Episode Details

Apple's new Mac purchasing flow that starts with a base model and adds options is debated by the MacVoices Live! panel, weighing flexibility against harder price comparisons for businesses and planners. Chuck Joiner, David Ginsburg, Jeff Gamet, Jim Rea, Web Bixby, Brian Flanigan-Arthurs, Eric Bolden, Marty Jencius, Mark Fuccio, and Norbert Frassa discuss supply chains, memory pricing, and reseller impacts. The conversation then shifts to automotive news, praising Volvo's continued CarPlay support and exploring Kia/Hyundai's planned CarPlay Ultra adoption and broader implications for in-car software.

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Chapters:

00:45 Changes to Mac online purchasing model 03:41 Comparisons with iPhone-style configuration flow 06:38 Business and enterprise purchasing considerations 09:45 Longevity, upgrades, and marketing language in configs 13:22 Supplier sourcing and RAM pricing discussion 18:22 Direct sales vs reseller impacts and user behavior 23:32 Sponsor break: app removal and system cleanup 26:55 Volvo's continued CarPlay support 27:30 Hyundai/Kia plans for CarPlay Ultra 33:21 Adoption rates and success of CarPlay Ultra 38:09 Tesla, CarPlay rumors, and third-party dashboard solutions

Links:

Another automaker vows to continue offering CarPlay https://9to5mac.com/2026/01/27/volvo-says-it-will-absolutely-continue-offering-carplay-support/

CarPlay Ultra coming to at least one new car later this year, per report https://9to5mac.com/2026/02/01/carplay-ultra-coming-to-at-least-one-new-car-later-this-year-per-report/

Apple revamps how you buy a Mac online, removes preconfigured options https://9to5mac.com/2026/01/31/apple-revamps-how-you-buy-a-mac-online-removes-preconfigured-options/

Guests:

Web Bixby has been in the insurance business for 40 years and has been an Apple user for longer than that.You can catch up with him on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, but prefers Bluesky.

Eric Bolden is into macOS, plants, sci-fi, food, and is a rural internet supporter. You can connect with him on Twitter, by email at embolden@mac.com, on Mastodon at @eabolden@techhub.social, on his blog, Trending At Work, and as co-host on The Vision ProFiles podcast.

Brian Flanigan-Arthurs is an educator with a passion for providing results-driven, innovative learning strategies for all students, but particularly those who are at-risk. He is also a tech enthusiast who has a particu