Category Archives: Mac

Date Set for First Waste Event of the Year

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The first E-Waste event for 2025 is being held May 24, 2025 in the City Hall parking lot on McCarty Street.  These events are usually in the mornings.

I recently found some great Web links from Apple that describe in clear detail what to do if you’re passing on or recycling an Apple device. Each link shows the steps you need to take to make sure your personal information is removed from the device, and that it’s safe for whoever that device is given to to set it up and get their information moved onto it.

What to do before you sell, give away, trade in or recycle your Mac >

What to do before you sell, give away or trade in your Apple Watch, or buy one from someone else >

Lets Talk about Macs with Intel Processors

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It’s always difficult to talk about electronic obsolescence. But I think the time has come for those of you that are McIntosh users to start thinking about that particular topic. Back in November 2020 Apple released its first M series processor, the M1 since then, Apple has converted the entire MacIntosh lineup, and actually the iPad lineup and the iPhone lineup to processors built on Apple Silicon. Today, nearly the entire line has some version of an M4 processor. I am always an advocate for you to continue to use your computer as long as you’re comfortable with it and as long as it functions for the tasks that you purchased it for. But once in a while, there comes a time when technology moves beyond what you currently have and you need to begin considering moving forward with that technology.

If you are one of those people that are still using a Mac with an Intel processor, it’s come time for you to consider a replacement. You can check your processor by going to the Apple menu and selecting About This Mac. It will clearly tell you both a version of the operating system you are using and also the type of processor. If you’re still using a machine with an Intel processor that means that it’s probably about five years old or getting very close. Max typically have a lifespan of about seven years, and I’m not saying these Intel Macs are dead, but the functionality that Apple is adding to its devices, including Apple Intelligence, are only going to be supported on Apple’s new M1 or newer processors. We are already starting to see that while these machines will update to macOS 15, many of the new features that Apple has added to that version are not available to entail processors. I’ve also experienced recently the difference in performance between any Mac with an Intel processor and any Mac with an Apple Silicon processor. The speed difference is truly astounding. Even the M1 processor is going to be multiple times faster than what you have with Intel. The new M4 Macs are even more astounding.  You would be amazed the difference in manipulating a photo library with 20,000 images, or even a documents folder with 500 documents in it. The performance difference is like night and day.

So while it might not be something you have to consider tomorrow, you need to put it on your radar that if you’re using an Intel Mac, you probably need to be considering a new Mac. There is good news in all of this, though that because the new max are so much faster than the old ones, you may not need as expensive a machine as you purchased in the past. If you’re using a MacBook Pro, you might be able to consider the MacBook Air. The MacBook Air is using an M4 processor and is extremely fast. The new iMacs are also so much faster than the previous versions, you may not need to upgrade as high in the lineup to get performance that will suit your needs.

In addition, the lower end machines, our lower priced than they were the last time you purchased a machine. If you need a desktop machine, a Mac mini starts at $599. You can even get sales of that machine debt to almost $500. Same goes with the MacBook Air, an M3 MacBook Air, now that the M4’s are out, is selling for less than $1000. It has to, Apple reduce the price of the M4 MacBook Air to just $999.

I’m always happy to consult with you and discuss what your needs might be. But keep in mind, support for Intel processors with Apple operating systems is going to go away. It’s just a matter of time, and the performance difference we’re seeing in these new Apple Silicon machines is so much better, it’s time to start considering the change.

Apple Changes the name of your Apple ID Again

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Apple ID. The single sign-on information used with all Apple products and services. Over the years, as Apple was implementing their Internet strategy, the poor Apple ID started off with many other names.

When I first got my Apple account, it was called a iTools.  Over the years, the services evolved and change names to .Mac in September 2002, to  MobileMe in June 2008, and finally to Apple ID in 2011. Hidden in a few lines of a press release, Apple announces that beginning with the operating systems coming in the fall of 2024 your Apple ID changes again. Now, Apple ID will be referred to as your Apple account. If you want to read more about this evolution, check this on Wikipedia.

In retrospect, Apple account probably makes more sense than all these other names that it’s been called over the years. Hopefully Apple account will become common in all the terminology that people use when they talk about logging into an apple device. But I still deal with clients, that when we have to look up their password in their password book, we have to look for .Mac, MobileMe, Apple ID, and now Apple account.

In an Apple Newsroom Press Release about features in the new releases, in the last paragraph, , Apple says,

With the releases of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia, and watchOS 11, Apple ID is renamed to Apple Account for a consistent sign-in experience across Apple services and devices, and relies on a user’s existing credentials.

So, beginning in September with the release of the new operating systems, we will begin referring to it as your Apple account.

Introducing Apple Intelligence

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The next big step for Apple is here. Apple Intelligence is personal intelligence built into your iPhone, iPad, and Mac to help you write, express yourself, and get things done effortlessly.1 All while setting a brand-new standard for privacy in AI.

At WWDC24, Apple introduced Apple Intelligence, the personal intelligence system for iPhone, iPad, and Mac that combines the power of generative models with personal context to deliver intelligence that’s incredibly useful and relevant. Apple Intelligence is deeply integrated into iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia. It harnesses the power of Apple silicon to understand and create language and images, take action across apps, and draw from personal context to simplify and accelerate everyday tasks. With Private Cloud Compute, Apple sets a new standard for privacy in AI, with the ability to flex and scale computational capacity between on-device processing and larger, server-based models that run on dedicated Apple silicon servers.

Apple Intelligence unlocks new ways for users to enhance their writing and communicate more effectively. With brand-new systemwide Writing Tools built into iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia, users can rewrite, proofread, and summarize text nearly everywhere they write, including Mail, Notes, Pages, and third-party apps.
Whether tidying up class notes, ensuring a blog post reads just right, or making sure an email is perfectly crafted, Writing Tools help users feel more confident in their writing. With Rewrite, Apple Intelligence allows users to choose from different versions of what they have written, adjusting the tone to suit the audience and task at hand. From finessing a cover letter, to adding humor and creativity to a party invitation, Rewrite helps deliver the right words to meet the occasion. Proofread checks grammar, word choice, and sentence structure while also suggesting edits — along with explanations of the edits — that users can review or quickly accept. With Summarize, users can select text and have it recapped in the form of a digestible paragraph, bulleted key points, a table, or a list.  For more on this, see Apple’s Press Release.

So, why does this all matter?

Apple intelligence is the first step in Apple’s process of implementing artificial intelligence in all of its operating systems. But unlike many other developers or development platforms, Apple decided to implement artificial intelligence as a means of completing tasks that users want to do this makes artificial intelligence much more, understandable to users rather than just implementing something that is supposed to answer all your questions and do everything for you. Apple’s implementation of this will allow users to have the control over whether the intelligence, comes from your laptop or your phone or the intelligence comes from the cloud in a large language model such as chat GPT. I think this is the beginning of an exciting transition for operating systems on Apple devices. We’ll see this all come to fruition in the fall with the operating system implementations coming this year..

Spring 2024 Computer Recommendations

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At least once a year I like to give my opinion on what type of a computer someone should be looking for if they’re in the market to purchase a new machine. Many times, there are so many computers on the marketplace that it’s hard to make a decision based upon the functionality you’ll need to use. Basically I break these into two categories, a minimum performance machine and a high-performance machine. If you are a high-performance user, you already know that. If you’re not sure, a minimum performance device is probably where you need to be working.

Often times in the big box stores you find machines that have some of the specifications but not all of them. Big box machines are typically built, particularly on the PC side, with a price in mind. Often times, the machine has specifications that don’t meet current use specs. This also shows up on many Internet sites. Be sure to look into the specifications you’re selecting for the machine that you’re looking to purchase.

In my opinion, brands do matter.  Seeing many machines with problems, I can say that Macintosh computers are generally the most trouble free and will maintain good performance for a longer period.

But some people need Windows for specific applications.  When it comes to Windows computers, my experience says that I would look for these brands (in order):

  1. Dell
  2. HP
  3. Lenovo

All three of these vendors maintain good support websites and make updating hardware drivers easier.  That doesn’t mean much when the machine is new but as it ages, it means everything.

Windows Systems

Laptop, Minimum Performance

Memory: 16 GB
Processor: Intel Core i5 (with at least 4 cores)
Storage: 256 GB SSD minimum
Graphics: Integrated graphics
Networking: wireless
Operating System: Windows 11

Laptop, Higher Performance

Memory: 32-64 GB
Processor: Intel Core i7 or i9
Storage: 512 GB SSD minimum
Graphics: Integrated graphics or dedicated if available
Networking: wireless
Operating System: Windows 11

Foe Macintosh Systems, a MacBook Air is the correct machine for entry to mid stream users today.  For more professional uses and MacBook Pro is great.  If you want a desktop the new M3 iMac is great and either the Mac mini or Mac Studio on the higher end make great sense.  Avoid the Mac Pro desktop.  It’s price vs performance is low for nearly all users.

Macintosh Systems

Laptop, Minimum Performance

Memory: 8 GB
Processor: Apple M2 or M3
Storage: 256 GB SSD minimum
Graphics: Integrated graphics
Networking: wireless
Operating System: MacOS 14

Laptop, Higher Performance

Memory: 16-32 GB
Processor: Intel Core M2 Pro, M2 Max, or M3 series
Storage: 512 GB SSD minimum
Graphics: Integrated graphics or dedicated if available
Networking: wireless
Operating System: MacOS 14

10 MacOS lesser known features 

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I thought I did this year by giving you my top 10 list of lesser known MacOS features. These features are all in the latest release of MacOS.  Enjoy.

1. **Quick Look for Files:** Press the spacebar on a file to use Quick Look, allowing you to preview its contents without opening an application.

2. **Batch Renaming Files:** Select multiple files and right-click to choose “Rename X items” for batch renaming.

3. **Markup in Preview:** Open an image or PDF in Preview, click the toolbox icon, and use the Markup tools for annotations and edits.

4. **Hot Corners:** Set up hot corners in System Preferences to trigger actions when you move the cursor to a corner of your screen.

5. **Time Machine Local Snapshots:** If your Time Machine backup drive isn’t connected, your Mac may create local snapshots for backups.

6. **Built-in Dictionary:** Hover over a word and press Command + Control + D to get a quick definition using the built-in dictionary.

7. **Preview Fonts in Finder:** In Finder, select a font file and press the spacebar to preview the font before opening it.

8. **Audio Equalizer:** Adjust audio settings using the built-in equalizer. Go to System Preferences > Sound > Sound Effects and choose an equalizer preset.

9. **Multiple Desktops:** Use Mission Control (F3 or swipe up with three fingers) to create and manage multiple desktops for better organization.

10. **Screen Recording with QuickTime:** Open QuickTime, go to File > New Screen Recording to capture your screen or create tutorials.

Posted in Mac

Computer Recommendations 2023

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A couple times a year I like to give my opinion on what type of a computer someone should be looking for if they’re in the market to purchase a new machine. Many times, there are so many computers on the marketplace that it’s hard to make a decision based upon the functionality you’ll need to use. Basically I break these into two categories, a minimum performance machine and a high-performance machine. If you are a high-performance user, you already know that. If you’re not sure, a minimum performance device is probably where you need to be working.

Often times in the big box stores you find machines that have some of the specifications but not all of them. Big box machines are typically built, particularly on the PC side, with a price in mind. Often times, the machine has specifications that don’t meet current use specs. This also shows up on many Internet sites. Be sure to look into the specifications you’re selecting for the machine that you’re looking to purchase.

In my opinion, brands do matter.  Seeing many machines with problems, I can say that Macintosh computers are generally the most trouble free and will maintain good performance for a longer period.  

But some people need Windows for specific applications.  When it comes to Windows computers, my experience says that I would look for these brands (in order):  

  1. Dell
  2. HP
  3. Lenovo

All three of these vendors maintain good support websites and make updating hardware drivers easier.  That doesn’t mean much when the machine is new but as it ages, it means everything.

Creating a menu of Text items to Insert with Shortcuts on a Mac

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Start by Opening the Shortcuts application stored in the Applications folder

With the shortcuts application open, click on the + in the upper right corner of the window to create a new shortcut

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This process requires the adding of two steps to the shortcut. The first is a TEXT step to store the text you want to insert from the menu. The second step Copies the text to the clipboard.

Start by double clicking the Text step in the steps menu.

Now enter the text you want to insert such as your name and address.

Now add the Copy to Clipboard step to the Shortcut in the same way. This step requires no additional input.

Now in the File menu at the top of the screen select rename and type a descriptive name to describe the

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shortcut function. I used Name and Address.

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Finally Click the small circle with an i in it to show the Shortcut Details.

In this list click on the Show in Menu Bar option.

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Using the Shortcut menu.

In the menu bar of the Mac you will see a Shortcut Icon listing the shortcuts you made. Click the menu and select the item you want paste into your document.

Now click your cursor where you want the text inserted and Press Paste

Command-V

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