Monthly Mini-Bytes - January 2023

 

Adventures in Systems Settings and Other Musings If you upgraded to macOS Ventura you may have noticed that the biggest change to the operating system was the end of System Preferences and the introduction of System Settings. Yes, all those familiar icons and their locations have been changed to a windows-esque compilation that reminds me of Control Panel. I know that Apple wants to have iOS, iPadOS, and macOS look similar so it is easier to jump between devices, but System Settings is such a jarring change that it has confused many. Some options are now buried clicks deep in menus so there is a learning curve even for the most experienced users. So, why is this done? Why do software developers monkey with the things that work, and introduce new methods, menus, or systems that just get in the way of getting things done? My assertion is that I don't think it should matter at all. Yes, it's frustrating, but the computer is a tool. That tool exists to help work get done faster and more efficiently even if that work is just play, email, or photos.  Instead of getting frustrated, think different. Yes, employ the old Apple adage of adjusting the way you think, and I also say feel about the changes. You still need to get your work done. You still need to send that email, or create that PowerPoint deck by tomorrow, so think differently about it. Try to see how to exploit this change to make work faster and easier.  Then when new changes come by, you can take a moment to grunt and huff, but then accept it, move on, and get it to work for you.

What iPhone Should You Buy? $1,700 for a phone is a lot of money. It's a lot of money for most things. With that much cheddar you can get a full blown Mac computer -- not just a phone. But Apple could probably charge $5,000 for the new iPhone 15 Plus Max Pro+ Extra. People would buy it. People spend $100K on pickup trucks these days. And why are potato chips $5 a bag? So, if you are on your way to the Apple Store in your $100K pickup truck, snacking on that $5 bag of chips, what iPhone is best? For years we have always recommended getting the newest, bestest, and pro-est iPhone available. This is no longer the case. There have not been massive evolutionary changes to the iPhone since the iPhone X, so there are a multitude of different options depending on your budget. Getting a newer model will mean it will run a supported system longer. It will be faster, and the camera slightly better, but I am right here right now telling you that you don't need to spend $1,700 on an iPhone if you don't want to. What phone do I use? I have an iPhone Xs and it's fine for me. It does everything that I need it to do, and more. I hope that is a bit freeing. The iPhone is great, and there are so many out there to choose from. Don't feel compelled to get the latest and greatest, because from the iPhone X in 2017, they are all pretty great.

M2 mini or Mac Studio? Which One to Choose?

Apple just released the M2 Pro chip in the Mac Mini and that machine is a beast! It's probably the best bang for the buck that Apple has going when it comes to power. But how does this brute stack up to the Mac Studios that still run the M1 Max and Ultra chips? It comes down to this: Are you editing 8K video or performing complex 3D graphics? Does your machine spend a good deal of time rendering? If so, then the Mac Studio will be the better choice not for the chipset, but for the cooling. The Mac Studio looks like a taller mini due to the way it cools the processor. A cooler processor is a faster processor. But the M2 Pro in the mini is so good, it will suffice for 90% of users out there. It's a great buy and will run Adobe Creative Cloud, Final Cut Pro, and whatever with ease. To learn more about the new Mac mini visit: https://www.apple.com/mac-mini/