Mac Power Users

Dr. David MacDonald is a musician and professor with a unique way of using the iPad, Apple TV and GoodNotes together to engage and equip his students.

All of a sudden, many people are working from their homes for the first time. This week, Stephen and David tap into their combined decade of experience to share some of what has worked well for them at home.

For many of us, the Mac is the center of our computing lives, and it's no secret the Mac has had its up and downs over the last decade. This week, David and Stephen discuss the current hardware and software that makes up our beloved computing platform. As a bonus segment at the end, they talk about the 2020 iPad Pros.

MPU Hall of Famer Merlin Mann returns to discuss using plain text, home automation, the Apple TV and more.

Much of computing revolves around writing and text input, but most of us don't think about how to make that process more productive. This week, David and Stephen explore tools and techniques that make text easier to work with.

It's feedback time! David celebrates his 5th year of being independent, while Stephen has settled on an application to manage his tech history research. Then, more on Do Not Disturb and a whole bunch of listener questions.

Writer and director David Wain returns to the show to share how his creative process has changed over the years, and walks Stephen and David through the steps of making a show like *Medical Police.*

The stars and planets are within sight, given the right hardware and software. Andrew Burwell has been honing his astrophotography skills, using Apple products to produce some amazing images of our universe.

In the last decade, the iPad has gone from a brand-new device into a wide-reaching line of products that meet the needs of a range of users. This week, Stephen and David talk about the current state of the platform, and how it fits in with the iPhone and Mac.

Family Sharing means that up to six people can share purchases, media and other Apple services. This week, David and Stephen walk through the features, how to set it up and the possible pitfalls of this Apple service.

From messages and emails to sports scores and social media, our devices generate all sorts of notifications. This week, we discuss how to weed the garden and tame the madness.

Gone are the days of waiting for the evening news to find out the weather for the next day. Now, weather data is accessible anywhere. This week, David and Stephen compare a bunch of different weather apps and services before picking their favorite.

Drafts developer Greg Pierce joins Stephen and David to talk about his move to an iMac, his development career and when it is time *not* to upgrade to a new device.

Mark Hackett runs a small non-profit working in Sudan, named Operation Broken Silence. This week, he joins David and some other Hackett guy to talk about data management so far from home, the power of Apple's apps like Pages and his move to the iPad Pro.

The iPhone has become many people's primary device for many different types of tasks. On this episode, Stephen and David look at the current state of the hardware, software and services that make up Apple's most popular product.

David and Stephen review 2019, and the changes it brought to the Apple ecosystem before talking about their hopes for 2020.

It's feedback time! David and Stephen revisit media management and external drives, then talk about David's 16-inch MacBook Pro, meditation apps and USB-C hubs. Then Stephen makes a confession, which David takes rather well.

David and Stephen interview Thomas Grove Carter, a video editor who has been using Final Cut Pro X on the 2019 Mac Pro with the Pro Display XDR. They talk about the power of the new machine, it's flexibility and how it unlocks new types of workflows for video editors.

Stephen and David are joined by John Voorhees to talk about Mac Catalyst, which allows for iPad apps to be developed for macOS. They review some early examples and talk about the technology and what it could mean for the Mac and iPad in the future.

Stephen steps behind the Genius Bar — or into the Genius Grove, as it were — to provide tips for troubleshooting Macs, iOS device and iCloud. Then, he and David talk about the new 16-inch MacBook Pro and how someone should prioritize features when buying a new computer.

Ken Case of the Omni Group, Greg Scown of Smile and Dave Teare of AgileBits join David and Stephen to talk through Apple's year and the changes it brought for developers. Then, a conversation about app subscriptions, VC funding and more.

It's that time again; the annual MPU Holiday Gift Guide has returned.

Stephen and David are joined by Brent Simmons, who works in marketing at The Omni Group. They talk about the tools of the trade, including social media and content creation before shifting gears to discuss Brent's RSS reader, NetNewsWire and where the Mac could be heading.

YouTuber and podcaster Sara Dietschy joins Stephen and David to share about her video work, from cameras to editing and beyond. They also discuss managing large amounts of data across multiple locations, the role of the iPad and turning creative work into a business.

David and Stephen talk with Ian Elsner, a museum exhibit creator who is using the iPhone SE, iPad Pro and an Intel Compute Stick together in some very interesting and unusual ways to help develop educational exhibits for kids and adults.