Alfred or Keyboard Maestro or both

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while you’ll know that I’m a huge fan of Alfred and Keyboard Maestro.

Alfred was one of the first apps that I discovered after moving from a PC to a Mac. I use its features many times every day.

I discovered Keyboard Maestro a little later on. Since Alfred was already ingrained in the way I used my Mac there were a lot of its features that I didn’t use. There’s a lot of feature overlap between Alfred and Keyboard Maestro. Over time I created or accumulated a couple of dozen Keyboard Maestro macros some that I used often and others that I rarely used.

When Alfred 4 came out in June I immediately upgraded without a thought. I think the cost was around $15. Today I received an email from the developer of Keyboard Maestro letting me know that version 9 is now available with lots of new features and an upgrade price of $25. But, I’m having trouble justifying the upgrade. After reviewing what’s new I’m not sure I’ll use any of the new features or actions.

So that leads me to question whether I even needed Keyboard Maestro. I figured if I could recreate my KM macros as Alfred workflows I wouldn’t need Keyboard Maestro any longer. So that’s what I did. To my surprise, I was able to create Alfred workflows that would do the same thing that my KM macros did. To be fair to Keyboard Maestro I love the app but don’t need to apps that will do the same thing. Also, my macros were just scratching the surface of what Keyboard Maestro can do.

For now I’ve stopped using Keyboard Maestro and I’m using Alfred for 100% of my automation. Folks, this is what works for me but may not be what works for you.

Sell Your Mac Experience

The other day I wrote that I was selling my old iMac and that I was selling it to Sell Your Mac.

At first, I was a bit apprehensive to sell it to someone other than Gazelle but since they are no longer buying Macs I had no choice.

Selling my iMac to Sell Your Mac was simple and payment was fast. I got a quote, shipped my iMac to them, and had a check for the amount quoted within a few days.

If you’re looking to sell Apple hardware be sure to get a quote from Sell Your Mac. And, don’t let the name fool you. They buy all of Apples hardware Mac, iPhone, iPad and more.

Rain Design mStand for my MacBook Pro

If you’re a regular reader of this blog you’ll know that I recently sold my old iMac to Sell Your Mac and am now using my 2015 MacBook Pro (MBP) as my primary computer.

To make my MBP more like a desktop computer, while working at my desk, I purchased the Rain Design mStand. It raises the screen height to eye level and the tilt design brings the screen closer and improves airflow around my MBP. The cable organizer behind routes my wires neatly. It’s sand-blasted and silver anodized finish matches my MBP perfectly.

I also kept my Magic Keyboard, Mouse, and Trackpad 2.

mstand_specs1The mStand is compatible with Apple MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, MacBook and other laptops with depths less than 10.4 inches. And as a side note, Wirecutter rated the mStand the best budget laptop stand of 2019.

Selling my iMac

I’m selling my late 2013 21.5” non-retina iMac. It’s getting old and tired, lots of beach balls these days. I’m also having some issues with Bluetooth. At times the keyboard and mouse get all wonky since upgrading too Mojave.

My early 2015 13” MacBook Pro is in great shape and way faster than the old iMac. The only thing I think I’ll miss is the extra screen space of the iMac. But, I figure I can use my iPad as a second screen in the event I need more screen space.

I usually sell my stuff to Gazelle but as of the first of July, they are no longer buying Macs. That was actually quite a surprise since I had just gotten a quote for my iMac from them in June. So instead, I’m selling it to Sell Your Mac. They are actually paying a little more than what Gazelle offered me back in June.

I’m looking forward to not having to keep 2 Macs up to date and in sync any longer.

1Password 6 will stop working with Safari 13

It was very disappointing to read that 1Password 6 will stop working with Safari 13.

On Monday, Apple released the macOS Catalina public beta that includes a preview of Safari 13, which is set for release this fall. We’ve discovered there’s lots to love about Safari 13, but we’ve also learned that it will no longer work for customers using 1Password 6.

I moved from LastPass to 1Password when LastPass had a security issue a few years ago. Another thing with LastPass, I didn’t like having my passwords on LastPass’ servers. At that time the 1Password vault was locally stored which is what I was looking for.

Now, here’s my dilemma. One, 1Password 7 is a subscription, which I don’t want, or I could buy the upgrade for the standalone version at $49.99 which I don’t want to do either since 1Password 6 does everything I need.

Here are my options:

1Password 6 will continue to work in Firefox and Chrome so I could switch to Firefox.

1Password 6 will continue to work with other browsers. Safari lovers like myself won’t want to hear this one, but if you’re stuck and really can’t upgrade, you can still use 1Password 6 in Chrome, Firefox, Opera, and Vivaldi.

Or I could switch password managers and continue using Safari as my preferred browser. I have Enpass installed on my Macs, and iOS devices but haven’t used it. One thing I like about Enpass is vaults are locally stored and can sync via iCloud. I also like that Enpass is a purchase and not a subscription.

Over the next few weeks, I’m going to experiment with my options.

Jon Gruber on Jony Ive leaving Apple

If you’re into this type of thing, John Gruber’s take on Jony Ive, Apple’s longtime design guru, leaving Apple is a good read. Gruber is the designer and inventor of Markdown. He also writes Daring Fireball, an Apple-focused blog and hosts a related podcast The Talk Show.

Jony Ive Is Leaving Apple

I don’t worry that Apple is in trouble because Jony Ive is leaving; I worry that Apple is in trouble because he’s not being replaced.

Further reading:
Apple’s stock took an $8 billion hit after the news that design chief Jony Ive will be exiting the company

Apple will be just fine without Jony Ive — sorry, Jony

Ive Moves On

2018 and newer MacBook Pro and MacBook Air now included in Apple’s Keyboard Service Program

I meant to write about the changes to Apple’s Keyboard Service Program a few weeks ago but I never got around to it. So, here it is now.

These changes were particularly good news for me because I bought my wife a 2018 MacBook Air for Christmas and I have been hearing rumbles that some folks are having problems with the keyboard.

Here’s the good news. As of May 21, 2019, Apple extended the Keyboard Service Program for MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro to include the 2018 MacBook Air and the 2018 and 2019 MacBook Pro. I have also heard that in order to speed up the repair process the repairs are now being made in Apple Stores with next day turnaround.

This is Apple’s statement about the keyboards:

Apple has determined that a small percentage of the keyboards in certain MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro models may exhibit one or more of the following behaviors:

Letters or characters repeat unexpectedly
Letters or characters do not appear
Key(s) feel “sticky” or do not respond in a consistent manner

Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider will service eligible MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro keyboards, free of charge. The type of service will be determined after the keyboard is examined and may involve the replacement of one or more keys or the whole keyboard.