Month: October 2021

Apple has really put the “Pro” back in MacBook Pro. Ars Technica says “Yep, it’s what you’ve been waiting for”. That looks to be true.

I guess some might say I’m an Apple fanboy. I have an iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, etc. Now that I’m so deep in the ecosystem it just makes sense to stick with it.

I bought 13-inch M1 MacBook Pro a year ago when they were announced. I was immediately impressed. It’s the fastest computer I’ve ever owned, the battery lasts all day, and it seems like the fan never even turns on.

There are a few things I’m not crazy about. I never use the touch bar. I don’t look at the keyboard while I type, so I don’t even think about it. I would like a little more screen real estate. The M1 is still plenty fast, but faster is always better.

The lack of ports doesn’t bother me. I rarely plug in anything other than the charging cable. On my old MacBook Pro I did occasionally use the SD Card reader, and I’ve even used HDMI to connect to TV.

So of course I ordered a 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M1 Pro. The good news is I can get $880 for my 1-year-old 13-inch M1. Combine that with 3% cash back on the Apple Card (of course) and the price tag doesn’t look so bad.

I won’t receive it until end of November, early December. Once it arrives I’ll post more details about how it compares to the M1. And decide if it was really worth it or I just like having the latest and greatest.

I’m really enjoying the new Foundation series on Apple TV+. Here’s the trailer if you haven’t seen it.

I read the books years ago and listened to the audiobook of Foundation earlier this year. As I started watching the series I found myself trying to compare it to the book which was a mistake.

The series is based on the books, but differs in some pretty significant ways. For one thing, the future that Asimov’s books describe seems to be made up entirely of white males. In the series both Gaal Dornick and Salvor Hardin are played by young black women. A much needed change.

The special effects are very well done. I don’t remember especially vivid descriptions of space travel in the books, but the series does a great job. I also like the fact that space travel takes time. The ships look amazing, but they aren’t magical.

Readers of the books know that just as you get comfortable with a set of characters the story jumps forward and introduces a new cast. This happens between episodes 2 and 3 of the new series and it was a little jarring.

Some are already calling this the next Game of Thrones, but I don’t think that will be the case. I hope it makes it to eight seasons, but it seems like things come and go quickly in the streaming world.

It’s a smart series, very well done, and updated for modern times. I’m looking forward to future episodes.