Macworld November 2022

Safari is the default browser on every Mac, and it’s quite good. Apple has optimized it for its own chips and the macOS operating system, so it’s fast and syncs nicely to your iPhone and iPad. But there are plenty of other options out there. You’ve probably heard of them—Chrome, Firefox, Brave, DuckDuckGo—but if you’re a longtime Safari user, you might not think you need to stray. Here are five reasons why you might want to try out another browser on your Mac. YOU MOSTLY USE GOOGLE SERVICES If you tend to use web-based apps and services, you might find the experiences with those better on a different browser. Apple tends to focus on its own ecosystem of apps, and the web experience, even for iCloud, isn’t as good as with other…

The redesigned MacBook Pro has everything to make a Mac user happy. I called the 14-inch MacBook Pro “a truly satisfying laptop” and said, “It can now wear the crown of the professional’s choice without hesitation”. It’s perhaps one of the best laptops Apple has made in the past 15 years. But it’s been nearly ten months since I wrote that review, and the sheen has figuratively worn off. While I still have no qualms about recommending the MacBook Pro to users who demand the most from their Macs, I can’t help but think about what I’d like Apple to update on the MacBook Pro to make it even better than it is now. Here’s a list of features I want to see come to the next MacBook Pro. 1. 5G CONNECTIVITY I’ve…

I could use a Mac upgrade, but I’m a cheapskate and I’ve put it off. The performance of my old Mac is fine for what I do. A lot of great deals have popped up recently for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, but I haven’t made the investment. But you know what would finally make me spend my money? A Mac with Dynamic Island. Dynamic Island is a new user interface element that was introduced with the iPhone 14 Pro. With this phone, Apple redesigned the front notch to a pill shape, but instead of leaving it as something on the screen that you try to ignore (as you did with the notch), Apple decided to give it a name and make it a key way to interact with the phone. Apple’s Dynamic…

The System Preferences app in macOS has been there since the very beginning, and it’s showing its age. A tiny, largely unchanging rectangle sized for the tiny displays of the early 2000s, it’s past time for Apple to create a new, modern settings app for the modern Mac. And in theory, that’s what the System Settings app in macOS Ventura is supposed to do. It’s a new app, clearly inspired by the Settings apps on iOS and iPadOS. That’s not a bad idea since so many Mac users also use those platforms, and it makes sense that Apple’s platforms harmonize. The problem is that, with a month or so to go before macOS Ventura goes final, the System Settings app in the beta is a bit of a disaster. Unless things change…

Boasting the looks of an Apple display but at a more affordable price, the Alogic Clarity Monitor scores points on aesthetics and performance. Connected to a Mac mini or Mac Studio, this 27-inch display could recreate the glories of the now discontinued larger iMac. Apple sells two of its own displays, and, as you might expect, neither of them is particularly affordable. The high-end Pro Display XDR starts at $4,999 and the “entry-level” Studio Display starts at $1,599. Read our Apple Studio Display review. There are, of course, plenty of non-Apple displays available. At $650, the Dell 2720Q UltraSharp 27in 4K USB-C Monitor is less than half the price of the Apple monitor. Its 4K screen (3,840 by 2,160 pixels) is not up to the Studio Display’s 5K resolution but will suit…

For those who work across nations, whether from a desk or traveling by car, plane, train, or bus, keeping track of local differences can be a bear to memorize and prepare for. Even European Union countries that have adopted the euro vary in electrical plug types, languages, and time zones. Morpho from Think Tap Work combines every useful fact and conversion into an app, letting you set countries, currencies, and units you use preferentially as pinned items or presets. You can figure out the right AC adapters to pack, the country code for calling attached to the SIM you get when you arrive, and whether to drive on the left or right side of the road. But you can also use the app to help you with imperial to metric conversions—or…