Rogue01

The article says you can't manually update the AirPod Pros.  Actually, you can.  Follow these steps - Open the case. Place next to the iPhone. Close the pop-up window. Go to Settings. See the AirPods Pro 2 at the top of settings. Click and scroll to see the version. Close Settings. Close the case. Leave it next to the iPhone for ~20 minutes. Open the AirPods Pro 2 case again and go through to Settings again and see that has updated the firmware.

Works for me when I do it.

There won't be a killer app because it runs iPadOS apps.  You can mirror a Mac, but it can't run those apps.  No one will buy this, especially in today's economy when most are barely making it paycheck to paycheck.  It starts at $3500, but most would need the expensive prescription lenses.  VR has been around since the early 90s and it still hasn't gained any traction.  Just like 3DTV came and went...no one wanted to wear glasses.  It is socially isolating, even worse with goggles on.  Like Twolf2919 said, going to a live event is the excitement of being there in person and seeing the event live with your own eyes.  Not watching TV with a headset and pretending you are there.  Apple made this device, but there was not a 'problem' to be fixed, like there was with the iPhone and prior 'smartphones'.  Apple has made some products in the past that failed, and Apple corrected those mistakes by killing them off quickly (iPod HiFi and Power Mac G4 Cube, as an example).

"Apple and Goldman Sachs are focused on providing an incredible experience for our customers to help them lead healthier financial lives. The award-winning Apple Card has seen a great reception from consumers, and we will continue to innovate and deliver the best tools and services for them."

Next sentence from Apple - Goldman Sachs is bailing on the card in 2025, so after that, who knows, because we are not a bank.  Without a supporting bank, no card.

I got the Apple Card to buy an iPad and pay it off over 12 months.  I liked how it billed each month the amount that was due for the 12 month period.  That was convenient.  But not everything from Apple qualified for the 0% 12 month payment plan.  I just made my last payment on the iPad, so doubtful I will use the card again.  So if it goes away in a year, I won't miss it.

Great review on the M3 Max version of the MacBook Pro.  Apple's tax on RAM and SSD is extortion, especially since they know it cannot be upgraded later.  But a smokin' fast MacBook.

fishwhisperer said:

I think Apple changed how the industry used to think in the WinTel era: entry level chips for entry level laptops/desktops, mid power chips for high end laptops and mid level desktops, and high power chips for desktop/tower workstations. Apple's thinking is, you get each level of chip in every configuration: M series entry level laptop/desktop (MBA/mini/iMac), M Pro/Max mid level chip laptop/desktop (MBP, Apple Studio), M Ultra high end chip for desktop/ tower (Apple Studio, Mac Pro), with the interesting point of the last generation Max performance being similar to the previous generation Ultra performance.

The end result is the M3 Max MBP, compares nicely to M2 Ultra Apple Studio. Now you can have the performance you want, in the format you want. You could not do that before.

But you don't get each level of chip in every configuration.  I want a high performance M Max CPU in an iMac.  Sorry, Apple won't sell you that, and they refuse to make it.  The M3 Max, except for the GPU, outperforms the Mac Pro, which they advertised as the fastest Mac ever.  Now you can get that performance in half the price in a MacBook Pro, so they just cannibalized the sales of the Mac Pro by introducing the M3 Max without the M3 Ultra.  Who knows when that will arrive.  Why buy the Mac Studio desktop when the MacBook Pro is now faster?  Apple's product release is a nightmare.  Some models get M3 and other models continue to use CPUs that are over a year old for the same prices.  The iMac and MacBook Pro get the M3, but the Air and mini don't get an M3???  It is a convoluted mess.