Newsletter Archives

• Mac mini setup — KVM update

  Posted on March 3, 2025 at 02:43 CST by Will Fastie • Comment in the Forums

  APPLE

  

  By Will Fastie

  Reconfiguring the Mac mini so it would be a part of my KVM arrangement went without a hitch.

  I more or less expected that because the KVM box is a rather simple thing, although my use case is odd. I’ll explain that below. For now, I’ll just describe the slight differences that showed up when I made the KVM connection.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (22.09.0, 2025-03-03).

  Apple Adapters, Audio, DisplayPort, KVM, Mac mini, Mac setup, macOS, Newsletters, PC setup, Thunderbolt

• To reboot, or not to reboot

  Posted on March 3, 2025 at 02:42 CST by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  PATCH WATCH

  

  By Susan Bradley

  Why do we need to reboot our computers?

  Why can’t they just run 24/7 without issue? And why is Windows more likely to require rebooting than other systems?

  Normally, I take rebooting for granted, as a matter of fact. This dates very far back. I remember tech support agents on the phone, asking whether I had rebooted a PC and then — regardless of the answer — asking me to reboot again. Recently, I stumbled upon a bug that was interesting enough to cause me to raise this question.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (22.09.0, 2025-03-03).

  Patch Watch Linux, macOS, Newsletters, Patch Lady Posts, Rebooting, Windows

• Setting up the Mac mini

  Posted on February 17, 2025 at 02:42 CST by Will Fastie • Comment in the Forums

  APPLE

  

  By Will Fastie

  Apple has an excellent reputation for helping iPhone users migrate from Android, a process that is smooth, precise, and friendly.

  It’s been over a decade since I set up a Mac, a 2009 model. My memory of that is vague, but I recall it as straightforward and easy to understand. I wondered whether today’s experience would live up to Apple’s past or to its excellent iPhone experience.

  I do not expect any oddities in my setup. However, there are a few things I should explain.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (22.07.0, 2025-02-17).

  Apple Adapters, HDMI, Mac mini, Mac setup, macOS, macOS Sequoia, Newsletters, PC setup, Thunderbolt

• How good is Mac software vs. Windows software, really?

  Posted on February 10, 2025 at 02:44 CST by B. Livingston • Comment in the Forums

  PUBLIC DEFENDER

  

  By Brian Livingston

  The flame wars over whether Apple programs and apps are better or worse than Windows programs and apps have raged on ever since the Apple I was released in 1976. Like a fool, I’m stepping right into the middle of this battle royale with today’s column.

  In the first two parts of my Mac-vs.-Win11 series, I described how to get the best price on the new, 2024 Mac mini with its M4 chip and how to choose an inexpensive keyboard, mouse, and monitor (if you aren’t insistent on buying peripherals from Apple).

  Today, I’m going to cover the software that comes with the Mac mini, as well as programs and apps that you can get as separate add-ons. I’m probably not going to satisfy anyone.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (22.06.0, 2025-02-10).

  Public Defender Apple, Mac mini, macOS, Newsletters, Software, Windows

• Log files are useful but annoying

  Posted on September 9, 2024 at 02:42 CDT by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  ON SECURITY

  

  By Susan Bradley

  Laboring over the Labor Day weekend, I spent a few hours rebuilding a computer at the office. It had suddenly stopped responding.

  I attempted to reboot it, to no avail — its SSD hard drive had failed.

  The major disadvantage of solid-state drives (SSDs) is that when they fail, they fail suddenly. But mea culpa: I missed a big hint that failure might be imminent. For several days before the failure, it was throwing off Volume Shadow Copy errors that were logged by my backup software. I didn’t notice those errors.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.37.0, 2024-09-09).

  On Security Activity logs, Apple, DCOM, Error logs, macOS, Newsletters, Patch Lady Posts, SSDs

• Apple owns ‘AI’

  Posted on June 17, 2024 at 02:42 CDT by Will Fastie • Comment in the Forums

  APPLE

  

  By Will Fastie

  Its marketing skills are legend, but the Spaceship has taken it to a new galaxy.

  Everything is about AI now. It’s getting to the point that a loaf of bread at the grocery will be marked “Baked in AI-enhanced ovens!”

  We all know that “AI” is an abbreviation for “artificial intelligence.” But in the keynote address for Apple’s World Wide Developers Conference last week, presenters announced “Apple Intelligence.” No one specifically suggested that Apple would co-opt the abbreviation “AI” — just consider it a fait accompli. And also consider it a spectacularly brilliant marketing move.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.25.0, 2024-06-17).

  Apple AI, Apple Intelligence, Artificial Intelligence, iOS, iPadOS, macOS, macOS Sequoia, Newsletters

• Apple zero days fixed – November 30, 2023

  Posted on November 30, 2023 at 14:11 CST by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  End of the month zero days for Apple
  Apple pushed updates for 2 new zero-days that may have been actively exploited.

  CVE-2023-42916 (WebKit),
  CVE-2023-42917 (WebKit):
  – iOS & iPadOS 17.1.2
  – macOS Sonoma 14.1.2
  – Safari 17.1.2

  Link at the Apple site

  Apple CVE-2023-42916, CVE-2023-42917, iOS, macOS, macOS Sonoma, Patch Lady Posts, Safari

• Why File Explorer keeps me on Windows

  Posted on September 25, 2023 at 02:44 CDT by Josh Hendrickson • Comment in the Forums

  WINDOWS

  

  By Josh Hendrickson

  I own both a fairly powerful Windows PC and a Mac Studio.

  Technically, the Mac Studio, with its M1 processor, far outstrips my desktop PC. And yet my PC continues to be my daily driver. Why?

  File Explorer.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.39.0, 2023-09-25).

  Windows File Explorer, Finder, macOS, Newsletters, Windows, Windows Explorer
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