Apple today released the first public betas of iOS 13 and iPadOS to its public beta testing group, giving non-developers a chance to test out the software ahead of its upcoming fall release.
The first public beta of iOS 13 corresponds to the second developer beta released last week. Apple originally said that the public beta would be coming in July, but has apparently decided to release it a few days early. Apple’s public beta testing website is still down, so public beta testers will not be able to install the software until it’s up.
Category: Apple
macOS Catalina Public Beta
Looks like today’s the day for the macOS Catalina Public Beta. You can learn more and enroll here.
I know this gets said every year, but at this point, unless you need to be running the next version of macOS for your work or cool side project, it’s never a bad idea to give these early betas more time in the oven before moving to them.
There’s a lot to this macOS release, so don’t miss Jason Snell’s excellent look at the release:
‘Cheesegraters and Crystals’⇢
Dr. Drang, weighing in on the design of the Mac Pro’s air vents:
This isn’t just marketing blather. The hole are a negative-space representation of a common atomic arrangement in metallic crystals, something that most engineers learn about in their introductory materials science class.
While I never took an introductory materials science class, this article helped me visualize the Mac Pro’s design better than anything else I’ve read about it.
Apple Opens Mid-2015 15-inch MacBook Pro Battery Recall, Urges Customers to Stop Using Machines⇢
Apple has just launched a repair program for the Mid-2015 15-inch MacBook Pro, and it sounds really serious:
Apple today announced a voluntary recall of a limited number of older generation 15-inch MacBook Pro units which contain a battery that may overheat and pose a safety risk. The units were sold primarily between September 2015 and February 2017 and can be identified by their product serial number. The recall does not affect any other 15-inch MacBook Pro units or other Mac notebooks.
On the Mac Pro, the G4 Cube and Their Shared Vent Design
In a recent episode of ATP, the guys spoke about a conversation that was overheard at WWDC between Tim Cook and Jony Ive that included an interesting detail of the holes in the front and back of the new Mac Pro:
Then there’s video Marco posted on Twitter, in which Ive appears to compare the opening of the Mac Pro to the Cube:
Well, I was in the right place at the right time. pic.twitter.com/9ib25nwbOL
Putting the Mac Pro’s Price into Historical Context
Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Ed Cormany, co-host of the excellent podcast Simple Beep, which focuses on the history of Apple and the Mac.
When Apple announced the new Mac Pro last week, one of the things that got the most attention was its price tag: the base configuration will cost $5,999. The question is whether it’s an outlandish price for what is far and away the most powerful Mac ever sold. The fact is that Apple has definitely charged that much in the past for its hardware.
The iMac Pro, in a Mac Pro World
I think it’s fair to say that the iMac Pro — a Xeon-powered, multi-core monster in an iMac chassis — was Apple’s plan for the pro desktop market before the Mac Pro project was started and later shared in early 2017.
This week, we saw the fruits of that labor in the all-new Mac Pro, and we got a lot of questions answered, including one that has been on my mind as an iMac Pro user:
Putting the Pro Display XDR Into Context⇢
I think Jonathan Morrison did a great job of putting the Pro Display XDR into context in this video. As time goes on, it’s clear to me that this display is something special, and that there’s room for something more mainstream from Apple.
The Case for a 5K Thunderbolt Display
Apple’s new Pro Display XDR is, in a word, incredible. Getting to see several of them in person on Monday in Apple’s demo area was a real treat.
It’s hard to describe how good the panel looks. It displays colors with a richness I haven’t ever seen before, and the brightness is just mind-blowing.
Of course, that should be true given the starting price of $5,999, with both the matte option and the crazy-pants stand each running another $999. Apple says this display is for the highest-level professional users working on top-dollar creative projects. I believe them, and in talking to people this week at WWDC, the high-end reference monitor market is about to experience real disruption at the hands of the Pro Display XDR.
Snell’s WWDC Notes⇢
I haven’t had any time yet to sit down and write, but if you’re looking for a smart take on the Mac Pro and new Pro Display XDR, as well as other Mac tidbits, slide into the Snell Zone.
Apple Updates iPod touch⇢
The new iPod touch starts at $199, and is powered by the A10 Fusion chip, and Apple is pushing AR and Apple Arcade pretty hard in its messaging. That all makes sense, as does the lack of a larger screen and Touch ID. The iPod touch is all about being the cheapest way to get iOS into someone’s hands.