Category: Apple

Over on MacStories, Viticci has written an in-depth piece on today’s major iOS release:

Version 14.5 is the biggest – or, at the very least, most interesting – update to iOS and iPadOS we’ve seen in the 14.0 release cycle to date. That’s not to say previous iterations of iOS and iPadOS 14 were low on new features and refinements – it’s quite the opposite, in fact. Perhaps the pandemic and Apple’s work-from-home setup played a role in the company spreading new iOS functionalities across multiple releases throughout 2020 and the first half of 2021, but, regardless of the underlying reason, iOS and iPadOS 14 have evolved considerably since their public launch six months ago.

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Matthew Panzarino interviewed Apple’s Greg Joswiak and John Ternus about the company’s new products, and the M1 being in the new iPad Pro came up, and Apple’s thinking about it jumped out at me:

One of the stronger answers on the ‘why the aggressive spec bump’ question comes later in our discussion but is worth mentioning in this context. The point, Joswiak says, is to offer headroom. Headroom for users and headroom for developers.

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I generally try to use my mouse as little as possible when I’m in the zone on my Mac. Menuwhere’s ability to put the menu bar anywhere my cursor is on the screen makes for even less mouse travel than I had before. I dig it, especially for just $3.

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I’m excited to throw one of these in my backpack.

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The new iPad Pro’s M1 system on a chip puts the tablet on the same playing field as a whole bunch of Macs in terms of power and performance, but as Jason Snell writes at Macworld, that’s never really been a problem for previous iPads:

Here’s the problem with this clever marketing, though: it draws a direct parallel between the iPad and the Mac. And while the Mac definitely lacks in some areas (no touchscreen or Apple Pencil support, for instance) you can basically do anything on your Mac, including run a bunch of apps that originated on the iPad.

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Joe Rossignol has details over on MacRumors:

After paying upfront for an AppleCare+ plan for a Mac, the initial coverage period remains three years, but customers now have the option to purchase additional coverage that automatically renews annually until canceled. The new coverage must be purchased within 30 days of the end date of the original coverage, according to Apple.

Previously, there was no way to extend AppleCare+ coverage for a Mac once the initial three-year coverage window elapsed.

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Since the introduction of the iMac G5 way back in August of 2004, the basic building blocks of what makes an iMac an iMac have been the same:

From the front, it’s rather remarkable how little the iMac has changed in nearly two decades. The screen is front and center, surrounded by a bezel with a chin below the display. The whole thing is mounted on a foot that lets a user tilt the entire computer easily.

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The new iMac may be my favorite announcement in today’s Apple event, but I do have thoughts on the other hardware that was announced:

Tim Cook

Dude has been hitting the gym. Daaaaaamn.

Purple iPhone 12 and 12 mini

I think it looks great. Apple has done a mid-cycle color change with Product RED phones, but this is a nice change.

AirTags

These things have been rumored forever, and I’m excited to toss one in my backpack next time I travel. I’m even more excited the battery can be replaced.

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Today, Apple unveiled an all-new iMac. Built around a 4.5K, 24-inch display, this is the first Mac designed from the ground-up to use Apple silicon inside.

Right off the bat, we gotta talk about the colors:

Yes, the new 24-inch iMac comes in green, yellow, orange, red, purple, blue and silver. The hue on the foot and front of the machine is more muted than around the back.

As a person with considerable experience with iMacs of various colors, I like this, even while I wish they were more saturated all the way around.

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David Sparks:

As the Tuesday event approaches, there are increasing rumors of the release of colorful iMacs. 9to5 Mac collects all of the rumors nicely.

I, for one, would love to see Apple add some more whimsey to their products, and colorful iMacs would be an excellent start. (If I were in charge, I’d also bring back the rainbow logo on at least some products.)

I obviously agree.

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We’re all familiar with the Mac’s startup chime. While it has changed over the years, it has greeted users with its friendly tone for decades.

What you may not know is that for years, the Mac also came with a death sound, that would play when the machine was unable to properly boot.

And they are glorious:

Macintosh II

The Macintosh II line used several different chimes. These large machines combined the Macintosh operating system with the open hardware of the Apple II, and while they aren’t as charming as the original Mac’s design, they were lusted after by many users in their day.

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Cool cool cool.

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