Apple Mac resources for designers

Assorted links to web sites for users of Macintosh computers.

Macs have always been linked to graphic design. And that is no less relevant today as it was 20 years ago. These are a variety of old and new resources - OS X and also older Mac operating systems. We will regularly feature selected Mac sites, so keep watching this space for updates. For a full alphabetical list, please click here.

Macintosh news rumor web sites

You know what it's like, you go out and buy a load of Apple Macintosh kit, only to discover that a week later a new range of models have been released. This is an unavoidable part of graphic designers being so reliant on the IT industry.

For Mac users, however, there are a number of web sites that claim to have insider knowledge of the Macintosh industry and publish, what they claim to be, regular 'leaked' stories about forthcoming hardware and software releases. Some of these sites do seem to have insider information and occasionally one or two of them do come up with scoops. Sometimes they even incur the wrath of Apple's legal department and are forced to take down stories.

It is not for Design : Talkboard to speculate on which of these sites has the more reliable Mac news or information, but they are all useful for amusement value if nothing else. And you never know...

Some of the more popular Mac rumor web sites include the following;

Apple Insider, Mac Rumors, Mac OS X Rumors and Crazy Apple Rumors.

A better class of Macintosh magazine

MacLife magazine


A well written US-based Macintosh magazine which is always up-to-date with the latest industry news, much of which is directly relevant to designers. The paper edition usually has a couple of CDs full of free resources, which can save hours of wading through online junk. The web site is also worth a visit.

Mac history

A complete history of the Apple Macintosh

No really, this site has a complete timeline history of all Apple computers since 1976. Starting with the Apple I and working it's way through the first Mac, to the Power Macs, Powerbooks, G3s, G4s and the recent G5 super computers.

In addition to this, there is an extensive history of the company itself, links to translations of the site and, especially useful for students, the whole site is available as a download.

Need a faster Mac?

Accelerate your Mac

Well who doesn't need a faster Mac? Especially designers, Photoshop artists and pre-press operators. As soon as a new model is released, it's out of date. But there are ways to extend the life of an old Mac, or enhance the speed of a new one. And this site is a good first point of call. From hardware reviews to software tricks, it's definitely worth a trawl through the archives.

One of the good old-timers

MacFixIt

And we mean 'old' in the nicest possible way. Macfixit is one of the first places that we look at before installing an upgrade to our Macs, or when we want to research for any reported bugs. They do seem to have a habit of sometimes reporting 'issues' even when it appears that only one user has ever experienced it, but they are usually good at prioritising real or confirmed bugs, from unconfirmed rumours. Unfortunately (for us), much of the site's archive is now for paying members only. Otherwise, highly recommended.

Mac resource links in alphabetical order (these will open in a new window).