BTTR Roundup #63: Windows 10 End of Life makes me glad I use a Mac

I'm a Mac guy. I've been using a Mac as my main machine since about 2004. And by the way Microsoft is handling the end of life process for Windows 10 this week, I've never been happier to be a Mac user.

Despite the fact over 40% of Windows users are still on Windows 10, Microsoft this week officially pulled the plug on support for the 10 year old operating system.

But the strategy it has to incentivise people to upgrade really rubs me up the wrong way.

I've written about it for paid subscribers below.

Also this week, Apple launched updated Pro machines with a new chipset and I spent a week driving the MG S5 EV. Check out the review linked below!

Until next week

–Nick

This week's new tech news

• Apple hit us with a bit of a surprise product announcement this week, launching a new lineup of products on the M5 chip. [Full details]
  • The iPad Pro gets the M5 chipset, with a slimmer design that's just 5.1 mm thick for the 13-inch version, or 5.3mm for the 11-inch. The M5 also gives big improvements to the AI processing capabilities of the tablet.
  • My main work machine is a 14-inch M2 MacBook Pro, so the updated M5 version is very much my jam. Apple's claiming 24 hours of battery life with this beast, plus a 12MP Center Stage camera and a six-speaker system capable of spatial audio playback.
  • Apple also renewed the Vision Pro with the M5 chip, with a 120 HZ refresh rate and a longer battery life. But the biggest improvement is to the strap, which shows that the Vision Pro probably isn't delivering in the way Apple really wanted it to.
• Narwal has dropped a new flagship vacuum in Australia this week. The Narwal Flow is a smart machine with a continuous flow mop, with 22,000 Pa of suction power and a 2.5 L dust bag in the base station. I've been playing with this one for a couple of weeks, and the review should be live soon, but I think it's my new favourite robot vacuum. It's $2,999 RRP, but there's a launch deal where you can grab it for $2,499. [Full details]
• I love that Motorola has significantly improved the specs with the new Moto g06 budget smartphone, but kept it at the same $179 RRP as the G05 from earlier this year. The g06 has a bigger screen, a brighter display and an IP64 rating. [Full details]
• Sennheiser has dropped a new pair of audiophile-grade wireless headphones to potentially make its Momentum 4 wireless obsolete. The HDB 630 is designed into the same body as the Momentum 4, but with a high-resolution digital audio engine and a custom 42 mm transducer for audiophile-level audio reproduction. $999, available later this month. [Full details]
• The first handheld "Xbox", the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X are officially on sale now, if you didn't pre-order a couple of weeks ago!
• Anker has a new portable powerstation: The F3000 offers 3 kWh of power, can be charged to full in just 1.5 hours and should last for up to 10 years. It's pricey at $4,999, but there's an early bird deal where you can save $2K off the pricve. [Full Details]

This week's reviews

Microsoft Surface Pro 12 review: Laptop productivity in a portable tablet

The latest 12-inch Surface Pro tablet has plenty of battery life and reasonable power, but you’ll need to spend extra on accessories to get the most out of the tablet.

BTTR ReviewsNick Broughall

MG 2025 S5 EV Excite review: An electric addition to the family

The MG S5 EV is genuinely impressive for the price: Here’s what a week of real-world testing revealed.

BTTR ReviewsNick Broughall

New products at BTTR HQ this week

Ninja Café Luxe

I love reviewing coffee machines. You have to pump caffeine into your body to really see how the product works, and whether it's easy to use and easy to clean.

The Ninja Café Luxe is a manual machine with automatic smarts. I think I've made the best coffees I have ever made while testing this machine, though I've also found myself needing to clean the product a lot more than I did with the De'Longhi models I tested previously.

I need to test it a lot more though. If only to make sure that the cold brew function is working properly...