To say that 2020 is a year we will not forget would be an understatement. With the bulk of the year taken up by a global pandemic, we have all had to quickly learn how to adapt.
Even though we saw the release of macOS 11 Big Sur, several of the highest-trafficked articles published this year were related to Catalina. This makes sense when you consider that the most recent OS was released only a few months ago – there hasn’t been sufficient time for organic hits to accumulate.
If you are interested in seeing what posts received the most overall traffic (regardless of what year it was initially published), read through to the end – we’ll put a nice little addendum there for you.
Happy New Year from all of us – let’s hope that 2021 brings great positive change!
The 10 Most Popular Rocket Yard Posted in 2020
1. Power Your MacBook Pro From The Right Side USB-C Ports: Here’s Why
Do you have a recent MacBook Pro? While these powerful notebooks have USB-C / Thunderbolt 3 ports on both sides, we’re going to tell you why you should charge your MacBook Pro using the ports on the right side.
2. How to Use Safe Mode in macOS Catalina
Your Mac has a “Safe Mode” designed to help when you run into trouble with your computer. It’s a diagnostic mode of macOS that boots up your desktop or laptop without any other apps running. Here’s how it works.
3. 10 Ways to Reuse an Old iPad
So, you’ve upgraded your iPad, and your old one isn’t selling. You don’t want to toss it in the trash, but it doesn’t seem like it’s good for much anymore. What good could a spare iPad, do you? Let’s look at the 10 most popular ways to reuse an old iPad.
4. How to Use macOS Recovery in macOS Catalina
macOS Recovery is part of the built-in recovery system of your Mac. It can help you restore data from Time Machine, reinstall the operating system, get online help online, repair or erase a hard disk, and much more.
5. How to Use Your Mac Laptop in Closed-Display (Clamshell) Mode
You can use your Mac laptop in closed-display mode (also known as “clamshell” mode) if you have an external display attached. Sometimes closed-display mode isn’t convenient. For instance, I have a 16-inch MacBook Pro connected to a 27-inch LG UltraFine display.
6. Why Is My Mac Hanging When Copying Files in macOS Catalina 10.15.4?
Are you working on a movie set, transferring hundreds of gigabytes from a camera card to a RAID array? Are you a photographer trying to copy a large project from one volume to another? If so, you may have already encountered hangs copying files after you upgraded to macOS 10.15.4.
7. How to EQ the System Audio on a Mac
The Apple Music App has an okay (i.e., usable) equalizer with plenty of presets for the average user. It can help compensate for the small speakers on your MacBook Air or MacBook Pro or fine-tune the bass and treble in your headphones to your personal tastes. But what if you listen to Spotify or stream YouTube on your Mac?
8. Should You Shut Down Your Mac Laptop at Night?
You can power off or shut down your Mac laptop, of course. Should you do it every night? Once a week? Never? Let’s consider it. Some people leave their Macs running 24/7, while others shut them down the minute they’re done using them.
9. Thunderbolt on the M1 Mac mini – When 2 Actually Does Equal 4
I have read a lot of complaints about the new M1 based Macs only having two Thunderbolt ports. Having only two ports doesn’t seem like enough for professional use. Both my 2019 16 inch MacBook Pro and my 2018 Mac mini have four Thunderbolt ports, and I can’t imagine using a Mac with only two. But then again, maybe two is enough…
10. What Is Apple’s “Thunderbolt / USB 4” vs. PC-Windows Thunderbolt 4?
Thunderbolt 4 finally promises PC/Windows users all the features Thunderbolt 3 has long offered Apple users. For Mac users, full Thunderbolt capability has always been present. This has been true since the first Macs with Thunderbolt 3 (Thunderbolt USB-C). What Apple did was simply call out that they now support USB 4.
Top Ten Most Read Articles in 2020
- How to Fix macOS Catalina Installation Issues
- Tech Tip: How to Use Boot Camp on an External Drive
- Mac Installation Errors You May Encounter and How to Fix Them
- Recover From the Dreaded White Screen of Death When Booting a Mac
- How to Move the Dock from One Monitor to Another on a Mac
- Should You Shut Down Your Mac or Let It Sleep Every Night?
- Quick Tip: Eight Ways to Force Eject a Disc from Your Mac’s Optical Drive
- How to Downgrade from macOS Catalina to Mojave or Earlier
- Is the 16-inch MacBook Pro User-Upgradable?
- Tech Tip: ‘An Error Occurred While Preparing the Installation’ Fix
Gone But Not Forgotten…
