Use a MagSafe charger for convenience, not just a standard Lightning cable.
The Butler Who Plugs in Your Phone for You
Plugging in a Lightning cable, especially in the dark, can be a clumsy fumble to find the tiny port. A MagSafe charger is like having a helpful butler who plugs your phone in for you. You just bring your iPhone close to the charging puck, and a satisfying click of magnets guides it into a perfect connection every single time. It’s a small, magical interaction that removes a tiny point of friction from your day, turning a nightly chore into a moment of effortless convenience.
Stop using cheap, non-certified chargers. Do use MFi (Made for iPhone) certified accessories instead to protect your devices.
The Gourmet Meal vs. The Mystery Discount Food
Your iPhone is a sophisticated piece of equipment with a very sensitive stomach (its battery). An MFi-certified charger is like a gourmet meal prepared by a chef who knows the exact nutritional requirements for your device’s long-term health. A cheap, non-certified charger from the gas station is like mystery discount food. It might provide energy, but it could contain cheap, unregulated ingredients (voltage spikes) that can cause permanent damage to your phone’s delicate digestive system. The small extra cost for certified accessories is an insurance policy for your device’s health.
Stop using your MacBook’s keyboard for long typing sessions. Do use an external mechanical keyboard for better ergonomics instead.
The Flat Park Bench vs. The Ergonomic Office Chair
Typing on a flat laptop keyboard for hours is like trying to do your work while sitting on a hard, flat park bench. It works, but over time, it will lead to discomfort and strain on your wrists and fingers. An external mechanical keyboard is like swapping that park bench for a high-end, ergonomic office chair. The satisfying, tactile feel of the keys and the improved posture it encourages can transform a long typing session from a painful chore into a comfortable and enjoyable experience.
The #1 secret for a better iPad experience is the Apple Pencil, not just using your finger.
The Paintbrush for Your Digital Canvas
Using your finger on an iPad is great for navigating, but for anything creative or precise, it’s like trying to paint a masterpiece with a potato. The Apple Pencil is the fine-tipped, pressure-sensitive paintbrush that unlocks the iPad’s true potential. It turns a simple glass screen into a powerful canvas for drawing, a precise notebook for handwriting, and an accurate tool for photo editing. It’s the one accessory that can elevate your iPad from a simple media consumption device into a true creative powerhouse.
I’m just going to say it: The Magic Keyboard for the iPad Pro transforms it into a true laptop replacement for many tasks.
The Wings That Turn a Car into a Plane
An iPad on its own is like a powerful, high-performance sports car. The Magic Keyboard is the set of custom-engineered wings that can transform that car into a private jet. The moment you snap it on, the brilliant trackpad and tactile keyboard give you the precision and speed needed for serious work. It elevates the iPad from a device you use on the couch to a true productivity machine that can genuinely replace a traditional laptop for writing, spreadsheets, and countless other professional tasks.
The reason your AirPods sound bad is because you’re not using the correct ear tip size for a proper seal.
The Concert Hall with Leaky Doors
Your AirPods Pro are like a pair of miniature, world-class concert halls for your ears. But if the doors to the concert hall are leaky, all the rich, deep bass will escape, and all the distracting outside noise will flood in. The silicone ear tips are those doors. If they’re too small, they won’t create a proper seal. Taking the time to try the different sizes and run the “Ear Tip Fit Test” in your settings is how you ensure those doors are perfectly sealed, creating an immersive, soundproof audio experience.
If you’re still using the speakers on your MacBook, you’re missing out on the immersive sound of a HomePod stereo pair.
The TV Speakers vs. The Surround Sound System
The speakers on your MacBook are surprisingly good for their size, like the speakers built into a high-end television. They’re clear and functional. But a stereo pair of HomePods is like upgrading that television with a full, room-filling surround sound system. The sound is no longer just coming from in front of you; it’s a rich, deep, and immersive audio experience that fills the entire room. For music, movies, or even just ambient sound while you work, it’s a dramatic and powerful upgrade.
The biggest lie you’ve been told is that you need the most expensive Apple Watch; the SE model is perfect for most people.
The Reliable Sedan vs. The Luxury Sports Car
The high-end Apple Watch is a luxury sports car with all the latest, cutting-edge features. It’s incredible, but it’s also very expensive. The Apple Watch SE is the reliable, well-equipped sedan. It has all the core, essential features that make the Apple Watch great: notifications, fitness tracking, Apple Pay, and safety features. It might not have the fancy, top-of-the-line engine, but for the daily commute of most people’s lives, the comfortable and capable sedan is the smartest and most practical choice.
I wish I knew about the importance of a good quality case and screen protector when I first got my iPhone.
The Helmet and Pads for Your Most Valuable Player
Getting a brand new, beautiful iPhone feels amazing. The instinct is to not want to cover it up. This is like sending your star quarterback onto the field without a helmet or pads. The first inevitable drop—the first tackle—can be catastrophic and expensive. I wish I’d known that a thin, high-quality case and a glass screen protector are the essential, non-negotiable uniform for your phone. They are the invisible helmet and pads that can turn a game-ending injury into a minor, harmless stumble.
99% of people make this one mistake with their Apple Pencil: not realizing the tip is replaceable and wears out over time.
The Lead in Your Mechanical Pencil
The Apple Pencil feels like a single, solid object, so we assume it lasts forever. But it’s more like a high-tech mechanical pencil. The white tip at the end is the lead. With every stroke you make on your screen, a microscopic amount of that tip wears away. Over time, it will become less accurate and feel scratchy. Most people think their expensive Pencil is broken. But the tip is a cheap, easily replaceable part that you can simply unscrew, turning your “broken” tool back into a brand new one.
This one small action of investing in a multi-device charging station will declutter your nightstand forever.
The Chaotic Tangle of Wires vs. The Serene Power Hub
Your nightstand can easily become a chaotic rat’s nest of charging cables—one for your phone, one for your watch, one for your AirPods. A multi-device charging station is the elegant, serene power hub that can tame that chaos. It’s like replacing a messy tangle of extension cords with a single, beautifully designed power strip. It gives each of your devices a designated home for the night and transforms a cluttered, stressful space into a calm and organized charging sanctuary.
Use an AirTag on your keys and in your wallet, not just for your luggage.
The “Find My” Network for Your Everyday Essentials
We think of trackers for big, important things like our luggage when we travel. But the things we lose most often are the small, everyday essentials. An AirTag is the tiny, digital search party for those items. Slipping one into your wallet and putting one on your keychain is like giving your two most frustratingly lose-able possessions a homing beacon. It turns that frantic, heart-pounding ten-minute search before you leave the house into a calm, two-second glance at your phone’s map.
Stop using your iPhone as your only camera. Do consider the advanced features of a dedicated mirrorless camera that can still integrate with the ecosystem.
The Amazing Point-and-Shoot vs. The Professional DSLR
The camera on your iPhone is a phenomenal, powerful point-and-shoot. For most situations, it’s all you need. But a dedicated mirrorless camera is like a professional DSLR with a bag full of interchangeable lenses. The larger sensor can capture stunning images in low light, and the ability to use a real telephoto or wide-angle lens gives you a level of creative control that a phone can’t match. And with modern connectivity, you can still instantly transfer your professional-quality photos to your iPhone for editing and sharing.
Stop living with a slow internet connection. Do upgrade to a modern Wi-Fi 6 or 6E router to get the most out of your devices.
The One-Lane Country Road vs. The Eight-Lane Superhighway
Your modern Apple devices are like high-performance sports cars, built for incredible speed. But if your Wi-Fi router is more than a few years old, you are forcing those sports cars to drive on a congested, one-lane country road. A modern Wi-Fi 6 or 6E router is the eight-lane superhighway. It can handle dozens of cars at once without a traffic jam, giving each one a clear, fast lane to the internet. It’s an investment that can unleash the speed you’re already paying for.
The #1 hack for a more comfortable movie-watching experience on your iPad is a good quality stand.
Holding a Heavy Book vs. a Reading Stand
Watching a movie on an iPad is a great experience, but holding it in your hands for two hours is like trying to read a heavy, hardcover book. Your arms will get tired, and your neck will get sore. A simple, good-quality stand is the reading stand for your digital book. It holds your iPad at the perfect viewing angle, freeing your hands and allowing you to sit back, relax, and enjoy the movie in total comfort, whether you’re at a desk or on an airplane tray table.
I’m just going to say it: Third-party bands for the Apple Watch are a great way to personalize your look without spending a lot of money.
The Different Straps for Your Favorite Watch
The Apple Watch is a beautiful piece of technology, but the official bands can be expensive. This is like owning a classic, beautiful watch but thinking you can only ever buy a new strap from the original, luxury manufacturer. The reality is that the world is full of talented watchmakers. There is a huge market of high-quality, third-party bands in every imaginable color, material, and style. They are a fantastic and affordable way to give your one watch a dozen different personalities, matching it perfectly to your outfit or your mood.
The reason your MagSafe wallet keeps falling off is because you’re not using a MagSafe-compatible case.
The Magnet on a Steel Wall vs. a Wooden Wall
A MagSafe wallet is a powerful magnet designed to stick to the back of your iPhone. But magnets only stick to certain materials. Attaching it directly to your iPhone is like sticking it to a solid steel wall; it has a strong, secure connection. A MagSafe-compatible case has a special magnetic ring built into it, so it’s also a steel wall. But a standard, non-MagSafe case is like a thick, wooden wall. The magnet from your wallet simply can’t “see” the steel on the other side, so it has nothing to hold onto.
If you’re still using wired headphones with a dongle, you’re missing out on the freedom and convenience of AirPods.
The Leash vs. The Invisible Connection
Using wired headphones in the modern world is like walking a dog on a very short, very annoying leash that is constantly getting tangled on doorknobs. The little “dongle” is just an extra, easy-to-lose segment of that leash. AirPods are the invisible, magical connection. They free you from the physical tether to your phone, allowing you to move through the world with a sense of weightless, untangled freedom. It’s one of those small, quality-of-life upgrades that you will never be able to go back from.
The biggest lie you’ve been told is that you need an Apple-branded accessory for everything; there are many high-quality third-party alternatives.
The Name-Brand Cereal vs. The Excellent Store Brand
There is a sense that to get the best experience, you must buy the official, Apple-branded accessory for every need. This is like thinking you can only ever eat the expensive, name-brand cereal. The reality is that there is a thriving ecosystem of excellent “store brands”—third-party manufacturers like Anker, Logitech, and Belkin—who make fantastic, high-quality, and often more affordable accessories. From cables to keyboards, these reputable brands offer great products that work perfectly with your devices.
I wish I knew about the benefits of a good external monitor for my MacBook when I was working from home.
The Tiny Porthole vs. The Giant Picture Window
Working all day on a small laptop screen is like trying to navigate a giant, beautiful ocean while looking through a tiny, cramped submarine porthole. You can only see one small piece of the world at a time. I wish I had known sooner that plugging your MacBook into a large external monitor is like surfacing that submarine and opening up a massive picture window. The extra screen real estate allows you to see multiple documents at once, reducing eye strain and transforming a cramped, frustrating workflow into an expansive and productive one.
99% of users make this one mistake with their HomePod mini: not realizing it has a hidden temperature and humidity sensor.
The Thermostat You Never Knew Was on Your Wall
The HomePod mini is a great little speaker and a smart home hub. But 99% of its owners have a secret, untapped feature in their home that they don’t even know about. It’s like having a high-tech thermostat on your wall that you’ve never noticed. The HomePod mini has a built-in sensor that can accurately measure the temperature and humidity of the room it’s in. You can ask Siri for the reading, or even use it to trigger powerful smart home automations, like turning on a fan when the room gets too warm.
This one small habit of cleaning your accessories regularly will keep them looking new and working properly.
Washing Your Dishes After You Eat
You wouldn’t let your coffee mugs and dinner plates pile up for months without washing them. Your accessories deserve the same care. The oils from your hands and the dust in the air can build up on your AirPods, your keyboard, and your mouse. The small habit of periodically wiping them down with a soft cloth and a gentle cleaner is like washing your dishes. It not only keeps them looking and feeling fresh and new, but it can also prevent long-term issues, like sticky keys or malfunctioning sensors.
Use a USB-C hub with your MacBook to expand its connectivity, not just living with the limited number of ports.
The One Power Outlet vs. The Power Strip
A modern MacBook is like a beautiful, minimalist room with only one or two high-tech power outlets. It’s clean, but it’s also incredibly limiting when you have a lot of things you need to plug in. A USB-C hub is the essential power strip for that room. You plug one thing into the wall, and you instantly get back all the ports you need: standard USB for your older devices, an SD card reader for your camera, and an HDMI port for your monitor. It’s the one accessory that turns your minimalist laptop into a versatile workstation.
Stop using your iPad flat on a table for drawing. Do use a stand that can be adjusted to a comfortable angle instead.
The Flat Easel vs. The Artist’s Drafting Table
Drawing on an iPad that is lying flat on a table is like trying to paint on an easel that’s been laid on the floor. It forces your body into an uncomfortable, hunched-over position that will quickly lead to neck and back pain. A good, adjustable stand is the artist’s drafting table. It allows you to raise your digital canvas up to a comfortable, ergonomic angle. It promotes better posture, reduces physical strain, and allows you to draw and create for hours in a state of comfortable, creative flow.
Stop worrying about losing your remote. Do get a case with a built-in AirTag holder for your Apple TV remote.
The Homing Beacon for Your Most Lose-able Possession
The Apple TV remote is a small, slippery, and expensive object that seems to have a supernatural ability to vanish into the deepest recesses of your sofa. Worrying about it is a constant, low-grade stress. The solution is simple: a case with a built-in AirTag holder. It’s like attaching a powerful, un-lose-able homing beacon to that tiny remote. Now, when it inevitably disappears, you can simply open your phone and make it play a loud sound, turning a frantic, 10-minute search into a calm, 10-second fix.
The #1 secret for a better gaming experience on your Apple devices is a dedicated game controller.
The Touchscreen vs. The Cockpit Controls
Playing a complex game using the touchscreen on your iPhone or iPad is like trying to fly a fighter jet by drawing on a foggy window. You’re covering up the action with your own thumbs, and the controls are imprecise. A dedicated game controller is like stepping into the jet’s actual cockpit. It gives you physical, tactile buttons, triggers, and joysticks that are far more responsive and accurate. It frees up the entire screen for the game and transforms a clumsy, frustrating experience into an immersive and competitive one.
I’m just going to say it: The leather cases from Apple, while expensive, develop a beautiful patina over time.
The Stiff New Baseball Glove
When you first get an Apple leather case, it can feel a bit stiff and look a little plain. It’s like a brand new, high-quality baseball glove. But the magic happens over time. With every use, the oils from your hands and the bumps and scuffs of daily life will slowly soften the leather and darken it into a rich, beautiful, and completely unique patina. It’s an accessory that doesn’t just protect your phone; it ages with you, developing a character and a story that is uniquely yours.
The reason your iPhone is overheating is because you’re using a bulky case that traps heat.
The Winter Coat in the Middle of Summer
Your iPhone is like a high-performance athlete. When it’s working hard, like when you’re gaming or using GPS, its processor generates a lot of heat. It needs to be able to breathe to cool down. A big, bulky, non-breathable case is like forcing that athlete to run a marathon while wearing a thick, insulated winter coat in the middle of summer. The heat gets trapped, performance suffers, and it can even cause long-term damage. Sometimes, the best thing you can do for an overheating phone is to just let it take its coat off.
If you’re still using the charger that came in the box years ago, you’re missing out on the faster charging speeds of a modern power adapter.
The Garden Hose vs. The Fire Hose
The small, 5-watt charger that used to come with every iPhone is like a garden hose. It will eventually fill up your pool (your phone’s battery), but it’s going to take a very long time. A modern, 20-watt or higher power adapter is a firefighter’s hose. It can fill that same pool in a fraction of the time. If you’re still using that old, slow garden hose, you are missing out on the ability to get a 50% charge in just 30 minutes. It’s a cheap upgrade that can dramatically change your daily charging habits.
The biggest lie you’ve been told is that you need a new computer; often, a RAM or SSD upgrade can make an old Mac feel new again.
The Small Kitchen That Just Needs More Counter Space
When your old Mac starts to get slow, it feels like the whole house is falling apart and you need to move. But often, the problem is just that your kitchen has become too small for your needs. Upgrading the RAM is like doubling the amount of counter space you have; you can work on more things at once without getting bogged down. Upgrading to an SSD is like replacing your old, slow oven with a modern, induction cooktop. These two upgrades can often feel like a full kitchen renovation for the price of a new appliance.
I wish I knew about the importance of an ergonomic mouse and keyboard for preventing repetitive strain injuries.
The Well-Designed Tool vs. The Painful Splinter
For years, I used the standard, flat mouse and keyboard that came with my computer. It’s like a carpenter choosing to use a poorly designed hand-saw, even though it gives him a splinter every time. I wish I had known that the slow, creeping pain in my wrist was a repetitive strain injury caused by those tools. Investing in an ergonomic mouse and keyboard that are designed to fit the natural shape of a human hand is the single most important thing you can do to protect your long-term physical health in a digital world.
99% of people make this one mistake when buying a new Mac: not getting enough RAM or storage for their future needs.
The Suit That’s a Little Too Tight
When you buy a new Mac, it’s tempting to save a little money by getting the base model. This is like buying a beautiful new suit that fits you perfectly today, with no room to grow. But your digital life—your photos, your files, the apps you use—will always grow over time. Not getting enough RAM or storage is a classic mistake. You are buying a suit that will inevitably become uncomfortably tight in a year or two. It’s almost always worth the extra investment to buy one with a little bit of growing room.
This one small action of getting a car mount for your iPhone will make using it for navigation much safer.
The Co-Pilot Who Holds the Map for You
Trying to use your phone for GPS while it’s sliding around on your passenger seat or sitting in a cup holder is like asking your co-pilot to read you a map while they are sitting on the floor of the car. It’s clumsy, distracting, and incredibly dangerous. A simple, inexpensive car mount is the strong, reliable co-pilot who will hold the map in the perfect position for you. It keeps your navigation in your line of sight, allowing you to keep your hands on the wheel and your focus on the road.
Use a MagSafe battery pack for extra power on the go, not a cumbersome power bank with a cable.
The Canteen That Attaches to Your Belt
A traditional power bank is like a big, heavy water jug that you have to carry in your backpack, with a long, clumsy tube that you have to connect every time you’re thirsty. A MagSafe battery pack is like a sleek, modern canteen that just clicks magnetically onto your belt. There are no wires to get tangled, and it’s always right there when you need it. It’s a seamless, elegant, and incredibly convenient way to carry that extra bit of power you need to get through a long day.
Stop using your MacBook’s trackpad for precise editing. Do use a high-quality external mouse instead.
Drawing with a Bar of Soap vs. a Fine-Tipped Pen
The trackpad on a MacBook is a brilliant tool for navigating and scrolling. But for tasks that require real precision, like editing a photo or selecting a specific cell in a spreadsheet, it can be like trying to draw a detailed picture with a wet bar of soap. It’s slippery and imprecise. A high-quality external mouse is the fine-tipped, perfectly weighted pen. It gives you a level of granular, tactile control that allows you to perform those delicate digital surgeries with confidence and accuracy.
Stop squinting at your small laptop screen. Do connect it to your TV with an HDMI adapter for a bigger picture.
The Tiny TV in Your Den vs. The Cinema Screen
Huddling around a small laptop screen to watch a movie with your family is like trying to enjoy a blockbuster film on a tiny, 13-inch television in your den. It works, but it’s a cramped and underwhelming experience. A simple HDMI adapter is the key that unlocks the giant cinema screen that is already hanging on your living room wall. With one simple cable, you can turn your TV into a massive, beautiful display for your laptop, creating a shared, immersive, and comfortable viewing experience for everyone.
The #1 hack for a more immersive audio experience with your Apple TV is using AirPods with Spatial Audio.
The Private Concert Hall for Your Ears
When you’re watching a movie late at night, you can’t turn up the big speakers. Using regular headphones is a good solution, but using AirPods with your Apple TV is like having your own private, soundproof concert hall. The sound isn’t just in your ears; with Spatial Audio, it feels like it’s coming from all around you, just like in a real theater. It’s an incredibly immersive, personal, and neighbor-friendly way to get the full cinematic audio experience without waking up the whole house.
I’m just going to say it: The build quality of Apple’s hardware is a major reason why their products last so long.
The House Built of Brick vs. The House Built of Straw
In the world of technology, some products are built to be disposable, like a house of straw that’s designed to be blown over in a year or two. Apple’s approach to hardware is to build a house of brick. The use of premium materials like aluminum and glass, and the obsessive attention to detail in the manufacturing process, results in a product that is not only beautiful but also incredibly solid and durable. This commitment to build quality is a major reason why a five-year-old Mac often feels more solid than a brand-new competitor.
The reason your accessories aren’t working properly is because they might not be compatible with your specific device model.
The Car Part for a Different Model Year
You buy a fancy new roof rack for your car, but when you get it home, the holes don’t line up. The problem isn’t that the roof rack is broken; it’s that you bought the one for the 2023 model, and you have a 2021. The world of accessories is the same. A case designed for an iPhone 14 will not fit an iPhone 15. An Apple Pencil 1 will not work with an iPad that requires an Apple Pencil 2. Always double-checking the compatibility is the simple step that can save you from a frustrating and preventable return.
If you’re still carrying a separate wallet, you’re missing out on the convenience of a MagSafe wallet that attaches to your iPhone.
The Two separate Pockets vs. The One Integrated Pouch
The classic “phone, keys, wallet” check before you leave the house is a ritual of patting down three separate items in three separate pockets. A MagSafe wallet is the simple accessory that can consolidate two of those items into one. It’s a slim, magnetic pouch that holds your essential cards and clicks satisfyingly onto the back of your phone. It streamlines your daily carry, reduces the number of things you have to remember, and makes the “phone and wallet” part of your pocket-patting ritual a single, unified motion.
The biggest lie you’ve been told is that you need to upgrade your iPhone every year; the improvements are often incremental.
The Brand New Car That’s Just a New Color
The annual release of a new iPhone is like a car company releasing a new model year of their most popular sedan. It’s exciting, and the new one is always technically better. But often, the changes are incremental—it’s like the new car is just a slightly different color and has a marginally better sound system. The car you bought last year is still a fantastic, high-performance vehicle that will serve you perfectly for years to come. The pressure to upgrade every single year is a marketing illusion, not a practical necessity.
I wish I knew that I could use my PlayStation or Xbox controller with my Apple devices for gaming.
The Universal Adapter for Your Favorite Tool
I used to think that to play games on my iPad, I had to use the clumsy touchscreen controls or buy a special, expensive “Made for iPhone” controller. I wish I had known that my Apple devices have a secret, built-in universal adapter. With a simple Bluetooth pairing, I can connect the exact same PlayStation or Xbox controller that I already own and love to my iPhone, iPad, or Mac. It’s a game-changing discovery that instantly makes gaming on any Apple device a more serious, comfortable, and familiar experience.
99% of users make this one mistake with their AirTags: not enabling notifications for when they are left behind.
The Leash That You Forgot to Attach
An AirTag is a brilliant tool for finding your lost keys. But it has another, more proactive superpower that most people never turn on. It’s like having a magical leash for your keys, but you’ve left that leash sitting in the box. In the Find My app, you can enable “Notify When Left Behind.” Now, if you walk out of a coffee shop and leave your keys sitting on the table, the leash will “pull,” and you’ll get an alert on your phone before you’ve even gotten to your car. It prevents the loss before it even happens.
This one small habit of keeping your charging cables neatly organized will save you a lot of frustration.
The Garden Hose That’s Always Tangled
There are few small frustrations in life as consistently annoying as needing to charge your phone and being faced with a drawer full of a tangled, chaotic mess of cables. It’s like trying to water your garden and having to spend the first five minutes just untangling the hose. The small habit of using a simple cable tie or a magnetic organizer to keep your cables neatly coiled is a tiny investment of time that will pay you back with a daily dose of calm and order, every single time you need to power up.
Use a dedicated cleaning cloth and solution for your screens, not a paper towel that can cause scratches.
Washing a Sports Car with Sandpaper
Your MacBook or iPhone screen has a delicate, high-tech coating that repels oils and reduces glare. Using a dry, abrasive paper towel to clean it is like trying to wash a brand new sports car with a piece of fine-grit sandpaper. You are slowly but surely creating microscopic scratches that will dull the finish over time. A soft, clean microfiber cloth and a gentle, alcohol-free screen cleaning solution are the soft sponge and the pH-neutral soap that will protect your investment and keep your beautiful display looking pristine.
Stop using your iPad without a keyboard. Do get a keyboard case to unlock its productive potential.
The Supercomputer That You’re Only Using as a Clipboard
Using an iPad without a keyboard is like having a powerful supercomputer but only using it as a fancy digital clipboard for watching movies and browsing the web. A keyboard case is the accessory that unlocks its true potential. It’s the tool that transforms your iPad from a passive consumption device into a powerful productivity machine. The moment you can type an email, write a document, or use keyboard shortcuts, you have elevated your iPad from a fun gadget into a serious tool for getting real work done.
Stop wondering if you should get an Apple TV. Do get one if you want the best streaming experience in the Apple ecosystem.
The First-Class Ticket vs. The Economy Seat
Your smart TV’s built-in apps are like an economy class airplane ticket. They will get you to your destination, but the experience can be slow, clunky, and full of annoying ads. The Apple TV is the first-class ticket for your streaming journey. The interface is lightning-fast, the remote is a joy to use, and it is perfectly and seamlessly integrated with the rest of your Apple devices. If you live in the Apple ecosystem and you value a premium, frustration-free viewing experience, the upgrade to first-class is absolutely worth it.
The #1 secret for a more secure home is using HomeKit-compatible cameras and sensors.
The Security System That Reports to You, Not a Corporation
When you install a smart camera, the biggest question is, “Who is watching my video?” With many brands, your private footage is sent to their corporate servers in the cloud. HomeKit is the architecture for a truly private security system. It’s designed so that the “smarts”—like analyzing video to see if it’s a person or a pet—happen locally, inside your own house, on your own devices. The video is encrypted with a key that only you have. It’s the difference between a security system that reports to a stranger, and one that reports only to you.
I’m just going to say it: The extra cost for cellular on an Apple Watch or iPad is worth it for the freedom from your iPhone.
Cutting the Invisible Cord
A Wi-Fi-only Apple Watch or iPad is like a powerful puppy that is on an invisible leash to your iPhone. It’s brilliant, but it can only go as far as the Wi-Fi or Bluetooth signal will reach. Paying for the cellular model is like cutting that leash. Your watch or your iPad is now a free, independent creature. You can go for a run, listen to music, and still receive an important call, all while your phone is sitting at home. It’s a profound sense of untethered, lightweight freedom that, for many, is worth every penny.
The reason your wireless charger is so slow is because it’s not a high-wattage, MagSafe-compatible charger.
The Trickle vs. The Waterfall
All wireless chargers are not created equal. A standard, old, 5-watt Qi charger is like filling up a bucket with a slow, gentle trickle of water. A modern, high-wattage, MagSafe-compatible charger is a rushing waterfall. The magnetic connection ensures that the bucket is always perfectly aligned under the waterfall, and the higher power output means it will fill up dramatically faster. If your wireless charging feels painfully slow, it’s likely because you are still using the old, slow trickle instead of the powerful waterfall.
If you’re still using a single HomePod, you’re missing out on the rich, room-filling sound of a stereo pair.
The One Musician vs. The Full Orchestra
A single HomePod is like a world-class solo musician. The sound is clear, powerful, and impressive. But when you create a stereo pair with a second HomePod, it’s like that solo musician is suddenly joined on stage by an entire orchestra. The sound is no longer coming from a single point; it’s a rich, deep, and immersive soundscape with a true left and right channel that fills your entire room. It transforms listening to music from a pleasant background activity into a captivating, concert-hall experience.
The biggest lie you’ve been told is that you need to buy everything from the Apple Store; you can often find better deals from authorized resellers.
The Official Brand Store vs. The Trusted Department Store
The Apple Store is the beautiful, official brand store. The experience is fantastic, but the prices are almost always fixed. Authorized resellers—like major electronics stores or cell phone carriers—are like the big, trusted department stores that also sell Apple products. Because they have a different business model, they often have the flexibility to offer discounts, bundle deals, and promotions that the official brand store simply can’t. It’s always worth checking these trusted partners before you buy; you can often get the exact same product for a better price.
I wish I knew about the different sizes of the Apple Watch and how to choose the right one for my wrist.
The Suit That’s Tailored to You
I used to think that the Apple Watch was a one-size-fits-all product. I wish I had known that choosing the right case size is the most important decision you can make. It’s the difference between buying a suit off the rack and getting one that is perfectly tailored to you. A watch that is too big can look and feel clunky, while one that is too small can be hard to read and interact with. Trying on the different sizes and seeing how they actually feel on your own wrist is the crucial first step to a comfortable and happy experience.
99% of people make this one mistake when buying a case: choosing looks over protection.
The Paper-Thin Raincoat in a Hurricane
The market is flooded with beautiful, ultra-thin iPhone cases that come in a thousand different colors. They are like a stylish, paper-thin raincoat. They might protect you from a light drizzle, but they will offer almost zero protection when the hurricane hits (that inevitable, stomach-churning drop onto concrete). A good case is a balance. It should be stylish, but it must also have a raised lip to protect the screen and some form of corner cushioning to absorb the shock of a real-world fall. Protection should always be the first priority.
This one small action of putting an AirTag on your pet’s collar could help you find them if they get lost.
The Digital “Lost Dog” Poster
The fear of a beloved pet getting lost is a nightmare for any owner. An AirTag on their collar is the modern, high-tech version of a “Lost Dog” poster, but one that works in real-time. While it’s not a live GPS tracker, the vast Find My network of a billion Apple devices creates a powerful search party. If your lost pet comes within range of anyone with an iPhone, you can get an anonymous, updated location on your map, dramatically increasing the chances of a happy reunion.
Use a high-quality microphone for your Mac if you do a lot of video calls or recording, not just the built-in microphone.
The Phone Call vs. The Radio Broadcast
The built-in microphone on your Mac is like a telephone. It’s functional, but the sound can be thin and echoey. A good quality, external USB microphone is like a professional radio broadcast studio. The difference in richness, clarity, and background noise rejection is astounding. If you spend a lot of your day on video calls or if you record your voice for any reason, investing in a good microphone is the single biggest thing you can do to sound more professional, polished, and clear.
Stop using your iPhone’s flash as a flashlight. Do use the dedicated flashlight button in the Control Center instead.
The Blinding On/Off Switch vs. The Dimmer
The camera flash is a powerful, blinding light. But the flashlight button in your Control Center is a much more sophisticated tool. It’s the difference between a simple on/off switch and a full-featured dimmer. If you press and hold the flashlight icon, a slider will appear that allows you to choose from four different levels of brightness. This allows you to have a gentle, subtle light for finding your keys in the dark without waking up the whole house with the power of a thousand suns.
Stop struggling with a tangled mess of earbuds. Do get a case for your AirPods to keep them safe and charged.
The Loose Change vs. The Secure Wallet
Carrying your AirPods loose in your pocket or your bag is like carrying a handful of loose, valuable coins. They are going to get scratched, dirty, and will eventually get lost. The AirPods case is the secure, protective wallet for those coins. It not only keeps them safe from the bumps and scrapes of daily life, but it also acts as their personal power bank, ensuring that every time you take them out, they are clean, safe, and fully charged up for your next listening session.
The #1 hack for a more durable Lightning cable is getting a braided one from a reputable third-party brand.
The Plastic Straw vs. The Reinforced Hose
The standard Apple Lightning cable is like a simple, plastic straw. It works, but the point where the straw meets the hard plastic base is a major weak point that is prone to bending and fraying. A high-quality, braided nylon cable from a reputable brand is like a steel-reinforced, flexible hose. The braided exterior is far more resistant to the stresses of daily plugging and unplugging, and they often have a reinforced neck that prevents the dreaded fraying. It’s the simple upgrade that can make your cable last for years.
I’m just going to say it: The Touch Bar on some MacBook Pro models was a failed experiment for most users.
The Fancy, Confusing Dashboard in a Simple Car
The Touch Bar was like a car company deciding to replace the simple, reliable radio knobs and climate controls with a confusing, shape-shifting touchscreen. It was a technologically impressive idea, but in practice, it was a failed experiment. It removed the tactile, muscle-memory satisfaction of physical keys and replaced it with a screen that you had to look down at, often just to perform a simple task. For most users, it was a solution in search of a problem, and its removal was a welcome return to simplicity.
The reason your Apple Pencil is always dead is because you’re not storing it on the magnetic charger on the side of your iPad.
The Pen That Dies if It’s Not in Its Holder
The modern Apple Pencil is designed to be a permanent resident of the magnetic strip on the side of your iPad. This is not just a convenient place to store it; it’s the pen’s life support system. If you leave the Pencil sitting on your desk, its tiny battery will slowly drain, and it will be dead the next time you need it. The magnetic strip is its charging dock. The simple habit of always returning the pen to its home will ensure that it is always full of ink and ready to write.
If you’re still using a clunky, old printer, you’re missing out on the convenience of an AirPrint-compatible printer that works seamlessly with your Apple devices.
The Complicated Printing Press vs. The “One-Tap” Photocopier
Using an old printer with your Mac or iPhone often requires a frustrating hunt for the right drivers and software. It’s like trying to operate a complicated, old-fashioned printing press. An AirPrint-compatible printer is the modern, magical “one-tap” photocopier. There are no drivers to install. You just take out your iPhone or open your Mac, tap the “Print” button, and it just works, instantly and wirelessly. It’s a seamless and frustration-free technology that is an absolute must-have in a modern Apple household.
The biggest lie you’ve been told is that more megapixels means a better camera; Apple’s computational photography is what makes their photos so good.
The Size of the Canvas vs. The Skill of the Painter
The number of megapixels in a camera is just the size of the canvas. A giant canvas is useless in the hands of a bad painter. The real magic of the iPhone’s camera is its “computational photography,” which is the incredibly skilled and intelligent painter. The moment you press the shutter, this digital artist instantly analyzes the scene, blends multiple exposures together to get the perfect light, and makes a thousand tiny decisions to create a beautiful, vibrant, and perfectly balanced painting. The skill of the painter is always more important than the size of the canvas.
I wish I knew that I could use my iPad as a drawing tablet for my Mac with apps like Astropad.
The Magic Window Into Your Mac’s Art Studio
I used to think that to get a professional drawing tablet experience on my Mac, I had to buy an expensive piece of hardware from another company. I wish I had known that my iPad could do the job, and do it better. An app like Astropad is like a magic window. It perfectly mirrors your Mac’s screen on your iPad, but it also transmits all of the pressure and tilt data from your Apple Pencil. It turns your iPad into a world-class, professional-grade drawing surface for all your powerful Mac art applications.
99% of users make this one mistake when buying an accessory: not reading the reviews to see how it performs in the real world.
The Beautiful Brochure vs. The Test Drive
The marketing page for a new accessory is like the beautiful, glossy brochure for a new car. It will always look perfect, with stunning photos and promises of incredible performance. But you would never buy a car based on the brochure alone. The customer reviews are the test drive. They are the honest, real-world feedback from people who have actually used the product in their daily lives. Taking just five minutes to read those reviews is the crucial step that separates a smart, informed purchase from a disappointing one.
This one small habit of carrying a portable battery pack will ensure your devices never die when you need them most.
The Spare Gas Can in the Trunk of Your Car
You would never embark on a long road trip through the desert without a spare gas can in your trunk. Yet, we constantly embark on long days in our modern world with no backup plan for our most essential tool, our phone. The small habit of keeping a small, charged-up portable battery pack in your bag or your car is that spare gas can. It’s a simple, inexpensive insurance policy that provides immense peace of mind, ensuring you’ll never be stranded on the digital highway with an empty tank.
Use a webcam cover on your MacBook for extra peace of mind, not just relying on the green indicator light.
The Locked Door with the Curtains Drawn
The green indicator light next to your Mac’s camera is like a sign that tells you if a door is locked or unlocked. It’s incredibly reliable. But for the ultimate peace of mind, a physical webcam cover is like drawing the curtains over the window of that locked door. It’s a simple, cheap, and tangible second layer of security. It provides a 100% guarantee that even if something unimaginable were to happen and the lock were to fail, your privacy would still be physically and completely protected.
Stop using your MacBook on your lap for long periods. Do use a lap desk for better ergonomics and cooling.
The Hot Plate on Your Legs
Using a powerful laptop directly on your lap is like balancing a hot, heavy dinner plate on your legs for hours. It’s uncomfortable, it forces you into a hunched-over posture that’s bad for your back, and it’s also bad for the laptop. Your legs block the air vents, causing the computer to get even hotter. A simple lap desk is the sturdy, comfortable tray table for that meal. It elevates the screen to a more ergonomic angle and provides a hard, flat surface for proper ventilation, making the experience better for both you and your Mac.
Stop wondering if your accessories are genuine. Do check for the MFi certification on the packaging.
The Official Seal of Approval
The market is flooded with cheap, knock-off accessories that look just like the real thing. Wondering if you’re buying a quality product can be a gamble. The MFi (“Made for iPhone/iPad”) logo is the official, certified seal of approval from Apple. It’s like a sign that says, “An official Apple engineer has inspected this product and has certified that it is safe, reliable, and will not damage your device.” Looking for that one small logo on the box is the simplest way to turn a risky guess into a confident purchase.
The #1 secret for a better home theater experience is an Apple TV 4K with a Dolby Atmos-compatible sound system.
The Movie Theater in Your Living Room
An Apple TV 4K is the beautiful, high-definition projector for your home theater. But a movie is only half of the experience. Dolby Atmos is the state-of-the-art, three-dimensional sound system for that theater. When you combine the two, it’s like you’re no longer just watching a movie on your couch. The sound of the rain is not just in front of you; it’s coming from above you. The sound of a helicopter feels like it’s flying right over your head. It’s the secret ingredient that can truly replicate the immersive magic of a real movie theater.
I’m just going to say it: The design and feel of Apple’s hardware are a big part of the user experience.
The Perfectly Weighted Tool
You can have two hammers that both perform the exact same function. But the one that is made of cheap plastic and is poorly balanced will feel awful to use, while the one that is crafted from solid steel and is perfectly weighted in your hand will be a joy. The obsession with the design, the materials, and the “feel” of Apple’s hardware is not just about looks. It’s about creating a tool that feels solid, premium, and satisfying to hold and interact with. It’s a crucial, often subconscious, part of the overall experience.
The reason your MagSafe charger isn’t working is because you have a thick, non-compatible case on your iPhone.
The Weak Magnet and the Thick Wall
A MagSafe charger is a magnet that needs to get close to the metal on the back of your iPhone to work. A thick, standard phone case is like a thick, wooden wall between that magnet and the metal. The magnetic force just isn’t strong enough to get through. You either need to take the case off (remove the wall) or use a special MagSafe-compatible case that has its own magnets built into it (it’s like a wall with a special, metal-lined window), which allows for a perfect and powerful connection.
If you’re still using a password to unlock your Mac, you’re missing out on the speed and convenience of Touch ID on the Magic Keyboard.
The Key vs. The Fingerprint Scanner
Unlocking your Mac by typing in your password is like unlocking your front door with a physical key. It’s a secure but slightly clumsy process. A Magic Keyboard with Touch ID is like upgrading your front door with a high-tech, instantaneous fingerprint scanner. The moment your finger rests on the key, your door is open. It’s a faster, more fluid, and incredibly secure way to access your Mac, approve purchases, and unlock your passwords, turning a moment of friction into a moment of seamless flow.
The biggest lie you’ve been told is that you need a brand new Mac; a refurbished one from Apple is a great way to save money and get a like-new device.
The Certified, Pre-Owned Luxury Car
People often think they have to choose between a brand new, expensive Mac and a risky, used one from a stranger. But there’s a third, brilliant option. A refurbished Mac, sold directly from Apple, is the “certified, pre-owned” luxury car. It’s a device that has been returned, but it has been put through the exact same, rigorous testing process as a brand new one. It comes with a new battery, a new outer shell, and the same one-year warranty. It’s the secret way to get a like-new Mac for a significant discount.
I wish I knew about the importance of a good backpack with a dedicated laptop sleeve for protecting my MacBook.
The Custom-Padded Case for Your Priceless Violin
Tossing your expensive MacBook into a regular backpack is like tossing a priceless Stradivarius violin into the back of a pickup truck with a bunch of other tools. It’s going to get scratched, dented, and destroyed. I wish I had known that a good backpack with a dedicated, padded, and suspended laptop sleeve is the custom-fitted, velvet-lined case for that violin. It holds your Mac securely, protecting it from the bumps and scrapes of your other belongings and the shock of an accidental drop. It’s an essential investment for protecting your investment.
99% of people make this one mistake with their external hard drives: not formatting them correctly for use with a Mac.
The Book Written in a Foreign Language
When you buy a new external hard drive, it often comes pre-formatted for Windows. This is like buying a book that is written in a language your Mac can read, but not write in. You can copy files from the drive, but you can’t save anything to it. By using the “Disk Utility” app on your Mac, you need to perform a one-time action to “format” the drive. This is like translating the book into your Mac’s native language. It’s a crucial, one-time step that makes the drive a fully functional and collaborative partner.
This one small action of registering your new hardware with Apple will make it easier to get support if something goes wrong.
Filing the Deed to Your New House
When you buy a new piece of Apple hardware, it comes with a warranty. Registering the device is the simple, free action of filing the deed to your new digital house. It officially puts your name on the product and links its serial number to your Apple ID. This makes the process of getting warranty service or technical support much smoother and faster down the road, as the support agent will already have all of your device’s information right in front of them.
Use a lens protector for your iPhone’s camera to prevent scratches, not just a case for the body.
The Sunglasses for Your Camera’s Eye
A case for your iPhone is like a helmet for its body. But the most delicate and important part—the camera lens—is often left exposed. A camera lens protector is the pair of high-quality, scratch-resistant sunglasses for that eye. It’s a tiny, inexpensive piece of tempered glass that can protect your camera from the scratches and scuffs of being in a pocket with your keys. It’s a simple, invisible layer of protection that ensures your most important feature stays in pristine, picture-perfect condition.
Stop using a generic stylus on your iPad. Do invest in an Apple Pencil for the best pressure sensitivity and palm rejection.
The Crayola Crayon vs. The Artist’s Charcoal
A cheap, generic stylus is like a big, waxy Crayola crayon. You can draw with it, but the tip is clumsy, and it has no concept of nuance. The Apple Pencil is a fine piece of artist’s charcoal. It has incredibly sensitive pressure sensors, so you can press harder for a darker line and lighter for a subtle shade. It has palm rejection, which means you can rest your hand on the screen as you draw, just like a real piece of paper. It’s the difference between a child’s toy and a professional artist’s tool.
Stop being tethered to your desk. Do use a long, high-quality charging cable for more freedom of movement.
The Short Leash vs. The Long Leash
The standard, three-foot charging cable that comes with your devices is like a very short, restrictive leash. It forces you to huddle next to the power outlet while you’re trying to use your phone. A high-quality, ten-foot braided cable is the long, flexible leash that gives you freedom. It allows you to comfortably lie on your couch or in your bed while you’re charging, turning a frustrating, tethered experience into a relaxed and comfortable one. It’s a simple, cheap upgrade that can dramatically improve your quality of life.
The #1 hack for a more organized desk is a monitor stand with built-in storage.
The Second Story for Your Crowded Desk
A desk can easily become a cluttered, single-level landscape of notebooks, pens, and hard drives. A monitor stand is the simple hack that creates a second story for your workspace. By elevating your monitor to a more ergonomic height, you also create a valuable new piece of real estate underneath it. It’s the perfect little garage to park your keyboard when you’re not using it, or a tidy home for all the little accessories that would otherwise be cluttering up your valuable creative space.
I’m just going to say it: The price of Apple’s accessories, like the Pro Stand for the Pro Display XDR, can be outrageous.
The Designer Handbag for Your Groceries
Apple’s products are often priced at a premium, like a luxury car. But some of their accessories are priced like a designer handbag that you’re expected to use to carry your groceries. The thousand-dollar stand for their professional monitor is the most famous example. While the quality is undeniable, the price can feel so disconnected from the utility that it enters the realm of pure luxury branding. It’s a reminder that while Apple often makes brilliant products, they are also masters of Veblen goods.
The reason your Apple Remote is so easy to lose is because of its small and thin design.
The Needle in the Haystack
The modern Apple TV remote is a sleek, minimalist, and beautiful object. It is also the perfect size, shape, and weight to be a world-champion hide-and-seek player. Its slim design allows it to slip into the deepest, darkest crevices of your sofa, like a needle in a haystack. While the new ones have a “Find My” feature, the reason this problem exists in the first place is a classic case of a designer prioritizing form over the practical, real-world function of not being easily lose-able.
If you’re still using your TV’s built-in smart features, you’re missing out on the faster and more user-friendly interface of the Apple TV.
The Free Rental Car vs. Your Own Luxury Sedan
The “smart” apps built into your television are like the free, basic rental car that comes with your hotel room. It will get you around, but the engine is slow, the controls are clunky, and it’s covered in ads. An Apple TV is your own, personal luxury sedan. The engine (the processor) is incredibly fast and responsive, the dashboard (the interface) is clean, intuitive, and ad-free, and it seamlessly connects to your personal garage (your Apple ecosystem). It’s a profound upgrade in your daily driving experience.
The biggest lie you’ve been told is that you need to be a professional to benefit from the “Pro” devices; their features can be enjoyed by everyone.
The Professional Kitchen That Also Makes Great Toast
Apple’s “Pro” devices, like the iPhone Pro or the MacBook Pro, are like a professional-grade chef’s kitchen. They have powerful, advanced tools that a master chef can use to create a Michelin-starred meal. However, that same incredible oven also makes the best, most evenly-cooked piece of toast you’ve ever had. You don’t need to be a professional to appreciate the buttery-smooth ProMotion screen, the incredible camera, or the longer battery life. These are “pro” features that make the everyday experience better for everyone.
I wish I knew that I could use an external SSD with my Mac for blazing-fast storage for video editing and other intensive tasks.
The Detached, High-Speed Garage for Your Workshop
The internal storage on your Mac is like your main workshop; it’s fast and convenient, but it can get cluttered. I wish I had known that an external SSD is like building a detached, high-speed garage next to your workshop. It’s connected by a super-highway (Thunderbolt or USB-C) and is the perfect place to store your huge, in-progress projects, like a massive video editing library. It keeps your main workshop clean and gives you a dedicated, lightning-fast space for your most demanding, professional-grade work.
99% of users make this one mistake with their Magic Mouse: not realizing you can’t use it while it’s charging.
The Car That You Have to Flip Over to Refuel
The Magic Mouse is a sleek, beautiful, and functional piece of design. But it has one, single, baffling design flaw that has become a famous joke. The charging port is on the bottom. This is like designing a beautiful electric car that, in order to refuel, you have to physically flip over onto its roof. It’s a completely avoidable and user-hostile design choice that means, for the period that it’s charging, your beautiful mouse is nothing more than a helpless, dead turtle.
This one small habit of putting your AirPods back in their case when you’re not using them will ensure they’re always charged and ready to go.
The Pen That You Always Put the Cap On
Your AirPods are like a magical, high-tech fountain pen. Their case is the cap. A good writer has a reflexive, unconscious habit of always putting the cap back on the pen when they are done. This protects the nib and keeps the ink from drying out. The same habit should apply to your AirPods. The moment you take them out of your ears, put them back in their case. It protects them, keeps them from getting lost, and ensures the “ink” is always full and ready for your next thought.
Use a protective skin on your devices to prevent scratches and add a personal touch, not just a bulky case.
The Custom Paint Job for Your Car
A case is the bulky, protective armor for your phone. A skin is the custom paint job. It’s an ultra-thin, precisely cut layer of vinyl that adheres directly to your device. It offers excellent protection from the everyday scuffs and scratches of being put on a table or in a pocket, but without adding any of the bulk of a traditional case. It’s also a fantastic way to give your device a unique, personalized look, from a carbon fiber texture to a vibrant, colorful pattern.
Stop using a cheap car charger. Do use one that provides enough power to charge your iPhone quickly and safely.
The Trickle Charger vs. The Supercharger
Plugging your powerful new iPhone into a cheap, old, low-wattage car charger is like trying to refuel a Tesla at a single, standard wall outlet. It’s a slow, inefficient trickle that will barely keep the battery from dying while you’re using it for GPS. A modern, high-quality car charger with USB-C Power Delivery is the Tesla Supercharger. It’s designed to deliver a massive amount of power, safely and quickly, giving you a significant charge even on a short drive.
Stop wondering if you should get a smart speaker. Do get a HomePod if you’re invested in the Apple ecosystem and value high-quality audio.
The Butler Who Speaks Your Language
There are many excellent smart speakers, which are like hiring a butler for your home. If you live in an Apple household, getting a HomePod is like hiring a butler who is a native, fluent speaker of your family’s language. Because it’s designed by Apple, its understanding of and integration with your music, your calendar, your messages, and your smart home is deeper and more seamless than any third-party butler could ever be. For those who prioritize audio quality and deep ecosystem integration, it’s the obvious choice.
The #1 secret for a more comfortable Apple Watch is finding the right band and size for your wrist.
The Perfectly Fitted Pair of Shoes
You can buy the most advanced, expensive pair of running shoes in the world, but if they are the wrong size, they will be an uncomfortable, painful disaster. The Apple Watch is that shoe. The #1 secret to a comfortable experience is not the technology inside it, but the physical fit of the band and the case on your wrist. A band that’s too tight will be irritating, and one that’s too loose will cause the sensors to fail. Finding that “just right” fit is the crucial first step to a happy relationship with your watch.
I’m just going to say it: The butterfly keyboard on older MacBooks was a design flaw that caused a lot of frustration for users.
The Beautiful but Fragile Butterfly Wings
The butterfly keyboard was an attempt to create an ultra-thin, beautiful keyboard, like the delicate wings of a butterfly. But like those wings, it was incredibly fragile. A single speck of dust getting caught in the delicate mechanism could cause a key to become stuck or unresponsive. It was a famous and frustrating design flaw that prioritized thinness over the fundamental, real-world requirement of reliability. It’s a powerful lesson that sometimes, the most beautiful designs are not the best ones to live with.
The reason your iPhone gets so hot when you’re gaming is because it’s a graphically intensive task; consider a mobile gaming controller with a built-in fan.
The High-Performance Engine with No Radiator
Playing a modern, graphically intense game is like pushing a high-performance race car engine to its absolute limit. It’s going to generate a massive amount of heat. Your iPhone’s body is its only radiator, and your hands are insulating it. A mobile gaming controller with a built-in cooling fan is like installing a professional-grade, liquid-cooled radiator onto that engine. It actively dissipates the heat, which not only makes the phone more comfortable to hold but also allows the engine to run at its peak performance for longer without throttling.
If you’re still using a mouse pad from the 90s, you’re not getting the best tracking from your modern optical mouse.
The Bumpy Road for Your High-Tech Car
A modern, optical mouse is like a high-tech car with a very sensitive laser-based navigation system. An old, cloth mouse pad that is worn out or dirty is a bumpy, inconsistent road surface. The car’s navigation system will get confused, and the cursor will skip and jump. A modern, high-quality mouse pad—whether it’s a smooth hard surface or a micro-woven cloth—is that perfectly paved, uniform road. It allows the mouse’s laser to get a perfect reading, resulting in a smooth, accurate, and satisfying ride.
The biggest lie you’ve been told is that you need to buy a new device every time a new one is released; your current device is still very capable.
The Master Chef with a Slightly Older Knife
A master chef with a high-quality knife from last year can still cook a meal that is a thousand times better than an amateur with the brand-new knife that just came out. Your current iPhone or Mac is that high-quality knife. The new model that is released every year is always marginally sharper, but the one you already own is still an incredibly powerful and capable tool. The skill of the chef is always more important than having the absolute latest version of the knife.
I wish I knew that I could use a USB-C to headphone jack adapter if I still wanted to use my favorite wired headphones.
The Universal Translator for Your Favorite Old Friend
When Apple removed the headphone jack, it felt like my new iPhone suddenly couldn’t speak the same language as my favorite, expensive pair of wired headphones. I wish I had known that the solution was simple and cheap. A USB-C to headphone jack adapter is the small, elegant universal translator for that conversation. It’s a tiny dongle that plugs into your new device and allows your two old friends—your ears and your headphones—to have the same, high-quality conversation they’ve always had.
99% of people make this one mistake with their new hardware: not spending time to learn about all its new features.
The Supercar That You Only Drive in First Gear
Getting a brand new, powerful piece of technology and only using it for the same things you did with your old one is like buying a brand new, ten-speed Ferrari and then only ever driving it in first gear. You are leaving a huge amount of power, performance, and magical new features completely untapped. The single biggest mistake people make is not taking just 30 minutes to watch a video or read an article about all the new things their expensive new toy can do. You have to learn to shift gears.
This one small action of buying AppleCare+ for your expensive devices will give you peace of mind and save you from costly repairs.
The Insurance Policy for Your Priceless Painting
Your new iPhone or MacBook is a beautiful, expensive, and fragile piece of art. Carrying it around every day without AppleCare+ is like hanging a priceless painting in a busy hallway with no insurance policy. The one time someone accidentally bumps into it could be a catastrophic, thousand-dollar disaster. The small, upfront cost of AppleCare+ is that comprehensive insurance policy. It’s the peace of mind that comes from knowing that if the worst should happen, your beautiful investment is protected from the painful sting of an unexpected and astronomical repair bill.
Use a high-quality screen cleaner and microfiber cloth, not Windex and a paper towel, to clean your expensive displays.
The Silk Shirt That You Don’t Wash with Bleach
Your MacBook’s screen is like a delicate, expensive silk shirt with a special, high-tech coating. Windex is bleach, and a paper towel is a scrub brush. Using them to clean your screen is a recipe for disaster that will strip off the anti-glare coating and leave a trail of microscopic scratches. A gentle, alcohol-free screen cleaner is the delicate soap, and a soft, clean microfiber cloth is the gentle hand-washing that will protect the fabric of your screen and keep it looking vibrant and new for years to come.