Macworld January 2022

Even before Apple’s M1 Pro and M1 Max MacBooks hit the market, rumblings of future Apple silicon were already hitting the wire. Dubbed the M2, this chip is the likely successor to the M1 that powers the MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and the 24-inch iMac. According to reports, it will arrive in the first half of 2022. And look at the calendar—here we are in 2022. So if you’re wondering whether you should wait for the M2 instead of investing in an M1 MacBook Air or M1 Pro MacBook Pro, we’re here to help. M1, M1 PRO, AND M1 MAX Apple’s first three Mac chips are all built on the same architecture but they’re quite (see below). M1 SPECS Here’s how the different M1 chips compare. As you…

With the release of macOS Monterey, Apple’s oldest platform is embarking upon its latest journey around the sun. And while this newest update brings with it a whole host of features, from Focus mode to FaceTime improvements, it also puts into stark relief some of the Mac’s shortcomings—especially when compared to iOS. Apple’s been working hard to get its platforms in sync and, to the company’s credit, many of the new features that it rolled out this year have arrived on both platforms—even if not in simultaneous releases. (SharePlay and redesigned Memories in Photos are lacking from the initial Monterey release, despite already coming out for iOS.) While attention often focuses on places where iOS is still catching up to the Mac, that street runs both ways. There remain places…

I know what you’re thinking. For the past five years, we’ve questioned, lambasted, and otherwise reviled the MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar. And now that it’s gone for—checks notes—a little over a week, we already want it back. But the problem with the Touch Bar wasn’t actually the Touch Bar itself. It’s that it wasn’t a Pro feature. The concept of a small touchscreen designed for carrying out common tasks was a good one—and we’ve heard from many people who enjoyed using it. The MacBook Pro just wasn’t the right product for it, and Apple’s flagship laptop is better without it. The most disappointing part of the Touch Bar was that Apple never really improved it. We got the Escape key back and developers worked it into their interfaces, but otherwise Apple’s…

The Mac’s cursor is designed with a white outline and a black fill. It’s a good combination, making it easy to spot no matter where is on screen. But man, is it boring. In past versions of macOS, you couldn’t change the cursor color without using a third-party utility. That’s no longer the case in Monterey. With Monterey, you can easily change the colors of the cursor to something that is easier to catch visually or just add some flair to reflect your personality. You can find it in the Accessibility pane in System Preferences. Here’s how it’s done. HOW TO CHANGE THE COLOR 1. Go to System Preferences and click Accessibility. 2. In the left column, look for the Vision section and select Display. 3. Click on the Pointer…

On external monitors, 1440p resolution is supposed to represent the sweet spot, offering a sharper picture than HD without the high costs of 4K. Unfortunately, Apple doesn’t agree. On Macs with M1 processors, Apple reserves Retina or HiDPI display scaling options for monitors with at least 4K resolution. Unless you set the display to its native 1440p—which can look insufferably tiny on smaller external displays—text and icons come out blurry and fuzzy. Programs that used to fix the problem on Intel-based Macs no longer work on M1 machines, and users have been complaining about it for months to no avail. Now a third-party developer has come up with a workaround. It’s called BetterDummy, and it essentially tricks macOS into thinking you’ve plugged in a 5K monitor. Using Apple’s display mirroring features,…

The fast and light G-Drive SSD is as attractive and fast as its branding is arcane. It can be purchased from the WD (Western Digital) store under the SanDisk Professional brand, and is part of the G-Drive line. Some might remember that G-Drive was a boutique Mac storage vendor some time ago. WD bought G-Drive as well as SanDisk, which develops nearly all of the parent company’s solid state technology. Hence, it’s the SanDisk Professional G-Drive SSD from WD. Who cares, you say? Just filling you in. The drive is excellent, so let’s get on with it. DESIGN The G-Drive SSD is a USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps), Type-C solid state drive available in 500GB, 1TB, and 2TB flavors for $150, $250 ($230 on sale), and $360, respectively. That’s actually…