CdkeySales’ Black Friday Sale starts as Windows 12 rumors swirl
Windows 12 rumors swirl about a possibly imminent release as the CdkeySales Black Friday Sale gears up with great savings on Microsoft. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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Early Black Friday deals: save up to $150 on every M4 iMac
You can score up to $150 off Apple's brand-new 2024 M4 iMac and get your hands on one of the best all-in-one desktops. Plus, AppleCare is discounted too.Save on every 2024 iMac M4 config - Image credit: AppleApple announced the updated M4 iMac in late October, offering a performance bump to its colorful desktop computer. An early Black Friday offer allows you to score a discount of up to $150 off when you use the promo code APINSIDER at Apple Authorized Reseller Adorama.Use code APINSIDER Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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How many external displays each MacBook Pro or MacBook Air supports
Exactly how many external displays your MacBook supports varies by model, and goes up to four. Here’s what you need to know. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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M4 Mac mini offers modular SSD storage, faster base model speeds
Along with the dramatic external design, the new M4 Mac mini also features multiple internal changes. According to early teardowns and user reports, the new Mac mini features a removable SSD. This doesn’t mean, however, that you can buy a new Mac mini and upgrade the storage after the fact. more…

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∞ The Dalrymple Report: Live Activities and Dynamic Island, Financials, and Apple Intelligence
Dave and I talk about using Live Activities on our iPhones and how it works with Dynamic Island, which is one of my favorite hardware features on the iPhone. We also look at the numbers from the company's fourth quarter fiscal results and how each product category did in the quarter. Finally, Dave looks at some of the new Apple Intelligence ads Apple just released. Follow this podcast Brought to you by: Incogni: Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code DALRYMPLE at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: http://incogni.com/dalrymple Show Notes: RIP Quincy Jones Apple’s new Mac mini is more mighty, more mini, and built for Apple Intelligence Live Activities are one of Apple’s best features, and they keep getting better Apple Intelligence ads Apple reports fourth quarter results Apple reports fourth quarter results macOS Sequoia 15.2 Beta Shows Weather in Menu Bar iPad teams up with college football Shows and movies we're watching The Comeback, Netflix Game 7, Prime Video Slow Horses, Apple TV+

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Mercury Weather app now delivers rain and snow notifications
Mercury Weather, a popular indie weather app, has received another update. The latest version introduces a new feature that allows users… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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Apple found a way to monetize Apple Intelligence without even charging for it
Apple Intelligence officially launched just weeks ago, and its more exciting new features are coming next month with iOS 18.2—all available cost-free. While many analysts and investors are anxious to see how AI might fuel an uptick of iPhone 16 purchases, this week’s beta release showed another way for Apple to monetize its AI offerings. more…

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2024 Mac Buyer's Guide — Which desktop Mac you should buy?
Following the introduction of new Mac models in October, Apple has shaken up its desktop Mac roster. Here's what you should buy, at just about any price point.Apple's current crop of desktop MacsPrice is an important factor when choosing your next Mac. The more budget that you have available, the better the Mac you can get.However, while Apple does cover a wide array of price points, it also has multiple choices available for many of them. Add in the number of configurable elements, and it can become a bewildering decision. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Apple botched the Apple Intelligence launch, but its long-term strategy is sound
I've spent a week with Apple Intelligence—here are the takeaways.

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This $33 charging station packs 7 ports
With five USB-C ports and two USB-A ports, this 220W GaN charger can handle all your gear. It works wonders at home or on the road. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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New Macs with Apple Intelligence, the next Apple Vision Pro on the AppleInsider Podcast
The first reviews of the New Mac mini, iMac, and MacBook Pro, are in — and surprisingly range from delight to strange cynicism. Plus there are yet more rumors of the next Apple Vision Pro, but you need not hold your breath.A Mac mini seen on an iMac screenTypical. You wait ages for a new Mac and three of them turn up — to mixed reviews. That's not mixed as in some reviews are critical while others are not, it's that some are fulsome while others are begrudging. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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M4 Macs launch day: Same-day availability, trade-in deals, more
The new MacBook Pro, iMac, and Mac mini powered by M4 are officially here. After being announced last week with pre-order availability, Apple’s new M4 Mac lineup can is now available for purchase at Apple Stores around the world. Here’s everything you need to know about M4 Mac launch day… more…

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Warner Bros. Discovery planning to crackdown on Max password sharing
Max will gradually implement its password-sharing restrictions over the next few months, initially using a soft approach to inform users… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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New Mac mini has a slotted & removable SSD — but don't expect upgrades
Apple isn't soldering the SSD to the logic board in the M4 Mac mini, but given the company's history with Apple Silicon, don't expect upgrades.A Mac mini and a disassembled Mac mini - Image credit: KianWee Lim/iFixit and AppleOlder Intel-based Mac minis provided intrepid users with the ability to disassemble the computer and to upgrade a few components. The 2018 model had upgradeable RAM, but easily replaceable internal storage on the Mac mini has been a thing of the past for a decade.A question posed to the iFixit forums innocently asks if the SSD in the 2024 Mac mini is soldered in place. Soldered storage is practice that Apple has performed throughout the Apple Silicon age, for the most part, making it extremely difficult for anyone to replace. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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iPhone 18 Pro rumored to gain a variable aperture wide-angle lens
In a major update to the camera system, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says the iPhone 18 Pro's wide angle lens will be upgraded to have a variable aperture.Apple may update the iPhone's wide-angle lens to give it a variable apertureRumors concerning the cameras in the forthcoming iPhone 17 range and later have previously varied from saying they will get better bokeh, to how the front camera's resolution will double to 24MP. Now analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims to have specific information that the iPhone 18 Pro will gain this variable aperture update.In a blog post that he says is based on his own industry sources, Kuo says that this update will "significantly improve the user's photography experience." Rumor Score: 🤔 Possible Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Latest macOS versions: A complete list of every macOS and Mac OS X release
Macworld Wondering what the name of the latest macOS version is? Want to know what the next version of macOS will be called? Curious about the versions of Mac OS X that came before? Here we’ll fill you in on the names of the different versions of the Mac operating system in order: from the newest macOS to the first version of Mac OS X and the codenames that Apple used for them. We’ll also show you how you can check which version of macOS you are running and find out what the latest version of macOS is. The latest version of macOS is called macOS Sequoia after Sequoia National Park located in California’s Sierra Nevada mountain range. That version of macOS launched to the general public in September 2024, following a macOS beta program that is still underway as Apple develops more new features. The previous version of macOS was Sonoma, also known as macOS 14. Sonoma arrived in September 2023. If you are looking for help installing Sequoia read: How to update macOS and Fixes for Macs that won’t update. What operating system does the Mac use? All Macs run macOS, previously known as Mac OS X, and have done so since the introduction of the first version of Mac OS X in 2001. Before that, Macs ran Mac OS 9 which came out in October 1999 and received updates until December 2001. Mac OS X was based on technology from NeXT Computer, which was another company founded by Steve Jobs. Jobs brought the technology back to Apple with him when he was reinstated as Apple CEO. The operating system is Unix-based. macOS Version History Mac OS X was launched more than two decades ago on March 24, 2001. There’s been a lot of change over those two decades: good and bad. From the problems with the first edition (it was slow and didn’t run important apps like Microsoft Word) Mac OS X has evolved through various iterations and various designs to what we know today. We’ve seen tight integration with iOS devices, the incorporation of the cloud, and the arrival of excellent and helpful features including integrated Time Machine backups, Quick Look – which lets you see a preview of a document without opening the application, and innovations like Expose and Spaces and Desktop Stacks to help you work more efficiently. For an overview of the features of the various versions of the Mac operating system, showing how it has developed over time, take a look at our video above. If you want to know the names Apple assigned to Mac OS X over the years, and the codenames that were used internally, read on. List of macOS version names and latest versions Here’s an overview of every version of macOS and Mac OS X Apple has released. You’ll find a complete list of the latest release of each version of OS X and macOS, along version code names, along with internal code names (if available): OS X 10 beta: Kodiak – September 13, 2000 OS X 10.0: Cheetah – March 14, 2001 (Latest: 10.0.4) OS X 10.1: Puma – September 15, 2001 (Latest: 10.1.5) OS X 10.2: Jaguar – August 14, 2002 (Latest: 10.2.8) OS X 10.3 Panther (Pinot) – October 24, 2003 (Latest: 10.3.9) OS X 10.4 Tiger (Merlot) – April 29, 2005 (Latest: 10.4.11) OS X 10.4.4 Tiger (Chardonnay) – January 10, 2006 (for Intel Macs) (Latest: 10.4.11) OS X 10.5 Leopard (Chablis) – October 26, 2007 (Latest: 10.5.8) OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard – August 28, 2009 (Latest: 10.6.8) OS X 10.7 Lion (Barolo) – July 20, 2011 (Latest: 10.7.5) OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion (Zinfandel) – July 25, 2012 (Latest: 10.8.5) OS X 10.9 Mavericks (Cabernet) – October 22, 2013 (Latest: 10.9.5) OS X 10.10: Yosemite (Syrah) – October 16, 2014 (Latest: 10.10.5) OS X 10.11: El Capitan (Gala) – September 30, 2015 (Latest: 10.11.6) macOS 10.12: Sierra (Fuji) – September 20, 2016 (Latest: 10.12.6) macOS 10.13: High Sierra (Lobo) – September 25, 2017 (Latest: 10.13.6) macOS 10.14: Mojave (Liberty) – September 24, 2018 (Latest: 10.14.6, July 2021) macOS 10.15: Catalina (Jazz) – October 7, 2019 (Latest: 10.15.7, Security Update 2022-005, July 2022) macOS 11: Big Sur (GoldenGate) – November 12, 2020 (Latest: 11.7.10, September 11, 2023) macOS 12: Monterey (Star) – October 25, 2021 (Latest: 12.7.6, July 29, 2024) macOS 13: Ventura (Rome) – October 24, 2022 (Latest: 13.7.1, October 28, 2024) macOS 14: Sonoma (Sunburst) – September 26, 2023 (Latest: 14.7.1, October 28, 2024) macOS 15: Sequoia (Glow) – September 18, 2024 (Latest: 15.1, October 28, 2024) We have a full list of which Macs run which versions of macOS here. You can install a beta version of Sequoia and test new features that haven’t yet launched. If you want to install the latest beta of macOS read about joining Apple’s beta program. macOS Sequoia isn’t even released yet and Apple is already working on macOS 16, which is codenamed Cheer, according to Mark Gurman of Bloomberg in his June 30, 2024 newsletter. Foundry Mac OS X and macOS names As you can see from the list above, with the exception of the first OS X beta, all versions of the Mac operating system from 2001 to 2012 were named after big cats, from Cheetah to Panther to the final release, Mountain Lion. But while the public-facing builds were named after big cats, internally, they were named after wines (aside from OS X 10.6 which had no codename). Even after Apple switched public-facing code names to places in California back in 2013, it carried on naming them after wines internally until 2014. In 2015, Apple decided to change the theme of internal code names from wines to types of apples. Original. In 2016, Apple took the plunge to unify the branding of its operating systems by rebranding Mac OS X to macOS, which sits nicely alongside iOS, tvOS, and watchOS and paved the way for macOS 11, the successor to Mac OS X, which arrived twenty years after the first beta of Mac OS X. Which versions of macOS are still updated? Apple still supplies regular features and security updates to the most recent version of macOS. Right now this is Sequoia, also known as macOS 15. The previous two versions of macOS also receive security updates and bug fixes. If you are running macOS 14 Sonoma or macOS 13 Ventura you will still get security updates. Since the arrival of Sequoia, Apple no longer supports macOS 12 Monterey which arrived in 2021 (and with the arrival of Sonoma in 2023 it stopped support for macOS Big Sur, which arrived in 2020). See: How long do Macs and MacBooks last? Apple also issues updates to its Safari web browser. The latest version of Safari for Mac is Safari 18 (as of September 2024) and it requires Ventura, Sonoma or Sequoia. Foundry How to tell which macOS version you are running You can tell which version of macOS you are running by clicking on the Apple logo in the top left and choosing About This Mac. It will clearly show which version of macOS you are running along with the most recent version that your Mac has installed It’s easy to find out which version of macOS is running on a Mac.Foundry How to install the latest version of macOS If you want to update your Mac to a newer version of macOS the method will be determined by the version of macOS you are running. Very old versions of Mac OS X came on a disk and any security updates came via Software Update. Since the arrival of the Mac App Store in 2011 (as an update to Snow Leopard) versions of Mac OS X and macOS have been available to download via the Mac App Store. However, that changed with Mojave, which arrived in 2018. Now operating system updates come in via Software Updates which is either located in System Settings > General > Software Update or in System Preferences > Software Update (pre-Ventura). One of the benefits of this is that your Mac can be set to automatically download the latest updates and install them, keeping your Mac up-to-date with minimum effort on your part. Incidentally, you can still find the macOS software on the Mac App Store.  Some Macs will be set to update macOS automatically. If you want your Mac to update automatically follow these steps: In Ventura or later: Open System Settings. Click on General. Click on Software Update. Click on the “i” beside Automatic Updates and make sure that Check for updates, Download new updates when available, and Install macOS updates are selected. This way your Mac will automatically update to the latest version. If you would prefer not to have your Mac do this automatically you can deselect these options. In Monterey, Big Sur, Mojave, or Catalina: Open System Preferences. Click on Software Update. Check the box beside Automatically keep my Mac up to date (or Download new updates when available). Now select the box Install macOS updates. In High Sierra or earlier: Open System Preferences. Click on App Store. Check the box beside Automatically check for updates – it should have a tick in it as should the four options below that… Now deselect the box beside Download newly available updates in the background. Read all about how to update your Mac here. We also have a list of every version of iOS where you can see the latest versions and how long Apple supports iPhones for.

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Kuo: iPhone 18 Pro to feature upgraded main camera with variable aperture
According to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple is working on a significant camera upgrade for the iPhone 18 coming in 2026. The analyst says the iPhone 18’s main rear camera lens will be upgraded to a variable aperture camera for the first time. more…

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iPad mini 7 review: a more mighty micro tablet
There's not much new to talk about regarding the iPad mini 7 beyond the chipset upgrade that provides a much-needed mid-life upgrade.iPad mini 7 review: a more powerful miniIt's human nature to like something simply because it looks new and different, so the iPad mini 7 may come across as boring to some. However, it is anything but boring as the A17 Pro transforms this little tablet into a portable gaming powerhouse and Apple Intelligence machine.The iPad mini 6 was a revolution when it was announced in 2021. Apple fully redesigned the little tablet and gave it the no-button, all-screen makeover the rest of the lineup had seen. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Apple Black Friday 2024: What you need to know about Apple’s sale
Macworld The biggest shopping day of the year is Black Friday, which falls on Friday, November 29, 2024. We’ll be updating this article with details of Apple’s 2024 Black Friday sale as soon as they are officially announced. We find the best deals are from resellers rather than Apple itself, and we track them all so we can help you find the best deals on Apple products including the Apple Watch, MacBooks, iPhones, AirPods, and iPads. You can peruse our individual round-ups of the best deals for Black Friday to find a bargain. We also monitor deals all year round, showcasing the best Apple deals every month. But what of Apple? Will Apple hold a Black Friday sale? We wish it would but, unfortunately, Apple’s Black Friday deal is usually a giveaway of gift cards with certain purchases made during the Black Friday period. To give you an idea of what to expect, more details on previous Apple Black Friday events can be found below. Black Friday 2023: The best Apple deals in the U.S. Since you would be paying full price at the Apple Store, albeit with a voucher incentive in some cases, here are the best Apple deals we found at other retailers back in November 2023: Amazon, 13-inch MacBook Air, M1 (256GB): $749 ($250 off, MSRP $999) Amazon, 15-inch MacBook Air, M2 (10-core GPU, 256GB): $1,049 ($250 off, MSRP $1,299) Amazon, 14-inch, M3 Pro, 11-core CPU, 14-core GPU, 512GB SSD: $1,799 ($200 off, MSRP: $1,999) Amazon, Mac mini (M2, 256GB): $499 ($100 off, MSRP $599) Amazon, AirPods Pro (2nd-gen, USB-C case): $190 ($59 off, MSRP $249) Amazon, AirPods (2nd gen): $80 ($49 off, MSRP $129) Amazon, Apple Watch Series 9 (41mm, GPS): $329 ($70 off, MSRP $399)  Amazon, Apple Watch SE (2nd gen, 40mm): $179 ($70 off, MSRP $249) Amazon, iPad (9th-gen, 64GB): $230 ($99 off, MSRP $329) Amazon, iPad (10th-gen, 64GB): $349 ($100 off, MSRP $449) Black Friday 2023: The best Apple deals in the U.K. KRCS, 14-inch MacBook Pro with M3 (8-core CPU, 10-core GPU), 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD: £1,529.10 (£169.90 off, MSRP £1,699) KRCS, 16-inch MacBook Pro with M3 Pro (12-core CPU, 18-core GPU), 18GB RAM, 512GB SSD: £2,339.10 (£259.90 off, MSRP £2,599) Amazon, 15-inch MacBook Air, M2 (512GB) £1,399 (£200 off, MSRP £1,599) KRCS: M2 Pro Mac mini, 512GB: £1,259 (£140 off MRSP £1,399) Amazon, AirPods Pro (2nd gen), USB-C: £199 (£30 off, MSRP £229). You can also find the same deal at Currys, John Lewis and Very Amazon, iPad Air, 64GB, WiFi: £579 (£90 off, RRP £669) Amazon: 12.9in iPad Pro, M2, 512GB, Wi-Fi for £1,479.99 (£119 off, RRP £1,599) Argos, Apple Watch Ultra 1: £599 (£200 less than Ultra 2) Does Apple do Black Friday? Historically, Apple has given customers Apple Gift Cards with the purchase of eligible Apple products. While the qualifying products and voucher amounts change every year, this is Apple’s only deal. Apple doesn’t discount its own products for Black Friday or Cyber Monday. Details of Apple’s Black Friday Shopping Event will be found on Apple’s website when available. What was Apple’s Black Friday deal in 2023? $25/£20 Apple Gift Card: iPhone SE, AirPods (2nd-gen), AirPods (3rd-gen), Beats Flex, Apple Pencil (2nd-gen), Smart Keyboard Folio, Apple TV $50/£40 Apple Gift Card: Apple Watch SE, Apple Watch Series 9, HomePod, Beats Studio Pro, Beats Solo3 Wireless, Powerbeats Pro, Beats Fit Pro, Beats Studio Buds +, Beats Studio Buds, Magic Keyboard, Magic Keyboard Folio, iPhone 13, AirPods Pro (2nd-gen) $75/£60 Apple Gift Card: iPhone 14, AirPods Max $100/£80 Apple Gift Card: iPad mini, iPad Air, iPad 10th gen, iPad Pro, Mac mini $150/£120 Apple Gift Card: 13-inch MacBook Air (M1) $175/£140 Apple Gift Card: 13-inch MacBook Air (M2) $200/£160 Apple Gift Card: 15-inch MacBook Air, Mac mini Because the iPhone 15, M3 iMac, and M3-series MacBook Pro were all recent introductions Apple wasn’t offering any vouchers with those purchases. But the company was offering gift cards with Apple Watch 9 purchases for the first time. Foundry How good was Apple’s 2023 Black Friday deal? The 2023 deal didn’t look as good as that of 2022 when Apple offered up to $250/£250 in Apple Gift Cards with the MacBook Pro 14-inch and MacBook Pro 16-inch. In 2023 the biggest voucher was $200/£200 for the 15-inch MacBook Air – not with the MacBook Pro or iMac. But we were pleased to see the new Apple Watch Series 9 included in 2023, along with the iPad Pro, 10th gen iPad, HomePod, Apple TV, and the 15-inch MacBook Air. 20232022iPhone 14$75n/aiPhone 13$50$50iPhone SE$25$50iPad Pro$50n/aiPad Air$75$50iPad mini $50$50iPad (10th gen.)$50n/aiPad (9th gen.)n/a$3015-inch MacBook Air with M2 chip$200n/a13-inch MacBook Air with M2 chip$175$15013-inch MacBook Air with M1 chip$150$150Mac mini$100$100MacBook Pro 14-inch & 16-inchn/a$250MacBook Pro 13-inchn/a$200iMac 24-inchn/a$150Apple Watch Series 9 $50n/aApple Watch SE$50$50AirPods (2nd generation) $25$25AirPods (3rd generation)$25$25AirPods Pro (2nd generation)$50$50AirPods Max$75$75Apple Pencil (2nd generation) $25 $25 HomePod$50n/aApple TV 4K$25 n/a 2022’s deal actually went a little further than Apple’s 2021’s Black Friday offer. Although that depends on your perspective – you could also think that the Apple’s Black Friday shopping event was worse in 2022. In 2021 the biggest Apple Gift Card on offer was for $200/£160, which was the saving offered with the sale of the 27-inch iMac (which was discontinued in 2022). While the discounts on offer were generally a bit better than 2021, Apple didn’t match the offers from other resellers such as Amazon. Black Friday 2024: Best deals for Apple products Check out these roundups for the best Apple deals: Best Black Friday 2024 Apple deals Best Black Friday 2024 MacBook deals Best Black Friday 2024 Mac Deals Best Black Friday 2024 AirPods deals Best Black Friday 2024 Apple Watch deals Best Black Friday 2024 iPad deals Best Black Friday 2024 iPhone deals Best Black Friday 2024 Mac monitor deals Best Black Friday 2024 SSD and external hard drive deals Best Black Friday 2024 Apple accessory deals Black Friday 2024: When do the sales begin? Black Friday officially begins at 12.01am on the day after Thanksgiving, which in 2024 will be Friday, November 29. However, many sales begin well before that, in 2023 we saw deals starting at the beginning of November. The main event runs through the weekend and concludes on Cyber Monday – which is December 2 in 2024. Black Friday 2024: Where to get the best deals Spotting a good Black Friday deal takes a bit of work but we’ll be doing most of it for you. Throughout Black Friday weekend, we’ll be posting deal roundups and calling out specific sales that are worth checking out. Stay tuned to Macworld as we call out the best—and worst—deals all throughout the weekend. These are the retailers that are most likely to have the best prices: Stay tuned to Macworld throughout November to find the best deals as they arrive. But if you’re looking for a specific color or capacity, you can check out the following retailers. In the U.S., here are the best stores to shop for Black Friday deals: Apple Amazon Best Buy Costco Target Walmart If you’re based in the U.K., you’ll find deals at the following shops: Apple AO.com Amazon Argos Carphone Warehouse Currys eBuyer John Lewis KRCS Laptops Direct Very Black Friday: Should I wait for Cyber Monday to purchase? While it’s always possible that a better deal is waiting around the corner, if you see a good deal, don’t wait. While Cyber Monday promises impressive deals, prices are usually lowest on Black Friday. Plus there’s always the risk that the Apple device you want sells out and you miss out on the great deal everyone else got.

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14-inch MacBook Pro (M4) review: From ‘meh’ to marvelous
Macworld At a glanceExpert's Rating Pros 16GB unified memory is now the standard baseline 12MP Center Stage camera upgrade Three Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports instead of two Nano-texture glass display option Cons Space Gray no longer an option M4 SSD performance pales in comparison to M4 Pro Our Verdict Apple has released a laptop that addresses the issues with the confounding 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro, and updated its chip, as well. The result is not just that the M4 MacBook Pro has a clear identity, but it also represents a tremendous value. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Price When Reviewed$1,599 | $1,799 | $1,999 Best Prices Today: Apple 14-inch MacBook Pro (M4) Retailer Price $1599 View Deal $1599 View Deal $1599 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Apple’s approach to its most affordable MacBook Pro has been a little perplexing during the early part of the Apple silicon era. There was the M1 and M2 13-inch MacBook Pro, good laptops but with dated designs that seemed odd compared to the pricier and prettier 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro. Then Apple dropped it when the M3 came, but its 14-inch replacement had glaring compromises. It seemed like Apple had a different idea than customers of the role of the most affordable MacBook Pro in the laptop lineup. Apple seemed to think of the entry-level MacBook Pro as a tweener machine, a bridge from the MacBook Air. Customers, however, see that it’s a “MacBook Pro” and expect a pro-level laptop with few (or no) glaring compromises. The changes to the $1,599 MacBook Pro make it a true pro laptop.Foundry That brings us to the M4 14-inch MacBook Pro. With it, Apple has released a laptop that addresses the issues with the confounding 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro, and updated its chip, as well. The result is not just that the M4 MacBook Pro has a clear identity, but it also represents a tremendous value. This review is structured based on how the major updates will influence your buying decision. Here, the M4 chip is the primary factor, so we cover it first. Then we cover the ports, then the screen and camera, and then other factors. Use the Table of Contents links at the top of this article to skip around. Before all of that, here are the details on our review unit. 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro: Our model’s specifications This review looks at the M4 14-inch MacBook Pro, which is Apple’s most affordable model in the MacBook Pro lineup. Our review unit has the same CPU, GPU, and RAM as the base standard configuration, but the SSD is a 1TB upgrade, which is an additional $200/£200, and it has the Nano-texture glass ($150/£150). Here are the specifications of the laptop in this review: CPU: M4 with 10 cores (4 performance cores, 6 efficiency cores), 16-core Neural Engine GPU: 10 cores Memory: 16GB unified memory (120GBps memory bandwidth) Storage: 1TB SSD Display: 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR; 3024-by-1964 native resolution at 254 pixels per inch; 1000 nits sustained XDR brightness, 1600 nits peak (HDR content only); 1000 nits SDR brightness; 1 billion colors; P3 color gamut; True Tone; Nano-texture glass Ports: 3 Thunderbolt 4/USB-C; MagSafe 3; SDXC Card slot; HDMI; 3.5mm audio Networking: Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax); Bluetooth 5.3 Input devices: Magic Keyboard with Touch ID; Magic Trackpad Weight: 3.4 pounds (1.55 kg) Dimensions: 0.61 x 12.31 x 8.71 inches (1.55 x 31.26 x 22.12 cm) Price (as tested): $1,949/£1,949 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro: Performance The major problem with the M3 MacBook Pro was that its unified memory started at 8GB. That’s usable but for a “Pro” laptop it’s not enough for high-end tasks, and an upgrade to 16GB cost a pricey $200/£200. Last year, Apple defended its stance against customer outcry and it seemed like the company wasn’t going to budge. But at some point (perhaps tied to Apple Intelligence?) the company made the right decision to set 16GB as the new RAM baseline in all Macs–what makes the change even sweeter is prices weren’t affected at all. What 16GB means is that the M4 MacBook Pro runs more efficiently. While you’re not going to see dramatic boosts, it’ll feel a lot smoother when you’re using an app that’s not optimized properly, have a lot of apps open at the same time, and/or have a dozen browser tabs of Macworld.com open at the same time. Besides having more base RAM than the M3, the M4 has a 10-core CPU (4 performance cores and 6 efficiency cores) and a 10-core GPU. Learn more about the M4. Overall, the M4 offers the typical boost we’ve seen from the old chip series to the new one, but since Apple didn’t increase the price with the RAM boost, the overall value is much better. Geekbench 6.3 CPU benchmarks

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