adplus-dvertising
Connect with us

Tech

Apple’s New MacBook Pro Does Not Beat The Competition, But It Still Wins – Forbes

Published

 on


Apple has launched the update to the 13-inch MacBook Pro. It’s an attractive package for the MacOS community, but it falls short of matching the value for money offered by the competition. Nevertheless, the new MacBook Pro can still claim victory.

The high points of the new hardware include the scissor-switch styled Magic Keyboard, an increase in storage at the entry level models, and a move to Intel’s tenth-generation Core processors. Apple has also retained the older eighth-generation chipset for the entry level MacBook Pros. That allows the pricing to start from $1299, even though the latest chipset models are not available for under $1799.

I’m looking over the specs of the various MacBook Pro options and in terms of the numbers, the MacBook Pro looks to be a touch under-powered towards comparable Windows 10 powered machines.

300x250x1

The obvious comparison is going to be Microsoft’s upcoming Surface Book 3. Looking at the leaked specifications the two laptops are going to be very much in the same wheelhouse… but I’ll leave the comparisons of these two heavy hitters for a little while longer.

I will point out that the older Surface Book 2 configured with similar specs to the entry level MacBook Pro (ie Intel’s eight-generation Core i5 processor, 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB SSD) is currently available from Microsoft for $1299; the same price as the aforementioned MacBook.

Instead let’s look at another recently launched Windows 10 powered laptop with a strong community behind the brand name. Last month saw Razer update its 13-inch Razer Blade Stealth. The gaming laptop ships in a small form factor that sits somewhere between the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro.

At the moment you can’t get an exact match to the MacBook Pro; the only model with the Intel Iris Plus graphics card comes with just 256 GB of storage but 16 GB of RAM, not the 512 GB of storage and 8 GB of RAM in the MacBook. Nevertheless the price difference is substantial. Razer comes in at $1499 compared to Apple’s $1799.

If you open up to Apple’s $1999 you get a tenth-generation Core i5 machine with 16 GB of RAM, 1TB of storage, and Intel’s Iris Plus graphics card. Razer? The tenth-generation Core i7 processor, 16 GB of RAM, a GeForce GTX1650 Ti graphics card, and a 4K touch screen… although storage is cut back to 512 GB.

It’s a similar story with other manufacturers. Dell’s latest 13 inch XPS laptop with the 10th generation Intel chipset, 512 GB of storage and 16 GB of RAM is $1749 compared to Apple’s $1799. HP’s Spectre x360, again with matching specs, has a list price of $1499.

Once you get past the cunningly priced entry-level model, in terms of like-for=like hardware in the core specifications Apple’s new MacBook Pro machines cost more than the competition.

Every laptop has its design tweaks that can differentiate them in the market. The MacBook Pro has one significant point that allows it to stand out. The software. Where other high-end laptops rely on Windows 10, the MacBook family has MacOS. Apple does to need to accommodate countless hardware options, it can optimise for the handful of options it makes available.

Apple also has a focus on the bundled software with MacOS, ensuring a solid core experience for all users, and of course this software MacOS ‘ integration with Apple’s cloud-based services both increases the flexibility of the laptop if you are part of the ecosystem… while making it that little bit harder to leave if you want to work with a non-Apple laptop.

And this here is the decision point. It’s not the hardware choices or configurations, it’s the software. The MacBook Pro is tightly bound to Apple’s vision of computing – a vision that is increasingly focused on the iPhone and iPad. Many MacOS users are tied in with software and production chains that are one hundred percent dependant on using a Mac machine. For them the upgrade to the MacBook Pro is the only available choice if they are looking for modern specifications.

For those in the Windows 10 space, the question of moving to another platform where you are forced to deal with a single vendor comes with a greater risk. There’s nothing in the MacBook Pro package that makes switching an attractive option… but neither is there anything in the package that would scare the current MacOS base.

Does the MacBook Pro hardware beat the competition? No. Does the MacBook Pro offer a comprehensive package to those looking for an updated MacOS laptop? Yes.

Now read more about the chip that could power the next generation of MacBook laptops…

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

728x90x4

Source link

Continue Reading

Tech

The Ultimate Recap of Sea Otter 2024 – Pinkbike.com

Published

 on



Tech

Vittoria Releases New Peyote & Mezcal XC Race Tires
Maxxis Team Spec Aspen ST Tire
New DT Swiss 240 DEG Hubs
Kali Protectives’ New Full Face Helmets
Industry Nine’s SOLiX M Hubs & Wheelsets
Michelin’s Aggressive New Wild Enduro Tires
Praxis’ New Flat Pedals, Stem, & Carbon Bottle Cage
Transmission Cage Upgrades from Kogel, Ceramicspeed, and Cascade Components
Randoms Round 1 – Sea Otter 2024
Madrone Cycles’ SRAM Eagle Repair Kits & Prototype Derailleur
Vorsprung’s New Telum Coil Shock
EXT’s Vaia Inverted DH Fork & Updated Coil Shocks
Randoms Round 2: New Tools, Goggles, Grips, Racks, & More – Sea Otter 2024
What’s New in Women’s MTB Apparel at Sea Otter 2024
Even More Randoms – Sea Otter 2024
Randoms Round 3: Dario’s Treasures
What’s New for the Kids at Sea Otter 2024
Deity Releases New Stems, Grips, & Pedals
Dario’s Final Sea Otter Randoms
Brian’s Randoms from Sea Otter 2024

300x250x1

Videos

With roots dating back to 1991, the Sea Otter Classic is one of the biggest biking events and tradeshows each year and brings together all sides of the biking industry from athletes to brands, spectators and consumers. Taking place in April in the sunny hills of Monterey, California, that means this event really feels like the official start to the biking season in North America. Christina Chappetta covers why it’s much different to an indoor European biking tradeshow, a World Cup racing weekend or even Crankworx mountain bike festival, in that it encompasses nearly ALL of the biking disciplines, including road cycling, enduro, downhill, dual slalom, XC, trials riding and more.

In the past fortnight, we have seen large amount of new tech releases. However, Sea Otter 2024 represents some of the first opportunities for many riders to see these things in the flesh, as well as take a deeper dive into what the product aims to do.
Welcome to a video summary from Day 2 of the Sea Otter Classic.
There are so many giveaways, interesting new products and colourful characters at Sea Otter Classic that it’s hard to stand out from the crowd. Ben Cathro takes a lap of the venue to find his favourites.



Adblock test (Why?)

728x90x4

Source link

Continue Reading

Tech

Apple iPad Air 2024: Insider Makes Hasty U-Turn On New Feature – Forbes

Published

 on


Well, that was quick. On May 18, a respected industry insider predicted a new display technology for the iPad Air that’s expected in the coming days—Apple just announced its latest special event.

The new 12.9-inch iPad Air, the report claimed, would have the same miniLED backlighting currently found on the larger iPad Pro, using the leftover inventory from the current Pro as that model switches to OLED. That was exciting news.

But now, Ross Young, the analyst who made the claim, has changed his mind. The new prediction, shared with paid subscribers only, is that the miniLED technology won’t be coming to the iPad Air, in either size.

300x250x1

While it made sense that the inventory could be maximized in this way, it now “makes sense” that it won’t.

Young says that while he’d heard from supply chain sources that it would, he’d now had contact from “even more supply chain sources” that it won’t.

And the reason this change of heart now makes sense is that this miniLED technology is expensive, so it would be surprising if it made it to the iPad Air, which is more affordable than the Pro.

That’s not quite all the analyst shared. He also said that there are now reports of a new iPad coming later in the year. This is a 12.9-inch iPad, with miniLED backlighting and it could arrive between October and December this year.

function loadConnatixScript(document)
if (!window.cnxel)
window.cnxel = ;
window.cnxel.cmd = [];
var iframe = document.createElement(‘iframe’);
iframe.style.display = ‘none’;
iframe.onload = function()
var iframeDoc = iframe.contentWindow.document;
var script = iframeDoc.createElement(‘script’);
script.src = ‘//cd.elements.video/player.js’ + ‘?cid=’ + ’62cec241-7d09-4462-afc2-f72f8d8ef40a’;
script.setAttribute(‘defer’, ‘1’);
script.setAttribute(‘type’, ‘text/javascript’);
iframeDoc.body.appendChild(script);
;
document.head.appendChild(iframe);

loadConnatixScript(document);

(function()
function createUniqueId()
return ‘xxxxxxxx-xxxx-4xxx-yxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx’.replace(/[xy]/g, function(c)
var r = Math.random() * 16 );

const randId = createUniqueId();
document.getElementsByClassName(‘fbs-cnx’)[0].setAttribute(‘id’, randId);
document.getElementById(randId).removeAttribute(‘class’);
(new Image()).src = ‘https://capi.elements.video/tr/si?token=’ + ’44f947fb-a5ce-41f1-a4fc-78dcf31c262a’ + ‘&cid=’ + ’62cec241-7d09-4462-afc2-f72f8d8ef40a’;
cnxel.cmd.push(function ()
cnxel(
playerId: ’44f947fb-a5ce-41f1-a4fc-78dcf31c262a’,
playlistId: ‘aff7f449-8e5d-4c43-8dca-16dfb7dc05b9’,
).render(randId);
);
)();

This is intriguing. What could it be? Assuming that the iPad Pro and iPad Air are released in May, it’s extremely unlikely either will be updated later in the year. And if the iPad Air isn’t pricey enough for miniLED to be included, what tablet could Apple be introducing that is the same size as the bigger Pro, with a pricey screen tech, which would sit between the Air and the Pro, it seems?

Young is highly reliable, but this seems slightly preposterous to me. The only other iPad in the range due a refresh is the regular iPad (at 12.9-inches, the iPad mini is clearly out of the picture) and that doesn’t seem likely either.

It seems to me that any regular iPad will almost certainly have the same screen size as now, 10.9 inches. The regular iPad only grew to this size screen in the current generation, and Apple almost never changes designs after one iteration.

Perhaps things will become clearer as the year goes on.

Adblock test (Why?)

728x90x4

Source link

Continue Reading

Tech

Woman who left beaten dad on floor for 2 days was 'overwhelmed' with his care, judge told – CBC.ca

Published

 on


A Calgary woman who abused her sick, 77-year-old father was “overwhelmed” at the task of caring for him, a judge heard Wednesday at a sentencing hearing. 

In January, Tara Picard, 52, pleaded guilty to charges of assault and failing to provide the necessaries of life after her father (whom CBC News is not naming) was found injured on a basement floor, where he’d been lying for two days. 

On Wednesday, prosecutor Donna Spaner and defence lawyer Shaun Leochko asked the judge to allow Picard to serve her sentence in the community under conditions as part of a conditional sentence order.

300x250x1

Justice Indra Maharaj agreed to a two-year conditional sentence for Picard followed by a year of probation. 

“There is no doubt she became overwhelmed,” said Spaner in her submissions. “There is no question Ms. Picard has remorse.”

Leochko told the judge that caring for her father “was really more than [Picard] could handle.”

Maharaj heard that Picard is Indigenous and was the victim of abuse growing up. She lives in a sober dorm-style facility and is working with a mental health and addictions navigator, according to Leochko.

A ‘willingness to give back’

As part of the sentence, Picard must complete 300 hours of community service. 

Justice Maharaj commended Picard for “taking that on.”

“That shows me Ms. Picard sincerely does recognize what has happened here,” said the judge. 

“What I interpret from that is Ms. Picard’s willingness to give back to her community.”

During Picard’s plea, court heard that in November 2021, Picard and her father fought over his drinking. 

Nurses discover victim

The victim suffers from a number of medical issues, including diabetes, heart disease, dementia and alcoholism.

At the time, home-care registered nurses were assigned to help provide supplementary care.

Nurses found the victim wearing a soiled adult diaper and suffering from two black eyes with blood on his head. 

He told the nurses who discovered him that he’d been there for two days. 

Picard admitted she knew her father had fallen and she had “administered a number of physical blows.”

Adblock test (Why?)

728x90x4

Source link

Continue Reading

Trending