After 16 years of insisting that touchscreens don’t belong on the Mac, Apple has changed its. On October 28, it introduced the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display, which combines a touchscreen with a tandem OLED display and an iPhone-style Dynamic Island, in 14-inch and 16-inch sizes starting at $2899. It arrived a day after two quieter updates: a 14-inch MacBook Pro with M6 and an iMac with M6. All three are available to pre-order now, with deliveries and in-store availability starting November 6.

Despite the timing, the touchscreen MacBook Pro isn’t an M6 Mac. It uses the same M5 Pro and M5 Max chips as the MacBook Pro with a conventional display, and the only M6 MacBook Pro is the 14-inch base model, which keeps the existing design. So choosing among these Macs has less to do with speed than with screens, ports, and easy-to-miss configuration details.

MacBook Pro Gets a Touchscreen

The PROLED model is the first Mac you can touch. In macOS 27, you can swipe to scroll, pinch to zoom, and double-tap a window to fill the screen or flick it to tile it into place, and your keyboard shortcuts and trackpad gestures still work. Apple says many existing apps work with touch right away, because macOS translates touches into clicks. Apple names Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Zoom, Adobe Lightroom, DaVinci Resolve, and Blender among the apps that will take fuller advantage of touch, but a footnote says those versions “will be available later this year.”

Apple also changed the hardware around the screen. A redesigned hinge is meant to keep the screen steady when you touch it, the 12MP Center Stage camera adds video stabilization, so your feed doesn’t shake when you tap the screen during a video call, and the glass has a fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating (welcome on a screen you’ll be poking all day). Above the screen, a Dynamic Island shows Live Activities and Siri AI, much as it does on the iPhone, so you can answer a phone call, accept an AirDrop request, or pause music with a tap.

Spotlight also moves into the Dynamic Island, but only if Siri AI is available and enabled. Siri AI is still in beta, and since macOS 27.2 arrived on October 26, it has worked in English, French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish, so if your Mac uses any other language (or you turn Siri AI off), Spotlight won’t move. Siri AI and other features that rely on Apple’s servers are subject to daily usage limits, with expanded access to be available “for a fee in the future.”

With M5 Pro, the PROLED model starts at $2899 (14-inch) or $3399 (16-inch); with M5 Max, it starts at $4499 or $4799. At matching configurations, it costs $400 more (CA$500 for the 14-inch and CA$600 for the 16-inch) than the M5 Pro and M5 Max models Apple still sells with the Liquid Retina XDR display. Only the PROLED M5 Max model offers 16 TB of storage, though (the Liquid Retina XDR models top out at 8 TB).

Because the chips are identical, that $400 buys the screen, touch, and a thinner, lighter laptop rather than performance. The tandem OLED display peaks at 2000 nits for both HDR and SDR content, whereas the Liquid Retina XDR display manages 1600 nits for HDR and 1000 nits for SDR, a difference that should be most obvious outdoors. It also offers a 10,000,000:1 contrast ratio, Adobe RGB in addition to P3, and ProMotion refresh rates from 10 Hz to 120 Hz. Slimmer borders stretch the 16-inch screen to 16.3 inches (from 16.2), and Apple’s tech specs put the 14-inch M5 Pro model at 3.0 pounds and the 16-inch at 4.0 pounds, compared to 3.5 and 4.7 pounds for the Liquid Retina XDR versions. If you work in bright light, nano-texture glass adds $150 (CA$225) to any MacBook Pro, PROLED or not.

Longtime Mac users will spot one change from across the room. The Apple logo on the lid glows again, something no MacBook Pro has done since the 2016 redesign. Apple’s materials don’t mention it, but the logo was lit on the units Apple showed at launch, as AppleInsider reported. Otherwise, the PROLED model will feel familiar. It comes in space black or silver and keeps three Thunderbolt 5 ports, HDMI, an SDXC card slot, MagSafe 3, a headphone jack, and the backlit Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Force Touch trackpad. Apple says a new woofer design gives the six speakers 50% deeper bass. For the first time, the speakers also get their own tuning for when the lid is closed and an external display is connected. Like the M6 MacBook Pro and iMac, Apple’s N1 chip supports Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.

Apple’s “up to 24 hours” battery claim comes from a 16-inch M5 Pro model. For the 14-inch PROLED model, Apple lists 22 hours of video streaming with M5 Pro and 20 hours with M5 Max, the same figures it gives for the 14-inch Liquid Retina XDR models, so the OLED screen won’t buy you extra time away from a charger. Apple also says the PROLED models can charge to 50% in 30 minutes, but only with a 96W or higher adapter. The base 14-inch model (with the 15-core M5 Pro) comes with a 70W adapter, so add $79 for Apple’s 96W Power Adapter if you want fast charging. (Other configurations include a 96W or 140W adapter.)

Steve Jobs set the tone for Apple’s long opposition at the Back to the Mac event in 2010, saying that “touch surfaces don’t want to be vertical” and that after a while “your arm wants to fall off.” Craig Federighi told CNET in 2014 that touch wasn’t “the right interface” for what he called “a sit-down experience,” told Wired in 2018 that “lifting your arm up to poke a screen is a pretty fatiguing thing to do,” and in 2020 brushed off speculation that the roomier controls in macOS 11 Big Sur were preparation for touch. (Apple’s compromise in the meantime, the Touch Bar, arrived in 2016 and was gone by 2023.)

In an interview with Wired, Apple explained that the technology finally caught up. “The Mac is first and foremost an indirect input device,” CEO John Ternus said. “But I think there’s times when it’s comfortable and handy to have touch.” Hardware chief Johny Srouji said displays, Apple silicon, and software have finally “met our bar,” and marketing chief Greg Joswiak said pros who use iPhones and iPads all day now expect to touch their Macs, too. Apple also seems to have addressed Phil Schiller’s 2016 objection that touch would require a menu bar redesigned for fingers, since Wired reports that menus and the window buttons expand when a finger reaches them. Nobody outside Apple can yet judge whether the steadier hinge solves Jobs’s tired-arm problem, because no independent reviews have appeared.

M6 MacBook Pro Keeps the Familiar Design

The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M6 starts at $1999 (CA$2799) with 16 GB of memory and 1 TB of storage (there’s no 512 GB configuration). That’s the same price as the M5 model it replaces, because Apple raised the base MacBook Pro from $1699 to $1999 on June 25 amid a memory shortage. The M6 has a 12-core CPU and a 12-core GPU (two more cores in each than the M5), and Apple claims up to 30% faster graphics than the M5. Its specs also list up to 24 hours of video streaming, the longest of any 14-inch MacBook Pro.

Apart from the chip and new support for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, it’s the MacBook Pro you already know, in space black or silver, with the Liquid Retina XDR display and no touchscreen. Its three Thunderbolt 4 ports are slower than the Thunderbolt 5 ports on the M5 Pro and M5 Max models; it supports two external displays (M5 Pro supports three and M5 Max four), and it weighs 3.4 pounds. It also comes with a 70W adapter, so fast charging requires the $79 96W Power Adapter. Apple’s “up to 170 GB/s” memory bandwidth figure applies only with 24 GB or 32 GB of memory. The base 16 GB model gets 153 GB/s, a difference that’s unlikely to matter unless you run local AI models or heavy graphics work.

iMac Details to Check Before Ordering

The iMac with M6 replaces the M4 model and keeps its 24-inch 4.5K Retina display in seven colors (blue, purple, pink, orange, yellow, green, and silver). It gains Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and 2.5-gigabit Ethernet, which Apple says is up to 2.5 times faster than the previous model’s wired connection. It starts at $1499 (CA$2099) for a model with a 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU, or $1699 (CA$2299) for a 12-core model, both with 16 GB of memory and 256 GB of storage. The $200 difference buys more than two extra cores, as Apple’s iMac tech specs show:

• Ports: The 10-core model has two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports, whereas the 12-core model has four Thunderbolt 4 ports.
• External displays: The 10-core model supports one external display, and the 12-core model supports two.
• Ethernet: 2.5-gigabit Ethernet is standard on the 12-core model and an option you can add to the 10-core model when you order.
• Touch ID: The 12-core model includes the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID. The 10-core model’s Magic Keyboard lacks it, and the only Touch ID upgrade is the larger Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Numeric Keypad.
• Upgrade limits: The 10-core model tops out at 24 GB of memory and 1 TB of storage, and only the 12-core model offers 32 GB, 2 TB, and nano-texture glass.

Ports, display support, memory, and storage can’t be changed later, so if an iMac might someday need a second display or more than two Thunderbolt or USB-C devices without a hub, the 12-core model is the safer choice. Both come with a color-matched Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse that charge over USB-C (a Magic Trackpad is optional). If the iMac will hang on a wall or an adjustable arm, order the version with the built-in VESA Mount Adapter.

Which New Mac Should You Buy?

As big a change as touch is for the Mac, most people won’t need it, so we’d choose based on what you do with your Mac:

• Email, Office, and the Web: The $1999 M6 MacBook Pro is plenty of laptop. If the Mac never leaves the desk, get the iMac.
• Photo, video, and 3D work: If you need Adobe RGB, extreme contrast, or a lighter machine to carry to shoots, the PROLED model is the one to get. Touch support in Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, and Pixelmator Pro comes through Apple Creator Studio updates due “this November” (possibly after November 6), and Creator Studio costs $12.99 per month or $129 per year after the three free months that come with a new Mac.
• The 16-inch touchscreen model: At $3399 and up, it makes sense only if you want that screen, since the $2999 Liquid Retina XDR 16-inch model has the same M5 Pro chip and the same 24-hour battery rating.
• Multi-monitor desks: If you drive three or more displays or use Thunderbolt 5 storage and docks, skip the M6 and choose an M5 Pro or M5 Max model with either display.
• Waiting for touch: If you want the PROLED model mainly for touch, there’s no harm in waiting for reviews and for touch-ready versions of the apps you rely on.

If you want a new Mac on November 6, order now, and if you’d like help choosing a configuration or moving your data from an older Mac, please get in touch with us before you order.

(Featured image by Apple)

Social Media: After 16 years of saying no, Apple has made a touchscreen Mac. It uses M5 chips, not M6, and costs $400 more than a matching model without touch. Here’s how to choose among Apple’s new Macs.

Got a Mac Pro collecting dust? This kit will convert it into a Windows PC

Why the 2019 Mac Pro Has Become an Expensive Orphan

When Apple released the redesigned Mac Pro in 2019, the one nicknamed the cheese grater for its lattice front panel, it was meant to be the last word in professional Macs. It started at nearly six thousand dollars, and fully loaded configurations cost as much as a new pickup. Here in Texoma we’ve seen these machines in video production suites, church media booths, architecture offices, and the home studios of serious hobbyists who bought one expecting a decade of service.

Then Apple moved its entire lineup to its own Apple silicon chips. The 2019 Mac Pro, model identifier MacPro7,1 (model number A1991), is an Intel machine. Apple has said macOS Tahoe is the final major macOS release that will support Intel Macs. After that, owners can expect security updates for a limited time, and then nothing.

That leaves many owners in an awkward spot. The hardware still works, and it’s still fast for plenty of tasks. But resale values have dropped sharply because buyers know where the platform is headed. Selling one locally, whether through Facebook Marketplace in Wichita Falls or a listing aimed at buyers in Lawton or the DFW area, often brings in a fraction of what it cost. Scrapping it feels wasteful, especially when the case alone is one of the best-built computer enclosures ever made.

Running Windows on it isn’t a clean fix either. Apple’s Boot Camp officially supports Windows 10 on this model, and Windows 10 reached end of support in October 2025. Windows 11 isn’t officially supported through Boot Camp, so getting it to work means workarounds that most business owners shouldn’t rely on.

So a lot of these towers end up sitting under desks or in storage closets, collecting the kind of fine red dust that North Texas wind delivers to every room in the house. That’s the problem a new crowdfunding project is trying to solve.

How Much MacBook Battery Replacement Cost?

Answered by MacTech Solutions.

Questions? Call (940) 767-6227 for help.

iPad Mini 2024 vs. 2026 Buyer’s Guide | Your Texoma Mac Walkthrough

What Apple Just Changed, and Why Texoma Mac Users Should Care

Apple has introduced the eighth-generation iPad mini, and it is a bigger update than the small tablet usually gets. The new model has a larger OLED display, a thinner and lighter body, the A20 Pro chip, and, for the first time on the mini, water and dust resistance. Pricing starts at $699 for the 128GB Wi-Fi model and $849 with cellular.

Apple has also discontinued the 2024 iPad mini with the A17 Pro chip. That leaves Wichita Falls and Texoma buyers with two options: pay for the new model, or find a remaining 2024 unit, refurbished stock, or a good used one at a lower price.

This matters here because many local iPad mini owners do not use it as a couch tablet. We see it with ranchers checking cattle and weather apps from the truck, nurses and techs moving between floors at local clinics, airmen and contractors at Sheppard Air Force Base who need something that fits a cargo pocket, and Midwestern State students who want a note-taking device lighter than a laptop. For these people, the details of the new model affect daily use.

The update does not improve everything. Both generations have the same storage options, the same advertised battery life, Touch ID in the top button, and the same USB-C transfer speeds. If you hoped for longer battery life on a full day at the Wichita County Courthouse or a long drive to Lawton, this release doesn’t provide it.

The rest of this guide covers what is new, what stayed the same, and which version fits how people in North Texas and Southern Oklahoma use these devices. Every buyer’s situation differs, so we focus on how each feature affects real use instead of the spec sheet alone.

macOS 27 Golden Gate: What’s new, what’s in the beta & what’s next

Follow These Steps When Switching to a New iPhone 18

Are you considering getting one of Apple’s new iPhone 18 models? While it’s tempting to unbox a new iPhone and dive right in, a methodical setup will save you from potential frustrations down the road. When you’re ready to transfer your data—and, for many people, that means much of your digital life—to the new iPhone, follow these step-by-step instructions. For visual learners, Apple also provides a video showing how to transfer your data and set up a new iPhone.

1. Ensure that both your current iPhone and Apple Watch (if you have one) are running the latest versions of iOS and watchOS. These updates can take a while to install, so don’t leave them for the last minute.
2. Have your login details ready: you’ll need your iPhone and Apple Watch passcodes, along with your Apple Account email address and password.
3. Back up your old iPhone to iCloud or your Mac. If you back up to a Mac, make sure you encrypt the backup (and record the encrypted backup password!) so it includes passwords, Wi-Fi settings, browsing history, Health data, and call history. For safety, consider backing up to both iCloud and your Mac. iCloud backups are typically more straightforward and avoid issues like unreliable USB cables. If you don’t usually back up to iCloud, Apple offers temporary iCloud storage for 21 days when transferring to a new iPhone, with another 21 days if your new iPhone doesn’t arrive in time. To make a temporary iCloud backup, go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone and tap Get Started under Prepare for New iPhone. The temporary backup sticks around for 7 days after you restore it to the new iPhone.
4. If you have an Apple Watch, you can transfer it to the new iPhone during setup. If the automatic transfer doesn’t work for some reason, you can manually unpair the Apple Watch from the old iPhone and pair it again with the new one. If you choose the manual route with a cellular Apple Watch, you’ll be prompted to keep or remove your cellular plan; be sure to keep the plan to continue using it after you re-pair.
5. If you ordered your new iPhone through Apple and linked it to your cellular carrier account at purchase, or bought it directly from your carrier, your phone number usually transfers automatically during activation. If the transfer doesn’t happen automatically and your carrier supports eSIM Quick Transfer, Setup Assistant will guide you through transferring your eSIM directly from your old iPhone.
6. Use Apple’s Quick Start to set up the new iPhone. Put your old iPhone nearby, follow the on-screen instructions, and use it to scan the animation that appears on the new iPhone. When Quick Start asks how you want to transfer your data, you have two main choices: iCloud or a direct transfer. Neither is especially quick, so start only when you have plenty of time. (If your old iPhone isn’t available or Quick Start fails, you can instead set up the new iPhone manually and restore from an iCloud or Mac backup.)
   • Download from iCloud: Restore from your old iPhone’s iCloud backup. This approach lets you begin using the new iPhone while apps and data continue downloading in the background. After connecting the new iPhone to Wi-Fi and choosing Download from iCloud, select the correct backup—probably the most recent one you just created.
   • Transfer from iPhone: Transfer your apps, data, and settings directly from the old iPhone, either wirelessly or with a wired connection—a wired connection can be useful if wireless migration proves unreliable, but there’s no way to know which will be faster. With a direct transfer, regardless of wired or wireless, both iPhones remain unavailable until the process finishes. For wireless transfers, keep them near each other and plugged into power.
   • Finder or iTunes: Although Apple still supports restoring your old iPhone’s data from a backup saved to your Mac, it gets the least attention these days, and we would resort to it only if the Quick Start methods failed. When you get to the Transfer Apps & Data screen on the new iPhone, tap From Mac or PC, connect the new iPhone to your Mac, open a Finder window (or iTunes on macOS 10.14 Mojave or earlier), select the iPhone, click Restore Backup, and choose the appropriate backup.
7. Complete post-transfer tasks. Some app data needs to sync, so open the Mail, Contacts, and Calendar apps to check for your information; it may take a few minutes to populate. Verify you can make and receive calls. You’ll need to add your payment cards to Apple Pay, and transfer or re-add any transit or ID cards that don’t appear in Wallet. If necessary, pair your Apple Watch with the new iPhone. Also, pair your Bluetooth accessories—you shouldn’t need to re-pair AirPods, which sync automatically via iCloud. Apps might ask you to log in again and grant notification permissions, and you might need to re-download content and in-app purchases.
8. If you rely on Apple’s Passwords app for passwords, passkeys, and two-factor authentication codes, everything should sync via your iCloud account, assuming you have Passwords & Keychain enabled in iCloud. 1Password and other password managers also usually sync via an online account. Two-factor authentication apps like Authy and Google Authenticator may need additional configuration—confirm that your codes appear on the new iPhone. Regardless, verify that you can log in to key accounts before wiping the old phone.
9. If your employer or school requires you to register your iPhone for access to organizational systems, verify that everything works before erasing your old phone. Authentication apps, VPNs, device-management systems, and other security services may treat the new iPhone as a new device and require you to sign in again, re-register it, or obtain approval from your IT department. Test these services on the new iPhone while the old one is still available in case you need it to approve a login or transfer an account.

Although Apple works hard to make transferring from an old iPhone to a new one as smooth as possible, some things may not transfer perfectly. We strongly recommend keeping your old iPhone for a week or so to ensure the new one can do everything the old one did. During that time, thoroughly test the new iPhone, checking each app you need. Once you’re confident the new iPhone is working well, follow Apple’s instructions for erasing the old iPhone before selling, trading it in, or giving it away.

(Featured image by Adam Engst)

Social Media: Getting a new iPhone 18? Don’t rush the setup. A little prep work now can save you from missing data, apps, and settings later. Here’s what to do before and after transferring from your old iPhone.

(Featured image generated by Adam Engst with ChatGPT)

Social Media: Running low on Mac disk space? The free OmniDiskSweeper shows which files and folders are hogging your storage, sorted by size so you can quickly find and trash the biggest culprits.

(Images by iStock.com/ziprashantzi and Rachel Wickremasinghe)

Social Media: For troubleshooting, your wireless Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad can work over USB-C if needed, but if Bluetooth or pairing fails when you’re booting into macOS Recovery, an old or cheap wired USB mouse and keyboard can save the day.

Mac mini Gets M6 and M5 Pro

Skipping the M5 at the base level, the Mac mini debuts Apple’s new M6 chip, which is the first to use a 2-nanometer manufacturing process that promises increased performance and power efficiency. The M6 features a 12-core CPU (two more than before) and a 12-core GPU with Neural Accelerators in each core—a first for the Mac mini. Apple claims up to 4x faster AI performance compared to the M4 model, along with 2x faster graphics and storage. 16 GB of unified memory is standard, with 24 GB and 32 GB options.

For users who need more power, the Mac mini with M5 Pro offers a 15-core or 18-core CPU and a 16-core or 20-core GPU, with 24 GB of memory standard and support for up to 64 GB. The M5 Pro model also includes Thunderbolt 5 ports instead of the M6’s Thunderbolt 4 ports.

Both models gain Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, Thread, and upgraded 2.5Gb Ethernet (with 10Gb available as an option). New genlock support through USB-C enables precise synchronization between a display and camera—including iPhone 17 Pro—for video professionals who need frame-accurate capture. The front panel retains two USB-C ports and a headphone jack.

Pricing continues to climb. The M6 Mac mini starts at $899—$100 more than the post-June M4 pricing and $300 more than the original M4 launch price. The M5 Pro model starts at $1,699, up $100 from the June adjustment.

Mac Studio Adds M5 Max and M5 Ultra

The Mac Studio receives the M5 Max and the new M5 Ultra, Apple’s most powerful chip ever. The M5 Ultra uses a quad-die architecture—combining four smaller dies rather than two larger ones—which improves manufacturing yields while delivering extraordinary performance.

The M5 Max model offers an 18-core CPU, a 32-core or 40-core GPU, and 36 GB to 128 GB of unified memory—plenty for most professional workflows.

When that’s not enough, the M5 Ultra features a 30-core or 36-core CPU, a 64-core or 80-core GPU with Neural Accelerators, and 96 GB to 512 GB of unified memory with 1.2 TB/s of bandwidth. Apple claims up to 4.3x faster AI performance compared to the M3 Ultra and 1.8x faster graphics. For teams running large AI models locally, multiple Mac Studio systems can be clustered via Thunderbolt 5 and RDMA (remote direct memory access) to create a shared memory pool.

Both Mac Studio models gain Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread via Apple’s N1 wireless chip. Storage performance doubles thanks to a new SSD architecture. As with the Mac mini, genlock support through USB-C enables frame-accurate synchronization between displays and cameras.

The M5 Max Mac Studio starts at $2,499—unchanged from the June price hike. The M5 Ultra model starts at $5,499, up $200 from June (and $1,500 more than the pre-June price). The 512 GB memory configuration won’t ship until October.

Should You Upgrade?

For users with M1 or M2 Mac mini models, the performance gains may be substantial enough to justify an upgrade. Those with M4 Mac mini models can probably wait unless they specifically need the M6’s improved AI capabilities or the M5 Pro’s additional memory and Thunderbolt 5. And if you’re still using an Intel-based Mac mini for anything where performance matters, upgrade immediately—the difference is like night and day.

Mac Studio users face a different equation. The M5 Max and M5 Ultra deliver meaningful improvements for performance-driven professionals whose work involves large-scale video projects, complex 3D rendering, or AI inference. For such users, the speed improvements may justify upgrading even from M4 Max or M3 Ultra machines.

The memory crisis shows no signs of abating, so don’t assume prices will drop. If you need a new desktop Mac and one of these new models fits in your budget, they’re all excellent choices.

(Featured image by Apple)

Social Media: New M-series chips! Apple’s refreshed Mac mini debuts the M6 chip, while the Mac Studio gets the speedy M5 Ultra with up to 512 GB of unified memory. Performance soars—but so do prices amid the memory shortage.

The easiest, built-in solution to this admittedly first-world problem for Apple users is Safari Reader on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, which you can use to “hide navigation menus and other distracting items.”

Apple is careful not to say that Reader hides ads—which it does, most of the time—to avoid conflict with publications that rely on advertising, some of which may even be placed by Apple itself.

Beyond hiding distracting items, Reader displays articles as a single page and automatically generates a summary and table of contents for longer articles to make navigation easier.

Even better, you can configure Safari to show articles in Reader automatically for specific websites, so you don’t have to turn it on manually for each article.

Here’s how to use it.

Switch to Reader

Since Reader’s reformatting would break many non-article Web pages, Safari offers Reader only when you’re viewing a page that it can reformat. As a reminder, Safari on the iPhone and iPad shows a brief “Reader Available” mention in the address bar when you open a Reader-compatible page.

To display a compatible page in Reader, tap the website button at the left of the address bar ➊, then tap Show Reader ➋. Safari immediately reformats the page, removing many extraneous items and potentially changing the background and font.

The reformatting can be even more significant in Safari on the Mac, where websites often add columns of ads, pop-ups over the text you want to read, and more.

When Reader decides a page is long enough and has enough headings, it automatically generates a summary and table of contents, displaying them in expandable sections at the top. This feature is, frankly, a little random. We couldn’t always predict when Reader would generate those sections, and it even sometimes varied by device.

Adjust the Look of Reader

By default, Reader uses a white background with Apple’s San Francisco sans-serif font. That’s entirely acceptable, but you can switch to a sepia, gray, or black background, choose from a selection of serif and sans-serif fonts, and increase or decrease the font size.

Tap the page icon at the left of the address bar to pick from those options.

The presentation looks a little different on the iPad (left) and Mac (right), but the options are essentially the same.

Use Reader Automatically

For websites you regularly read, it’s best to set Reader to kick in automatically. It won’t reformat pages that don’t make sense, such as section pages that contain links to multiple articles. How you enable this option varies by platform:

• iPhone and iPad: Whether or not you’re in Reader, tap the icon at the left of the address bar, tap the ••• button, scroll down in the page menu, and turn on Use Reader Automatically.
  
• Mac: When you’re not in Reader, click the website icon at the left of the address bar, choose Website Settings, and select “Use Reader when available.”
  

If you want to manage which sites use Reader automatically all together, on the iPhone and iPad, open Settings > Apps > Safari > Reader (way at the bottom), and on the Mac in Safari, choose Safari > Settings > Websites.

Helpfully, Safari syncs appropriate website settings between devices via iCloud, so once you set a site to use Reader automatically, all your other devices will default to that as well.

Switch Back to Standard View

Although Reader works well most of the time, it’s possible to run across an article with interactive elements that don’t display in Reader. If something seems wrong about an article in Reader, you can switch back to the standard presentation of the page. Just tap the page icon at the left of the address bar and tap Hide Reader.

The hardest part of using Reader is getting started. Once you’ve become accustomed to switching into it and setting it to trigger automatically for websites you visit regularly, you’ll find reading the Web easier, more relaxing, and less likely to tempt you down a rabbit hole of additional content.

(Featured image based on an original by iStock.com/Tippapatt)

Social Media: Tired of ads and pop-ups interrupting your reading? Safari Reader reformats Web articles for distraction-free viewing on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac—and it can even activate automatically.

Although higher-memory configurations are particularly affected, there’s no guaranteed way to predict which Macs will be affected or the estimated length of delivery delays—the situation changes daily. As of August 4, the Apple Store is reporting the following representative delivery estimates to ZIP code 14850:

• MacBook Neo (8 GB / 256 GB): 10–14 days
• 13-inch MacBook Air (16 GB / 512 GB): 15–22 days
• 14-inch MacBook Pro (16 GB / 1 TB): 1 day
• 14-inch MacBook Pro (24 GB / 1 TB): 8–15 days
• 14-inch MacBook Pro M5 Max (128 GB / 2 TB): 50–57 days
• 16-inch MacBook Pro (24 GB / 1 TB): 1 day
• 24-inch iMac (16 GB / 256 GB): 2 days
• Mac mini M4 (16 GB / 256 GB): 22–29 days
• Mac Studio M4 Max (64 GB / 512 GB): 56–70 days

If you’re in the market for a new Mac, what should you do? It depends on whether you’re buying for yourself or for an organization.

Individuals

If you just want to upgrade from an older model, waiting might not be a hardship—what’s another few weeks? But waiting isn’t easy if you’re replacing a Mac that has been lost, stolen, or broken. You have a few options:

• Shop around: Some retailers may have precisely what you want in stock. Inventory may even vary by Apple Store, if there are multiple stores nearby. It’s often best to call before visiting since online inventory systems may not be up to date.
• Adjust your desired configuration: Standard base configurations often have the best availability. Delivery estimates change with configuration, so if you can get by with less memory or storage, you might be able to get a Mac sooner. Even a different color might be more readily available.
• Choose a different model: As with configuration, some models can be delivered sooner than others, so it may be worth getting an iMac instead of a Mac mini if that means you can have it right away.
• Buy used: Apple sells refurbished Macs (with full warranties) that may have been store models, returned within the 14-day window, or used for demos. Other retailers may also sell older reconditioned Macs, and you can always look on eBay or Craigslist. Thanks to the performance of Apple silicon, a previous-generation Mac isn’t much of a compromise, but be certain any used Mac has Activation Lock removed, isn’t assigned to an organization’s device management system, and is completely erased.

Organizations

The situation may be more problematic for organizations that can’t afford for an employee to be without a Mac or need to equip a new location or a cohort of new hires. Along with the strategies above, organizations should consider:

• Maintaining a loaner pool: Keep a few Macs on hand as backups, even older models that would otherwise have been traded in. This is a good strategy in general, but make sure to refresh the loaner pool periodically so they remain supported and useful.
• Extending replacement cycles: Although many organizations prefer to replace Macs on a 3–5-year cycle, it may be worth extending replacement dates until new Macs can be acquired.
• Handing down equipment: Depending on what’s available, it might make sense to buy an existing employee a new Mac and hand their old Mac down to a new hire.
• Ordering earlier: Build Mac ordering into the hiring process earlier so machines are available when they’re needed.
• Building a deployment reserve: Organizations with predictable hiring may want to keep a few standard Macs ready for immediate deployment. Rotate those machines into normal service rather than accumulating sealed inventory.

Just-in-time manufacturing and overnight shipping have spoiled us, but with some planning and flexibility, you should be able to find the Macs you need to stay productive. Contact us if you need help forecasting Mac purchases, identifying acceptable alternatives, or adjusting deployment workflows around constrained availability.

(Featured image generated by Adam Engst with ChatGPT)

Social Media: Global memory shortages caused by AI data center demand are hitting Mac buyers with higher prices and longer delivery times. Here are strategies to reduce the pain for both individuals and organizations.

(Featured image generated by Adam Engst with ChatGPT)

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(Featured image by iStock.com/Pakpoom Makpan)

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The price hikes took effect on June 25. In a statement to the press, Apple blamed the AI industry’s insatiable appetite for memory chips, which has caused prices for memory and storage to increase up to sixfold:

The consumer electronics industry is facing an unprecedented challenge. The rapid expansion of AI data centers has created an extraordinary surge in demand for memory and storage. We have never seen a component price increase this much, this quickly. We have shielded our customers from these increases so far, but we have now reached a point where we need to begin raising prices on a number of products.

Apple’s price increases vary widely. The base model of the Apple TV 4K took the biggest percentage hit, jumping from $129 to $199—a 54% increase that’s particularly puzzling given the device has only 64 GB of storage and 4 GB of memory. It may be setting a new price floor for the next-generation Apple TV. At the other end of the percentage increase spectrum, the Vision Pro rose just 6%, from $3,499 to $3,699.

Mac and iPad Price Changes

The Mac lineup saw significant increases at both the low and high ends:

• MacBook Neo: $599 → $699 (+17%)
• MacBook Air (13-inch): $1,099 → $1,299 (+18%)
• MacBook Pro (14-inch base): $1,699 → $1,999 (+18%)
• Mac mini (M4): $599 → $799 (+33%)
• Mac Studio (M3 Ultra): $3,999 → $5,299 (+33%)

The $1,300 increase for the M3 Ultra model of the Mac Studio is the largest absolute dollar jump in the lineup—a reflection of just how much high-memory configurations are affected by the shortage.

iPads saw increases of 15–30%, with the base iPad hit hardest:

• iPad: $349 → $449 (+29%)
• iPad mini: $499 → $599 (+20%)
• iPad Air (11-inch): $599 → $749 (+25%)
• iPad Air (13-inch): $799 → $949 (+19%)
• iPad Pro (11-inch): $999 → $1,199 (+20%)
• iPad Pro (13-inch): $1,299 → $1,499 (+15%)

Base prices tell only part of the story. Memory and storage upgrade prices also jumped dramatically, with the 64 GB and 128 GB memory upgrades for M5 Max models of the MacBook Pro doubling in price.

Why iPhones and Apple Watches Were Spared

Apple left the prices for the iPhone, Apple Watch, AirPods, and Studio Display unchanged. The Studio Displays and AirPods likely escaped because they use minimal memory. The iPhone and Apple Watch are a different story—Apple may be willing to accept lower margins on its flagship products, betting that stable prices will drive enough additional sales to offset reduced profit per unit.

There’s also the timing factor. New iPhone and Apple Watch models are expected in September, and rumors suggest Apple will introduce only high-end (and higher margin) iPhone 18 models then, with more affordable models held until early 2027. That makes buying a current-generation iPhone now potentially the better deal—new models will almost certainly debut at higher prices.

Apple Isn’t Alone

The memory crisis has hit the entire consumer electronics industry. Microsoft raised prices on all Surface PCs. Samsung is raising prices on its Galaxy smartphones. Lenovo, HP, and Dell have all raised laptop prices.

The culprit is the industry’s rapid expansion into AI. Data centers are consuming memory and storage at a pace the industry wasn’t equipped to handle. Memory chip suppliers like Micron, Samsung, and SK Hynix have directed production toward AI chipmakers like Nvidia, who are willing to pay top dollar, leaving consumer electronics to compete for whatever remains. Industry observers expect the shortage to persist through at least 2027 due to the time required to build manufacturing capacity.

What Should You Do?

If you need a Mac or iPad, some retailers may not have updated prices yet, but that won’t last. Similarly, you could look for a refurbished Mac from Apple or a certified pre-owned Mac from retailers like OWC, but those prices have largely increased as well.

For the iPhone and Apple Watch, the calculus is unusual: normally, we’d encourage waiting for September’s new models, but this year, buying now at current prices may save you some money.

Ultimately, the only options may be to bite the bullet and pay current prices, buy a less-expensive model or configuration, or hold on to your existing hardware in the hopes that prices come back down.

(Featured image generated by Adam Engst with ChatGPT)

Social Media: Apple just raised Mac and iPad prices by 15–33%, blaming the AI industry’s hunger for memory and storage chips. The iPhone and Apple Watch were spared, but the next new models may be more expensive. Here’s what you need to know.