The Windows transition to Arm has pushed forward at an impressive clip, with many of the most significant apps having built Arm64 versions. But there’s been one major holdout, even up until Microsoft’s recent Copilot+ announcement.
But good news — Slack has finally decided to release an Arm64 native client.
🆕 Slack is Windows on Arm ready! 🥳
Available now in beta, the ARM64 version of @SlackHQ lets you maximize performance on Arm-based hardware.
This creates the opportunity for new AI experiences running efficiently on Windows on Arm devices.
More: https://t.co/sugPixYOLr pic.twitter.com/JQqcY421FD
— Arm (@Arm) June 11, 2024
While the improvements to emulation in this new generation seem impressive, this is Slack we’re talking about. This might not sound like the end of the world, but Slack is an important communication and productivity app that people rely on every day to do their jobs, so you can bet not having a native version was annoying. for anyone with a Windows on Arm device to try out.
The trigger that finally kicked Slack and so many others into action is the upcoming Copilot+ range of Windows on Arm products, which is set to begin the “true” Windows transition to Arm. With plenty of native apps lined up and a new emulation software that promises efficient performance, things are expected to go a lot smoother this time around.
That’s not to say there haven’t been any hiccups, though — one of the main AI features of the Copilot+ PCs, Recall, has been delayed in light of security concerns. But AI hype isn’t everything, and most people will be excited about these Windows on Arm laptops because they’ll have almost double the battery life of x64 and x86 versions. And now all the Slack addicts out there will be free to convert to Arm and enjoy those benefits too.
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.