iMac

Vivian wants to get a computer for her 12-year-old daughter, but she's in the dark in what to get her. She's into gaming on Apple Arcade. She also wants one that she'll use for a long time. Leo says that a desktop is a better choice because they aren't that mobile and as she becomes a teenager, Vivian is going to want that computer in a public area! Leo recommends getting an iMac, ideally. Another option is a Chromebook, because she probably uses them at school. They will be limited for gaming, but that's a good thing. The Google PixelBook Go is a good option.

Larry has an old 2015 MacBook Pro with a 256GB SSD. It's not enough for his Raw Photo storage. Should he get an external hard drive or replace the internal one? Or maybe get a RAID? Leo says it's not that hard to replace the SSD in that 2015 MacBook pro. It's just a few screws, and MacSales.com has videos showing you how to do it. Getting an external may be OK, but it's not Thunderbolt 3, so it won't be as fast as internal. Leo also recommends learning about 3-2-1 backup from DPBestFlow.org. Leo also recommends backing up the photos online. Google Photos is a great place to do that.

Chuck has a 5K iMac and a second LG 5K monitor. But he can't get the resolution to match. The window ends up 50% smaller. Leo says Apple has taken a lot of control away from users. He suggests trying an app called SwitchResX. It'll let you choose any resolution and frame rate your monitor will support.

Jim bought a new Mac and wants to know how he can set it up like his old one. Leo says he'll need a cable and connect the two. There is a tool in MacOS that will copy everything over and make it look just like the old Mac, only faster. Leo does recommend, though, to take an external hard drive and backup data just in case. Leo recommends either SuperDuper or ChronoSync. The old mac should also have someting called "target disc mode," which can be used as an external drive, dragging them over to the new mac. But Jim will probably need a thunderbolt-firewire adapter. 

Jeff has reached the end of the line on his iMac since it won't work with updates anymore. So he's looking at buying a new Mac. Should he get an iMac or a Mac Mini? Leo says that he's a real fan of the new Mac Mini because it has a ton of connectors, including Thunderbolt 3, so he can run an external GPU if he wants. He can also upgrade the RAM. He can save some money and get his own screen, keyboard, and mouse.  He can also get a better webcam or connect a video camera to do streaming. 

Jerry is looking to get a new computer and wants to know if the new Mac Mini is good for occasional video editing and sound recording. Rich says that the Mac Mini was thought dead, but the new version has had a bump in specs. Pretty much any computer will work for editing basic video for the internet. But 4K video is going to require more power. For $800, the basic Mac Mini really isn't up to the task. Rich recommends maxing out the RAM and hard drive if the budget allows. But remember, that the Mac Mini also requires one to buy a monitor. keyboard, and mouse.

Dan has a 2011 iMac and wants to know if he should upgrade to an iMac Pro. Leo says that the 5K iMac is still a great computer, but he doesn't know if he would spend the money to get the Pro version. One thought is to go with the new Mac mini and get a big monitor for it. June will be WWDC, and Apple frequently announces new iMacs in June, or in the fall. So if he can wait a few months, he can find out. If he can't wait, then Leo suggests looking at the Mac mini.

Jack's iMac runs El Capitan, and his iMovie and Garage Band have stopped working. He has been told he has to upgrade to get them working back. But he's hesitant. Leo says that it's OK and you should upgrade. Apple isn't like Windows. You can safely go to Mojave, or at least High Sierra. Why did your apps stop working? That's a puzzle. Maybe your graphics card is too old? Or Apple may have just broken the connectivity. Upgrading to Mojave though is important for security reasons.

Debbie has a 2009 iMac and her video card is going out. But Apple says it's too old to fix. Leo says if she can afford it, the new iMac is far better than that 09. Another option is a Mac Mini. She can bring her own screen, keyboard and mouse to it. It'll save her some money.