| Cult of Mac

First ARM-based Mac could be a 12-inch MacBook with butterfly keyboard

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12-inch-MacBook
The 12-inch MacBook could come back as the first macOS computer without an Intel chip.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s first ARM-based computer will be a very slim and light MacBook, according to a leaker claiming inside information and sources in Apple’s supply chain. The Mac-makers move away from Intel chips will begin with a 12-inch MacBook that supposedly will include the controversial butterfly keyboard.

Win It Wednesday: Your chance to bag a 12-inch MacBook [Deals]

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CoM - Macbook Giveaway
This is your chance to win a free MacBook. Who's in?
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Of all Apple’s products, the MacBook is probably the one most associated with a price tag that reflects its quality. That makes the idea of getting a free MacBook all the more hard to wrap your head around, but that’s exactly what we’re offering today. If you’re 21 or older, enter for your chance to win a 12-inch MacBook like the one pictured, worth $1,299. No strings attached.

The new MacBooks are out, and I don’t care [Opinions]

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New MacBook line Spring 2016
That’s 23% off the usual price!
Photo: Apple

We’d heard rumblings and observed omens and portents about the imminent release of new 12-inch MacBooks, and now they are here. And that’s pretty cool, I guess.

Longer battery life is always a plus, as are faster Skylake processors and speedier memory. The new Rose Gold option is pretty, too.

But despite the fact that I’m still rocking a 2011 MacBook Pro, I’m not reaching for my wallet to grab one of the new Retina MacBook models. I can’t even explain why that is — I simply don’t care.

New ultra-thin MacBooks rumored to arrive in June

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macbook air
The new MacBook Pro might be thinner than the MacBook Air.
Photo: Apple

Sad that Tim Cook didn’t unveil a sleek new MacBook Pro yesterday?

You’re not alone, but you won’t have to wait much longer to throw down some money on a new ultra-thin MacBook, according to the latest rumor from Asia.

Why Intel should be scared of the iPad Pro’s A9X chip

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iPad Pro
Bag a bargain iPad Pro today.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Although we’ve been skeptical of the idea of ARM-based Macs in the past, rumors have been heating up that Apple will switch to ARM processors for all Macs this year due to massive performance gains. But as great as Apple’s A-series chips are, are they really ready to power Macs?

The answer isn’t entirely clear-cut, but a new series of benchmarks suggest that Apple’s ARM chips are starting to compete with Intel’s Core M chips, which power the 12-inch Retina MacBook. If this pace keeps up, iPads might be faster than Macs in just a few generations.

New USB-C cable brings magnetic power to your 12-inch MacBook

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When Apple left off MagSafe connection to its USB-C MacBook, Griffin came up with a solution.
When Apple left off MagSafe connection to its USB-C MacBook, Griffin came up with a solution.
Photo: Griffin

In making a smaller MacBook, Apple took away one little thing that could have us tripping – literally. Gone with all the ports on the slim 12-inch MacBook with a single USB-C port is the magnet in the connector that kept your charging cord securely plugged in.

Trip over the cord on earlier MacBooks and it broke away cleanly without sending your laptop flying. Foreseeing the accidents, tech accessory company Griffin has created a USB-C power cable with a quick-release magnetic feature.

Give your retina MacBook the stylish cable manager it deserves

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macbook-cable-manager
Easily store and travel with your 12-inch MacBook's power adapter and USB-C charging cord.
Photo: Above the Fray

Despite launching a few months ago, the new MacBook hasn’t gotten a tremendous amount of love from accessory makers so far. Above the Fray, a company based in Thailand, noticed a glaring omission for a 12-inch MacBook cable manager so the team took it upon themselves to create one.