Mac Mini and Mac Studio with M5 Chips

There is a shortage Mac Minis and Mac Studios, especially those with larger RAM configurations.  Sometimes Apple stops producing the current models when new models are around the corner.  Or, this could just be a result of demand and the global RAM shortage.  Either way, there are a few indications that the Mac Studio models featuring the M5 Max and M5 Ultra chips could be announced in June (and released shortly after) with the updated Mac Minis likely coming in the fall.

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ThinkPad X13 Gen 7

Lenovo has announced the ThinkPad X13 Gen 7.  This is a 13.3-inch laptop that is targeted at business users and can come quite light at around 2lbs.

This laptop is expected to launch in Japan in May and there are both AMD and Intel processor options.

Important specifications include:

  • Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors or AMD Ryzen AI PRO 400 Series
  • Battery options of 41 Wh and 54.7 Wh
  • 13.3-inch 16:10 display

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Nvidia N1 Laptop Platform

The NVIDIA N1 is Nvidia’s forthcoming ARM System-on-Chip (SoC) designed for premium, slim laptops, featuring a MediaTek CPU, Blackwell-architecture GPU, and up to 128GB of LPDDR5X memory.

This platform seems to be targetted at  gaming and AI tasks, and may compete with RTX 5070-class laptops.

Leaks seem to indicate a summer 2026 launch of a laptop built on this platform (but this is not confirmed).

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New Framework Computers Coming

Framework, best known for their Linux laptops, has a live launch event coming on April 21st at 10:30am PT.  See their blog post for more information.

As Linux continues to get better on the desktop (and is improving on the gaming front), we’re hoping to see even more companies offer it as an alternative to Windows.

No concrete details have leaked yet about any new laptops of desktops from Framework.

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ASUS ROG Flow Z13 Windows Tablet

The 2025 ASUS ROG Flow Z13 features AMD’s Strix Halo processor, which is truly a great mobile processor with excellent integrated graphics.  This device is a bit chunky for a tablet, but if you like the form factor, this is certainly a great option.  This device also has integrated memory so both the CPU and GPU parts of the APU can share the same RAM.

Starting at $2000, these are not budget or value devices.  These are targeted at gamers who want top notch mobile specs in a portable form factor.  These should also be usable for mobile video editing and other intensive applications.  You probably won’t miss having a discrete graphic cards and if you need something more powerful a desktop or large laptop would likely suit you better.

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Lenovo Thinkbook Plus: What Is This???

I normally don’t put three question marks in a title, but you have to admit this new screen is kind of funky.  Good for Lenovo for innovating.  Time will tell how useful this is, but we’re always happy to see companies actually doing something new or different.  Now the market will decide if this feature is useful.

About this crazy new feature, from Lenovo’s website:

By vertically expanding from a compact 14-inch display to a generous 16.7 inches by simple press of a dedicated key or through hand gestures to the camera, users gain nearly 50% additional screen space in a portable form factor, making it ideal for business users who need flexibility and efficiency on the go. This rollable feature allows professionals to adapt the screen size based on task demands, from document editing to data analysis and presentations, all while maintaining an ultra-slim 14-inch laptop footprint with a 19.9mm profile and weighing just 1.7kg.

Coming in June of 2025 and for $3500, this is not a cheap laptop.  Key specifications include:

  • 14-16.7 inch OLED display (120 Hz)
  • Up toIntel Core Ultra 7 processor (Series 2)
  • Intel Arc Xe2 GPU
  • Up to 1TB PCIe Gen4 SSD
  • Up to 32GB LPDDR5x-8533, dual channel
  • 66 WH battery
  • 2x Thunderbolt 4 ports, 3.5 mm jack

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UGREEN NASync iDX6011 and iDX6011 Pro AI NAS

We’re not sure what the advantage of having a LLM (AI) built into your NAS, since the hadware will limit that LLM’s capabilities.  But hey, why not, right?

UGREEN has become yet another company to throw their hat into the NAS ring.  And while these new companies may be able to undercut competitors on price the real question becomes how well does their software perform.  A NAS with bad software is a very big problem.  It’s worth paying for better software, or even using lesser hardware, if the software is stable and efficient.

We were suprised to see the processor used as per UGREEN’s website:

The NASync iDX6011 is powered by the Intel® Core™ Ultra 5 Processor 125H, featuring 14 cores, 18 threads, and a turbo frequency of 4.5GHz. It delivers exceptional AI performance with three major AI engines: CPU, GPU, and NPU, providing a combined computing power of up to 34 TOPS. This ensures high efficiency across a wide range of AI applications.

The 6011 Pro will be equipped with the “latest” Intel Core Ultra Processor, whatever that means exactly.

There will be six HDD bays and two M.2 NVMe slots.

We don’t have any prices yet.  An interesting offering though.

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Synology DP320 NAS

Synology is well established as a NAS maker and they’re frequently recommended as a solution that while not the cheapest “just works”.  And sometimes “just works” is worth paying for.

This device caught our eye as it’s not using Synology’s standard DSM operating system but instead is using their ActiveProtect system.  What this really means is that your NAS is now limited to the purpose of backing-up your data.  That may sound like a strange statement to focus on, since that is a primary function of a NAS.  But do not underestimate the other purposes and functions a NAS gets used for.  A NAS is a computer, after all, and can be used for an infinite number of other purposes, even when the processor and other specs are relatively weak.

The Synology DP320 NAS features:

  • 2 HDD bays
  • AMD R1600 (2 cores)
  • 8GB of RAM
  • 1 x 1GbE RJ-45 Port (Management)
  • 1 x 1GbE RJ-45 Port (Data transfer)
  • 3-Year warranty

The benefits of limiting the functionality of the device is that it should be able to do the job it’s assigned better, and more simply.  This does seem to be what Synology accomplished, to at least some extent.  So we cannot totally disagree with this approach but we do prefer the flexibility that the DSM operating provides.

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Lincstation S1 and N2 NAS

Don’t confuse the Lincstation’s with the Buffalo LinkStation.  That is a bit of unfortunate naming.  This is from a newer company who crowdfunded initially and successfully which has led to this second generation of devices.  The hardware appears decent for its purpose and the price reasonable, so we actually hope that companies like this success with their offerings.

Key specifications:

Model LINPLUS S1 LINCPLUS N2
CPU Intel Alder Lake-N N97 Intel Alder Lake-N 100
OS UnRAID UnRAID
Memory DDR5 SODIMM, 8G On-board LP DDR5, 16G
Storage (0S) 128G eMMC 128G eMMC
Storage (SATA) 4-bay, SATA3.0 port, supports 3.5-inch HDD and 2.5-inch HDDs/SSDs 2-bay, SATA3.0 port, supports 2.5-inch HDDs within a 9.5mm thickness
Storage (m.2 NVMe) 2-bay, M.2 port, supports M.2 2280 SSD, NVMe protocol 4-bay, M.2 port, supports M.2 2280 SSD, NVMe protocol
USB Ports 2x USB3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, 2x USB3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 2x USB 2.0 Type-A 1x USB Type-C, 2x USB 2.0 (Full function, 10G), 1x USB3.2 Gen 2 Type-A
HDMI 1x HDMI 2.0, Type A 1x HDMI 2.0, Type A
RJ45 2x RJ45 (2.5 Gigabit Ethernet Controller) 1x RJ45 (10 Gigabit Ethernet Controller)

 

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