MacBook

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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Apple is apparently preparing to debut its first cellular MacBook models next year, with 5G-enabled MacBooks coming in the second half of 2020 according to Digitimes.

Apple will purportedly be using a ceramic antenna component for better 5G performance.

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Reliable supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of TF International Securities has published a new report focused squarely on Apple keyboards. Kuo lays out an updated timeline for when he believes Apple will begin using more reliable keyboards in MacBooks.

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Apple cleaned up its MacBook lineup this week with updated hardware, better prices, and one casualty: the 12-inch MacBook. While the MacBook Air and entry-level MacBook Pro saw changes (and Mac storage prices dropped), Apple killed off its lightest notebook after four years and three generations.

The death of Apple’s coolest MacBook has sparked many hot takes, exposing just how hated the 12-inch notebook was by a group of customers who had plenty of other Mac options. Reactions have simultaneously revealed how beloved the 12-inch MacBook has been by real customers who no longer have a clear upgrade path.

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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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