There are thousands of books, software programs, hardware peripherals and appliances, and accessories out there designed to enhance your Mac experience. Most of them are not designed with newbies or intermediate beginners in mind.
It can be extremely discouraging to spend your hard-earned money on a product that you think will help you, only to get it home and find that it's too complicated for you, or doesn't really do what you expected it to do.
That's where I'll try to help.
How I Create My Reviews
Like you, I was once a beginner trying to wade my way through the thick, deep world of Mac — trying to find the best printer for my needs, the one software program that will make my Mac do what I want, or the best books to teach me how to use my Mac.
So, I write my reviews with beginners in mind. I do my best to be thorough, telling you what the product can or can't do, what works well, and what doesn't, and the type of person it would be best for.
I'll be as detailed as possible, and give you my strongest opinion, while trying to keep the review useful to you in making your buying decision.
Book Reviews
Everyone learns a litte differently. Some people need a lot of detailed pictures in color, while being led step-by-step through the process. Others just need a few words to be pointed in the right direction. Those of us with older eyes might need larger print.
Each how-to Mac book has a different kind of learner in mind.
I'll let you know the strengths and weaknesses of the various books I review, the kind of learner each would be best for, and how “beginner friendly” or “senior friendly” it might be.
Software Reviews
There is always more than one way to do anything with your Mac. A quick count of some common kinds of software will reveal more than 12 programs for email, 10 for browsing websites, and 14 ways to fix and send pictures.
I will review various kinds programs for ease of use and quality of results, and will give you my best recommendations for beginning to intermediate users.
Hardware & Accessories Reviews
Printers, hard drives, sound speakers, laptop bags, expanded keyboards — there are all kinds of products out there that are designed to enhance your Mac experience. I will tell you which products I believe are easy to use, and give great results, and warn you against the ones that don't quite do what they claim to.
I will also take requests for product reviews…
Do You Have a Product You Want Me to Review?
I do reviews as often as I can, so if there is a particular product or book you would like to know about that I haven't reviewed yet, by all means, please tell me about it in the comments below. I will be happy to feature it in an upcoming review, and will let you know once it's available.
Also, if you see a review on this site about a product you have tried, I would love to get your feedback about your personal experience with it. Feel free to email me, or leave your questions feedback in the comments section below the review.