Users on various forums report problems with their Macs when trying to install Big Sur. The setup then stops and makes the computer unusable, a restart is no longer possible.
The new operating system, including macOS 11 has been available since last week. A large number of MacBook Pro machines of the years 2013 and 2014 be – and here in particular the 13 – inch model, according to a five-page thread in the Apple Support Communities. Common debugging methods seem to fail According to users, the big sur remains -In the meantime the installation shows a black screen – nothing seems to happen after that. Attempts to revive affected computers – for example by resetting, starting safe mode or restoring the Internet – seem to fail, the MacBook Pro remains “bricked”. If Apple is asked what to do, the service is said to have suggested a visit to the Genius Bar in the local Apple Store, reports a user.
Apple itself seems to be informed about the problem in the meantime. One affected person reported that the support team had told him that the bricking had been “escalated” to Apple’s engineering team. What exactly leads to bricking is currently completely unclear – including why older machines of all things are affected. In addition, it cannot yet be said whether only the 13 inch MacBook Pro of these years is subject to a risk of bricking and whether it is possibly a Hardware problem that is revealed by the Big Sur installation.
Make a backup Until Apple has addressed the bug, users of older Macs can only wait with the Big Sur installation; However, not all machines are affected by any means, so that bricking becomes a gamble. You should urgently create a backup before starting the installation of macOS 11.
The update brings In addition to a new surface, various changes under the hood. There are numerous programs that have not yet been or only partially adapted to Big Sur, so there is no rush to install them. However, Apple has apparently only fixed a number of security problems with macOS 11. 0.1, older macOS versions are still waiting for fixes. (bsc)
In a support document, Microsoft has announced information about the end of support for the devices of the in-house Surface series. It’s not about the end of support for the installed Windows version, but about when Microsoft will not provide firmware updates or new drivers for these devices. For this, Microsoft promises four years of support from the first release of the device; in most cases the date of the market launch in the USA should apply here.
There was already a date for individual devices known, new additions are now Surface Laptop 3 (22. October 2023), Surface Pro 7 (22 October 2023), Surface Pro X (November 5th 2023), Surface Pro X SQ2 (13. October 2024), Surface Go 2 (May 6th 2024) and Surface-Laptop Go (13. October 2024).
Support consists of two parts: Support for the respective operating system version and that for drivers and firmware updates. Incidentally, the end of support for the hardware does not mean that the device then has to be disposed of: the operating system continues to receive updates. (ll)
Leave no MHz behind. Where the previous Raspberry Pi overclocking high for the Pi 4 was 2.147 GHz, newer units, including the Raspberry Pi 4 8GB and some variations of the Compute Module 4 can now hit a full 2.3 GHz. All Raspberry Pi 4 units, except the Raspberry Pi 400, operate a stock clock speed of 1.5 GHz so this is a 35 percent speed jump you get by tweaking a few settings and, hopefully, providing active cooling.
Overclocking a Raspberry Pi is deceptively simple. We edit the config.txt file found in the boot partition and, after a reboot, we see a performance boost, for free. We spent the time testing the limits of the Raspberry Pi 4 and the Compute Module 4, deploying multiple overclocks from 2.2 GHz to 2.3 GHz to give you the data that you need to overclock your Raspberry Pi 4 / Compute Module 4.
Our tests involved the Raspberry Pi 4 4GB and 8GB, Compute Module 4 1GB and an 8GB Compute Module Lite connected to the official Compute Module 4 IO Board. For the Compute Module 4, we used its onboard eMMC flash storage as a boot device, and for the Raspberry Pi 4s and the Compute Module Lite we used a microSD card (see best Raspberry Pi microSD cards) as our boot medium. All test machines ran the latest version of Raspberry Pi OS, updated with the latest software. Our stress tests were conducted using Stressberry which runs the CPU at 100% to generate temperature data and to ensure that the CPU can cope with heavy tasks at those speeds.
Before we conducted the test we needed to prepare our devices for use.
Flashing an Image: Raspberry Pi 4 and the Compute Module 4 Lite
The Compute Module 4 Lite has no eMMC storage so we will need to write a micro SD card using the Raspberry Pi Imager. This is exactly the same process as if we were to write a card for other models of Raspberry Pi. See how to set up a Raspberry Pi for the first time or how to set up a headless Raspberry Pi for details. If you already have a microSD card set up, make sure you update your operating system by entering:
sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade
You may also want to update your firmware to the latest version by entering
Sudo rpi-update
Flashing an Image on Compute Module 4 with eMMC Storage
There are 32 variants of the Compute Module 4, but at the most basic level there are two key models. The Compute Module 4 and the Lite version. The Compute Module 4 has onboard eMMC flash storage, while the lite version omits any form of flash storage.
For the Compute Module 4, to flash the onboard storage we need to download the contents of a Git repository to a machine running Linux, or another Raspberry Pi.
2. Change directory to enter the download repository.
$ cd usbboot
3. Install libusb, a developer tool to enable USB access in scripts.
$ sudo apt install libusb-1.0-0-dev
4. We then need to make the rpiboot application from the downloaded files.
$ make
5. Connect the Compute Module 4 to the Compute Module 4 io Board. Connect a micro USB cable to micro USB port and then connect the other end to a USB port on your Linux computer.
6. Locate pins J2 and fit a jumper to disable eMMC boot. If you do not have a jumper, then a female to female connector can be used. This will prevent the Compute Module 4 from booting and will instead enable us to mount the Compute module 4 as if it were a USB flash drive.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
In the Terminal, run the rpiboot command to mount the Compute Module.
$ sudo ./rpiboot
After a few moments the drive will appear and be accessible.
7. On your Linux computer, navigate to https://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads/ to download Raspberry Pi Imager. Install the application.
8. Open Raspberry Pi Imager and select Raspberry Pi OS (32-bit).
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
9. Click on CHOOSE SD CARD and select your Compute Module 4.
10. Click on Write, to flash the OS to the eMMC storage.
With the OS written to the Compute Module 4, we can now close Raspberry Pi Imager.
Before we can use the Compute Module 4, we need to make a change to a config file in order to use the USB ports of the IO Board which are disabled by default.
1. Open the File Manager, locate the Boot partition of the Compute Module 4, or the micro SD card and open the config.txt file with a text editor.
2. At the bottom of the file add the following lines to enable the USB ports. The first line is a comment to remind ourselves as to the function of the command underneath it.
#Enable USB ports on IO Board
dtoverlay=dwc2,dr_mode=host
An optional step is to enable the use of an external antenna. The Compute Module 4 has a built in Wi-Fi antenna and a ufl connector for an official external antenna. To use this we need to add a further line to the config file, config.txt.
At the bottom of config.txt add these lines to enable the external antenna.
#Enable external antenna
dtparam=ant2
Eject the boot and root partitions from your Linux machine before removing the USB cable / micro SD card.
Booting the Compute Module 4
If you are using the Compute Module 4, remove the micro USB cable and the jumper from J2 of the IO Board. If you are using the Compute Module 4 Lite, insert the micro SD card.
For both versions, connect your keyboard, mouse, HDMI and external antenna (if you have chosen to use an external antenna). Then plug into power, which will trigger the Compute Module 4 to boot to the Raspberry Pi OS desktop.
Overclocking the Raspberry Pi 4 and the Compute Module 4
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The stock speed of the Raspberry Pi 4 and the Compute Module 4 is 1.5 GHz. As with any model of Raspberry Pi, they can be overclocked to provide a free performance boost.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Before we even start the overclock process we will need to ensure that there is adequate cooling. For passive cooling you will need much more than some simple stick-on heatsinks. We chose to cool the Compute Module 4 with a Pimoroni Fan Shim, hacked to sit above the module and controlled from the GPIO. We also wrote a simple Python script to run on boot which started the fan at full speed. If you have access to, or a wish to use PC fans then the Compute Module 4 IO Board has a fan header at J17 which can be used with 12V PC fans.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
To cool our Raspberry Pi 4, we used a 52Pi IceTower, an extreme cooling solution which looks and acts as heatsink and fan found inside a PC case. This cooling solution runs directly from the 5V pins of the GPIO.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
To overclock a Raspberry Pi we need to edit the config.txt file, the same file that we earlier edited to add USB and external antenna support.
1. Open the config.txt file for editing in a terminal window on your Pi.
sudo nano /boot/config.txt
2. Using the keyboard, move to the bottom of the file and add a comment line to identify the overclock instructions.
#Overclock Instructions
3. Set the CPU speed by adding the arm_freq option and entering the desired speed in MHz. In this example we set the overclock to 2275MHz. Changing the value will set the maximum CPU speed, so use 2200, 2250 and 2275 etc.
arm_freq=2275
4. Overclock the GPU to 750MHz by adding this line.
gpu_freq=750
5. Overclocking requires extra voltage for the CPU. Add the over_voltage value of 8 to provide 1.4V of extra voltage.
over_voltage=8
6. Press CTRL + X and then press Y to save and exit the file.
7. Reboot the Raspberry Pi and once the reboot is complete open a Terminal and use the vcgencmd to show the current ARM CPU speed.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
vcgencmd measure_clock arm
If your Raspberry Pi does not boot, it means that your particular CPU cannot handle the clock speed you configured it for. Stick your microSD card in another computer or mount your Compute Module 4 on another computer so you can change the values in config.txt to a lower MHz.
Overclocking the Raspberry Pi 4 and Compute Module 4 to 2.3 GHz
Before we start, we need to make this very obvious. Overclocking to this level will invalidate your warranty. You break it, you bought it!
We found success with a Raspberry Pi 4 8GB and a Compute Module 4 Lite with 8GB RAM. This overclock did not work with our Compute Module 4 1GB or our Raspberry Pi 4 4GB and the maximum speed we achieved with those boards was 2275 MHz.
To overclock the Raspberry Pi 4 8GB and the Compute Module 4 to 2.3 GHz, we need to edit the config.txt file and most of the configuration is the same as before, except for the CPU speed, 2300 and an extra line which forces turbo mode frequencies even when the ARM cores are not busy. Using “force_turbo” will invalidate your warranty.
We ran four overclock tests for each Raspberry Pi 4 and Compute Module 4. Using 2200, 2250, 2275 and 2300 overclocks.
The Compute Module 4 and Raspberry Pi 4 4GB reached 2275 MHz and ran stable. Taking them to 2300 MHz and repeating our tests caused them to lock up and crash during the cooldown period of the Stressberry test.
The same test on the 8GB Lite module and our 8GB Pi 4 ran perfectly on multiple occasions. Could RAM play a key factor in overclocking performance? Is there something about 8GB Raspberry Pi which makes them better for overclocking? We asked that question to Eben Upton, Chief Executive of Raspberry Pi Trading
“I think this is mostly a silicon lottery effect, possibly influenced by long-term process trends.
There certainly are boards out there that can do crazy speeds, and we’ve been very conservative in how hard we push (Broadcom) 2711: it’s much more important to us that the product runs reliably at 1.5 GHz than that people can get good overclocks,” he said. “We’ve done a bit of attention-to-detail work on the power planes and decoupling on recent boards…but I would expect this to have a relatively marginal effect.”
We expected Apple’s Macintosh computers running the company’s own system-on-chips (SoCs) to be considerably different compared to systems powered by Intel processors due to all-new hardware and a revamped software stack. It appears that one of the changes for the Apple M1-based Macs unveiled this week is that the company dropped external GPU support (at least for now).
When Apple announced its latest Apple Silicon-based Macs several months ago, the company officially revealed to software developers that they would only support its own ‘Apple family GPUs.’ More recently, the firm removed the Blackmagic eGPU chassis from the list of accessories compatible with the latest M1-based Mac mini, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro. AppleInsider now claims that the new systems will rely solely on integrated Apple GPUs and will not support any external graphics cards.
The website doesn’t reveal whether the information comes directly from Apple or sources close to the company. It also doesn’t disclose whether Apple will drop support for external GPUs or all third-party GPUs in general, which might have some important ramifications.
On a high level, eGFX technology allows you to connect a graphics card to a PC using a Thunderbolt 3 interface and a special chassis. Still, there are very specific hardware and software requirements to support an external GPU. First up, the system needs a Thunderbolt 3 or a Thunderbolt 4 port with a firmware version that can handle eGFX. Secondly, the system has to support external graphics by its UEFI (i.e., plug-n-play or similar technology and switchable graphics protocols). Thirdly, the GPU drivers have to support eGFX as well as a particular operating system. If one of these components is missing, eGFX simply won’t work.
It is unclear what exactly Apple’s new PCs are missing and whether this lack of support is temporary, or if there are no plans to support eGFX technologies on the latest 13.3-inch notebooks and the entry-level desktop in general.
Supporting eGFX on certain systems may be complicated because of SoC limitations and other reasons. Meanwhile, Apple started to support external GPUs in general later than competing PC makers from the Windows camp anyway, meaning that it doesn’t consider this technology a priority. Perhaps Apple’s more advanced desktops and laptops will regain eGFX support.
It remains to be seen if the company will support third-party GPUs on its Arm-powered Macs at large or will rely solely on its own graphics solutions. Industry-standard GPUs are important to many professionals with iMac, iMac Pro, and Mac Pro desktops, so dropping support might be a bad idea.
ASRock got their start in 2002 with a sole focus on producing motherboards. With their 3C design concept of “Creativity, Consideration, Cost-effectiveness,” they have gone from their humble origins to an enthusiast favorite and industry juggernaut. They have expanded their product portfolio to include not only highly regarded motherboards but also graphics cards, networking components, mini-PCs, and industrial systems.
Today, I look at the ASRock 4X4 Box-4800U barebones system with an AMD Ryzen 7 4800U at its core. To test the system, I was provided with two 32 GB (64 GB) Patriot DDR4 SODIMMs rated at CL22 and 3200 MHz along with a Patriot P300 512 GB M.2 SSD. Considering the system’s small size and mobile CPU, you won’t be seeing insane graphics performance; however, the AMD Radeon Vega 8 IGP should prove more than adequate for daily tasks and light gaming. That said, before heaping on any praise, let’s take a closer look at what ASRock is offering with this barebones system.
512 GB M.2 SSD (not included) SSD Provided by ASRock (supports 1x M.2 SSD and 1x 2.5 in. SATA drive)
Optical Drive:
None
Audio:
Realtek ALC233 high definition audio controller
Connectivity:
1x HDMI 2.0a 1x DisplayPort 1.2a 1x 1 GbE LAN w/DASH 1x 2.5 GbE LAN 2x USB 2.0 Ports 2x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C w/DP1.2a support 1x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A 1x Audio combo jack
Communications:
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200 2×2 802.11ax Bluetooth 5.1 1x Realtek RTL8125BG 2.5 GbE LAN 1x Realtek Realtek R8111FPV 1 GbE LAN w/DASH
Apple has officially released the latest version of macOS: macOS Big Sur (also known as macOS 11.0), which is available to download now assuming you have a compatible Mac.
Big Sur is one of the biggest updates to Apple’s laptop and desktop software in years, featuring a top-to-bottom redesign of the interface, icons, and menu bar, a new control center UI borrowed from iOS, widgets (also borrowed from iOS), and a variety of other improvements (see here for the full list). It’s such a big change that Apple is actually moving on from the OS X / OS 10 branding that it’s been using for Macs for almost 20 years.
Apple’s also adding some new privacy-focused features, including better tracking information in Safari and new privacy data in the Mac App Store for any apps you download.
But Big Sur isn’t just exciting for the features it brings to existing Macs. It’ll also be the operating system that runs on Apple’s newly announced M1-powered MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini computers when they release on November 17th. Apple says that it’s specifically optimized Big Sur to run on those new, ARM-based systems, which will offer a major feature not found on the Intel versions: the ability to run iOS and iPad apps.
The full list of Macs that can run Big Sur are as follows:
MacBook (2015 and later)
MacBook Air (2013 and later)
MacBook Pro (late 2013 and later)
Mac mini (2014 and later)
iMac (2014 and later)
iMac Pro (2017 and later — i.e., all models)
Mac Pro (2013 and later)
Devices that could run macOS Catalina that aren’t making the cut for the Big Sur update include the 2012 MacBook Airs, the mid-2012 and early-2013 MacBook Pros, the 2012 and 2013 Mac minis, and 2012 and 2013 iMacs. If you’re not sure whether your Mac is compatible, you can identify it by following Apple’s guide here.
Apple has made very full-bodied promises about the performance and efficiency of the new system-on-chip M1, but has not published any common benchmarks. The first results in Geekbench 5 have now appeared, which put the M1 well ahead of the current fastest x in multi-core performance 86 – Mobile processors with 15 to 30 Show watts TDP, i.e. Intel Core i7 – 1185 G7 (4 cores) and AMD Ryzen 7 Pro 4750 U (8 cores). But also knowledge about the Apple A 14 from the iPhone 12, which is closely related to the M1, reveal more about the M1 technology.
Eight cores , GPU and KI According to Apple, the M1 contains eight computing cores, a GPU with eight cores or shader clusters as well as a neural engine with 16 Cores for AI and machine learning algorithms. The GPU can also be used as an accelerator for some computing tasks.
The system-on-chip (SoC) M1 also contains controllers for I / O interfaces (Thunderbolt / USB4, PCIe 4.0) as well as functions that were previously handled by the separate T2 security chip with built-in SSD controller, including a Secure Enclave (SE). The latter is important for biometric authentication (Face ID, Touch ID) and payment functions.
In addition, the M1 has a RAM controller that can handle up to 16 GByte memory connects, probably with two 64 – bit channels for LPDDR4 or LPDDR4X.
The system- on-Chip Apple M1
(Image: Apple)
Fire and Ice An internal “fabric” links the individual function blocks as well as an additional cache that intercepts memory accesses. The CPU cores are divided into two groups, each with its own L2 cache. Each individual CPU core in turn has L1 cache, as with x 86 Usually separate for commands (Instructions), abbreviated L1I, and data (L1D).
The M1 has four particularly powerful and particularly efficient CPU cores. Apple has not officially confirmed it, but experts say the code names for the strong cores are “Firestorm” and the more efficient ones are “Icestorm”.
According to Apple, each Firestorm core has 192 KByte L1I cache and 128 KByte L1D cache. These data buffers are much larger than for example Intel’s current “Tiger Lake” CPUs (48 KByte L1I / 32 KByte L1D) and AMD Zen 2 (each 32 KByte). However, the x 86 – processors also so-called Micro-Op- (µOP-) caches, which work particularly efficiently.
Apple’s information on the strong and efficient ARM cores in the M1
(Image: Apple)
Apple’s different ARM core groups can each use a common Access L2 cache: The four Firestorms on together 12 MByte, the four Icestorms on 4 MByte. In addition, there is the fabric cache, the capacity of which Apple has not revealed and which, from the point of view of the CPU cores, serves as an L3 cache. Bionic is very similar to the M1 and has as many efficient Icestorm cores as well as a neural engine with also 16 cores. In A 14 but only two strong Firestorm cores with a smaller L2 cache (8 MByte) and a GPU with 4 instead of 8 cores. In addition, the arithmetic units clock in A 14 is generally lower because it can dissipate less heat in iPhones and iPad Air 4 and draw less battery power than in the Macs.
Clock frequencies Nominal clock frequencies of A 14 and M1 are not revealed by Apple, nor is the Thermal Design Power (TDP). The latter is found in smartphone SoCs like the A 14 usually around 5 watts, but even then a smartphone would become very hot in the long run and a 11 – watt-hour battery (3.7 volts / 3000 mAh) would be empty in little more than 2 hours. On average, the power consumption of the chip is much lower, especially since the display usually needs more energy and the modem also swallows electricity.
Apple reveals the Thermal design power of the M1 not exactly, but rearranges it Watts on.
(Image: Apple)
When introducing the M1, Apple made comparisons with other chips at 10 Watt employed – so it is probably between Watts in the MacBook Air without fan and 15 to 20 watts for fan cooling. Processors of the “U” classes from AMD and Intel have 15 to 28 Watt TDP, but Here, too, the quality of the notebook manufacturer’s cooling system is crucial. These processors can be set in a wide range via configurable TDP (cTDP) and then deliver more or less computing power because they have to slow down quickly with sustained load. This also applies to the M1, as Apple explained at the launch: In the MacBook Pro 12 inches with a fan, its sustained performance is higher .
Geekbench data Notes on the clock frequencies from A 14 and M1 deliver results from the online database of the benchmark Geekbench 5. There is an A 14 the specification 2, 99 GHz and in the M1 result from a fanless MacBok Air a value of 3.2 GHz. In a MacBook Pro 13 Inch or Mac mini with fan, the M1 may clock a little higher.
However, these clock frequencies are significantly lower than the Turbo frequencies of Core i7 – 1185 G7 (4.8 GHz) and AMD Ryzen 7 Pro 4750 U (4.1 GHz). For higher clock frequencies both ARM and x 79 – Cores have higher core voltages, which is associated with significantly higher power loss. The “wider” data paths are laid out, i.e. the more arithmetic units and transistors run with higher voltage and clock rate, the more the losses grow when clocking up.
The more impressive are the results that A 14 and M1 in Geekbench 5. In the single-core run, which certainly works on a strong Firestorm core, there are 1596 (A 14) or 1732 Points (M1). The M1’s lead of 8.5 percent is largely due to the higher clock rate, the larger L2 cache has no major influence.
Apple M1 and A 14 in Geekbench 5 CPU Information according to the Geekbench database Benchmark results Device Clock Operating system Single-Core Multi-Core Apple M1 MacBook Air 3, 19 GHz macOS 11. 0 1732 7545 Apple A 14 iPhone 12 Per 2, 99 GHz iOS 14.1 1596 4008 Intel Core i7 – 1185 G7 MSI MS – 13 C4 4, 79 GHz Windows 10 1610 6113 AMD Ryzen 7 Pro 4750 U Lenovo ThinkPad T 14 4, 19 GHz Windows 10 1162 6509 Intel Core i7 – 1165 G7 Dell XPS 13 4, 70 GHz Linux 5.8 1726 5313 Compared to a Core i7 – 1185 G7 in an MSI notebook, the M1 in the multi-core evaluation is around 23 percent ahead, with single-core it is 7.5 percent faster. But there are also Geekbench 5 values for a Core i7 – 1165 G7 under Linux, which show it to be almost on par in single-core performance – but here it is much weaker in multi-core.
Intel’s Tiger Lakes like the mentioned Core i7 – 1185 G7 and 1165 G7s only have four cores and Simultaneous Multi-Threading (SMT alias Hyper-Threading), while all eight cores of the M1 work simultaneously – fast and efficient together. Therefore a comparison with the previously strongest multithreading 14 – exciting watt notebook processor, the AMD Ryzen 7 Pro 4750 U with eight cores and SMT, so a total of 16 threads. But even that is in Geekbench 5 multi-core around 15 Percent behind Apple’s M1 – because its Zen-2 cores deliver 33 Percent less single-core performance than an Apple Firestorm at 3.2 GHz. With the Ryzen 5000 U (Cezanne) with Zen 3 this could be 2021 move.
macOS 11 Big Sur is available for download. A little later than usual, Apple released its annual major update for macOS on Thursday evening. One of the biggest innovations immediately catches the eye: Big Sur brings a new user interface that is reminiscent of iPadOS with rounded window corners and square app icons in the dock. The adoption of the symbol language from iOS should provide more clarity and make operation easier, said Apple’s head of software design in advance.
New features in the user interface and Apple apps The control center familiar from iOS takes place with macOS 11 its way to the Mac, as well as the new widgets that Apple has now placed on a common platform across all systems and that are in the Find the revised Notification Center.
macOS 11 (9 pictures) Aha, from macOS 10. 15 becomes macOS 11 – and it’s called Big Sur! This is a coastal strip in the US state of California.
Major Apple apps like News have become extensive renewed and close to the iMessage functionality on iPhones and iPads. Reminders, voice memos and maps have also been given new functions, but Apple’s new map material is still missing in Germany. In addition, the integrated browser Safari has been significantly improved, Safari 11 is also available for macOS 10.15 and 10. 14.
The radical cut – the end for 32 – Bit software – Apple already used macOS last year 10. 14 Catalina completed. But also macOS 10 brings changes to the substructure , above all the support for Apple’s own ARM-based processors, but the operating system is still intended for Intel Macs. Big Sur’s system drive is now signed by Apple and thus further sealed off from modifications. Bootable backups can currently only be created with manual workarounds.
Tools like Little Snitch currently no longer see the data traffic of certain Apple apps and processes – and cannot block them either. The kernel extensions that Apple has discontinued can only be installed by hand with some inconvenience. The first developers have already switched to Apple’s system extensions that are less deeply involved in the system – including virtualizers such as Parallels and VMware.
Which Macs Big Sur is running on macOS 11 Big Sur runs on MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and Mac Pro from year of manufacture 2012, on iMac and Mac mini from year of manufacture 2014 and on the MacBook from 2015. MacBooks with year of manufacture 797 cannot install the upgrade, this also applies to iMacs and Mac minis with year of manufacture 2012 and 2013. Professional users should check whether their software is compatible before installing – especially with audio software, several providers are not yet ready for Big Sur. macOS 11 can be controlled via the integrated software – Obtain the update or download it from the Mac App Store.
Tool manufacturer iFixit dismantled Microsoft’s Xbox Series X game console and exposed the innards. The teardown makes it clear that the Xbox Series X can be taken apart quite easily thanks to the use of standard screws without glue. In the bottom sits a 130 mm large axial fan, which pushes fresh air through the cooling complex in the housing. The diameter is quite unusual; supplier Delta does not sell the model publicly at least so far – alternatives are likely to come onto the market in the future.
In the In the middle sits a sandwich of two mainboards, a multi-part cooler and power supply. A large aluminum body absorbs the waste heat from the AMD combined processor and GDDR6 memory via a vapor chamber; a metal frame keeps the voltage converters at temperatures. The latter is used to stabilize and shield against electromagnetic radiation, as iFixit explains in the teardown of the Xbox Series X.
Cooler sandwich of the Xbox Series X: The aluminum body on the left guides the Waste heat from the combination processor.
(Image: iFixit)
Cheap standard SSD Microsoft puts an M.2 SSD from Western Digital on the mainboard – the 30 mm short card is very similar to the SN 530 and has, at best, undergone small adjustments. The connection is apparently via four PCI Express 3.0 lanes and not via PCIe 4.0 x2 as assumed. The SN 530 is an entry-level model that can be exchanged very cheaply. The situation is different with the Seagate memory expansions: Pictures from Venturebeat show that the module internally represents a CF-Express card as known from the camera environment. Phisons E 19 – controller relies on two PCIe 4.0 lanes, which have the same transfer rate as four PCIe -3.0 lanes. Microsoft’s so-called Velocity architecture primarily relies on API adjustments to increase speed: It compresses data and allows the GPU to access the memory directly without going through the CPU.
The Xbox Series X has an M.2 connector (M -Key) for a PCIe-SSD.
(Image: iFixit)
Microsoft is taking a different approach than competitor Sony with the Playstation 5: The latter combines a controller it designed itself with flash modules – all four Chips are firmly soldered on, but achieve higher speeds thanks to PCIe 4.0.
The use of an M.2 card makes warranty cases in particular cheaper for Microsoft, since the SSD can be replaced without throwing away the entire motherboard. Users don’t benefit much because they can’t partition the memory and install the operating system. In addition, there are hardly any 19 mm short M.2 cards (M. 2230) – common are 80 mm (M. 2280). The same applies to the built-in UHD Blu-ray drive, which can be exchanged, but contains a daughterboard with an assigned hardware ID – only Microsoft and partners can make meaningful repairs.
Bottom line iFixit awards the Xbox Series X 7 of points for repairability.
Apple plans to officially release macOS 11, codenamed Big Sur, this week. Among other things, the operating system is a prerequisite for switching to the M1 processors, which were presented last Tuesday. However, it should also bring numerous innovations for Intel computers, including performance improvements and stronger safeguards for the Safari browser.
Especially musicians Those who use Macs productively should wait to update to macOS 11 Big Sur. Numerous manufacturers of software and hardware issue warnings in advance that their devices may not work with Big Sur. These include, for example, the synthesizer manufacturer Elektron and the interface provider Universal Audio. So far we are only aware of a few manufacturers such as Celemony and RME who give the green light for Big Sur. whether the appropriate drivers and updates are available for your system. In recent years, the necessary manufacturer updates for new macOS versions dragged on until the Christmas holidays. Due to the current Corona situation, this time could drag on into the coming year. In any case, a complete backup is recommended before the update in order to get back to the current configuration in an emergency. The US supplier Sweetwater gives a quite extensive overview of the overall situation especially for musicians on its website.
(Pocket-lint) – The new MacBook Pro and MacBook Air are here (alongside a new Mac mini). All three are based around Apple’s new M1 processor – part of its Apple Silicon undertaking to transition the Mac to its own Apple-designed, ARM-based processors.
So here we’re going to pit Apple’s new M1-based 13-inch laptops against each other in a straight versus fight. MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro.
It’s worth noting that Intel versions of the 13-inch MacBook Pro remain on sale, sitting above the two Apple Silicon versions (there are two 10th generation Core i5 versions, also with Core i7 options).
The MacBook Air has gone completely over to Apple Silicon – however, some Intel versions will still be available from resellers so if you’re interested in those check out our Intel version of this article, comparing the latest Intel versions of both laptops launched in early 2020.
So what’s the best Apple M1-based option for you? If you’re considering other models as well, check out our bigger MacBook guide.
Apple M1 MacBook Pro 13-inch vs MacBook Air: Design and build
All models have Touch ID
All MacBook Pro models retain the Touch Bar
New style keyboard across all models
Both new Macs are exactly the same in design to those they replace. The 13-inch MacBook Pro is available in silver and space grey while the Air is also available in Gold as well.
The Air and Pro are very similar in size and weight now. The 13-inch MacBook Pro measures 304.1 x 212.4 x 15.6mm and weighs 1.4kg while the MacBook Air measures 304.1 x 212.4 x 16.1mm (4.1mm at the thinnest edge) and weighs 1.29kg.
The keyboard has been completely redesigned on both models after mass criticism of Apple’s previous Butterfly design. That older keyboard design remains the subject of an ongoing recall program across all portable Macs.
Apple
You’ll get two USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 ports on all these models although there is a change – support for the new USB 4 standard. USB 4 essentially incorporates Thunderbolt 3 for super fast data transfer between more devices and they use the same USB-C connector that we’re now used to.
USB 4 specs and features: Everything you need to know about the new double-speed USB
All the models retain their 3.5mm headphone jacks and – still! – have 720p FaceTime HD cameras, although the M1 chip does improve the image according to Apple. That’s thanks to a new image signal processor (ISP) which reduces noise and has machine-learning enhanced face detection and auto white balance.
There is slightly better audio for video calls on the Pro, too. The Pro spec sheet cites “studio-quality three-mic array with directional beamforming” whereas the Air is a “three-mic array with directional beamforming”. Both Air and Pro are capable of Dolby Atmos playback while but the Pro adds “stereo speakers with high dynamic range”.
Apple
The so-called Magic Keyboard is in all of these notebooks – a vast improvement on pre-2019 models. As with their predecessors, both Macs now have Touch ID for fingerprint login and Apple Pay authentication.
The Touch Bar stays on the 13-inch MacBook Pro as a substitute for a touchscreen. It seems that Apple is sticking to its guns and not enabling touch on the Mac which we think is a bit of a miss, but Apple doesn’t necessarily want your Mac to be a do-anything device, it probably wants to sell you an iPad as well.
Apple M1 MacBook Pro 13-inch vs MacBook Air: Display
Same display in both
13-inch size and resolutions remain the same
Wide colour (P3) now on the Air as well as Pro
The same display is used in both models here. Whereas in previous generations there were very tiny differences, now they are now the same, with the only exception being that the Air’s display is capable of 400 nits of brightness while the Pro’s can reach 500 nits. The 13-inch display has a resolution of 2,560 x 1,600 pixels (227ppi), the same as older 13-inch MacBook Pros and MacBook Airs.
Apple
One thing that has changed is that both models support the wide P3 colour gamut; this was previously the preserve of the Pro. As before, both have True Tone.
What is Apple’s True Tone display?
Apple M1 MacBook Pro 13-inch vs MacBook Air: Processor, graphics and storage
MacBook Air now completely Apple Silicon
8th generation processor MacBook Pro models now replaced by Apple M1 models
10th generation Intel Core processor models still available on Pro
The new M1 platform features an eight-core 5nm CPU – four high-performance cores and four high-efficiency cores. There’s also a graphics processor (see below) and the Apple Neural Engine on board for fast machine learning processing. And Apple says that the Mac now instantly wakes from sleep like an iPhone or iPad.
Apple
The MacBook Air has now moved completely over to Apple Silicon with two M1 versions that are very similar – with more storage and a slightly better GPU being offered for $250/£250 more.
However, the MacBook Pro range isn’t quite that simple.
There are four different base versions of 13-inch MacBook Pro available which can be further customised. The bottom two MacBook Pros have the Apple M1 processor. These replace models models (originally introduced in 2019) with 8th generation Intel Core chips.
The two Intel models that are still available have 10th generation chips and sit above the two M1 models. Coincidentally, the 10th gen Core i5 quad-core chips are 2.0Ghz variants. You can also configure up to 10th generation Core i7 at 2.3GHz with maximum Turbo Boost speeds of 4.1Ghz.
Apple
Unfortunately, there’s no discrete graphics option on any of these Macs – unlike the 16-inch Pro. All the graphics power comes from the M1 chip. The GPU is an eight core unit….except if you buy the base level MacBook Air in which case it has 7 cores. Yes, this small difference between the models does baffle to begin with. The answer lies in chip binning – a method where defective parts can still be sold as a lower specification version.
And so yes, those M1 GPUs that have flaws in a single core will still find themselves in an Air, with that faulty core disabled. Strange but true.
Battery life is the big winner of the M1-powered laptops. As we see with other ARM-based computing devices, power efficiency is at the heart of things and the Air low boasts around 15 hours of web browsing – an improvement of four hours versus the Intel model and up to 18 hours of TV watching (a six hour improvement).
The Pro has an even more impressive improvement with around two hours extra on top of the Air. That means 17 hours of web browsing vs 10 hours on the old equivalent Pro and 20 hours TV watching – again vs 10 hours.
The 13-inch MacBook Pro can have up to 32GB of memory but 8GB of 2133MHz LPDDR3 memory is standard and 16GB of 3733MHz LPDDR4X on the higher-end models. The storage tops out at 4TB but starts with a minimum of 256GB. Adding more internal storage at the time of purchase ups the cost significantly.
One limitation of the M1 is that it can only support 16GB and, while that’s not a step back for the standard specifications of any of these models, the Intel-based MacBook Pros 13-inch models can be upgraded at support up to 32GB.
All the M1 Air and Pro models come with 8GB of memory as standard while the Intel Pro models have 16GB as standard. Both the Air and Pro also now have a minimum 256GB of storage as standard with a maximum able to be specified of 2TB (at huge expense).
All these models have support for the latest Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 standards.
Apple M1 MacBook Pro 13-inch vs MacBook Air: Software
Both come with macOS 11 Big Sur
Desktop app compatibility could be an issue
Will run selected iOS and iPadOS apps
M1 Macs will come pre-loaded with the latest Mac operating system – macOS 11 Big Sur. Siri is once again fully supported hands-free. Big Sur has a fresh new design and is designed to take advantage of the extra power that M1 offers. It’ll still be familiar, but has clearly been designed with iOS and iPadOS in mind.
But the jury is out on app compatibility – after all, new processors mean that apps need to be made compatible and this will form a key tenet of our reviews when we test out these Macs. iOS and iPad apps will also now be coming to the Mac, but not all of them will be available as developers can opt out of offering them on the Mac if, for example, they want users to visit their site through a browser when on a traditional desktop machine.
Apple
However, it’s support for traditional desktop apps that is most unknown at present. Apple’s own Mac software is now Universal and runs natively for M1 systems, but how long will it be before that’s the case for other apps from the likes of Adobe, Microsoft, Affinity, Avid and so many more.
Apps that aren’t ready will be run through a translator – called Rosetta 2. Apple says this should be seamless, but we don’t know this for sure yet; the proof is in the pudding.
Apple M1 MacBook Pro 13-inch vs MacBook Air: Price
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The 13-inch Intel MacBook Pro starts at $1,299/£1,299 for the two-entry level Apple M1-based versions (same as the outgoing 8th generation Intel Core models it replaces). This rises to $1,799/£1,799 for the 10th generation Core i5 versions that sit above the M1. The MacBook Air starts at $999/£999. As usual, you can fine-tune the processor, memory and storage, though as always the larger SSD storage options get rather expensive.
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Conclusions
The new M1 Macs are at the cutting edge of processor tech. If it’s an Air you want, there is every reason to choose a newer model over an Intel one.
In terms of the MacBook Pro you need a good reason to plump for an Intel model over the new M1 designs. But some will need access to niche apps that won’t be compatible with Apple Silicon anytime soon or maybe you need the power a higher-end 10th generation Core i5 or i7 will give you. However, you are buying an outmoded machine by doing so and it’s only a matter of time before these are phased out as well – probably within a year.
That’s not to say they will become useless by that date of course – expect macOS to support Intel systems for at least the next couple of versions, maybe even more.
In terms of the ultimate question of whether you should buy an Air or a Pro – we’d choose the Air. Currently there is little reason to choose the 13-inch Pro over the Air unless you really want the Touch Bar, better audio tech and that extra bit of brightness – but it’s also bigger and heavier, too.
After unpacking the new Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X, players are likely to be allowed to wait. Waiting for games to be installed or waiting for games to be patched.
Xbox Series X – Launch-Stream (Games, OS, possibilities, your questions)
We already have this arduous process behind us and now want to go live on day 1 in the life of the new series generation from Xbox report to the operating system. What are the options? What does Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla look like and how fast does it load? Does quick resume work?
Michael Wieczorek asks himself such and many other user questions in the live stream. Feel free to bring a lot of questions or suggest games here in the comment area that you would like to see in the live stream. The waiting time until the live stream can be spent, for example, with our test talk about the new Xbox.
The Xbox Series S & X in the test talk Two Xbox, one Playstation Microsoft is bringing two new consoles onto the market: The Series X is the main model that is in direct competition with the PS5 from Sony . It costs 500 euros. 200 The Series S costs euros less, but it also has to get by with weaker hardware. Both consoles support the same video games.
In the comparison between Xbox Series X / S and Playstation 5, the two Microsoft consoles make the somewhat more solid impression: They are quieter and appear more robust than the Playstation. But if you really want to play demanding games in the Microsoft ecosystem, you should get the faster Xbox Series X. The Series S, on the other hand, is a successful entry-level console in itself, but embodies the generation leap since the Xbox One X only to a limited extent. The Playstation 5 comes in Germany on 19. November in the trade.
No 50 minutes, then the keynote was over: Apple came in his Event “One more thing” really quick to the point. It was clear from the start that it would be about ARM Macs. After all, Apple had already announced in the summer that the first machines with “Apple Silicon” – as the company calls its own SoCs with a proud chest – will be available before the end of the year. The fact that three machines arrived, including a desktop, was a pleasant surprise.
Fanless into happiness That can’t be said about their design. Apple simply planted its ARM heart in the well-known Intel case. MacBook Air, MacBook Pro with 13 and Mac mini with the brand new M1 chip see their x 86 – confusingly similar to brothers. Well, the MacBook Air for ARM no longer has a fan and a slightly remodeled keyboard. But otherwise everything stays as (recognizable) old.
That was to be expected, even with the switch from the PowerPC architecture to Intel, Apple did not proceed any differently. That is a bit disappointing, as we expect a change like the one with the ARM switch, actually also completely new designs. But we will have to wait for at least until 2021. In general, Apple emphasizes that the transition to Apple Silicon will take several years.
Many small cores in the M1 The machines themselves are particularly attractive because of the M1 processor; Apple has not revealed whether this is based on processor A 14 from the iPhone and iPad Air 4. The comparison values that Apple gave in terms of performance to Intel Macs, but also to PCs with similar prices, sound impressive. Of course, this first requires evidence by means of a benchmark, which the group did not provide as usual. But speed information can often be trusted with ARM devices from Apple. The group is now optimizing its operating system perfectly to its own silicon, which should be no different with macOS 11 aka Big Sur. And Apple’s ARM chips have plenty of raw power.
Eight cores are now playing in the Mac. Four of them are high-performance cores, four are high-efficiency cores, i.e. intended for continuous load. Even the high-efficiency cores are supposedly faster than some Intel Macs in normal operation. This also has to be proven first. But all of this is certainly promising. Apple now doesn’t need Intel, AMD or Nvidia for GPUs. The technology comes with the SoC. Up to 8 graphics cores are integrated, with the cheapest MacBook Air Apple turns one off. The neural machine learning engine is the icing on the cake, as is the new signal processor, which supposedly can get the most out of the (unfortunately still lousy) MacBook webcams.
The Mac remains the Mac That leaves the software side. Here Apple drove up heavy developer guns, from Adobe to popular independent companies such as Panic to gaming developers. Everyone was allowed to express their enthusiasm into the camera – and that is certainly real with native code. However, even if Apple makes it quite easy for developers with various tools, adapting existing apps is associated with work. And the software companies have to do that first. Not everyone has the time and money to do it. The new emulation layer Rosetta 2 for Intel code remains as a transition bridge. Hopefully this runs silently in the background for most apps. It is said to be damn fast and therefore hardly attracts users’ attention. Practice will also show that.
In any case, a start has been made. All in all, it can be said that Apple is working intensively on the future of the computer itself with the ARM Macs. Tablets, smartphones and computers are not growing together again; instead, each type has its own specific advantages. You can see that from the fact that Apple neither came up with the idea of giving the new M1 computers cellular modules, nor giving them a touchscreen. And to be honest, that’s right. The Mac remains the Mac, just accelerated and optimized. And since Apple now has its chip development completely in-house, users no longer have to wait for Intel. Thats something. (bsc)
Western Digital draws conclusions from the criticism of the information on the rotation speed of its own hard drives: The models with 8, 10, 12 and 14 TByte capacity from the WD Red Plus series are available in stores with new model numbers. The new editions physically represent the same hard disks, but report to the operating system with the correct rotation speed of 7200 revolutions per minute, as Western Digital confirmed.
The 7200 RPM can therefore also be used by SMART tools read out for the new versions. So far, Western Digital has misleadingly stated “5400 RPM Class” for the WD Red Plus HDDs, although all models from 8 TByte with 7200 turn rpm. Readout tools cannot do anything with the specification and simply output “5400 RPM”. Due to the faster rotation speed, the hard disks are more power-hungry and louder than 5400 – RPM variants, but also faster.
The new model numbers are as follows:
8 TByte: WD 80 EFBX (- 68 AZZN0) instead of WD 80 EFAX (- 68 KNBN0) 10 TByte: WD 101 EFBX (- 68 B0AN0) instead of WD 101 EFAX (- 68 LDBN0) 12 TByte: WD 120 EFBX (- 68 B0EN0) instead of WD 120 EFAX (- 68 UNTN0) 14 TByte: WD 140 EFGX (- 68 B0GN0) instead of WD 140 EFFX (- 68 VBXN0) No service Changes in performance Western Digital promises in a statement that the performance features and behavior will not change: “It is essentially the same drive. The specifications for power, acoustics and data transfer rate can still be found in the current data sheets, as the products have been tested to meet the documented specifications, “wrote a press representative So far this has only happened with the WD Red Pro (PDF download), for which the manufacturer now says “7200 RPM” instead of “7200 RPM Class “specifies. The WD Red Plus (PDF download) currently still says” 5400 RPM Class “, also with the normal WD Red with SMR instead of CMR technology. With the latter, the specification agrees with 5400 U / min – 7200 there are no models in the series.
(Pocket-lint) – Apple has released the new version of the 13-inch MacBook Pro and MacBook Air based around its new M1 processor. However, the Intel version of the 13-inch MacBook Pro remains.
And, although the Intel-based MacBook Air has gone the way of the dodo, it’ll still be available to buy from third-parties for a while yet. If you’re looking for a new MacBook Air from Apple though, it’ll have to be the M1-based version.
Earlier in 2020 Apple upgraded the Intel versions of both these laptops, latterly the MacBook Pro which was upgraded with the latest specs to bring it in line with last year’s MacBook Pro 16-inch.
The cheaper starting price on the MacBook Air will appeal to many, especially as there are a great many similarities between the two models.
So what’s the best option for you? If you’re considering other models as well, check out our bigger MacBook guide.
Intel MacBook Pro 13-inch vs Intel MacBook Air: Design and build
All models have Touch ID
All 13-inch MacBook Pro models have the Touch Bar
New style keyboard – dubbed the Magic Keyboard across all models
The 13-inch MacBook Pro is available in silver and space grey while the Air is also available in Gold as well. It’s a bit more of a rose gold than it used to be.
The 13-inch MacBook Pro measures 304.1 x 212.4 x 15.6mm and weighs 1.4kg. That means it’s slightly thicker and heavier than the older mid-2019 model which was 14.9mm thick/1.37kg.
The 13-inch MacBook Air measures 304.1 x 212.4 x 16.1mm (4.1mm at the thinnest edge) and weighs 1.29kg. You’ll note that both these laptops have the same width and depth dimensions. They’re also actually pretty close in terms of weight these days.
The keyboard has been completely redesigned on both models after mass criticism of Apple’s previous Butterfly design. That older keyboard design remains the subject of an ongoing recall program across all portable Macs.
The so-called Magic Keyboard is designed to be much more durable and with better travel for more comfortable typing. The physical Escape key has also returned. All Macs now have Touch ID for fingerprint login and Apple Pay authentication.
You’ll get two USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 ports on the two lower-end 13-inch models, and four on the top-end pair of models. Yep, there are four standard models of the 13-inch MacBook Pro. The MacBook Air has two USB-C Thunderbolt ports across all models. Both laptops can drive dual 4K monitors and have 3.5mm headphone jacks.
The 13-inch MacBook Pro now has the Touch Bar across the range; it used to be on selected models only. However, it is a key difference between the Air and Pro nowadays. It’s a concession to users that want a more tactile touch experience. But with the iPad Pro being touted more and more as a laptop-replacement it seems that full touchscreens will remain in the sphere of iPad rather than Mac.
Intel MacBook Pro 13-inch vs Intel MacBook Air: Display
All MacBooks now offer a True Tone display
13-inch size and resolutions remain the same
Essentially, the same display is used in both models here – there’s a resolution of 2,560 x 1,600 pixels (227ppi), the same as older 13-inch MacBook Pros and MacBook Airs.
All MacBook Pro displays boast True Tone while the Pro also supports the wide P3 colour gamut. True Tone is a tech that was first introduced on the iPad Pro, adjusting the screen to match the colour temperature of the lighting in the room.
Above the display there’s no improvement to the FaceTime camera on either model: it’s still only 720p HD capable rather than Full HD.
What is Apple’s True Tone display?
Intel MacBook Pro 13-inch vs Intel MacBook Air: Processor, graphics and storage
10th generation Intel Core processors for 13-inch MacBook Pro
8th generation processor MacBook Pro models now replaced by Apple M1 models
10th generation Intel Core processors for the MacBook Air
The bottom two MacBook Pros with the Apple M1 processor replace the 8th generation Intel Core chips on the bottom two models – though you can probably pick up the 8th gen models still from third-party resellers. The two Intel models now available have 10th generation chips and sit above the two M1 models.
The 10th gen Core i5 quad-core chips are clocked at 2.0Ghz. You can also configure up to 10th generation Core i7 at 2.3GHz with maximum Turbo Boost speeds lof 4.1Ghz.
Unfortunately, there’s no discrete graphics option on the 13-inch MacBook Pro – unlike the 16-inch Pro – but Intel’s Iris Plus graphics chips are much more impressive than the limited integrated graphics of old.
The now-discontinued Intel MacBook Air has 10th generation Intel Core processors across the board so that means Intel Iris Plus Graphics as well. The entry-level model is a Core i3 (1.1GHz dual-core) but generally, you’re looking at Core i5. You can max things out at a 1.2GHz quad-core Core i7.
The 13-inch MacBook Pro can have up to 32GB of memory but 8GB of 2133MHz LPDDR3 memory is standard and 16GB of 3733MHz LPDDR4X on the higher-end models. The storage tops out at 4TB but starts with a minimum of 256GB. Adding more internal storage at the time of purchase ups the cost significantly.
The Air now also has a minimum 256GB of storage as standard with a maximum of 2TB. And there’s also a minimum of 8GB of memory.
The Intel MacBook Pro lineup all has Apple’s own T2 chip. This is a chip dedicated to security that handles Touch ID and some other capabilities. It isn’t inside the Intel MacBook Air.
Both these Macs run Apple’s latest version of its Mac operating system – macOS 10.15 Catalina upgradeable to macOS 11 Big Sur – if you get a new model it might have Big Sur already.
Intel MacBook Pro 13-inch vs Intel MacBook Air: Price
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The 13-inch Intel MacBook Pro starts at $1,299/£1,299 for the outgoing 8th generation Intel Core model and $1,799/£1,799 for the still-available 10th generation Core i5 versions. The MacBook Air starts at $999/£999. As usual, you can fine-tune the processor, memory and storage, though as always the larger SSD storage options get rather expensive.
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Conclusions
As with the newer M1 versions, the 13-inch MacBook Pro will be a default pick for many users but the question now should be…why? There are some extra features such as support for the P3 colour space, Touch Bar and, on the more expensive MacBook Pro 13-inch models, four Thunderbolt ports.
But you really will have to be a Pro aficionado – or need the extra power and storage you can upgrade the Pro to – to plump for it over the MacBook Air. If you really want the Intel version, then pick up a bargain on the outgoing Intel-based MacBook Air rather than the more expensive Pro.
Writing by Dan Grabham.
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