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It’s Tough to Choose the Best Apple Laptop to Buy Right Now

It’s Tough to Choose the Best Apple Laptop to Buy Right Now
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It’s Tough to Choose the Best Apple Laptop to Buy Right Now

It’s Tough to Choose the Best Apple Laptop to Buy Right Now

Apple killed off the standard MacBook and entry-level MacBook Pro this week, theoretically simplifying its line of laptops to just two models, the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro.
But if you’re in the market for a new Apple laptop—perhaps you’re gearing up to go back to college, or your old one finally gave out—you have a tough decision ahead of you. There’s no clear choice as to which laptop is best, but here’s a quick rundown on the options available right now, and what might be best for you:

The MacBook Air

Pros: Light
Cons: Not so powerful
Starts at: $1,099
If your primary concern is weight, then the Air might be the Mac laptop for you. But even then, it’s only about 0.25 pounds lighter than a 13-inch MacBookPro (although about 1.3 pounds lighter than a 15-inch Pro).
Really, the current MacBook Air is the Apple laptop to get if you’ve had Macs for years and you want a no-hassle upgrade. If you’re after something that’ll let you answer emails, browse the web, watch movies, do some office work, and perhaps edit a photo or two, this is the machine for you.
You can customize the Air to have a sizable 1 TB hard drive, and 16 GB of memory, but you’re stuck with a pretty standard 1.6 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor, and an underwhelming graphics card. This maxed-out version of the MacBook Air will run you $1,899, however.

The MacBook Pro

Pros: 15-inch screen option, more customization options
Cons: Heavier, more expensive
Starts at: $1,299
If you can find another $200 to spend on a MacBook and are looking for more power, you should go for the 13-inch MacBook Pro. You’ll get a slightly better graphics card and 1.4 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor, the Touch Bar screen (which for some is not necessarily a bonus), and a somewhat brighter, more colorful display.
The MacBook Pro also has far more customization options that can turn the laptop into a powerful productivity machine. On the 13-inch model, you can have up to 16 GB of memory, 2 TB of storage, and a 1.7 GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor. On the larger 15-inch model, you get two extra USB-C ports, the option to choose proper graphics cards, 32 GB of memory, and 4 TB of storage. (The jam-packed version of the 15-inch Pro will set you back $5,149.)
A MacBook Pro shouldn’t have any problem handling whatever you’re going to throw at it, and if you have the cash and desire to customize your machine, this is the Apple laptop to get right now.

The iPad Pro

Pros: Extremely light, touchscreen, cheaper
Cons: It’s… not entirely a computer
Starts at: $799 (or $978 with the keyboard case)
A more abstract way of answering the Mac question right now is to just ignore it and buy an iPad Pro. It’s what I personally did a few months ago, and I love it. There’s a bit of a learning curve and you need to download a few apps to make it feel more like a computer (and proper mouse support would be nice), but if you’re on the move a lot, it’s a joy to carry around with you.
The 11-inch model starts at $799, comes with 64 GB of storage, and weighs a hair above 1 pound. Apple’s own Smart Keyboard Folio case is comfortable to type on, and with the advancements coming to the iPad’s software in the fall, there’s not too much separating it from its beefier Mac cousins, if you’re just interested in doing the same sorts of things you might use a MacBook Air for.
But then again, the iPad is far more fiddly to use than a regular laptop, so this won’t be the option for everyone.

Just wait

If you don’t need a new computer right this moment, my advice would be to wait. Apple traditionally holds events in September (and occasionally October) to show off new products. It’s part of the reason it runs a back-to-school promotion on its laptops in the summer—this year, students can save $100 off the price of a new MacBook, and will get a pair of Beats headphones thrown in as well—as the company is trying to shift old inventory before the new products come in. There have already been rumors that Apple is planning to refresh or redesign its MacBooks in the near future, potentially doing away with the keyboard design that has given users nothing but problems since it was first introduced in 2015. And that’s another reason to potentially stay away from the current crop of MacBooks: They all still seem to be plagued by the faulty key design, which can lead to keys getting stuck, not working, or repeating letters. Which isn’t particularly helpful if you’re trying to turn a paper in on a deadline.

(Quartz)
(Tribune Media)

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Technology

AI to Track Icebergs Adrift at Sea in Boon for Science

© Jonathan NACKSTRAND / AFP
© Jonathan NACKSTRAND / AFP
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AI to Track Icebergs Adrift at Sea in Boon for Science

© Jonathan NACKSTRAND / AFP
© Jonathan NACKSTRAND / AFP

British scientists said Thursday that a world-first AI tool to catalogue and track icebergs as they break apart into smaller chunks could fill a "major blind spot" in predicting climate change.

Icebergs release enormous volumes of freshwater when they melt on the open water, affecting global climate patterns and altering ocean currents and ecosystems, reported AFP.

But scientists have long struggled to keep track of these floating behemoths once they break into thousands of smaller chunks, their fate and impact on the climate largely lost to the seas.

To fill in the gap, the British Antarctic Survey has developed an AI system that automatically identifies and names individual icebergs at birth and tracks their sometimes decades-long journey to a watery grave.

Using satellite images, the tool captures the distinct shape of icebergs as they break off -- or calve -- from glaciers and ice sheets on land.

As they disintegrate over time, the machine performs a giant puzzle problem, linking the smaller "child" fragments back to the "parent" and creating detailed family trees never before possible at this scale.

It represents a huge improvement on existing methods, where scientists pore over satellite images to visually identify and track only the largest icebergs one by one.

The AI system, which was tested using satellite observations over Greenland, provides "vital new information" for scientists and improves predictions about the future climate, said the British Antarctic Survey.

Knowing where these giant slabs of freshwater were melting into the ocean was especially crucial with ice loss expected to increase in a warming world, it added.

"What's exciting is that this finally gives us the observations we've been missing," Ben Evans, a machine learning expert at the British Antarctic Survey, said in a statement.

"We've gone from tracking a few famous icebergs to building full family trees. For the first time, we can see where each fragment came from, where it goes and why that matters for the climate."

This use of AI could also be adapted to aid safe passage for navigators through treacherous polar regions littered by icebergs.

Iceberg calving is a natural process. But scientists say the rate at which they were being lost from Antarctica is increasing, probably because of human-induced climate change.

 

Technology

AMD Predicts Weaker First-Quarter Sales, Shares Plunge on Nvidia Comparisons

An AMD logo and a computer motherboard appear in this illustration created on August 25, 2025. (Reuters)
An AMD logo and a computer motherboard appear in this illustration created on August 25, 2025. (Reuters)
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AMD Predicts Weaker First-Quarter Sales, Shares Plunge on Nvidia Comparisons

An AMD logo and a computer motherboard appear in this illustration created on August 25, 2025. (Reuters)
An AMD logo and a computer motherboard appear in this illustration created on August 25, 2025. (Reuters)

Advanced Micro Devices on Tuesday forecast a slight decline in quarterly revenue, raising concerns about whether it ​can effectively challenge Nvidia in the booming AI market and sending its shares tumbling 8% in after-hours trade.

The lackluster prediction comes despite an unexpected boost from sales of certain artificial intelligence chips to China, which began in the last quarter after the Trump administration approved a license for orders that AMD received in early 2025.

And without those sales to China which generated $390 million, AMD's data-center segment would have missed estimates for the fourth quarter.

AMD said it expects revenue of about $9.8 billion this quarter, plus or minus $300 million. That's down from $10.27 billion in the fourth-quarter which was up 34% year-on-year and ahead of LSEG ‌estimates for $9.67 billion.

PALES ‌NEXT TO NVIDIA

Though AMD is seen as one of the ‌few ⁠contenders ​that can seriously ‌challenge Nvidia, investors noted the stark contrast between the two companies' performances. AMD expects an adjusted gross margin of 55% this quarter. Nvidia has said it expects adjusted gross margin in the mid-70% range during its fiscal 2027.

"The expectations for large blowout quarters for AI-related hardware companies have skewed what the market is looking for," said Bob O'Donnell, president of TECHnalysis Research.

The forecast for the current first quarter includes $100 million from sales to China, where the situation remains "dynamic," AMD CEO Lisa Su said on a conference call with investors.

The US government ⁠has placed restrictions on the exports of advanced chips to China, but AMD received licenses to sell modified versions of its MI300 series ‌of AI chips there. Its MI308 chip competes with Nvidia's H20 ‍chip in China.

OPENAI SALES

AMD has accelerated its ‍product launches and is moving into selling full AI systems to better compete against Nvidia, which now ‍provides "rack-scale" systems that combine GPUs, CPUs and networking gear.

Last year, it entered into a multi-year deal to supply AI chips to ChatGPT-owner OpenAI, which would bring in tens of billions of dollars in annual revenue and give the startup the option to buy up to roughly 10% of the chipmaker.

Su reiterated on Tuesday that the company ​expects sales of a new flagship AI server to OpenAI and others to rise rapidly in the second half of this year, saying a global memory-chip crunch will not ⁠slow its plans.

"I do not believe that we will be supply-limited in terms of the ramp that we put in place," Su said.

BEYOND OPENAI

As Big Tech and governments across the globe double down on investing in AI hardware, shares in Santa Clara, California-based AMD have doubled since the start of 2025, outperforming a 60% bump in the broader chip index.

But analysts remain concerned that AMD's success remains tied to a handful of customers that rivals such as Nvidia could try to poach. Reuters reported this week that Nvidia made a $20 billion move to hire most of chip startup Groq's founders after OpenAI held chip supply discussions with the startup.

"Growth appears concentrated in large deployments and specific regions, and China shipments are significant enough to influence a quarter," said eMarketer analyst Gadjo Sevilla.

Revenue in AMD's key data-center segment grew 39% to $5.38 billion in the ‌fourth quarter. But excluding sales of the MI308, which is a data-center chip, that revenue would have been $4.99 billion, below estimates of $5.07 billion.

Technology

Switch 2 Sales Boost Nintendo Results but Chip Shortage Looms

This photo taken on November 4, 2025 shows a woman taking photos of a Super Mario figure at the Nintendo Tokyo store in Tokyo. (AFP)
This photo taken on November 4, 2025 shows a woman taking photos of a Super Mario figure at the Nintendo Tokyo store in Tokyo. (AFP)
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Switch 2 Sales Boost Nintendo Results but Chip Shortage Looms

This photo taken on November 4, 2025 shows a woman taking photos of a Super Mario figure at the Nintendo Tokyo store in Tokyo. (AFP)
This photo taken on November 4, 2025 shows a woman taking photos of a Super Mario figure at the Nintendo Tokyo store in Tokyo. (AFP)

The runaway success of the Switch 2 console drove up Nintendo's net profit by more than 50 percent in the nine months to December, the Japanese video game giant said Tuesday.

But a global memory chip shortage, created by frenzied demand for artificial intelligence hardware, could push up manufacturing costs.

The Switch 2 became the world's fastest-selling games console after launching to a fan frenzy last summer.

It is the successor to the original Switch, which soared in popularity during the pandemic when games such as "Animal Crossing" struck a chord during long lockdowns.

Both are hybrid devices that can be connected to a TV or used on-the-go.

In April-December, net profit jumped 51.3 percent year-on-year to 358.9 billion yen ($2.3 billion), and revenue nearly doubled on-year to 1.9 trillion yen, Nintendo said.

But the firm kept its annual unit sales target for the Switch 2 steady at 19 million, and also held its full-year net profit forecast of 350 billion yen.

"Nintendo Switch 2 got off to a good start following its launch on June 5 and unit sales continued to grow through the holiday season," the company said.

Nearly 17.4 million Switch 2 devices were sold in the nine-month period, it added.

"Maintaining momentum is certainly a big focus for Nintendo," Krysta Yang of the Nintendo-focused Kit and Krysta Podcast told AFP.

A lack of heavy-hitting first-party new games for the Switch 2 in coming months risks hindering growth, although third-party titles such as "Resident Evil Requiem" should help fill the gap, she said.

Nintendo said Tuesday it planned to release "Mario Tennis Fever" this month and "Pokemon Pokopia" in March.

While the firm is diversifying into hit movies and theme parks, consoles remain the core of its business.

The Switch 1 has now sold 155.37 million units -- overtaking the Nintendo DS console to be its best-selling hardware of all time.

But soaring prices for memory chips, used in gaming consoles as well as phones, laptops and other electronics, will likely be a headwind for the company.

Their prices have been pushed up as chipmakers focus on producing the advanced memory chips in huge demand to power AI data centers.

"Nintendo and other console manufacturers are publicly keeping quiet about the impact of the shortage," gaming industry consultant Serkan Toto told AFP.

But "users can forget the past when consoles always became cheaper in tandem with component costs falling over time", with price hikes potentially on the way in 2026, he said.

Yang said she thought a price increase for the Switch 2 "is not out of the question" but added that Nintendo "would likely exhaust all other options" before doing so.