Top 10 FREE Mac Hacks and Tips for Newbies and All!

Macs are simply awesome. On the outside, they are beautiful to behold and to hold. On the inside, you have Mac OS and free annual OS updates which actually improves the experience.

As much as I love my Macbooks to bits, there are just times where you simply wonder why can't Macs be like Windows. Often the answers are right under our nose (i.e. it's built into Mac but we never knew!) and other times, you need some help. Whether you are a Mac newbie or a relatively seasoned user, I hope are my top 10 tips and hacks that I use daily will benefit you. And the best part? They are 100% free.

#10 -  Control your Mac from another Windows or Mac machine

There are lots of tools on Windows for remote desktop, but on a Mac the choices are fewer and often expensive. Take heart! The answer lies in an unusual ally called Google. Using Google Chrome Remote Desktop, you can control your Mac from anywhere, both from Windows and Mac for free just using your Google Chrome browser!

# 9 - Take a screenshot

No Printscreen button??? No problem. Just do:
Command + Shift + 4 to save a screen to the desktop or
Command + Option + Shift + 4 to save a selection to the desktop

# 8 - Save any files in PDF

On Windows, you need to install software like Primopdf to save a file as PDF using a print hack. On the Mac, it's already built in. All you have to do is click "Print" and select the "PDF" drop down from the bottom left of the print options screen. Then select "Save as PDF".

# 7 - Unlock the SECRETS

A freeware tool loaded with features, but you gotta be careful with what you turn on or off. Here are some things I've done with it:
- Show/hide hidden files
- Disable/enable dashboard
- Save screenshots in JPEG instead of PNG files
Get it here.

# 6 - Prevent your Mac from sleeping with one click

Ever found yourself doing a presentation but while you were having a Q&A session, the Mac conveniently decided to go to sleep? Try Caffeine. A freeware and super light weight program that guarantees your Mac stays wide awake, much like what the real stuff does to your brain but without the side effects.

# 5 - Delete unwanted language files from your Mac

Want to save about some space from your small but fast SSD? Every GB counts especially knowing your Macbook's hard drive is soldered to the motherboard, so what if I told you you can save about 1GB to 2.5GB worth of disk space? Use Monolingual to do just that.

# 4 - Move files instead of Copy

Something Windows user take for granted. Ctrl+X. On a Mac, try as you may, but there is no way to invoke a Cut command for a file. BUT what you can do, is to first copy a file via CMD + C, but instead of pasting the file, right mouse click and press Option on your keyboard. There you will see Paste Item changing to Move Item here!

# 3 - Make your windows work like Windows

The plus button on the top left of your Finder window really doesn't do anything much, does it? You can never predict what happens if you press it. This is one of the greatest frustrations I've ever had with Mac OS. Granted, this apparently is going to be finally resolved in Mac OS Yosemite (10.10) where it finally goes to full-screen mode. For those who can't wait, there are two options you can take.

• RightZoom - makes the "+" button work like Windows for most applications like Microsoft Office
• Cinch - allows you to move maximize Windows the way you do on Windows 7 onwards by dragging the windows to the edge of the screen. This is a shareware, so you'll be greeted with a nag screen every so often, but it's really quite bearable.

# 2 - Go buy stuff direct from China

Macbook stuff cost a bomb. MiniDisplay port to VGA and HDMI each costs RM99 (USD30). A USB to Ethernet adapter another RM99. I got all three for RM40, saving me a cool RM260 (that's 87% savings!). While you have to still spend money, the tools you require to buy these items are 100% free, and it's called eBay. Checkout my USB Ethernet Hub review and more in the upcoming posts.

# 1 - Add a DEL button to your keyboard!

My all time favorite hack of all. Technically you do have a "Delete key", but it's really a "Backspace" equivalent on Windows. What you want is a "forward delete" function. To do this, you need a freeware called Karabiner (used to be known as KeyRemap4MacBook).

Under "Change Key", and select "Change Backslash (\) to Forward Delete". Voila! A DEL button on your Mac!

Hope you found at least one of these tips helpful in making your Mac a little more productive! :)


Disclaimer: I shall not be held responsible should your Mac OS start acting wonky or blows up. I've personally tried all these on my Macbook 2010 and Macbook Air 2013, but that's me.