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7 Apple MacBook Pro Tips for Beginners

With Apple officially being the world’s largest PC vendor, MacBooks have become the laptop of choice for many people. It’s hard to blame them.

Equipped with a smooth user experience, a long life expectancy in comparison to most computers, and innovative controls for beginners, MacBooks truly are one of the most worthwhile purchases.

The MacBook Pro is somewhat more expensive than the Air but might be the one to go for if you’re looking at making the switch to Apple. It has a more powerful processor and more memory, meaning a better experience despite a slightly higher price tag. 

Don’t be too intimidated to make the switch from another vendor! With these Apple MacBook Pro tips, you’ll be a pro yourself in no time. 

1. Split View for Mac

Split view is a feature that was introduced to Mac for those who like to multitask, and means you can have multiple programs running on the screen.

This was always possible since you can change the size of windows and shift stuff around to have them running alongside each other. The great thing about the split view, however, is that it allows you to do this without having to mess around with your windows.

Want to work and watch Netflix on the same screen without having to jump between windows? Want to draw on Photoshop and keep your reference up too? 

Split view has great uses for anyone. 

2. Voice Control

In your system preferences, under ‘accessibility’, you will find that you can turn on voice control. 

Voice control is exactly what its name suggests. You can give your MacBook Pro commands by speaking aloud rather than having to type in everything you want it to do.

For those who want to do less work while using their computer and save time, it’s one of the best Mac shortcuts.

3. Download Programs From the Web

If you can’t find the app you want in the app store, no need to worry. Your MacBook Pro will allow you to download programs from the web too.

You might get a security pop-up asking if you’re certain about going ahead, so make sure the program is safe first. Fortunately, Macs are well equipped against most viruses.

Once the program is downloaded, you can add it to your menu bar and your launchpad like any other app.

It’s especially handy for things like Adobe flash player for Mac, which HTML5 websites may still need.

4. Use Spotlight for a Variety of Things

Press Command + Space to open Spotlight, one of the MacBook Pro Tips that will truly enhance your user experience.

You can use Spotlight to search for anything on your Mac, so it’s much quicker than scrolling through files when looking for something.

But that’s not all Spotlight can do.

It can give word definitions, calculations, and even currency conversions. It can tell you the current weather in your location, find movie showtimes, and so much more. It’s essentially a little hub in your laptop that’s built to serve you, and it has many features and uses! 

5. Sign Documents Online

Gone are the days of receiving a contract through e-mail that was a pain to sign. Once, it required printing the PDF, signing it, and scanning it back in to send it back. 

With your MacBook, you can sign it right there on your computer.

Open up the PDF and choose ‘markup’ to sign it. Drag your finger across the trackpad to mimic your signature and the PDF will be digitally signed, allowing you to send it back without having to worry about setting up your printer and finding a pen.

It may be a small feature, but it’s truly one of the most convenient. 

6. Personalize Your Menu Bar

One of the simpler Mac tips and tricks is customizing your menu bar, which many people aren’t aware they can do.

The menu bar, which initially starts out at the bottom of the screen, can be dragged anywhere — left side, right side, even the top! You can remove the apps you don’t use and add the apps you do.

Simply right-click an app when it’s open and select ‘keep in dock’ to pin it to your menu bar. Likewise, if you’d like to remove one from being permanently there, choose ‘remove from dock’. 

7. One of the Best Apple Macbook Pro Tips, the Clean Screenshot

Any old computer can create a screenshot. Shift + Command + 3 will do it for you on a MacBook Pro. 

If you’re looking for the best ways to use a MacBook computer that can save time, try Shift + Command + 4 instead.

While the first option will create a screenshot of the whole page, the second will allow you to choose a selection of the screen. If you only want a small part of your screen to be captured, you don’t have to drag the whole screenshot into an editing program to crop it. 

This is a pretty unique and awesome feature that saves some time and might even save you from having to add an extra program. 

Your MacBook Can Do So Much!

There are so many Apple MacBook Pro tips that might save you time and enhance your experience on your new laptop.

The ones that benefit you most will depend on what you use your laptop for — whether it’s browsing, streaming, working, or something else entirely.

Some tips, like the ones above, can benefit anyone and make the experience better all round. They’re also incredibly easy to get the hang of, so don’t be afraid of making the switch to an Apple MacBook Pro! For more tech tips, check out the rest of our blog.

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