Writing Letters And Numbers
A lot of people prefer the more traditional screen where they can just write letters and numbers on the screen. However, some people may like a screen that can also be used for games and typing in documents. It really depends on your personal choice.
So make sure that you understand everything that is mentioned in this article before you make a purchase. You can then make the best decision possible.
If you are buying a new product, then you will probably want to look at it in person. If the computer was new when you bought it, you can still look at it to see how much life it has left.
How To Choose The Right Mac For Your Use Case In 2022
Posted onOctober 19th, 2021 byKirk McElhearn
Apples Mac product line has changed a lot recently, and if youre looking for a new Mac, you have a number of options to consider. For some people, its a simple choice, but for others, the choice can be more complex.
You may need a desktop Mac, and you currently have four options for that type of computer. If you want a laptop, then you have three options. But you might want to use a laptop on your desk as well, increasing the number of possibilities. In this article, Im going to help you choose which Mac you need according to your use case.
Macbook Pro Vs Macbook Air: Conclusion
The choice between MacBook Pro and Air ultimately comes down to power needs, size needs and budget. For the most part, the laptops are fairly clearly divided: the MacBook Air is suitable for lighter use the 13-inch and 14-inch MacBook Pro can handle harder tasks and the 16-inch MacBook Pro is a full-blown desktop replacement.
There’s certainly some grey area where the MacBook Air overlaps with the MacBook Pro, but the point still stands: the MacBook Pro will give you stronger performance even when the specs look closer. The rest of the time, it’s a clear and obvious step up from one to the other.
The MacBook Air is perfectly capable of running Adobe apps and other design tools, but don’t expect it to handle giant and complex work well, and remember that it has a less bright screen with a more limited colour range.
The 13-inch MacBook Pro gives you a stronger screen option, and the extra power and maximum RAM means it give you a lot more headroom for those working in 2D, it can handle all but the most extreme stuff, but still gives you a highly portable package. And the 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pros are ready for your most hardcore work , with enhanced performance for video editing.
The important thing is to know that what you buy will give you enough headroom for the next few years make sure you don’t buy a MacBook Air now just to realise your work is likely to evolve to need a Pro in a year, so factor that in too.
Read more:
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Best Macbook For 2022
With new M1 Pro and M1 Max chips, the MacBook line offers higher-end options, but you might want to stick with the basic MacBook Air.
With MacOS, a nearly bulletproof build and Apple’s expanded M1, M1 Pro and M1 Max chips now powering the lineup, MacBooks are among the most universally useful laptops you can buy. MacBook laptops range from $999 to $6,000 or more, even though they share a lot of the same design and feature DNA. I get a lot of reader questions about how to decide on a specific model or configuration. Below you’ll find answers to some of those frequently asked questions, as well as our picks for the best MacBook for your laptop needs.
Apple is still offering education deals on MacBooks: Normally, the Apple Store is not the best place to buy an Apple laptop because sales are all but nonexistent. The big exception to the rule is Apple’s education sales, which usually include MacBook deals. If you’re a student or teacher, that can mean $100 off a MacBook Air and a free pair of AirPods, plus a 20% discount on the AppleCare Plus extended warranty . On the other hand, we’ve also found Apple laptop deals through Best Buy’s Student Deals page.
How We Test The Best Macbooks
To find the best MacBook, we run each through our gauntlet of benchmarks and real-world tests, and then use them as our main computer for as well. Only then are we comfortable recommending them for your purchase.
We use a Klein K-10A colorimeter to test each MacBook’s screen to find its average brightness and color quality . When it comes to general performance, we use the Geekbench 5 benchmark, and time how long the Macs will take to transcode a 4K video to 1080p.
We also run the BlackMagic storage speeds test to see how fast these MacBooks’ SSDs are . Then, we run our custom battery test to see how long each MacBook can last browsing the web over Wi-Fi until it runs out of juice.
We’ve tested various computer games on MacBooks, with Civilization VI being one of our current favorites to run.
- Desktop roundup: The best computers you can buy
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Pick A Platform: Windows 10 Vs Mac Vs Chrome Os
This is not an easy question to answer, especially if you’re not familiar with both Macs and PCs. But this quick overview of each platforms strengths and weaknesses should help.
Most laptops come with one of three operating systems: Windows, Chrome OS or MacOS . Choosing the right one is a personal preference, but here’s a quick summary of what each offers.
Windows 10
The most flexible operating system, Windows 10, runs on more laptop models than Chrome OS or MacOS. Windows notebooks range in price from under $150 to several thousand dollars and offer a wide array of features from touch screens to fingerprint readers to dual graphics chips. Windows 10, the latest version of Microsoft’s flagship operating system, provides a number of improvements over Windows 7 and 8, including the ability to switch between tablet and desktop modes, a revamped Start menu with Live Tiles and the Cortana digital assistant.
Since its launch in July 2015, Windows 10 has also added a host of improvements, including the ability to use follow-up questions with Cortana, search your email using natural language and use your stylus to scribble almost anywhere. Windows 10 laptops are great for students, researchers and business users, and they’re the only machines gamers should consider.
Apple macOS
MORE: MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro: What Should You Buy?
Chrome OS
MORE: Best Chromebooks Available Now
How To Choose The Right Hard Disk For Your Mac
Posted onMarch 20th, 2018 byKirk McElhearn
Every computing device you own contains some sort of storage. An iPhone or iPad contains flash memory, and a desktop or laptop computer contains either a solid state drive , which is flash memory, or a hard disk. Macs are currently sold with three types of storage devices: hard drives , SSDs, and fusion drives. And you can buy external or internal drives of three types: SSD, hybrid drive, or hard drive.
You might be curious to know, whats the right hard disk for your Mac? Choosing which drive to use in a computer involves a trade-off between speed, capacity, and cost. In this guide, you will learn what the difference is between the different types of drives as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each.
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Looking For Portable Storage
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi speed is important because fewer laptops come with a built-in ethernet port for plugging into your local wired network.
If this is the case, you may be able to purchase a USB-to-ethernet adapter of the same brand or a third-party alternative.
In either case, look for a laptop that supports the current Wi-Fi standard, 802.11ac, now rebranded as Wi-Fi 5. This is backwards-compatible with previous standards including the previously most popular 802.11n, but is much faster.
The emerging standard for newer laptops is Wi-Fi 6 which is faster and designed to support more devices than Wi-Fi 5.
USB-C connectivity
Connectivity on laptops these days is all about USB-C, the new low-profile standard that’s becoming common on more models. A USB-C plug is slimline and easy to use , but its appearance can be deceptive, as the same-shaped plug is used for several different standards USB 3.1 Gen-1 and Gen-2 and Thunderbolt 3, Thunderbolt 4 and USB 4.
Most USB-C ports will be either USB 3.1 Gen-1 which is rated at 5Gbps , the same speed as USB 3.0. The faster version of this is USB 3.1 Gen-2 . There’s also USB 3.2 Gen-2×2 . Then there’s the blazingly fast Thunderbolt 3, Thunderbolt 4 and USB 4.
Avoid cheap third-party cables and chargers or you may risk damaging your computer or worse
Read more: How we test laptops and tablets
How To Choose The Best Macbook For You
Performance: If you know you don’t push your laptops to their limits, get the MacBook Air and get the entry-level model. Its 8-core M1 chip and 8GB of RAM are going to surprise you with their speed. Upgrade that RAM to 16GB if you keep a lot of applications open at once. Those who work with more demanding applications will either want to get the M1 MacBook Pro with 16GB of RAM, or consider getting an Intel-based MacBook with 32GB of RAM. Storage is fast up and down the lineup.
Graphics and gaming: For M1-based MacBooks, you either get a 7-core or 8-core integrated GPU, and we’ve seen amazing results on the 8-core version so upgrade if you want to game on your Mac. Yes, you can play serious video games on the Mac now. It’s impressive.
Size and weight: The 13-inch MacBook Air and Pro are only distinguished by the Air’s wedge shape and slightly lighter weight. The MacBook Pro is 0.2 0.3 pounds heavier than the 2.8-pound MacBook Air. Unsurprisingly, the 16-inch MacBook Pro which is a heavier 4.3 pounds is best for those who either don’t mind the heft in their bag or don’t move around as often.
Battery life: The M1 MacBook Pro is the longest lasting MacBook there is, posting a Tom’s Guide battery test time of 16:32. This beats the M1 Air , Intel-based 13-inch Pro and the 16-inch Pro .
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Apple Macbook Pro Performance
Now were getting to the brass tacks of the matter. Apple made a lot of lofty claims about M1, and with its 16GB of unified memory, the chip lives up to the hype. I had 50 tabs open in with some running Tweetdeck, Slack, , Tidal, Gmail, and Twitch and the MacBook Pro just chugged along with no signs of lag or hang time.
The notebook also did well on our synthetic benchmarks. Sarting with Geekbench 5.0, an overall performance test, the MacBook Pro achieved 5,882, surpassing the 4,215 premium laptop average. The XPS 13 came the closest to matching the MacBook with a score of 5,254 while the ZenBook reached 5,084. The Spectre and its 10th Gen Intel Core i7-1065G7 processor was at the tail end with only 4,074.
The MacBook Pro scorched the competition on the Handbrake benchmark where we have the laptop convert a 4K video to 1080p. On the Silicon Beta version of Handbrake, the MacBook clocked a time of 7 minutes and 44 seconds, during the Rosetta 2 iteration, the time rose to 13:38. Both times are still much faster than the competing systems. The ZenBook finished the task in 17:51, while the XPS 13 got a time of 18:22. The Spectre was the slowest at 21:13.
On the Puget Photoshop test, which loops through 21 different Photoshop tasks three times per run, the MacBook obtained 649, beating the 613 average and the XPS 13s 588. However, the ZenBook got the win with a score of 742.
During the AfterEffects benchmark, the MacBook reached 708, surpassing the 651 category average.
Choosing The Best Hard Disk Drive
The speed and reliability of SSDs make them the ideal solution for todays computers. Most people do not want a Mac without an SSD, because an SSD enables it to boot much faster, apps launch faster, and files copy more quickly. However, if you need much more storage than what an SSD can offer, perhaps because of a large media collection, you have two options: a hybrid drive, or an external hard drive.
On a new iMac that comes by default with a 2 TB fusion drive, you can pay an additional $200 to opt for a 512 GB SSD, or $600 more for a 1 TB SSD. And Apples laptops are only offered with SSDs.
If you consider that the cost of an external hard drive is around $100 for 2 TB, then picking the internal SSD and external hard drive will run you about $300 more than the fusion drivebut your Mac will run much faster.
I have found that the combination of an internal SSD and an external hard drive is the best compromise, since I dont want a fusion drive . If you do choose the fusion drive, you should avoid the 1 TB model, because of its smaller SSD element it only has 24 GB compared to the 128 GB on the 2 TB and 3 TB models. The larger SSD element means more files can be cached, and your Mac will run a lot faster. Though if you only have simple needsif you only use a few apps, and dont work with big filesit wont make a difference, and upgrading to the 2 TB fusion drive is an extra $200.
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What Do You Use Your Mac For
Do you just use a Mac for browsing the web, sending email, perhaps streaming music or playing simple games? If so, you dont need to buy the most expensive Mac. However, if youre a serious gamer or if you shoot a lot of videos or edit photos, then youll want a Mac that can handle the load. With the speed of the M1 Macs, however, you may not need to max out your gaming rig. MacBook Pros with the new M1 Pro and M1 Max processors are just starting to ship, and they may be more than fast enough for gaming without getting the top configuration.
And do you want portability? If so, how much weight are you willing to carry around? Do you want a computer that you can use on your desk but that you can fold up when you dont need it? Todays laptops can offer the best of both worlds for many people. Even if you find the display a bit small for home or office use, you can connect an external monitor, but you can put it out of the way when you arent using it and dont want to see it.
If weight matters, then the MacBook Air at 2.8 lb. is the lightest of Apples laptops, trailed by the 13″ MacBook Pro at 3 lb., and the 14″ MacBook Pro at 3.5 lb. The 16″ MacBook Pro is a whopping 4.7 lb., so you may want to avoid this model.
If your computer usage is fairly light and if there are no special apps you need and if you dont need to work with lots of files that you copy to and from your computer you might even want to consider an iPad.
Desktop Mac Pros And Cons
If you work at a desk at home or in an office and dont need a portable computer, then the iMac is the best choice. You can opt for the 24″ or 27″ model, depending on how big a display you need. Its worth noting that while the 24″ iMac was refreshed in April 2021 with the M1 processor, the 27″ iMac is still the 2020 model with Intel processors. Apple upgraded the smaller iMac from 21.5″ to 24″, and its likely that the 27″ model will become a 30″ iMac, when they get around to it. My guess is that well see a refresh for the larger iMac, in the same style of the smaller model, in early 2022, or perhaps at Apples Worldwide Developer Conference in June. For now, if you want a large display on your desk, and you want a powerful Mac, the latest MacBook Pro models with an external display might be right for you.
There are two other desktop options for the Mac: the Mac Pro, which I discuss at the beginning of this article, and the Mac mini, which was updated in late 2020 with Apples M1 processor. Everything I said above about the speed of the M1 Processor applies as well to the Mac mini all of the M1 Macs have exactly the same processor.
The current Mac mini is a good deal: it starts at $699, its small and quiet, and only requires that you add your own peripherals. Apple still sells a Mac mini with an Intel processor: its $1,099, and if you need a small desktop Mac with an Intel processor, its currently your only option.
The Mac mini.
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Quick Answer: How To Right Click Apple Computer
In Windows on an Intel-based Mac, you can do a secondary click, or right-click, using an Apple Mouse, Magic Mouse, or trackpad. Apple Mouse or Magic Mouse: Click the upper-right corner of the mouse.In Windows on an Intel-based Mac, you can do a secondary click, or right-click, using an Apple MouseApple MouseIt has been suggested that Magic Mouse 2 be merged into this article. Proposed since November 2021. The Magic Mouse is a multi-touch mouse that is manufactured and sold by Apple. It connects via Bluetooth and runs on two AA batteries. Apple includes two non-rechargeable batteries in the box. https://en.wikipedia.org wiki Magic_Mouse