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 macOS Catalina has been on the scene for a few months now, and over that time has had several 'fix' updates to resolve early issues.
In fact, for those of you who have already upgraded, version 10.15.3 was released in late January - so it is worth ensuring that you have installed this latest update to Catalina. For those of you who haven't upgraded yet, it is time to think about upgrading - but there are some key things to consider before you do.
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30/10/2019 0 Comments Read this if you use Microsoft Office products (Word, Excel, Powerpoint) on a Mac A warning to Mac users who are running Microsoft Office 2011 or earlier: if you upgrade to the new macOS Catalina, you will lose access to these Office apps and have to purchase the new Office 365 suite.
Even worse, you could lose the Outlook folders and messages that were stored on your Mac (if you were using MS Outlook for your mail). 7/10/2019 0 Comments If you haven't already installed iOS 13, here's why you might want to hold off for now
It has now been over two weeks since iOS 13 was released, and you may be wondering if it is safe yet download and install this latest upgrade for the iPad and iPhone.
I have been using iOS 13 for quite a while, and haven't encountered any major issues. However, the story is not the same for many others who jumped in early. In fact, there have already been 3 updates to download and install, fixing problems that have occurred! We are already up to iOS 13.1.2 
Apple launched its latest upgrade to the operating system for our iPhones on Friday September 20th. iOS 13 is now available for all iPhones from iPhone 6s and newer. (iPhone 6, 5 series and 4 series can not be upgraded to iOS 13.)
You will notice that I am only mentioning the iPhones here - as there will be a new separate operating system for iPads, called iPadOS, launched on September 30th (or Oct 1 in Australia). So, should you upgrade your iPhone to iOS 13 straight away? 7/9/2019 0 Comments New iPhone announcement this week - and a warning if you are thinking of switching to a new device
This coming week will see announcement from Apple of the latest (and I'm sure greatest) iPhone range, as well as the launch of the new iOS 13, macOS Catalina and other news.
In the lead-up to these announcements on September 10th (or early morning September 11th Australian time), it would be an excellent time to bring all those Apple devices up to date - so that you have the most recent iOS 12 and macOS version. This then allows you 'hold fire' for a little while on installing the latest operating systems. We always suggest that it is a good idea to wait for a while so that others can find any teething problems. 
When did you last do a backup of your Mac?
If your answers is 'what is a backup?', 'never' or 'ages ago', you are putting yourself at serious risk of losing irreplaceable photos and files if something happens to that Mac. An iTandCoffee client I visited this week can attest to to the stress that can result from a damaged computer. My very own iMac suffered a major problem just recently, and had to be restored from a backup. It can happen to any of us. 
In the last newsletter, we discussed the question Should you upgrade your Mac to Mojave yet?
If you read that article and have decided that you are ready to take the plunge (after, of course, having backed up your Mac) the steps involved are relatively simple - and upgrading is free (as long as you are currently running OS X Mountain Lion or later). We have recorded a detailed video that describes how to perform such an upgrade and it is now available as part of the new Mastering your Mac - Troubleshooting and Housekeeping video tutorial set (which are always available to all Premium members of The iTandCoffee Club). For the month of December 2018, this set of videos is available to all iTandCoffee Club members. Watch the How to Upgrade your Mac video by selecting the button below.
(Not yet a member of The iTandCoffee Club? Find out more here.)
Set a New Year's Resolution to learn about your Mac!7/10/2018 0 Comments MacOS Mojave has arrived - but it might be worth waiting to download and install Big new for Mac users is that MacOS Mojave has now arrived - an upgrade from the previous MacOS operating system, High Sierra.
This new MacOS arrived on September 25th, and its new features are described in the articles below: Those of you who watch this blog or read the iTandCoffee Newsletter will know that there have been several articles recently about the upgrade to iOS, iOS 11. What hasn't had much coverage is the upgrade of Macs to the latest version of the Mac operating system, MacOS Sierra (10.13)  I must say that I held off on downloading and installing MacOS High Sierra for several weeks, because I am so reliant on my Mac for my work. I wanted to wait for the early 'glitches' to be ironed out. I finally installed High Sierra a couple of weeks ago, and can report that I have not had any issues so far with it. For most people who install High Sierra, the changes will be barely noticeable. A few areas where you may notice differences are
Here's an article from Macworld that provides more detail about what High Sierra delivers. On Wednesday this week, Apple released the awaited update to fix the recently reported KRACK Wi-Fi security flaw (see New Wi-Fi flaw leaves nearly every internet-connected device vulnerable). Here is the Macworld article with details of the content of MacOS 10.13.1. Is it time to upgrade to High Sierra? For anyone who has a Mac that is capable of being updated to MacOS High Sierra, it is a good idea to install this latest upgrade, especially so that you 'plug' the major Wi-Fi security flaw. Of course, this upgrade is only available for certain Macs - here's the list:
How to upgrade to MacOS High Sierra As always, make sure you do a backup of your Mac - and that the backup has completed successfully - before you install any upgrade or update. If you are not sure how to do this, we have a separate article that covers this topic. Once you have a valid backup, visit the Mac App Store App to find the High Sierra download option. In the past, the latest upgrade has shown up in the Updates area of the Mac App Store. This time, you will find the High Sierra download option in the Featured area. Or you can use the Search bar at top right to search for it. (I only realised it had moved to Featured after I had already used the Search to download it.)  Do you need help with the upgrade or backup? As always, iTandCoffee can assist you with the processes of backing up and upgrading your Mac. Just call 1300 885 420 or email us at booking@itandcoffee.com.au to book an appointment. If you are an iTandCoffee Member with Plus, Premium or Online membership, why not arrange a free support call or drop-in appointment to get help with your backup or update? Your memberships entitles you to FREE support - Plus and Online members get 3 support calls or drop-in appointments (of up to 15 minutes) per subscription year, and Premium members get 10! All* Club members are welcome to come along to our next Free Friday on November 17th at 12pm and bring along your questions about upgrades, backups or anything else! *Limits apply to these free sessions, depending on your level of membership. We'll let you know if you have exceeded this limit. Special Offer for November 2017 Drop your Mac to us, and we will back up and upgrade your Mac for the fixed cost of Only $60** If you are Plus, Online and Premium member of the iTandCoffee Club, you will pay only $20 (by using one of your 'free support' entitlements). Become a Plus or Premium Member before November 30th to go in the draw to win a NEW iPad - and to take advantage of great offers like this. **Cost shown assumes that an external hard drive is provided by the owner of the Mac for the backup. Seagate external hard drive available for purchase at iTandCoffee for the additional cost of $89. Cost only covers backup and upgrade activities - any consultation or support will be charged at standard applicable rate for a private appointment. Call 1300 885 420 to book in your Mac, or for more information (If your call cannot be taken at the time, please leave a message with your details and we will return your call). 22/9/2017 0 Comments Which iPhone should I choose? Apple has made the task of choosing a new iPhone that much harder this year, with the announcement of the release of 3 new phones - the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and the iPhone X (where the X is pronounced 'ten').
Normally I would upgrade to the latest iPhone as soon as it arrives, so that I can provide informed commentary on its capabilities. So I could order the iPhone 8 Plus now, to replace my 12 month old iPhone 7 Plus. I'm just not sure that the iPhone 8 is a big enough improvement on the iPhone 7 for me to justify the expense so will skip this upgrade. Here's an article from Macworld that compares these two phones: So the next question then is whether I will purchase the iPhone X, which will be available for pre-order on October 17, and available from November 3? Is it a good idea to get the 'first generation' version of this new type of iPhone, or should I wait until they refine it and then get the next version. The price difference between the iPhone 8 Plus and the iPhone X will be about $350 (for the 256GB model that I would get) - $1579 vs $1829. That makes the iPhone X only $150 cheaper than what I would pay for a 256GBN MacBook Pro 13in at JB HiFi today. (JB has a 10% discount on Macs until Sunday July 24th.) Here's an article from Macworld about these two phones, and why you might consider the 8 instead of the X. It's such a lot of money to spend on a phone! I'm glad I have a few more weeks to think about this! |
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