As many are wont to do, we here at Rocket Yard like to take some time to reflect at the beginning of each new year. We look back at what went well and what hurdles we encountered. We celebrate the victories and learn from the challenges. In 2019, we saw our readership grow by 32% – a fantastic increase that we can only attribute to you. And for that, we thank you!
As we look forward and dive into a new year, we’d love to hear from you! We strive to provide the best in tips, tricks, news, reviews, and more, so your thoughts, comments, and questions are always welcome. What would you like to see the Rocket Yard team bring to you this year? Do you have an idea for a blog post? Perhaps there is a particular topic that would be of great interest? Is there a specific “How To” you’d like us to consider unraveling? If so, please let us know in the comment section below, or email us directly at rocketyard@macsales.com – we are looking forward to another great year!
As we look back over 2019, it’s interesting to see what posts have generated the most interest from readers. Well, it’s no surprise that the new macOS 10.15 Catalina dominated the traffic. Enjoy the recap!
The 10 Most Popular Rocket Yard Posts of 2019
1. How to Fix macOS Catalina Installation Issues
Installing a new version of the Mac OS is generally a fairly pain-free process; this trend continues with macOS Catalina. However, if you are having installation issues and don’t have a backup to revert from, perhaps one of these tips will get you back on track.
2. Photos in macOS Catalina
The Photos app in macOS Catalina underwent a major upgrade, bringing many iOS 13 Photos features to the Mac OS. And while Photos retains much of the same user interface as recent versions, the entire app feels snappier, while supporting many new features.
3. How to Downgrade From macOS Catalina to Mojave or Earlier
Did you upgrade to macOS Catalina and decide it’s not for you? Perhaps a favorite app isn’t Catalina compatible, or changes in some of the apps Apple provides are not to your taste. Maybe your Mac just seems to be performing poorly with Catalina, or you would just like to get back to a Mac OS you know works on your Mac.
4. Tech Tip: Should You Shut Down Your Mac or Let It Sleep?
One question that new Mac users often ask is whether they should shut down their Macs at the end of the day or just let them sleep. The quick answer is that sleep is better for your Mac, and in this Tech Tip we’ll show you why it’s better to just let your Mac go to sleep than shut it down each day.
5. How to Clean Install macOS Catalina
macOS Catalina is usually installed as an upgrade over an existing version of the Mac OS. But you can also perform a clean install, which places a pristine version of macOS Catalina on a drive of your choice.
6. How to ‘accept’ an app in the Mac App Store
After I bought my new iMac (and stuffed it with memory from OWC) I decided to start fresh instead of simply transferring all my data over from my older Mac. Everything went smoothly … at first.
7. Is the 16-inch MacBook Pro User-Upgradable?
Apple has been steadily moving away from products that users can upgrade themselves. But since we have seen Apple once again implement user-accessible options in the new 2019 Mac Pro, might we get lucky with the new 16-inch MacBook Pro and a return to the glory days of DIY?
8. How to Manage, Move Your Photos Library to an External Drive
When you first use Photos, you create a new library or select the library that you want to use. You’ll need to properly manage them, including taking steps to make sure you don’t run out of local storage. But what if you do?
9. A Complete List of Catalina Compatible Macs
WWDC 2019 gave us an official preview of Apple’s new macOS 10.15 Catalina. As with any new release, users are always left wondering… Do I need to buy a new computer, or will my current Mac be supported?
10. Everything You Need To Know About FileVault Encryption
Long-time readers of the Rocket Yard have probably heard us mention Apple’s FileVault Encryption, which is a way to encrypt the startup disk on your Mac. In this Mac 101 article, we’ll take a detailed look at FileVault, how it works, things to watch out for when using it, and why owners of Mac laptops should consider using FileVault.