This video is brought to you by CleanMyMacX So, you have a Mac, and you want to get the most
out of it? You’ve come to the right place. In this video, we’ll go over some beginner’s Mac concepts,
tips and tricks, apps, and even accessories that can help you get the MOST out of your
Mac. Everything I talk about, from items & accessories to deep dive materials like my
Beginners MacOS guides and others, will be linked in the description below, so let’s warm up with
some useful basics around MacOS built-in features. One of the things that I cannot live without is
screenshots, and the Mac is the king when it comes to that. You can take partial, app, or window, and
full-screen screenshots by utilizing the buttons CMND + Shift + 3 or 4. CMND + Shift + 3 snaps the
entire screen, while CMND + Shift + 4 brings out the crosshair to select a desired portion of the
screen. While in that mode, pressing the Spacebar will initiate the ability to take a screenshot of
an entire app or window with a transparent background and even a beautiful shadow.
Talking about apps, with the latest version of the Mac, you can turn any website into a web app. For
example, YouTube Music doesn’t have a native Mac app, so instead of keeping it active in Safari,
you can simply open YouTube Music, go to Share, and add it to the dock. This will not only add
it to the dock but also the App Library and next time you launch it, it will look super clean as
if it’s a native app, BTW, if you end up enjoying this video, consider subscribing, because WHY NOT?
Another powerful feature of the Mac is to turn pretty much anything into a PDF.
If you have an image or you have a print receipt you can use the various built-in
prompts to convert it into a PDF. Furthermore, if you select multiple images and other PDFs,
you can group them into one by right-clicking and going to QuickActions → Create PDF.
While in that QuickActions menu, you can take advantage of the built-in remove background
feature to extract the subject of a photo out of its surroundings, creating a very
decent PNG image with transparency. With the Mac, you don’t need to worry
about archives. The built-in archiver will not only allow you to open all ZIP files but also,
you’ll be able to archive galore by just selecting the file or files and folders
and right-clicking to create an Archive. The Option button of the Mac will open plenty
of additional functionalities throughout the operating system like holding Option
and tapping on the Clock to immediately activate Do Not Disturb mode - something
that will come in very handy while in meetings. If you are interested as to what else you can
do with the Option button I have a dedicated video which I’ll link at this end of this one.
Learning Mac’s keyboard shortcuts will skyrocket your productivity, and I actually
share some of the most useful shortcuts in both my Mac Tutorial for Beginners videos,
so be sure to check them out below. The very basic shortcut one should learn to use is CMND + Space
to summon Spotlight as well as Command + Option + Shift + V to paste text without formatting, which
is an absolute bummer to witness in an email. If you prefer a more focused approach to using
your Mac, consider turning on Stage Manager, which provides a more civilized way of handling multiple
windows. A companion to the Stage Manager or a solution on its own would be to use multiple
desktops which you can create a hot corner for. Of course, taking the best out of your Mac
wouldn’t be possible without utilizing Apple’s Ecosystem, the cornerstone of which is iCloud
and iCloud Drive. iCloud is a great cloud storage solution that I’ve used as my main service for
years, where you can take advantage of features like Shared Desktop and Documents folder to
sync up across all your other Apple devices. Talking about other Apple devices, the Mac
shines even more when working in tandem with the iPhone with features like Universal Clipboard,
which will allow you to copy and paste things between those devices effortlessly, oh and let’s
not forget the obvious - AirDrop, the ability to send any file back and forth in the means of
dark magic. If you participate in meetings, then Continuity Camera will help you stand out by using
the amazing rear cameras of your iPhone, which you can prop on the lip of the screen of your
Mac with the help of a little MagSafe accessory like this and I’ll get to accessories in a second.
If you have an iPad, then consider using it in a dual monitor on-the-go setup with the help of
Universal Control. Once you place the iPad next to your Mac, they will recognize each other and
will allow you to extend the control of your Mac’s trackpad and keyboard to the iPad. If
you want to extend your Mac’s screen to the iPad, then SideCar is your solution,
which works wirelessly and out of the box. Simply go to Settings, Displays, and tap on the + button
to extend your Mac’s screen to the iPad. Getting the most out of your Mac requires
regular maintenance, and the app that can help you keep your computer in tip-top shape
is CleanMyMacX. It is super intuitive to use, allowing you to declutter with just a simple
press of a button that triggers the built-in Smart Scan feature, which does cleanup, malware removal,
and speed-up all in one. As I deal with large video files constantly, Space Lens is my favorite
feature, allowing me to see what files are taking up most of my space. In the meantime,
the Menu App is the dashboard that I can glance at whenever I want to see how much memory I
use during video exports, how much storage I have left, my CPU load, battery temperature,
internet connection speed, and more. CleanMyMacX helps uninstall apps the proper way as well,
leaving no trace or residue files upon removal. Combined with the rest of the built-in tools,
it wipes megatons of junk, handling the mess after every creative process, so Embrace the Mess and
try CleanMyMacX with a 7-day free trial and 20% off by using my Promo code THISISE and following
the very first link in the description below. Moving on to a couple of other great apps,
I have to Mention Numi, which is the best in-line calculator and slash converter. It
lives in the menu bar and will help you create all sorts of conversions and calculations on
the fly. At the very least, it’s a super cool and minimal note-taker on the fly.
Superlist v1.0 just came out and it is my new favorite task / to-do / list creator app,
which works across all Apple devices and has a beautiful interface. The people of Wunderlist
are behind this great app, and it is free out of the box, being able to be expanded and used in a
team to help you manage all your important to-dos so if your significant other have
an Apple device to share things across Apple’s Reminders app, Superlist is a great alternative.
Now, I’ve always preached that a Mac can be as good as the accessories you pair it with,
so with that in mind, let me start with some protective ones that you can think of,
starting with the thinnest of them all - skins. I am a fan of the OG in that sector dbrand and
as soon as I got delivery of my 14” M3 Max, I immediately dressed it for the occasion with
dbrand’s DEADQUARTERS skin, which with this Black MacBooks is an amazing combination if you ask me.
A skin like that not only makes your Mac look unique but more importantly protects it from
scratches and scuffs when taking in and out of backpacks or when placing it on surfaces.
If you like working from coffee shops, a protective alternative to the skin would
be a sleeve that you can also carry the laptop in while serving as a mat when placing it on
the table. This Carry Sleeve from MOFT, for example, does something extra and that is
elevating the Mac at a more ergonomic position while also keeping things safe in the south.
A more desk setup portable alternative would be Orbitkey’s Hybrid Laptop Sleeve which from
a classy carring sleeve turns into a desktop mat with a dedicated space for your mouse.
If you truly want to step it up a notch when it comes to stands a fairly portable but very
robust soliton would be this Benks Rotating Laptop Stand which can accommodate pretty
much all Mac laptops. It can be stored away or carried around as it collapses, while in
the meantime serving as one of the greatest laptop rises with the ability to rotate the
computer in a very satisfying manner while also tilting it at any desired position and all this
while providing proper cooling on the bottom. Since I am a clamshell user for the most part,
I’ve had a fairly rich experience testing different Clamshell stands and I’ll start
with a classic one that features a little twist. This stand is from Vaydeer and can
probably be seen branded with other names. It is most importantly made from metal and it is
super sturdy while also providing extra side lips if you want lean your tablet for example.
If you prefer to truly elevate your laptop clamshell experience,
literally you can think in the direction of this laptop dock from Balolo, which is an
accessory made for the company’s Setup Cockpit shelf ecosystem. It really lifts up the laptop
from the desk while keeping it securely in place giving you that floating experience.
Now, if you prefer to use the Mac in a dual monitor setup, Balolo also has the Riser,
which again mounts on the shelf to allow you to flank your main monitor while still keeping
things very floaty and minimal. BTW, Balolo, have reached out to provide a 10% discount for
you if you if you use the link in the description. Despite, all recent Pro Macs featuring a decent
amount of ports you’ll inevitably get to the point when you have to plug in a USB-A cable into the C
port. The simplest accessory that you should equip yourself with is an adapter like this,
which you can pick from many reputable brands like Anker for example. Pick a pair at least
or more and keep them around for those moments. In my everyday carry I also carry a 7 in 1 hub
from Ugreen which aside from extra USB-A ports provides SD slots as well as HDMI. This will come
in handy if you have a MacBook Air for example. If you use your Mac in a desk setup a lot,
I strongly suggest investing into a decent dock as well. It will reduce cable clutter while providing
you with plenty of ports to create various single or dual-monitor setups. A dock like this will give
you the freedom of not only plugging a single cable into your MacBook but also drive displays,
peripherals and speakers at the same time. At the studio, we use such docks from CalDigit model TS4,
which stands for Thunderbolt, and I’ll be sure to link them below.
All of Apple’s OEM laptop chargers are ok, but I’d suggest leaving them untouched in
the box and upgrading to a GaN charger like this 100W one from Ugreen. This is half the
size of most chargers while providing plenty of extra ports and not just a single USB-C.
With Macs now being plenty powerful for gaming and offering amazing Apple Arcade titles,
I suggest grabbing a controller to have fun with as well. I have two controllers to show, both
coming in from a gaming company called 8bitdo. The first one is called the Ultimate Controller,
which is the best of what the company has to offer. It’s customizable, being able to connect
to pretty much anything while coming with a charging station for a great Mac desk setup
solution. For a more portable alternative, you can grab the Lite version, which is still customizable
yet very slim and portable to carry around. Now, if you want something even smaller,
then you can think in the direction of this cuteness overlead of a controller,
which I talk about in this video right here. Like & Subscribe to the channel, as well as
my newsletter, and as always, it’s been an absolute pleasure,
This is E Over & out