Laptops News - Page 2

The latest and most important Laptops news - Page 2.

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The M3 MacBook Air is now on sale and you can pick yours up at a local Apple Store

Oliver Haslam | Mar 8, 2024 12:29 PM CST

After months of rumors and a launch earlier this week, Apple has today made the M3 13- and 15-inch MacBook Air laptops available to buy which means that those who placed an order earlier in the week will have started to receive their notebooks today today. It also means that those who prefer to pick their new laptop up in-store can do just that.

The M3 MacBook Air is now on sale and you can pick yours up at a local Apple Store

Both 13- and 15-inch MacBook Air laptops are available to buy at a local Apple Store today with stocks also offered in various colors as well. The base configurations are also available but those who want to upgrade to a more powerful device will have to choose a built-to-order model which won't be available for immediate in-store collection.

In its base configuration, the M3 MacBook Air comes with an M3 chip with an 8-core CPU and an 8-core GPU paired with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. You'll get two Thunderbolt / USB-4 ports which can be used for charging. Alternatively, the laptops also ship with a MagSafe 3 charging port as well. The 13-inch model comes with a 30W USB-C power adapter while those who choose the larger 15-inch model will get a slightly more capable 35W charger instead.

Continue reading: The M3 MacBook Air is now on sale and you can pick yours up at a local Apple Store (full post)

Apple just kinda admitted Macs should have at least 16GB of RAM but still sells them with 8GB

Oliver Haslam | Mar 6, 2024 11:43 AM CST

Apple might have just announced the new M3 MacBook Air with a starting configuration of 8GB of RAM and the 14-inch MacBook Pro might start with the exact same amount of memory, but the company has today come closer than ever to admitting that perhaps those machines should come with more - especially the MacBook Pro. And while the company hasn't come close to actually saying that, its actions have suggested that it is well aware of the situation.

Apple just kinda admitted Macs should have at least 16GB of RAM but still sells them with 8GB

That's after Apple decided to begin offering the 14-inch MacBook Pro with 16GB of RAM as an in-store pickup option for those who want to buy the pro-level laptop with a pro-level amount of memory. Normally, those who wanted to buy a MacBook Pro with 16GB of RAM would have had to place their order as a built-to-order model and wait for it to arrive.

The move now means that the 16GB 14-inch MacBook Pro is being offered as a standard option on Apple's website with a price of $1,999. That means that the same configuration will also be stocked in physical Apple Stores for the first time.

Continue reading: Apple just kinda admitted Macs should have at least 16GB of RAM but still sells them with 8GB (full post)

Early super-fast M3 MacBook Air benchmarks offer little in the way of surprises

Oliver Haslam | Mar 6, 2024 11:15 AM CST

Apple finally announced the M3 MacBook Air in both 13- and 15-inch configurations earlier this week and the new tablets are now available for preorder. They'll begin arriving on the doorsteps of people who placed their orders early starting on Friday, March 8, and they should also become available in Apple Stores around the globe on the same day. But we don't have to wait that long to find out just how capable these machines are, with early benchmarks having already started to appear online.

Early super-fast M3 MacBook Air benchmarks offer little in the way of surprises

As spotted by the folks at MySmartPrice, Apple's M3-powered MacBook Air has already popped up in the online Geekbench database of results which means that we can get a feel for how fast the new laptops are. And, perhaps unsurprisingly, these machines are just as quick as other M3 Macs that are already on sale.

The MacBook Air currently available in the Geekbench database is an M3 model with 16GB of RAM which manages a single-core score of 3,157 and a multi-core score of 12,020. The machine has the model identifier of Mac15,3 which suggests that it is a 15-inch model.

Continue reading: Early super-fast M3 MacBook Air benchmarks offer little in the way of surprises (full post)

Apple unveils two new MacBook Air models with M3 processors, available this week

Jak Connor | Mar 4, 2024 7:32 AM CST

After rumors that Apple was going to make new product announcements this week, the company has seemingly come out the gate red hot with two new MacBook Air offerings, both featuring the company's latest M3 chip.

Apple unveils two new MacBook Air models with M3 processors, available this week

Apple has rolled out a refresh of its incredibly popular MacBook Air series, offering consumers a new 13-inch model and a 15-inch. Both of these new laptops feature the company's new M3 processor that will increase its performance compared to the previous model, and notably, is the same chip that is found in the entry-level MacBook Pro 14-inch. Surprisingly, Apple hasn't increased the price for either the 13-inch model or the 15-inch, with the 13-inch M3 starting at $1,099 and the 15-inch from $1,299.

As for design, Apple has kept the same design as the last generation for both of the variants, which isn't very shocking considering the 15-inch Air was only announced in October 2023. As per Apple fashion, the company directly compares these new variants against the M1 and even Intel-based Apple MacBooks, which were released 5 years ago.

Continue reading: Apple unveils two new MacBook Air models with M3 processors, available this week (full post)

Don't expect any big macOS design changes this year, new report warns

Oliver Haslam | Feb 26, 2024 11:15 AM CST

Every year Apple announces new software for its many devices and platforms including the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and this year surely, the Apple Vision Pro. You can add the Mac to that list as well, and it's the upcoming macOS software update that has been discussed in a new report by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

Don't expect any big macOS design changes this year, new report warns

Writing in the weekly Power On newsletter Gurman said that Apple is of course working on the 2024 Mac software update but there is bad news for those who are hoping for big design changes this time out.

9to5Mac reported on the paywalled version of Gurman's newsletter in which he mentioned that while there are some notable changes expected in the upcoming iOS 18 iPhone software update, things are going to be different on the Mac. We can expect a new update this year, but Gurman says that Apple's work on notable design tweaks has only just started and that the bigger update won't be ready until 2025 or 2026.

Continue reading: Don't expect any big macOS design changes this year, new report warns (full post)

It just got cheaper to buy a 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro in Canada and Europe, here's why

Oliver Haslam | Feb 24, 2024 1:59 PM CST

If you're in the market for a new laptop and want to treat yourself to a new 14-inch MacBook Pro, doing so could now be cheaper than you first thought - especially if you're in Canada or one of a number of European countries. That's because the Apple Stores in those countries are now offering refurbished models for the first time.

It just got cheaper to buy a 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro in Canada and Europe, here's why

The new move means that those in Canada, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, and the UK now have the option of buying a refurbished M3 14-inch MacBook Pro directly from Apple which makes buying cheaper than ever. And while these machines are indeed renewed rather than brand-new, the difference between the two is negligible.

Apple says that each of the MacBook Pros that it refurbished has been thoroughly cleaned and inspected to ensure that they work as if they were new and are in good condition. They're also backed by Apple's one-year limited warranty and those who want to add extra coverage can do so via the AppleCare+ program. Each laptop comes with all accessories and manuals as if it were new, although it will arrive in a plain white box rather than the normal retail one.

Continue reading: It just got cheaper to buy a 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro in Canada and Europe, here's why (full post)

COLORFUL MEOW gaming laptop: AMD Ryzen 8040 'Hawk Point' APU and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 GPU

Anthony Garreffa | Feb 19, 2024 6:30 PM CST

COLORFUL doesn't make any AMD products right now, with the Chinese company only pumping out NVIDIA GeForce graphics cards over the last few years... but that's about to change.

COLORFUL MEOW gaming laptop: AMD Ryzen 8040 'Hawk Point' APU and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 GPU

The company has just announced it is making a new gaming laptop that's powered by an AMD Ryzen CPU, with a new "MEOW" series gaming laptop to be announced on February 23. COLORFUL is teasing that it will be an "AMD AI PC" with a "GeForce RTX 40" series graphics card and part of its MEOW series of products.

COLORFUL is found in the laptop market with Intel processors, first debuting a laptop with an Intel 10th Gen Core CPU back in the day. But now ITHome is reporting that COLORFUL's new MEOW gaming laptops are named MEOW R15 24 and MEOW R16 24, which points to new 15-inch and 16-inch gaming laptops.

Continue reading: COLORFUL MEOW gaming laptop: AMD Ryzen 8040 'Hawk Point' APU and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 GPU (full post)

ASUS's Zenbook DUO is a new laptop with two 14-inch OLED touchscreens and a detachable keyboard

Kosta Andreadis | Feb 15, 2024 11:34 PM CST

ASUS first showcased the new Zenbook Duo (2024) UX8406 at CES last month, where it immediately turned heads and garnered attention as a new one-of-a-kind device-a dual-screen laptop with a detachable keyboard designed to deliver a versatile and cutting-edge portable productivity experience.

ASUS's Zenbook DUO is a new laptop with two 14-inch OLED touchscreens and a detachable keyboard

It can be configured and used in multiple ways, with the ASUS Zenbook DUO having a traditional single-screen and keyboard setup that can also turn into two portrait displays in a book-like orientation with touchscreen functionality to a modern productivity setup with the dual screens and keyboard arranged to maximize comfort and use.

Hardware-wise, you've got the new AI-ready Intel Core Ultra 9-185H processor with Intel arc graphics, 1TB of PCIe 4.0 SSD storage, and 32GB of LPDDR5X RAM. As for the displays, you're looking at two 14-inch ASUS Lumina OLED displays with a 2880x1800 resolution, 500-nit HDR peak brightness, 120Hz refresh rate, and 100% DCI-P3 color accuracy.

Continue reading: ASUS's Zenbook DUO is a new laptop with two 14-inch OLED touchscreens and a detachable keyboard (full post)

Lenovo cooking up a new ThinkPad laptop with transparent display

Kosta Andreadis | Feb 12, 2024 11:57 PM CST

Although it sounds like an announcement perfect for CES, it looks like Lenovo is bringing a world first to the Mobile World Congress 2024 (MWC) in Barcelona later this month. It's a transparent laptop with a completely see-through display reminiscent of LG and Samsung's transparent displays showcased at CES 2024.

Lenovo cooking up a new ThinkPad laptop with transparent display

This news arrives via Windows Report, which includes images showcasing the stylish new device. In addition to a bezel-free look for the main transparent display, a transparent glass layer above the base features an illuminated keyboard.

There's no word on the specs or hardware configuration, but based on the desktop wallpaper, it's safe to assume it will be a Windows 11 device.

Continue reading: Lenovo cooking up a new ThinkPad laptop with transparent display (full post)

Dead and buried: The last MacBook Pro with a CD drive is now obsolete

Oliver Haslam | Jan 31, 2024 12:45 PM CST

The very last Apple MacBook Pro to feature a CD/DVD drive inside has now officially been added to the company's list of obsolete products worldwide, according to the company's website.

Dead and buried: The last MacBook Pro with a CD drive is now obsolete

The change was first spotted by MacRumors with the model in question being the Mid 2012 13-inch MacBook Pro. It first went on sale in June of 2012 and was finally removed from sale in October 2016. While Apple doesn't ship any Mac with a CD/DVD drive inside anymore, those who still need to be able to slide a disc in can do so if they pick up an external SuperDrive although they'll need to get a USB-C adapter in order to connect it to modern Macs.

MacRumors notes that Apple considers its Macs to be obsolete once more than seven years have passed since it was last distributed for sale. Apple notes that the MacBooks may still be eligible for extended battery-only repairs for up to 10 years from the last time the product was distributed for sale, but that's subject to the availability of parts which could well be a problem at this stage.

Continue reading: Dead and buried: The last MacBook Pro with a CD drive is now obsolete (full post)