A post to the Mac Geek Gab.
Fist shake at Dave, Pete and Adam
OK, here is an omnibus fist shake at Dave, Pete and Adam for a few things over the last few weeks. I listen to the show, as I have done for more than a decade and a half (and it’s my favourite show), but a few things in recent weeks started with a head shake while walking to a “constructive” fist shake by the end of it. I’ve been putting them on sticky notes as I return from my walk, so here goes.
Before getting into the detail, I should also note that I am transitioning from the one per cent to the 99 per cent as a part of a simplification of my life. I love you guys and don’t want to see you having strokes with solutions, trying to find problems. Gents, sit back and enjoy your tech, and less of it. That’s my new way of life. Previously, my solution to everything was “adding”. Now my solution to everything is “reducing”.
Passwords
A few weeks ago, the three amigos spoke of managing and updating passwords. They had various systems for updating their passwords and authenticating (see the following item regarding the latter). Guys, please, use Apple passwords. It does everything: it creates a password for any requirement (like special characters), easily updates them, and tells you if your email address is compromised or your password is used too often (a problem I no longer have). It is also your six-digit code authenticator and syncs across all devices. Two years ago, I sat down for the weekend and redid every password I had using Apple Passwords, and now I am in password bliss. I don’t know any of my now 300-plus passwords because I don’t have to. I know three passwords in my life… to my ATM card, iPhone/iPad/Watch and Macs. And that’s it. They’re all there and managed nicely across all devices thanks to Apple.
Two-factor authentication
Pete spoke about the importance of two-factor authentication, and he’s right. Nothing of note shouldn’t have 2fa. However, Pete said you can get 2fa via SMS, an authenticator, a dongle or email, and they’re all great. No, they’re not. The first three are: email isn’t. Why? The use case presented was that someone at a company leaves and still has a password for something requiring 2fa. If they have 2fa via text, dongle or app, they’re locked out. However, if that person also has access to the email account for 2fa via login and password without 2fa, they can still receive 2fa via email and access the target site. Many places, alarmingly, use email for 2fa. See the example below from Zoho, just this week.
Storage and access
Synology, Drobo, Tailscale, Plex…. like why? I get that there are business cases for audio and video pros to have ample storage, but the 99 per cent don’t need anything. A Mac/iPad/iPhone with iCloud and Time Machine, with a direct or network connection, works just fine for the 99 per cent. You have a copy on your device, a copy in the cloud and a copy on a Time Capsule. If you want to go to the next level, swap the time capsules out each month and leave one offsite (like at a friend’s house). And the next level is adding BackBlaze, which is cheap and easy. If you have Microsoft Office 365, you get one TB of synced space there. And why store and stream from your own storage devices? Apple Music and myriad streaming services have everything and at every better quality than you probably ripped it. Why have it on your gear?
Storage size
Last week, Pete spoke of not recommending a Mac with less than a 512 GB hard drive. Huh? What? That’s wasting money! For the 99 per cent, 256 GB is just fine these days if you let Apple and iCloud manage your storage, or you get rid of ripped movies and music and use streaming services (and what isn’t available apart from home movies). I recently did a ’nuke and pave’ on a new MacBook Air to find a problem with an app (figuring something else on the drive was annoying another app). On my 256 GB hard drive with a clean install of the latest Mac OS, I found that around 50 GB was used by the Apple (20 GB for MacOS and 30 GB for system files). That left me 200 GB free for my apps and files. And 200 GB these days is a considerable space. Take a look at this Mac (see graphic). I have been in the .mac/.me/.iCloud environment since 2006, using Mac at work and home, and photos and iCloud optimisation in recent years. That’s nearly 20 years of ‘stuff’ and I have used only 150 or 250 GB! This Mac also has Parallels for Mac and Windows 11 Pro (for some amateur radio apps). I regularly review my photos, use apps like Clean My Mac to find duplicates, unused files and ghost caches. I also opt for streamed rather than personally stored media. I also have a family plan for iCloud with 2TB of space, but between four Macs, only 500 GB of data.
Apple AirPods Max case
Adam, you had a good pot shot a few months back at the Apple AirPods Max Case. The case is genius. I once had the Bose Quiet Comfort in its fully enclosed Bose case for a decade of world travel for work. It took up at least 40 per cent of my travel shoulder bag and protected things that didn’t need protecting (like cables, adapters and so on). It was a PITA. The Apple case protects only what needs protecting and gives me back 20 per cent of my smallish shoulder bag (Incase), and that’s an issue for me while travelling, as I prefer small and light. It doesn’t take up unnecessary space, protects what it needs to – the cones – and does it well. So, as a frequent and pedantic traveller, “I beg to differ”.
I put forward all of this constructively and respectfully as ‘mates’ sitting around and chatting. As I said, my “first principle” is to reduce, but previously it was to add. Try it – fewer headaches, cost, stress and time await with more enjoyment of your gear and other things like personal quiet time, family, friends, the outdoors and entertainment.
Yours in geek,
Andrew
PS: Yes, I do geek out as I am reacquainting with amateur or ham radio, but that’s another story.
27 April 2025