Though Macs and PCs differ in terms of both software and hardware, a Mac is just as prone to becoming unresponsive and/or unstable as a PC. It’s a frustrating feeling, typically symbolized by a persistently-spinning beach ball and your Mac’s inability to do anything other than sit idle.
Fortunately, you can fix the problem simply by shutting down or restarting the computer (whether normally or forcefully). Performing a force shutdown, though never ideal, will turn off your machine, ending stalling applications and tasks in the process. In doing so, you run the risk of losing any unsaved data, corrupting system files, and even potentially harming internal hardware — but then again, sometimes a hard reset is the only option.
Here’s our guide on how to force shutdown a Mac, whether it’s seemingly unresponsive or you’re merely looking to bypass the slew of warning dialogues when shutting the system down the old-fashioned way. Also, check out our quick guide on how to shut down a PC using Airytec Switch Off, a free timer app, if you’re looking for a convenient way to automatically shut down your PC.
A little patience can go a long way. Wait several minutes in case your Mac needs a little extra time to process current tasks. Additionally — assuming you can still move the cursor about — save any unsaved work. Then, click the Apple icon located on the left-hand side of the Mac OS X taskbar, select Shut Down near the bottom, and click the flashing Shut Down button in the bottom-right corner of the pop-up window.
Alternatively, try pressing the control, option, command, and eject buttons simultaneously to shut down your Mac, or the control, command and eject buttons simultaneously to automatically reboot your system. If your Mac seems to be functioning normally but remains unresponsive, continue to Step 2. Your Mac may not be responding to inputs due to a Kernel Panic, a rare system freeze, or another issue.
If the above methods prove unsuccessful, press and hold the power button for 5 to 10 seconds. Again, keep in mind you’ll likely lose any unsaved work you have in any open applications. Then, wait 30 seconds and reboot the Mac as you would normally. If all else fails, cross your fingers and physically disconnect the power supply.
What do you think of our guide on how to force shutdown a Mac? Pretty easy right? Let us know in the comments below if you experience any issues in doing so.
The absolutely absurd idea of putting a touchscreen display on a mouse isn't exactly new. Turtle Beach already did it with its Command Series MC7, which features a 2.25-inch control screen. But apparently, even that wasn't ridiculous enough for Arctic Fox Technologies. Its new Super Mouse looks like someone took the chunky old Atari ST mouse, slapped a touchscreen and scroll wheel on it, and called it an upgrade.
The result is a rather unusual-looking mouse that is now on Kickstarter, starting at $199. And as ridiculous as it looks, some of its features are genuinely intriguing.
Apple is less than a day away from launching its highly anticipated OLED MacBook Pro with a touch-sensitive screen. But it appears that the upgrade is going to cost a pretty penny. According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple is reportedly eyeing a starting price of $2,899 for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, while the 16-inch version could start at $3,399 in the US.
"At $2,899, the 14-inch model would mark the highest starting price for a new MacBook Pro model, surpassing the $2,799 Apple charged for a 17-inch version introduced in 2006," says the report. The report claims that Apple is targeting a minimum price hike of $400 for its upcoming redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.
I've spent a good amount of time digging into the spec sheet of the new M6 MacBook Pro (14-inch), and for all intents and purposes, this is a classic Apple "chip and connectivity" refresh. It's not a full redesign. The chassis, Liquid Retina XDR panel, speakers, ports, and battery, all of them carry over unchanged.
However, the M6 brings more cores, stronger on-device AI, higher memory bandwidth on the larger configs, and modern wireless. Here’s the practical rundown of what actually improved, and whether those gains are worth your money.