I ran across this photo in my library and had to pause: Steve Jobs, talking about the evolution of Apple products including the Macintosh PowerBook 140 on screen, and a few minutes from revealing the original iPad on January 27, 2010. When you think about the technological advancements we’ve seen since then, and even before that early Apple laptop back to the first Macintosh, it’s amazing to think about how far we’ve come…
…and then realize that our methods of dealing with the numerous files on our Macs are still largely unchanged. The model of representing files and folders with virtual analog counterparts was revolutionary at the time, but look at your Mac right now: files and folders, strewn throughout an operating system that’s grown in complexity. That carries over to the iPhone and iPad, which have different methods for working with files.
To help you wrangle all that data, I’ve just released a brand new Second Edition of my book Take Control of Managing Your Files. This 148-page ebook helps you organize, search, and clean up the files on your Mac, iPhone, and iPad, providing practical steps and realistic strategies to save time, reduce clutter, and decrease stress. If you own the first edition, check your email for a special upgrade price. For everyone else, the book costs only $14.99, which gets you digital copies in PDF, EPUB, and Kindle-friendly formats.
In addition to updating the text for macOS 13 Ventura, iOS 16, and iPadOS 16, I’ve added a completely new chapter on collaborating with other people and their files, a new section on encrypting for files for security, and untangled features such as Advanced Data Protection and the new method of working with cloud services such as Dropbox or Google Drive.
The book includes a lot of foundational knowledge that people tend to bypass in the course of just trying to get things done day by day. You’ll be surprised at just how many options are available in the Finder for working with files, and for locating documents using Spotlight searches. The book covers the intricacies of complex Finder searches that can be turned into smart folders, freeing up storage space, working through a backlog of files, and more.
Dealing with a cluttered mess of files carries real costs, both in time and mental anxiety. Take Control of Managing Your Files will help you redirect your energy toward doing the productive, creative things you’d much rather focus on when using your computer and devices.
Jeff Carlson | Never Enough Coffee Creations 