December 2019 - Monthly Mini-Bytes

The 16-Inch MacBook Pro: Why it's the Best Value Last month Apple announced it's much improved 16-inch MacBook Pro. It is a major improvement over the previous generation 13 and 15-inch MacBook Pros. The keyboard has been fixed and the problematic butterfly design replaced by a scissor-style mechanism that has many of us sighing in relief. The butterfly keyboard of the old MacBooks (13 Pro. 15 Pro, and Air) has been a controversial design with problems of sticky keys and an unusual feel. In fact, Apple has an open Keyboard Service Program for these laptops, meaning you can purchase a new 13-inch MacBook Pro or a MacBook Air with a soft recall right out of the box. You can learn more about this program here: https://support.apple.com/keyboard-service-program-for-mac-notebooks That's not fun, but Apple is set to refresh the 13-inch MacBook Pro in such a way as the 16-inch version, bumping it up to 14 inches and blessing it with the new and improved keyboard. This means that if you want a smaller form factor, it may be prudent to wait until the smaller 14-inch MacBook Pro is announced. We would. The second thing that makes the 16-inch MacBook Pro so good is the fact that Apple has enough real estate in the new laptop to provide adequate cooling so the processors can run at their proper output, without being throttled. This is a big deal as if you purchase an 8-Core i9 processor, you want it to run like an 8-Core i9 processor. The last thing is cost. Yes, talking about a $2,400 computer as a "good deal" is a first world issue, but hear me out. The entry 16-Inch MacBook Pro at $2,400 can be less expensive than a 13-inch that has been "beefed-up." And at that price you get a 6-Core processor, 16 GB of RAM, a 512 GB Solid State Drive, and a real AMD Radeon Pro video card. So what are we saying? If you need a new MacBook Pro right now, consider the 16-inch model. If it's just too big, then wait if you can for the refreshed 14-inch that will be hot on its heels. As for the Air, it will probably get its day with the new keyboard hopefully just as soon.

The AirPod Apocalypse This Holiday Season it's going to be easier to get an officially licensed Baby Yoda plushie than Apple's AirPods, apparently. According to multiple news outlets Apple has sold out of AirPods at it's retail stores, but if you do an internet search other outlets may have them available. Yet, whether they ship over the next week it is hard to say. Still, if you are looking at picking up the regular AirPods or AirPods Pro, you may want to get shopping! For more info, check out this CNBC article: https://www.cnbc.com/2019/12/17/apples-airpods-pro-are-sold-out-online-ahead-of-the-holidays.html

Secure Your Mac Before Your Next Party This time of year it's so great to have friends and family come by your home to celebrate the season. But celebrating doesn't mean opening up your Mac to nosy neighbors, know-it-all relatives, or grandkids that will load up the computer with more malware than a library PC. Make sure before your next party or get-together that you take a couple of steps to make sure your Mac is all cozied up and secure: Log Out or Shut Down - Logging out of your account by going up to the Apple in the upper left and choosing "Log Out..." is a good way to lock down your Mac. In order to get back in you'll have to enter your computer password, but that's what's keeping it safe. Shutting it down works, too. It's your choice. iMac or Mini - Hide the Keyboard and Mouse. This is an easy one. With no input there will be no access. MacBook Pro, Air, or just MacBook - Lock your computer in a drawer or put is somewhere secure.