon.

Apple has rescheduled mass production of its next ARM-powered MacBooks, according to a new report. Initially due to begin in May or June, Nikkei Asia reports that this production window has now slipped to sometime during the second half of 2021.

Rumors concerning the future of Apple Silicon have stated that the Cupertino company will have a 16-core processor ready for active duty by late 2022. If this chip ends up being the Apple M2 then recent rumblings about a 12-core Apple M1X SoC appearing this year could carry more weight to them than previously believed.

The Apple M1 SoC, also frequently known as Apple Silicon, has made a ground-breaking entry into PassMark’s CPU Mark chart for single-thread performance. The Apple M1’s rating placed it above the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X and nipping at the heels of the Intel Core i7-11700K, thus unsettling the AMD/Intel establishment with its presence.

Camera maker Nikon has launched a new photo and video editing desktop application for Mac and Windows. Even better, the new app is free and looks to be quite fully featured.

Fantasian is a new JRPG headed for Apple Arcade. Written by Hironobu Sakaguchi and featuring a soundtrack by Nobuo Uematsu, Fantasian throws players into a multi-dimensional world constructed from over 150 hand-made dioramas. Gameplay features a unique mechanic for monster management and traditional JRPG tropes.

Although Apple still has to confirm this, it looks like macOS 11.3 will come with a nasty surprise for some users. Depending on the region, this update might remove Rosetta, so the users of M1-powered machines in those countries will lose the ability to run x86 apps built for Intel-based Macs.

According to a new report, the next MacBook Pro 16 will feature an Apple M1 chip, not a more powerful next-generation model. Any design changes will be on the minor side too, resulting in the 2021 edition looking basically the same as its 2019 predecessor. Minor changes could include a switch to a flat design and the return of legacy ports though, along with slimmer display bezels for the new model.

Xiaomi has launched the 2021 variants of the RedmiBook Pro 14 and RedmiBook Pro 15. Shoppers in China can choose from among six SKUs, with Intel Core i5 and i7 Tiger Lake processors and the Nvidia GeForce MX450 dGPU as central component options. The RedmiBook Pro 14 is fitted with a 2.5K display while the RedmiBook Pro 15 gets a 3.2K screen.

The lifespan of the soldered SSD's in new M1 Macs may be severely limited, according to multiple reports. Current wear of some SSDs is so high that some drives may need replacing within two years.

A full MacBook Pro refresh is due later this year, with a switch to Apple's in-house processors reputedly planned. According to a new report, the 2021 MacBook Pro refresh will feature an HDMI port too, which dovetail with the return of the SD card for the series.

Xiaomi has been showing more of the upcoming RedmiBook Pro laptop series off in a couple of new teaser images. Unsurprisingly, the Xiaomi RedmiBook Pro has the look of an Apple MacBook Pro to it and also comes with a Thunderbolt 4/USB4 port. The updated notebooks will be launched on February 25.

Apple M1-native malware has been discovered by an independent macOS security researcher. The GoSearch22 Safari browser extension, which is linked to the infamous Pirrit adware family, can run on any M1 silicon-based device, such as the late 2020 models of the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac Mini.

The latest full-year analysis of the PC market show that devices that run ChromeOS gained more and more market share during 2020 compared to those running macOS. Windows remained the market leader, although its share did fall compared to 2019. These changes might be related to the overwhelming demand for home-learning and -working solutions that marked the year just gone.

The long-awaited dark theme for the Google Search webpage on Windows or macOS is reportedly now in A/B testing. This means some users may have already seen this update, which consists of an automatic color-scheme change in accordance with the system theme. This can help address preparing for the shock of that ever-present bright page that clashes with an otherwise eye-friendly UI.

Apple was a loyal customer of Intel for 15 years, but the former has now pivoted to using in-house processors. Now Intel has looked re-ignite the old Mac vs PC debate in its latest adverts, where it claims Windows laptops are superior to Apple MacBooks for gamers and content creators.

An updated Bluetooth SIG listing has sparked speculation in regard to a mysterious “B2002” entry, with guesses ranging from Apple TV to an M1 iMac. The B2002 item joins new registrations for the M1-based MacBook Air, MacBook Pro 13, and Mac mini. The model number for the baffling potential product is simply “TBD”.

Apple will align the design of its MacBook Pro and iPhone series this year, according to a new report. The change will see 2021 MacBook Pros with a flatter design, albeit one with rounded corners. Apple is expected to release at least a new 16-inch MacBook Pro this year, which could also be the first ARM-based MacBook that supports MagSafe charging.

Slides from Intel have been published revealing numerous benchmark and usage comparisons between the ARM-based Apple M1 chip and Core i7 representatives of the Intel 11th Gen Tiger Lake series. The choice of benchmarks and some subtle SKU changes suggest Intel is focusing on trash-talking the Apple M1 rather than improving its own production.

A tech tipster has claimed that Apple is preparing four new SoCs and has shared the alleged internal identifiers for the processors. Unsurprisingly, this has led to considerable speculation about their eventual product names, with Apple M1X, M2, A14X, A15, and A15 Bionic heading the suggestions. 2021’s 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models could feature a new SoC.

Razer has launched one of the first docks to support Intel’s new Thunderbolt 4 high-speed data transfer standard. As you might expect from the gaming-focused company, the new dock also includes support for its Chroma lighting effects system in addition to its wide array of connectivity options.

Microsoft is heavily promoting the Surface Pro 7 with recent price drops now accompanied by a new advert comparing the Surface Pro 7 to the MacBook Pro 13 M1. The advert is done in a presentation style and shows why Microsoft thinks you should choose its 2-in-1 device over Apple's laptop.

2021 is going to be a big year for fans of Apple’s Macs as the company sets down the path of reengineering many of its designs around its super efficient, yet powerful Apple silicon chips. Bloomberg reports that Apple is working on a new high-end MacBook Air while the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models will see the return of a built-in SD card reader.

Carl Pei is well known as the co-founder of the successful smartphone brand OnePlus. However, he has since left this company with plans to start another. It will launch on January 27, 2021; in the meantime, Pei has tweeted that he is giving 10 MacBook Airs with the new M1 chipset away, presumably to drive hype for his own new products.

Apple's TV+ is its answer to other streaming platforms such as Netflix. One year's worth of free access to the service was bundled with compatible hardware bought at its September 2019 launch. That offer was then extended so as to end in February 2021 - however, the OEM has now prolonged it again until July.

An image taken from an alleged Geekbench run for a MacBook Pro18,1 system has supposedly revealed the multi-core power of the rumored Apple M1X chip. The score of 18,520 is over 140% higher than our results with an 8-core Apple M1. But it seems more likely shenanigans are to blame rather than an appearance by a 12-core Apple part or 20-core monster.

The owners of various Macs that use the Apple M1 processor are reporting a bug that involves a rather random activation of the screensaver that also locks out the user. The problem seems to occur on Big Sur macOS 11.x and it looks like disabling Fast User Switching prevents it from happening again.

Apple supply chain specialist Ming-chi Kuo has issued a new note to investors detailing some of the changes expected on the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models. According to Kuo, the new models will drop in mid-2021 and will include minor design changes but will most notably drop the somewhat controversial OLED Touch Bar.