MacLife June 2021

The all–new iMac is finally here! After months and months of looking at poor renders on the internet and being very skeptical that it would even happen, it actually became a real thing at Apple’s Special Event 2021 in April. And boy, am I glad it did. It’s hard to believe that since the iMac G5 launched in 2006 we haven’t seen a major redesign of the desktop-based Mac. Sure, there’ve been aesthetic iterations along the way — the biggest of these being the aluminum unibody to match the MacBook range — but 15 years along the line and it was definitely time for a major change. However you feel about the distinctive new design of the iMac — I for one think it’s a really good thing — what’s noticeable…

Thank you for the write up in your April 2021 edition on moving to a new Mac. I’m ready to take the plunge for a new replacement iMac with the M1 chip — this will be a major and welcome upgrade from my late–2013 desktop. In reading your guidance about Migration Assistant, you indicate that the macOS on the older system must match “to the decimal point” the one on the new system. I presume the M1–based iMac will be delivered with Big Sur, but my present system cannot be upgraded past the Catalina OS. What might I do to utilize the Migration Assistant tool to support the upgrade setup? BOB ANDREWS We should have made that clearer: the source Mac can’t have a newer OS than the destination, even by one…

APPLE HAS INTRODUCED an all–new iMac, “built from the ground up” around Apple’s M1 processor, with a strikingly thinner and more minimalist design. The new line, starting at $1,299 and shipping in May, has a 24–inch LED–backlit 4.5K display and supports Touch ID for the first time on a Mac. The base configuration, with two Thunderbolt ports and 7–core GPU, is available in a choice of four colors with up to 1TB of SSD storage. The configuration with four ports and 8–core GPU, available with up to 2TB of storage, starts at $1,499 and comes in seven colors. The new design is just 11.5mm (less than half an inch) thick, and the back is completely flat, without the bulging curve of the previous model. Apple says the design brings the iMac closer…

APPLE HAS BROUGHT the M1 chip to iPad Pro as well, delivering up to 50% faster CPU performance and 40% faster graphics performance than the previous generation. This promises console–quality, high frame rate graphics in games — and iPad Pro now also supports PlayStation and Xbox controllers, with haptics, for a great gaming experience. The 11–inch iPad Pro, starting at $799, has a 2,388x1,668–pixel, 264ppi Liquid Retina display with 600 nits peak brightness, ProMotion adaptive 120Hz refresh rate, True Tone, P3 Wide Color gamut, and ultra–low reflectivity. The 12.9–inch model, starting at $1,099, introduces a stunning 2,732x2,048–pixel Liquid Retina XDR display with 1,000 nits of full–screen brightness and 1,600 nits peak brightness (HDR), alongside all the display technologies of its sibling. It uses an array of over 10,000 mini–LEDs with 2,596 full–array…

APPLE HAS EXPANDED the Find My ecosystem with AirTag, a small (1.26–inch diameter, 0.39–ounce) disc you can locate with the Find My app or Siri, or it can play a sound to help you find it. AirTag is made of stainless steel and is IP67 water– and dust–resistant. You can pop it in a bag or backpack, or attach it to items using various holders. It costs $29, or $99 for four, with free engraving if you buy direct. As with AirPods, setup is instant. AirTag emits an encrypted BlueTooth signal detectable by devices in the Find My network. You (and only you) can then see it on the map in the Find My app. Lost an item? Put its AirTag in Lost Mode to get notified when it’s detected —…

APPLE HAS ALSO announced the next generation of Apple TV 4K, built around the Apple A12 Bionic chip, boosting graphics performance, video decoding, and audio processing. Starting at $179 with 32GB storage or $199 with 64GB, Apple TV 4K now supports high frame rate HDR and Dolby Vision video, meaning that fast–moving action at 60fps plays more smoothly — great for sports streamed in high frame rate HDR. Plus, with high frame rate support in AirPlay, videos shot on iPhone 12 Pro can be displayed in full 60fps Dolby Vision. Apple TV 4K can use the light sensor in compatible iPhone models (those with Face ID) for color calibration, adjusting the video output to deliver truer colors and improved contrast. The all–new Siri Remote features an innovative clickpad control with five–way navigation for…