Mac Corner: Learn more about your Mac

  
By Larry Grinnell, Palm Beach Phoenix Apple Users Group

larry grinnellThe internet is a treasure-trove of excellent information, provided by lots and lots of really smart people — most of whom give up their time without payment to share their knowledge with others. In this column, I’m going to tell you about a few of my favorite Macintosh-related sites.

One of my long-time favorites is Macintouch. Hosted by Ric Ford since 1994, this is one of the oldest and most reliable Apple and Macintosh news and views sites. Along with publishing all the latest press releases from Macintosh-related businesses and news stories from multiple sources, the site also has a very strong user-supported section called Reader Reports. I have found the answers to many of my Mac questions by just entering a few search terms in their search window. Highly-recommended.

The Macintosh News Network is another site along the lines of Macintouch, as it publishes most if not all of the news releases from major and not-so-major Macintosh- and Apple-related press releases and news stories.  They also have an extensive user forum that covers many Apple and Mac issues.

If you have to live in a mixed world of Macs and Windows machines, the Macwindows website is for you. It might not be the most stylish site in the world, but the content is first-rate, and at the end of the day, isn’t that what it’s really all about?

This site covers pretty much every Mac-to-Windows and Windows-to-Mac software and hardware solution, with lots of information for IT professionals who often struggle with getting Macs to work on Windows networks. Note, though, that just because Macwindows provides a lot of information for IT professions, it doesn’t exclude the regular Joe (or Jane) who needs to know more about working in both worlds. A must site.

Even though I mentioned them last week, the MyMac site bears repeating—this time for the website and the unbiased product reviews and interesting blogs on any topic you can imagine. Full disclosure dictates that I mention that I have been and continue to be a writer on that site, too.

Want to know all about the latest gossip from Cupertino (and elsewhere)? Look no further than the MacRumors website. They tend to be a little more conservative in their postings than many of the numerous Mac rumor sites out there. They also provide the latest news about items related to Apple and Macintosh.  They are also one of several sites that set up a real time blog during important Apple press events.

Similar in scope to MacRumors is the AppleInsider website, though they offer a lot of extra content including price comparisons on Apple and related products and product reviews.

Here are a few others, described a little more briefly:

iFixIt offers free information on repairing your Apple equipment. If your Mac or Apple product is still under warranty, maybe you should skip this site. The information is excellent, but you really had better know what you’re doing.

MacUpdate keeps you informed of the latest updates for most Apple and Macintosh products.

MacWorld.com is the web arm of the popular Macworld magazine. The site provides news, views, buyer’s guides, product reviews, help, and more.

These are but a few of the many websites that can make you, the user of Apple products, more informed, and therefore more satisfied with your purchase.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Readers are welcome to comment on this or any Mac Corner columns by visiting the Palm Beach Phoenix blog as well as by writing the editor of Palm Beach Business.com.

Mac Corner runs every Wednesday only in Palm Beach Business.com. Click to read the previous column.

About Larry Grinnell: Larry has been working with Macintosh and Windows PCs for over 25 years and worked as a senior technical writer and IT support professional for a major midwest-based consumer electronics and telecommunications equipment manufacturer here in South Florida. His musings on a wide variety of topics from computers to jazz guitar to strange foreign cars from the 1950s can be viewed at the MyMac.com website. Click here to reach him by email.

palm beach phoenix logoWriters of this column are members of the Palm Beach Phoenix Apple User Group, a nonprofit organization for Apple Computing Device Users, recognized by Apple Inc., with the purpose of providing educational training and coaching to its members (students, professionals and seniors alike) in a cordial social environment. The club meets the second Saturday (1-4 p.m.) and fourth Wednesday (6-8 p.m.) of each month at the Fire Station #2, 4301 Dixie Highway in West Palm Beach (just two block south of Southern Boulevard). Click here to visit their website. Click here to reach them by email.

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