Mobile menu toggle

Mac - page 27

Apple M1 chip outperforms AMD, Nvidia graphics in new benchmarks

By

Apple M1 chip
Gaming is about to get a lot better on Mac.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s new M1 chipset has been blowing away rival Intel chips in CPU performance benchmarks, and it doesn’t stop there. It turns out Apple Silicon can give many graphics cards a run for their money, too.

New tests reveal the M1 easily outperforms the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti and AMD Radeon RX 560 in graphics benchmarks. It could make gaming on a Mac better than ever.

It looks like it’s safe to upgrade to macOS Big Sur now

By

macOS Big Sur brings an iOS-style Control Center and other major changes to Mac.
macOS Big Sur brings an iOS-style Control Center and other major changes to Mac.
Photo: Apple

It looks like Apple finally fixed the problems that stopped some Mac owners from updating to macOS Big Sur on launch day.

The message from Cupertino seems to be: If at first you didn’t succeed, try, try again.

macOS Big Sur arrives, ushering in huge changes for Macs

By

macOS Big Sur public release ushers in huge design changes
The wait is over. You can install macOS Big Sur today.
Photo: Apple

Apple released the final version of macOS Big Sur on Thursday. The new operating system offers the biggest design overhaul to the Mac user interface in nearly two decades. Plus, it brings big improvements to Apple’s bundled applications like Messages, Maps and Safari.

MacBook Air goes silent, insanely fast with Apple M1 chip

By

The MacBook Air packs performance boosts -- but no fan!
The MacBook Air packs performance boosts -- but no fan!
Photo: Apple

Apple’s hugely popular MacBook Air is now faster than 98% of all laptops, thanks to a brand-new M1 chip. The newest model, unveiled today during Apple’s “One More Thing” keynote, also features two times faster storage and vastly improved battery life.

What’s more, it’s the first MacBook Air that requires no fan, and it’s just as affordable as before. Order yours today!

macOS Big Sur unlocks the power of Apple Silicon chips

By

With macOS Big Sur, Apple takes things to the next level.
With macOS Big Sur, Apple takes things to the next level.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s new macOS operating system Big Sur is the first Mac operating system to be built with the new Apple Silicon M1 chip in mind. Big Sur brings with it a dramatic redesign and a host of big improvements to key apps like Messages, Maps and Safari.

The M1 chip optimization will also mean some massive speed improvements for top apps — including the ability for your Mac to immediately turn on when you wake it up, similar to the way an iPhone does when you pick it up.

And you don’t have long to wait.

New Apple M1 chip will make Macs faster, less power-hungry

By

Apple M1 chip
Apple's new M1 chip will blow your socks off.
Photo: Apple

Apple on Tuesday delivered on its promise to unveil the first Apple Silicon chip before the end of 2020. Its brand-new M1 system-on-chip (SoC) promises industry-leading performance and power efficiency for the fastest, most impressive Macs to date.

The M1 chip is the first 5-nanometer computer chip, packing a whopping 16 billion transistors and the world’s fastest CPU cores. It also features an 8-core GPU that’s “in a class of its own,” Apple says.

How to watch Apple’s ‘One More Thing’ event almost anywhere

By

Apple one more thing event
Get ready for kickoff at 10 a.m. Pacific.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s next big keynote of 2020 is less than a couple of hours away. We expect the “One more thing” event to bring the first Macs powered by Apple Silicon, new AirPods Studio headphones, and more.

When the keynote kicks off at 10 a.m. Pacific, you’ll be able to watch it live online from almost anywhere. We’ll tell you how.

Apple earnings: Can iPad and Mac pick up the iPhone slack again?

By

Apple earnings Q4 2020 will likely come down to iPad and Mac demand.
iPhone sales were likely weak last quarter so Apple earnings will depend a lot on Mac and iPad.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Weak iPhone sales likely pulled down Apple earnings in its last financial quarter. But the COVID-19 pandemic almost certainly pushed up demand for iPad and Mac. Still, total revenue is expected to be down slightly.

We’ll find out for sure Thursday when Cupertino announces its financial results from the July-through-September period.

T2 chip vulnerability could let local attackers hack Macs

By

The Apple T2 chip could be the source of mysterious crashes afflicting two of Apple's newest computers.
Apple introduced its T2 chips to Mac a couple of years ago.
Photo: IFIXIT

Security researcher Niels Hofmans of ironPeak has confirmed a T2 chip security flaw. These chips have been found in all new Macs made since 2018.

At its worst, the vulnerability — which is reportedly “unpatchable” — could allow an attacker to interfere with Macs in “classic evil maid” attacks involving an unintended computer. This might open the door for new ways for law enforcement to access suspects’ Macs to retrieve information, for example.

How to leave the macOS Big Sur beta program before public release

By

How to leave the macOS Big Sur beta
Don't be stuck with buggy beta releases.
Image: Cult of Mac

With the public release of macOS Big Sur right around the corner, it’s a good time to think about leaving the beta program — especially if you’ve been running the new release on your primary machine.

Dropping out ensures you get stable releases and quick fixes as soon as they’re available, and prevents potentially buggy future betas from being installed on your device. We’ll walk you through the process.

Apple leads the way in consumer satisfaction for Mac and iPad

By

The 2020 iMac is faster, but didn’t get a new design.
Customers are pretty darn satisfied when it comes to Mac.
Photo: Apple

Apple fans love to complain every so often, but overall they remain pretty darn satisfied when it comes to the company’s personal computer offerings.

That’s according to data from the American Customer Satisfaction Index, which reports that Apple ranks No. 1 in user satisfaction for personal computers with a score of ACSI score of 82. This ranking covers iMacs, MacBooks and iPads.

Apple at $2 trillion is amazing for investors, but boring for fans [Opinion]

By

Tim Cook WWDC
Are Apple's days as a game-changing innovator behind it?
Photo: Apple

Apple’s surge past a $2 trillion market cap this week underlines just how well CEO Tim Cook’s vision works for shareholders. But is this good news for Apple fans?

The first publicly traded U.S. company to hit this milestone, Apple has transformed from one of the world’s dynamic companies into one that can be, well, kind of boring. The strategy that fueled this unprecedented success makes it far less likely that we’ll seen an insanely innovative product coming out of Cupertino in the future.

Apple independent repair program makes it easier to get Macs fixed

By

iFixit
Digging around inside a Mac isn’t for the faint of heart. Apple now makes Mac repair easier with tools and training.
Photo: iFixit

Apple opened the Independent Repair Provider Program to Mac. Starting Monday, Apple will provide parts and training to third-party businesses so they can fix macOS computers.

Previously, the program only made it easier for independent repair shops to service out-of-warranty iPhones.

Setapp, the app subscription service, lands on iOS with 8 awesome titles

By

Setapp comes to iOS
A catalog of amazing apps, one small monthly fee.
Photo: Setapp

Setapp, the brilliant app subscription service from MacPaw, has finally landed on iOS. The service offers eight titles at launch, including task-management app 2Do and wonderful writing tool Ulysses.

A small monthly fee gets you complete, unlimited access to every app in the catalog, with more being added on a regular basis. And if you’re already a Setapp subscriber, you may get the iOS apps for free.

Why the new iMac is still a great buy, even without Apple Silicon

By

2020 iMac: The new iMac looks just like the old one (only faster).
The 2020 iMac is certainly worth your cash.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s newest iMac is by far the fastest yet, with huge increases in both CPU and GPU performance. It also ships with improved speakers and microphones. And yet, it seems a lot of Apple fans don’t care.

The reason? The new iMac is powered by Intel processors, like all its predecessors since 2006, instead of Apple Silicon. Since Apple revealed its plan to switch to its own custom chips at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June, Intel processors just don’t hold the same appeal.

But there are some great reasons to continue buying Intel-powered Macs in 2020. Here are a few.

Surging iPad sales help Apple stay world’s No. 2 computer-maker

By

MacBook, iMac and iPad are all computers
All of these are computers, and all contributed to Apple’s growing share of the global computer market.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

Strong sales of iPad and Mac during Q2 2020 propelled Apple closer to taking the lead in the worldwide computer market. But they weren’t quite enough to push Lenovo out of the top spot, according to a market-research firm.

Still, the Mac-maker stayed ahead of rivals HP, Dell and Samsung as the global computer market grew 14% year over year.