Mac – Life on the Wicked Stage: Act 3

This Is A Bummer. Open Source Dropbox Client Maestral Will Shut Down

Ch…ch…changes

I would say Monday always seems to bring bad news, but bad news seems to show up on any day that ends in “y” lately. But this is a Monday and this is bad news.

Maestral, an open source client for Dropbox has ceased to be maintained as of the end of June 2026 according to the develper on the app’s website. Hat tip to John Gruber who posted the news this morning, and for posting this quote from the developer.

As of 2026-07-28, this project is archived. It’s been a fun challenge to develop a syncing client, but unfortunately, I find too little time to invest in Maestral these days. I’ve also moved away from using Dropbox myself.

Maestral will still remain usable in the medium term, but will no longer be actively maintained or receive updates.

I’ve been using Maestral for quite some time to manage file syncing on Dropbox, primarily because I despise Dropbox’s own apps. Maestral is a far cleaner and less resource intensive experience, and has more than served my needs syncing files back and forth. So, I’ll either have to bite the bullet and swallow some pretty foul tasting software again, or find a different solution.

The different solution will be a difficult one as I work with a variety of theaters and clients, all of which using different file syncing and sharing solutions, (Google’s solution being the runner up to Dropbox) so I have to keep up with most of the file syncing services out there.

All shows must close at some point, but it’s a shame to see this one posted it’s closing notice. I wouldn’t count on any new ones appearing on the horizon.

Thanks for reading. You can subscribe to this blog if you care to. You can also find more of my writings on a variety of topics on Medium at this link, including in the publications Ellemeno and Rome. I can also be found on social media under my name as above. This site does not use affilate links.

More Thoughts On Apple’s Price Increases: The AI Tax

The AI Tax is about more than the cost of a computer

Now that the dust is settling a bit after Apple unsurprisingly announced price increases across its hardware lineup, I have to say that I’m quite bemused to see the pocket book hit being called the AI Tax.

I wasn’t clever enough to use that descriptor when I posted about the news shortly after the announcement, but I had been paying enough attention to immediately point the finger of blame at the costs associated with Artificial Intelligence. I think Jonny Evans was the first to coin the phrase AI Tax. For what it’s worth, I hope the phrase AI Tax sticks. Sticks hard and deep. And twists the knife. Because it’s going to affect much more than just the cost of MacBooks, iPads, Apple TVs, and other gear designed in California.

While other tech companies had already started raising prices due to the AI Tax, (talk to anyone in the gaming market) Apple’s announcement is one that brought real shivers and shakes to consumers, the stock market, and boardrooms around the globe. Whether mostly myth or prescient business practices, Apple’s reputation for being ahead of the curve when it comes to purchasing large supplies of chips to withstand market pressures is and was such that tech companies in other sectors often found themselves facing sold out inventories or higher prices when it came time to make their orders. The “Apple Tax” extended far beyond the high cost of Apple products.

That rep and Apple’s stock took a dive on the news. Apple recorded its second biggest market drop in its history, dragging the NASDAQ down with it. Heading into the weekend there’s consternation brewing about all of the chip releated businesses going forward. (Hint: that’s most businesses these days.) But then again, the stock market is not much more than a wild ride in an aging prediction market, so who knows how that will unfold as a holiday week begins on Monday.

Word came via The Financial Times Friday night that Tim Cook was calling in some chits on chips with the Trump administration, attempting to circumvent chip bans balled up in the trade war to and fro with China. If successful, that would allow Apple to buy banned chips that the Pentagon is hesitant about, given that they are built by state controlled Chinese companies. According to the report this lobbying had been going on for a month or so prior to Cook’s first warning a week before the price hike announcement on Thursday.

The timing hints at a bit of public hardball lobbying from Apple. (Note that the price increase announcement wasn’t a Friday news dump after the market closed. However, The Financial Times article came after no known action from the administration post Apple’s announcement.) Shake the markets and try to wrest the attention of the administration fighting losing battles of its own making with bodies of water in the Middle East and in its own backyard. I’m almost surprised Apple hasn’t been called a vandal yet.

As I said earlier, this is going to have far reaching implications beyond the consumer gadget markets. Chip capacity has to increase, or the demand for higher bandwidth memory has to decrease before any of the predictions that this will subside in a few years. (There’s a good read on this from Imran Valiani here.) On the current trajectory, fueled by still increasing hype to combat building blowback, I don’t see that timeline materializing. This news might bobble the bubble, but I don’t think it’s ready to pop.

Costs are going to rise across the board. It’s not just consumers that purchase computers who will take the hit. And it’s not just the purchase of computers that will drive an inflationary spiral. Yep, that’s the I-word that no one likes to hear, especially politicians. Everything is a computer these days, or at least has some form of chip in it. And, in my opinion, too many companies have jumped on the AI bandwagon far too soon to understand the long term ramificatinos. All of those costs will be passed down the line to consumer pocket books.

I also don’t think we’re going to see these price pressures subside to pre-AI Tax levels. I’m old enough to remember when new cars used to have price ranges well below $5,000. That obviously makes me prehistoric, but I can remember watching The Price is Right featuring cars as the grand prize with contestants guaranteeing at least their first guess was accurate by chosing the number two for cars that would be priced at $2995. That’s a memory that doesn’t require a chip. Although streaming those old shows does.

Like it or not, Apple’s success since the launch of the iPhone, has been a key piece of U.S and global economic growth with much of the tech sector following along and prospering in its wake. Apple’s recent announcements are probably one day going to be viewed as just as big a marker going forward as the release of that first iPhone.

It feels to me that we’re entering into a price curve trajectory for computing on all levels that will follow a similar trajectory as the automobile market. The financial markets will find ways to love it as financing will become a key driver to cover costs while the markets get used to price points for signature hardware starting much higher than the $1000 price point today. There’s got to be a way for the bankers to cover all of the borrowing associated with the build out of data centers.

Over the years the myths of Apple being doomed have largely been just that. Myths. Apple always found a way. This turbulence probably won’t change that. But the AI Tax will change things for all of us in ways that we’re just beginning to understand. Inept global political and corporate leadership easily taken advantage of by hype-masters and hucksters have paved the way to this moment.

And all of this for a still largely unproven technology.

No Surprise. Apple Raises Prices Due To Memory Woes

No hallucination. AI puts the squeeze on memory prices.

Don’t be surprised. Don’t be shocked. Apple is raising prices. Outgoing CEO Tim Cook said a week ago that Apple couldn’t withstand the price pressure brought on by memory chip shortages, likening it a 100 year flood. Put on your waders John Ternus.

Translating that a bit, what Cook was saying is that Apple doesn’t want to cut into its historic profit margins.

Bloomberg has the report. As does everybody else. You’ll see lots of screaming, hair pulling, and much gnashing of teeth about this in the next few days. But again, this shouldn’t come as a surprise given all we’ve heard for so long about the pressures AI is putting on the chip business.

Just remember, every time you’ve talked to that chatbot, you’ve helped make this happen.

Here’s a statement from Apple to the Wall Street Journal.

“We have now reached a point where we need to begin raising prices,” [Apple] said in the statement. “We have never seen a component price increase this much, this quickly.”

Note that there’s no mention of AI is the root cause. Rationalizations and spin will replace AI hallucinations and eventually absorbed into the corpus of knowledge about this.

So what costs more?

Even Apple’s latest big hardware success story, the MacBook Neo, originally priced at $599 is going up to $699. That has to sting. But so too will the sting for price increases for iPads and Macs.

Here’s a list of some of what’s more expensive.

MacBook Neo entry $599 increasing to $699
MacBook Air 512GB $1099 increasing to $1299
MacBook Pro 1T $1699 increasing to $1999
iPad Air 128GB $599 increasing to $749
iPad Pro Wifi 256GB $999 increasing to $1199
iPad mini $499 increasing to $599
iMac $1299 increasing to $1499
Apple TV 4K $129 increasing to $199
HomePod mini $99 increasing to $129
Vision Pro $3499 increasing to $3699

At the moment iPhone prices remain the same. Expect that to change come this fall. You’d be a fool not to.

I think this is the beginning of a cycle that is going to see most consumer hardware become more costly, eventually reducing the number of units sold. Somebody thinks that will even out. I’m not so sure.

All because of an overhyped technology that is being forced into consumer hardware and the much hated data centers that are required to run it. Less units will be sold. But if your eye is on the price per unit margin, you’re missing the larger point. Math is hard. But it’s not that hard. Sell less, make less.

Simply put, we’re at the beginning of a nasty cycle. Ask your chatbot therapist how you should handle it.

Thoughts Before WWDC 2026

Looking ahead and looking back

Wait and see.

That’s the summary of my thoughts for Apple’s World Wide Developer Conference this year. That event happens next week. The waiting and seeing will happen over the summer, possibly all the way until this time next year.

I’m not talking about what Apple will talk about at the conference and in the keynote. I’m talking about what they actually deliver down the road and when they deliver it for the numerous operating systems with 27 tagged on at the end. Some will get love. Some won’t. That’s nothing new. (Ask iPad users.) For a company with so many resources each year’s releases always seem to curiously remind me that Apple picks a platform to focus on, and seems content to let others wither on the vine for a time.

To be fair, I’ve always had a wait and see attitude towards most tech announcements, because what looks sexy and is hyped in the demos, press releases, and podcasts, sometimes makes it into the hands of users, sometimes not. Prior to 2024, Apple usually delivered on what it promised. But that changed with Apple Intelligence. A name I bet they wish they’d never let see the light of day. They didn’t deliver then and haven’t since. They promise they will this time, although who knows what that will really mean. The weight of wait and see has become heavier.

This also comes at a time when there’s a burgeoning backlash building among consumers against anything related to Artificial Intelligence. So the climate is not nearly as inviting as it was two years ago. For what’s it worth, I think it’s becoming harder and harder to sell any product or feature that guarantees its inaccuracy up front, promising to do better in the future. But there sure seem to be enough takers and talkers thinking different on that than I.

Curiously, Apple seems to be hedging its bets, apparently set on using Google’s AI as the foundation. Some say that’s a place holder until Apple rolls its own AI after it’s mistaken first rollout, the way it did with Maps. Some say it’s a wise move for the future because it might save Cupertino some cash and more blowback from having to build out its own data centers. I say, wait and see.

From what I read Google may be reinventing itself and the Internet with its efforts, but those efforts aren’t meeting with thunderous applause and accolades. At least compared to Google’s competitors. Besides effectively putting Google in the catbird (chatbot?) seat driving all AI chatbot activity on the majority of handsets sold on the planet (Android and iOS), who knows how it will turn out. No chatbot can predict, nor can any human. That said, the marketing puzzle about what’s Apple and what’s Google is going to be fun to watch play out, even in the end it’s going to be meaningless to most consumers.

There’s also word that this year’s OS releases will also focus on fixes and not new features the way Snow Leopard did for Leopard on Macs back in the day. Intriguingly there were quite a new features for Macs in that release. Speaking of Macs, there’s also talk that they will see more of Liquid Glass than we saw the first time around. To be honest, I’m grateful for last year’s comparative neglect of Liquid Glass on the Mac. I’m waiting and seeing with a bit of trepidation how attention is focused on that this year. I’m also waiting on the day when someone finds a way to sell me on rounded corners on rectangular displays.

I would welcome fixes. Boy, would I welcome fixes. I’ve long maintained that the cadence of Apple’s OS release cycles is too rapid to allow it to effectively address problems. I get that there’s a long view and a necessity to look ahead, but when you’re hearing leaks about the next year’s efforts before this year’s are announced I think the tempo is too fast and it becomes too tempting to push things off until the next year.

I’ve written about a number of things that bug me off and on. Because they bug me off and on. I’ll list some that stand out that I wish would get attention. That said, most seem to fall back on issues with iCloud. Hearing talk that however Apple rolls out the new Siri or chatbot feature will allow that feature’s chat history to sync across devices via iCloud gives me a shutter. I’m guessing that will lead to more unexplainable stops and stutters in iCloud syncing in general.

So, here’s a small list of things I hope, but am not counting on, seeing addressed.

iCloud syncing. Just make it reliable and give us Sync Now buttons. We get one is Messages. How about the rest of the core apps?

Perpetual Betas: I know, and respect that Apple is continuing to work on each new operating system throughout the year. Kudos. It can’t be easy. That said, find a way to keep from mucking things up on the backend for users who don’t participate in betas. Perpetual beta weirdness is hell for normal users.

Phone app. Apple made significant changes last year. They need to make more. There’s no reason in the world I can see for not going all in to help users more efficiently get rid of unwanted or fraudulent calls.

Error Messages. Tell us more. Yes, I know something failed. Tell me more about what failed and point to a solution or information that can help me find out more.

Apple Mail. Rules in Apple Mail need to work consistently, or just be done away with. Features in Apple Mail on iPhones and Macs need to be brought into line with each other. It makes a mockery of trying to unify things between iOS and macOS.

Shortcuts. Yesterday’s future is probably some tomorrow’s further fading feature. Shortcuts are great when Apple doesn’t change things behind the scenes that cause them to break. That happens too often. Rumors that you’ll be able to create them via a chatbot sounds potentially promising. But if they are still going to randomly break, what really is the point?

Contacts. A small amount of attention could do wonders with this seemingly forgotten, yet essential app.

Apple Music on the Mac. Why is this app so bad for a company that says over and over again that it loves music?

Reminder Notifications for Shared Reminders. There has to be a way to programmatically dismiss a shared reminder notification once it has been completed and marked off. Fix it. It is just simply annoying. Especially in the context of all of the improvements in the Reminders app the last few years.

App Store. For a company that spends untold amounts of money on its brick and mortar stores, I remain shocked at how they can be proud of the software versions of any of its App Stores.

watchOS Software UI: We’ve already heard there won’t be much in the way of changes for the Apple Watch this year. But at least pay attention to some of the software design.

Settings. Find a way to clean up this mess. There has to be a way.

Note that many of the issues listed above are still hanging around and are the same as in my list last year.

As much as the attention will be on whatever Apple attempts with Apple Intelligence after WWDC 26, attention will also quickly pivot to the fall when new devices are announced. Given that we’ve heard countless times that devices like Apple TV and HomePods, and other home related products, are waiting in the wings for software focused on AI features to catch up, it will be curious to see what attention, if any, they get during WWDC. I don’t think those devices will be announced until the fall. I don’t expect any hardware announcements of any kind next week.

Speaking of waiting in the wings, much will also be made about this being Tim Cook’s final WWDC as CEO with John Ternus due to take spotlight this September. Much attention will be paid to the semiotics surrounding all of that during WWDC and after. That will be interesting to watch, but since WWDC 2026 feels more and more like a catch up year all around, I’m guessing next year’s event might be more telling. We’ll have to wait and see.

So, there’s my thoughts. That and nickel won’t buy you anything.

You can also find more of my writings on a variety of topics on Medium at this link, including in the publications Ellemeno and Rome. I can also be found on social media under my name as above. This site does not use affilate links.

MacBook Neo and iPad: Here We Go Again

Tired arguments get a new leash on life

When Apple released the MacBook Neo it was obvious to most that Apple had introduced a product that would shake up the larger laptop market. Lurking just underneath that obviousness was how it might or might not affect the iPad market. It was only a matter of time and timing, before those who, both rightly in some cases and wrongly in others, criticized Apple for not delivering the iPad of their dreams that could do anything and everything seized on the Neo’s success as a pivot point in the discussion.

An iPad Pro with a scribbled message that says iPads and Neos. There is an Apple Pencil laying on the iPad

The quest for the perfect device for everyone is and will always be an imperfect one. Much like the arguments. In addition to its impact on the laptop manufacturing markets, the MacBook Neo proves just how imperfect those arguments are. Yet, there’s already a large dollop of discourse saying that the Neo proves Apple’s iPad strategy needs adjusting. Add to that the rumors of a touchscreen Mac that continue to recirculate the same way the iPad discussion does just prior to WWDC each year.

On Michael Tsai’s Blog there’s an excellent collection of links and comments that’s worth a look if you’re at all interested in this ultimately meaningless debate. The links feed off a post from Craig Mod, titled MacBook Neo and How The iPad Could Be, that argues “iPads should be radically touch only and MacBooks should be keyboard-first.” I can’t say I disagree. But I think the discussion should go further than either/or.

There’s got to be several data centers worth of AI-scraped web articles on the ups and downs of the iPad floating around and how Apple’s strategy held it back. And yes, the iPad has had its ups and downs. But I would argue that’s mostly, not completely, a question of preference rather than any “the iPad should be this or that” win or lose proposition.

Being an iPad user since the first edition, I’ll say this. Most of the dissatisfaction I’ve seen over the years comes from those who wanted the iPad to be more like a Mac than those who used it primarily as a tablet. Without trying to be derisive, I’d venture to say that most who complained were keyboard jockeys by trade. I don’t begrudge them their complaints. From that perspective the complaints did and still do make sense. In many ways they were following Apple’s lead from the “What’s a computer?” days, before Apple abandoned that tack and sailed into broader and more lucrative waters with Apple Silicon.

Admittedly I’m showing my own preference here. I use an iPad as a tool in my work as a theatre practitioner. I’m on my feet with a script on my iPad, using an Apple Pencil to take notes. If I need to do keyboard work in the rehearsal room, I plop the iPad on a Magic Keyboard, do the keyboard related task, then pop the iPad off again and get back on my feet. When I’m back in my digs, I mostly work on a Mac. Apple’s ecosystem makes this all possible. When it works well.

Personally, I hope Apple keeps developing and delivering all of its current line of products. Stretch capabilities in some to the limit, and limit others with less.

The current lineup serves me well. Frankly, I can’t imagine any changes Apple could make that would alter how I work. I’d be content with that future, even though I know the tools I’m going to use are going to change regardless of my current comfort zone. If that future is all about creating hardware to run AI, as it appears to be, the decision points are going to shift away from most of the spec and capability differences we’ve been accustomed to in the past anyway.

Craig Mod argues that “the specificity of our tools should be radically clear.” I buy the argument, but extending the discussion I’ll say it’s better to have more capability than less. Most users don’t touch anywhere near what even the most limited devices can offer. In my experience they find their way to whatever level they need, which is a much lower one than most realize. Those of us who may made need more, don’t understand that most users couldn’t care less.

Moving on, and with the “What’s a Computer?” miscues behind us, Apple’s current challenge and our headaches stem more from Apple trying to meld its operating systems into some sort of grand cohesive vision that feels the same across all of its devices. Admirable. But ultimately flawed in the same way that each different computing device Apple sells is as different as any two users who use that same device. Vive la différence.

I’m sure Apple gets that, but until the MacBook Neo that wasn’t quite as smack the Apple press in the face apparent, even though there have been lesser featured iPads at lower price points prior to the Neo. You could argue the same about the iPhone Air, but the higher price obscures the point.

With talk of higher priced “ultra” iPhones and who knows what else supposedly on the horizon, who knows where all of this really leads. I’m guessing Apple will be more than content to have a multi-layered series of price points attracting customers from both the low end and the high end. That all leads to more users spending money on Apple services and that’s the key to Apple’s continued growth. More hardware entry points (price) bring in more users than new features most won’t ever use. It’s simple math.

As long as Apple’s hardware profit margins can be maintained across its lineup, even with lower priced and perhaps less capable hardware, it’s pretty much a slam dunk. The success of the Neo not only points to this strategy, it should also point ahead to a diversified hardware lineup that fills many needs, as long as there is a clear and distinct choice for the toolsets that suits them best.

(image from the author)

Thoughts On The MacBook Neo

A palpable hit

The MacBook Neo is a nice piece of kit. If you’re in the market the price is right, the build is very good, and in my first impressions the laptop is a delight. Any of the complaints and concerns you’ve probably read or heard from those who own more kitted out Macs can be easily dismissed. At the moment. I’d venture to say that for the vast majority of everyday computer users the MacBook Neo will be a nice fit.

One of the folks I support reached out and said they wanted to obtain one, so I picked one up and did the drudge work of installing the OS update and some of the initial setup last week. We later spent some time together getting it set up the way they like. Moving from an M1 MacBook Air bought in 2022, they opted for a Citrus colored 512GB model with TouchID. The good news is there’s no real learning curve for this client when it comes to features and using the device. There is no bad news.

When I say “in the market,” my client is what I consider one of the perfect customers for the MacBook Neo. A retired senior that began using a computer later in life, later jumping on the iPhone train with the iPhone 5.

They do most of their computing on an iPhone and use a laptop for email, messaging, shopping, FaceTime, and some occasional writing. Occasionally they use Photos on a MacBook Air to manage photos, but still do most of that on an iPhone.

Of the fancy new features Apple has released over the last few years the only one they really rely on is seeing notifications from their iPhone on their laptop screen when they are using the laptop. There’s a currently a problem with that, which I’ll address later.

Given their computing needs and desires, they could probably get by without a laptop, but due to decreased finger flexibility, they feel more comfortable using a laptop for apps like Messages and Apple Mail when they are home. The only thing they connect to a port is power.

Hardware

As to the device itself, it feels great and a bit whimsical. As a MacBook Air user (13-inch, M4) I have to say that I’d love to see the guts of the Air in this form factor. They weigh the same, and the Neo is slightly smaller, but it feels tinier and more totable. You give up a bit of screen real estate with the slightly smaller display, but there is no notch. Apple may have cut features now considered defaults on the MacBook Air, but it didn’t skimp on the look and feel quality. In my opinion that and the price point are what sells the device.

We’ve long since reached a point where computing devices, whether in traditional form, or smartphones and tablets, all come with so many features that even power users don’t need or use some of what’s possible. Innovation has always curved towards adding more possibilities, as it should. In my opinion, it’s a good thing to flatten the curve a bit, offering products that don’t need all the bells and whistles.

Color

Apple is taking larger steps towards bolder color choices these days, and the Citrus color scheme for the Neo certainly is another big stride into that orchard. I personally wasn’t that attracted to it when it was unveiled, but after having the Neo around for a bit, I have to say that it not only adds to the novelty, but makes the tool feel a bit more fun. At night under a desk lamp the damn thing gives off an almost otherworldly glow.

One of Apple’s trends of the last few years is to match up UI color schemes and themes with the color chosen for the hardware. Highlights, buttons, and some text reflect and complement the color of the shell. The tinted keyboard of the Neo takes that a further step forward on the fun factor scale. That said, the citrus Neo’s color scheme, bold as it is, often leaves some text harder to read, certainly for older eyes.

We settled on choosing the dark version of the Citrus wallpaper for my client to solve this.

Another example of hard to read text with this theme.

The A18 Pro Chip

Apple raised eyebrows announcing and releasing this new laptop powered by an iPhone chip. An older and binned A18 Pro chip. In my limited time with the Neo I haven’t noticed anything but good performance.

I’ve heard and read others state that the setup process was slower than they have experienced on M-series Apple laptops. That wasn’t my experience. Things moved along readily enough If you count the number of times you have to accept and click on permission popups as something that’s desirable in an out-of-the-box experience. But that’s unfortunately true of any of Apple’s computers.

Again, I’m experiencing this only through setting up and doing a few tutorials for my client, but the performance I’m seeing feels more than adequate to met their needs.

One thing I did notice throughout my hands on time is that the Neo takes longer to connect to a WiFi network than either my MacBook Air or iMac (both M4 devices.) In fact, it feels very much like how long an iPhone sometimes does connecting to WiFi when rebooting. That makes sense on a smartphone when a device immediately connects to a cell signal, but in an age when everything is expecting an Internet connection one way or another, (on setting up a new device one of the first things required is to establish a WiFi connection) it seems like there should be a way to not start reaching out on a previously set up, non-cellular device until after a connection is made.

Battery Life

Setting up any new computer or smartphone puts a load on battery life. That continues during the first day or so after initial setup as things sync up. After performing the first OS update I didn’t use the Neo much until after my client was with me, but even after continuing setup and tweaking a few things there was 68% battery life left. Time will tell how that goes, but given my client’s usage I don’t anticipate them having battery life issues.

Memory Management

Much was also made about the one size fits all 8GB memory cap, regardless of the storage model one chooses. My client doesn’t run a heavy load of applications or keep many tabs open, so I’m not the best judge of how good the swapping out of memory to the SSD works. Apple’s Unified Memory Architecture seems to be working as designed in my limited view. I do wonder how well it does with devices that only have a 256GB SSD if they contain a lot of data.

Screen Size

I prefer the More Space option on displays I use. My client prefers the default view. Even with More Space selected, the Neo feels very much like a one app at a time computer to me, which generally lines up with my client’s needs. I always set up a Hot Corner Shortcut with Mission Control to make window navigation easier, and that feels more necessary on the Neo in the default display mode.

Apple has a feature that allows you to click the wallpaper and move all open apps off of the screen. You can choose to do this all of the time, or only in Stage Manager. I don’t recommend Stage Manager to my clients, and I typically recommend turning off the click wallpaper to show desktop feature. In this case my client likes this fly away feature, and sees it as a bit of whimsy. Even though they prefer to keep the Dock and Menu Bar always visible. So we’ll leave it on.

Trackpad

The Neo has a different trackpad than other current MacBooks. From what I’d read previously I expected to feel more of a difference between it and the trackpad on the MacBook Air. There’s a difference certainly, but it doesn’t feel like that big of one to me. I moved back and forth between the two devices without even really thinking about it.

Notifications from iPhone

I mentioned an issue earlier with iPhone notifications flowing through to the MacBook Neo. This is a feature I use myself. It’s set up through iPhone Mirroring, which you have to open at least once in order to set up.

One of the nifty things about this feature is that you’re allowed to pick and choose which notifications flow through and those you block either on your iPhone, or on your Mac. If you choose to use this feature and set it up, you’ll see an option in your Mac’s settings to allow these notifications.

CleanShot 2026-04-15 at 16.49.

If you click on Allow Notifications from iPhone, you’ll be taken to another screen. Below the three Allow options here, you’ll see a list of any notifications you’re allowing to flow through or not from your iPhone, and whether you’ve turned them off on your iPhone, or they are coming through from an app installed on your Mac. As a reference, the screenshot below is from my iMac.

CleanShot 2026-04-15 at 16.48.

On my client’s Neo, no apps appeared initially. The section above that begins with Acme Weather is blank on their Neo. There shouldn’t have been many. Regardless none were there. We called Apple Support and opened a ticket. Luckily on the first call we got a senior advisor who understood the issue. After doing some checking the situation turned into something Apple is really interested in tracking down. These are a new line of devices after all. So we were off into the land of running sysdiagnoses. We’re expecting a call back on Friday with any discoveries or solutions Apple may have come up with. Fortunately we have time still left in the return window.

At the Moment

In the opening paragraph of this post I also used the phrase “At the moment.” Two thoughts there.

First, as I’ve described my client, they are not a heavy laptop user. Those who might be looking into the MacBook Neo who are, might have a different experience in both the short or long term. I’ve never yet met a computer that doesn’t slow down over time. I doubt the MacBook Neo will be any different. The difference in any performance degradation between the Neo and other Mac laptops is yet to be seen. My hunch is this first MacBook Neo will still be a winner for at least a few years, certainly if you’re a not a heavy user.

Second, the rumors are that the Neo is such a success that Apple might be running out of the binned A18Pro chips it’s using to power the MacBook Neo. Speculation on what happens if that’s true is rampant, and who really knows. Current demand has already caused a delay in shipping times, and I know that secondary retailers Walmart, Target, and Best Buy have plenty of signs, but very limited or no stock. My hunch here is that Apple will be selling MacBook Neos for quite some time, even though it might take you a while to get your hands on one.

Summing Up

To conclude, let me say that I’ve thought since Apple’s announcement of the MacBook Neo that it would prove to be a hit and a palpable one to the laptop market in general. In my brief experience setting up this one for my client and seeing their delight at the form factor, coupled with the high demand, I’ll more than double down on that thinking.

Personally, as I anticipate my computing needs becoming less in the more quickly than I’d like years to come, I could easily see myself relying on a MacBook Neo in the future.

Looks Like Thaw Will Be A Good Menu Bar Manager Solution For Mac OS 26

Melting the Ice

I use a lot of Menu Bar apps on my Macs. It looks like I may have found a new solution to managing those apps.

I had previously used Bartender to manage those, especially on the MacBook Air with a notch. But since the release of macOS 26, Bartender had run into some difficulties. I gave macOS 26’s new way of handling Menu Bar items a try, and that just didn’t work for me. I experimented with a few other Menu Bar managers and for a while settled on Ice.

Like Bartender, Ice also had its issues, and its developer has since halted updates. Turns out there’s an app that melts those issues away. It’s called Thaw.

Thaw, created by stonerl, is an open source fork of Ice, so much of what it offers is familiar and you can import your Ice settings. This article by Jannis explains why Ice, and I presume Bartender, ran into difficulties managing Menu Bar items.

So far things are working as expected. The idea is to hide Menu Bar icons that I don’t access frequently, yet make them available with a quick cursor flick to the Menu Bar.

As a side note on this, with the debut of macOS 26, it appeared Apple made was beginning to shift users away from using Menu Bar apps, favoring the Control Panel instead. I could easily get on board with that shift, but very few apps I use actually make Control Panel access available without creating a Shortcut to launch the app. That seems like a waste of time, but perhaps more apps will make accessing them through the Control Panel possible when we move to macOS 27.

Apple Pulls The Plug On The Mac Pro

Something, something, something about writing on the wall

Apple is finally pulling the plug on the Mac Pro, long after the water was drained out that tub.

Id mac pro 2019.

According to reports the Mac Pro no longer appears on Apple’s website and Apple has confirmed to 9to5Mac that it has no plans to offer that line of hardware going forward.

The end of the product line is less of a surprise than the fact that Apple was still selling Mac Pros up until today. It’s a move that has been obvious ever since the advent of the Mac Studio in the Apple silicon era began replacing the high end desktop for high end customers.

Farewell and adieu.

MacBook Neo-ing

Neo newness

On an errand with my wife I happened to be in the neighborhood of one of the two Apple Stores closest to me and decided to drop in and take a look at the new MacBook Neo.

The Citrius MacBook Neo on display at the Apple Store

I’m decidedly not in the market for one of these, but I imagine one of the folks I support will find this more than suitable for their next computer. My intent was to just handle the machine a bit and see if the build felt as nice as most of the very raving reviews say it does. Bottom line, it does.

As I said in an earlier post, I think all things being not equal, the price point is the feature of note for this device. And based on reviews I’m seeing, I think that more than holds.

Speaking of, you might want to check out Sam Henri Gold’s thoughts in This Is Not The Computer For You. I concur with his points on the impact this move by Apple is going to have. Here’s a brief excerpt:

Somewhere a kid is saving up for this. He has read every review. Watched the introduction video four or five times. Looked up every spec, every benchmark, every footnote. He has probably walked into an Apple Store and interrogated an employee about it ad nauseam. He knows the consensus. He knows it’s probably not the right tool for everything he wants to do.

He has decided he’ll be fine.

Lots of people are going to be fine with the MacBook Neo. And that’s fine.

It was tough to snap any good pictures that captured the colors of the new Neos (is that redundant?) on display because the Apple Store lighting, the new colors, and iPhone photography just weren’t working that well together. But I fired off the camera for a few you can see in the gallery below.

It’s a good thing they provided matching tinted display pads for each different color, except the Indigo model in the first picture. Almost as if they knew.

The next two shots in the top row feature the Blush and Citrus versions from the front and behind. The larger one show the size different between the Citrus flavored Neo and the MacBook Air.

On the way out of the store as we were passing the iPhone display, we noticed that the iPhones were synced to run the same ads for F1 that you see before any Apple TV offering of the moment. The different ad images race across each of the separated screens. Neat effect, but it made my wife, who, like I, is sick and tired of seeing these already, stifle a curse until we got out of the store.

Apple’s MacBook Neo Will Probably Hit Many Sweet Spots

The sweet spot that matters most is the price

I support a number of folks, both older and younger, who only use computers in the same basic way they use their smartphones. I’m thinking Apple’s new MacBook Neo, with a starting price of $599 will hit many of their sweet spots.

Of course, we’ll all have to wait for the reviews after the first wave of reviews, the ones that real users take the time to share before we really know what’s what. But if nothing else the pricing is going to be one of, if not the, winning feature. If the build quality lives up to what Apple usually provides I’m guessing it will be a hit, and sell millions, adding new opportunities for Apple Services revenue growth.

I saw someone somewhere yesterday say that you can buy an also newly introduced iPhone 17e alongside a MacBook Neo for the same price of the base MacBook Air. They are not far off. The number of iPhone users I know who have shied away from Mac computers, simply because of price, will I’m sure will be checking this out, especially since you’ll be seeing them on sale at Walmart, Best Buy and other outlets. Certainly given that possible customers will be able to see these computers in locations no where near Apple Stores.

Online chatter is about as you’d expect with both positive and negatives responses to the announcement. The negatives focus on what Apple did not include and lesser specs than existing MacBook lines. But in the end, the spec that matters is that $599 starting price. My guess is the online chatter and the reviews are going to be largely irrelevant regarding the success of this product.

You can watch Apple’s clever product intro video below.