2018 MacBook Pro performance offers the biggest year-over-year improvements since the release of the 2011 models. Photo: Apple
The 15- and 13-inch MacBook Pro models launching this week boast significantly faster processors. Tests with the Geekbench benchmarking tool show speed increases as high as 86 percent.
The improvements come from faster Turbo Burst frequencies and more processor cores.
The third-generation "butterfly" MacBook Pro keyboard has a membrane to keep out damaging grit. Photo: iFixit
Apple made potential buyers of the new MacBook Pro models very nervous when it said no effort had been made to fix the problems plaguing the keyboards in earlier versions. Happily, it turns out the company was fibbing.
Taking apart this just-released Mac laptop shows that Apple definitely modified its butterfly keyboard mechanism to make it less likely to jam.
In this week's Cult of Mac Magazine: The new 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro models with Touch Bar up the ante for pro users. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
In this week’s Cult of Mac Magazine: Apple just updated its MacBook Pro line, ramping up performance and adding various advanced features. Phil Schiller, Apple’s marketing VP, calls the new Apple laptops “the fastest and most powerful notebook we’ve ever made.”
This week brought the first True Tone MacBook Pro. And that also goes for some external screens, like this Apple Thunderbolt Display. Photo: Apple
The 2018 MacBook Pro models just released are the first with True Tone, adjusting the display to match ambient lighting. Even better, these new laptops can do the same trick on some external screens.
True Tone can “automatically adapt [the] display to make colors appear consistent in different ambient lighting conditions,” according to Apple.
It's the most powerful update in years. Photo: Apple
This week on The CultCast: It’s the best update in years. We’ll tell you everything you need to know about Apple’s very powerful new MacBook Pros. Plus: New Mac minis are on the way; Ming-Chi Kuo confirms Apple’s about to update its entire product line; how coke heads use Apple Watch to maximize their high. Finally, we talk killer whale attacks, port wines and the story of Saturday Night Live’s world-renowned sax player on an all-new What We’re Into.
A new petition accuses the MacBook 'butterfly' keyboard of failing when a single speck gets in the wrong place. Photo: Apple
Worldwide personal computer shipments are finally making a comeback after a six-year slump in sales.
The latest report from Gartner estimates that during the second quarter of 2018 PC shipments finally grew year-over-year for the first time since the first quarter of 2012. With 1.4% overall growth for the market, PC makers have a lot to be happy about, and Apple’s shipment numbers were some of the best in the bunch.
People around the world are hoping the new MacBook Pro models introduced today have a keyboard that’s been carefully designed to not have the same sticky keyboard keys as their predecessors. But it didn’t happen.
A company spokesperson says the problem of grit causing the keys to stick in previous macOS laptops was not addressed.
But that’s not necessarily the whole story. It’s possible Apple did fix the problem but doesn’t dare talk about it.
The 2015 MacBook Pro is dead. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
MacBook Pro fans that want a variety of port connections are officially out of options.
Along with releasing new MacBook Pro models this morning, Apple discontinued the 2015 MacBook Pro which was the last notebook to offer more than just expandable Thunderbolt 3 ports.
The MacBook Pro models just introduced include faster processors and better displays, but the most important new feature might be the keyboard. This has been redesigned, hopefully to fix serious problems that plagued earlier versions.
The “butterfly” keyboard in MacBook Pro models since 2016 have sparked a well-publicized recall petition and multiple lawsuits. This makes the reliability of the keyboard in the new devices a critical matter.
Beats and MacBooks Pros are a great combo. Photo: Apple
Apple is back with a new back to school promotion that hooks students up with free or discounted pair of Beats headphones.
The 2018 promo is pretty similar to last year’s deal. Only instead of only being available in North America initially, this year Apple launched it simultaneously in the US, Mexico, Canada, EU and Asian countries.
The new 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro models with Touch Bar up the ante for pro users. Photo: Apple
Apple just updated its MacBook Pro line, ramping up performance and adding various advanced features. Phil Schiller, Apple’s marketing VP, calls the new Apple laptops “the fastest and most powerful notebook we’ve ever made.”
A new Mac Mini is finally on the way! Photo: Apple
Apple is preparing to unleash some huge upgrades across its entire product line this fall, according to one of the most reliable analysts in the game.
Mac fans hoping for upgrades will be pleased to hear that the long-neglected Mac mini and iMac are set to get some much-needed updates, based on analyst Ming-Chi Kuo’s latest report. And most of Apple’s other products are going to get some love this fall, too.
Two brazen thieves grabbed thousands of dollars worth of MacBooks from a California Apple Store. Screenshot: CBS New York/Apple
Four teens in hoodies brazenly snatched a bunch of MacBooks and iPhones from an Apple Store in California this weekend. The crime is very similar to one committed in New York last week.
The brazen thefts took place so close together it’s not impossible the second was inspired by the first.
Are you ready for Apple to make Macs "pro" again? Photo: Cult of Mac
This week on The CultCast: Finally — new evidence shows that a Mac refresh is right around the corner. Plus: MacBook Pro is about to get the feature we’ve all been wanting; Apple is rebuilding its Maps app from the ground up, and it looks magnificent; Apple’s new Seattle flagship store is stunning; and we pitch a wood-wrapped iPhone case, waterproof camping lights, and a great new reading app in an all-new Under Review!
Our thanks to Squarespace for supporting this episode. It’s simple to accept Apple Pay and sell your wares with your very own Squarespace website. Enter offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first hosting plan or domain.
Apple has this week registered new iPads and Macs with the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC).
The filings hint that a big refresh could be just around the corner. Recent reports have promised that Apple is preparing a slew of new devices for a late 2018 launch alongside the next-generation iPhone lineup.
Despite faster connections, display support hasn’t improved. Photo: Apple
Apple is apparently planning to upgrade the MacBook Pro line to the latest generation of Intel processors. Benchmarks for a macOS laptop running a “Coffee Lake” chip showed up on Geekbench.
The eight-generation Core i7-8559U CPU in this device has a base frequency of 2.7GHz, but a maximum turbo speed of 4.5GHz. It has 4 cores and 8 threads, and was built with a 14nm process.
Apple's got some new hardware cookin' for us. Photo: Apple
This week on The CultCast: Apple plans new, improved AirPods, HomePod and over-ear headphones; Apple finally acknowledges its new MacBook keyboards suck, and they’re going to make it right; a top Apple analyst drops a bunch of details on Apple’s 2018 product pipeline; and how Apple is trying to solve a fascinating issue their autonomous car.
Our thanks to Squarespace for supporting this episode. It’s simple to accept Apple Pay and sell your wares with your very own Squarespace website. Enter offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first hosting plan or domain.
Save $300 on an ultralight Apple laptop that's perfect for students. Photo: Apple
In today’s edition of Deals & Steals, we have select models on the latest MacBook Air for a phenomenal deal. Plus, you can get an (ugh) Galaxy S9, FIFA 18 and a pair of Bose wireless earphones — all at neat discounts.
Another lawsuit accuses Apple of knowingly using a defective MacBook Pro butterfly keyboard in laptops like this one, Photo: Apple
Thinking perhaps that third time’s the charm, another lawsuit has been filed claiming that the keyboard used in the MacBook Pro is defective. Like the two prior ones filed last month, this seeks to become a class action.
All of these suits claim that the keys in Apple’s laptop can become permanently jammed, and a very expensive fix requires replacing the entire keyboard and other components.
Apple CEO Tim Cook on stage for WWDC 2018. Photo: Apple
Apple still has a bunch of new devices up its sleeve for 2018 — not including the new iPhone lineup — but we won’t see any of it at WWDC.
A new report claims we can expect refreshed MacBook and MacBook Pro models, a more affordable machine to replace the MacBook Air, a new iPad Pro with Face ID, and a new Apple Watch. However, we’ll have to wait until later in the year to get our hands on them.
The Core X is $200 cheaper than the Core V2. Photo: Razer
Razer today updated its lineup of eGPU enclosures, adding a more affordable model that’s finally compatible with macOS. The Core X is $200 cheaper than its sibling, the Core V2 — and in some ways, it’s even better.
A second screen that’s as portable as your MacBook. Photo: AOC
Adding an additional screen to your setup can result in a huge boost to productivity. And now it’s even easier for those who work on the go, thanks to AOC’s portable USB-C monitor.
This 15.6-inch screen is slim and light enough to take anywhere, and it can be hooked up to your MacBook or MacBook Pro using a single cable.
There are growing reports, tons of complaints, and a new petition claiming the butterfly keyboard in the new MacBook Pro has a critical design flaw that can’t be fixed. This episode we explore the issue with Matthew Taylor, creator of the keyboard recall petition, who tells us what’s going wrong with Apple’s butterfly keyboard, why it can’t be fixed, and why almost 26,000 people are demanding it finally be recalled.
Plus: stick around for a innovative new iPhone gimbal, a very cool throwback iPhone case, and the perfect green screen for your Twitch or Youtube streams in another tech-packed roundtable of our favorite new gadgets.
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