Browse Laptop Help and Tips

Browse Laptop Help and Tips

Macworld's complete Mac buying guide
In this buying guide, we'll cover all the Macintosh models available, tell you how they've changed over the previous model, and how well they did in our benchmark tests.
Power and the international Mac
No, you needn't purchase a power converter when you take your Mac traveling.
Upgrading a MacBook Pro's hard drive
Laptop in one hand, replacement raw drive in the other. No, you needn't reinstall everything when you install the new hard drive.
Automatically mute sound before meetings
Use a couple of very simple AppleScripts and iCal to mute your laptop before (and unmute it after) you head to meetings, lectures, or other scheduled events.
Resurrecting the MacBook's number pad
With the unibody MacBooks Apple removed the ability for you to use the keyboard as a number pad. Here's how to restore that ability.
Can an SD card startup disk be used on any Mac?
Can an SD card startup disk be used on any Mac? Roman Loyola does a little bit of testing, and finds the answer may be yes.
Change color of BBEdit and TextWrangler 'invisibles' characters
Learn how to change the color of the special characters that BBEdit and TextWrangler use to display invisible characters, such as tabs and line breaks.
Make the most of the Genius Bar
Prepare in advance for a trip to Apple's Genius Bar and you’ll likely go home smiling -- with a Mac that’s working again.
Shrinking your mobile gear
In the spirit of recent Mobile Mac articles on reducing the weight of your portable setup, we take a look at a number of small-and-light gadgets that aim to help you slim down your laptop bag.
Bugs & Fixes: APC battery backups and Intel Macs with Leopard
If you own an Intel-based Mac running a recent version of Mac OS X 10.5, battery backups from American Power Conversion could give you grief. Ted Landau has the details.
Access all Exposé modes on newer keyboards
Learn how to access all of Exposé's modes via the F3 key on new keyboards (laptops and standalone)
Cut down on cables
With some savvy scavenging and shopping, you can reduce the weight and clutter of your travel bag while still being prepared for any connection need.
Tips for greener computing
Save money while you help save the planet: Michael Gowan offers some tips on how to reduce the environmental impact of using your Mac.
Field recording, pre-amps, and Twitter
Twitter assists a reader seeking a solution to his field recording problem.
Troubleshoot your MacBook
Is your laptop lagging? Notebook not its usual self? Ted Landau has some suggestions for solving the most common problems with portable Macs.
Temporarily disable laptop screen dimming
Learn a simple way to temporarily disable the screen dimming feature on laptops being run on battery power.
Monitoring your MacBook's battery
How do you check on your MacBook battery's cycle count and condition? Like so.
Macworld Buying Guides: Apple’s Mac lineup
How well do you know Apple’s current Mac lineup? We’ve put together summaries of each type of Mac on the market today that will tell you when they were last updated, what changed, and how each system performs.
Which Mac? Macworld's Mac buying guide
Which new Mac should you buy? Macworld, the world's expert on Apple hardware, has expert buying advice.
Upgrading a MacBook Pro's hard drive
Unsure about upgrading a MacBook Pro's hard drive? Here are a couple of helpful resources.
MacBook to projector connector
Need to connect your MacBook to a projector? All you need is the right Apple adapter.
ExpressCard/34 Buyers’ Guide
If you've got a MacBook Pro, you've got an ExpressCard/34 slot (instead of the old PC Card slot). Jeff Carlson explains a few of the ways you can use that slot to beef up your laptop.
MacBook Pro and the bad battery
How can you tell if your MacBook's battery is on the fritz? Follow along.
Secrets of Mac trackpad, from iBook to MacBook Air
Depending on which Mac laptop you have, there are up to 10 specialized trackpad functions you can use to make navigating the screen, Mac OS X and various applications faster and easier. Computerworld’s Ryan Faas takes a look at each of them.
Essential mobile gear
As a Macworld editor, I’m often asked what I pack in my laptop bag; here’s a look at the kinds of accessories that are on my must-have on-the-go list, along with some specific examples of them.
Fitting your files on a MacBook Air
If you’ve ordered a MacBook Air, you’ve got some storage decisions to make. The 80GB of storage that ships with this thin notebook goes against the trend of higher-capacity hard drives. But not to worry—Joe Kissell has some advice on how to make sure all your vital files and applications fit on your new laptop.
Laptop gems
Here are some favorite pieces of low-cost software specifically designed for—or just especially handy for—use on a laptop.
GPS for the Mac
Over the past ten years, GPS technology has gone from the military to the mainstream. It’s now a fixture in cars, many folks carry portable GPS units with them on outdoor adventures, and we’re no longer wowed by the fact that you can precisely determine your location almost anywhere in the world.
Notebook cleanup and protection
Laptops are subject to far more abuse than desktop Macs. Dirt, dust, and scratches keep them from looking new for long. But that doesn’t mean you’re stuck with smudges, stains, and scrapes. Here’s how to make your Mac laptop look good again—and how to then keep it that way.
Working Mac: Eight ways to go green