Brought to you by Incogni, the easiest way to scrub your data from the internet.
When the news broke late Monday that Apple was “gearing up to launch a new version of the Mac mini, as early as ahead of its September iPhone launch,” I should have known to set my alarm clock early this morning.
In a trio of press releases just after dawn West Coast time, Apple took the wraps off upgrades to its Mac Studio and Mac mini lines, with machines powered by new M6, M5 Pro, M5 Max and M5 Ultra processors.
I’ve been plinking away on an M1 MacBook Air for years now, and it’s been a solid machine. I’ve never even considered a desktop Mac — at least not since the original Macintosh back in the ‘80s — because I like having a laptop I’m familiar with when I need to work while on the road.
But the prospect of a Mac mini with an M6 chip suddenly sounds appealing. Over at Tom’s Guide, Jason England dug into the specs of the M6, which is the world’s first commercially available 2nm chip. And he says it’s finally time for anyone with an M1 (or older) Mac to bite the bullet.
“With 2.4x CPU performance, 8x AI GPU acceleration and 2.5x memory bandwidth, M6 represents the ideal leap for users still clinging onto original 2020 M1 Macs or legacy setups,” he wrote.
That’s exactly where I sit — an M1 dead-ender whose computer still works just fine most of the time, but sometimes struggles with advanced tasks.
I also like the idea of adding the connectivity that the Mac mini brings to the desktop, which could free me from the dock-and-dongle life. And now that I’ve acclimated to Apple’s recent AI-driven price hikes, and MacBook Airs cost a cool $1,299 to start, the Mac mini’s new $899 price tag sounds like a relative bargain.
What about you? Are you tempted by Apple’s amazing new Macs? Let us know in the poll below.
Also in today’s newsletter:
That new M6 chip sounds great and all, but the M7 might be coming sooner than you think!
The amount of personal info available online can be pretty shocking. Use Incogni to scrub your personal data from the internet — and save 55% with coupon code CULTOFMAC.
If you ever thought, “Gee, I’d like to run macOS on my iPhone,” this jailbreak project is for you.
🔥 DEAL OF THE DAY: Belkin’s tiny USB-C power block pumps out 20W, making it a perfect iPhone fast charger for travel. And right now, it’s on sale for less than $13. #affiliate
And speaking of deals, I’m a huge fan of AirTags, and I’ve been waiting for the second-gen tracker to go on sale at a big discount. It finally happened: You can get them for less than $20 a pop when you buy a four-pack.
On the other end of the price spectrum, Apple released its most expensive — and its most Hollywood-friendly — laptop of all time on this day in 1995.
— Lewis Wallace, managing editor
A message from Incogni
Lock down your data with Incogni.
An identity theft attempt happens every 22 seconds. And that’s because personal details like birthdates, home addresses and phone numbers are shared online.
With just a few more details (like your Social Security number), fraudsters can open credit cards or create fake accounts as if they were you.
Here’s the fix: Remove your personal data from the internet.
With the Incogni Unlimited plan, submit any link exposing your info — background-check sites, niche forums or even e-commerce platforms not covered in automatic removals — and we’ll take it from there.
Think of Incogni as your one-stop shop for erasing your info from the web.
Get 55% off Incogni’s Unlimited Plan and try it risk-free for 30 days with our exclusive discount code, CULTOFMAC.
A message from the Cult of Mac Deals team
A message from the Cult of Mac Deals team
Cult of Mac’s buyback program
A message from Porkbun
Domain Names + Web and Email Hosting For Less
Still paying GoDaddy or Namecheap prices? Porkbun sells most domains at cost for low, transparent registration and renewal pricing with no nonsense. Get free features like WHOIS privacy and SSL certificates, plus real human support 24/7, 365 days a year. Save $1 on your next domain name now.
Tweets of the day
Wallpaper of the day
One more thing ...
A computer is the most incredible tool we’ve ever seen. It can be a writing tool, a communications center, a supercalculator, a planner, a filer and an artistic instrument all in one, just by being given new instructions, or software, to work from. There are no other tools that have the power and versatility of a computer.
Today’s poll
Will you buy one of the new Mac mini or Mac Studio models?
Results from yesterday’s poll
Best reader comments
/
Subscribe to The Weekender — Get the week's best Apple news, reviews and how-tos from Cult of Mac, every Saturday morning. Our readers say: "Thank you guys for always posting cool stuff" -- Vaughn Nevins. "Very informative" -- Kenly Xavier.