What kind of macs are there

Are you a frequent traveler, relying on your device to connect with family or coworkers on the go? Do you like to game with your friends or have a side gig creating tunes as a freelance musician? Form Factor Another important consideration is what type of device, or form factor, you want: a laptop, tablet, desktop, or 2-in Device Ecosystem In our multifaceted lives, we need our devices to seamlessly flex along with us as we shift from one activity to the next.

Security Having a great device will mean close to nothing if you get hacked. Retailers Shop for Products.

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CPU vs. Once all of this transitional dust settles, M1 Macs are going to be significantly faster across the board compared with the Intel Macs that preceded them. We previously advised readers who were considering replacing their MacBook Pros to hold out, if they could, for the new models without Intel processors to arrive in The former can support 16 or 32 GB of memory, while the latter can support up to 64 GB. Apple claims the new chips can handle multiple displays at once with ease.

Apple claims the inch Pro has a hour battery life during continuous video play while the inch gets 17 hours. Even the speakers and microphone have been improved. We will be doing a deep dive test of the new MacBook Pros soon. Avoid the and versions of the MacBook Air, inch MacBook Pros made between and , and any inch MacBook Pro the inch replaced the inch model in late Although they have the improved keyboard, you should also avoid the Intel versions of the MacBook Air and Pro unless you need them for a specific reason, like running Windows apps in virtualization software or via Boot Camp.

These laptops still run fine though you should avoid the Core i3 version of the MacBook Air because of its performance; get the Core i5 or Core i7 version instead. And the inch Pro still has a pretty high price tag, uses the inferior butterfly-switch keyboard instead of the new scissor-switch version, and offers slower graphics processors and worse battery life than the inch version. Neither of these instruction sets are exclusive to Intel or Apple; AMD chips use the x86 instruction set, for example, while phone and tablet processors from Qualcomm, Samsung, Nvidia, MediaTek, and others all use the ARM instruction set.

Use external monitors with your Mac , Apple Support, November 17, Andrew Cunningham is a senior staff writer on Wirecutter's tech team. He has been writing about laptops, phones, routers, and other tech since Before that he spent five years in IT fixing computers and helping people buy the best tech for their needs. Our pick. Everything we recommend. Why you should trust us. Who this is for, and when to buy.

How we picked. The new fast charging feature allows the laptop to go from no charge to 50 percent in 30 minutes, but you need to have the proper power adapter to do this. The inch models need to use the 97W adapter, and can do fast charging through MagSafe or a Thunderbolt port. The inch models must use the W adapter with MagSafe—fast charging does not work through Thunderbolt or with an adapter with lower wattage. Apple built these laptops with pro users in mind and it shows in the performance.

Paying the extra money is worth it—you can get a smaller SSD if you want to knock the price down a bit. Ready to buy a or inch MacBook Pro? Because of its price and performance, the Mac mini is a great Mac for just about anybody. It makes for an ideal primary Mac for a home or small office. Professionals on a budget will be satisfied with the Mac mini.

The Mac mini is also ideal as a secondary Mac in your home, and it can integrate into your home entertainment center. Apple sells three Mac mini models :. In fact, they are as fast as the inch M1 MacBook Pro. Ready to buy a Mac mini? Apple discontinued the Made of aluminum, the iMac has a built-in display and looks stately as it sits on a desk. The iMac is great for both novices and demanding users. It can handle general-purpose and heavy-duty tasks equally well.

This Mac model is currently available with a It has a 7th-generation 2. The The iMac does not have an optical drive. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are built-in. If you want an all-in-one, we recommend looking at the inch iMac below for a little more. However, if you opt for the Ready to buy an iMac with standard display? M1 Max: This is the most powerful M1 of them all.

Apple says it's four times faster than the M1 in terms of graphics. We haven't tested it yet, but if you want the best of the best, this is it. It's the option for editing multiple streams of 8K or 4K video footage, gaming, or developing apps and running demos. You probably already know if you need this much power. There are eccentricities and problems with Apple's laptops you should know about before you buy. Bland Touch Bar: When Apple debuted the Touch Bar in late , it touted the thin touchscreen strip above the keyboard as the next generation of user input.

This shift didn't pan out. There was little interest from third-party software designers in doing anything innovative with the tiny display. Apple's newest MacBooks do not have the Touch Bar anymore, a clear indicator that Apple is moving away from it. It only sells one MacBook with it now. Palmy trackpad: Apple's trackpads are among the best in the computer business, but with the newest MacBooks these input devices have been blown up to unbelievable proportions and crammed up against the bottom edge of the keyboard, right where you rest your palms while typing.

Although there's supposed to be intelligent palm rejection software at work, the trackpads are susceptible to accidental input. Parched for ports: Then there's the port situation. It might not work with some of the devices you own. You'll want to invest in a few adapters like this Hyper adapter if you plan on hooking your computer up to a projector, or want to use things like USB drives or SD cards.

Older MacBooks with butterfly keyboards — : Apple's now-notorious first- to third-generation "butterfly switch" keyboards are gone from the entire new MacBook lineup. And good riddance. If you're buying an older model MacBook, Apple does replace the keyboards for free and did add extra dust guards to the late and early models. Apple has detailed instructions on how to clean the old keyboard if yours gets flaky, which is a decent first line of defense against busted keys.

Apple also extended its keyboard repair program to cover repairs on all Macs that have been purchased within the past four years, regardless of warranty status. Still, unless you're getting it really cheap, we suggest sticking with the newer models that feature the much-better Magic Keyboard—and the newer, more advanced processor.

The old MacBook Air models with a silver bezel : Apple's slim laptop was groundbreaking when it debuted in Unfortunately, the MacBook Air didn't undergo many changes until These older Airs rock a dowdy-looking, non-Retina screen and weak Intel chips that are years old. The old laptops might not require the dongles that a newer MacBook might, but the newer laptops will undoubtedly feel faster for longer.

Don't let their lower price tag tempt you—there are way better laptops you can nab for that kind of cash.