Be Excellent To Each Other

Yep, this is how I felt.

Although you have to compare the 128GB versions as the Pro doesn't come in 64GB. Once you do that the price difference isn't all that much.

The low light pictures are fucking witchcraft though. I'm really impressed with them.

Ok I think I'll just go with the Pro. Now to choose a colour!

I went with graphite but I was really tempted by the pacific blue.

I think that's my favourite.

Have you got a case on yours?

6-8 weeks for delivery now.

Yeah, I went with the official red silicone one. It’s really nice.

I usually get a third-party toughened case but I don’t leave the house now so

I drop my phone at least once a day, sometimes Rowan tries to eat it, and it's regularly given a sticker led makeover by Neve. I'll need to choose a case with that in mind.

If anyone's in the "buy it outright" camp, don't forget/do know that Apple are offering a £120 gift card if you buy direct over Black Friday (27-30th Nov).

What is MagSafe on the iPhone 12 case and should I be making sure I get a case that has this?

It's a wireless charger that uses magnets to hold them in the optimum position.
If you're fine with plugging in, don't worry about it.

Only if you care about getting a MagSafe charger or accessories like the wallet etc.

It still works with Qi charging even if you do get a MagSafe case (I got the official silicone one).

Lady T got one of those 'maus' cases for her 11pro, the wallet attachment with magnets is neat and I think it's cool.

Using FUCKIN' MAGNETS to align things and hold them in place is useful, so I think that having it built into the phone is a good thing.

Jen ordered our new phones and there was a slight breakdown in communication so I've ended up with a pro max. It's hilariously big.

I got screen protectors off amazon and they came with a hard shell guide that places them in exactly the right place on the screen. It was the simplest screen protector application ever. I also couldn't decide on a case and was very nervous I was going to drop this absolute unit of a mobile phone so I ordered a cheap silicone backed one from amazon. It's actually really nice; it fits perfectly, feels nice, has a lip around the edges of the screen and sits proud of the camera lenses.

The camera is fantastic, a significant improvement over the iPhone X.

I've only had it a few days but the old iphone already feels like minituature phone and my work phone which I think is the model before the X is like a credit card in comparison.

I was so tempted by the Pro Max but I couldn’t justify the extra cost in the end. But now I’m well jell

Is it specced differently to the Pro? I assumed it was just ridiculously large.

The good thing is it's prompted me to buy a stand for it so I don't need to hold it if I'm using it during my working day when I'm at my desk.

Better camera is the main thing.

Work got a bunch of Macbook Airs with the new M1 chip earlier this year, so I nabbed the first one to do the initial testing with our in-house applications.

They seem pretty neat, very responsive (although my standard work tasks are not massively processor heavy) and the screen looks really good. Everything is just overall nice and feels pretty good quality.

However the speakers have some 'wide' sound setup which makes it seem like the speakers are off to the sides. It's quite effective but for me it can be a bit distracting as certain notes/ranges sound like they are out far wider than others. It was a little distracting, I found, when I was watching some youtube videos. It's not an obvious setting to disable, but as most of the time I'm using headphones or playing music through a different system it doesn't matter too much.

Can anyone help me with an Apple question?

I need to buy a monitor that a MacBook Air will connect to. What cable do I need? I’m assuming I can get a MacBook Air to display port cable but I don’t know what type of connection is needed on the MacBook end.

Something like this will do you

https://www.amazon.co.uk/DisplayPort-un ... B08BXPVPPQ

Or, as you seem to have a HDMI port on your adapter there, get a monitor with HDMI and use that

There’s no an hdmi port there is there?

Ok so USB 4 is the same as USBC?

Is there not an HDMI on the top edge? Looks like the HDMI logo to me

That's a simple question with a complicated answer. USB C is just the connector, many many things can be passed through it. Apple use them their own way and call it Thunderbolt.

But basically... yes.

Yep, I agree with Davpaz. Definite HDMI logo on there.

I can mirror or extend my laptop on various TVs about the house. Can you get monitors where you can mirror or extend your laptop similarly and might not need a cable? Or some kind of APple dongle that would allow this on a monitor SDG already has?

I hadn’t even clocked the hdmi port, what a numpty! I ordered a usb c to DisplayPort connection and now have a new problem. When I mirror the screen via this link, the cursor movement on the monitor doesn’t move, I assume due to screen resolution or refresh rate or something? Any ideas on how to fix this?

I’ll try attaching it via the hdmi on that port to see if it makes a difference.

So you move the cursor, it moves on the laptop screen but not the monitor?

Is there a specific need to be mirroring the displays? mirroring from laptops to monitors is super yucky in my experience. Either set it up so it's two separate displays, or close the laptop lid so that the monitor is the only active display (note that the macbook must be plugged into power for this mode to work, even if the laptop is 100% charged already).

Yes.

Extending wasn’t working due the same reason so I switched to mirroring so I could at least see where the cursor was.

It started working last night after rebooting and now this morning it’s stopped working again.

Has anyone had an success with attaching a monitor to a MacBook Air?

Yes - as my home office set up I've got an M1 macbook air, a Satechi 4k USB-c hub, and I'm running an HDMI to some old Dell ultrasharp monitor (a U2410, model number fans)

I seem to recall it worked pretty much straight away but I had to change a few settings in System Preferences -> Displays until I was fully happy with it.

Have you tried it in 'clamshell mode'? That's the knobby name given to it when everything is all plugged in ( including power) and it's switched on, but the lid is shut?

This isn't very helpful but, like Sir Taxalot, I've an M1 MacBook Air with a hub, and the HDMI on that has connected to three or four different screens - I think all were TVs - without any hassle. All I've done is switch which side the screen is on.

How did you go? I hope you managed to get it working.

Still having issues. Tried extending, mirroring, and having the MacBook closed. Sometimes it works fine, other (most) times there’s an issue of some sort. Either laggy or unmoving cursor on the external display or photo editing software glitches so the colour/contrast changes when the software is the active choice in the window - it literally toggles between two different colour states depending on if the cursor is inside or outside the photo editing window.

Based on Google results, these are both common issues with external displays connected to MacBooks. It’s really annoying because I’d just got the calibration right for the photo editing. She still uses the MacBook primarily as a mobile laptop either at her studio or in front of the tv but wanted an ergonomic setup for when her hands are hurting (a lovely side effect of having babies).

Hmmm, it shouldn't be that hard really, so something definitely sounds amiss there.

I don't think I've got the experience to point you in a good direction (as mine was simple and easy) so it seems like sadly for you that you're going to be in that annoying phase of trying different cables/displays/hubs and messing about in settings (both computer and the displays own settings) until something works.

Is it a decent, new monitor you are using?

Yeah it came recommended as a good monitor for use photo editing on a MacBook. Google suggests this is a common issue. I think I’ll probably be on the hook for a desktop Mac sometime soon.

Bummer, that really sucks.

*types... deletes*

iPad fans! I'm looking to get an iPad for my commute as my laptop is a touch on the bulky side.

Primarily want it for some light word processing, Google Docs fettling, script writing. And watching TV.

Would be getting a keyboard/case combo (any recommendations there? Have been looking at this by Zagg, but any first-hand recommendations very welcome.)

Finally, does the iPad Air warrant the extra £200 based on the above use cases?

Love the look of iPad Mini but would result in too small a keyboard to be useful.

Put the money into a savings account.

Ha!

Get an Xbox 360

Ha!

Ha!

(got one)

I have ordered an Iphone 14 pro direct from apple. Apple is trying to sell me 'AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss' It is about £10 a month. Is it worth it, or are there better alternatives?

Are you likely to damage, lose or have your phone stolen? I never bother with those things because I’ve not once had a phone get damaged, lost or stolen, but if you’re a clumsy oaf and/or frequent places of ill repute it may be advisable

I had a phone stolen years ago, but not since. I am a tad clumsy, but i have ordered a screen and a case

Check whether your home insurance covers it already

Or your bank account. I get phone and gadget cover cover from Barclays