Making the Most of a Mac: Everything You Need to Know

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Over the last few years, Apple has dominated the tech market in the consumer landscape. Even notoriously large companies such as Google and Microsoft have struggled to catch up to the explosive performance Apple has shown in the last few years. As a result of this, the majority of people now own some type of Apple device, with computers being among the most common. 

In fact, there are now over 100 million active Mac users annually, going to show the popularity of the brand. Despite this popularity, however, few people actually take advantage of the full features of their Mac and find themselves only using it for basic purposes. This is why learning how to use your Mac efficiently can accelerate both personal and professional tasks. 

How Powerful Are Mac Computers?

For those who don’t truly understand the power of Mac computers, putting it into perspective can help. The IBM Watson supercomputer developed in 2004 features 80 TeraFLOP processing capacity, meaning it was capable of performing eighty trillion floating-point operations in a single second. By comparison, the Apple M1 chip, not even the M2, has 21 TeraFLOPs of processing power compressed into a much smaller space. 

5 Beneficial Mac Tips to Utilize

Naturally, considering just how powerful Mac computers are as outlined above, it’s worth looking into beneficial tips for making the most out of a Mac. The following five simple tips can help anyone enhance how they use their computer: 

1. Memorize common shortcuts

First and foremost, it’s worth taking the time to memorize the common shortcuts on Mac computers. Simple shortcuts such as the commands for copying and pasting can be extremely helpful, but also shortcuts such as knowing how to use f keys on Mac can help. 

2. Convert PDFs to normal documents

One of the easiest tips to remember on a Mac is that it’s possible to convert PDFs to other documents by simply saving it as a new file or using an online PDF converter. This can make the file easier to work with in the future and more easily manipulated.  

3. Open certain apps right at login

A unique feature on Mac computers is the ability to instantly open apps the minute you are logged in. This can be helpful if there are certain applications that you use every single day and don’t want to go through the hassle of finding them on your computer every time you fire it up. 

4. View all open windows at a single time

Everyone has been in the point at one time or another where they have too many tabs open for their own good on their computer. There are unique shortcuts that allow a Mac user to view all of these screens at one time in front of them so that they can select the necessary screen instantly, rather than needing to sort through each one. 

5. Set custom keyboard shortcuts

Another beneficial Mac tip is to use custom shortcuts that you set yourself to do whatever task you may wish. To do this, go to System Settings and click Keyboard in the sidebar. There will be a Keyboard Shortcuts section where a person can then add their desired shortcuts. 

Troubleshooting 101: How to Fix a Broken Mac

The last thing any Mac user needs is to find out their Mac has broken down on them. There are three main strategies a person can use to get their Mac fixed as soon as possible:

1. Restart your computer: The first trick t troubleshooting a Mac that is having issues is to restart your computer as soon as possible. Simply hard restart it if you cannot manage to get it to turn off the standard way. 
2. Launch your computer in safe mode: Safe mode is a feature offered by Apple that allows a user to launch their computer so that issues can be fixed, with only certain items being loaded on startup. 
3. Visit Mac repair and service centers: Finally, if all else fails then consider visiting a Mac repair and service center to get the issue resolved by professionals. 

The Bottom Line

The Mac computer is one of the most powerful pieces of technology that has ever been invented, yet the majority of people barely scratch the surface of its capabilities. Considering the high cost of purchasing a Mac, it only makes sense for a person to focus on maximizing the use they get out of this technology by utilizing the above tips. Enhance the use of your computer today to complete tasks quicker and more accurately.