Welcome to The Efficient Mac User

and his family live in Oakland, TN, near Memphis. Ed learned computing on early Apple IIe computers, and his first Mac was a 1991 vintage original Macintosh LC. These days, Ed runs a 2.16 GHz Core2 Duo 20" iMac and a 13" MacBook.

He also confesses to having owned and used Wintel PCs but is glad to say his home has been a pure Mac household since the spring of 2005.

Ed says, "One of the big reasons I love Macs is that they get out of the way, so to speak, so that I can get to work. My columns will reflect this, focusing on how using technology makes my life easier."

Ed's articles will regularly look at what software works well for specific tasks, and he'll also discuss how his iPod and other gadgets help make him more efficient.

• Think bull: Why the shuttering of Think Secret is no big deal, 2008.01.04. Apple and Ciarelli have reached a mutually satisfactory agreement, and journalism is not at stake here.
• Wishes for 2008: Apple TV content, task management for the iPhone, and the MacBook mini, 2007.12.13. Apple TV is being held back due to limited content, the iPhone needs solid task management, and it's time for Apple to redefine the ultra-portable notebook market.
• Why I won't be getting an iPhone this year, 2007.05.21. The iPhone is likely to have early problems, prices are bound to come down, and the current service contract won't allow the switch until January 2008.
• 11 ways to optimize your Mac's performance, 2007.03.12. If your Mac is getting sluggish, here are 11 tips that can help restore its original performance.
• Just how good is a $300 Mac?, 2007.01.30. Used Macs can every bit as good a value as cheap new Windows PCs.
• Simple ergonomics for the road warrior, 2007.01.16. The benefits of external keyboards and mice, laptop stands, typing gloves, and anti-RSI software for notebook users.
• 2007 wish list: iPhone, iTV, Leopard, and more independent software development, 2006.12.22. Apple pulled of the Intel transtion in 2006. Here are four things we'd like to see in 2007.
• 13 sources for free and shareware Mac software, 2006.12.12. If you're looking for free, shareware, and other low-cost programs for your Mac, here are over a dozen places to help you find them.
• Getting things done: 12 task management solutions for Mac users, 2006.10.04. From simple, lightweight To-Do managers through full blown GTD systems, Mac users have plenty of options for managing their tasks and projects.
• Getting things done: 9 online task management solutions, 2006.10.03. Kinkless GTD wasn't exactly kinkless, so it was time to research other Getting Things Done (GTD) solutions. Here are nine that work online.
• Small networks: Apple's AirPort hardware trumps the competition, 2006.09.14. Creating a wireless network with a range extender was a nightmare with other brands, but Apple's AirPort Extreme Hub and AirPort Express were plug and play.
• Switching the small office from Windows to Macs, 2006.06.28. With Intel-based Macs, the time may be right to adopt OS X as your standard platform while providing Windows as an option when necessary.
• iCal alternatives, synching Palm to Mac, cross-platform project management, and securing Windows, 2006.06.01. Other calendar suggestions, looking for a separate iCal editor, say no to Norton, and securing Windows by staying off the Internet.
• What's in your workspace?, 2006.05.23. Does your workspace reflect the way you work today and let you work efficiently?
• 5 things you need to know before running Windows XP, 2006.04.20. Once you begin running Windows, you're no longer living in the essentially malware-free Mac world. Here's how to prepare for the realities of using Windows on the infested Internet.
• Project management when working with others, 2006.04.13. Sometimes you can't do the work alone and need to collaborate. Here are several useful tools, many of them free, for multimember projects.
• Working the big picture: Project management on the Mac, 2006.04.10. You probably don't need Entourage to do your project management on the Mac. How to use iCal and a few other programs to manage your projects.
• Managing tasks with iCal's to-do feature, 2006.03.23. iCal has all the important features you need in a to-do list, and some add-ons can make using it even easier.
• Unleashing the power of iCal, 2006.03.09. Apple's free iCal app is very flexible, very powerful, very extensible, and very ready to help you move away from Entourage.
• More Address Book foibles, tips, and add-ons, 2006.02.09. Readers weigh in on Macintel, Apple's Address Book, and Yojimbo. Questions and tips on becoming a more efficient Mac user.
• Yojimbo: A powerful, easy to use information management tool, 2006.02.09. Yojimbo "offers a good balance of powerful capabilities and simple user-friendliness that will fit the needs of many."
• Replacing Entourage: Mac Address Book integrates nicely with non-Apple apps and services, 2006.01.26. You can have Address Book synch with Pages 2.0, iPhoto 6, an Exchange server, other Macs (without using .mac), and online services.
• Replacing Entourage: Apple's Address Book more powerful than you might think, 2006.01.19. There's a lot more to the OS X Address Book than simply storing names and contact information. Tips for getting more out of Address Book.
• Five things I hope to see in 2006, 2006.01.05. I want to see a good all-in-one phone, iPod, PDA; a seamless Mac transition to Intel, Leopard running circles around Vista, a useful Media PC, and continued growth in Open Source.
• Picking a Mac mini, Consumer Reports' Mac coverage, and the power of Mac Mail, 2005.12.09. Further thoughts on choosing a new mini over repairing an old iMac, how Consumer Reports could better cover the Mac, and additional tips for using Apple's Mail app.
• Making Mac Mail work for you, 2005.12.09. With a few extras, the free Mail application Apple gives you with Mac OS X could be all the email software you need.
• How Consumer Reports could compare Macs fairly, 2005.11.23. Using Consumer Reports' own data and chart design, an example of how they could realistically compare Macs and Windows PCs.
• Consumer Reports just doesn't get Macs, 2005.11.17. Consumer Reports seems to be incapable of comparing Macs to Windows PCs, preferring to segregate them to their own ghetto.
• A big decision: Fix the old iMac or buy a Mac mini?, 2005.11.08. The 400 MHz iMac's transplanted hard drive had failed. Does it make more sense to drop in a new hard drive or graduate to a brand new, much faster Mac mini?

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