Preview is definitely one of the under-appreciated gems of OS X. Preview actually has two main uses. One for graphics and photos, and another specific to PDFs. There are certain very handy capabilities in Preview that are only available when working with PDF files. Read more »
The menu bar in OS X doesn’t just contain the menus for the application you’re currently using; it can also hold all sorts of helpful extras that can be accessed from any application with just one click, and make using OS X a little easier. Read more »
Have you been waiting on Mac OS X Lion because you don’t have a broadband connection? Then today’s your (sort of) lucky day. Apple introduced the OS X Lion USB Thumb Drive to the online Apple Store, but it comes with a premium price tag: $69. Read more »
Launchpad, the new app launcher in Mac OS X Lion, can be useful for hunting down apps you don’t use very often. However, sometimes it can feel bloated and difficult to navigate. Here are a few tips to make Launchpad a bit easier to work with. Read more »
As a gaming platform, iOS has really made great strides in the past few years. But what about the Mac? Has the Mac reaped any benefits from App Store gaming, or, if it hasn’t yet, will it ever? And does it matter to most Mac users? Read more »
The new Mac mini does away with the optical disc drive, leading to a price reduction for Apple’s diminutive desktop. Without it, and with the addition of Thunderbolt and dedicated graphics, how does the mini stack up as a desktop and as a home theater PC? Read more »
With all the focus on OS X Lion’s new multitouch gestures, the keyboard is getting a little left out. Here are three tips to help navigate around Lion more quickly using the keyboard instead of the mouse (or trackpad). Read more »
Not one but two reports say Apple is now working on an ultrathin 15-inch Mac notebook, with one claiming that a 17-incher is also on the way. Apple has long been preparing for this, and I wouldn’t be surprised if those preparations bear fruit this year. Read more »
A few folks have asked me how to go about stepping back from Lion to Snow Leopard. It’s possible, but unfortunately you may not be able to easily take your current apps and documents with you unless you’ve cloned your original Snow Leopard drive. Read more »
There are times when your Mac will just start misbehaving. Video settings getting reset, fans start running at full speed, and more. This often happens after an upgrade like Lion. There are many possible fixes, but if everything fails, try resetting your PRAM or SMC. Read more »
Overall, I’m thrilled with OS X Lion. However, like any new OS, there are some things that either don’t work quite right or, while working as intended, may annoy. So, here are five tips and work-arounds I’ve found that might help address some growing pains. Read more »
Want some great Mac apps that work with Lion’s new full-screen mode and really show off why the new feature is one of the best new additions to OS X? We’ve got you covered, with this list of five of the absolute best full-screen stars. Read more »
Managing email on OS X has always been about finding the lesser of many evils. I have too many email addresses to use webmail efficiently, but I’ve never been happy with any email program on the Mac. That finally changed, thanks to OS X Lion. Read more »
Mac OS X 10.7 Lion went on sale on Wednesday, and already Apple is saying this release is selling “faster than any other OS release in Apple’s history.” It’s also the first time Apple’s done a major desktop OS release through its Mac App Store. Read more »
The wait is over. Lion is here. But are you (and your Mac) prepared? Here are five things you need to really, really need to do before you upgrade to Mac OS 10.7 (and links on how to do them). Read more »
Mac OS X Lion arrived Wednesday morning, available through the Mac App Store as a downloadable upgrade for users of Snow Leopard. Lion is version 10.7 of Apple’s desktop operating system, and it brings some significant changes to Mac computing. But will users welcome those changes? Read more »
It took me 25 minutes to download OS X Lion at home, but using LTE mobile broadband service, you could do the same in a few hours. I wouldn’t recommend it, but it’s amazing when you realize 3G networks, like OS X, launched 10 years ago. Read more »
Google+ is already popular, and it isn’t yet showing any signs of slowing down. If you’re already in or if you’re eagerly awaiting an invite, there are a few ways you can improve the experience when accessing Google’s new social network from Mac and iOS devices. Read more »
Sometime next week we could see the arrival of Mac OS X Lion, according to reports. But this is no ordinary major software launch. The twist is that Lion will only be distributed digitally, the effect of which is difficult to predict. Read more »
With the next major release of Mac OS X, 10.7 Lion, on the way, it’s a good idea to start preparing your Mac for the transition soon. Here are some steps to make sure your Mac is ready for Lion. Read more »
Facebook’s Skype integration involved a lot of slimming down of Skype’s native client and making it work in a browser, creating the back-end integration between Facebook and Skype and scaling up Skype’s network to handle the expected flood of traffic. Read more »
OS X Lion can run apps in full-screen mode, allowing compatible Mac software to take up the whole screen, as it does in iOS. Thanks to an update to Fluid, virtually any website can become an independent full-screen app as soon as Lion is ready. Read more »
OS X Lion is set to arrive sometime this month, and new reports suggest that it could be here as soon as next Wednesday at 9 AM. Will you be buying when it does arrive, and if not, why are you unsure about upgrading? Read more »
A picture is worth a thousand words, and a video will save you even more typing. There are lots of video chat options out there now for both Mac and iOS, and the competition is fierce. Which is your go-to client on either platform, and why? Read more »
Apple has released a special FAQ page to address commonly voiced concerns about its new Final Cut Pro X video editing software. Arguably, it’s a step Apple should’ve taken before the FCP X release, not now that opinion is starting to galvanize against it. Read more »
If you can’t wait to try out some of Lion’s new features, but don’t have access to the developer preview, I’ve got good news: You can get many of Lion’s new features in Snow Leopard using these third-party apps, tweaks and downloads. Read more »
New MacBook Airs could be right around the corner, according to stock shortages at retail partners like Best Buy and Amazon. OS X Lion is also arriving in July, which begins in only a few short days, and the Air could arrive at the same time. Read more »
Toronto-based interactive user experience design firm teehand+lax have created an awesome look at what iMessage could become, if Apple truly wants to bring iOS and OS X together. They also suggest cool new ways in which iPhones and Macs communicate with one another. Read more »
Reviewers and video professionals apparently aren’t as enthusiastic about Final Cut Pro X as I was on the day of its release. Of course, I’m not a video pro, but that doesn’t mean the rancor with which FCP X has been greeted is necessarily justified. Read more »
Apple just released the latest update for Snow Leopard, OS X 10.6.8. Included in the update are countermeasures for the latest variants of the malicious Mac Defender software, improved support for IPv6, and enhancements for the Mac App Store in preparation for the upgrade to Lion. Read more »
Apple is dropping Rosetta from OS X Lion, which means PowerPC-only apps won’t work on Macs running the operating system. It might surprise you how many still-useful and used apps that will leave out in the cold. Here’s a few, and some replacement suggestions. Read more »
Apple is gearing up to release Lion, the first OS X updated to leave some Intel-based Macs out of the party. Even with the minimum specs, you won’t be getting the full experience. Here’s how to make some key improvements without breaking the bank. Read more »
For all the talk of social media replacing RSS, I still find it to be the best way to get news efficiently. A quick look at the Mac App Store shows quite a few RSS reader options, so here’s a look at three of the best. Read more »
At the WWDC keynote this week, Steve Jobs remarked that the file system is the trickiest part of adjusting to a new OS. Apple seems intent on a future where the file system is invisible to the user. Is that a good or a bad thing? Read more »
Apple’s refresh of the MacBook Air last fall did much to improve the fortunes of the company’s ultra-slim notebook. And with its next iteration, it could be getting ready to step into the spotlight as the quintessential Mac computer, alongside the release of OS X Lion. Read more »
Apple teased the next installment of OS X, 10.7 Lion, again at WWDC on Monday, and set its release for July. But this upgrade might leave a lot of users cold, even as it paves the way for wider adoption of OS X down the road. Read more »
iTunes Match, and its ability to deliver high-quality DRM-free versions of music in your library to all your iOS, Mac and PC devices via iCloud seems like a reward for music piracy. But it might also be a way of getting back what once was lost. Read more »
With WWDC well underway, you might have heard a few words related to computer programming that even Mac experts have trouble understanding, but it happens to the best of us. Here’s a quick glossary of the programming terms that are probably most likely to confuse. Read more »
One of the many traditions of Apple’s WWDC is the presentation of Apple Design Awards (ADA) for “excellence in iOS and Mac OS X app design and development.” This year, the winners include some familiar names, as well as some you probably won’t recognize. Read more »
iOS 5 and Lion are both great updates that are sure to please consumers, but while the platforms feel deeply and productively intertwined, there are a couple remaining last steps Apple could and should take that would make working back and forth between both seamless. Read more »
