As I mentioned in my podcast from last month — the Mac OS is evolving rapidly. It is going to be good, but you have to embrace those changes. I described these devices as being joined at the hip — progressing upward from the iPhone to the iPad to the Mac. You can certainly just be — just a Mac user. However, if you use two or more of those devices, you need to see at as an ecosystem where you can perform similar tasks on different interdependent playing fields.

At the end of last week, trusted voices in the Mac community began opining that we are about to see major changes in the Mac lineup. Mac Book Air? Probably gone. Mac Mini? Great cheap desktop since 2005, but it did not sell well enough. It could bite the dust. Mac Pro? Apple started selling it in 2014 and it is not the tower that professional Mac users were used to. It was hardly upgradable and looked like a trashcan. Apple never released another version. It’s overpriced, starting at close to $3000. Those who truly need a pro-class tower desktop have moved on to the HP Z Workstation and Dell Precision towers. They don’t care about Macs anymore.

The Mac Book is here to stay. This is the 12 inch, elegant and sharp as a razor laptop that Apple released in 2015. It has been updated this year.

I recently had the chance to discuss the Mac Book with an Ivy League women’s soccer coach. She shares with us …

I am very pleased with my new MacBook. My goal for this MacBook was to serve as a travel book and a quick easy to use lap top at home. It does just that. I could not believe how light and transportable this MacBook is. It almost feels as light as my iPad but with a lot more power. (It also has great sound!) There are two differences from my MacBook Air that I had to get used to. The first is the keyboard. To make this laptop so compact, the keys are not raised at all. This takes some getting used to, but now I find it easier to use than my air. Secondly, the new single USB c port for charging had me worried. I have not had a need for the adapter yet but that will be my next purchase so I can connect to USB and lightning plugs. Overall, I love this MacBook. It’s serves the exact purpose I intended it to.

We are due for new iMacs this fall, although Apple just updated 4K and 5K models last year. My mind leans 60 /40 that we will see new models. The iMac is Apple’s best-selling desktop.

We are long overdue for new Mac Book Pro laptops. We should see those in the fall, hopefully earlier rather than later.

That’s it. We could be down to three Mac models by the end of the year. The market for these devices is the high end consumer and prosumer market (professional / consumer). This is not necessarily what the Mac market was 10 years ago. In essence, the Mac market has become more mainstream. Macs are sealed appliances, as I lamented (but now accept) back in early 2014. I cannot upgrade the internals for you on the new units. When something breaks, you or I will have to bring it to the Apple Store for repair and most likely replacement. Get the extended Apple Care warranty with new purchases. Apple will take care of you, but you need that warranty.

Before, I close this out I may want to suggest that if you are torn on a laptop vs. a desktop —- you may just want to get the new Mac Book or the upcoming Mac Book Pro. You could always add a $150 monitor plus a non-apple keyboard and mouse for about $35 to use it as a "desktop" in certain situations. Apple is not even selling their over-priced monitors anymore. You actually can have a lot of freedom as a Mac user with one device.

Welcome to the new world of Mac.