Where it's Okay to be a Fan
This is the second or third pass at this article I have written. HomePod is the most challenging piece of hardware I have ever tried to review because it is at once terrible and terrific. I always start these pieces out with the intention to say glowing things about it. Then, reality takes over. But they are both reality. So rather than start from the beginning as I always do, allow me to begin from the other direction…
Read MoreMy conclusion is right there in the title. I poured out all my headphone frustration onto the original AirPods. And it was trivially easy to explain that frustration. Today, I am pouring out all my headphone love onto the AirPods Pro. And it is frustratingly difficult to justify that love. Prior to this, I wrote nearly a thousand words on the matter, selected all, then hit Delete. Here’s to hoping this second attempt goes better:..
Read MoreI was a big fan of the MacBook 12 for about 10 minutes when it first came out. In fact, I owned one of the first to roll off the assembly line when they first hit the scene. I was really excited about the new thin and light. It was so impossibly thin and ridiculously light, it didn’t feel like a real computer. And in some ways, it wasn’t…
Read MoreI was always headed for this device the moment I saw it. But my wife needed a desktop even more than I did. Now, it’s my turn. And I can finally talk about the mini from personal experience. So far, that experience is outstanding. Here’s why:
Read MoreWhen Apple first announced Sidecar at WWDC, I was skeptical. It is not that I don’t appreciate the power of a second display. But I have used other iPa as display solutions in the past, and have not been impressed or convinced by the utility. Sidecar has made me a believer. And it might just get you to take a look at the possibility of adding a second seat to your Mac hotrod.
Read MoreI can talk exclusively about this Thule Gauntlet case for the MacBook Pro 15” I just bought. Or I can take the opportunity to talk about the importance of a good bag or case in general. Here’s the thing: if you are going to go mobile, you have to go smartly. Here is what you are going to need, and why:..
Read MoreLike other Apple innovations and implementations, Siri changed everything. It was an instant hit that other companies had to immediately copy. Failure to do so would have been devastating. Competitors reacted predictably. Fast clones were rushed out the door. Skunkworks hobbies were promoted to active products. And the digital assistant race was officially on…
Read MoreYour vision does not need to be anywhere near as bad as mine for you to greatly benefit from the accessibility features offered on the Mac. If you are starting to find that the text is getting smaller year after year, you might need to see a doctor about glasses. Also, you will definitely want to keep reading and discover how you can make your Mac life a little easier on the eyes. Look for an upcoming article exploring the same topic, except for iOS…
Read MoreEveryone who uses a computer does some writing. It may be email, texting, or searching for information online. It is almost impossible to use a computing device without putting some bit of text in some field at some point along the way…
Read MoreI like football a lot. I’m a fan of that particular competition. But I am not a fan of competition in general. From childhood, I was shaped and molded to be an athlete. I was a wrestler, football player, track & field specialist, a really bad swimmer, and a rather skilled backyard basketball player. Don’t even get me started on cards, board games, and dominos…
Read MoreIt started with the iPhone SE. Taking everyone by surprise, Apple resurrected the venerable iPhone 5s, gave it new internals and a new name - Boom! The iPhone SE was born. Since then, we have seen a number of similar product resurrections. At Tim Cook’s Apple, what is old is new again, and again, and again...
Read MoreApple just revamped the iPad lineup. There are now five distinct units from which to choose. And while that may seem daunting, it strangely simplifies the lineup. Here is a breakdown of the lineup…
Read MoreAs I have said many times before, I don’t like the “Pro” naming scheme. Specifications of a device are not what is professional. The people that use them are the professionals. And they can use any number of things to get their jobs done. For many people that is an iPad Pro. For others, it is a smartphone, or a $200 Chromebook, or a $2,000 MacBook Pro…
Read MoreWhen I started writing this review, it was going to be very different. In fact, I deleted it and started again. I have owned both sizes and all the accessories. Right now, I have the iPad 12.9” with folio. This is less a review and more a polemic, a few observations, with a review somewhere in the mix. Let’s begin by talking about the iPad in general, what it is and what it isn’t, and probably what it will never be…
Read MoreSkipping straight to the conclusion, Apple Watch Series 4 is the best Apple Watch ever. And that makes it the best smartwatch ever. It is without peer. And that’s too bad. I can’t help but think that if Apple had some real competition, the list of nagging gripes would be a lot shorter…
Read MoreAt WWDC 2018, Apple announced some pretty exciting consumer-facing features for what was billed as bug fixes and stability improvements. All of the platforms got a little something to be excited about. But none of those announcements will change the fundamental way we use the device more than the walkie-talkie feature in WatchOS 5…
Read MoreIt’s iPhone month. And that means things are going to get a little crazy in the blogosphere for a while. That goes double for my house. We go a little stupid during iPhone season. We start plotting for ways to acquire things we can’t afford and don’t need. Yep, we’re typical Apple fans…
Read MoreAs much as I love the idea of the iPhone XR, I have already preorder the iPhone XS Max. I would have ordered one for my wife already except we had some confusion about the size of the device…
Read MoreLast year, the reason for most people to upgrade to iPhone X was because it was inevitable. It was clear that this was where Apple was heading. It made sense to get onboard early. The reason for most people to upgrade to iPhone XS Max is because it’s great…
Read MoreLet’s get this out of the way up front: The HomePod is a $350 speaker that sounds about like a $350 speaker. It does not sound like a $1,000 speaker system. And it sounds noticeably better than a $200 speaker. It sounds exactly like what it is. And if that were all there was to the HomePod, it would be worth buying provided you were in the market for a speaker in that price range...
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