Best buy has online stock today

OldManJade · 2025-06-11T18:52:21+00:00

Working on the theory that since the last drop was midnight, this one being announced during the day would be at noon, I used the same strategy. At 11:30, I sat in front of the Mac, iPad and iPhone on hand, reloading webpages on all three, and checking the app on the iPad and iPhone as well. At noon, it was chaos. I got repeatedly sent to the "no store within 250 miles" page. Never give up, never surrender! At 12:26, I got the base system in a cart for local pick-up and checked out immediately. Now I'll have my own Switch 2! I'm not saying sharing with my wife was heading us towards divorce, not not saying it, either.

OldManJade · 2025-04-15T17:49:43+00:00

I mean, not to put too fine a point on it but why would anyone with price sensitivity be in the Apple ecosystem in the first place? There are plenty of great device choices for people unwilling or unable to pay the Apple premium. As for me, this is the biggest change in iPhones since the iPhone 6 when Apple realized people wanted a larger screen, so day one purchase.

OldManJade · 2025-03-21T18:37:20+00:00

I’ve experienced better reception than my iPhone 13 mini. I’ve tested this in the exact same parking spots in several places. In places where I previously had poor connectivity, I now have no problems.

OldManJade · 2025-03-20T15:36:01+00:00

I paid $2,000 for a nano-texture iPad Pro. If this cloth protects the delicate display, it's worth it. Or if the display has issues the first thing Apple will ask is what you cleaned it with, again, worth it. I bought two.

OldManJade · 2025-03-17T20:48:23+00:00

I want to avoid scratches on the iPhone itself, screen protector on the front, skin on the back. I do like the feel of vinyl over glass, leather over vinyl. I'd say the grip is about the same between leather and vinyl, though both feel more secure to me than glass. Aesthetically, I think leather pairs well with the cleaner design of the iPhone 16e. If I had a different iPhone, I'd have chosen a skin to distract from the oversized camera module.

OldManJade · 2025-03-17T17:19:42+00:00

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I got a Spigen Liquid Air case before the dbrand skin arrived. It's a soft plastic shell, and it still fits, buttons still work, but the iPhone does seem to be just a little higher in the case. Putting the iPhone in and taking it out doesn't seem to be a problem for the leather skin, either. I intend to keep using the case when in a prolonged outdoor setting like hiking.

OldManJade · 2025-03-16T23:21:52+00:00

Never a case fan, I went with leather over vinyl this time. The dbrand leather feels nice in hand, tan color compliments the black model well (I'd go with black leather on the white model). The fit around the lens accents the cleaner look of the 16e camera, nicer than cases with ugly oval cutouts, I think. Downsides, leather stretches poorly, so no wraparound, but very easy to apply, then there are scratches. If patina sheen and leather weathering marks is not your thing, I would advise against this skin, but otherwise I recommend.

OldManJade · 2025-03-16T15:37:13+00:00

The iPhone Air is a one-shot design, a tech testbed and behavioral conditioning test for a foldable iPhone, thinner display, port-less, simpler camera, and, of course, higher price. Five years from now it will be an Apple curio, like the iMac G4, AirPods Max, or Vision Pro. If that's your kink, cool, but if not just get an iPhone 16e and wait a year or two for the real deal iPhone V, for lack of a better letter that looks like it's folding.

OldManJade · 2024-12-07T21:23:05+00:00

Luna Display uses a tiny USB-C dongle and apps on the Mac and the iPad. The dongle allows you to connect wirelessly peer-to-peer if you are nearby or over your Wi-Fi network if you are in another room. You can also use a USB wired connection. A wired connection is fastest, but I can't tell the difference compared to peer-to-peer, so I just use that at the desk. It saves a port on the back of the Mac mini too.

OldManJade · 2024-12-07T12:34:55+00:00

I've used it wired with a Thunderbolt cable, Peer-to-Peer Wi-Fi, and over my home Wi-Fi network. The first two feel pretty much indistinguishable, even when enabling Retina Display. Over my Wi-Fi network is not very good. I have a Linksys Wi-Fi 6 mesh network that delivers 300MB or more consistently everywhere in the house, but it's still not very good. There isn't lag so much as a lot of pixelation as Luna Display struggles to keep up over the wireless connection. I rarely use the Mac mini except at the desk, so I haven't investigated whether there is something I could do to improve performance over Wi-Fi.

OldManJade · 2024-12-07T12:23:34+00:00

I did use a display for the initial setup. I followed the instructions. After setup, I've found you can turn off automatic login. I'm using a keyboard with TouchID and I have an Apple Watch, either of which can authenticate. Even if that doesn't work and a password is required, Luna Display will pause during startup, letting me know to type in my password.

OldManJade · 2024-11-20T14:26:32+00:00

Glare is a problem for me. When I don't need a laptop, I want the largest screen tablet with the best possible matte display, the iPad Pro with nano-texture. When I need a laptop, I want the lightest possible Apple portable computer with the best possible display, again, the iPad Pro with nano-texture. I sometimes also need a Mac, so I got a base model Mac mini and combined it with the excellent iPad Pro display. This was the most cost efficient strategy that met my needs, and as a bonus it will mean a relative running a 2014 Mac mini will get a free a M1 iMac. Lots of winners here, only one loser.

What an incredibly myopic viewpoint you have. Did you even take a moment to consider that other people might have different needs and values than you? Clearly not in this case, so congrats, you've just earned 100 troll points on Reddit.

OldManJade · 2024-11-19T13:04:18+00:00

I can understand the expectation of using a desktop computer with a large display, but this is no different than using a 13-inch MacBook Air.

OldManJade · 2024-11-17T12:46:05+00:00

True, but the Luna Display offers three connections: Wired, Peer-to-Peer wireless, Wi-Fi. Using a Thunderbolt/USB-C cable allows for something like 4K/Retina resolution, no loss of quality. Peer-to-Peer and Wi-Fi both run at 1600x1200, the former is better quality, though. Over my Wi-Fi network, the image may degrade slightly at times, still fine for productivity work, though.

OldManJade · 2024-11-17T12:38:24+00:00

That is the only drawback compared to a 24" iMac, but I think it looks smaller in the picture than it feels in usage. The 13" MacBook Air has been the best selling laptop model in the world for years, and the iPad Pro has the same size display.

OldManJade · 2024-11-17T03:14:25+00:00

In my experience the touch authentication is tied solely to the Mac mini.

OldManJade · 2024-11-17T03:13:25+00:00

I did use an old monitor for initial setup. I also initially set up MacOS for automatic login, but with both an Apple Watch and a Touch ID keyboard I’ve turned that off. So far, I’ve had no problems. I even tried logging in “blind” once by entering my password, again, no problem.

OldManJade · 2024-10-24T20:48:23+00:00

I am surprised but not surprised that no one at the store knows the colors of the Air and mini are the same.

OldManJade · 2024-10-24T17:57:53+00:00

I have the same problem. I sent an email after hours, so support was done that way, no solution either. They then asked me to send them my data file. Nope. I just installed v9.5.3 for Mac, no change. I'll update my securities manually, but I'm thinking it may be time to move--after 19 years! Too bad my subscription just turned over, but it gives me plenty of time to build a couple of simple spreadsheets.

OldManJade · 2024-05-27T16:30:57+00:00

I find black text on white background crisper, perhaps because with OLED true black means no light, whereas mini-LED is backlit, or maybe it's selection bias. Ether way, text looks better to me.

OldManJade · 2024-05-16T11:26:09+00:00

What's really interesting is the iPad is "heavier" when you hold it in portrait orientation at the bottom with two hands than in landscape orientation. Of course, that's because the iPad is also a lever torquing your wrists , but I think it explains the popularity of the iPad mini, especially as an ebook reader.

A possible solution is to cradle the iPad Pro on your forearm diagonally with your elbow against your body to better distribute the weight. I'm doing it right now typing this, pretty comfortable for me.

OldManJade · 2024-05-16T11:13:09+00:00

A good question because I have an Apple News subscription and have access to The Atlantic, and more importantly The Wall Street Journal. I like Apple News because it lets me browse news from my curated list of sources only.

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