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The offcial journal of the Wellington Society Inc Volume 36.07 – July 2019

Come to one of our meetings New MacBook Air and Pro

Wellington Monday, 29 July 7.15pm - 9.30pm Subject: Managing old software you still need Kapiti Monday, 5 August 7.15pm - 9.00pm Subject: Managing old software you still need iPad Group* Kapiti - 17 August 1.00pm - 3.00pm Apple has introduced 2019 models of the 13-inch MacBook Air and entry-level Help Desk* 13-inch MacBook Pro, both with retina display and two 3 ports. Kapiti - 7 September The MacBook Air has minor changes from last year’s model and is priced 1.00pm - 4.00pm starting from $1949. All MacBook Pros now have a Touch Bar, Touch ID and quad core (or better) See page 2 for more details of meetings processor. The MacBook Pro is priced starting from $2299. *Please register by emailing The 12-inch MacBook and old-style MacBook Air have been discontinued. [email protected] Where to find us Unless otherwise indicated, main meetings are normally as follows. Wellington: last Monday of the month (except December) at Brian Davis Room, Cathedral of St Paul, corner Hill St and Molesworth St, Wellington. Kapiti: first Monday of the month (except January) at Kapiti Uniting Parish, Weka Road, Raumati. Help desks and other special interest meetings vary.

The President Writes p2 Locate options - macOS p6 INSIDE Skype vs FaceTime - Which Is Best p5 Share your Wi-Fi with a friend - iOS p6 For those new to the Mac — macOS p6 Committee Contact Details p8

CAPITAL APPLE – JULY 2019 PAGE 1 The president writes ...

Kapiti Help Desk The help desk is scheduled from 1 pm to 4 pm on Saturday 7 September in the Kapiti area. We have booked Kapiti Uniting Parish for the date, but this is conditional on getting enough registrations. If too few people are wanting to attend, we will either need to find an alternative venue or cancel David Empson this help desk. We’ll make a decision after the [email protected] Kapiti meeting in early September. If you would like to attend the Kapiti help desk, Hi folks. please register as early as possible by emailing Wellington Meeting Shane Gordine [email protected]. Our main meeting in Wellington will be held on We can help with questions or tutorials on most Monday 29 July in the Brian Davis Room at Apple products, and there is no cost to attend. Wellington Cathedral of St Paul, corner Hill St and Molesworth St, Wellington, from 7.15pm. The meeting will start with a Q&A session for is Leaving Apple those who have any technical issues. It would be Sir Jonathan Ive has been Apple’s head of design appreciated if questions could be emailed in since about the time returned to Apple advance to [email protected] so we can (he was already working for Apple for several plan ahead. Following Q&A we will have a light years prior to that). His name will forever be supper, then the main topic: associated with the design of iconic Apple products “Managing old software you still need”. I will like the iMac, iPhone, iPad, and many discuss and demonstrate options for dealing with others, as well as buildings like Apple retail stores old applications that are not compatible with a new and Apple’s new “” headquarters. Mac or new macOS version, such as running them Ive will be be departing Apple later this year to on an older Mac, or using virtual machine software form his own independent design company, which to run an older macOS version inside a newer will have Apple as a client. version. Ive was not personally responsible for every Kapiti Meeting product design, but since the passing of Steve Jobs The Kapiti meeting will be held on Monday 5 in 2011, Ive had control over which designs made it August, at the Kapiti Uniting Parish, 27 Raumati to the public in released products. With other Rd, from 7:15 pm. people in charge and a revised structure, we could The main topic for the meeting is the same as see different concepts in Apple product design Wellington: “Managing old software you still going forward. need”. If you would like to receive e-mail macOS 10.14.6 and iOS 12.4 announcements about upcoming Kapiti meetings, Apple has released the latest minor version please contact Don Niccol [email protected]. updates for current operating systems, plus Security and updates for macOS Sierra iPad Group 10.12.6 and macOS High Sierra 10.13.6. An iPad group meeting will held at a member’s All of these updates include important security house in Kapiti on Saturday 17 August from 1pm fixes, so should be installed promptly. to 3pm. For further details or to register, please iOS 12.4 adds a new feature: when you get your contact Shane Gordine [email protected]. next iPhone, you can migrate data wirelessly from your current iPhone during initial setup, avoiding continued over page

CAPITAL APPLE – JULY 2019 PAGE 2 the need to do a backup via iTunes or iCloud. Both Some of Mojave’s new security features can cause need to be running iOS 12.4 or later, and it some confusion at first. There are new mechanisms won't work if the new phone is running an older which require user permission before applications iOS version than the old iPhone. (No mention of are allowed to access some parts of the computer. this feature also supporting .) These are configured via > Security and Privacy > Privacy. The new ones are macOS Sierra users: Upgrade soon Camera, Microphone, Accessibility (controlling the These are the last expected Security and Safari computer) and Full Disk Access which is needed for updates for macOS Sierra 10.12. To keep your some utility software. system secure, those still on Sierra should be planning to upgrade to a later version preferably Time to buy a new Mac? by September. If you get a new Mac before September, it will come with Mojave. If you buy a new Mac in Upgrading to High Sierra (10.13) September or later, it may come with Catalina. An All Macs which can run Sierra are also able to early version of a new OS is likely to have more bugs run High Sierra, which is expected to get one more and stability problems than a late version of the year of Security and Safari updates. You can previous OS, therefore it is safer to buy a Mac before download the High Sierra here: September or to wait until well after September to https://support.apple.com/en-nz/HT208969 allow time for bug fixes. If you are running an older system (OS X 10.11 Future models introduced in September or later El Capitan or earlier) your Mac might be too old to will come with Catalina and will not be able to run upgrade to High Sierra: you need a Late 2009 or Mojave or earlier. newer Mac, apart from a which needs to be Mid 2010 or later. General advice for macOS upgrades High Sierra was mostly fine for application Check your third party software for known compatibility compared to Sierra and El Capitan. I compatibility issues. Your first resource should be had problems with the iWork ’09 versions of the web site of the application developer. It may also Keynote (5.x) and (2.x) but 4.x was help to look at user contributed sites like still OK. The latest versions of these applications roaringapps.com but they can be inaccurate. worked fine. I strongly recommend having a full system High Sierra is the last version which Apple says backup before installing a major new macOS will run 32-bit applications “without compromise”. version. This makes it possible to revert to the old system if you run into a compatibility problem. Upgrading to Mojave (10.14) A Time Machine backup is usually sufficient (as macOS 10.14.6 will be the last minor version long as you haven’t excluded anything). update for Mojave, after which only Security and If you want to play it safe with an extra backup, Safari updates are expected on a regular basis. you can use software such as SuperDuper! or If your Mac is a 2012 or newer model (or a Carbon Copy Cloner to clone your entire system to 2010-2012 with a suitable graphics card), another spare hard drive. you can upgrade to Mojave, which will give you I’m happy to answer questions if you are two more years of Security and Safari updates. planning to upgrade macOS or buy a new Mac. The Mojave installer can be downloaded from before Catalina is released in September, What about iOS devices? after which Apple will probably create another iPhones and iPads tend to have fewer support article for those who need to get Mojave compatibility problems due to tighter rules for apps, for compatibility reasons. but you are more likely to run into bugs and The main implication for 32-bit software is compatibility problems if you upgrade quickly to a Mojave warning you that the application is “not major new version. optimized” for Mojave. (High Sierra showed that As with Macs, future models introduced in warning once, Mojave repeats it every month for September or later will come with iOS/iPadOS 13 so each 32-bit application you run.) early buyers are more likely to encounter bugs.

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CAPITAL APPLE – JULY 2019 PAGE 3 New MacBook Air and Pro Discontinued Models Back in May, Apple released “speed bump” Apple has stopped selling the 12-inch MacBook updates for the 15-inch MacBook Pro and high end (with one USB-C port) and the older variant of the 13-inch MacBook Pro. Now they have updated the 13-inch MacBook Air (with USB-A, SD card, low end models, leaving us with fewer models to Thunderbolt 2 and MagSafe). These were both 2017 consider, a clearer distinction between prices and models and the MacBook Air was getting quite old features, and a lot more consistency. as it was a minor revision of the 2015 model. Unfortunately the 2017 MacBook Air was the MacBook Air cheapest model, so the staring price for a Mac The MacBook Air is the notebook model I laptop is now almost $2000. recommend for most Mac users, unless you need to I have seen several local retailers selling off the run software that requires higher performance. old models at reduced prices. The 2019 MacBook Air is almost identical to the 2018 model, with a retina display, two Thunderbolt Keyboards 3 (USB-C) ports, keyboard with function keys and All of the new Mac notebooks have the “new Touch ID sensor, and a dual-core processor. materials” variant of the 3rd generation butterfly The main changes are a True Tone retina display keyboard, which is the one Apple says should be (white balance adjusts for ambient light), keyboard more reliable. All are eligible for the keyboard repair updated to the latest revision, and a price drop by programme if anything does go wrong within four $200, now starting at $1949 for 128 GB storage. years of purchase. Many people will find that 128 GB is not Slower Storage in entry level models enough, in which case the cost goes up to $2299 for The 2019 models with two Thunderbolt 3 ports the 256 GB model, or more for a custom (MacBook Air and entry level MacBook Pro) have configuration. Choose carefully as you can’t slower solid state storage than the models they increase the internal storage later. replace. The SSDs are still much faster than hard MacBook Pro drives. This appears to be a cost saving measure and The entry level 13-inch MacBook Pro (with two is part of the reason Apple was able to reduce the Thunderbolt 3 ports) has been updated to match price of the MacBook Air. most features of the high end 13-inch model: Touch To get the fastest internal storage you need a Bar and Touch ID instead of function keys, four MacBook Pro with four Thunderbolt 3 ports (either core processor, T2 security chip, keyboard updated 13-inch or 15-inch). to the latest revision, and a $100 price increase, For all models, writing is slower for smaller now starting at $2299 for 128 GB storage, $2649 for capacity solid state drives (read speed is consistent). 256 GB. (The price increase appears to be due to the Price drops for high capacity storage exchange rate, as US prices did not change.) At the same time as introducing these new Compared to the high end 13-inch MacBook Pro models, Apple has reduced custom configuration models (with four Thunderbolt 3 ports) the pricing across all Mac models (including desktops) differences are performance and the number of for solid state drives with 1 TB or higher capacity. ports. The four port models have two ports on each Storage prices at the high end are still very side, rather than just two on the left. Having ports expensive, but they are no longer insanely on the right side is handy in some situations, e.g. expensive. In many cases the incremental cost to powering the four port models from either side. custom order with 1 TB or higher storage is about Compared to a MacBook Air, all MacBook Pros half its previous price, but it still costs about $350 have performance advantages (more CPU cores more to get 1 TB instead of 512 GB. which can sustain harder work, faster graphics), a Touch Bar rather than function keys, and display which is brighter and can show a wider range of That’s all, folks! David Empson colours. They are slightly heavier, have a blockier To contact me, [email protected], or you shape, and less battery operating time. can ring me at home (976 9755)

CAPITAL APPLE – JULY 2019 PAGE 4 Skype vs FaceTime, Which One Is Better? By Graeme Moffatt

Further to our review of FaceTime in our May However, Facetime allows group video calls issue, this time we will take a look at Skype and for free. Skype have now made this a Premium FaceTime, both of which are widely used, based on an feature in version 5 costing US$4.99 a day or article on the web site ezTalk, and make US$8.99 a month. Overall, it depends on your comparisons. Let’s compare both on some important needs. fronts and try to find out which one is the best video- Updates: calling service out there. Both allow auto-updating from within the Not so long ago, Skype was the only serious apps. However, as many Skype users have contender for calling friends, family and colleagues already done so on Mac, you can easily roll-back over the net. Yet a few years, and an unpopular major to version 2.8 if you’re unhappy with version 5.0 update later, Skype has gone down in the estimation by simply downloading and reinstalling it. of many Mac users. Not so with Facetime. As with all apps from At the same time, Apple released its answer to the , there’s no rolling them back if Skype - Facetime - which is rapidly climbing the you’re unhappy with the new look or features. download charts as a serious alternative. It’s therefore Call Quality: about time we put Skype and Facetime head-to-head This is a hard one to judge because much will to see which is the king of calling. depend on the quality of your internet Interface: connection. In terms of audio, both are about the Until the update to version 5, most Mac users were same. In terms of video however, on a 1-Mbps satisfied with the interface of Skype. Since the latest connection Facetime offers incredibly high version however, many have found the new large- quality HD video chats of 720p. Unfortunately screen interface intrusive, unintuitive and basically though, HD quality is limited to new MacBook harder to use than previous versions. Some have even Pros due to the iSight camera requirements. gone back to the much slimmer version 2.8. Every other MacBook user has to do with VGA Facetime meanwhile has a very simple interface quality which is still pretty good. which instantly detects your iSight camera on startup Skype also offers HD calls but both you and and makes calling simple. Even better, it the person you’re talking to need Skype 4.2 for automatically detects contacts in your Address Book Windows or higher plus HD webcams. For so you don’t have to mess about adding them. everyone else, Skype video calls are in the same However, it is still very basic compared to Skype at 640×480 VGA resolution as Facetime. Both this stage of its development. Facetime and Skype support full-screen video Flexibility: too. Skype can be used on both Mac and Windows and Despite both being very capable video calling you can call landlines or mobiles anywhere in the apps and each having its own pros and cons, world. In terms of flexibility and interoperability recommending one over the other is fairly easy, between platforms Skype takes some beating. and it will depend entirely on your needs. Facetime however is very much locked into Overall, while Facetime is very promising, everything Apple. Its not even available on Windows, Skype still remains the superior calling tool works only on Macs or iPads, you can’t call landlines because of its flexibility. Facetime can only be and the only mobiles you can call are iPhones. used with other Mac and iOS devices and that Cost: will be a major drawback for many users. Skype Skype is free to download. Facetime costs $0.99 to allows you to call anyone, anywhere and that download on the Mac App Store (although rumor is remains its over riding appeal. that it will be bundled free in new Macs sold with forthcoming Lion OS X) and there is no trial version. Both allow free calls between computers (Macs only in the case of Facetime) and mobiles with either Skype or Facetime installed.

CAPITAL APPLE – JULY 2019 PAGE 5 For those new to the Mac — macOS By Pam Doughty

What is macOS? macOS is the name of the that powers all Mac computers, like Windows on PCs. Unlike Windows, MacOS is only supplied with Apple computers. macOS comes with a rich suite of apps to simplify everyday tasks like Mail (email), Safari (web browsing), TextEdit (create, open and edit rich text documents including those created in other word processing apps, including Microsoft Word and OpenOffice), Pages (word processor), Numbers (spreadsheets) and Keynote (presentations). It integrates well with Apple’s family of mobile devices like the iPhone and iPad. Some of the basics of using macOS Desktop and Menu Bar When your Mac starts up, you’ll see: The menu bar displays application options like At the top of the screen the menu bar, At the bottom File, Edit, Help and so on. On the right-hand side is the , of the menu bar are status indicators for system Behind all your windows is the desktop. and third-party apps. These include Wi-Fi and battery meters. The Dock The dock is divided into two parts: to apps, and pinned folders or minimised windows. You can arrange the dock to appear along the bottom, left, or right edges of the screen under System Preferences >Dock.

Finder is the default MacOS file management app. It lets you browse your hard drives and other connected devices. There are several components to the Finder macOS uses a desktop as a temporary workspace , which you can toggle under the View on which to store files. Hard drives, external drives, menu bar item: and mounted disk images will all appear here when • bar: Automatically shows and hides when connected to your computer. you open a new tab within Finder (Cmd + T). At the top of the screen, the menu bar changes, • Path bar: Displays the path to the current folder based on the currently active app. at the bottom of the screen. One menu item is always present — the Apple • Status bar: Lists the number of items in a location menu. This is where you can Shut Down your and available disk space. Machine, and access information related to your • Sidebar: A list of favourite or frequently-used Mac under the About This Mac option. locations on the left-hand side. • Preview: An expanded pane on the right-hand side of the window.

CAPITAL APPLE – JULY 2019 PAGE 6 macOS Updates macOS delivers updates via System Preferences from the , then click Software Update. NOTE: For systems prior to Mojave updates are obtained from the App Store app. Updates to the operating system are important to install because they fix bugs and security holes. Backing Up With Time Machine Time Machine is Apple’s automatic backup Spotlight is the name of your Mac’s search solution. It works using an external drive, though engine, and it appears in a floating window any you can specify network locations if you want. To time you press Cmd + Space or tap the get started, plug in a (blank) external hard drive magnifying-glass icon near the top-right. Type with at least as much space as your Mac’s system your query and macOS will respond with drive. More space is better, since you’ll have a context- sensitive results. Press Return to action greater archive of backups to peruse. When your the top result. drive becomes full, the oldest backups are deleted In the image below Pages would launch. first. You can browse your backups at any time by connecting your Time Machine hard drive, then clicking the Time Machine icon in the menu bar and selecting Enter Time Machine. The purpose of this backup is to restore your Mac to its current glory if something goes wrong. That includes hardware or operating system failure, or even moving to an entirely new Mac. Backing up is important for securing your Mac when you travel. For full backup redundancy, consider creating non-Time Machine backups too. Apple's page for those New to Mac, which may assist you: https://support.apple.com/en-au/explore/new- to-mac

Locate menu bar options quickly — macOS Some apps have many menu bar options, making it difficult to remember where they are located. Rather than searching through each drop-down list, you can use the Help menu (last item to the right). It contains a search box, where you can type in the name of the option you are looking for. Results come up beneath the search box. Hovering over a result will show you the menu it’s in for future reference. However, you can just click the result to select it. Share your Wi-Fi with a friend — iOS iOS has a handy feature that allows you to share your Wi- Fi password with a friend visiting your home. You both need to be using iOS11 or later and you and your friend need to have each other listed in the Contacts app. Your friend needs to open the Settings app, tap Wi-Fi and select the name of your Wi-Fi network from the list. Your device needs to be connected to your Wi-Fi network. When your friend selects your network you will see a message on your iPhone or iPad asking you if you want to share your password. When you tap “Share Password” your Wi-Fi password is sent to your friend’s iPhone and they’re able to join your Wi-Fi network. Your friend will have access to your Wi-Fi. Although your friend will not actually know your password immediately — if it is stored in — it may be viewable on their Mac.

CAPITAL APPLE – JULY 2019 PAGE 7 PO Box 1100, Wellington 6140, New Zealand

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The Wellington Macintosh Society Incorporated is a non-profit editor or the Wellington Macintosh Society Inc. Copyright of trade- organisation formed in April 1984 with the following objectives: marks and trade names used remains with the owners at all times. • To exchange and disseminate information among the members Advertising rates: $35 full page, $20 half-page (members); $50 full concerning the computer arts and sciences. page, $35 half-page (non-members). For details, contact the editor. • To publish books, newsletters, magazines and periodicals for the benefit and education of members and the public. Home phone • To conduct and sponsor seminars, lectures and courses relating Patron to the computer arts and sciences. President David Empson 976 9755 • To provide technical assistance to members of the group. Vice President Shane Gordine N/A • To seek privileges and discounts for members. Secretary Andrew McPherson 971 1914 Subscriptions: $30 a year from date of joining. Treasurer Peter Kirby 478 5386 Website: http://www.welmac.org.nz Journal editor Graeme Moffatt 905 6321 Email: [email protected] (email addresses for committee Membership Secretary Shane Gordine N/A members are available on the website) Committee Joseph Booth 526 5141 Please contact the information officer for all enquiries regarding Graeme Moffatt 905 6321 meetings and other activities. Membership enquiries should be Martin McKendrick N/A Information Officer Dennis Hamblin 478 9466 directed to the membership secretary. TheCAPITAL views expressed APPLE in this –journal JULY are 2019not necessarily those of the PAGE 8