Bob's Tech Talk
Q. I would like to find someone to tutor me on how to get the most out of my new Mac laptop. I’m looking for classes, coaching or any other suggestions you can offer.
A. This is a great question, and the answer depends somewhat on your location so I will start there. But there is also a wealth of online options as well.
There once was a thriving network of Apple User Groups spread across the world where volunteers would gather regularly to share information. These can be great places to find tutors or information about your local Mac community. Although many of these groups have disbanded or moved online, it is still worth searching places like meetup.com to see if there is one in your area.
Another source of information can be local Mac dealers. These are rare also, but a quick search online for “Macintosh dealer
There is an army of active and retired Mac users on social media. I would look into Mastodon (mastodon.social) or Instagram (instagram.com). You can find people on these services via the Web, but you will need to open an account on each service to contact them directly.
Finding a community online is similar to a snowball rolling downhill. It may take a while to get started, but after you find a name or two it will be easy to use those contacts to find more people. This approach depends on making good use of search queries.
Podcasts are another onramp for making contact with experienced Mac users. My advice would be to listen to a few episodes of “Upgrade” or “Mac Power Users” on relay.fm.
They offer a paid tier that gives you access to a Discord chat server, which will make you part of a very large tech-focused community.
The back episodes of podcasts available online are a treasure trove of information. Add the podcast title (such as “Mac Power Users podcast” or “Connected podcast”) to a search query along with a subject you are interested in (like “photo editing”).
One of the best online publications for Mac information is MacStories (macstories.net). It has plenty of free information but it also offers a paid tier with access to a Discord chat server.
Lastly, you asked specifically about one-on-one tutors. See the next question for more.
The Mac community is extremely welcoming, and it will not take long for you to find people who are happy to help you. In effect, the old network of Apple User Groups has moved online and it is bigger and better than ever.
Q. Is there a place where I can find tutors online to help me with my computer?
A. Wyzant (wyzant.com) offers a pay-by-the-hour student/tutor matching service. The key skill to finding the best person to help you is writing a good search query.
For Mac make sure the query includes “macOS,” which is the formal name for the Mac operating system.
For Windows, use “Microsoft Windows.”
To either of these terms, add more specific words like “beginner,” “photo editing,” “writing,” etc.
Q. What are your current picks for the best Android smartphones?
A. If by “best” you mean best overall performance regardless of price, the key component is the processor. The specific models I’d consider first are the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and the Google Pixel 8 Pro, which both boast a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.
However, given the premium prices, I would only choose one of these if my needs demanded the most powerful technology available to evaluate advanced features like AI. The best value options are the Galaxy A15 5G and the Pixel 8A.
Wander the Web
Here are my picks for worthwhile browsing this month:
Tech That Matters
Beebom lists cool and interesting websites to help you kill time. https://beebom.com/
Tech Podcast Network
This podcast collection offers a diverse range of tech-related and creativity-focused podcasts, catering to users of all skill levels. https://www.relay.fm/
Discover Drawing
A community for cartoonists to share their illustrations, often featuring humorous content.
https://www.doodleaddicts.com/
Bob has been writing about technology for over three decades. He can be contacted at techtalk@bobdel.com.
