Even Microsoft agrees: Apple really needs to release new computers

People are starting to notice that Apple's computers don't have the latest processors or technology, and it's taking a toll on sales. Even Microsoft employees think Apple has to do something.

"I compete with Apple and respect them. But they ARE doing their customers a disservice at times with old tech," Brian Hall, Microsoft's Surface general manager,tweeted.

He leads Microsoft's devices business, and he's right. The MacBook Air was last redesigned six years ago. The MacBook Pro's design hasn't changed since 2012.

Many of Apple's Macs haven't been updated with the latest processors recently either. Maybe that's why Apple's computer shipments shrunk 11.5% annually last quarter.

Although the Mac is not Apple's cash cow, it is Apple's oldest line of computers, and it remains critical to the company. If the iPad is a car, the Mac is a truck: It's needed for heavy-duty jobs, including coding or serious web development.

The vast majority of people making iPhone apps are doing so on a Mac.

Apple doesn't have a fresh model for the back-to-school push; however, it's very likely that Apple will release a new Mac computer this fall before the holiday season. Current rumors suggest a new MacBook Pro with a new touchscreen keyboard and the latest and greatest Intel chips.

In the meantime, Microsoft would be happy to sell you a Surface or Surface Book. My colleague Matt Weinberger likes the Surface Book so much that he's switched from MacOS to Windows 10 permanently.

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