Mobile menu toggle

MacBook Pro - page 52

Apple developing custom Mac chip, but it won’t replace Intel

By

2016 MacBook Pro
The new MacBook Pro already uses a secondary ARM chip.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple is developing a custom ARM chip for future Macs, but it won’t replace the Intel processors that have been powering its computers since 2005, according to a new report.

Instead, the chip is expected to work alongside a machine’s primary CPU, handling “low-power mode functionality.”

10 key takeaways from Apple’s historic earnings call

By

Image of the old Apple Inc. rainbow logo atop American cash money.
Apple made a ton of money. What more do you need to know?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple managed to shock Wall Street today by beating its own expectations for Q1 2017, the most profitable quarter in the company’s history.

There was good news all around as iPhone sales, services and even the Mac all performed better than predicted. During today’s earnings call, Tim Cook and Apple CFO Luca Maestri revealed some of the secret sauce that made Apple’s earnings one for the history books.

Here are the top takeaways from today’s call.

The Mac is still very much in play for Apple

By

13 inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar
The MacBook Pro with Touch Bar.
Photo: Apple

Apple may be more of a smartphone company these days, but its legacy product, the personal computer, continues to be popular.

In an upbeat Q1 earnings report with investors Tuesday, Apple said it sold 5.4 million Macs en route to an all-time quarterly revenue record of $78.4 billion dollars.

Liveblog: Apple hits new highs with doubleplusgood Q1 2017 earnings call

By

Get ready for Apple's most exciting earnings call of 2017.
Get ready for Apple's most exciting earnings call of 2017.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple is set to reveal its first quarterly earnings report of 2017 and, if Wall Street’s estimates are any indicator, it could be Apple’s biggest quarter ever.

After multiple quarters of declining revenues, today’s call could see the company return to growth, lifted by strong iPhone sales over the holidays and a burgeoning services business that has quickly become Apple’s second-biggest moneymaker.

Tim Cook and Luca Maestri are scheduled to hold an open call with investors today at 2 p.m. Pacific. As usual, Cult of Mac will be here liveblogging and analyzing all the action. Get prepped for the call with our guide on what to expect, and join the fun in the liveblog below.

How to disable word predictions on the MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar

By

MacBook
Word predictions are barred from bar exams.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

A number of U.S. states have banned the new MacBook Pro with Touch Bar from law exams due to the predictive text feature that suggests words as you type. However, others will still allow it so long as predictive text is disabled.

Here’s how to turn off the feature on your machine.

MacBook Pro with Touch Bar banned from bar exams

By

That fancy new Touch Bar could be dead already.
MacBook Pro's Touch Bar "compromises exam integrity."
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

After being snubbed by some professionals for its 16GB RAM limit and lack of traditional USB ports, the new MacBook Pro with Touch Bar has now been banned from bar examinations in a number of U.S. states.

A testing company has warned that the Touch Bar — specifically its predictive text feature — compromises exam integrity, so students are forced to use another laptop.

New USB-C hub makes MacBook Pro backward-compatible

By

Type-C hub
The hub to end all the hubbub about the MacBook Pro's USB-C ports.
Photo: SCOSCHE

Apple has made accessories companies busy working furiously to create the perfect dongle or hub for users furious over a new MacBook Pro will only USB-C ports.

We crave change and innovation from Apple, then moan when we are not ready for it. SCOSCHE Industries hopes to ease your transition with a new USB-C AV multiport adaptor with three ports for your peripheral devices.

How Apple’s next earnings call could surprise us all

By

Image of the old Apple Inc. rainbow logo atop American cash money.
The holidays were good to Apple.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

When Apple reveals its first quarterly earnings report of 2017 next Tuesday, the company could shock us with another record-breaking quarter.

The Q1 2017 earnings will cover Apple’s first full quarter of iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus sales, and Apple should also get a big boost from the holiday shopping season, according to some Wall Street estimates. During its last earnings call, Apple predicted its revenue slump will end as the company finally returns to growth this quarter, but will it be enough to satisfy investors?

Here’s what to expect from Apple’s January 31 earnings report.

Microsoft says it is winning its new war against Macs

By

Surface-Studio
Surface Studio is a Windows all-in-one that finally gives the iMac a run for its money.
Photo: Microsoft

Microsoft’s decision to wage a new war against Macs with premium Windows PCs is paying off, the company says. Thanks to high-end devices like the Surface Book and Surface Studio, Microsoft managed to steal market share from Apple last quarter.

Quadro is a super-charged Touch Bar that runs on iOS devices

By

Quadro
Quadro does more than the Touch Bar, and works with Windows, too.
Photo: Quadro

You don’t have to break the bank on a new MacBook Pro to get Touch Bar functionality. Thanks to an app called Quadro, you can add a super-powered Touch Bar with even more features than the real thing to any Mac or Windows PC.

Updated MacBook Pro coming in 2017, this week on The CultCast

By

New Apple hardware in March on The CultCast
New Apple hardware in March? Reports say yes, indeed.
Photo: Apple

This week on The CultCast: 2017 might bring the super-charged MacBook Pro you’ve been waiting for — yes, another update! Then, a former employee says Tim Cook’s making Apple boring. Is it true? Plus: We get more evidence Apple will be making TV shows and movies; and iPhone 8 may be packing friggin’ lasers and facial recognition.

Apple adds new music tools to Logic Pro X and GarageBand

By

Logic Pro X now supports the Touch Bar.
Logic Pro X now supports the Touch Bar.
Photo: Apple

One of the most powerful synthesizers in the world has finally arrived on iPhone and iPad, thanks to a big update for GarageBand that Apple pushed to users this morning.

Both Garageband for iOS and Logic Pro X for macOS received huge new features today, bringing new music creation tools for iPhone and Mac users, as well as support for the new Touch Bar on the MacBook Pro.

MacBook shipments to reach 15 million units in 2017

By

MacBook
That's a 10 percent rise year-on-year.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple is expected to ship around 15 million MacBook and MacBook Pro units in 2017, a 10 percent increase over last year.

Sales will be boosted by new models that could feature Intel’s next-generation Kaby Lake processors and significant RAM increases.

2017 MacBook Pro to bring Intel Kaby Lake, 32GB of RAM

By

MacBook
The next MacBook Pro will bring the power pro users require.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple will launch a new 15-inch MacBook Pro later this year powered by Intel’s next-generation Kaby Lake processors and 32GB of desktop-class RAM, according to a reliable analyst.

The latest models feature Skylake chips and up to 16GB of RAM, but many professionals have complained this just isn’t enough for a high-end notebook.

Save up to $415 on Apple’s new 15-inch MacBook Pros [Deals]

By

15 inch MacBook Pro with AppleCare
If you want the latest, greatest and biggest Apple laptop, grab one of these deals.
Photo: Apple

Those looking for the lowest prices available on Apple’s latest 15-inch MacBook Pros with Touch Bar can save up to $415 on laptops bundled with AppleCare or up to $250 on the systems alone using the coupon code below.

Save up to $250 on 13-inch MacBook Pros with Touch Bar [Deals]

By

2016 MacBook Pro with Touch Bar and AppleCare
With this promo code, you'll save big on a MacBook Pro with Touch Bar.
Photo: Apple

A new year means new savings on Apple’s latest 13-inch MacBook Pros with Touch Bar. Use the coupon code below to save up to $299 on MacBook Pros bundled with AppleCare or up to $200 on the laptops alone.

Consumer Reports changes its verdict on new MacBook Pros

By

Custom keys for Photoshop.
Software update sorts out battery issues, says the consumer watchdog.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Consumer Reports has revised its earlier rating for the new MacBook Pro lineup and now recommends the laptops, after a software update fixed battery problems found in testing.

The respected consumer watchdog previously cited the new laptops’ “highly inconsistent” battery life as the reason it couldn’t give out one of its coveted recommendations — the first time an Apple laptop had failed to make the grade.

Apple loses another key employee to Tesla

By

Tesla
Tesla is siphoning engineering talent from Apple.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The battle between Apple and Tesla to attract top talent revved up to a new level this week after another key employee for the iPhone-maker defected to Elon Musk’s auto company.

Matt Casebolt, who made key contributions to the design of the original MacBook Air, has reportedly left the company to work as an engineer for Tesla.

Apple now shipping LG’s UltraFine 5K Display in under a week

By

LG-UltraFine-5K-Display
Order yours now for delivery next week.
Photo: Apple

Apple is beginning to catch up with demand for the LG UltraFine 5K Display, causing shipping times to drop significantly in the U.S.

Earlier this week, new orders for the $974 screen were scheduled to ship in two to four weeks, but as of this morning, that estimate has been cut to just three to five business days.

Mysterious MacBook coins might have simple explanation

By

Some MacBook users have reported finding coins when taking apart their machines.
Some MacBook users have reported finding coins when taking apart their machines.
Photo: Greg Kilpatrick/YouTube

You love your MacBook Pro and think it can do just about anything, even make change.

That is literally true for some MacBook users, who have been reporting on tech forums of the odd placement of a random quarter or penny in their machine’s SuperDrive, discovered when the bottom plate was removed.

Why Consumer Reports’ MacBook Pro battery tests were wrong

By

MacBook
The new MacBook Pro has great battery life.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The new MacBook Pro is set to receive a “recommended” rating from Consumer Reports after working with Apple to discover why tests showed the laptops suffered from unreliable battery performance.

The culprits? A hidden Safari setting and “an obscure and intermittent” bug.

Apple drops first new beta updates of 2017

By

iOS 10 is awesome — but is it enough?
A new iOS 10 beta is here.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The first big batch of beta updates of 2017 have finally arrived from Apple, bringing developers a slew of bug fixes and performance improvements on the Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Apple TV.

Apple’s betas come nearly three weeks after the last batch of updates. The new software updates includes the third betas for iOS 10.2.1, macOS 10.12.3, tvOS 10.1.1 and watchOS 3.1.3.