That little box under the right side of the Studio Display is an Anker Prime Charging Station. Photo: [email protected]
These days so many people run external displays that operate as USB-C hubs that it’s getting rare to see a charger in the middle of a computer setup. But today’s MacBook Pro and Studio Display outfit features a powerful charger right in the mix — an Anker Prime Charging Station. It blasts up to 250 watts of power, works in Wi-Fi mode and features one very interesting and unusual feature.
This guy's a MacBook Pro and PC laptop user, but he's got three Mac Pro machines he wants to work on. Photo: [email protected]
Today’s featured M3 MacBook Pro setup comes from a user who packs not one, not two but three Mac Pro desktop computers (you know, the famously powerful and expensive ones). He uses a “trash can” Mac Pro regularly, but he’s not sure what he’ll do with the other two that he acquired recently for his Mac Pro collection, other than work on them. In the meantime, he’s got his Apple laptop, but his work makes him deal with a PC laptop most of the time, he said.
An invitation went out to watch out for Apple product announcements all next week. Photo: Apple
Apple let the world know Thursday that its much-anticipated October event won’t be a traditional one. Instead, it’ll be a week of announcements of new products via press releases.
What the PR blitz will bring is supposed to be a secret, of course. But we already know much of what’s likely coming: MacBook Pro, iMac and Mac mini, all running the M4 processor, plus the iPad 11.
Slim new MacBook Air models will pack M4 chips to handle Apple Intelligence features. Photo: Apple
While some M4 Macs may arrive in the next week, Apple also gears up for a bigger expansion of its M4 chip rollout, including the M4 MacBook Air coming in early 2025, according to a new report. However, it may push back launch plans for the next Mac Studio desktop computer a few months into next year, amid other release plans next spring. Those include a redesigned iPhone SE and a new entry-level iPad (11th generation). If you’re curious about the Mac M4 lineup and its expected features, take a look at this in-depth coverage.
Underneath and behind that Studio Display and MacBook Pro lurks a key cable-management practice that even RGB lighting can't reveal. Photo: [email protected]
It’s another thrilling Monday, so we thought we’d sex things up with everybody’s favorite scintillating subject — cable management. Sarcasm aside, it’s high on the list of things folks only love having done, not planning (and dreading) or actually doing (in half-assed ways). Anyone who’s ever been forced to clean their room can relate. So today’s easily digestible tidbit comes from a MacBook Pro user offering one simple and effective MacBook Pro cable management tip.
iPad mini 7 raises questions about Apple’s October plans. Image: Cult Of Mac
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: iPad mini 7! But does this mean Apple canceled its October Mac event? And if so, are updated M4 Macs still coming this year?
Also on The CultCast, we discuss a “Cheaper” Vision headset, what Steve Ballmer is up to, plus Apple’s smart home strategy.
Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.
Logi's StreamCam is a fine choice of webcam for video calls and content creation. Photo: [email protected]
Late-model MacBook Pro laptops include a decent camera. But many users find it falls a bit short for use on their video calls, podcasts and other needs. So a display-mounted webcam creeps into many MacBook setups. Today’s MacBook Pro user relies on the well-regarded Logitech StreamCam webcam to punch up his video footage.
Listen to the latest The CultCast for a glimpse of the near future: M4 MacBook Pro. Image: Erfon Elijah
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: new Macs and iPads are coming soon — but the MacBook Pro is already here! It’s the biggest leak since the iPhone 4.
Also on The CultCast, Apple silicon modems are back on the table, our hands-on with Apple Intelligence and the scoop on Apple’s new update strategy.
Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.
Coding with Magic Mouse? This dev loves it. Photo: [email protected]
Coding with Magic Mouse? Apple’s sleek input device has plenty of haters of all stripes. But at least one developer, who works with an M1 Max MacBook Pro, loves it. And perhaps even more surprisingly, he detests the mouse that is surely Magic Mouse’s biggest competitor, given how it shows up in most of the setups we cover.
M4 MacBook Pro is right around the corner. Photo: Wylsacom
Whether Apple launches the M4 MacBook Pro at a glitzy press event or a quiet press release, the next-generation macOS notebook is undoubtedly mere weeks away — probably reaching customers on November 1.
Here’s what to expect from the late-2024 MacBook Pro when it gets upgraded with the new Apple M4 processor.
This MacBook Pro setups rocks a NuPhy Air96 mechanical keyboard. Photo: [email protected]
Run by a software developer, today’s M1 Pro MacBook Pro setup doesn’t just rock two external displays. It also features a very cool input-device duo — the mouse we see more than any other in setups, which is the Logitech MX Master 3S wireless mouse, and the super-cool NuPhy Air96 V2 Wireless Mechanical Keyboard.
Prime Day is over but the savings haven't stopped. Image: Tamanna Rumee/Unsplash License/Modified by Cult of Mac
It’s that time of year again, Amazon Prime Day (the fall edition, October 8 and 9). So the early deals flowed starting over the weekend, with the full-on sale hitting with even better deals on Tuesday and Wednesday. We’ll show you the best Amazon Prime Day deals on Apple gear, from AirPods to iPads to MacBooks to Studio Display. And that includes Apple audio subsidiary Beats, too. Click on the links below, and return to this page often — deals are subject to change, often for the better, and we’ll add more as we find them.
Update: Though prices on some items continue to fluctuate, Amazon has extended most deals beyond Wednesday.
Commenters gave this user plenty of good advice for improved lighting. Photo: [email protected]
Most users obsess about the main hardware they have in their computer setup, from computers to mechanical keyboards, but lighting plays a big role, too. After all, you have to be able to see what you’re doing without eye strain (and how better to snap pics and show off your rig on social media?). Today’s MacBook Pro user asked for lighting advice and got it, below.
A 34-inch curved ultra-wide monitor with 1440p resolution perfectly suits this developer. Photo: [email protected]
When it comes to Mac-centric computer setups, not every external display is Apple’s 6K Pro Display XDR or 5K Studio Display — far from it. And users’ choices come in various shapes and sizes. Today’s M1 Max MacBook Pro-using developer settled on a 34-inch Alienware curved ultra-wide monitor that hits his “sweet spot.” Find out why below. And don’t miss that nostalgia-inducing iPod Classic!
Watch the M4 MacBook Pro getting unboxed weeks before its official unveiling. Maybe. Photo: Wylsacom
An alleged unboxing video of the M4 MacBook Pro went live on YouTube over the weekend. The early hands-on, if real, shows that Apple’s next MacBook will pack impressive performance improvements over the M3 version.
The video supposedly reveals the M4 MacBook Pro’s specs, featuring a 10-core CPU, 16GB RAM, and an unchanged design but with a color twist.
M4 MacBook Pros could debut before the end of 2024. Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac
Apple’s next-gen M4 Macs will reportedly arrive November 1, rather than in October as is generally expected. A few days before that, the company supposedly plans to release iOS 18.1 with Apple Intelligence support.
The new Macs that will debut include M4 MacBook Pros, Mac mini, and an iMac.
How would you add a 13-inch iPad Air to this rig? Photo: [email protected]
Today’s setup comes from a user with two MacBooks and two external displays. They’re like to clean it up and make it more mininalistic, but they also want to add a new M2 iPad Air. So they did the sensible thing and asked social media. See how that went, below.
This year’s Halloween treats might include new Macs and iPads. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Mac and iPad users have a lot to look forward to in October: rumors say an Apple event should bring new MacBook Pro and Mac mini models with the M4 chip, with a new iPad mini and budget iPad also on the agenda. Toknow more about what’s coming, check out the latest insights on Apple’s Mac Studio and Mac Pro updates.
Here’s what to look forward to at an October Apple event, plus the products that’ll likely come even later.
Another user sees the light with dual monitors. Photo: [email protected]
While the dual display setup has become so commonplace it seems standard, debate still rages over exactly what works best. In today’s MacBook Pro setup, a developer experiments with single- and dual-display configurations before coming to the conclusion, on the way to their one true configuration, that size really does matter more than most other considerations.
Nice deals for students and teachers end September 30. Photo: Apple
Launched in June, Apple’s annual Back to School promotion is still in full swing — but time is running out. The Apple Back to School promotion ends soon, as in Monday (September 30), so eligible students and faculty members have only a few days left to receive up to a $150 gift card on select Mac and iPad purchases. Apple also offers a 20% discount on AppleCare+, its premium support and repair service.
At just $449.99, this refurbished MacBook Pro delivers power and versatility for a fraction of the original price.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Looking for a powerful, affordable second computer? This grade-A refurbished 2019 MacBook Pro might be the one for you, and it’s available for only $449.99. Whether you need it for work, personal use or entertainment, it delivers much of the performance and style of Apple’s premium laptops — at a fraction of the price.
Great a great deal on M3 MacBook Pro models today! Photo: Apple
Need a great new laptop, but don’t want to wait for Apple’s models with M4 chips to come out? (Or maybe you just don’t want to spend that much.) Well, you can’t do much better than a few hundred bucks off M3 MacBook Pro models. Amazon offers some smoking-hot prices on 14- and 16-inch versions with various specifications. Take a look at some bargains below.
Audioengine A5 speakers on Kanto stands and an Audioengine S8 subwoofer on the floor power this setup's sound. Photo: [email protected]
If you’re serious about high-quality audio, you should crank up the quality level of audio components in your computer setup just like you do in your living room. Today’s MacBook Pro user maxes out sound using Audioengine speakers mounted on stands along with a powerful Audioengine subwoofer on the floor under the desk. So they can get clear and detailed audio at low volume, but they can also shake the whole room with powerful sound when they want.
The iPhone 16 Pro's new desert titanium finish looks disappointingly demure. Photo: Cult of Mac
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Griffin takes the wraps off his new iPhone 16 Pro in desert titanium — and he doesn’t like what he sees. The new “color” revealed in his iPhone 16 Pro unboxing fails to knock our socks off.
Still, there’s plenty to talk about, though, including the new Camera Control and how third-party case manufacturers are coping with it.
Also on The CultCast:
The new satin black titanium Apple Watch Ultra 2 on the other hand … smokin’! It’s enough to make a guy upgrade for the color alone.
The first AirPods 4 reviews say the active noise cancellation works surprisingly well. They’re on Erfon’s list.
New delays hit the rumored plastic Apple Watch SE and the first MacBook Pros with OLED screens.
Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.