Mac - page 7

Spotlight on the Mac is a universal search bar, available everywhere, ready to quickly launch an app or find a file. And in macOS 26 Tahoe, Apple supercharged Spotlight by adding many advanced features.
Spotlight has a new visual interface for browsing apps on your Mac. It’s also a powerful tool for running Shortcuts and actions inside the apps you use. And, finally, it’s a clipboard manager, too.
Here are the ins and outs of Spotlight on the Mac.

Shortcuts are more innovative than ever in iOS 26, thanks to Apple Intelligence. They now support LLM-based actions and automations that can make quick work of various time-consuming tasks. You can streamline audio transcription, movie streaming, food tracking and more.
Best of all, Apple users are sharing an increasing number of user-created shortcuts that you can try out for free. I compiled a list of the 13 most exciting shortcuts powered by Apple Intelligence to give you a taste of just how useful they can be.

The Mac isn’t carrying its weight. In fact, it’s Apple’s lowest-selling product line, sitting behind even the Apple Watch. And despite macOS being a standout platform, it lags far behind Windows where it matters: worldwide adoption.
Apple needs a fresh angle, and the rumored budget MacBook might be the first real chance to rewrite the Mac’s trajectory.

When Apple needs to install a security patch onto an iPhone, iPad or Mac, it now does so without requiring the user to do anything — or even be aware of the update. The new Background Security Improvements feature delivers “additional security protections between software updates,” according to Apple.

It’s a feature of iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1 and macOS 26.1, but users have the option to deactivate it.

November 8, 1984: After initial Mac sales prove disappointing, Apple CEO John Sculley dreams up the “Test Drive a Macintosh” marketing campaign to encourage people to give the revolutionary new computer a chance.
The promotional strategy advises people to drop into their local retailer and “borrow” a Macintosh for 24 hours. The idea is that, by the time potential customers need to return the Mac, they will have built up a bond with it — and realized they can’t live without one of Apple’s computers.
While 200,000 would-be customers take advantage of the offer, Apple dealers absolutely hate it.

The iPhone App Store is now accessible on a Mac. And iPad users can research what macOS applications are available. Anyone can see what Apple Watch apps are available. All of these are possible now that Apple finally put the App Store on the web Monday.

It’s long overdue, and still missing a feature many users would like.

November 3, 2010: Apple prepares to launch the Mac App Store, publicly accepting app submissions from registered developers — and kicking off a gold rush among coders.

After witnessing the enormous sums of money raked in by early entrants in the iOS App Store, the easy-to-use digital storefront that revolutionized software distribution on the iPhone, developers flood Apple with new Mac apps.

October 21, 1991: Apple launches its PowerBook 100 series Macs. The lightweight laptops quickly become one of the most important tech gadgets of all time.

These devices will almost single-handedly turn notebook computers into mainstream technology. Apple’s subsequent success in this category — whether it’s the current MacBooks or even the rise of mobile devices like the iPhone — owes a huge debt to the PowerBook 100 series.

The new MacBook Pro M5 is here, and it might be Apple’s most powerful laptop ever.

But with prices starting at $1,599, getting the device you want can feel like a serious investment.

That’s where Upgraded comes in. It’s a new way to get the tech you need without paying thousands upfront. Instead, you pay monthly with the option to upgrade every two years.

With Upgraded, you can get the new M5 MacBook Pro starting at just $52.17 per month and as low as 0% APR. Get the M5 MacBook Pro from $52.17 per month.

October 19, 1992: Apple launches the Mac IIvx, the first Macintosh computer to ship with a metal case and, more importantly, an internal CD-ROM drive.

The last of the Macintosh II series, the Mac IIvx experiences one of the more notorious price adjustments in Apple history. Within five months of shipping, Apple slashes the computer’s launch price of $2,949 to $1,899. That’s one way to reward early adopters!

The Apple M5 chip jumped from rumor to reality Wednesday with the launch of MacBook Pro and iPad Pro models running the new cutting-edge processor. But so far, there’s been no official mention of an M5 Mac mini, M5 MacBook Air, M5 Studio or M5 iMac.

Here’s when the next generations of these Macs are rumored to reach customers, along with the probable launch dates of the M5 Pro and M5 Max versions of the MacBook Pro.

October 17, 1996: Apple launches its Performa 6360 Mac in North America, sold elsewhere as the Power Macintosh 6300/160.

An impressive multimedia Mac, the Performa 6360 comes bundled with a TV/video card. It also lets users make phone calls, listen to CDs, and watch television — all of which seemed amazingly futuristic at the time. As Macs went, it was pretty affordable, too.

October 10, 1993: Apple ships its Macintosh Color Classic II, the last of the 9-inch compact Macs.

Also known as the Performa 275, the Color Classic II will eventually become something of a collector’s item, since Apple released it only in Canada, Asia and Europe.

Shockingly, many of the amazing discounts on Apple gear that we saw during Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days remain available for anyone who blinked and missed them. Some disappeared, but some actually got better!

We double-checked the deals early Thursday. Below, you can see all the best Prime Big Deal Days sales still going on Apple gear, from AirPods to iPads to MacBooks to the Studio Display. And that includes Apple audio subsidiary Beats, too.

Be aware that Amazon’s pricing often changes, and we have no idea how long any of these amazing Apple deals will last.

The Underdogs are back in BSOD (Blue Screen of Death)! The fictitious team of nerdy Apple users once again star in a video demonstrating how Macs and iPhones get real work done. This time, the focus is on Mac security.

Watch the shortfilm now and have fun while learning about what your Apple gear can do for you.

The best Mac utilities can make a great computer even better. From smarter window management to easier automation and cleaner navigation, a few well-chosen tools can dramatically improve your workflow.

I’m a longtime Mac user, and I can’t do my job without these six essential Mac utilities. In this guide, I’ll show you how they can make everyday tasks faster and simpler.

MacBooks make you faster, sharper and more productive. But they’ve always come with one big problem: price. Upgraded’s affordable MacBook financing program changes that.

Whether you’re buying a MacBook for yourself or outfitting an entire company, it usually means a huge upfront bill, a complicated reselling process, or headaches when managing devices for remote employees.

Upgraded solves this with simple monthly MacBook subscriptions, starting at just $33.28 per month. For businesses, Upgraded’s innovative MacBook financing also means turning big upfront capital expenses into smaller operating expenses you can write off, while handing off the hassle of device management.

September 20, 1989: Apple releases the Macintosh Portable, the first battery-powered Mac you could take on the road.

At a time when Tim Burton’s Batman is flying high in theaters, and Madonna is shocking audiences at the MTV Video Music Awards, this ahead-of-its-time product lays the groundwork for Apple’s looming laptop revolution.

Apple’s next-gen OLED MacBook Pro supposedly will feature a touchscreen panel, further blurring the line between iPads and MacBooks.

TF International Securities analyst Ming Chi Kuo thinks the new OLED MacBook Pro will enter mass production in late 2026.

macOS 26 Tahoe is a milestone update with a dramatic new look, new power tools for pro users — and over 45 new features. It’s still recognizably Mac, but with a fresh coat of paint (or, should I say, glass). And there’s plenty to dive into once you get settled.

Spotlight has picked up lots of new features, replacing Launchpad and adding a native clipboard manager. There are loads of great enhancements to group chats in Messages. Other great enhancements are in Safari, Passwords, Maps, Photos, Journal and more. And a few new apps come over from iOS: Phone, Journal, Magnifier and the all-new Games app.

The update is out now; here’s what to expect.

September 10, 1984: Apple ships the Macintosh 512K, the first upgrade to the first-gen Macintosh 128K.

Coming less than eight months after the original Macintosh, the 512K Mac makes no sweeping changes to the computer’s form factor. Instead, the big upgrade is quadrupling the RAM. This leads Apple fans to refer to the computer as the “Fat Mac.”

If you stumble across a webpage or a link in a different language, you can instantly translate the website to English directly from Safari. Unlike Google Chrome, Safari even translates the text inside images using Live Text.

And, if you accidentally change the language of a website to one you don’t speak, you can turn this feature on to help you change it back. At Cult of Mac, we use the feature to translate rumors or blog posts often written in Chinese, Korean or Japanese, like this.

You don’t need to select the words paragraph by paragraph and copy them into Google Translate (or even Apple’s own Translate app). Get the entire page in English at the tap of a button. Here’s how to make the most out of this handy Safari feature.

August 25, 1995: Apple releases the PowerBook 5300, the Mac laptop that will save the world from alien invaders in the 1996 blockbuster movie Independence Day.

The computer will make many more big-screen appearances, too. See some of the laptop’s most high-profile Hollywood cameos below.

The Games app is a new all-in-one destination for gaming on your Apple devices. You can create a custom profile, track your achievements, and add friends (and set challenges for them). It’s also a quick way to launch games you’re playing and discover new ones.

It doesn’t entirely replace Game Center, a few vestiges of which reamin in the Settings app. But if you care at all about iPhone gaming, you should check out the new Games app. It’ll help you find new games to play and let you know about exciting events in your old favorites.

Here’s everything you need to know about Apple’s new Games app.

August 16, 1993: Apple ships the PowerBook 165, a lower-cost, grayscale version of the PowerBook 165c, which was the company’s first laptop to offer a color display.

The new model lacks the most attention-grabbing feature of the 165c, but it also brings its own claim to fame. The PowerBook 165 is Apple’s most affordable laptop yet.