MacFormat December 2021

Poor old Intel. Like a disgruntled ex, it first took to dissing Apple in a series of ads featuring one-time ‘I’m A Mac’ ad actor Justin Long, then took to pleading to be allowed to make Apple silicon chips instead. Only its former partner has moved on and levelled up – and how. Witness the October launch of the new 14in and 16in MacBook Pros, redesigned portable supercomputers with new Apple silicon M1 Pro and M1 Max chips inside. They look amazing. Even the entry-level 14in comes equipped with an 8-core CPU, 14-core GPU and 16GB of memory, while the top-of-the-range 16in gets a 16-core CPU, 32-core GPU and 32GB of memory. And that’s without delving into the build-to-order options. There are plenty of other welcome features too – the…

Poor old Intel. Like a disgruntled ex, it first took to dissing Apple in a series of ads featuring one-time ‘I’m A Mac’ ad actor Justin Long, then took to pleading to be allowed to make Apple silicon chips instead. Only its former partner has moved on and levelled up – and how. Witness the October launch of the new 14in and 16in MacBook Pros, redesigned portable supercomputers with new Apple silicon M1 Pro and M1 Max chips inside. They look amazing. Even the entry-level 14in comes equipped with an 8-core CPU, 14-core GPU and 16GB of memory, while the top-of-the-range 16in gets a 16-core CPU, 32-core GPU and 32GB of memory. And that’s without delving into the build-to-order options. There are plenty of other welcome features too – the new…

HOT TOPIC! Apple unleashes new kit October event sees redesigns and new features Hot on the heels of Apple’s iPhone 13 event in September 2021, the company held another product showcase in October. The title of the event was Unleashed, and it soon became clear that Apple meant business. The headline announcements – a pair of completely redesigned MacBook Pro models outfitted with blazing-fast new chips – aptly embodied the event tagline’s sentiment. They are the fastest and most powerful MacBook Pros Apple has ever made, powered by M1 Pro and M1 Max chips that are leaps ahead of the M1 that came before them. The MacBook Pro wasn’t the only device to get some attention. Apple also updated its regular AirPods to bring them more in line with the AirPods Pro, at least in…

HOT TOPIC! Apple unleashes new kit October event sees redesigns and new features Hot on the heels of Apple’s iPhone 13 event in September 2021, the company held another product showcase in October. The title of the event was Unleashed, and it soon became clear that Apple meant business. The headline announcements – a pair of completely redesigned MacBook Pro models outfitted with blazing-fast new chips – aptly embodied the event tagline’s sentiment. They are the fastest and most powerful MacBook Pros Apple has ever made, powered by M1 Pro and M1 Max chips that are leaps ahead of the M1 that came before them. The MacBook Pro wasn’t the only device to get some attention. Apple also updated its regular AirPods to bring them more in line with the…

Apple has updated the MacBook Pro with its first major redesign since 2016. A 14-inch MacBook Pro has been added to the range, while the 16-inch MacBook Pro has received the same design rethink as its smaller sibling. In many ways, the overhaul is a repudiation of that 2016 model. Instead of bearing only USB-C ports, there are now MagSafe, HDMI, and SD card slots. The machine now possesses a little extra heft to accommodate more powerful components and cooling systems. And gone is the Touch Bar, the touch-sensitive control strip. It’s been replaced by a full-height row of function keys. That’s not all. The bezels around the edge of the screen have been shrunk down to miniscule proportions, except in one place: the new 1080p webcam. That means the camera system…

Apple has updated the MacBook Pro with its first major redesign since 2016. A 14-inch MacBook Pro has been added to the range, while the 16-inch MacBook Pro has received the same design rethink as its smaller sibling. In many ways, the overhaul is a repudiation of that 2016 model. Instead of bearing only USB-C ports, there are now MagSafe, HDMI, and SD card slots. The machine now possesses a little extra heft to accommodate more powerful components and cooling systems. And gone is the Touch Bar, the touch-sensitive control strip. It’s been replaced by a full-height row of function keys. That’s not all. The bezels around the edge of the screen have been shrunk down to miniscule proportions, except in one place: the new 1080p webcam. That means the…