Mac

Third-party RAM for 27-inch iMac still far more affordable than Apple’s add-on RAM

Written by

Tim Hardwick, MacRumors:

To max out the RAM at checkout, Apple charges an additional $2,600, which is like buying another whole ‌iMac‌. Fortunately, the memory in the 27-inch ‌iMac‌ is user-replaceable thanks to the easily-accessible memory backdoor slot, and there are far more affordable options available from third parties.

Third party RAM prices vs Apple’s add-on price:

  • 128GB (4 x 32GB DIMMs): Amazon ($599) vs Apple ($2,600)
  • 64GB (4 x 16GB DIMMs) – Amazon ($269) vs Apple ($1,000)
  • 32GB (2 x 16GB DIMMs) – Amazon ($135) vs Apple ($400)

Same as it ever was. But good reminder for folks ordering the new iMac.

27-inch iMac gets a major update

Written by

Apple:

Apple today announced a major update to its 27-inch iMac. By far the most powerful and capable iMac ever, it features faster Intel processors up to 10 cores, double the memory capacity, next-generation AMD graphics, superfast SSDs across the line with four times the storage capacity, a new nano-texture glass option for an even more stunning Retina 5K display, a 1080p FaceTime HD camera, higher fidelity speakers, and studio-quality mics.

And:

For pros who need to push iMac even further, the 27-inch iMac has a 10-core processor option for the first time, with Turbo Boost speeds reaching 5.0GHz for up to 65 percent faster CPU performance. And when working with memory-intensive applications, iMac features double the memory capacity for up to 128GB.

And:

For GPU-based rendering, editing multiple streams of 4K video, or playing a graphics-intensive game, the 27-inch iMac has more powerful next-generation AMD graphics. iMac delivers up to 55 percent faster graphics performance from its Radeon Pro 5000 series graphics, featuring AMD’s latest RDNA architecture with faster, more power-efficient compute units. And for customers using pro apps that can take advantage of large amounts of video memory for even greater performance, iMac features a graphics option with 16GB of memory for the first time — providing double the video memory capacity of the previous-generation 27-inch iMac.

And:

Apple today also announced that its 21.5-inch iMac will come standard with SSDs across the line for the first time. Customers can also choose to configure their 21.5-inch iMac with a Fusion Drive. iMac Pro now comes standard with a 10-core Intel Xeon processor. Designed for pro users who require workstation-class performance, iMac Pro features Xeon processors up to 18 cores, graphics performance up to 22 teraflops, up to 256GB quad-channel ECC memory, and a brilliant 27-inch Retina 5K display.

That’s a lot of upgrade.

As to pricing:

  • 27-inch iMac starts at $1,799
  • 21.5-inch iMac starts at $1,099
  • iMac Pro starts at $4,999.

Available to order now.

If your Mac occasionally shows “not charging”

Written by

Juli Clover, MacRumors:

Macs running macOS 10.15.5 or later have a Battery Health Management feature to preserve the life of the battery, and occasionally, the Battery Health Management option will cause the Mac to pause its charging for calibration purposes.

And:

Battery Health Management features are available on Mac notebooks that have Thunderbolt 3 ports and that run macOS Catalina 10.15.5 or later. The option improves the lifespan of a Mac’s battery by reducing the amount of time that the battery spends at a maximum charge, which can cut down on chemical aging.

This Apple support document walks through the details.

Two new, beautifully artistic “Behind the Mac” videos

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[VIDEO] Apple posted these two videos (embedded in main Loop post) over the weekend, both highlighting the artistic possibilities of the Mac.

The first shows off photographer Tyler Mitchell:

“What can I do with the sweaters I’ve worn on my back.” Tyler Mitchell takes us to his place in Bed-Stuy, as he works on a new portrait series using only elements from his own bedroom. Remote cameras were set up in the fashion photographer’s apartment, capturing his creative process as he shot and edited the series over a 24 hour period. Digging through references, compiling a mood board, capturing the images, scanning them into his MacBook, and editing the selects in Photoshop. Putting the final touches on the portraits just before midnight.

Fascinating to watch the process unfold, all taking place in an apartment with some amazing light, and right off the train tracks. I spent my youngest years living in Queens, right around the corner from the el. Those trains really struck a chord. Beautiful video.

And next up is musician James Blake, putting his MacBook and Logic Pro X through their paces:

“It feels like a dream that I’m sort of walking through and I’m able to affect what happens in it.” James Blake lets us inside his brain as he writes the new song “ASK FOR MORE.” Remote cameras were set up in the GRAMMY® Award winner’s home studio, capturing his entire creative process as he worked on writing, recording and editing the song over a 24 hour period. From time spent crafting a melody at his piano, to looping and pitching the melody and adding layers, instruments and vocals in Logic Pro X on his MacBook, to editing it into a finished song. Completing the track just after 1am.

Enjoy!

Rene Ritchie: Wrong about the Apple Silicon Mac

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[VIDEO] This is just a great watch, Rene Ritchie presents a master class on Apple’s history with Arm and what it means today. If you have any interest in the Mac’s path to Apple silicon, this is incredibly informative and not too jargony. Video embedded in main Loop post.

macOS Big Sur: 85+ Top Features/Changes!

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[VIDEO] Jeff Benjamin, 9to5Mac, returns with another massive video (embedded in the main Loop post), this time focusing on the changes from macOS Catalina and the first beta of Big Sur.

Settle in, grab a snack, enjoy.

macOS Catalina and Big Sur screenshots, side-by-side

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Great way to get a sense of the visual change coming with macOS Big Sur. Scroll through the images, keep in mind that’s Catalina on the left, Big Sur on the right (mostly).

Also keep in mind that Big Sur is a first beta. Some details may (and likely will) change.

Arm-based Macs: Here’s what’s happening to Boot Camp

Written by

Samuel Axon, Ars Technica:

When Apple announced its plans to transition the Mac to its own, ARM-based silicon and away from the x86 architecture used in Intel Macs, the company listed a plethora of tools for making sure as many applications survive the shift as possible. But while it’s helpful that Apple is providing developer tools for adapting Intel Mac apps and virtualization tools for running the apps that won’t make the move right away, there’s one scenario Apple didn’t talk about at all during its keynote: running Windows natively on a Mac.

And:

While virtualization via tools like Parallels or VMWare are usually sufficient for running most Windows apps under macOS, there are some edge cases when the Boot Camp approach is the only option. One of the most common: running Windows PC games, which tend to run more optimally under Windows than they do under macOS, no matter how well done the ports are.

And there’s the rub. Boot Camp allows Windows to run natively, currently as an Intel-targeted OS running natively on Intel platform.

But:

We’ve learned that Boot Camp will not work on Apple silicon-based Macs. This will surely be a surprise to almost no one, of course. You can’t expect to just run a game natively out of the box on a totally different architecture.

Yup. Boot Camp itself doesn’t allow an Intel-compiled OS to run natively on Arm. So will Microsoft allow a version of Windows to be built, targeted specifically at Apple’s Mac/Arm architecture?

Does Apple want Windows on the Mac? Is that an important part of the next generation of Macs?

Rene Ritchie: Apple dumps Intel — Explained!

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[VIDEO] This is an excellent explainer, soup to nuts, about Apple’s move from Intel to ARM (video embedded in main Loop post). Per usual for Rene, this is packed with detail, but is ultimately rewarding.

Absolutely worth your time. One question remains for me: Does Apple need a Windows story anymore?

Rene Ritchie: iOS 14 — Details & Secrets (WWDC 2020)

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[VIDEO] Rene doing what he does best: Talk through a bunch of detail, this time on iOS 14. Lots and lots of detail, worth watching all the way through.

One bit that struck me, albeit more for the macOS implications than what it does for iOS. Rene raises the issue of Safari changing codes, from H.265 to AV1. Question is, will I be able to finally see 4K YouTube videos in macOS Safari? Seems likely.

Anyway, lots to process in the video embedded in the main Loop post. Good stuff.

Wired: Apple’s Intel breakup will reshape Macs—and beyond

Written by

Brian Barrett, Wired:

Apple outlined several failsafes to ensure as few bumps along that road as possible. It will ship Rosetta 2, an emulator that will let ARM-based Macs run Intel software from any lagging developers. It will allow for virtualization of Linux, although Apple has been mum as to whether Macs will continue to be able to load Windows through Boot Camp or virtualization software. Most intriguingly—and unexpectedly—iPhone and iPad apps will be able to run natively on a Mac.

And, on the Roseta 2 emulator:

“It translates the apps when you install them so they can launch immediately and be instantly responsive,” said Apple senior vice president of software engineering Craig Federighi during Monday’s keynote. “Rosetta 2 can also can also translate code on the fly when needed, like web browsing. It even handles the most complex pro apps and their plug-ins.”

And:

There’s also a question of at what point certain apps, in particular those that aren’t actively maintained, simply stop working on ARM-based Macs.

Terrific article. I’ve been watching developers download and install macOS 11 Big Sur (yes, it’s macOS 11), then jump through the hoops to build ARM versions of their existing apps. Without the actual Mac mini Developer Transition Kit in hand, hard to know if the ported apps actually work, but (grain of salt) assuming the ports do work on ARM hardware, this looks like a reasonably pain free port for mainstream apps.

I’ve got an app in the hopper, waiting to try for myself.

Rene Ritchie: What the Mac needs next (and a brief history of macOS nicknames)

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[VIDEO] Rene shares his thoughts on what he’d like to see from Apple where macOS is concerned. Worth watching. Video embedded in the main Loop post.

But to me, the even more worth watching part is the Lion’s share of the open (pun intended), where Rene riffs about all those Apple OS nicknames. A great history lesson, with some OS names you might not have been aware of.

Osborning the Mac

Written by

Jean-Louis Gassée:

From a PR perspective, the transition to ARM looks like a delicate balancing exercise. If Apple announces the move six months before the first ARM-based machines are scheduled to emerge, how will that effect current Mac sales?

A new Mac always raises this question, especially with a new Mac that is more than a speed bump. And more so if Apple releases a Mac that moves from Intel to ARM.

Jean-Louis brings up the fabled story of Adam Osborne, who brought the world the first commercially successful portable computer, but whose company crashed and burned.

In 1983, the polymath entrepreneur managed to kill sales of his creation by promising that its successors, the Osborn Executive and the Osborne Vixen, would be even better, Just You Wait! The pitch was so persuasive that customers did indeed wait. Sales collapsed and so did Osborne’s business.

Some say this is more fable than truth. From the Osborne Wikipedia page:

according to some new sources the real reason for Osborne Computer’s bankruptcy was management errors and insufficient cash flow.

Given how long a lead time Apple is said to be offering from announcement to release, it seems this will not be any more of a concern than previous experiences. Apple is a master of the product pipeline.

On a related note, an imagined hardware Developer Transition Kit (via DF), based on the ARM 12Z and housed in a headless device (Apple TV or Mac mini enclosure). This makes eminent sense to me. Pure speculation, but still.

Speculation aside, a key takeaway is the idea that a first ARM Mac need not replace the entire Mac product line. It might be a laptop. Or it might be a Mac mini. Or it might not even be.

Educated guesses on software transitioning to macOS on ARM

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Though this post is written from a software developer’s perspective, it is quite readable even if you’ve never written a line of code. And if you are interested in a potential Arm-based Mac, it’s short and worth your time.

If I had to cherry-pick one highlight:

Assertion: ARM Macs will exclusively run Catalyst apps.

The thinking goes, since major apps like Microsoft Word and Photoshop already have versions on the iPad, it would be a piece of cake for them to recompile and run on MacOS as Catalyst apps.

This would be a serious downgrade for users of these apps on MacOS, and would be a major departure from the way the apps currently behave on MacOS. And even with Catalyst, it’s still a lot of work for an iPad app to look and feel like a Mac app. You’re still going to need a team to make sure everything ports correctly, in addition to adding all the missing functionality that your users would expect to be there. I just don’t see this happening.

WWDC, and the answers it’ll bring, is a week and a half away.

A few good reads (and one video) on Apple and ARM-based Macs

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[VIDEO] A few articles I found enlightening, with food-for-thought on what issues are important to consider in the potential (likely?) Mac move from Intel to ARM:

  • John Gruber takes apart Mark Gurman’s article (the Bloomberg piece that started off this wave), adding in his own thoughts on the question of emulation (see the Rosetta video at the end of this post), Book Camp and virtualization, and the impact this move might have on current Mac sales.

  • Next up is this TidBITS article from former long-time Apple Engineer David Shayer. A good backgrounder to read. Again, the question of a potential emulator rears its head. Will Windows emulation fall by the wayside in this new wave of Macs?

  • Last write-up is this piece from The Verge’s Dieter Bohn, What Windows can teach the Mac about the switch to ARM processors. Lots of detail on potential paths here. Will Windows emulation survive such a transition?

And, finally, here’s Steve Jobs (video embedded in main Loop post), at WWDC 2005, announcing the Rosetta emulator, which translated PowerPC instructions to Intel x86 as the app was running. This was a critical step to moving the PowerPC universe to Intel. Jump to about 38:22 in for the start of that part of the video.

Bloomberg: Apple to launch Mac trade-in program at U.S. retail stores

Written by

Mark Gurman:

Apple Inc. plans to launch a trade-in program for Mac computers next week at its retail stores in the U.S and Canada, adding the devices to an effort already in effect for other products.

The Cupertino, California—based technology giant informed retail employees that the new program will begin on June 15 in the U.S. and June 18 in Canada, according to people familiar with the matter.

Can’t help but think this will help bring along a wave of purchases when (if) the first ARM Macs start shipping. WWDC is less than two weeks away. The ARM Mac question definitely has my attention.

Logic Pro X 10.5: Exploring Apple’s new fully-integrated Drum Synth

Written by

Justin Kahn, 9to5Mac:

If Apple were to make a drum synthesizer, it would probably be dead simple so anyone can use it, while still offering up just enough control over the sounds to do some serious damage right? Probably. And that’s exactly what it just did here. But don’t be fooled by how simple its sound design controls/synth engine appears, this is just one piece of the puzzle. I initially thought that it looked way too simple to be all that useful, especially with the new Quick Sampler now in everyone’s LPX arsenal. I was wrong.

If you are interested in creating electronic music wit Logic Pro, this walkthrough is worth reading.

The awesome Mac OS Catalina fonts you didn’t know you had access to

Written by

Ralf Herrmann, Typography.Guru:

Apple has recently licensed fonts from type foundries such as Commercial Type, Klim Type Foundry and Mark Simonson Studio to be used as system fonts on Mac OS Catalina. But since these fonts are an optional download, many users of Mac OS X are not even aware they have access to them for free.

For the complete list of fonts included with macOS Catalina, check out this Apple Support document.

iJustine upgrading her Mac Pro with RAM, SSD, wheels

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[VIDEO] I found this fascinating to watch from beginning to end. I love fixing stuff, digging inside any sort of machine. This scratched an itch with an experience I can only dream about. Video embedded in main Loop post.

Map made with 222 fonts named for US cities

Written by

The Statesider:

Before 1984, I had never encountered the word “font.” Then a Macintosh computer showed up in my house.

A beige block with a too-small black and white screen and a thingy called a “mouse,” the first thing I saw when I turned it on was “Welcome to Macintosh” in what I would soon learn was a font called Chicago.

The linked map is interesting. Had no idea there were so many US-city-named fonts. Obviously, a world map would have a ton more.

But the mention of the original Macintosh fonts brought me down a bit of a rabbit hole. Can you name the original Mac fonts? Here’s a link to a Wikipedia page that has the answer.

TSMC announces intention to build and operate an advanced semiconductor fab in the United States

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This is not a rumor. It’s a press release from TSMC itself.

TSMC today announced its intention to build and operate an advanced semiconductor fab in the United States with the mutual understanding and commitment to support from the U.S. federal government and the State of Arizona.

As a reminder, TSMC is a chip fabricator with a long relationship with Apple, starting with the the A5 SoC back in 2011, and is said to be the chip fabricator behind the rumored ARM-based Mac (that last bit is a rumor).

Construction is planned to start in 2021 with production targeted to begin in 2024.

Can’t help but think about the fabled Foxconn plant in Wisconsin.

Rene Ritchie digs into the new, high-end MacBook Pro

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[VIDEO] Lots of detail here, with just a bit on the lower end model (with two ports) and the MacBook Air. But mostly a thoughtful running commentary on the high end model. Video embedded in main Loop post.

Apple unveils biggest update to Logic since the launch of Logic Pro X

Written by

Apple:

Apple today unveiled a major update to Logic Pro X with a professional version of Live Loops, a completely redesigned sampling workflow, and new beat-making tools.

Just one example of the new tools Logic rolled out:

With Live Loops on the Mac, Logic users can now create music in new freeform and nonlinear ways. Loops, samples, and recordings can be organized into a new musical grid, where musicians can spontaneously perform and capture different arrangement ideas into the timeline.

And:

Logic Pro X has been optimized to take advantage of the latest Mac hardware and the power of macOS, delivering incredible performance when working with the most demanding projects with thousands of tracks and hundreds of real-time plug-ins.

If you use Logic Pro X, spend a few minutes reading Apple’s press release. There’s a lot of new stuff to play with. Better yet, jump to Apple’s Logic Pro page. There’s a ton to absorb.

Props to Apple for keeping this a free upgrade.

Side note: I wonder what is meant by “latest Mac hardware”? Does this include the new 13″ MacBook Pro? The picture in the release shows the Mac Pro, released last December. Hoping the optimizations apply to the later laptops too.

Comparing the base 13-inch MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air

Written by

Joe Rossignol, MacRumors:

Apple recently updated the 13-inch MacBook Pro, and the $1,299 base model remains a popular alternative to the $999 MacBook Air. To help with your buying decision, read our comparison of the notebooks below.

This comes up a lot. Is it worth the extra $300 for the 13-inch MacBook Pro? Where’s the value?

If you are considering this question, dig in. Obviously, the choice depends on what you’ll be doing, and how much you care about the display, speakers, Touch Bar, speakers, processing speed. The article lays out the specifics.

Thunderbolt security vulnerabilities and the Mac

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The linked Thunderbolt security report details 7 specific vulnerability scenarios. I can only imagine that Apple is long aware of these and will address them.

One in particular I found interesting is the weakness on Macs that run Boot Camp:

Apple supports running Windows on Mac systems using the Boot Camp utility. Aside from Windows, this utility may also be used to install Linux. When running either operating system, Mac UEFI disables all Thunderbolt security by employing the Security Level “None” (SL0). As such, this vulnerability subjects the Mac system to trivial Thunderbolt-based DMA attacks.

The way I read it, the vulnerabilities occur when a device is allowed to update its firmware. A Mac running Boot Camp disables Thunderbolt security and opens the door for attack. Here’s detail on the DMA attack.

Rene Ritchie on the new 13″ MacBook Pro

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[VIDEO] A river of detail, sorted. Video embedded in main Loop post.

I also found this Reddit thread extremely useful. Not the original post necessarily, as much as the comments that followed, especially the discussion of the various levels of graphics performance with each model.

Apple updates 13-inch MacBook Pro with Magic Keyboard, double the storage, and faster performance

Written by

Apple:

Apple today updated the 13-inch MacBook Pro with the new Magic Keyboard for the best typing experience ever on a Mac notebook and doubled the storage across all standard configurations, delivering even more value to the most popular MacBook Pro. The new lineup also offers 10th-generation processors for up to 80 percent faster graphics performance1 and makes 16GB of faster 3733MHz memory standard on select configurations. With powerful quad-core processors, the brilliant 13-inch Retina display, Touch Bar and Touch ID, immersive stereo speakers, all-day battery life, and the power of macOS, all in an incredibly portable design, the new 13-inch MacBook Pro is available to order today, starting at $1,299, and $1,199 for education.

The base model:

1.4GHz quad‑core 8th‑generation Intel Core i5, Turbo Boost up to 3.9GHz, with 128MB of eDRAM

And the top of the line:

Configurable to 2.3GHz quad‑core 10th‑generation Intel Core i7, Turbo Boost up to 4.1GHz, with 8MB shared L3 cache

Note the range from 8th-gen i5 to the 10th-gen i7.

Storage goes from 256GB all the way up to 4TB. Memory goes from 8GB up to 32GB.

Be aware that the lower end models have 2 Thunderbolt 3 (USB‑C) ports, the high end models have 4 such ports.

The base model supports:

  • one external 5K display with 5120-by-2880 resolution at 60Hz at over a billion colors, or
  • up to two external 4K displays with 4096-by-2304 resolution at 60Hz at millions of colors.

The high end model supports:

  • one external 6K display with 6016-by-3384 resolution at 60Hz at over a billion colors, or
  • one external 5K display with 5120-by-2880 resolution at 60Hz at over a billion colors, or
  • up to two external 4K displays with 4096-by-2304 resolution at 60Hz at millions of colors