Top Bananas | Tag Archives: Macintosh

macOS Mojave is Here! (For 2012 Macs Only)

Posted on September 24, 2018 by admin Posted in Software, User Interface Leave a comment

What it is: Apple released macOS 10.14 Mojave but older Macs may not be able to run it.

Hardware eventually falls behind and must be replaced. If you’re using a Macintosh 2011 or older, you won’t be able to run the latest version of macOS 10.14 Mojave. That means you’ll be stuck on macOS 10.13 High Sierra until you eventually get a new computer.

A Macintosh older than six years old can’t run macOS Mojave primarily because its graphics processor can’t handle the increased demands. Although older Mac Pro models may be able to run macOS Mojave if they have a current graphics card, older Macs with built-in graphics may not. After six years of support, older computers simply won’t be able to keep up any more. Apple can’t keep catering to older Macs because then they wouldn’t be able to take advantage of newer hardware and advances in graphics frameworks like Metal, which makes it easy for developers to access graphics capabilities on a Macintosh through macOS.

Of course, a 2011 or earlier Mac will still work just fine on macOS 10.13 High Sierra so there’s nothing to worry about. If you want to upgrade to macOS Mojave, then you’ll need to get a newer Macintosh.

The cheapest solution is to simply buy an older Macintosh that’s still newer than 2011 models. Then again, the next upgrade of macOS will eventually drop support for these older machines as well. Eventually the best bet is to buy the most current Macintosh model you can afford and hold on to it for five years. Then upgrade every five years or longer if you don’t mind falling behind.

For some people, upgrading to the latest macOS version isn’t crucial to doing their work. For others, it may be necessary. As a general rule, you want to stay current but since that’s not always possible, just keep using your Mac as long as it keeps working for you. The moment it can no longer do what you need, then it’s time to upgrade. It’s that simple.

Software and hardware will always keep improving so don’t expect your older computers to run the latest software forever. Your computer will become obsolete one day. It’s just a matter of using what you have as long as possible and then upgrading only when you need to. If you stick with this schedule, there’s no reason why an older Mac can’t work for you just fine for several years more.

To read how Metal is influencing how long Apple can keep supporting older Macs, click here.

Combination Macintosh and iOS Device Laptops

Posted on September 11, 2018 by admin Posted in Hardware, User Interface Leave a comment

What it is: Apple has patents for using the iPhone and iPad as part of a MacBook laptop.

Many people don’t like the idea of carrying around a laptop and an iPad. While Apple hopes you’ll use an iPad to replace a laptop, many people still need a laptop. That’s why Apple has patented two unusual designs.

The first uses the iPhone as a drop in replacement for a trackpad. Now you can use your iPhone screen as the trackpad and conveniently carry both your laptop and iPhone around. A second patent lets you insert an iPad as the laptop screen. This creates an even more convenient design for carrying an iPad and a laptop together.

Out of these two patents, the most interesting is the iPad/laptop patent. Many people want both a tablet and a laptop, but they don’t want to carry both. By combining an iPad with a laptop, you could have the best of both worlds, unlike the Microsoft Surface that excels as a laptop but offers a mediocre tablet experience.

The iPad and Macintosh are merging as a product line although they’ll still remain distinct. However, the appeal of a real tablet and a real laptop will likely remain attractive to many. The iPad already has a smart connector on its side that lets you connect it to an optional keyboard. That same connector could be used to connect a laptop to an iPad so the iPad can be used as a screen.

Still, the idea of taking an iPad apart from a laptop remains a clumsy mechanical solution. It might work but it also might just seem like an inelegant kludge. Apple is most certainly experimenting with different designs to see how people react to them, so don’t hold your breath. A combination iPad/iPhone/laptop probably won’t be coming soon if ever.

Adware Doctor App is Spyware

Posted on September 7, 2018 by admin Posted in Software Leave a comment

What it is: Adware Doctor, a utility for the Macintosh, was discovered to be stealing user browser histories.

Apple runs an App Store for all of their products such as the iPhone and iPad along with the Macintosh. The main goal of the App Store is to provide people with a one-stop shopping experience. A secondary goal is to give people security, knowing that all apps on the App Store have been curated by Apple.

Unfortunately, Apple can’t exhaustively test every app they approve. They simply test to make sure the app does what it says it will do and that it doesn’t crash. That’s why Apple sometimes slips up and lets apps into the App Store that violate their terms.

The latest example of this flaw is Adware Doctor, which claims to stop unwanted popup ads, but which really spies on the user’s browser history. Most likely, this isn’t the only malicious app in the App Store so the lesson is to be careful anyway. The App Store can block obvious malware, but they can’t always weed out the trickier ones that appear to work but do something else unexpected.

This isn’t Apple’s fault since there’s no way anyone can possibly examine all apps given the number of apps submitted for approval everyday. This just means the user has to be careful, even when downloading apps from the App Store. The bottom line is that nothing is absolutely safe, but at least the App Store helps limit the chances of finding and installing malware. Ultimately, security depends on you.

Apple Reportedly Redesigns MacBook Because of Intel

Posted on August 20, 2018 by admin Posted in Hardware Leave a comment

What it is: Apple reportedly has been forced to redesign the upcoming MacBook because of Intel.

Intel was supposed to release new processors with a 10 nanometer (nm) size. Instead, Intel had problems with 10 nm manufacturing and had to stay with 14 nm processors. Meanwhile, ARM is already moving to 10 nm processors and heading towards 7 nm.

This delay from 14 nm to 10 nm reportedly forced Apple to delay the release of the upcoming MacBook arriving this fall. With Intel processors being a major component needed for the Macintosh, Apple has been forced to accommodate Intel’s schedule instead of their own. That’s why Apple will likely want to design their own processors in the future.

Apple designs their own ARM processors that are faster than anything currently on the market. That gives Apple the ability to optimize the iPhone and iPad to be faster than any rival products.

Unlike Intel, ARM simply designs processors and lets other companies improve upon the designs and manufacture them. That’s how Apple can create their own ARM processors along with companies like Qualcomm and Samsung.

Apple can’t build their own x86 processors used in the Macintosh although Apple has reportedly experimented with AMD processors. However, switching to AMD processors simply shifts the dependence from Intel to AMD but doesn’t solve the problem of being tied to another company for a crucial component. That’s why Apple will likely shift the Macintosh to ARM processors sometime in the future as soon as their own ARM processors can surpass Intel processors in power.

The shift from Intel to ARM processors is inevitable with the Macintosh. The only question is when. Part of the problem will be compatibility since the Macintosh can run Windows programs, which makes the Macintosh appealing to people who want to run both Windows and Macintosh software.

Microsoft has already ported Windows to ARM processors but much Windows software still relies on Intel processors. Microsoft does offer emulation where an ARM processor can mimic an Intel processor, but emulation is much slower than running on a native Intel processor.

The transition from Intel to ARM will likely occur in a gradual process. Most likely, Apple will simply keep the Macintosh using Intel processors and create a new computer model that uses ARM processors. This will allow users to clearly distinguish between the two products. If you want to run Windows, you’d get a Macintosh. If you don’t care about running Windows, you get Apple’s new product.

With Intel stumbling and holding Apple back, it’s only a matter of time before Apple dumps Intel. It won’t happen soon, but it’s going to happen and ARM processors are the future.

Migrating From Windows to the Mac Made Easy

Posted on August 6, 2018 by admin Posted in Software, User Interface Leave a comment

What it is: The next version of macOS offers improved migration from Windows to the Mac.

It’s not enough just to switch from one operating system to another. While there’s always a learning curve using a different operating system, the differences are relatively minor. The real problem is transferring all of your data including documents, contacts, music, movies, and other miscellaneous information trapped in a specific program.

That’s why Apple’s new migration assistant, coming in the next version of macOS, offers to bring over contacts and other useful information that you’ll want to keep. For complete safety, simply run Windows on a Macintosh while running macOS as well using a program such as Parallels, which lets you run Windows as a virtual machine.

Essentially, a program like Parallels lets you clone your Windows PC and store it as a single virtual machine file on your Macintosh. Now you can run Windows at the same time as you use macOS. This provides more safety than using a Windows PC itself because if Windows fails on a PC, you often have to re-install everything all over again. If Windows fails as a virtual machine on a Macintosh, you simply copy your virtual machine back to your Macintosh and you’re up and running in less than a few minutes. For safety’s sake alone, using Windows on a Macintosh is worth the hassle of switching.

More Windows users are switching tot he Macintosh than the other way around. Since Windows has millions more users than the Macintosh has, this steady migration will simply keep the Macintosh steadily growing in market share. It’s a trickle now and likely will always be, but it signals the trend to away from Windows.

At one time, people had to use a Windows PC from everything for looking up maps to sending instant messages. Now people lose mobile devices like smartphones and there’s far less dependence on a Windows PC. So now people can choose to use Windows, a Macintosh, or no computer at all.

Apple’s new migration assistant will simply help make the switch from Windows to the Macintosh easier. The more seamless this one-ti9me experience, the more likely someone will make the leap and leave Windows behind.

Secure Boot With the T2 Chip

Posted on July 23, 2018 by admin Posted in Hardware Leave a comment

What it is: The latest MacBook Pro includes a T2 chip for security.

A computer is only as secure as it’s boot up process. If malware can infect a computer and start while the computer boots up, then it can effectively hide from any anti-virus programs that run after the operating system boots up. That’s why Apple’s MacBook Pro includes a T2 chip to maximize security during the boot up process. This secure boot process works for both macOS and Windows as well, making a MacBook Pro the most secure laptop to use for either macOS or Windows.

Apple is using the T2 chip to provide additional features such as the Touch Bar as well as controlling other features of the Macintosh. This can speed up the Macintosh in addition to providing more security.

Of course, the T2 chip is currently only available for the MacBook Pro along with the Touch Bar. The Touch Bar can be used with Apple Pay to provide biometric security. That creates an intriguing question: How can Apple implement the Touch Bar with other Macintosh models?

The Touch Bar can be used with Apple Pay to verify a user. That’s because the Touch Bar is physically connected to the MacBook Pro. However, the iMac and Mac Pro desktop models offer separate keyboards. For Apple to include the Touch Bar on an external keyboard means risking less security because there’s no way of knowing if the data retrieved from an external keyboard can be valid. As interesting as the Touch Bar might be, its implementation remains difficult to include on an external keyboard.

How can Apple solve this problem? With laptops, the Touch Bar is physically part of the MacBook Pro. With desktop models, an external keyboard is not connected to the computer, making it difficult to validate. This likely explains why the Touch Bar has only appeared on laptop models.

The only secure option would be to include the Touch Bar as a physical feature of the Macintosh itself. Could that mean putting the Touch Bar on the bottom of an iMac? Finding a way to secure a link between an external keyboard and a desktop Macintosh? Whatever solution Apple offers, it must offer security first.

The Touch Bar is an interesting idea that hasn’t taken off yet. The idea of function keys is obsolete, yet the Touch Bar hasn’t offered a compelling solution either. Perhaps with a little time, we’ll see what Apple plans to do with the Touch Bar with desktop models. Until then, the best and most secure Macintosh is a MacBook Pro.