receive to our weekly Apple Breakfast chromatography column , which include all the Apple news you missed last hebdomad in a handy pungency - sized roundup . We call it Apple Breakfast because we think it fail great with a Monday break of the day cupful of coffee tree or tea , but it ’s coolheaded if you want to give it a read during lunch or dinner hours too .
The Air to the throne
But the rum matter about Apple ’s erratic access to Mac refreshes – Modern models appearing when the company feels like it rather than to any sort of identifiable schedule , and in dribs and drabs rather than updating the whole line at once – is that one good release can make the residue of the product line on the spur of the moment seem unappealing . powerful now , in fact , all roads lead to the 15 - column inch MacBook Air .
Take the 13 - inch MacBook Air , for illustration . Unlike its large sibling , this model gets a alternative of processors , with Apple currently sell both M1 and M2 configurations . You might find the M1 option appealing , given that it ’s still a fast chip and will save you some money , but after a recent toll cutting , the starting damage is only $ 100 less than the M2 model , and you ’re getting an quondam design and slightly smaller covert with duncish bezels . ( Apple look up to both as 13 - inch laptops , but the M1 model is actually 13.3 column inch , while the M2 is 13.6 inches . For that topic , the 15 - in Air has a screen that ’s 15.3 inches . These are strong times for statistical pedants . ) Is $ 100 enough of a saving to warrant picking a laptop computer with 18 calendar month less time to come - proofing ? We ’d say not .
So theM2 configis a better choice than the M1 . But again , there ’s a more expensive alternative that makes more sense . The 15 - inch M2 Air starts at $ 1,299 , and that supererogatory $ 200 buy you a importantly self-aggrandizing screenland , a dear central processor with 10 GPU core group rather than 8 , serious battery life ( an extra 92 minutes in our test ) , a large trackpad , and a superior audio frequency setup with an extra two speakers . Again – and perhaps this is deliberate on Apple ’s part , in a calculated motivator for upselling – the sensible selection is to spend a short more .
But then again , the MacBook Pro manikin also suffer in comparability with the newest atmosphere . The 16 - inch Pro is vastly more expensive ; the 14 - column inch Pro is still a lot more expensive while offer a smaller screen , and the less allege about the13 - inch professional , the better .
All of this reminds me of the excited rollercoaster that is the iPad range . In 2020 we reviewed thelatest iPad Airand enounce it was “ the best iPad for most people . ” But over the course of instruction of the next 16 months , Apple cannibalized the Air ’s market place from various centering with fantabulous updates to the 10.2 - inch iPad , the iPad mini , and the small-scale iPad Pro . By the time 2022 tramp around , the Air had been relegated to the half-pint of the litter – before anew updatemade it the good alternative once again . The whole operation is tiring , and confusing for customers who do n’t know if a better alternative will shortly make their new gimmick almost obsolete .
Apple seems wedded to its closelipped and idiosyncratic release schedule , and it ’s unlikely that we ’ll see a more predictable system – fresh versions of every Mac in the saltation , new reading of every iPhone and iPad in the fall , for example – in our lifetimes . But the party would do well to consider the advantage of such an approach path . Customers would palpate more secure in their choices , for one affair , and could make the good conclusion for their needs and budget . ( Yes , of course , sales would tail off in the calendar month or so before each update … but Apple could augur that , and build that into its logistic planning . The sales would still happen , just at a different time . ) take care you , it would be a incubus for referee , so perhaps we should forget the whole thing .
Foundry
Reviews corner
Apple’sVision Pro strategyis lookinga band like the iPod .
Apple’sGame Porting Toolkitis the first real stone’s throw tofixing Mac play .
Dan Moren discussesthree WWDC software announcementsthat hint atnew Apple home gear .
The simulated middle have it : Apple ’s Visionneeds some refinement , reckons the Macalope .
The firstM2 Ultra Mac Pro benchmarksareseriously telling .
If you have aniPhone 8 or iPhone X , you shouldprobably sell it now .
The firstM2 Ultra Mac Pro benchmarksblow away thebest Intel models .
Intel has responded to theApple atomic number 14 Mac Prowithits own ‘ Ultra ’ chips .
A Huawei‘Vision Pro ’ trademarkmightblock the saleof Apple ’s new headset in China .
Thenew Mac Prois tag as“Product of Thailand,”and nobody is sure why .
The rumor mill
Apple is already test afaster 15 - column inch MacBook Airwith anM3 Saratoga chip .
What does theMacBook Air ’s price cutmean for the iPhone 15 ?
Podcast of the week
The Mac takes center stage on this week ’s episode of the Macworld Podcast ! We have a new 15 - inch MacBook Air , a young Mac Studio , the unveiling of macOS Sonoma , and more !
you’re able to catch every episode of the Macworld Podcast onSpotify , Soundcloud , thePodcasts app , orour own site .
Software updates, bugs, and problems
Apple’snew Mac Proalready has anissue with its expandable memory board .
