Macworld April 2022

Before we start, I have a confession: It’s been about 10 years since I bought a MacBook. I’ve used plenty of them over the years through work and on loan from Apple, including the latest M1 MacBook Pro, but the last time I actually owned a MacBook was the 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display in 2012. So when I saw a recent deal on the entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro at Costco, it was too good to pass up. Even though I had read the reviews, I didn’t expect all that much to be different between the M1 MacBook Pro and the M1 Pro MacBook Pro—a little faster, a little bigger, a little newer. But I was pleasantly surprised. The 14-inch MacBook Pro is a whole new machine that’s far more…

The M1 processors used in the latest Macs are based on technology first developed for the company’s iPhone and iPad. (In fact, the current iPad Pro uses the same M1 processor.) Because of this, the M1 brings to the Mac the ability to run iPhone and iPad apps. Why would you want to run an iPhone or iPad app on a Mac in the first place? Well, it’s possible that there is no Mac equivalent of the app you want to use. Or maybe you like using a particular app, regardless of the hardware it is running on. Whatever the reason, it’s a great way to use the tools you want. To run an iPhone or iPad app, your Mac must have an M1 processor or later. If you have an Intel-based…

Most Mac users wouldn’t dream of replacing macOS with anything but the latest update, but Google wants you to at least consider another option: Chrome OS. Google describes its new Chrome OS Flex as a “free and sustainable way” to install Google’s online OS on any Mac or PC. The target audience is cash-strapped schools and businesses looking for “modern computing with cloud-based management,” but it’s pretty tempting for regular users too. Chrome OS Flex offers the same breezy interface you would get on a Chromebook, minus the Android apps, with Google’s expansive library of web apps and extensions running the show. It sounds crazy but it’s not. Chrome OS Flex isn’t made for the performance of today’s Apple silicon Macs. Rather, it’s for the thousands of Macs and PCs collecting dust…

Ah, the humble wireless router: a staple of the internet age, something we’ve all got tucked away in our house somewhere (or worse, out in full view). They’re a pain, a thing that sometimes just needs to be rebooted for no apparent reason, whose errors can be mystifying, and whose troubleshooting and management can make even the most tech-savvy among us grit their teeth in frustration. It didn’t have to be this way. Once upon a time, Apple was in the business of making wireless routers. The AirPort line debuted in 1999, at the same event where Apple introduced the iBook, the first consumer computer to offer built-in wireless networking. Over the course of nearly more than a decade, Apple made a succession of the devices, until it finally discontinued the…

You may think you’ve seen every USB-C dock combination, but you’ll have to revise that opinion with Satechi’s USB-C Hybrid Multiport Adapter. This dock has four ports plus a slot to add SATA M.2 SSD storage. It’s a unique combination that could be appealing to the right laptop user—desktop Mac owners have more flexible and affordable options. The Hybrid Multiport Adapter plugs into a USB-C port and passes power (but not data) over its own USB-C port. The port can output up to 100 watts, but requires up to 15W for its own operation. That’s sufficient for every Mac laptop, though the latest M1 Pro/Max MacBook Pros might not charge at their fastest rates. The dock also includes two USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A ports, which each offer up to 10Gbps of…

Long ago, we compressed, sliced, and diced large document files and applications, stuck them on series of 1.44MB floppies, and passed them around. When bulletin board systems and the nascent internet let us upload files, the low speeds and scarce storage meant every bit—not just byte—counted. We live in modern times, but file archives for organization, proper transmission without loss, compression, and encryption still abound for those who use desktop computers and server systems. Email offers endless ways to ruin file attachments in transmission, and compressed file archives typically bypass those problems. Keka is a perfect partner for any Mac owner’s needs for file archiving and extraction. First released in 2009, the app continues to mature, and the developer adds formats and additional features on a constant drumbeat. Keka also manages…