Laptops/Convertibles
Macbook Pro (14-inch)
Apple’s new and highly anticipated MacBook Pros unveiled this year were widely lauded by pundits as upgrades from earlier Pro laptops aimed at professionals like photographers and video editors.
The entry-level 14-inch screen MacBook Pro was praised by many people for its performance. This is due to two new chips, the M1 Pro and M1 Max upgrade, either of which can be installed in this year’s device.
They are beefier than those from last year.
HardwareZone found that using M1 Max, the 14-inch MacBook Pro took under 12 minutes to complete a video transcoding test that converted one video format to another. This was 27 per cent faster than even last year’s 27-inch iMac desktop computer.
Apple, to many users’ relief, reinstated three ports it removed from earlier Pro laptops five years ago – an HDMI port, SD card slot and a port that magnetically connects to a MagSafe charging cable. This is on top of the three USB-C ports the device has.
But one controversial change is the notch at the top of the laptop’s screen where a webcam rests. Some people lament that the notch is distracting, obscures menu text and that the webcam does not support Apple’s Face ID feature for face verification.
Another issue: The 14-inch MacBook Pro starts from $2,999, which is high for a laptop. Some reviewers feel that the asking price and the processing power the laptop delivers make it an overkill for casual users.
GeForce RTX 30 Series Laptops
Chipmaker Nvidia claimed that its new GeForce RTX 30 series of graphics cards offered up to twice the power of those of the previous generation when they were rolled out last year.
But supply chain woes, scalpers using bots to snap up limited stock, and competition from cryptocurrency miners who typically buy multiple units to use in their “mining rigs” made the launch of the desktop versions of the cards a frustrating affair for many gamers looking to build a new PC.
