Macworld magazine
First off, if you do not have a subscription to Macworld magazine, I sincerely suggest you get one.
I’ve been subscribed to Macworld for over 1 year, which may seem like a very small amount of time to some, but I assure you that I have benefited greatly from it’s contents. Macworld magazine is filled with some very good articles dealing with some very important topics in technology. Although Macworld magazine is directed towards the Mac enthusiast, it was instrumental in my transition to Macintosh from Windows.
The articles found within Macworld magazine are professional, yet informal enough, which makes the magazine extremely enjoyable to read. Its main focus, in my opinion, is to help the reader become better users of the Macintosh platform. The entire magazine is chocked full of tips and hidden tricks that you may never otherwise be aware of. Also, you’ll find yourself having several “light-bulb” moments when you read about tasks that you have been doing everyday in a manner which may not be considered efficient.
Personally I have been able to pick up many methods of Mac use which may have otherwise taken many years experience to acquire. I remember, after using Windows for about 10 years prior to using Macintosh, I was able to move around Windows without even looking. Still to this day I can walk someone through just about any wizard or process on Windows without having a Windows machine in front of me. However, on the Macintosh I felt as though I wasn’t really getting my hands dirty for the first few months. All that changed when I got my subscription to Macworld.
This isn’t to say that a subscription to Macworld magazine will instantly make you a Macintosh guru - because I still consider myself merely mediocre at Macintosh administration. But having a strong desire to learn, and friends that are willing to help are definite advantages.
Product reviews
Macworld’s product reviews are extremely beneficial if you are working with a budget. Often times I find myself wanting to purchase 2 or even 3 similar products because I’m unsure as to which one will work best for what I am trying to do. Well, with Macworld, I can generally dive back into my, still small, collection and find the products that I am thinking of buying and see how they rated the product. This, no doubt, saves many people countless dollars and time doing their own testing.
A lot of times, you’ll see entire issues dedicated to specific product lines. In front of me I have issues pointed at Portables, Printers, Digital Cameras and Music Players. Not only do they review how these devices work with Macintosh, but they also thoroughly test out the device itself.
Reader Feedback
If you have a question, you can write Macworld and they will answer it in their next issue. I’ve seen hundreds of questions answered which matched my questions very closely. It’s like having Tech Support without ever having to ask.
Productivity
Much of the last half of the magazine is geared towards making yourself more productive on Macintosh. Utilizing features you may have never realized existed, you can do many things with your Mac to help you get things done quicker. These tips range from software product reviews, feature hints or even hacks.
My personal favorite productivity tips come from the Help Desk Mac 911 section which has hints ranging from burning photos in iPhoto to writing Macros in Microsoft Office to help you remove Word’s annoying line breaks.
Conclusion
Although I have not covered nearly all that each issue of Macworld magazine contains, I urge anyone out there interested in Apple’s products to pick up a subscription and make your technology life easier and more enjoyable.
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