The SSD in the Mac Pro is soldered to the logic board, making it non-removable. This is likely due to design and manufacturing considerations, but it also means that upgrading the SSD involves replacing the entire logic board, which can be very expensive. For example, a logic board with 8TB of storage and 64GB of RAM costs $4,751.12, but Apple offers a $4,312 credit for the replaced part, bringing the final price to $439.12.
Apple has allegedly canceled the high-performance M4 Extreme chip, which was meant to consist of four smaller chips stitched together. The reasons include shifting priorities towards developing an AI chip with Broadcom, the high cost and low volume of the M4 Extreme, and possibly technical issues with achieving the desired performance. The previous M1 and M2 Ultra chips faced similar challenges with non-linear scaling and interconnect issues.
John wrote a deduplication app for macOS to save disk space by identifying and consolidating identical files across multiple user accounts. After finding only 8.6GB of duplicated files in his photo library, he decided to create a more polished version of the app, which will include a free trial and an in-app purchase for the full feature. He aims to make the app safer and more user-friendly, with features to prevent accidental file deletion.
VisionOS 2.2 introduces new Mac virtual display modes, including 5K standard, wide, and ultra-wide displays. These modes offer more screen real estate and better resolution, making remote work more viable. However, the ultra-wide display may be too expansive, requiring significant head movement. Marco and Casey experienced improvements but still noted issues with latency and sharpness. While the new modes are better, they are not a compelling reason to buy a Vision Pro if you had issues with the previous version.
The support burden for John's new deduplication app is a concern because it involves a potentially dangerous operation—deleting and reincarnating files. If users encounter issues, it could lead to significant frustration and negative reviews. To mitigate this, John plans to make the app very cautious and include guardrails to prevent accidental file deletion.
John hesitated to release the new Callsheet feature, which allows users to have multiple lists of pins, because Apple has suggested that developers inform them of upcoming releases to potentially be featured on the App Store. However, John is concerned that delaying the release might not significantly increase the app's visibility and could instead disrupt his self-imposed deadline.
The Aura Frame is a well-designed, high-quality digital photo frame that is easy to set up and use. It automatically connects to Wi-Fi and starts downloading photos, making it a seamless experience. Unlike older digital frames, it handles large libraries of photos gracefully and has a user-friendly app for managing content. The frame also comes with privacy and security features, ensuring that your photos are well-protected.
Avoiding filling up your SSD on a Mac is important because it can severely impact performance. The operating system and the flash memory both degrade in performance when the storage is near capacity, leading to slow operations and potential data issues. John emphasized this point and found that his Mac could benefit from deduplication to free up space and improve performance.
Pre-show: Laundry tactics
Follow-up:
Last (?) batch of football (🏈) news
Simon B. Støvring) on the Festivitas) holiday lights
Apple has a self-service repair store) (via Ricky Haase)
FotS Jonathan Dietz Jr. on SSD performance
M1-M3:
ioreg -lrw0 -d1 -c AppleANS3NVMeController
M4:
ioreg -lrw0 -d1 -c AppleANS3CGv2Controller
M4 Extreme is allegedly canceled)
John’s adventures in saving space
visionOS 2.2, macOS 15.2, and Mac Virtual Display)
At the library
Post-show: Should Casey delay a Callsheet launch in hope of an App Store feature?
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