maintain – Latest Apple News https://www.latest-apple-news.com You can stay up-to-date on all the latest news, trends, and updates from the world of Apple. Our website is dedicated to bringing you the most comprehensive and reliable coverage of everything Apple, from the latest iPhone models to the newest Mac releases. Thu, 06 Jul 2023 14:10:02 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.1 https://www.latest-apple-news.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/cropped-pngwing.com_-32x32.png maintain – Latest Apple News https://www.latest-apple-news.com 32 32 Photoshop’s Generative Fill AI tested on a Mac: Equal parts amazing and unreal https://www.latest-apple-news.com/2023/07/06/photoshops-generative-fill-ai-tested-on-a-mac-equal-parts-amazing-and-unreal/ Thu, 06 Jul 2023 14:10:02 +0000 http://www.latest-apple-news.com/?guid=a1821f5e12b26e0c4f493849851e339f Macworld

The words “generative AI” are on everyone’s lips at the moment. These technologies can create text, images, or video clips from simple prompts, and could change the media landscape as we know it. Adobe certainly thinks generative AI is worth further investigation, and is putting its marketing muscle behind Generative Fill, a new Photoshop feature that allows you to edit or manipulate your images in entirely new ways.

You can see for yourself how it works in the image below: drag the slider left and right to see the before and after. The blank areas were filled in–which is to say, extrapolated from what’s in the rest of the image–by Photoshop’s artificial intelligence. Thanks to technologies like this it has never been easier to transform images in portrait format into landscape format.

Photoshop-KI Beispiel 5Photoshop-KI Beispiel 6

Generative Fill is still officially in beta. We’ve been using the Photoshop beta for several weeks now, and continue to be surprised by it on an almost daily basis. Some of the results are incredibly realistic. Others are so inaccurate they’re funny.

Installing and using the Photoshop beta

Adobe Creative Cloud All Apps 100GB: 3-Month Subscription + The 2023 Ultimate Adobe CC Certification Training Bundle

StackCommerce

If you’d like to install the Photoshop beta, you’ll need a valid license for Adobe Creative Cloud and an active internet connection, as the Generative Fill feature requires cloud processing. Once you’ve got a license, open Creative Cloud and select Beta Apps in the lefthand tab. Select this and you can then install the Photoshop beta and start using it straight away.

Save 30% on Adobe Creative Cloud

Photoshop Generative Fill: Limitations

With great power comes great responsibility. Fortunately, Adobe knows that you can do great damage with AI, so there are many rules to maintain “the high quality of creative content.” Anyone who does not follow the Adobe Generative AI beta user guidelines risks having their account blocked.

Adobe prohibits the use of generative AI for certain purposes:

  • Pornographic material or explicit nudity
  • Hateful or highly offensive content that attacks or dehumanizes a group based on ethnicity, national origin, religion, serious disease or disability, gender, age or sexual orientation
  • Graphic violence or gore
  • The promotion, glorification, or threats of violence
  • Illegal activities or goods
  • Self-harm or the promotion of self-harm
  • Depictions of nude minors or minors in a sexual manner
  • Promotion of terrorism or violent extremism
  • Disseminating misleading, fraudulent, or deceptive content that could lead to real-world harm
  • Personal or private information of others (like full name, home address, phone number, email address, government-issued IDs, or any other information relating to an identifiable individual)

Photoshop Generative Fill: How to get started

The Generative Fill AI saves time. A lot of time. It retouches unwanted picture elements, enables new perspectives, and creates new things, all via text command. The possibilities are limitless. You simply select the area, using the appropriate selection tool (shortcut: M), in which the AI is to do its work.

So funktioniert die Generative Füllung der Photoshop-KI
You can see Photoshop’s Generative Fill working here; in English, the field says “Generative Fill” and the button says “Generate”.

Simon Lohmann

To fill in the rest of an image, you’ll want to leave the search field blank to let Adobe’s AI scan the image and fill in the blank area. Photoshop then creates three different variants for you to choose from.

Drei verschiedene Varianten der Photoshop KI

You get three variations. Which do you prefer?

Simon Lohmann

You can cycle between the different options. If you don’t like any of the options, you can try the process again or add some descriptive words to the search box.

Photoshop Generative Fill: False realities and extraordinary landscapes

At first glance, this appears to be a normal picture. At a second glance, you notice minor inconsistencies, such as the door handles and the house’s windows in the background. Things aren’t quite right.

Photoshop-KI: Beispiel 1Photoshop-KI: Beispiel 2

Photographed Neuschwanstein Castle in portrait orientation, but want something more panoramic? No problem, Photoshop will fill in the rest.

Photoshop-KI Beispiel 3Photoshop-KI Beispiel 4

Of course, the results have nothing to do with reality. Anyone familiar with the surroundings of Neuschwanstein Castle will recognize that the content created by the AI is artificial. It’s an image manipulation. But to the untrained eye, it’s pretty spectacular.

Photoshop still has big problems with people and animals. While the dog in the image below looks quite realistic, it’s immediately obvious that something is wrong with the man’s face.

Photoshop-KI 10Photoshop KI 11

Hands also pose a problem for Photoshop’s AI. The fingers are often distorted and look unnatural and occasionally have extra digits.

Photoshop KI 12

Hands still pose problems for Photoshop AI. Left: the original. Right: the AI version, with five fingers and a thumb.

Amanda Frank

Realistic textures and large-scale AI content can also be problematic. It depends entirely on the subject. While AI can handle images from nature well, architecture is evidently more of a challenge.

Photoshop hat Probleme, eine realistische Umgebung zu erzeugen

Photoshop has problems creating a realistic urban environment.

Lukas Souza

AI manipulation is easiest to spot if you know the original image, of course, but large-scale changes can also be obvious. Small changes are the key to success. Would you even notice if we only extended the image by a few pixels? The AI proves particularly handy in cases where, for example, you want to turn a 3:2 image into a 16:9 one.

Shot on iPhone, bearbeitet mit Photoshop-KIPerfekte Manipulation dank Photoshop-KI

In another test, we took an image of a church tower (left), cropped it (center), and then set Photoshop to reconstruct the tower (right). Other than the church clock, the result is quite respectable.

Photoshop-KI entwirft einen Kirchturm

Photoshop Generative Fill AI designs a church tower and has trouble with the clock.

Simon Lohmann

This article originally appeared on Macwelt and was translated and edited by David Price.

Professional Software

]]> Apple opposes UK bill that could mandate backdoor scanning in iMessage https://www.latest-apple-news.com/2023/06/27/apple-opposes-uk-bill-that-could-mandate-backdoor-scanning-in-imessage/ Tue, 27 Jun 2023 17:24:46 +0000 https://macdailynews.com/?p=263866 Apple is the Online Safety Bill as it could be used to force encrypted messaging tools like iMessage, WhatsApp, Signal and other to scan;

The post Apple opposes UK bill that could mandate backdoor scanning in iMessage appeared first on MacDailyNews. Apple is the Online Safety Bill as it could be used to force encrypted messaging tools like iMessage, WhatsApp, Signal and other to scan messages for, ostensibly, child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Apple’s opposition comes as 80 organizations and tech experts have written to UK Technology Minister Chloe Smith urging a rethink.

Apple logo lock

Chris Vallance for The Beeb:

Apple told the BBC the bill should be amended to protect encryption.

Police, the government and some high-profile child protection charities maintain the tech – used in apps such as WhatsApp and Apple’s iMessage – prevents law enforcement and the firms themselves from identifying the sharing of child sexual abuse material.

But in a statement Apple said: “End-to-end encryption is a critical capability that protects the privacy of journalists, human rights activists, and diplomats.
“It also helps everyday citizens defend themselves from surveillance, identity theft, fraud, and data breaches. The Online Safety Bill poses a serious threat to this protection, and could put UK citizens at greater risk.

“Apple urges the government to amend the bill to protect strong end-to-end encryption for the benefit of all.”

Several messaging platforms, including Signal and WhatsApp, have previously told the BBC they will refuse to weaken the privacy of their encrypted messaging systems if directed to do so.

Signal said in February that it would “walk” from the UK if forced to weaken the privacy of its encrypted messaging app.

Apple’s statement now means that some of the most widely used encrypted apps oppose this part of the bill.

In 2021 Apple announced plans to scan photographs on people’s iPhones for abusive content before they were uploaded to iCloud but these were abandoned after a backlash. It has now clearly signalled its opposition to any measure that weakens the privacy of end-to-end encryption.

MacDailyNews Take: As Apple should. (Here’s why.)

The open letter signed by over 80 civil society organizations calls on the UK government to protect digital security and private communications by removing provisions from the Online Safety Bill that would require communications service providers to add “backdoors” to encrypted messaging services, undermining safety for all. Here it is, verbatim:

To: Chloe Smith, Secretary of State,

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

cc: Tom Tugendhat, Minister of State for Security, Home Office Paul Scully, Minister for Tech and the Digital Economy Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay

Dear Ms Smith,

Online Safety Bill: Civil society organisations urge UK to protect global digital security and safeguard private communication.

We are over 80 national and international civil society organisations, academics and cyber- experts. We represent a wide range of perspectives including digital human rights and technology. We are writing to you to raise our concerns about the serious threat to the security of private and encrypted messaging posed by the UK’s proposed Online Safety Bill (OSB).

The Online Safety Bill is a deeply troubling legislative proposal. If passed in its present form, the UK could become the first liberal democracy to require the routine scanning of people’s private chat messages, including chats that are secured by end-to-end encryption. As over 40 million UK citizens and 2 billion people worldwide rely on these services, this poses a significant risk to the security of digital communication services not only in the UK, but also internationally.

End-to-end encryption ensures the security of communications for everyone on a network.

It is designed so that no-one, including the platform provider, can read or alter the messages. The confidentiality between sender and recipient is completely preserved. That’s why the United Nations, several human rights groups, and anti-human trafficking organisations alike have emphasised that encryption is a vital human rights tool. [i]

In order to comply with the Online Safety Bill, platform providers would have to break that protection either by removing it or by developing work-arounds. Any form of work-around risks compromising the security of the messaging platform, creating back-doors, and other dangerous ways and means for malicious actors and hostile states to corrupt the system. [ii] This would put all users in danger.

The UK government has indicated its intention for providers to use a technology that would scan chats on people’s phone and devices – known as client-side scanning. The UK government’s assertion that client-side scanning will not compromise the privacy of messages contradicts the significant evidence of cyber-security experts around the world. This software intercepts chat messages before they are encrypted, and as the user is uploading their images or text, and therefore confidentiality of messages cannot be guaranteed. It would most likely breach human rights law in the UK and internationally. [iii]

Serious concerns have also been raised about similar provisions in the EU’s proposed ‘Child Sexual Abuse Regulation’, which an independent expert study warns is in contradiction to human rights rules. [iv] French, Irish and Austrian parliamentarians have all also warned of severe threats to human rights and of undermining encryption. [v]

Moreover, the scanning software would have to be pre-installed on people’s phones, without their permission or full awareness of the severe privacy and security implications. The underlying databases can be corrupted by hostile actors, meaning that individual phones would become vulnerable to attack. The breadth of the measures proposed in the Online Safety Bill – which would infringe the rights to privacy to the same extent for the internet’s majority of legitimate law-abiding users as it would for potential criminals – means that the measures cannot be considered either necessary or proportionate. [vi]

The inconvenient truth is that it is not possible to scan messages for bad things without infringing on the privacy of lawful messages. It is not possible to create a backdoor that only works for “good people” and that cannot be exploited by “bad people”.

Privacy and free expression rights are vital for all citizens everywhere, in every country, to do their jobs, raise their voices, and hold power to account without arbitrary intrusion, persecution or repression. End-to-end encryption provides vital security that allows them to do that without arbitrary interference. People in conflict zones who rely on secure encrypted communications to be able to speak safely to friends and family as well as for national security. Journalists around the world who rely on the confidential channels of encrypted chat, can communicate to sources and upload their stories in safety.

Children, too, need these rights, as emphasised by UNICEF based on the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child.vii Child safety and privacy are not mutually exclusive; they are mutually reinforcing. Indeed, children are less safe without encrypted communications, as they equally rely on secure digital experiences free from their data being harvested or conversations intercepted. Online content scanning alone cannot hope to find out the serious cases of exploitation, which require a whole-of-society approach. The UK government must invest in education, judicial reform, social services, law enforcement and other critical resources to prevent abuse before it can reach the point of online dissemination, thereby prioritising harm prevention over retrospective scanning. [viii]

As an international community, we are deeply concerned that the UK will become the weak link in the global system. The security risk will not be confined within UK borders. It is difficult to envisage how such a destructive step for the security of billions of users could be justified. [ix]

The UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, has said that the UK will maintain freedom, peace and security around the world. With that in mind, we urge you to ensure that end-to-end encrypted services will be removed from the scope of the Bill and that the privacy of people’s confidential communications will be upheld.

Signatories

Access Now
ARTICLE 19: Global Campaign for Free Expression
Asociația pentru Tehnologie și Internet (ApTI)
Associação Portuguesa para
a Promoção da Segurança da Informação (AP2SI)
Association for Progressive Communications (APC)
Big Brother Watch
Centre for Democracy and Technology
Chaos Computer Club (CCC)
Citizen D / Državljan D
Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA)
Community NeHUBs Africa
cyberstorm.mu
Defend Digital Me
CASM at Demos
Digitalcourage
Digitale Gesellschaft
DNS Africa Media and Communications
Electronic Frontier Finland
Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)
Electronic Frontier Norway
Epicenter.works
European Center for Not-for-Profit Law
European Digital Rights (EDRi)
European Sex Workers Rights Association (ESWA)
Fair Vote
Fight for the Future
Foundation for Information Policy Research
Fundación Cibervoluntarios
Global Partners Digital
Granitt
Hermes Center for Transparency and Digital Human Rights
Homo Digitalis
Ikigai Innovation Initiative
Internet Society
Interpeer gUG
ISOC Brazil – Brazilian Chapter of the Internet Society
ISOC Ghana
ISOC India Hyderabad Chapter
ISOC Venezuela
IT-Pol
JCA-Net (Japan)
Kijiji Yeetu
La Quadrature du Net
Liberty
McEvedys Solicitors and Attorneys Ltd
Open Rights Group
OpenMedia
OPTF
Privacy and Access Council of Canada
Privacy International
Ranking Digital Rights
Statewatch
SUPERRR Lab
Tech for Good Asia
UBUNTEAM
Wikimedia Foundation
Wikimedia UK
Professor Paul Bernal
Nicholas Bohm
Dr Duncan Campbell
Alan Cox
Ray Corrigan
Professor Angela Daly
Dr Erin Ferguson
Wendy M. Grossman
Dr Edina Harbinja
Dr Julian Huppert
Steve Karmeinsky
Dr Konstantinos Komaitis
Professor Douwe Korff
Petr Kučera
Mark A. Lane
Christian de Larrinaga
Mark Lizar
Dr Brenda McPhail
Alec Muffett
Riana Pferfferkorn
Simon Phipps
Dr Birgit Schippers
Peter Wells
Professor Alan Woodward

Notes

[i] Human rights, encryption and anonymity in a digital age: report of the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression: www.ohchr.org/en/stories/2015/06/human-rights-encryption-and-anonymity-digital-age
Encryption: a matter of human rights, Amnesty International: www.amnesty.org/en/documents/pol40/3682/2016/en/ Quotes from Polaris anti-trafficking project in news article: www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/wickr-amazon-aws-child-messaging-app-sex-abuse-problem-rcna20674
[ii] Bugs in Our Pockets: The Risks of Client-Side Scanning: arxiv.org/abs/2110.07450
[iii] Internet Society, Client-side scanning: What it is and why it threatens trustworthy, private communication, May 2023, staging.internetsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Client-side-Scanning-Fact-Sheet-EN.pdf
Open Letter from Public Interest Technologists in relation to the European Commission’s proposed Regulation on Child Sexual Abuse (CSA): www.politico.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/10/Experts-letter-encryption-CSA.pdf
Safety Tech Challenge Fund Evaluation Report, see comments on human rights compliance p2: bpb-eu-w2.wpmucdn.com/ blogs.bristol.ac.uk/dist/1/670/files/2023/02/Safety-Tech-Challenge-Fund-evaluation-framework-report.pdf
[iv] Civil Liberties Committee of the European Parliament and European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS), Complementary Impact Assessment to the proposed EU Regulation laying down rules to prevent and combat child sexual abuse: www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2023/740248/EPRS_STU(2023)740248_EN.pdf
[v] Irish and French parliamentarians sound the alarm about EU’s CSA Regulation: edri.org/our-work/irish-and-french- parliamentarians-sound-the-alarm-about-eus-csa-regulation/
Binding Resolution of the Austrian Parliament against the Child Sexual Abuse Regulation: epicenter.works/document/4393 vi Index on Censorship, Opinion from Matthew Ryder KC. Surveilled and Exposed: How the Online Safety Bill Creates Insecurity:
www.indexoncensorship.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Surveilled-Exposed-Index-on-Censorship-report-Nov-2022.pdf
[vii] Convention on the Rights of the Child, UNICEF: www.unicef.org/child-rights-convention/convention-text-childrens-version
[viii] CRIN: Privacy and Protection: A children’s rights approach to encryption: home.crin.org/readlistenwatch/stories/privacy-and-protection; and Ross Anderson: Chat Control of Child Protection: www.lightbluetouchpaper.org/2022/10/13/chatcontrol-or-child-protection/
[ix] Rishi Sunak, Statement 14 March 2023: www.gov.uk/government/speeches/pm-statement-at-aukus-trilateral-press-conference

Please help support MacDailyNews. Click or tap here to support our independent tech blog. Thank you!

Support MacDailyNews at no extra cost to you by using this link to shop at Amazon.

The post Apple opposes UK bill that could mandate backdoor scanning in iMessage appeared first on MacDailyNews.

]]> Apple releases iOS 16.5.1, iPadOS 16.5.1, macOS Ventura 13.4.1, and watchOS 9.5.2 updates https://www.latest-apple-news.com/2023/06/21/apple-releases-ios-16-5-1-ipados-16-5-1-macos-ventura-13-4-1-and-watchos-9-5-2-updates-2/ Wed, 21 Jun 2023 17:29:03 +0000 https://appleinsider.com/articles/23/06/21/apple-releases-ios-1651-ipados-1651-macos-ventura-1341-and-watchos-952-updates?utm_medium=rss A month after its last iOS 16.5 update for iPhone users, Apple has now issued iOS 16.5.1 and iPadOS 16.5.1, plus corresponding ones for macOS Ventura, and watchOS.

Although already into the beta cycle of releases for its next generation of operating systems such as iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, Apple is continuing to maintain the officially current versions of its device software.The new releases for iOS and iPadOS have a build number of 20F75. For the macOS Ventura 13.4.1 release, the number is 22F82, and for watchOS 9.5.2, it’s 20T571.

Read more…

]]> Apple releases iOS 16.5.1, iPadOS 16.5.1, macOS Ventura 13.4.1, and watchOS 9.5.2 updates https://www.latest-apple-news.com/2023/06/21/apple-releases-ios-16-5-1-ipados-16-5-1-macos-ventura-13-4-1-and-watchos-9-5-2-updates/ Wed, 21 Jun 2023 17:29:03 +0000 https://appleinsider.com/articles/23/06/21/apple-releases-ios-1651-ipados-1651-macos-ventura-1341-and-watchos-952-updates?utm_medium=rss A month after its last iOS 16.5 update for iPhone users, Apple has now issued iOS 16.5.1 and iPadOS 16.5.1, plus corresponding ones for macOS Ventura, and watchOS.

Although already into the beta cycle of releases for its next generation of operating systems such as iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, Apple is continuing to maintain the officially current versions of its device software.The new releases for iOS and iPadOS have a build number of 20F75. For the macOS Ventura 13.4.1 release, the number is 22F82, and for watchOS 9.5.2, it’s 20T571.

Read more…

]]> Spotify Rumored to Launch HiFi Audio as Part of New Top-Tier ‘Supremium’ Subscription Plan https://www.latest-apple-news.com/2023/06/20/spotify-rumored-to-launch-hifi-audio-as-part-of-new-top-tier-supremium-subscription-plan/ Tue, 20 Jun 2023 14:19:40 +0000 https://www.macrumors.com/2023/06/20/spotify-to-launch-hifi-as-part-of-new-plan/ Bloomberg reports.


The subscription tier, dubbed "Supremium" internally, will become Spotify's most costly plan and include HiFi audio. Spotify first announced its intention to offer HiFi audio in 2021 but subsequently delayed the launch of the feature for unknown reasons.

Spotify's existing "Premium" tier costs $9.99 for individuals or $15.99 for families. To maintain the appeal of this subscription plan following the launch of "Supremium," Spotify will give Premium subscribers expanded access to audiobooks via a specific number of free listening hours or titles.

Apple Music gained support for Lossless audio in 2021 and users do not need to pay more to get access to it. There are no ‌Apple Music‌ subscription tiers, so Lossless audio is included in all plans with the exception of the ‌Apple Music‌ Voice Plan. An ‌Apple Music‌ subscription costs $10.99 per month for individuals or $16.99 for families. ‌Apple Music‌ is also included in all of the Apple One subscription bundles, which range from $16.95 per month to $32.95 per month.

With Spotify Premium costing just $1 less than ‌Apple Music‌, it seems highly likely that the streamer's Supremium Tier will come in at a higher price point than Apple's rival service. Spotify's new top-tier plan will apparently launch this year starting in non-U.S. markets.
Tags: Spotify, Bloomberg

This article, "Spotify Rumored to Launch HiFi Audio as Part of New Top-Tier 'Supremium' Subscription Plan" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums
 Spotify is planning to introduce a more expensive premium tier that includes high-fidelity audio, Bloomberg reports.



The subscription tier, dubbed “Supremium” internally, will become Spotify’s most costly plan and include HiFi audio. Spotify first announced its intention to offer HiFi audio in 2021 but subsequently delayed the launch of the feature for unknown reasons.

Spotify’s existing “Premium” tier costs $9.99 for individuals or $15.99 for families. To maintain the appeal of this subscription plan following the launch of “Supremium,” Spotify will give Premium subscribers expanded access to audiobooks via a specific number of free listening hours or titles.

Apple Music gained support for Lossless audio in 2021 and users do not need to pay more to get access to it. There are no ‌Apple Music‌ subscription tiers, so Lossless audio is included in all plans with the exception of the ‌Apple Music‌ Voice Plan. An ‌Apple Music‌ subscription costs $10.99 per month for individuals or $16.99 for families. ‌Apple Music‌ is also included in all of the Apple One subscription bundles, which range from $16.95 per month to $32.95 per month.

With Spotify Premium costing just $1 less than ‌Apple Music‌, it seems highly likely that the streamer’s Supremium Tier will come in at a higher price point than Apple’s rival service. Spotify’s new top-tier plan will apparently launch this year starting in non-U.S. markets.

Tags: Spotify, Bloomberg

This article, "Spotify Rumored to Launch HiFi Audio as Part of New Top-Tier 'Supremium' Subscription Plan" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

]]> How to share a mouse and keyboard between Macs and iPads https://www.latest-apple-news.com/2023/06/16/how-to-share-a-mouse-and-keyboard-between-macs-and-ipads/ Fri, 16 Jun 2023 10:16:45 +0000 http://www.latest-apple-news.com/?guid=4e4e4db02934942f7c7e03ecb0824b0b Macworld

If you have multiple Macs you want to use, it can be a hassle to manage multiple keyboards, mice, and other pointing devices. What if you could use a single set of input devices to control multiple Macs—and sometimes iPads?

Since Monterey, Apple has offered Universal Control for Macs and iPads, a solution for sharing keyboards and mice between two Macs. Where Universal Control doesn’t fit, you can try a hardware or software KVM, which can share a set of input devices among multiple computers.

What is Universal Control?

Universal Control will let you use the same keyboard and mouse for all the Macs and iPads you are working on. All you have to do to switch devices is move the pointer until it crosses the edge of the screen. The new feature also makes it extremely easy to copy content between devices using drag-and-drop.

Universal Control builds on the Continuity features Apple added years ago that made it easy to move from one device to another seamlessly. Then with Catalina in 2019 came Sidecar, which made it easy to use an iPad as an additional screen for your Mac. Read: How to use an iPad as a second screen with a Mac.

But Universal Control goes a step further than Sidecar did: rather than turning your iPad display into a secondary Mac display, Universal Control will maintain the iPadOS on the iPad, so that you can interface with the iPad as an iPad, rather than as a second screen for your Mac.

Similarly, Universal Control brings a Sidecar-like feature to the Mac, so you can extend the primary screen to the secondary Mac, but you can also choose to use the two Macs independently so that you can interface between the two devices.

Here we will explain how to use a keyboard and mouse with two Macs or a Mac and an iPad. Read on!

What you need for Universal Control

Universal Control lets you use a keyboard, mouse, or trackpad across multiple devices logged into the same iCloud account and that are in proximity to one another. MacOS Monterey version 12.4 or later and iPadOS 15.4 or later are required. You also need to have Bluetooth and Wi-Fi enabled.

Universal Control is turned on by default on both your Mac and iPad, but you do need to set up a few things.

  • Universal Control arrived in March 2022 in macOS 12.3 or iPadOS 15.4 . In order for Universal Control to work you will need at least macOS 12.3 on your Mac(s) and iPadOS 15.4 on your iPad.
  • You will need a compatible Mac(s) and iPad (see compatibility list below).
  • You also need Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to be turned on on your Mac and iPad so make sure that they are all on.
  • You’ll also need to be signed into the same iCloud account on both devices.
  • You’ll also need to move your iPad or secondary Mac within 30 feet/10 meters of your Mac.

Apple offers this detailed setup guide that includes minimum hardware model requirements for Macs and iPads.

Universal Control compatibility

Universal Control won’t work with every Mac or iPad. If you want to operate multiple Macs and iPads with one keyboard, mouse and trackpad you’ll need a recent Mac and a recent iPad, both devices will need to be logged into the same Apple ID, you will also need two-factor authentication, and you will need to be running macOS 12.3 or iPadOS 15.4.

Compatible Macs:

  • MacBook Pro (2016 and later)
  • MacBook (2016 and later)
  • MacBook Air (2018 and later)
  • 21.5in iMac (2017 and later)
  • 27in iMac (2015 and later)
  • 24in iMac
  • iMac Pro
  • Mac mini (2018 and later)
  • Mac Pro (2019)

Compatible iPads:

  • iPad Pro
  • iPad Air (3rd generation and later)
  • iPad (6th generation and later)
  • iPad mini (5th generation and later)

This means that if your Mac is from 2015 or earlier it’s not a feature you will be able to enjoy (unless you have a 27in iMac from that era).

Does Universal control work with Intel Macs?

Universal Control will work with some recent Intel Macs.

Does universal control work with iPhone?

Universal Control only connects the Mac and iPad, not the iPhone. The iPhone isn’t really suitable for use as an additional screen in this sort of set up.

Up to three Macs or iPads can be linked this way. But you will need a Mac in order to use this with an iPad – you can’t use Universal Control to link two iPads (yet, anyway).

How to share a mouse and keyboard with two Macs

If you want to use your keyboard and mouse with two Macs follow these steps:

  1. Open System Settings/System Preferences on your Mac and select Displays.
  2. If using Ventura click on Advanced, otherwise click on Universal Control.
  3. Check/tick all three boxes: ‘Allow your cursor and keyboard to move between any nearby Mac or iPad’ (that’s signed into your iCloud account). ‘Push through the edge of a display to connect to a nearby Mac or iPad’. And ‘Automatically reconnect to any nearby Mac or iPad’ which will ensure that your Mac and iPad reconnect next time. Universal Control Options
  4. Go to the other Mac and select the same three options in System Preferences/System Settings > Displays. (If you don’t do this you won’t see the option to Link Keyboard and Mouse under Add Display in the next step.)
  5. Click on the drop-down beside Add Display. You’ll see the option Link Keyboard and Mouse and the name of your secondary Mac underneath. You will need to make sure that these displays are set up in the same way as they are on your desk.Link keyboard and display
  6. Now drag your mouse to the second Mac and you will see the cursor appear on that screen. Click on a document and you’ll be able to type with the keyboard.
  7. Drag the displays into a location that matches the setup on your desk so that you can find each display.

Now when you drag your cursor over in the direction of your secondary Mac screen, when you get to the edge of the screen your cursor will move to the other screen and you will be able to use your keyboard and mouse to control the secondary device.

So for example, if you want to use FaceTime on your MacBook you can still use the mouse and keyboard usually associated with your Mac mini. You are using the FaceTime app on the MacBook, not the Mac mini.

How to share your mouse and keyboard with an iPad

On your iPad follow these steps:

  1. Go to Settings > General.
  2. Go to AirPlay & Handoff.
  3. Make sure Cursor & Keyboard is selected.

Now on your Mac follow these steps:

  1. Open System Preferences/System Settings > Displays.
  2. Click on Add Display.
  3. Under Link Keyboard and Mouse you should see your iPad. How to use mouse and keyboard with ipad
  4. Select your iPad (If it disappears just unlock your iPad or wake it up!)
  5. You can click on the screens in the window (as seen above) and move them to a position that matches the setup on your desk so that you can easily find them!

Note that when we used the Home button on our iPad it stopped Universal Control, so if you do that you may need to start it again in System Preferences > Displays.

How to drag and drop between Mac and iPad

While it was already possible to copy and paste text between your Apple devices thanks to Universal Clipboard, it’s now really easy to drag and drop files and other things between your iPad and Mac and vice versa.

Prior to Universal Control if you wanted to copy a file or photo to an iPad from a Mac (or vice versa) you could use AirDrop (see: How to AirDrop on Mac, iPhone and iPad), you could Message or Email from one device to the other, or you could save to iCloud where you could access it on either device, for example, anything saved to your Desktop can be accessed on any of your Apple devices if you subscribe to iCloud+ (see: How to iCloud Drive to sync files between Mac, iPhone and iPad).

Now Universal Control has arrived it’s easy to drag and drop from the Mac to iPad, but you do have to show the file where it needs to go on the iPad (it won’t automatically get the correct place).

For example, if you want to copy a photo from your Mac to your iPad follow these steps: 

  1. Open Photos on your iPad.
  2. Click on the photo on your Mac.
  3. Drag it from your Mac screen to the iPad.
  4. Drop the photo into the Photos app (if doesn’t seem to work if you just drop onto the Photos icon, you need the app to be open.)

On the other hand, if you want to drag from the iPad to the Mac the process is a lot easier, just drag and drop to the desktop and it will end up there (and if you have Stacks selected it will be in the relevant folder). Read: Clean up a Mac desktop with Mojave Desktop Stacks & other tricks.

Alternatively, drag it to a folder and drop it there.

What to do if your Mac and iPad don’t support Universal Control?

There are alternatives to universal control that will also allow you to use a single keyboard and mouse with two Macs and even an iPad.

How to use a Hardware KVM

Called KVM long ago for “keyboard, video, and mouse,” a KVM switch was an important tool for system and network administrators to avoid the clutter of extra bulky CRTs and keyboards in server rooms and elsewhere. Later, KVMs became handy for those who wanted to dock a laptop next to a desktop setup and use a larger monitor, full-sized keyboard, and mouse, trackball, or trackpad.

Those KVMs had to include a VGA connection, multiple serial and audio connectors, and sometimes USB 1.1.

Today, a KVM can be much simpler: you just need USB Type-A ports and can use USB-C adapters as necessary to connect to your Macs. This $19.99 list price UGreen two-computer switch could fit the bill for many people.

How to use a Software KVM

If you only want to switch among Macs, a virtual KVM might be the path of least fuss. Symless Synergy is just $29 for three computers, with those licenses covering macOS, Linux, Raspberry Pi, and Windows—you can mix and match installations.

Synergy lets you share a keyboard, mouse, and other input devices across computers running macOS and other platforms.

Synergy works similarly to Universal Control (before Universal Control existed), letting you trigger movement among devices by sliding your cursor off the edge of one screen and onto another.

Ask Mac 911

We’ve compiled a list of the questions we get asked most frequently, along with answers and links to columns: read our super FAQ to see if your question is covered. If not, we’re always looking for new problems to solve! Email yours to mac911@macworld.com, including screen captures as appropriate and whether you want your full name used. Not every question will be answered, we don’t reply to email, and we cannot provide direct troubleshooting advice.

iPad, Mac, MacOS

]]> How to share a mouse and keyboard between multiple Macs and iPads https://www.latest-apple-news.com/2023/06/16/how-to-share-a-mouse-and-keyboard-between-multiple-macs-and-ipads/ Fri, 16 Jun 2023 10:16:45 +0000 http://www.latest-apple-news.com/?guid=58b9ef2422951ed0520d1c895a0edd0e Macworld

If you have multiple Macs you want to use, it can be a hassle to manage multiple keyboards, mice, and other pointing devices. What if you could use a single set of input devices to control multiple Macs—and sometimes iPads?

Since Monterey, Apple has offered Universal Control for Macs and iPads, a solution for sharing keyboards and mice between two Macs. Where Universal Control doesn’t fit, you can try a hardware or software KVM, which can share a set of input devices among multiple computers.

What is Universal Control?

Universal Control will let you use the same keyboard and mouse for all the Macs and iPads you are working on. All you have to do to switch devices is move the pointer until it crosses the edge of the screen. The new feature also makes it extremely easy to copy content between devices using drag-and-drop.

Universal Control builds on the Continuity features Apple added years ago that made it easy to move from one device to another seamlessly. Then with Catalina in 2019 came Sidecar, which made it easy to use an iPad as an additional screen for your Mac. Read: How to use an iPad as a second screen with a Mac.

But Universal Control goes a step further than Sidecar did: rather than turning your iPad display into a secondary Mac display, Universal Control will maintain the iPadOS on the iPad, so that you can interface with the iPad as an iPad, rather than as a second screen for your Mac.

Similarly, Universal Control brings a Sidecar-like feature to the Mac, so you can extend the primary screen to the secondary Mac, but you can also choose to use the two Macs independently so that you can interface between the two devices.

Here we will explain how to use a keyboard and mouse with two Macs or a Mac and an iPad. Read on!

What you need for Universal Control

Universal Control lets you use a keyboard, mouse, or trackpad across multiple devices logged into the same iCloud account and that are in proximity to one another. MacOS Monterey version 12.4 or later and iPadOS 15.4 or later are required. You also need to have Bluetooth and Wi-Fi enabled.

Universal Control is turned on by default on both your Mac and iPad, but you do need to set up a few things.

  • Universal Control arrived in March 2022 in macOS 12.3 or iPadOS 15.4 . In order for Universal Control to work you will need at least macOS 12.3 on your Mac(s) and iPadOS 15.4 on your iPad.
  • You will need a compatible Mac(s) and iPad (see compatibility list below).
  • You also need Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to be turned on on your Mac and iPad so make sure that they are all on.
  • You’ll also need to be signed into the same iCloud account on both devices.
  • You’ll also need to move your iPad or secondary Mac within 30 feet/10 meters of your Mac.

Apple offers this detailed setup guide that includes minimum hardware model requirements for Macs and iPads.

Universal Control compatibility

Universal Control won’t work with every Mac or iPad. If you want to operate multiple Macs and iPads with one keyboard, mouse and trackpad you’ll need a recent Mac and a recent iPad, both devices will need to be logged into the same Apple ID, you will also need two-factor authentication, and you will need to be running macOS 12.3 or iPadOS 15.4.

Compatible Macs:

  • MacBook Pro (2016 and later)
  • MacBook (2016 and later)
  • MacBook Air (2018 and later)
  • 21.5in iMac (2017 and later)
  • 27in iMac (2015 and later)
  • 24in iMac
  • iMac Pro
  • Mac mini (2018 and later)
  • Mac Pro (2019)

Compatible iPads:

  • iPad Pro
  • iPad Air (3rd generation and later)
  • iPad (6th generation and later)
  • iPad mini (5th generation and later)

This means that if your Mac is from 2015 or earlier it’s not a feature you will be able to enjoy (unless you have a 27in iMac from that era).

Does Universal control work with Intel Macs?

Universal Control will work with some recent Intel Macs.

Does universal control work with iPhone?

Universal Control only connects the Mac and iPad, not the iPhone. The iPhone isn’t really suitable for use as an additional screen in this sort of set up.

Up to three Macs or iPads can be linked this way. But you will need a Mac in order to use this with an iPad – you can’t use Universal Control to link two iPads (yet, anyway).

How to share a mouse and keyboard with two Macs

If you want to use your keyboard and mouse with two Macs follow these steps:

  1. Open System Settings/System Preferences on your Mac and select Displays.
  2. If using Ventura click on Advanced, otherwise click on Universal Control.
  3. Check/tick all three boxes: ‘Allow your cursor and keyboard to move between any nearby Mac or iPad’ (that’s signed into your iCloud account). ‘Push through the edge of a display to connect to a nearby Mac or iPad’. And ‘Automatically reconnect to any nearby Mac or iPad’ which will ensure that your Mac and iPad reconnect next time. Universal Control Options
  4. Go to the other Mac and select the same three options in System Preferences/System Settings > Displays. (If you don’t do this you won’t see the option to Link Keyboard and Mouse under Add Display in the next step.)
  5. Click on the drop-down beside Add Display. You’ll see the option Link Keyboard and Mouse and the name of your secondary Mac underneath. You will need to make sure that these displays are set up in the same way as they are on your desk.Link keyboard and display
  6. Now drag your mouse to the second Mac and you will see the cursor appear on that screen. Click on a document and you’ll be able to type with the keyboard.
  7. Drag the displays into a location that matches the setup on your desk so that you can find each display.

Now when you drag your cursor over in the direction of your secondary Mac screen, when you get to the edge of the screen your cursor will move to the other screen and you will be able to use your keyboard and mouse to control the secondary device.

So for example, if you want to use FaceTime on your MacBook you can still use the mouse and keyboard usually associated with your Mac mini. You are using the FaceTime app on the MacBook, not the Mac mini.

How to share your mouse and keyboard with an iPad

On your iPad follow these steps:

  1. Go to Settings > General.
  2. Go to AirPlay & Handoff.
  3. Make sure Cursor & Keyboard is selected.

Now on your Mac follow these steps:

  1. Open System Preferences/System Settings > Displays.
  2. Click on Add Display.
  3. Under Link Keyboard and Mouse you should see your iPad. How to use mouse and keyboard with ipad
  4. Select your iPad (If it disappears just unlock your iPad or wake it up!)
  5. You can click on the screens in the window (as seen above) and move them to a position that matches the setup on your desk so that you can easily find them!

Note that when we used the Home button on our iPad it stopped Universal Control, so if you do that you may need to start it again in System Preferences > Displays.

How to drag and drop between Mac and iPad

While it was already possible to copy and paste text between your Apple devices thanks to Universal Clipboard, it’s now really easy to drag and drop files and other things between your iPad and Mac and vice versa.

Prior to Universal Control if you wanted to copy a file or photo to an iPad from a Mac (or vice versa) you could use AirDrop (see: How to AirDrop on Mac, iPhone and iPad), you could Message or Email from one device to the other, or you could save to iCloud where you could access it on either device, for example, anything saved to your Desktop can be accessed on any of your Apple devices if you subscribe to iCloud+ (see: How to iCloud Drive to sync files between Mac, iPhone and iPad).

Now Universal Control has arrived it’s easy to drag and drop from the Mac to iPad, but you do have to show the file where it needs to go on the iPad (it won’t automatically get the correct place).

For example, if you want to copy a photo from your Mac to your iPad follow these steps: 

  1. Open Photos on your iPad.
  2. Click on the photo on your Mac.
  3. Drag it from your Mac screen to the iPad.
  4. Drop the photo into the Photos app (if doesn’t seem to work if you just drop onto the Photos icon, you need the app to be open.)

On the other hand, if you want to drag from the iPad to the Mac the process is a lot easier, just drag and drop to the desktop and it will end up there (and if you have Stacks selected it will be in the relevant folder). Read: Clean up a Mac desktop with Mojave Desktop Stacks & other tricks.

Alternatively, drag it to a folder and drop it there.

What to do if your Mac and iPad don’t support Universal Control?

There are alternatives to universal control that will also allow you to use a single keyboard and mouse with two Macs and even an iPad.

How to use a Hardware KVM

Called KVM long ago for “keyboard, video, and mouse,” a KVM switch was an important tool for system and network administrators to avoid the clutter of extra bulky CRTs and keyboards in server rooms and elsewhere. Later, KVMs became handy for those who wanted to dock a laptop next to a desktop setup and use a larger monitor, full-sized keyboard, and mouse, trackball, or trackpad.

Those KVMs had to include a VGA connection, multiple serial and audio connectors, and sometimes USB 1.1.

Today, a KVM can be much simpler: you just need USB Type-A ports and can use USB-C adapters as necessary to connect to your Macs. This $19.99 list price UGreen two-computer switch could fit the bill for many people.

How to use a Software KVM

If you only want to switch among Macs, a virtual KVM might be the path of least fuss. Symless Synergy is just $29 for three computers, with those licenses covering macOS, Linux, Raspberry Pi, and Windows—you can mix and match installations.

Synergy lets you share a keyboard, mouse, and other input devices across computers running macOS and other platforms.

Synergy works similarly to Universal Control (before Universal Control existed), letting you trigger movement among devices by sliding your cursor off the edge of one screen and onto another.

Ask Mac 911

We’ve compiled a list of the questions we get asked most frequently, along with answers and links to columns: read our super FAQ to see if your question is covered. If not, we’re always looking for new problems to solve! Email yours to mac911@macworld.com, including screen captures as appropriate and whether you want your full name used. Not every question will be answered, we don’t reply to email, and we cannot provide direct troubleshooting advice.

iPad, Mac, MacOS

]]> Apple’s Game Porting Toolkit is the first real step to fixing Mac gaming https://www.latest-apple-news.com/2023/06/15/apples-game-porting-toolkit-is-the-first-real-step-to-fixing-mac-gaming/ Thu, 15 Jun 2023 10:30:00 +0000 http://www.latest-apple-news.com/?guid=bd80714b7c6e42f212f5c3b4bae1aae8 Macworld

Look, Mac gaming is not in good shape. Apple pitched the Mac mini with M2 Pro as a sort of showcase for how great Mac gaming can be, and I wrote about it earlier this year. It can indeed play games respectably, but a similarly-priced Windows PC is more than twice as fast for gaming, and the Mac vs. Windows game catalog is like comparing a cookie jar with a cookie factory. Sure, they both have good cookies, but these things are not the same.

Apple doesn’t seem interested in offering good bang for the buck when it comes to gaming hardware, but at least there’s a real effort to get the software situation into better shape. When announcing macOS Sonoma at WWDC, Apple took time to showcase some new gaming capabilities and even brought famous developer Hideo Kojima out to promote Death Stranding coming to Mac later this year. Nothing says “Mac gaming” more than Apple excitedly trumpeting the Mac release of a four-year-old game.

The new gaming features coming to macOS Sonoma are a good step forward, though. A new Game Mode works with any game to give it higher process priority, reduces AirPods audio latency, and doubles the Bluetooth sampling rate for game controllers. Game Mode is only for Macs with Apple Silicon, but that’s the way everything seems to be going, isn’t it?

But it’s a developer tool called the Game Porting Toolkit that might have the biggest impact on Mac gaming. With a bigger investment from Apple, it could provide a huge boost to the Mac game library.

Mac Gaming
Game Mode in macOS Sonoma will improve performance and reduce wireless latency.

Apple

Game Porting Toolkit is Rosetta for Windows games…almost

One of the new developer tools for macOS Sonoma is a Game Porting Toolkit that is based on the CrossOver source code from CodeWeavers. Essentially, it takes the x86 code, DirectInput commands, XAudio commands, Direct3D commands, and other Windows gaming API calls and translates them in real time to the appropriate Apple Silicon stuff.

Yes, Apple has a developer tool that will literally let you run a modern, high-end Windows game on Mac without any recompiling or other changes.

That sounds a lot like Proton, the translation tool that Valve developed to run Windows games on Linux for the Steam Deck. And indeed, it is very similar. But Valve maintains and updates Proton as an end-user tool. Like Rosetta 2 on Apple Silicon Macs, Proton is meant for everyday people to make use of fundamentally incompatible software without any hassle. Apple’s tool is just for developers to start prototyping.

The big flaw with the Game Development Toolkit’s translation feature is that regular users can’t use it. Developers with Xcode can use it to run Windows games as a first “how does this work on Mac” step, but they’ll still have to go through all the other steps in translating a game to Mac: porting the source code, recompiling HLSL shaders, translating other graphics work to Metal, changing all the input and display APIs to native Mac equivalents, and more. Apple has a new Metal Shader Converter that should help speed along this process, but making a Mac version of a Windows game is still a big effort.

This is too promising to remain a developer tool

Already, enterprising Mac enthusiasts have installed the new Xcode 15 command-line tools and the Game Porting Toolkit to run Windows games on their Macs. One user got Diablo IV running. Another fired up Cyberpunk 2077 and it isn’t exactly smooth but it’s amazing it even works with such fidelity. Others have run Elden Ring, Warframe, Spider-Man, Hi-Fi Rush, and more.

This is all very exciting, but performance could be better, and the steps to do this are beyond regular users. To actually bring these games to Mac, the developers still need to do significant translation work and re-publish a Mac version.

I suggested before that Apple needs a “Proton for Mac” of sorts. Perhaps it could call it Rosetta Gaming or something similar, but the idea would be a user-downloadable tool that lets a bunch of Windows games run directly on Mac without any work from the developers. The Game Porting Toolkit is halfway there. But Valve did a ton of work on a title-by-title basis to fix bugs and problems with specific games and improve their performance, and it continues to do so with regular Proton updates. Apple would need to engage in a similar effort, as well as maintain a list of compatible titles. It’s a lot of heavy lifting.

But just imagine if Apple did it! Hundreds of top Windows games could run on Macs with Apple Silicon just as easily as apps made for Intel-based Macs. Just install a new Rosetta, check a compatibility list, and off you go. You would always get better performance with a native Mac version, but nothing would encourage publishers more than seeing real everyday gamers actually playing their games on Mac.

Apple, Gaming

]]> Best Mac 2023: Every Apple Mac and MacBook compared https://www.latest-apple-news.com/2023/06/12/best-mac-2023-every-apple-mac-and-macbook-compared/ Mon, 12 Jun 2023 12:53:54 +0000 http://www.latest-apple-news.com/?guid=1ad2f2aad338425308aa1d1bf815c62c Macworld

If you’re wondering which Mac to buy, you’ve come to the right place. In our 2023 Mac buying guide, you’ll find everything you need to know about the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, Mac mini, iMac, Mac Pro and the Mac Studio, with expert buying advice to help you choose the machine (and configuration) that’s right for you.

Apple makes six different types of Mac: MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, Mac mini, iMac, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro, but within each of those categories there are variations in the size, specs and features, so things can get pretty complicated. That’s where this guide comes in, helping you make the right decision. If you’re simply looking for a great offer, visit our MacBook Pro deals, MacBook Air deals, iMac deals, Mac Studio deals, and Mac mini deals pages.

We are now three years into Apple’s transition from Intel processors to its own silicon that includes CPU, GPU, and unified memory. The transition began with the introduction of the M1 in November 2020, followed by the M1 Pro, M1 Max and M1 Ultra, we have now progressed to the M2 (June 2022), the M2 Pro and M2 Max (January 2023), and the M2 Ultra in June 2023. With the arrival of the M2 Ultra Mac Pro in June 2023 every Mac Apple now sells has made the transition to Apple’s own chips. For more information about Apple’s silicon read: Mac processor comparison: M1 & M2 vs Intel.

For help choosing the best Mac laptop, we also have a MacBook buying guide.

Every Mac Apple sells

Below we’ll take you through each Mac that is currently available from Apple, to give you an overview of what’s on offer and what you’ve got to choose from.

MacBook Air, M2 (13.6-inch 2022, 15.3-inch 2023) & M1 (13.3-inch 2020)

MacBook Air, M2 (13.6-inch 2022, 15.3-inch 2023) & M1 (13.3-inch 2020)





Best Prices Today:



$1049.00 at Best Buy$1,099.00 at Amazon$1099.00 at Apple

What is it? The MacBook Air is Apple’s most affordable laptop, designed with portability in mind. There are currently three versions of the MacBook Air available from Apple in three sizes and five configurations.

The newest MacBook Air is the 15-inch MacBook Air M2 model that arrived in June 2023, there are two configurations available. There is also a 13.6-inch MacBook Air M2, which was introduced in July 2022 and has the same two configurations as the 15-inch model. Finally there is a slightly smaller 13.3-inch MacBook Air with M1 which launched back in November 2020. For more information about how the different Apple processors compare read: Mac processor comparison: M1 & M2 vs Intel.

Who’s it for? The MacBook Air is ideal for the budget-conscious. It’s also for anyone who is always on the go, doesn’t want to be bogged down by a regular-size laptop, and needs a computer that’s more versatile than an iPad.

How much does the MacBook Air cost? There are five configurations starting at $999/£999 for the MacBook Air M1 and $1,099/£1,149 for the MacBook Air M2 (which had a price drop from $1,199/£1,249). The 15-inch MacBook Air starts at $1,299/£1,399.

What are the specifications?

The specifications of the M2 Macs are the same (although there are some differences in terms of audio, with the larger model featuring more speakers and obviously a larger screen).

  • Apple 8-core M1 SoC with 8GB of memory, a 7-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine; 256GB SSD, two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports
  • Apple 8-core M2 SoC with 8GB of memory, an 8-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine; 256GB SSD, two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports
  • Apple 8-core M2 SoC with 8GB of memory, a 10-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine; 512GB SSD, two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports
  • Additional options for M2 model: 16GB or 24GB unified memory. Up to 2TB storage
  • Additional options for M1 model: 16GB unified memory. Up to 2TB storage

What are display specifications?

  • The 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display has a native resolution of 2,880×1,864 and 500 nits brightness.
  • The 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display has a native resolution of 2,560×1,664 and 500 nits brightness.
  • The 13.3-inch Retina display on the M1 MacBook Air has a native resolution of 2,560×1,600 and 400 nits brightness.

How do I connect stuff? All MacBook Air with M2 chip have a MagSafe port for charging as well as a pair of Thunderbolt/USB 4 connectors. The M1 MacBook Air only offers the two Thunderbolt/USB 4 connectors, so one of these will have to be utilised for charging. If you want to connect USB-A devices, you need either a USB-C to USB adapter, like Apple’s $19 one, or a USB-C hub that has USB-A ports. See our round up of the best USB-C hubs and adapters.

The MacBook Air has built-in Wi-Fi for connecting to a network. It also provides built-in Bluetooth for wirelessly connecting a mouse or other peripherals. If you want to connect to an ethernet network, you need an adapter.

How fast is it? The M2 provides performance that is leaps and bounds faster than the Intel processors that were previously found in the MacBook Air, and Apple claims an 18 percent total CPU improvement over the M1, and a 35 percent improvement in graphics speed. It’s plenty fast enough for general purpose use—it’s actually close to performing like the 13-inch M1 MacBook Pro in this situation. But because it doesn’t have a fan to keep the computer cool, it may throttle down its speed during long processing sessions, such as video editing or compiling code. Even then, it’s still plenty fast.

Macworld’s buying advice: The MacBook Air is a great affordable laptop for someone who does general-purpose work and moves around a lot, such as a student or a self-employed person. You can’t easily upgrade the storage or memory after purchase, so you should buy the model with the largest amount of storage you can afford. We do advise that if you can afford to you should avoid the entry-level models due to slower SSDs, but that may not be an issue if the kind of work you do doesn’t

Read our full

Apple 13-inch MacBook Air (2022, M2) review

13-inch MacBook Pro, M2 (2022)

13-inch MacBook Pro, M2 (2022)





Best Prices Today:



$1149.00 at Best Buy$1,267.94 at Amazon$1299.00 at Adorama

What is it? The 13-inch MacBook Pro features an M2 chip and was introduced in June 2022. This model comes with 10-core GPU and either 256GB SSD or 512GB SSD. The “Pro” in the MacBook Pro name is meant to signify that this is a Mac that’s designed for those who are more demanding than the Air user (who’s main focus is on portability). However, when comparing the MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro the differences are quite narrow.

Who’s it for? The 13-inch MacBook Pro is for a more demanding user than the MacBook Air. However, there are three different types of MacBook Pro available from Apple: 13-inch, 14-inch and 16-inch models, and we’d tend to suggest that the 13-inch MacBook Pro would be better described as a MacBook to better differentiate it from its larger siblings.

How much does the 13-inch MacBook Pro cost: There are two configurations starting at $1,299/£1,349 for the MacBook Pro M2 with 256GB SSD and $1,199/£1,549 for the MacBook Pro M2 with 512GB SSD.

What are the specifications? Apple offers two standard configurations:

  • Apple 8-core M2 SoC with 8GB of memory, a 10-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine; 256GB SSD, two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports
  • Apple 8-core M2 SoC with 8GB of memory, a 10-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine; 512GB SSD, two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports
  • Additional options: 16GB or 24GB unified memory. Up to 2TB storage.

What are display specifications?

  • The 13.3-inch Retina display has a native resolution of 2,560×1,600, and 500 nits brightness.

What is the Touch Bar? All 13-inch MacBook Pro models include the Touch Bar interface at the top of the keyboard. Other Mac laptops used to have this feature, but it is now only available on the 13-inch model. The Touch Bar is an input device that sits on top of the keyboard. It’s basically a narrow touchscreen. The buttons and controls available on the Touch Bar change depending on the software you are using. Learn more about the Touch Bar.

How do I connect stuff? No need to worry about wireless connectivity: the MacBook Pro has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

It’s the wired connectivity you need to be concerned with. The MacBook Pro has only two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports that are compatible with USB-C. If you have a Thunderbolt device, you can plug it directly into the laptop. The same goes for any USB-C device. However, if you have wired devices that aren’t USB-C or are an older version of Thunderbolt, you’ll need an adapter. We have a separate
MacBook Pro Thunderbolt adapter guide to help you decide which ones you’ll need. Unfortunately, be prepared to shell out a good amount of extra cash.

How fast is it? The 13-inch MacBook Pro performs like the MacBook Air, since they have the same processor. But the MacBook Pro’s design lends itself to being better at keeping cool and maintaining its speed, while the thinner MacBook Air needs to throttle down for long processing tasks.

Macworld’s buying advice: For mobile Mac users whose work requires a lot of processing power—you do video or audio editing, graphics work, or write software—but you also want a small laptop, the 13-inch MacBook Pro fits the bill. However, the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro offers a significant speed boost over the 13-inch model, but they are bigger and heavier laptops. If your work mostly involves web surfing and other productivity tasks, however, go for a MacBook Air. As with the MacBook Air, we do advise that if you can afford to you should avoid the entry-level models due to slower SSDs

We compare all the MacBook Pro here: Which MacBook Pro: 13, 14, 16-inch compared. We also look at how the MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro compare.

Read our full

Apple 13-inch MacBook Pro (M2, 2022) review

14-inch MacBook Pro, M2 Pro & M2 Max (2023)

14-inch MacBook Pro, M2 Pro & M2 Max (2023)





Best Prices Today:



$1,947.50 at Amazon$1999.00 at Adorama$1999.00 at Apple

What is it? The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M2 Pro or M2 Max was introduced in January 2023 and is one of Apple’s top-of-the-line laptops, the other being the 16-inch MacBook Pro. There’s not a huge difference between the specs on offer–both offer the M2 Max as a processor option–but the 14-inch MacBook Pro is cheaper than the 16-inch. If you want a laptop that can handle any task you throw at it—and you don’t have a constraining budget—you want one of these laptops.

Who’s it for? When Apple called these “Pro” laptops, they weren’t kidding around. If your work is very demanding processing power, these laptops are happy to handle it. Work in pro-level software all the time? Get a 14- or 16-inch MacBook Pro. With either the M2 Pro or M2 Max processor, they’re the fastest laptops Apple has ever created.

How much does the 14-inch MacBook Pro cost? There are three configurations starting at $1,999/£2,149 for the 14-inch MacBook Pro M2 Pro with 10-core CPU, 16-core GPU, 16GB unified memory and 512GB SSD, and $2,499/£2,699 for the 14-inch MacBook Pro M2 Pro with 12-core CPU and 19-core GPU, 16GB unified memory and 1TB SSD. The third option is the M2 Max version with 12-core CPU, 30-core GPU, 32GB memory and 1TB SSD, that costs $3,099/£3,349.

What are the specifications? Here are the standard configurations for the 14-inch MacBook Pro

  • Apple 10-core M1 Pro SoC with 16GB of memory, a 16-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine; 512GB SSD, 67W power adapter
  • Apple 12-core M1 Pro SoC with 16GB of memory, a 19-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine; 1TB SSD, 96W power adapter
  • Apple 12-core M1 Pro SoC with 32 of memory, a 32-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine; 1TB SSD, 96W power adapter
  • Additional options: M2 Max SoC with 12-core CPU, 38-core GPU, 16GB, 64GB or 96GB unified memory. Up to 8TB SSD.

What are display specifications?

  • The 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display has a native resolution of 3,024×1,964, 254 pixels per inch, 1,600 nits of maximum brightness (1,000 nits for HDR content, 500 nits for standard content), 1,000,000 to 1 contrast ratio, and ProMotion support with a refresh rate up to 120Hz.

What’s that notch at the top of the display? That’s the FaceTime 1080p camera, which is an improvement over the 720p camera in the 13-inch MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and previous MacBook Pros. The notch does not affect the available screen area—the work area is a 16-by-10 space, while the screen surrounding the notch is considered extra space and is used to display the menu bar.

How do I connect stuff? The 14-inch MacBook Pro has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for wireless connectivity. The 2023 models offer Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) and Bluetooth 5.3, which is an improvement on the predecessor.

As for its ports, Apple includes three Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports that are compatible with USB-C. If you have a Thunderbolt device, you can plug it directly into the laptop. The same goes for any USB-C device. However, if you have wired devices that aren’t USB-C or are an older version of Thunderbolt, you’ll need an adapter. We have a separate
MacBook Pro Thunderbolt adapter guide to help you decide which ones you’ll need. Unfortunately, be prepared to shell out a good amount of extra cash.

These laptops also come with an HDMI 2.0 port for connecting an external display or projector, and an SDXC Card slot for plugging in memory cards from cameras, audio recorders, and other devices. The HDMI port in the 2023 model supports multichannel audio output.

How do I charge the laptop? Apple has equipped the 14-inch and 16-inch laptops with MagSafe, a magnetic connector that breaks away with a good tug. It’s a nice safety feature, but you can also charge using the Thunderbolt port, too.

The fast charging feature allows the laptop to go from no charge to 50 percent in 30 minutes, but you need to have the proper power adapter to do this. It won’t work with the 67W adapter in the $1,999 MacBook Pro. The 14-inch models need to use the 96W adapter and can do fast charging through MagSafe or a Thunderbolt port.

How fast is it? Apple built the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with pro users in mind and it shows in the performance. Its speed with software that can take advantage of the CPU’s multiple cores – and now that Apple has introduced the M2 Pro and M2 Max you can enjoy the fastest Mac laptops Apple has ever made.

Macworld’s buying advice: The only reason not to buy the 14-inch MacBook Pro would be if you saw a good deal on the M1 Pro version–we’ve been seeing some excellent deals and price cuts on these older models. Our other advice would be that if you are considering the 14-inch MacBook Pro because you need a powerful Mac then, ignore the $1,999 model in favor of the $2,499 model which has more CPU and GPU cores. If you don’t need 1TB storage, save money by adding the M2 Pro with 12‑core CPU and 19‑core GPU as a build to order option to the $1,999 model for an additional $300, bringing the price to $2,299.

Read our full

Apple 14-inch MacBook Pro (M2 Pro, 2023) review

16-inch MacBook Pro, M2 Pro & M2 Max (2023)

16-inch MacBook Pro, M2 Pro & M2 Max (2023)





Best Prices Today:



$2,249.00 at Amazon$2499.00 at Adorama$2499.00 at Apple

What is it? The 16-inch MacBook Pro, like the 14-inch model above, was introduced in October 2022. It offers a similar set of specs and configuration options as the 14-inch MacBook Pro (above), but it has a higher price, a bigger screen and better battery life.

Who’s it for? This is Apple’s largest “Pro” laptop and it’s designed for people who need a portable Mac to do work that demands extreme processing power. You could save some money by opting for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, but if you need a big screen on your laptop this is the Mac for you. You’ll also benefit from longer battery life. Configured with the M2 Max this is the fastest and most powerful laptop Apple has ever created.

How much does the 16-inch MacBook Pro cost? There are three standard configurations starting at $2,499/£2,699 for the 16-inch MacBook Pro M2 Pro with 12-core CPU, 19-core GPU and 512GB SSD, $2,699/£2,899 for the MacBook Pro M2 Pro with 12-core CPU, 19-core GPU and 1TB SSD, and $3,499/£3,749 for the MacBook Pro M2 Max with 38-core GPU and 1TB SSD.

What are the specifications? Here are the standard configurations for the 16-inch MacBook Pro introduced in 2023.

  • Apple 12-core M2 Pro SoC with 16GB of memory, a 19-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine; 512GB SSD, 140W power adapter
  • Apple 12-core M2 Pro SoC with 16GB of memory, a 19-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine; 1TB SSD, 140W power adapter
  • Apple 12-core M2 Max SoC with 32GB of memory, a 38-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine; 1TB SSD, 140W power adapter
  • Additional options: M2 Max SoC with 12-core CPU, 30-core GPU, 32GB, 64GB or 96GB unified memory. Up to 8TB SSD.

What are display specifications?

  • The 16.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display has a native resolution of 3,456×2,234, 254 pixels per inch, 1,600 nits of maximum brightness (1,000 nits for HDR content, 500 nits for standard content), 1,000,000 to 1 contrast ratio, and ProMotion support with a refresh rate up to 120Hz.

What’s that notch at the top of the display? That’s the FaceTime 1080p camera. The notch does not affect the available screen area—the work area is a 16-by-10 space, while the screen surrounding the notch is considered extra space and is used to display the menu bar.

How do I connect stuff? The 16-inch MacBook Pro has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for wireless connectivity. The 2023 MacBook Pro offer Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) and Bluetooth 5.3, which is an improvement over the 2021 models.

As for its ports, Apple includes three Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports that are compatible with USB-C. If you have a Thunderbolt device, you can plug it directly into the laptop. The same goes for any USB-C device. However, if you have wired devices that aren’t USB-C or are an older version of Thunderbolt, you’ll need an adapter. We have a separate
MacBook Pro Thunderbolt adapter guide to help you decide which ones you’ll need. Unfortunately, be prepared to shell out a good amount of extra cash.

These laptops also come with an HDMI 2.0 port for connecting an external display or projector, and an SDXC Card slot for plugging in memory cards from cameras, audio recorders, and other devices. The HDMI port in the 2023 model supports multichannel audio output.

How do I charge the laptop? Apple has equipped the 14-inch and 16-inch laptops with MagSafe, a magnetic connector that breaks away with a good tug. It’s a nice safety feature, but you can also charge using the Thunderbolt port, too.

The fast charging feature allows the laptop to go from no charge to 50 percent in 30 minutes, but you need to have the proper power adapter to do this. It won’t work with the 67W adapter in the $1,999 MacBook Pro. The 16-inch models must use the 140W adapter with MagSafe—fast charging does not work through Thunderbolt or with an adapter with lower wattage.

How fast is it? The 16-inch MacBook Pro models were built with pro users in mind so you can expect excellent performance. Your software will be able to take full advantage of the CPU’s multiple cores – which means that even though Apple has now introduced the M2 in the 13-inch MacBook Pro, the M1 Pro still exhibits an excellent boost. If you are a professional, you’ll easily benefit from the M1 Pro or M1 Max.

Macworld’s buying advice: The only reason not to buy right now is the strong likelihood that an update will soon be arriving: rumors suggest that new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro with M2 Pro and M2 Max processors will arrive in spring 2023. However, there are also reasons not to wait: we’ve been seeing some excellent deals and price cuts on these models, and we are expecting that when they launch the new models will cost more (at least outside the U.S.) The 16-inch $3.499 MacBook Pro is the laptop with all the bells and whistles, but the main difference between the 16 and 14-inch laptops is size and battery life – the available configurations are the same. This is for you if you are a demanding user who needs the big screen.

Read our full

Apple 16-inch MacBook Pro (M2 Pro, 2023) review

Mac mini, M2 & M2 Pro (2023)

Mac mini, M2 & M2 Pro (2023)





Best Prices Today:



$597.50 at Amazon$599.00 at Adorama$599.00 at Best Buy

What is it? The Mac mini with M2 and a Mac mini with M2 Pro were introduced in January 2023. This is Apple’s smallest desktop Mac and offers a nice combination of speed and affordability – in fact since the 2023 model arrived it’s more affordable than ever, $100/£50 less than it was. It’s not only fast enough for general-purpose use, but its multi-core speed is quite good—if you use a professional app like a video editor, 3D software, or developer tools, the Mac mini can handle it, no problem.

Who’s it for? Because of its price and performance, the Mac mini is a great Mac for just about anybody. It makes for an ideal primary Mac for a home or small office. Professionals on a budget will be satisfied with the Mac mini. If you’re switching from a PC, you can use your PC’s keyboard and mouse with the Mac mini. The Mac mini is also ideal as a secondary Mac in your home, and it can integrate into your home entertainment center.

How much does the Mac mini cost? There are three standard configurations starting at $599/£649 for the Mac mini M2 with 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 8GB unified memory and 256GB SSD, $799/£849 for the Mac mini M2 with 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 8GB unified memory and 512GB SSD, and $1,299/£1,399 for the Mac mini M2 Pro with 10-core CPU, 16-core GPU, 16GB unified memory and 512GB SSD.

What are the specifications? Apple sells three Mac mini models, including one that is Intel-powered.

  • Apple 8-core M2 SoC with 8GB of memory, an 10-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine; 256GB SSD
  • Apple 8-core M2 SoC with 8GB of memory, an 10-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine; 512GB SSD
  • Apple 10-core M2 Pro SoC with 16GB of memory, an 16-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine; 512GB SSD
  • Additional options: M2 Pro with 12‑core CPU, 19-core GPU, 32GB unified memory. Up to 8TB SSD.

The Mac mini does not include a display, keyboard, or mouse, so you’ll have to provide your own, or you can customize your order to include these devices as extra-cost options.

How do I connect stuff? Like Apple’s other Macs, the Mac mini has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The $599 and $799 M2-based Mac minis have two Thunderbolt 4/USB 4 ports, while the M2 Pro-based Mac mini has four Thunderbolt 4/USB 4 ports. All Mac minis have two USB-A ports, an HDMI 2.0 port, a headphone jack, and a gigabit ethernet port.

To connect a display, you can use the HDMI port or a Thunderbolt port. You might have to buy an adapter if your display doesn’t have either HDMI or a port that can connect to Thunderbolt.

How fast is it?  The $599 and $799 M2-based Mac minis are very fast, and offer the best performance to price ratio of any Mac that Apple offers. The Mac mini with M2 Pro offers the same 10-core CPU and 16-core GPU, 16GB memory and 512GB storage found in the M2 Pro MacBook Pro for $1,299 rather than $1,999 which is a huge saving and a great way to get a powerful Mac without spending a fortune.

Macworld’s buying advice: The Mac mini is an excellent machine for most Mac users—new or experienced, professional or general consumer. Plus the price is excellent: if you’re on a budget, it’s a great choice, especially if you already have a spare keyboard, mouse, and display. As we’ve already mentioned already, if you can afford to you should avoid the entry-level models due to slower SSDs

Read our full

Apple Mac mini (M2, 2023) review

Apple 24-inch iMac (M1, 2021)

Apple 24-inch iMac (M1, 2021)





Best Prices Today:



$1,271.60 at Amazon$1299.00 at Apple$1299.99 at Best Buy

What is it? Apple unveiled the 24-inch iMac in April 2021. It’s a fresh new take on the iMac and was the first update in more than a decade, with a cleaner design, Apple silicon, and a choice of colors. Apple still hasn’t updated the iMac to the M2 chip–in fact it may not, instead skipping that generation and moving straight to the M3. Read the M3 iMac rumors.

Who’s it for? The iMac is great for both novices and demanding users. It can handle general-purpose and heavy-duty tasks equally well. It’s ideal for someone who needs to buy a complete computer setup (keyboard, mouse or trackpad, and display) and wants to maximize workspace efficiency. The 24-inch iMac is a design icon that will look great in any office.

How much does the iMac cost? Unfortunately the iMac prices outside the U.S. went up in January 2023, making what was already an expensive machine even more pricy. There are three standard configurations starting at $1,299/£1,399 (was £1,249) for the 24-inch iMac M1 with 7-core GPU and 256GB SSD, $1,499/£1,599 (was £1,449) for the 24-inch iMac M1 with 8-core GPU and 256GB SSD, and $1,699/£1,799 (was £1,649) for the 24-inch iMac M1 with 8-core GPU and 512GB SSD.

What are the specifications? The 24-inch iMac uses Apple’s M1 chip rather than Intel’s processors, and there are several configurations available as well as build to order option:

  • Apple M1 SoC with an 8-core CPU (4 performance cores, 4 efficiency cores), 16-core Neural Engine, and 7-core graphics processor (GPU); 8GB of memory; 256GB SSD
  • Apple M1 SoC with an 8-core CPU (4 performance cores, 4 efficiency cores), 16-core Neural Engine, and 8-core graphics processor (GPU); 8GB of memory; 256GB SSD
  • Apple M1 SoC with an 8-core CPU (4 performance cores, 4 efficiency cores), 16-core Neural Engine, and 8-core graphics processor (GPU); 8GB of memory; 512GB SSD
  • Additional options: 16GB unified memory and up to 2TB SSD.

What are display specifications?

The 24-inch 4.5K Retina display has 11.3 million pixels and supports the P3 wide color gamut, over a billion colors, 500 nits of brightness, and True Tone. Apple treats the display with an anti-reflective coating to help with readability.

Why does it look different from the other iMacs? The 24-inch iMac has a much different design than the discontinued 21.5-inch and 27-inch models. The bezels around the display are much smaller than on the older iMacs, but it still has a “chin,” a section located below the display that houses the iMac’s internals. The chin doesn’t have the Apple logo on the front. Instead, it’s on the back. Most notably, the 24-inch iMac comes in several colors: the $1, 299 model is available in blue, green, pink, and silver, while the $1,499 and $1,699 models are available in the same colors as well as orange, purple, and yellow.

How do I connect stuff? The $1,299 24-inch iMac 24 has two Thunderbolt 3 ports that also work with USB-C devices. The $1,499 and $1,699 iMacs have two additional USB-C ports. If you have a USB-A device, you need to buy an adapter, such as Apple’s USB-C to USB Adapter ($19). If you have multiple USB-A devices and other items, consider a Thunderbolt hub. The 24-inch iMac also has a headphone jack on the side.

The 24-inch iMac, unlike the older iMacs, does not have an SDXC slot. Once again, you’ll need an adapter, such as the 
Anker SD Card reader ($17). However, it does have a super-cool magnetic power cord.

Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 are built-in. Apple doesn’t put a gigabit ethernet port on the 24-inch iMac—instead, it’s on the power adapter. But that ethernet-equipped power adapter comes standard with the $1,499 and $1,699 models. It’s not included with the $1,299 model, but you can select it as an option at the point of purchase—and yes, that means you’ll have to pay extra for it.

How fast is it?: Since the 24-inch iMac has the same M1 as the Mac mini, its speed is very similar. That means it’s fast, and it’s much faster than the 21.5-inch models it replaces. It’s got all the speed general consumers need, and it can handle pro applications with no problem. However, the $1,299 model has only one fan inside its body, while the $1,499 and $1,699 models have two fans. That means the high-priced models do a better job keeping the internals cool. The $1,299 model may need to slow down its performance on heavy-duty tasks in order to maintain a proper temperature.

Macworld’s buying advice: Everything about the iMac was greatly improved with the 24-inch model, from the design to the display to its performance. It’s now more than two years on though and a M2 model is surely in the works at Apple–and, we hope, a iMac Pro model to replace the discontinued 27-inch iMac. If you are buying one the sweet spot is the $1,499/£1,599 model, which gets you more ports, Touch ID, and ethernet.

Read our full

Apple 24-inch iMac (M1, 2021) review

Mac Studio, M2 Max & M2 Ultra (2023)

Mac Studio, M2 Max & M2 Ultra (2023)





Best Prices Today:



$1999.99 at Best Buy

What is it? The Mac Studio joined Apple’s Mac lineup in March 2022 and was updated in June 2023 when it gained the M2 Max and M2 Ultra. It’s a desktop “modular” Mac that’s more powerful (and more expensive) than the Mac mini and similarly speced to the Mac Pro, but lacking the Mac Pro’s expansion options.

Who’s it for? The Mac Studio is for the user who wants the maximum processing power. It’s not the only powerful Mac available–the Mac Pro also runs on the M2 Ultra–but it is the cheapest way to get either the M2 Max or M2 Ultra chips. If you want the expansion options of the Mac Pro then you’ll want to look elsewhere, but the Mac Studio brings all the power usually reserved for the ultimate Mac in a small package.

How much does the Mac Studio cost? There are two standard configurations starting at $1,999/£2,099 (was £1,999) for the Mac Studio M2 Max with 30-core GPU and 512GB SSD, and $3,999/£4,199 (was £3,999) for the Mac Studio M2 Ultra with 60-core GPU and 1TB SSD. There are also build to order options that include 76-core GPU, up to 192GB Unified Memory, and 8TB SSD. Fully maxed out a Mac Studio would cost $8,799/£8,999.

What are the specifications? The Mac Studio uses either the M2 Max or M2 Ultra processors. Apple offers two standard configurations:

  • Apple M2 Max SoC with a 12-core CPU, 30-core GPU, 32GB of memory, and a 16-core Neural Engine; 512GB SSD
  • Apple M2 Ultra SoC with a 24-core CPU, 60-core GPU, 64GB of memory, and a 32-core Neural Engine; 1TB SSD
  • Additional options: M2 Ultra SoC with a 76-core GPU, up to 192GB unified memory and up to 8TB SSD.

The Mac Studio does not include a display, keyboard, or mouse, so you’ll have to provide your own, or you can customize your order to include these devices as extra-cost options. Apple released the Studio Display at the same time as the original Mac Studio, but it can be used with third-party displays, too. 

How do I connect stuff? 

The Mac Studio has the following ports:

  • M2 Max: Four Thunderbolt 4 ports on back; two USB-C ports on front.
  • M2 Ultra: Four Thunderbolt 4 ports on back; two Thunderbolt 4 ports on front.
  • SDXC Card slot on front.
  • Two USB-A ports.
  • 10Gb ethernet.
  • HDMI 2.0.
  • 3.5 mm headphone jack (with advanced support for high-impedance headphones, a feature lacked by the M1-series models)
  • 802.11ax Wi‑Fi 6E (was 802.11ax Wi‑Fi 6 in predecessor)
  • Bluetooth 5.3 (was Bluetooth 5.0 in predecessor)

Thunderbolt supports USB-C and USB-4.

To connect to a network, you can use the built-in ethernet port, or you can use Wi-Fi, which comes standard.

To connect a display, you can use the HDMI 2.0 port or the Thunderbolt ports. You might have to buy an adapter if your display doesn’t have either HDMI or a port that can connect to Thunderbolt. You can connect up to eight 4K displays, six 6K displays, or three 8K displays to the M2 Ultra. The M2 Max supports fewer displays.

How fast is it? The M2 Ultra Mac Studio is Apple’s fastest chip, both in CPU and GPU speed.

The M2 Max Mac Studio is a very fast Mac at a very competitive price point. Its speed is equal to that of the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models that feature the M2 Max and it costs a fraction of the price: $1,999 compared to $3,099 for the 14-inch and $3,499 for the 16-inch.

Macworld’s buying advice: The Mac Studio is ideal for users who use processor- and graphics-intensive apps, such as media production, software development, graphics software, and more. If you find yourself spending a lot of time watching progress bars while you work, you’ll benefit from the power of the Mac Studio.

However, the Mac Studio relies on external connections for expandability. If you want a pro-level Mac with the ability to swap expansion cards you should look at Apple silicon-based Mac Pro below.

Apple Mac Pro (M2 Ultra, 2023)

Apple Mac Pro (M2 Ultra, 2023)




What is it? The Mac Pro is Apple’s workstation. It’s designed for professionals who need a powerful and flexible machine. Apple took its time to update the Mac Pro with its own silicon, but in June 2023, three and a half years after the previous update, the company finally came up with the goods.

Who’s it for? The Mac Pro is designed for professionals who work with applications that use as many processing cores as possible—video-editing applications, image-editing software, 3D programs, audio editing, software developers, and the like.

How much does the Mac Pro cost? The Mac Pro starts at $6,999/£7,199 (which is up from the previous generation’s starting price of $5,999/£5,499). That’s for the Tower version, there is also a Rack mount version that starts at $7,499/£7,699. Those are the starting prices, you can choose various configuration options, such as the 76-core GPU and the 192GB unified memory and 8TB storage – just as with the Mac Studio. A fully specced out Mac Pro Tower costs $11,799/£11,999.

What are the specifications?

The specifications on offer are identical to the Mac Studio with M2 Ultra:

  • Apple M2 Ultra SoC with a 24-core CPU, 60-core GPU, 64GB of memory, and a 32-core Neural Engine; 1TB SSD
  • Additional options: M2 Ultra SoC with a 76-core GPU, up to 192GB unified memory and up to 8TB SSD.

How do I connect stuff?

Mac Pro has the following ports:

  • M2 Max: Four Thunderbolt 4 ports on back; two USB-C ports on front.
  • M2 Ultra: Four Thunderbolt 4 ports on back; two Thunderbolt 4 ports on front.
  • SDXC Card slot on front.
  • Two USB-A ports.
  • 10Gb ethernet.
  • HDMI 2.0.
  • 3.5 mm headphone jack (with advanced support for high-impedance headphones, a feature lacked by the M1-series models)
  • 802.11ax Wi‑Fi 6E (was 802.11ax Wi‑Fi 6 in predecessor)
  • Bluetooth 5.3 (was Bluetooth 5.0 in predecessor)

To connect a display, you can use the HDMI 2.0 port or the Thunderbolt ports. You might have to buy an adapter if your display doesn’t have either HDMI or a port that can connect to Thunderbolt. You can connect up to eight 4K displays, six 6K displays or three 8K displays.

To connect external devices, the Mac Pro has eight Thunderbolt 4/USB-C ports, three USB-A ports, two HDMI ports, and Dual 10Gb Ethernet. But the real draw for creative pros will be the seven PCI Express expansion slots, one of which comes with an Apple I/O card installed.

How fast is it? Apple says the 2023 Mac Pro is up to 3x faster than the previous-generation Intel-based model. With support for 192GB of unified memory, Apple says the Mac Pro supports “more memory than the most advanced workstation graphics cards, taking on demanding workloads other systems can’t even process.” Apple says that, like the M2 Ultra Mac Studio, the M2 Ultra Mac Pro can plan an “unprecedented 22 streams of 8K ProRes video.”

Macworld’s buying advice: The Mac Pro provides the processing power that the most demanding users need. We’re talking about production environments, like TV and audio recording studios, animation houses, and software developers. If you feel like you can never have enough power, you’re probably the professional the Mac Pro is aimed at. But if you don’t need the expandability then the Mac Studio will probably be adequate.

If you’re more of a “prosumer” than a professional—someone who is an expert Mac user, but doesn’t use high-end apps—the Mac Pro is overkill. You’re probably not going to be able to take advantage of what the Mac Pro has to offer.

Apple, Consumer Electronics, Desktop PCs, iMac, Laptops, Mac, Mac Pro, MacBook, Technology Industry

]]> Best Mac 2023: Every Apple Mac and MacBook compared https://www.latest-apple-news.com/2023/06/12/best-mac-2023-every-apple-mac-and-macbook-compared-2/ Mon, 12 Jun 2023 12:53:54 +0000 http://www.latest-apple-news.com/?guid=1ad2f2aad338425308aa1d1bf815c62c Macworld

If you’re wondering which Mac to buy, you’ve come to the right place. In our 2023 Mac buying guide, you’ll find everything you need to know about the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, Mac mini, iMac, Mac Pro and the Mac Studio, with expert buying advice to help you choose the machine (and configuration) that’s right for you.

Apple makes six different types of Mac: MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, Mac mini, iMac, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro, but within each of those categories there are variations in the size, specs and features, so things can get pretty complicated. That’s where this guide comes in, helping you make the right decision. If you’re simply looking for a great offer, visit our MacBook Pro deals, MacBook Air deals, iMac deals, Mac Studio deals, and Mac mini deals pages.

We are now three years into Apple’s transition from Intel processors to its own silicon that includes CPU, GPU, and unified memory. The transition began with the introduction of the M1 in November 2020, followed by the M1 Pro, M1 Max and M1 Ultra, we have now progressed to the M2 (June 2022), the M2 Pro and M2 Max (January 2023), and the M2 Ultra in June 2023. With the arrival of the M2 Ultra Mac Pro in June 2023 every Mac Apple now sells has made the transition to Apple’s own chips. For more information about Apple’s silicon read: Mac processor comparison: M1 & M2 vs Intel.

For help choosing the best Mac laptop, we also have a MacBook buying guide.

Every Mac Apple sells

Below we’ll take you through each Mac that is currently available from Apple, to give you an overview of what’s on offer and what you’ve got to choose from.

MacBook Air, M2 (13.6-inch 2022, 15.3-inch 2023) & M1 (13.3-inch 2020)

MacBook Air, M2 (13.6-inch 2022, 15.3-inch 2023) & M1 (13.3-inch 2020)





Best Prices Today:



$1,095.96 at Amazon$1099.00 at Adorama$1099.00 at Apple

What is it? The MacBook Air is Apple’s most affordable laptop, designed with portability in mind. There are currently three versions of the MacBook Air available from Apple in three sizes and five configurations.

The newest MacBook Air is the 15-inch MacBook Air M2 model that arrived in June 2023, there are two configurations available. There is also a 13.6-inch MacBook Air M2, which was introduced in July 2022 and has the same two configurations as the 15-inch model. Finally there is a slightly smaller 13.3-inch MacBook Air with M1 which launched back in November 2020. For more information about how the different Apple processors compare read: Mac processor comparison: M1 & M2 vs Intel.

Who’s it for? The MacBook Air is ideal for the budget-conscious. It’s also for anyone who is always on the go, doesn’t want to be bogged down by a regular-size laptop, and needs a computer that’s more versatile than an iPad.

How much does the MacBook Air cost? There are five configurations starting at $999/£999 for the MacBook Air M1 and $1,099/£1,149 for the MacBook Air M2 (which had a price drop from $1,199/£1,249). The 15-inch MacBook Air starts at $1,299/£1,399.

What are the specifications?

The specifications of the M2 Macs are the same (although there are some differences in terms of audio, with the larger model featuring more speakers and obviously a larger screen).

  • Apple 8-core M1 SoC with 8GB of memory, a 7-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine; 256GB SSD, two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports
  • Apple 8-core M2 SoC with 8GB of memory, an 8-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine; 256GB SSD, two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports
  • Apple 8-core M2 SoC with 8GB of memory, a 10-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine; 512GB SSD, two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports
  • Additional options for M2 model: 16GB or 24GB unified memory. Up to 2TB storage
  • Additional options for M1 model: 16GB unified memory. Up to 2TB storage

What are display specifications?

  • The 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display has a native resolution of 2,880×1,864 and 500 nits brightness.
  • The 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display has a native resolution of 2,560×1,664 and 500 nits brightness.
  • The 13.3-inch Retina display on the M1 MacBook Air has a native resolution of 2,560×1,600 and 400 nits brightness.

How do I connect stuff? All MacBook Air with M2 chip have a MagSafe port for charging as well as a pair of Thunderbolt/USB 4 connectors. The M1 MacBook Air only offers the two Thunderbolt/USB 4 connectors, so one of these will have to be utilised for charging. If you want to connect USB-A devices, you need either a USB-C to USB adapter, like Apple’s $19 one, or a USB-C hub that has USB-A ports. See our round up of the best USB-C hubs and adapters.

The MacBook Air has built-in Wi-Fi for connecting to a network. It also provides built-in Bluetooth for wirelessly connecting a mouse or other peripherals. If you want to connect to an ethernet network, you need an adapter.

How fast is it? The M2 provides performance that is leaps and bounds faster than the Intel processors that were previously found in the MacBook Air, and Apple claims an 18 percent total CPU improvement over the M1, and a 35 percent improvement in graphics speed. It’s plenty fast enough for general purpose use—it’s actually close to performing like the 13-inch M1 MacBook Pro in this situation. But because it doesn’t have a fan to keep the computer cool, it may throttle down its speed during long processing sessions, such as video editing or compiling code. Even then, it’s still plenty fast.

Macworld’s buying advice: The MacBook Air is a great affordable laptop for someone who does general-purpose work and moves around a lot, such as a student or a self-employed person. You can’t easily upgrade the storage or memory after purchase, so you should buy the model with the largest amount of storage you can afford. We do advise that if you can afford to you should avoid the entry-level models due to slower SSDs, but that may not be an issue if the kind of work you do doesn’t

Read our full

Apple 13-inch MacBook Air (2022, M2) review

13-inch MacBook Pro, M2 (2022)

13-inch MacBook Pro, M2 (2022)





Best Prices Today:



$1149.00 at Best Buy$1,267.94 at Amazon$1299.00 at Adorama

What is it? The 13-inch MacBook Pro features an M2 chip and was introduced in June 2022. This model comes with 10-core GPU and either 256GB SSD or 512GB SSD. The “Pro” in the MacBook Pro name is meant to signify that this is a Mac that’s designed for those who are more demanding than the Air user (who’s main focus is on portability). However, when comparing the MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro the differences are quite narrow.

Who’s it for? The 13-inch MacBook Pro is for a more demanding user than the MacBook Air. However, there are three different types of MacBook Pro available from Apple: 13-inch, 14-inch and 16-inch models, and we’d tend to suggest that the 13-inch MacBook Pro would be better described as a MacBook to better differentiate it from its larger siblings.

How much does the 13-inch MacBook Pro cost: There are two configurations starting at $1,299/£1,349 for the MacBook Pro M2 with 256GB SSD and $1,199/£1,549 for the MacBook Pro M2 with 512GB SSD.

What are the specifications? Apple offers two standard configurations:

  • Apple 8-core M2 SoC with 8GB of memory, a 10-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine; 256GB SSD, two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports
  • Apple 8-core M2 SoC with 8GB of memory, a 10-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine; 512GB SSD, two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports
  • Additional options: 16GB or 24GB unified memory. Up to 2TB storage.

What are display specifications?

  • The 13.3-inch Retina display has a native resolution of 2,560×1,600, and 500 nits brightness.

What is the Touch Bar? All 13-inch MacBook Pro models include the Touch Bar interface at the top of the keyboard. Other Mac laptops used to have this feature, but it is now only available on the 13-inch model. The Touch Bar is an input device that sits on top of the keyboard. It’s basically a narrow touchscreen. The buttons and controls available on the Touch Bar change depending on the software you are using. Learn more about the Touch Bar.

How do I connect stuff? No need to worry about wireless connectivity: the MacBook Pro has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

It’s the wired connectivity you need to be concerned with. The MacBook Pro has only two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports that are compatible with USB-C. If you have a Thunderbolt device, you can plug it directly into the laptop. The same goes for any USB-C device. However, if you have wired devices that aren’t USB-C or are an older version of Thunderbolt, you’ll need an adapter. We have a separate
MacBook Pro Thunderbolt adapter guide to help you decide which ones you’ll need. Unfortunately, be prepared to shell out a good amount of extra cash.

How fast is it? The 13-inch MacBook Pro performs like the MacBook Air, since they have the same processor. But the MacBook Pro’s design lends itself to being better at keeping cool and maintaining its speed, while the thinner MacBook Air needs to throttle down for long processing tasks.

Macworld’s buying advice: For mobile Mac users whose work requires a lot of processing power—you do video or audio editing, graphics work, or write software—but you also want a small laptop, the 13-inch MacBook Pro fits the bill. However, the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro offers a significant speed boost over the 13-inch model, but they are bigger and heavier laptops. If your work mostly involves web surfing and other productivity tasks, however, go for a MacBook Air. As with the MacBook Air, we do advise that if you can afford to you should avoid the entry-level models due to slower SSDs

We compare all the MacBook Pro here: Which MacBook Pro: 13, 14, 16-inch compared. We also look at how the MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro compare.

Read our full

Apple 13-inch MacBook Pro (M2, 2022) review

14-inch MacBook Pro, M2 Pro & M2 Max (2023)

14-inch MacBook Pro, M2 Pro & M2 Max (2023)





Best Prices Today:



$1799.00 at Best Buy$1,947.50 at Amazon$1999.00 at Adorama

What is it? The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M2 Pro or M2 Max was introduced in January 2023 and is one of Apple’s top-of-the-line laptops, the other being the 16-inch MacBook Pro. There’s not a huge difference between the specs on offer–both offer the M2 Max as a processor option–but the 14-inch MacBook Pro is cheaper than the 16-inch. If you want a laptop that can handle any task you throw at it—and you don’t have a constraining budget—you want one of these laptops.

Who’s it for? When Apple called these “Pro” laptops, they weren’t kidding around. If your work is very demanding processing power, these laptops are happy to handle it. Work in pro-level software all the time? Get a 14- or 16-inch MacBook Pro. With either the M2 Pro or M2 Max processor, they’re the fastest laptops Apple has ever created.

How much does the 14-inch MacBook Pro cost? There are three configurations starting at $1,999/£2,149 for the 14-inch MacBook Pro M2 Pro with 10-core CPU, 16-core GPU, 16GB unified memory and 512GB SSD, and $2,499/£2,699 for the 14-inch MacBook Pro M2 Pro with 12-core CPU and 19-core GPU, 16GB unified memory and 1TB SSD. The third option is the M2 Max version with 12-core CPU, 30-core GPU, 32GB memory and 1TB SSD, that costs $3,099/£3,349.

What are the specifications? Here are the standard configurations for the 14-inch MacBook Pro

  • Apple 10-core M1 Pro SoC with 16GB of memory, a 16-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine; 512GB SSD, 67W power adapter
  • Apple 12-core M1 Pro SoC with 16GB of memory, a 19-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine; 1TB SSD, 96W power adapter
  • Apple 12-core M1 Pro SoC with 32 of memory, a 32-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine; 1TB SSD, 96W power adapter
  • Additional options: M2 Max SoC with 12-core CPU, 38-core GPU, 16GB, 64GB or 96GB unified memory. Up to 8TB SSD.

What are display specifications?

  • The 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display has a native resolution of 3,024×1,964, 254 pixels per inch, 1,600 nits of maximum brightness (1,000 nits for HDR content, 500 nits for standard content), 1,000,000 to 1 contrast ratio, and ProMotion support with a refresh rate up to 120Hz.

What’s that notch at the top of the display? That’s the FaceTime 1080p camera, which is an improvement over the 720p camera in the 13-inch MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and previous MacBook Pros. The notch does not affect the available screen area—the work area is a 16-by-10 space, while the screen surrounding the notch is considered extra space and is used to display the menu bar.

How do I connect stuff? The 14-inch MacBook Pro has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for wireless connectivity. The 2023 models offer Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) and Bluetooth 5.3, which is an improvement on the predecessor.

As for its ports, Apple includes three Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports that are compatible with USB-C. If you have a Thunderbolt device, you can plug it directly into the laptop. The same goes for any USB-C device. However, if you have wired devices that aren’t USB-C or are an older version of Thunderbolt, you’ll need an adapter. We have a separate
MacBook Pro Thunderbolt adapter guide to help you decide which ones you’ll need. Unfortunately, be prepared to shell out a good amount of extra cash.

These laptops also come with an HDMI 2.0 port for connecting an external display or projector, and an SDXC Card slot for plugging in memory cards from cameras, audio recorders, and other devices. The HDMI port in the 2023 model supports multichannel audio output.

How do I charge the laptop? Apple has equipped the 14-inch and 16-inch laptops with MagSafe, a magnetic connector that breaks away with a good tug. It’s a nice safety feature, but you can also charge using the Thunderbolt port, too.

The fast charging feature allows the laptop to go from no charge to 50 percent in 30 minutes, but you need to have the proper power adapter to do this. It won’t work with the 67W adapter in the $1,999 MacBook Pro. The 14-inch models need to use the 96W adapter and can do fast charging through MagSafe or a Thunderbolt port.

How fast is it? Apple built the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with pro users in mind and it shows in the performance. Its speed with software that can take advantage of the CPU’s multiple cores – and now that Apple has introduced the M2 Pro and M2 Max you can enjoy the fastest Mac laptops Apple has ever made.

Macworld’s buying advice: The only reason not to buy the 14-inch MacBook Pro would be if you saw a good deal on the M1 Pro version–we’ve been seeing some excellent deals and price cuts on these older models. Our other advice would be that if you are considering the 14-inch MacBook Pro because you need a powerful Mac then, ignore the $1,999 model in favor of the $2,499 model which has more CPU and GPU cores. If you don’t need 1TB storage, save money by adding the M2 Pro with 12‑core CPU and 19‑core GPU as a build to order option to the $1,999 model for an additional $300, bringing the price to $2,299.

Read our full

Apple 14-inch MacBook Pro (M2 Pro, 2023) review

16-inch MacBook Pro, M2 Pro & M2 Max (2023)

16-inch MacBook Pro, M2 Pro & M2 Max (2023)





Best Prices Today:



$2,249.00 at Amazon$2299.00 at Best Buy$2499.00 at Adorama

What is it? The 16-inch MacBook Pro, like the 14-inch model above, was introduced in October 2022. It offers a similar set of specs and configuration options as the 14-inch MacBook Pro (above), but it has a higher price, a bigger screen and better battery life.

Who’s it for? This is Apple’s largest “Pro” laptop and it’s designed for people who need a portable Mac to do work that demands extreme processing power. You could save some money by opting for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, but if you need a big screen on your laptop this is the Mac for you. You’ll also benefit from longer battery life. Configured with the M2 Max this is the fastest and most powerful laptop Apple has ever created.

How much does the 16-inch MacBook Pro cost? There are three standard configurations starting at $2,499/£2,699 for the 16-inch MacBook Pro M2 Pro with 12-core CPU, 19-core GPU and 512GB SSD, $2,699/£2,899 for the MacBook Pro M2 Pro with 12-core CPU, 19-core GPU and 1TB SSD, and $3,499/£3,749 for the MacBook Pro M2 Max with 38-core GPU and 1TB SSD.

What are the specifications? Here are the standard configurations for the 16-inch MacBook Pro introduced in 2023.

  • Apple 12-core M2 Pro SoC with 16GB of memory, a 19-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine; 512GB SSD, 140W power adapter
  • Apple 12-core M2 Pro SoC with 16GB of memory, a 19-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine; 1TB SSD, 140W power adapter
  • Apple 12-core M2 Max SoC with 32GB of memory, a 38-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine; 1TB SSD, 140W power adapter
  • Additional options: M2 Max SoC with 12-core CPU, 30-core GPU, 32GB, 64GB or 96GB unified memory. Up to 8TB SSD.

What are display specifications?

  • The 16.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display has a native resolution of 3,456×2,234, 254 pixels per inch, 1,600 nits of maximum brightness (1,000 nits for HDR content, 500 nits for standard content), 1,000,000 to 1 contrast ratio, and ProMotion support with a refresh rate up to 120Hz.

What’s that notch at the top of the display? That’s the FaceTime 1080p camera. The notch does not affect the available screen area—the work area is a 16-by-10 space, while the screen surrounding the notch is considered extra space and is used to display the menu bar.

How do I connect stuff? The 16-inch MacBook Pro has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for wireless connectivity. The 2023 MacBook Pro offer Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) and Bluetooth 5.3, which is an improvement over the 2021 models.

As for its ports, Apple includes three Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports that are compatible with USB-C. If you have a Thunderbolt device, you can plug it directly into the laptop. The same goes for any USB-C device. However, if you have wired devices that aren’t USB-C or are an older version of Thunderbolt, you’ll need an adapter. We have a separate
MacBook Pro Thunderbolt adapter guide to help you decide which ones you’ll need. Unfortunately, be prepared to shell out a good amount of extra cash.

These laptops also come with an HDMI 2.0 port for connecting an external display or projector, and an SDXC Card slot for plugging in memory cards from cameras, audio recorders, and other devices. The HDMI port in the 2023 model supports multichannel audio output.

How do I charge the laptop? Apple has equipped the 14-inch and 16-inch laptops with MagSafe, a magnetic connector that breaks away with a good tug. It’s a nice safety feature, but you can also charge using the Thunderbolt port, too.

The fast charging feature allows the laptop to go from no charge to 50 percent in 30 minutes, but you need to have the proper power adapter to do this. It won’t work with the 67W adapter in the $1,999 MacBook Pro. The 16-inch models must use the 140W adapter with MagSafe—fast charging does not work through Thunderbolt or with an adapter with lower wattage.

How fast is it? The 16-inch MacBook Pro models were built with pro users in mind so you can expect excellent performance. Your software will be able to take full advantage of the CPU’s multiple cores – which means that even though Apple has now introduced the M2 in the 13-inch MacBook Pro, the M1 Pro still exhibits an excellent boost. If you are a professional, you’ll easily benefit from the M1 Pro or M1 Max.

Macworld’s buying advice: The only reason not to buy right now is the strong likelihood that an update will soon be arriving: rumors suggest that new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro with M2 Pro and M2 Max processors will arrive in spring 2023. However, there are also reasons not to wait: we’ve been seeing some excellent deals and price cuts on these models, and we are expecting that when they launch the new models will cost more (at least outside the U.S.) The 16-inch $3.499 MacBook Pro is the laptop with all the bells and whistles, but the main difference between the 16 and 14-inch laptops is size and battery life – the available configurations are the same. This is for you if you are a demanding user who needs the big screen.

Read our full

Apple 16-inch MacBook Pro (M2 Pro, 2023) review

Mac mini, M2 & M2 Pro (2023)

Mac mini, M2 & M2 Pro (2023)





Best Prices Today:



$599.00 at Adorama$599.00 at Amazon$599.00 at Apple

What is it? The Mac mini with M2 and a Mac mini with M2 Pro were introduced in January 2023. This is Apple’s smallest desktop Mac and offers a nice combination of speed and affordability – in fact since the 2023 model arrived it’s more affordable than ever, $100/£50 less than it was. It’s not only fast enough for general-purpose use, but its multi-core speed is quite good—if you use a professional app like a video editor, 3D software, or developer tools, the Mac mini can handle it, no problem.

Who’s it for? Because of its price and performance, the Mac mini is a great Mac for just about anybody. It makes for an ideal primary Mac for a home or small office. Professionals on a budget will be satisfied with the Mac mini. If you’re switching from a PC, you can use your PC’s keyboard and mouse with the Mac mini. The Mac mini is also ideal as a secondary Mac in your home, and it can integrate into your home entertainment center.

How much does the Mac mini cost? There are three standard configurations starting at $599/£649 for the Mac mini M2 with 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 8GB unified memory and 256GB SSD, $799/£849 for the Mac mini M2 with 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 8GB unified memory and 512GB SSD, and $1,299/£1,399 for the Mac mini M2 Pro with 10-core CPU, 16-core GPU, 16GB unified memory and 512GB SSD.

What are the specifications? Apple sells three Mac mini models, including one that is Intel-powered.

  • Apple 8-core M2 SoC with 8GB of memory, an 10-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine; 256GB SSD
  • Apple 8-core M2 SoC with 8GB of memory, an 10-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine; 512GB SSD
  • Apple 10-core M2 Pro SoC with 16GB of memory, an 16-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine; 512GB SSD
  • Additional options: M2 Pro with 12‑core CPU, 19-core GPU, 32GB unified memory. Up to 8TB SSD.

The Mac mini does not include a display, keyboard, or mouse, so you’ll have to provide your own, or you can customize your order to include these devices as extra-cost options.

How do I connect stuff? Like Apple’s other Macs, the Mac mini has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The $599 and $799 M2-based Mac minis have two Thunderbolt 4/USB 4 ports, while the M2 Pro-based Mac mini has four Thunderbolt 4/USB 4 ports. All Mac minis have two USB-A ports, an HDMI 2.0 port, a headphone jack, and a gigabit ethernet port.

To connect a display, you can use the HDMI port or a Thunderbolt port. You might have to buy an adapter if your display doesn’t have either HDMI or a port that can connect to Thunderbolt.

How fast is it?  The $599 and $799 M2-based Mac minis are very fast, and offer the best performance to price ratio of any Mac that Apple offers. The Mac mini with M2 Pro offers the same 10-core CPU and 16-core GPU, 16GB memory and 512GB storage found in the M2 Pro MacBook Pro for $1,299 rather than $1,999 which is a huge saving and a great way to get a powerful Mac without spending a fortune.

Macworld’s buying advice: The Mac mini is an excellent machine for most Mac users—new or experienced, professional or general consumer. Plus the price is excellent: if you’re on a budget, it’s a great choice, especially if you already have a spare keyboard, mouse, and display. As we’ve already mentioned already, if you can afford to you should avoid the entry-level models due to slower SSDs

Read our full

Apple Mac mini (M2, 2023) review

Apple 24-inch iMac (M1, 2021)

Apple 24-inch iMac (M1, 2021)





Best Prices Today:



$1,298.94 at Amazon$1299.00 at Apple$1299.99 at Best Buy

What is it? Apple unveiled the 24-inch iMac in April 2021. It’s a fresh new take on the iMac and was the first update in more than a decade, with a cleaner design, Apple silicon, and a choice of colors. Apple still hasn’t updated the iMac to the M2 chip–in fact it may not, instead skipping that generation and moving straight to the M3. Read the M3 iMac rumors.

Who’s it for? The iMac is great for both novices and demanding users. It can handle general-purpose and heavy-duty tasks equally well. It’s ideal for someone who needs to buy a complete computer setup (keyboard, mouse or trackpad, and display) and wants to maximize workspace efficiency. The 24-inch iMac is a design icon that will look great in any office.

How much does the iMac cost? Unfortunately the iMac prices outside the U.S. went up in January 2023, making what was already an expensive machine even more pricy. There are three standard configurations starting at $1,299/£1,399 (was £1,249) for the 24-inch iMac M1 with 7-core GPU and 256GB SSD, $1,499/£1,599 (was £1,449) for the 24-inch iMac M1 with 8-core GPU and 256GB SSD, and $1,699/£1,799 (was £1,649) for the 24-inch iMac M1 with 8-core GPU and 512GB SSD.

What are the specifications? The 24-inch iMac uses Apple’s M1 chip rather than Intel’s processors, and there are several configurations available as well as build to order option:

  • Apple M1 SoC with an 8-core CPU (4 performance cores, 4 efficiency cores), 16-core Neural Engine, and 7-core graphics processor (GPU); 8GB of memory; 256GB SSD
  • Apple M1 SoC with an 8-core CPU (4 performance cores, 4 efficiency cores), 16-core Neural Engine, and 8-core graphics processor (GPU); 8GB of memory; 256GB SSD
  • Apple M1 SoC with an 8-core CPU (4 performance cores, 4 efficiency cores), 16-core Neural Engine, and 8-core graphics processor (GPU); 8GB of memory; 512GB SSD
  • Additional options: 16GB unified memory and up to 2TB SSD.

What are display specifications?

The 24-inch 4.5K Retina display has 11.3 million pixels and supports the P3 wide color gamut, over a billion colors, 500 nits of brightness, and True Tone. Apple treats the display with an anti-reflective coating to help with readability.

Why does it look different from the other iMacs? The 24-inch iMac has a much different design than the discontinued 21.5-inch and 27-inch models. The bezels around the display are much smaller than on the older iMacs, but it still has a “chin,” a section located below the display that houses the iMac’s internals. The chin doesn’t have the Apple logo on the front. Instead, it’s on the back. Most notably, the 24-inch iMac comes in several colors: the $1, 299 model is available in blue, green, pink, and silver, while the $1,499 and $1,699 models are available in the same colors as well as orange, purple, and yellow.

How do I connect stuff? The $1,299 24-inch iMac 24 has two Thunderbolt 3 ports that also work with USB-C devices. The $1,499 and $1,699 iMacs have two additional USB-C ports. If you have a USB-A device, you need to buy an adapter, such as Apple’s USB-C to USB Adapter ($19). If you have multiple USB-A devices and other items, consider a Thunderbolt hub. The 24-inch iMac also has a headphone jack on the side.

The 24-inch iMac, unlike the older iMacs, does not have an SDXC slot. Once again, you’ll need an adapter, such as the 
Anker SD Card reader ($17). However, it does have a super-cool magnetic power cord.

Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 are built-in. Apple doesn’t put a gigabit ethernet port on the 24-inch iMac—instead, it’s on the power adapter. But that ethernet-equipped power adapter comes standard with the $1,499 and $1,699 models. It’s not included with the $1,299 model, but you can select it as an option at the point of purchase—and yes, that means you’ll have to pay extra for it.

How fast is it?: Since the 24-inch iMac has the same M1 as the Mac mini, its speed is very similar. That means it’s fast, and it’s much faster than the 21.5-inch models it replaces. It’s got all the speed general consumers need, and it can handle pro applications with no problem. However, the $1,299 model has only one fan inside its body, while the $1,499 and $1,699 models have two fans. That means the high-priced models do a better job keeping the internals cool. The $1,299 model may need to slow down its performance on heavy-duty tasks in order to maintain a proper temperature.

Macworld’s buying advice: Everything about the iMac was greatly improved with the 24-inch model, from the design to the display to its performance. It’s now more than two years on though and a M2 model is surely in the works at Apple–and, we hope, a iMac Pro model to replace the discontinued 27-inch iMac. If you are buying one the sweet spot is the $1,499/£1,599 model, which gets you more ports, Touch ID, and ethernet.

Read our full

Apple 24-inch iMac (M1, 2021) review

Mac Studio, M2 Max & M2 Ultra (2023)

Mac Studio, M2 Max & M2 Ultra (2023)





Best Prices Today:



$1799.00 at Best Buy$1999.00 at Adorama

What is it? The Mac Studio joined Apple’s Mac lineup in March 2022 and was updated in June 2023 when it gained the M2 Max and M2 Ultra. It’s a desktop “modular” Mac that’s more powerful (and more expensive) than the Mac mini and similarly speced to the Mac Pro, but lacking the Mac Pro’s expansion options.

Who’s it for? The Mac Studio is for the user who wants the maximum processing power. It’s not the only powerful Mac available–the Mac Pro also runs on the M2 Ultra–but it is the cheapest way to get either the M2 Max or M2 Ultra chips. If you want the expansion options of the Mac Pro then you’ll want to look elsewhere, but the Mac Studio brings all the power usually reserved for the ultimate Mac in a small package.

How much does the Mac Studio cost? There are two standard configurations starting at $1,999/£2,099 (was £1,999) for the Mac Studio M2 Max with 30-core GPU and 512GB SSD, and $3,999/£4,199 (was £3,999) for the Mac Studio M2 Ultra with 60-core GPU and 1TB SSD. There are also build to order options that include 76-core GPU, up to 192GB Unified Memory, and 8TB SSD. Fully maxed out a Mac Studio would cost $8,799/£8,999.

What are the specifications? The Mac Studio uses either the M2 Max or M2 Ultra processors. Apple offers two standard configurations:

  • Apple M2 Max SoC with a 12-core CPU, 30-core GPU, 32GB of memory, and a 16-core Neural Engine; 512GB SSD
  • Apple M2 Ultra SoC with a 24-core CPU, 60-core GPU, 64GB of memory, and a 32-core Neural Engine; 1TB SSD
  • Additional options: M2 Ultra SoC with a 76-core GPU, up to 192GB unified memory and up to 8TB SSD.

The Mac Studio does not include a display, keyboard, or mouse, so you’ll have to provide your own, or you can customize your order to include these devices as extra-cost options. Apple released the Studio Display at the same time as the original Mac Studio, but it can be used with third-party displays, too. 

How do I connect stuff? 

The Mac Studio has the following ports:

  • M2 Max: Four Thunderbolt 4 ports on back; two USB-C ports on front.
  • M2 Ultra: Four Thunderbolt 4 ports on back; two Thunderbolt 4 ports on front.
  • SDXC Card slot on front.
  • Two USB-A ports.
  • 10Gb ethernet.
  • HDMI 2.0.
  • 3.5 mm headphone jack (with advanced support for high-impedance headphones, a feature lacked by the M1-series models)
  • 802.11ax Wi‑Fi 6E (was 802.11ax Wi‑Fi 6 in predecessor)
  • Bluetooth 5.3 (was Bluetooth 5.0 in predecessor)

Thunderbolt supports USB-C and USB-4.

To connect to a network, you can use the built-in ethernet port, or you can use Wi-Fi, which comes standard.

To connect a display, you can use the HDMI 2.0 port or the Thunderbolt ports. You might have to buy an adapter if your display doesn’t have either HDMI or a port that can connect to Thunderbolt. You can connect up to eight 4K displays, six 6K displays, or three 8K displays to the M2 Ultra. The M2 Max supports fewer displays.

How fast is it? The M2 Ultra Mac Studio is Apple’s fastest chip, both in CPU and GPU speed.

The M2 Max Mac Studio is a very fast Mac at a very competitive price point. Its speed is equal to that of the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models that feature the M2 Max and it costs a fraction of the price: $1,999 compared to $3,099 for the 14-inch and $3,499 for the 16-inch.

Macworld’s buying advice: The Mac Studio is ideal for users who use processor- and graphics-intensive apps, such as media production, software development, graphics software, and more. If you find yourself spending a lot of time watching progress bars while you work, you’ll benefit from the power of the Mac Studio.

However, the Mac Studio relies on external connections for expandability. If you want a pro-level Mac with the ability to swap expansion cards you should look at Apple silicon-based Mac Pro below.

Apple Mac Pro (M2 Ultra, 2023)

Apple Mac Pro (M2 Ultra, 2023)




What is it? The Mac Pro is Apple’s workstation. It’s designed for professionals who need a powerful and flexible machine. Apple took its time to update the Mac Pro with its own silicon, but in June 2023, three and a half years after the previous update, the company finally came up with the goods.

Who’s it for? The Mac Pro is designed for professionals who work with applications that use as many processing cores as possible—video-editing applications, image-editing software, 3D programs, audio editing, software developers, and the like.

How much does the Mac Pro cost? The Mac Pro starts at $6,999/£7,199 (which is up from the previous generation’s starting price of $5,999/£5,499). That’s for the Tower version, there is also a Rack mount version that starts at $7,499/£7,699. Those are the starting prices, you can choose various configuration options, such as the 76-core GPU and the 192GB unified memory and 8TB storage – just as with the Mac Studio. A fully specced out Mac Pro Tower costs $11,799/£11,999.

What are the specifications?

The specifications on offer are identical to the Mac Studio with M2 Ultra:

  • Apple M2 Ultra SoC with a 24-core CPU, 60-core GPU, 64GB of memory, and a 32-core Neural Engine; 1TB SSD
  • Additional options: M2 Ultra SoC with a 76-core GPU, up to 192GB unified memory and up to 8TB SSD.

How do I connect stuff?

Mac Pro has the following ports:

  • M2 Max: Four Thunderbolt 4 ports on back; two USB-C ports on front.
  • M2 Ultra: Four Thunderbolt 4 ports on back; two Thunderbolt 4 ports on front.
  • SDXC Card slot on front.
  • Two USB-A ports.
  • 10Gb ethernet.
  • HDMI 2.0.
  • 3.5 mm headphone jack (with advanced support for high-impedance headphones, a feature lacked by the M1-series models)
  • 802.11ax Wi‑Fi 6E (was 802.11ax Wi‑Fi 6 in predecessor)
  • Bluetooth 5.3 (was Bluetooth 5.0 in predecessor)

To connect a display, you can use the HDMI 2.0 port or the Thunderbolt ports. You might have to buy an adapter if your display doesn’t have either HDMI or a port that can connect to Thunderbolt. You can connect up to eight 4K displays, six 6K displays or three 8K displays.

To connect external devices, the Mac Pro has eight Thunderbolt 4/USB-C ports, three USB-A ports, two HDMI ports, and Dual 10Gb Ethernet. But the real draw for creative pros will be the seven PCI Express expansion slots, one of which comes with an Apple I/O card installed.

How fast is it? Apple says the 2023 Mac Pro is up to 3x faster than the previous-generation Intel-based model. With support for 192GB of unified memory, Apple says the Mac Pro supports “more memory than the most advanced workstation graphics cards, taking on demanding workloads other systems can’t even process.” Apple says that, like the M2 Ultra Mac Studio, the M2 Ultra Mac Pro can plan an “unprecedented 22 streams of 8K ProRes video.”

Macworld’s buying advice: The Mac Pro provides the processing power that the most demanding users need. We’re talking about production environments, like TV and audio recording studios, animation houses, and software developers. If you feel like you can never have enough power, you’re probably the professional the Mac Pro is aimed at. But if you don’t need the expandability then the Mac Studio will probably be adequate.

If you’re more of a “prosumer” than a professional—someone who is an expert Mac user, but doesn’t use high-end apps—the Mac Pro is overkill. You’re probably not going to be able to take advantage of what the Mac Pro has to offer.

Apple, Consumer Electronics, Desktop PCs, iMac, Laptops, Mac, Mac Pro, MacBook, Technology Industry

]]>