A big MacBook Pro refresh and a long-awaited Mac Pro overhaul couldn’t prevent Apple computer shipments from suffering another decline in 2019, according to new data.
Both IDC and Gartner say Mac shipments fell during the final quarter of 2019, and for 2019 as a whole. That’s despite decent growth for PCs, which enjoyed the highest single-quarter shipment volume in four years during Q4.
Apple is working on a new software feature for macOS that can crank Macs’ processing powers into overdrive. References spotted by 9to5Mac in the latest macOS Catalina beta mention a new “Pro Mode.” Details on how Pro Mode will work remain hazy. However, a few lines of code hint that it might only be available on MacBooks.
Apple has filed for approval of a new MacBook ahead of the laptop’s official debut. A listing in the Eurasian Economic Commission database reveals a model number of “A2289.” Its description confirms the device is a portable Mac.
Is this the new 13-inch MacBook Pro we’ve been waiting for?
At the end of November last year, I took delivery of the new 16-inch MacBook Pro. Around a month later, thanks to Apple’s generous holiday return policy, I returned it. You can read my first impressions, but they mostly remain the same after a month of use. In short, it’s a fantastic MacBook. But in my conclusion, I wrote this:
But really, this Mac is fantastic. My Cult of Mac colleagues tease me that I buy Apple gear, and then immediately send it back. This new MacBook is staying with me.
So, what went wrong?
Want to spend your holiday cash on a sweet Apple laptop? Look no further than the 2018 MacBook Air, which is now available for under $740 from Woot.
That’s just one of the awesome offers in today’s Deals & Steals roundup. Other highlights include:
Find all these and more in our Deals & Steals roundup below.
This post contains affiliate links. Cult of Mac may earn a commission when you use our links to buy items.
Just like anything else on your MacBook Pro, the Touch Bar can freeze and become totally unresponsive. And, just like with every other frozen process on the Mac, there’s an easy way to fix it: You just have to force the Touch Bar to restart.
Today we’ll see how to fix a frozen Touch Bar so you can keep using the MacBook Pro’s best feature.
Compared to an iPad, even the new 16-inch MacBook Pro runs pretty hot. In my first impressions post about the latest Apple laptop, I noted that the fans went crazy pretty much any time I switched it on. That has stopped now, thanks to two things: One is that my photo library is fully indexed, and the other is that I have disabled Turbo Boost.
But how?
Only a handful of the latest Macs are fully compatible with Apple’s stunning new Pro Display XDR. But it turns out that other machines — such as the $5,000 iMac Pro — will work, too.
Just don’t expect a full 6K resolution.
This week on The CultCast: The Mac Pro isn’t just a beauty, it’s also a beast. We cover our first impressions, plus discuss some of the insane upgrades available for Apple’s new powerhouse Mac. Plus, we reveal more of our favorite tech, shows, movies and more in our Best of the Year picks, part 2!
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Easily create a beautiful website all by yourself, at Squarespace.com/cultcast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.
Apple’s all-new Mac Pro is finally ready to order … and it ain’t cheap. But Cult of Mac can help make yours more affordable by offering you a sweet stack of upgrade cash.
Sell your old Mac to us before you upgrade and we’ll give you a great price. We will also make the whole process quick and simple — and we’ll cough up real cash you can spend anywhere you like.
High-intensity interval training, or HIIT, is all the rage these days. Proponents say it delivers many of the benefits of a much longer workout — but in short, sharp bursts. If you want to fast-track your fitness, your Apple Watch can help.
Find out how to log interval-training workouts in this week’s totally free issue of Cult of Mac Magazine. It’s filled with MacBook tips, product reviews and a surprising number of wild iPhone rumors. Download it now (or get the stories in your browser below).
The new 16-inch MacBook Pro ships with a serious problem. If you listen to sound — any sound — through its speakers, they can click. It sounds like a stuttery, glitchy crackle. You can hear it when the Mac makes an alert sound, or when you listen to music. The problem is not limited to the new 16-inch MacBook Pro, either. It’s a long-standing bug that affected previous models as well.
The good news is that there’s a workaround. The problem isn’t the speakers. They work fine. It’s the operating system. More specifically, it’s the sample rate of the audio device. Here’s how to fix the clicking speakers on your brand new MacBook Pro.
This week on The CultCast: Apple is readying a new display technology that could bring a huge change for MacBook Pro and iPad; our favorite Black Friday hauls; and it’s time for our favorite Gear of the Year! Plus our favorite movies, TV shows, and all the other stuff we loved most in 2019. It’s a party and you’re invited.
Our thanks to NETGEAR for supporting this episode. The Orbi WiFi 6 router gives you ultra-fast speeds and wider coverage throughout your home – it’s the biggest revolution in WiFi ever. Check it out today at Netgear.com/bestwifi.
Stickers are great, and skateboard stickers are the best of all. Which is why, when it comes to decorating/ruining/improving your new 16-inch MacBook Pro, you should be covering it with badass skate designs.
Even if you’re not a sticker kind of person, there’s an argument to be made that the MacBook needs at least one sticker, just to fix the stupid upside-down Apple logo on its lid. So, without further rambling, here are the 10 best skateboards stickers to stick on any MacBook.
The Mac’s Dark Mode isn’t bad. It’s definitely a better view when quickly checking something on your Mac late in the evening. But unless you have it set to switch automatically, toggling Dark Mode on and off is a pain. So, with a shiny new MacBook Pro in front of me, I decided to put the Touch Bar to use.
Did you know you can add your own buttons to the Touch Bar? You can, and it’s totally rad.
Apple has offered a fix for 13-inch MacBook Pro units launched in 2019 that unexpectedly turn themselves off.
It’s a pretty lengthy solution, but it should eliminate the issue on affected notebooks. Those who cannot rid themselves of the random shutdowns are advised to contact Apple Support.
If you’re buying for an Apple fan who loves their Mac, there are loads of awesome gifts you should consider. We’ve rounded up the best to make your holiday shopping a little easier.
We’ve picked out the best headphones, mice, keyboards, and more so that you don’t have to spend hours hunting down the perfect purchase. And many of them are on sale today for Cyber Monday.
Now all you have to do is break out your wallet.
Apple’s long interest in Mini LED technology could come to fruition as early as next year, with a reliable Apple prognosticator saying both a MacBook Pro and a iPad Pro with this new type of screen are in development.
Retailers just can’t stop slashing prices on Apple Watch Series 3. Amazon is now offering brand-new units from just $169.99 — the lowest price to date! Go grab yours now before they all sell out.
And if you’re after the new Apple Watch Series 5, you will also find up to $80 off that in today’s Deals & Steals roundup. Plus, there’s up to 47% off Anker’s brilliant charging accessories, 50% off the Fire TV Stick 4K, and up to 30% off at Casetify.
Finally, look out for the biggest discounts yet on second-generation AirPods, with prices starting at just $134.
One of the downsides of Apple’s previous MacBook butterfly keyboard design was how loud it was. That’s something Apple has tried to rectify with its new quiet scissor switch keyboard on the MacBook Pro.
But how does its volume stack up against both the previous MacBook keyboard, and other laptops on the market? A new report from the Wall Street Journal set out to find an answer.
Remember that butterfly keyboard we hated? All is forgiven, Apple, thanks to that gorgeous new MacBook Pro we’re swooning over.
Or almost all. Our reviewer likes the laptop’s Magic Keyboard and loves the Touch Bar (shocker!). But there’s one thing that could be better. You’ll need to read Charlie Sorrel’s 16-inch MacBook Pro review to find out the one feature he’s not a fan of.
Get his loving critique, plus plenty of other MacBook Pro news, in this week’s issue of Cult of Mac Magazine. Grab it from the App Store and enjoy it on your iPad. You’ll also find the week’s best Apple news, reviews and how-tos in your free mag (and below).
There’s a great Steve Jobs story that somehow seems relevant in a 2019 MacBook Pro review. You probably know it, but I’ll tell it anyway. After the iPad launch, Jobs supposedly walked into a meeting with the Mac team, carrying an iPad. He woke up the iPad, which happened instantaneously. Then he woke up a Mac, which took a while to come out of sleep. Then he asked something like, “Why doesn’t this do that?”
Today, he might take the iPad Pro, and the brand new top-of-the-line MacBook Pro, start them both editing a few images, and wait for the fans to spin up on the Mac. While it cranks up to leaf-blower levels, he’d point at the silent iPad, and make some scathing quip.
The new 16-inch MacBook Pro is an incredible computer that’s let down by the red-hot Intel chips inside. Apple’s cool, fast, super-powerful A-series ARM chips can’t come to the Mac soon enough. Using this Intel machine after using an ARM-powered iPad for several years, the Mac feels like there’s something wrong with it. And yet, barely 24 hours into owning one, I absolutely love it.
This week on The CultCast: Everything you need to know about the new 16-inch MacBook Pro! Plus our first impressions of this hot new machine. And we discuss Disney+, and why it may beat Netflix and Amazon as the best streaming service available.
Our thanks to NETGEAR for supporting this episode. The Orbi WiFi 6 router gives you ultra-fast speeds and wider coverage throughout your home — it’s the biggest revolution in Wi-Fi ever. Check it out today at your local Best Buy and at Netgear.com/bestwifi6.
Just before the holiday shopping season kicks into full swing Apple has decided to make it harder to see reviews of the products it sells online.
The Ratings and Reviews section of Apple’s online store was recently removed from all product pages with no word on why the change was made.
Apple’s long-awaited 16-inch MacBook Pro is on sale now, and it’s (almost) everything we hoped it would be. If you’re lusting after one, Cult of Mac’s buyback program can help make it more affordable.
We pay great prices for used MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro units — and we make the whole process quick and simple. We also cough up real cash, so you can spend it anywhere you like.