Buying guide: New MacBook and Mac mini

It's always agonizing when Apple releases hot new hardware.

Your old MacBook is chugging along fine, but the new devices look oh sooooooo tempting.

Yeah, your old MacBook's battery is not what it used to be. And it slows down when you open a lot of tabs. But should you buy the M2 MacBook Pro now, or wait another year and get the M3, which promises to really be a beast? 

Decisions, decisions.

To help you out, check our top post, which has handy charts (and a video) to help you decide. We also weigh in on the new HomePod. 

Also in today's newsletter:

• Will Smith's Emancipation on Apple TV+ is snubbed by the Oscars.

• Get a great deal on a whopping 1TB of cloud storage, last year's 16-inch MacBook Pro or a scratch-and-dent iPhone or Apple Watch.

• Why Apple's AR/VR headset will beat Meta's.

-- Leander Kahney, EIC.

Should you buy the new MacBook Pro or Mac mini?

The new Mac mini and the high-end MacBook Pro are the first Macs to receive Apple’s powerful new M2 Pro and Max chips. But should you upgrade to the new MacBook Pro (or Mac mini) or not? That depends on what Mac you already have. Our charts and video will walk you through the decision-making process if you’re considering buying a new Mac. (Bonus: We also break down the pros and cons of the new HomePod versus the original and the HomePod mini.)

A message from the Cult of Mac Deals team

Get 1TB of lifetime cloud storage for less than $140

From cheese to work-life balance, there are just some things that Europe does better. We can add cloud storage to that list since the European Union-based Koofr started offering a lifetime subscription to 1TB of cloud storage for just $139.99.

5 ways Apple's ‘Reality Pro' VR headset will beat Meta’s

New leaked details about the upcoming mixed-reality headset show Apple is learning from mistakes made by makers of rival devices. Most notably, Apple reportedly is creating a headset that will offer more-realistic avatars, and won’t require the user to hold controllers in their hands. Here are five ways Apple's not making the same errors as Meta and other companies.

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One last thing...