Macworld UK June 2018

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JUNE 2018
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PICTURE PERFECT
Best photo editors for Mac
REVIEW:
WWDC 2018
Apple 9.7in iPad WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE BIGGEST
APPLE EVENT OF THE YEAR
CONTENTS
61
NEWS
4 Apple’s new Mac Pro expected to launch in 2019

6 End of the road for QuickTime Player 7 9
REVIEW
9 Apple 9.7in iPad
BUYING GUIDE
18 Best iPad stylus

61 Best photo editors for professionals
Cover image: Kari Shea on Unsplash.com

2 Macworld • June 2018
CONTENTS
22
PREVIEW
What we expect to see at WWDC 2018 22
FEATURES
Apple’s product recalls and free repair programmes 29

Apple could use Intel’s CPUs in its next MacBooks 45
Help Desk 53
90
ROUND-UP
Latest Mac games 90
HOW TO
Change the default apps on a Mac 101

Create a bootable High Sierra installer drive 106
June 2018 • Macworld 3

NEWS
Apple’s new Mac Pro

expected to launch in 2019
A new report gives us an updated time frame for Apple’s
all‑new desktop Mac. Jason Cross reports
W
e’ve known for awhile that Apple is going
back to the drawing board with the Mac
Pro. The firm signalled as much a year
ago, while making sure everyone understood that
the newly revamped model wouldn’t come that year.
Speaking to TechCrunch in April, Apple
confirmed that the new Mac Pro will be a 2019
product. The tech giant was keen to clarify the
date because it doesn’t want customers who are
currently considering the iMac Pro to hold off,
anticipating a Mac Pro launch later in the year.

NEWS
Apple revealed its new product development

methodology for pro users. It all starts with the
‘Pro Workflow Team’, a new unit within the firm that
examines and determines real workflows for real pro
users. The focus, at first, is on visual effects, video
editing, 3D animation, and music production.
The Pro Workflow Team, comprised of real
professionals in these fields, find the bottlenecks,
pain points, and inefficiencies, and then take that
information to the engineering teams. Maybe it’s
a hardware performance limitation, maybe it’s
drivers, maybe it’s software design or a bug, but
Apple is using that information to design its new
Pro products from the ground up.
It’s also good news for Mac Pro users, who have
been frustrated by some of Apple’s design choices
around ports, keyboards, and the like. Hardware
Engineering VP John Ternus is quoted as saying, “I
want to be clear that the work that we’re doing as
a part of the workflow team is across everything.
It’s super relevant for MacBook Pros, it’s super
relevant for iMacs and iMac Pros, and in the end
I think it helps us in dialogue with customers to
figure out what are the right systems for you.”
Apple confirmed that it’s still viewing the
upcoming Mac Pro as a very modular system. Tom
Boger, Senior Director of Mac Hardware Product
Marketing: “As we said a year ago working on
modular was inherently a modular system and
in looking at our customers and their workflows
obviously that’s a real need for our customers
and that’s the direction we’re going.”

NEWS
End of the road for

QuickTime Player 7
The transition from 32‑ to 64‑bit technology means the end to
oldies‑but‑goodies like QuickTime Player 7, writes Jason Snell
I
n another step along the transition to 64‑bit
apps, Apple has started warning users of 32‑bit
programs that these would need to be updated
or they will stop running. This was news, but it is
actually a story long in the making. Last year, Apple
warned Mac developers that 32‑bit apps would stop
running “without compromise” this autumn with the
release of the successor to macOS High Sierra.
The writing has been on the wall, more or less,
since all the way back in 2009 when Apple began its
64‑bit transition with the release of Snow Leopard.

NEWS
But the move to 64‑bit apps will have casualties,

namely a whole generation of apps that are no
longer being updated, but are still used every day
by Mac users. No software is forever, but when
you lose a whole generation of apps at once it’s
a bit more noticeable.
QuickTime Player 7
And then there’s QuickTime Player 7, an app from
2009 that has somehow survived nine years beyond
its expiration date. You may not remember, but
when Mac OS X Snow Leopard was released in
2009, it introduced the new QuickTime X Player,
and QuickTime 7 Player became an optional
installation that hid away in the Utilities folder.
(QuickTime Player 7 is available for download
from Apple at fave.co/2qU4ixj.)
Why would Apple keep an older version of an
app around, side by side with the new version? The
reason is that QuickTime X didn’t offer many of the
features of QuickTime Player 7. In fact, Apple never
really implemented large portions of QuickTime
itself for 64‑bit architectures; as a result, I suspect
a lot of apps that rely on the program for their
functionality may die or need major overhauls
once the 32‑bit era officially ends.
There’s no denying that QuickTime Player 7 is a
fossil from an ancient era of the Mac. As a player,
it’s largely unnecessary – if you hate QuickTime
X, consider trying the open‑source IINA video
player (fave.co/2Hxo1Jl), written in Swift. But as
a quick and dirty video clipping and editing tool,

NEWS
QuickTime Player 7 is hard to beat – and doesn’t

really have a replacement.
Who is still riding this brushed‑metal dinosaur?
Everyone from podcasters to, oh, Lucasfilm’s
Industrial Light and Magic. What Apple has done
with Preview app – namely make it a swiss army
knife of document processing – it did more than a
decade ago for multimedia with QuickTime.
In terms of file‑saving options, QuickTime 7 is
showing its age, but its advanced export options
are something to behold. You can replace an MPEG‑
4 movie’s audio track with your own, and re‑export
the result without re‑encoding the video track, by
tweaking a few export settings. Yes, if all you want
to do is convert or re‑encode video, you’d be better
off with Handbrake (fave.co/2v2SOvp). But there’s
something to be said for a simple app with a simple
interface that will handle basic tasks like this.
Will you get by when QuickTime 7 dies? Yes,
between Handbrake, alternate players, and
dedicated audio and video editing apps, you will
still be able to do everything you do with that tool
now. But in many cases it will be messier, take more
time, and generate output of lower quality.
I wish I could hold out hope that someone at
Apple really does care about basic tools like this,
but the reality is, not only is the Apple that built
QuickTime long gone, the Apple that decided to
abandon it for 64‑bit processors is nine years in
the rear view. It was a good run, using a completely
deprecated (yet still useful) tool for nearly a
decade, but I guess it’s finally time to move on.

REVIEW
Apple 9.7in iPad

RATING:
£319 inc VAT from fave.co/2GyRup4
P
ull it off the shelf at the Apple Store, and
you’d be hard‑pressed by sight alone
to distinguish the new sixth‑generation
9.7in iPad from last year’s model. And
under the hood it’s not much different either,
where there’s simply a speedier A10 processor.
The new iPad is, well, an iPad.
What’s truly new is support for Apple Pencil,
the sleek stylus that formerly only played nice

RE VIEW
with the iPad Pro. But never doubt that the Pencil
support marks a bold move on Apple’s part.
Combined with the new chip, the formerly capable
iPad is transformed into something that’s now
a serviceable substitute for an iPad Pro – for a
mere £319. Some will find Apple Pencil support
a transformative experience, and if you’ve been
looking to upgrade from an iPad that predates
the iPad Air 2, then this is a device that will
make you glad you waited.
The more things change

In light of Apple’s marketing of the new iPad to
schools, the design feels like an exhortation not to
judge a book (or a tablet) by its cover. It reminds us
that some things can change for the better despite
Can you tell which is

this year’s model and
which is last year’s?

REVIEW
outward appearances. In some regards, much of

what we said about last year’s iPad applies here
as well, whether it’s the way the buttons ranging
from the volume controls to Touch ID sit in the
same spots or the way it offers much the same
Wi‑Fi and LTE connectivity.
The new iPad weighs about the same as its
predecessor, and the same protective cases will
fit. It still only has two speakers, compared to
the four you get on the iPad Pro. It even sports
the same serviceable 8Mp 1080p rear camera
and the puny 1.2Mp 720p front camera, the latter
of which seemingly exists only for occasional
Skype and FaceTime chats. Were the new iPad
judged solely on specifications, it’d hardly warrant
much attention over last year’s model at all.
Pencil pusher
But you shouldn’t judge the new iPad based on
its specifications. Tim Cook and friends decided
to let this scrappy device support the Apple
Pencil, although you’ll have to buy it separately.
(That also means an extra £89 to the total cost,
bringing the 2018’s iPad’s ‘true’ price up to £408.)
It may seem like a simple thing, but the magic of
the Apple Pencil is that it lets you share much the
same experience of using a pricey iPad Pro, but
on a lower‑priced tablet.
Never mind for a moment that the new iPad
doesn’t have some of the best technical goodies
found on the iPad Pro, whether it’s the TrueTone
technology that adjusts the display to match the

RE VIEW
light in the room or the iPad Pro’s 4GB of memory.

(The 2018 iPad makes do with 2GB.) It even lacks
the iPad Pro’s ProMotion tech, which boosts the
display refresh rate up from the roughly 60Hz
found on a device like this to an impressive 120Hz.
That’s important, as it means the newer iPad
Pros can better catch the slightest movements
of your hands, which makes them more ideal for
professional artists.
However, you’re not going to notice the
difference in everyday use. I’ve been using an
Apple Pencil as a writing tool since 2016 on my
first‑generation 12.9in iPad Pro (which also lacked
ProMotion), and I almost never felt the Pencil
was doing anything but laying down precisely
the lines I wanted to see. Thanks to the pressure
The Apple
Pencil has been
around for a
few years now,
so there are
many Pencil-
compatible
note-taking
apps on the
App Store

REVIEW
sensitivity, the way it interprets tilts and angles,

and, yes, the overall low latency, the Apple Pencil
is the closest you get on a tablet to mimicking
the experience of writing with a pencil or pen on a
spiral notebook, which is part of the reason Apple
wants to see it catch on in schools.
The only real drawback to the new 9.7in iPad
is that it doesn’t have a laminated display like the
Pro, and so you’ll see a visible gap between the
display and the glass above it. I found, though, that
it barely affects the ‘feel’ of writing, although the
extra space makes the sound of the Pencil hitting
the glass a bit louder than what you’ll hear on a Pro.
I love the Pencil for the way it lets me scribble
out ideas in apps like Notability or MyScript
Nebo without having to waste a forests’ worth
The Apple Pencil

support on the
new iPad makes
creating digital art
more accessible
for budget-
challenged artists

RE VIEW
of paper, and it’s incredible for marking up PDFs

with highlights and marginal notes.
It’s also fantastic for students in that they can
use Split View multitasking to open a PDF or other
document on one side of the screen and scribble
out notes in an app on the right. And, naturally, the
Pencil remains a stellar tool for artists, who can
use it with fully featured apps like Procreate.
Performance
The new iPad is still a good buy even if you’re not
into the whole ‘writing with pencils in 2018’ bit.
That’s because the new tablet is also fast.
Last year’s iPad had an impressive A9 chip
packed in its casing, but the new version has
the A10 Fusion chip we’ve previously seen in the
iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. The improvements show up
in Geekbench results, with the 2018 iPad scoring
3463 on the single‑core CPU test and 5845 on the
multi‑core test. (That’s about the same score you’ll
get with an iPhone 7 Plus.) Last year’s 9.7in iPad,
however, scored only 2384 on single‑core and 4372
on multi‑core. That’s not too shabby, especially
considering that the new 10.5in Pro scores 3908 on
single‑core and 9305 on multi‑core.
In the most casual cases you’ll find this only
means that apps open ever‑so‑slightly faster,
but I find it sometimes greatly affects game
performance. On the new iPad, the popular battle
royale shooter Fortnite ran beautifully, complete
with the shadows and richly‑detailed textures you’d
find while playing on a Mac. Playing on last year’s

REVIEW
Fortnite on the 2017 9.7in iPad (left) and the 2018

iPad. Notice the greater pixellation on the older device
iPad, though, I found the characters and buildings

look pixellated and rough, and the shadows and
other details were gone. The differences aren’t so
jarring on PUBG Mobile, but it’s worth noting that
the popular game recommends the ‘high’ settings
on the new iPad and only the ‘medium’ on last
year’s. If you’re looking for performance, in other
words, you’ll want to pick up the new one.
From there on out, it’s basically the same device
as last year’s iPad. The screen once again has no
anti‑glare coating, which means you can basically
use your iPad as a mirror when you’re in sunlight.
The battery life easily meets the 10 hours Apple
claims it reaches, even after I played graphically
intensive games and watched a whole movie with
the brightness cranked up.
What about the children?

Apple sees this iPad as its champion in the fight
against Chromebooks in classrooms, and there’s

RE VIEW
no doubt that it’s an impressive device for the price.

I don’t think it’s much of an exaggeration to claim
that it’s the only tablet that truly matters in the low‑
end price range.
Sure, on its own, the iPad manages well, but the
fact remains that getting the most out of an iPad in
the classroom requiring making certain potentially
expensive adjustments. Want a physical keyboard?
You’ll have to shell out extra for a keyboard case,
and then you’ll have to pair it through Bluetooth
since the new iPad doesn’t have a Smart Connector
for connecting Apple’s Smart Keyboard.
Apple’s approach with its Classroom and
Schoolwork apps, though, requires a full
commitment to the Apple ecosystem. We’ve
already said that we’re optimistic about seeing it in
Jot it down

REVIEW
classrooms on account of its emphasis on privacy

and quality, but everyday schools might find iPads
a tough sell when looking solely at immediate
pricing. All the same, keep in mind that iPads will
likely hold up better than dirt‑cheap Chromebooks
over time, which could save school districts a lot
of money in the long run.
Verdict
In our review of last year’s 9.7in iPad, we said it
was a “better choice than the iPad Pro for a lot of
users”, and the addition of Apple Pencil support
and a faster processor makes that especially true
for this year’s model. For £319, you’re getting
a stellar tablet that feels as though it’s very
capable, although without some quality‑of‑life
features. For a general‑purpose tablet for school,
business, or pleasure, it currently doesn’t get
any better than this. Leif Johnson
Specifications
• 9.7in (2048x1536) LED backlit display
• iOS 11.3
• A10 Fusion chip
• 32/128GB storage,
• 8Mp rear‑facing camera
• 1.2Mp front‑facing camera
• 802.11ac Wi‑Fi
• Bluetooth 4.2
• 32.4Wh lithium‑polymer battery
• 240x169.5x7.5mm
• 469g

BUYING GUIDE
Best iPad stylus

Martyn Casserly looks at your best options
Apple Pencil
Price: £89 inc VAT from fave.co/2q8oD1A
If you have an iPad Pro or the new 2018 edition of

the 9.7in iPad, then there’s one obvious choice, and
that’s the Apple Pencil (pictured above). It’s a solid
hunk of white plastic that fits neatly in the hand and
oozes quality. Apple built it, so it offers features
other stylus makers can’t match, such as a screen
response rate that doubles when you bring the
stylus close to the display (making the ink appear
to flow from the nib). Another unique feature is the

BUYING GUIDE
nib, which you can use on its side to shade, like

you would with a pencil. It’s also easier to set up
than other styluses: plug the Lightning connector
into your iPad and the wireless connection will be
established automatically and instantly. It’s not
cheap, but this is an essential accessory for iPad
Pro owners. The Apple Pencil doesn’t work with
any other model of iPad (or iPhone), so if you own
a pre‑2018 iPad, Air or mini you’ll need to read on
for your stylus needs.
Adonit Jot Pro

Price: £9.95 from fave.co/2qaCV1v
The Apple Pencil can only be used with the iPad

Pro, so if you have a different iPad, Adonit Jot Pro
is a great alternative. The build quality is great, and
it has a nice textured grip making it feel solid in the
hand. The cushioned tip is interesting, and it has a
see‑through plastic circle on the nib, which enables
you to see exactly where you’re drawing. It’s great
for graphic designers, although those looking for
a handwriting tool may prefer something chunkier.
The fact you can use it on most iPads, as well as
iPhone 4s and later with the free app makes it
good value for money.

BUYING GUIDE
Bamboo Fineline 3
Price: £59 from fave.co/2q9w7Bn
If you’re looking for a great iPad stylus for writing

notes or general handwriting purposes, the Wacom
Bamboo Stylus Fineline 3 is the one to get. It
connects via Bluetooth and is supported by a
range of apps, but the key advantage of the Stylus
Fineline is its superior palm rejection. While it’s not
as easy to set up as the Apple Pencil, it’s a great
alternative if you’re looking to sketch and take
notes on an iPad Air or iPad mini.
Ciscle Disc Stylus

Price: £6.99 from fave.co/2uQsAfV
The Ciscle Disc Stylus is similar to the Adonit

Jot Pro, but for less money. Like the Adonit,
the Ciscle Disc has a clear, circular nib which
is also replaceable. The body of the stylus
is made of anodized aluminium, making it
corrosion‑resistant and strong, but not
weighty. A useful feature of the pivoting
tip is that the nib’s barrel slides well into
and locks within the pen, protecting
the nib from falling out. This stylus is
compatible with any touchscreen
device, and even comes with a
storage bag.

BUYING GUIDE
CADA Drawing Stylus for iPad

Price: £13.50 from fave.co/2uRo7tj
CADA’s drawing stylus is another effective option

if you’re on a budget. This lightweight, disc nib
stylus has a spring‑loaded tip that pivots to
wide angles. Plus, it’s compatible with all
touchscreens, which means you can use
it across non‑Apple devices too. It works
with a range of drawing apps too, such
as a Procreate, Paper, Sketchbook X,
and many others. This stylus is also
available in red.
Hahakee iPad Stylus

Price: £59 from fave.co/2q9ksSR
Hahakee’s rechargeable iPad stylus promises

precision, smoothness, and 40 hours of use with
a four‑hour charge. A removable cap at the
back of the pen neatly covers the USB port
and keeps it free from dust and grime.
Conveniently, the stylus turns off on
its own within two minutes when
not in use, saving battery life.
With an aluminium
body and pointed tip, we
love that this stylus looks
like a real pen (though perhaps more like
a pencil), which only adds to the impression you’re
using a traditional pen. It even has the clip. This
stylus comes with four replaceable rubber tips.

PREVIEW
What we expect to
see at WWDC 2018
Apple’s annual developers conference starts next month.
David Price reveals our predictions for this year’s event
O
ne of the biggest dates in the Apple
calendar is WWDC, short for Worldwide
Developer Conference. It’s the firm’s
annual, week‑long event for software developers,
but it’s also the venue where the tech giant makes
some of the biggest announcements of the year.

PREVIEW
Apple fills most of the time with developer

workshops, training, parties, and networking
events, but it starts the week with a keynote
speech announcing major updates to the software
running on its Macs, iPhones, iPads, Apple
Watches, Apple TVs, and other devices. There
might be some significant hardware unveilings,
too: WWDC 2017 saw the unveiling of the
HomePod, and we usually see new Macs at the
event, while the second, third, and fourth iPhones
all made their debuts at WWDC in the past.
In this article we discuss what you can expect
at WWDC 2018: likely dates, product updates,
other events. Plus how to get tickets, and how
much they are likely to cost.
When will WWDC 2018 take place?

It will be held from 4‑8 June at the McEnery
Convention Center in San Jose.
Expected announcements
Software and services
Updates to the big four software platforms are
certain: that means iOS 12, macOS 10.14, watchOS
5, and tvOS 12 will all get stage time during the
keynote. Don’t expect them to arrive on your Macs
and iOS products until later in the year, though.
As for new features, we’re hearing that Apple’s
mostly focusing on security and stability with this
round of software updates, but one of the most
exciting changes we are expecting is that macOS
will be able to run iOS apps.

PREVIEW
We could also get some news about Apple’s TV

and movie ambitions, (yes, the firm is planning to
take on Netflix) and we expect to hear more about
the progress of Apple Pay: including the launch of
Apple Pay Cash in the UK, for example.
Hardware
As ever, and even though this is principally a
software event, media hype will revolve around
possible hardware announcements. We’re
hoping to hear some more details about the
upcoming Mac Pro update, though as we saw
on page 4, it’s not due to launch until 2019.
Apple has also said it will launch a new display
to go with the Mac Pro, and we expect further
details about this at WWDC.
There are also rumours that we’ll get a new
iPhone SE. That would be a surprise but isn’t
completely unprecedented: the iPhones 3G, 3GS
and 4 all debuted at WWDC keynotes. Actually,
we think a iPhone SE2 might be in the works, but
believe it will launch before the conference.
There is also the expectation that Apple will
unveil a new iPad Pro with Face ID and a bigger
screen (made possible by reduced bezels and the
removal of the Home button) this June.
We’re also hearing that Apple will use the event
to unveil a new 13in MacBook. The surprising
aspect to this is that it’s said this updated
model will come in at the equivalent price of
the MacBook Air – in fact, the idea is that it will
be an Air with a Retina display.

PREVIEW
It’s rumoured that

Apple will unveil an
updated MacBook at
this year’s WWDC
Finally, it’s thought that Apple could reveal an

update to the MacBook Pro, and maybe also a
2018 MacBook. There may even be a new Mac mini
coming. We are particularly excited that the new
MacBook Pro could ship with six cores.
Past WWDC announcements

We can learn a lot from history. Here are the
highlights of the past 12 WWDC events:
WWDC 2017: macOS High Sierra, iOS 11, watchOS

4, tvOS 11, new iPad Pro models, iMac Pro,
MacBook upgrades; HomePod.
WWDC 2016: macOS Sierra, iOS 10, watchOS 3,
tvOS 10.
WWDC 2015: Mac OS X El Capitan; iOS 9;
watchOS 2; Apple Music.
WWDC 2014: Mac OS X 10.10 Yosemite; iOS 8;
Swift programming language.

PREVIEW
WWDC 2013: New Mac Pro; New MacBook Air

models; Mac OS X 10.9 Mavericks; iOS 7; iWork
for iCloud; iTunes Radio.
WWDC 2012: New MacBooks: updated MacBook
Airs and MacBook Pro with Retina Display; Mac
OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion (sort of – it had previously
been announced on Apple’s website, but this was
its showcase demonstration); iOS 6.
WWDC 2011: Mac OS X 10.7 Lion; iOS 5; iCloud.
WWDC 2010: iPhone 4; FaceTime and iMovie for
iPhone.
WWDC 2009: New MacBook Pro models: a new
13in MacBook Pro and updates to the 15‑ and 17in
MacBook Pros; iPhone 3GS; release of iPhone
OS 3.0 (which had already been announced).
WWDC 2008: iPhone 3G; iOS App Store;
iPhone OS version 2.0; Mac OS X 10.6 Snow
Leopard; MobileMe.
WWDC 2007: Feature‑complete beta of Mac OS
X 10.5 Leopard; Safari for Windows.
The iPhone 4
was launched at
WWDC 2010

PREVIEW
WWDC 2006: Mac Pro; revisions to Mac OS

X 10.5 ‘Leopard’ (which had already been
announced) and Mac OS X Server.
What else happens at WWDC?

As well as the keynote speech on the first day,
there are a series of events run by the company
throughout the following week: developer
workshops and training sessions, networking
events, and so on. In the past other companies have
held events too, with Apple’s blessing: it posts a list
of such events on the Beyond WWDC page of its
developer website (fave.co/2HBI8q0).
A few highlights from 2017 included:
• Beard Bash 2017, a developers’ party with live

music. Hosted by Jim Dalrymple, the founder
of the Loop website
• The Talk Show with John Gruber Live. Fairly
self‑explanatory. In the past Apple executives
have turned up and offered insights beyond
what was mentioned in the keynote
• Swift workshops run by IBM
• AltConf 2018. A conference for developers
The best way to keep up with the schedule of

events, parties and workshops at WWDC is to
download the WWDC iOS app (fave.co/2HzUizF).
As well as extensive news and scheduling
information the app offers interactive venue maps,
curated video playlists and (if 2017 is anything to
go by) some truly awful emoji‑based puns.

PREVIEW
Tickets
Tickets are allocated by lottery. Registration for
2018’s event has now closed, but each year a
number of unclaimed tickets are resold after the
lottery, so you may still have a chance if you miss
out in the first draw. Apple also offers free entry
to WWDC, and accommodation for the week, to
the winners of its WWDC Scholarship program. To
qualify for this you need to be in part‑ or full‑time
education and be a registered Apple developer,
and submit a Swift Playground.
Why Apple distributes WWDC tickets by lottery

Back in 2012, all 5,000 WWDC tickets sold
out within two hours. Developers had no prior
warning from the company about the event and,
understandably, many of those who missed out
were far from happy. In 2013, after Apple decided
to let devs know in advance when tickets would go
on sale, it took only two minutes to sell out. So, in
2014, Apple took a different approach. Instead of
issuing tickets on a ‘first come first served’ basis,
it offered everyone a chance to win the chance
to buy a ticket by registering for a lottery.
Cost
Even if your name is drawn in the ticket lottery,
you’ll still have to pay to attend WWDC – $1,599
(about £1,140).

FEATURE
Apple’s product recalls and

free repair programmes
Having trouble with your iPhone or Mac? Maybe you can get a
free repair. David Price looks at Apple’s replacement programme
W
ondering whether your broken Apple
product qualifies for a free repair, or
is part of a replacement programme?
You’ve come to the right place.
If your iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple
TV or other Apple product has gone wrong and you
don’t think it’s your fault, you may be able to get
the tech giant (or a company authorized by Apple)
to repair it for free, provide a replacement product,
or refund your money. You can attempt this on an

FEATURE
individual, case‑by‑case basis, but occasionally

Apple institutes a general recall or free repair
programme for a particular product or model that
it acknowledges has a congenital problem.
Over the following pages we cover the firm’s
current replacement programmes: check to see
if your faulty device is included. You might be in
line for a free replacement.
Will Apple repair products for free?

Sometimes, but don’t depend on it. Apple product
recalls are an unusual occurrence. When it is
prepared to admit that a problem is inherent to a
product line or certain models within that line, it
will agree to repair or replace these devices, and
either announce this publicly (expecting you to get
in touch yourself and seek redress) or in smaller
cases contacting affected users proactively.
It did this with the iPhone 5, whose power
button was prone to failure – your humble reporter
went through this process and was able to get a
new iPhone 5 at no cost, even though that handset
went wrong in a completely different way several
months down the line.
Apple has also instituted a programme for failing
MacBook Pro models that faced an issue known as
‘staingate’, following a saga that caused distress
and frustration for many of our readers. But for
most problems you’ll need to approach Apple as
an individual, and demonstrate that the issue was
fundamental to the product rather than something
that has developed over months and years of

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Apple offered free

repairs to any
iPhone 5 that had a
faulty power button
ownership. In those cases you will generally need to

fall back on your warranty and insurance rights.
iPhone repairs and recalls

iPhone 6s battery shutdown issue
In November 2016, Apple acknowledged
that iPhone 6s handsets made in September
and October 2015 were faulty and prone to
spontaneous and unexpected shutdowns; it said
the issue was battery‑related. The firm is therefore
willing to offer a free replacement for the battery
unit in affected models.

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“Apple has determined that a very small number

of iPhone 6s devices may unexpectedly shut
down,” the firm says in a statement. “This is not
a safety issue and only affects devices within a
limited serial number range that were manufactured
between September and October 2015.”
The announcement followed an investigation
into reported shutdowns by the China Consumers
Association. In early December 2016, Apple’s
Chinese support page acknowledged that:
“A small number of customers outside of the
affected range have also reported an unexpected
shutdown”. It continues to offer exchanges for the
affected models.
You should note, however, that this is different to
Apple’s replacement of batteries for £25 following
the revelation in January 2018 that the company
had been slowing down some iPhone models that
might have suffered from unexpected shutdowns.
Find out if your iPhone qualifies

The recall applies to iPhone 6s models
manufactured in September and October 2015,
as explained above, but is restricted to handsets
within a specified serial number range.
You can easily find out if your iPhone is eligible
for the recall by visiting Apple’s dedicated web page
for the programme (fave.co/2qWc3mp), and using
the serial number checking tool. Open Settings >
General > About on your iPhone; the serial number
is listed as the eleventh entry on this page. Type
this into the field on Apple’s web page and hit

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Type in your
iPhone’s
serial
number to
see if it is
eligible for a
new battery
Submit to find out if your iPhone qualifies. If the

fourth and fifth digits in the serial number are any
of the following combinations, you should qualify.
• Q3, Q4, Q5, Q6, Q7, Q8, Q9

• QC, QD, QF, QG, QH, QJ
If you’re not sure, we suggest you visit an Apple

Retail Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider
and have your device’s serial number checked.
Your handset also needs to work to qualify for
the replacement programme.
Reported delays
According to a Reddit user named ‘broostenq’,
Apple’s battery replacement programme isn’t
proceeding as quickly as hoped, possibly
as a result of subscribers to the programme
exceeding expectations.

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“I visited a flagship Apple Store this afternoon

and was told by the Genius I would have to wait
around two weeks for a replacement battery since
most stores don’t have any in stock, even though I
signed up for an appointment the day the program
was announced,” broostenq writes.
“Was disappointing to be sent away with a
defective battery when the problem affects me
frequently and that Apple didn’t anticipate the
demand for batteries to fix ‘a very small number’
of phones (in their words.)”
iPhone 6 Plus Multi-touch

Issue (aka Touch Disease)
Arguably one of Apple’s most scandalous product
faults of recent years, what the firm calls the
‘iPhone 6 Plus Multi‑touch Repair Programme’,
first hit the headlines in August 2016. IFixIt initially
identified it and called it Touch Disease, although
it had been well known within the third‑party Apple
repair community for some time.
You’ll know whether you’re affected because
the iPhone 6 Plus’s display will periodically be
affected by a small flickering grey bar at the top of
the screen. It’s about the height of the iOS menu
bar and looks a bit like old‑school TV static, or may
look like a series of short bars (that is, crenellated).
Additionally – or alternatively – the screen may
become completely unresponsive to touch.
Apple eventually took note and issued a recall
in November 2016, but gallingly for those affected
the repair isn’t free. The firm acknowledged the

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An iPhone 6
Plus suffering
from ‘Touch
Disease’
problem, but requests £146.44 to get rid of it.

However, the iPhone must not be damaged and
must be in working order. The recall programme is
set to end in September 2019, five years after the
iPhone 6 Plus first went on sale.
The tech giant claims users cause the issue
by dropping the phone on a hard surface and
then make the issue worse by “incurring further
stress on the device” – although it doesn’t go
into details as to how.
What to do if you’re affected

If you are affected by this issue, then you can
either pay for Apple or one of its Authorized service
centres to make the repair, or visit an independent
Apple repair shop to have the work done. The
latter will be significantly cheaper, but there’s

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no guarantee of quality and you will probably

invalidate any warranty you might have (such as
one offered by a retailer if you bought the phone
used). Nonetheless, we found a handful of vendors
on eBay offering postal repairs, starting from £70
– just search for ‘touch disease’.
Notably, if you had already paid Apple to make
the repair prior to their announcing the recall
programme in November 2016, then Apple will
pay you an amount “equal the difference between
the price you paid for the original service to your
iPhone 6 Plus and the £146.44 service price”. In
simple terms, if you paid the standard £306.44
repair cost to have Apple fix the issue, then it will
give you back £160. To make a claim if you haven’t
already, contact Apple. Remember, though, that
this only covers Apple‑Authorized repairs and
not unauthorized, third‑party repairs.
iPhone 6 Plus iSight

camera replacement programme
Is your iPhone 6 Plus’s camera blurry? Back in
August 2015, Apple launched a replacement
programme for the iSight camera.
Ever since the 6 Plus was first released back
in September 2014, there have been a small
percentage of users complaining about blurry
photos. The issues weren’t present with iPhone 6
users, which leads us to believe the fault is in fact
with the optical image stabilization feature. The
feature is said to utilize the A8 chip, gyroscope and
the M8 motion coprocessor in the 6 Plus to stabilize

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photos, measuring motion data to provide lens

movement that compensates for shakiness.
Apple subsequently admitted that a small
number of 6 Plus cameras were defective, causing
them to constantly take blurry photos. It says on
its iSight Camera Replacement Program website:
“Apple has determined that, in a small percentage
of iPhone 6 Plus devices, the iSight camera has
a component that may fail causing your photos
to look blurry. The affected units fall into a limited
serial number range and were sold primarily
between September 2014 and January 2015.”
The company goes on to note that if your
iPhone 6 Plus is taking blurry photos and falls
into the eligible serial number range, Apple will
replace the camera free of charge.
To check if you are eligible head over to the
iSight Camera Replacement Program website
(fave.co/2qWgbCX) and input your iPhone’s
serial number. You can access this by opening the
Settings app and tapping General. You should see
Apple admitted
that a small
number of
iPhone 6 Plus
cameras were
defective

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your serial number – tap and hold it to copy it, then

paste it into Apple’s Replacement Program website.
If you’re not eligible but still try to get your
camera replaced, Apple will know. The firm
will examine your 6 Plus at either an Apple Store
or an Apple Authorized Service Provider to verify
the device’s eligibility for the programme before
agreeing to repair it.
The replacement iSight camera will be covered
by an extended three‑year warranty from the date of
the original iPhone sale, though, this doesn’t effect
the standard iPhone 6 Plus warranty coverage.
The most important thing to note: Apple has
stated that if your iPhone 6 Plus has damage
(like a cracked screen) that impairs the camera
replacement, you’ll have to fix the issue beforehand.
MacBook repairs and recalls

2016-2017 13in MacBook Pro (non-Touch Bar)
Battery Replacement Programme
Apple has confirmed that some MacBook Pro
laptops manufactured between October 2016 and
October 2017 may have a battery‑related issue.
The company states that in these units: “A
component may fail causing the built‑in battery
to expand.” That sounds alarming, but Apple
claims: “This is not a safety issue”.
Only non‑Touch Bar MacBooks manufactured
between 2016 to 2017 are affected. You can
check whether your laptop is covered by the
programme at (fave.co/2HsW8Cf) If you have
already paid for a battery replacement you should

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Apple has admitted

that some of its
non-Touch Bar
13in MacBook
Pros have battery-
related issues
contact the company for a refund. You can do so via

this link – fave.co/2qTHkGE. This programme will
be available until 2022 – five years from when the
MacBooks in question were manufactured.
If your laptop is sent away for battery
replacement it may take three to five days. Apple
advises you back up your data before taking your
MacBook to be serviced.
The company also notes: “If your 13in MacBook
Pro has any damage which impairs the replacement
of the battery, that issue will need to be resolved
prior to the battery replacement. In some cases,
there may be a cost associated with the repair.”

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2011 MacBook Pros

with video issues (February 2015)
One of the longest‑running Apple sagas has been
the tale of the failing MacBook Pros.
We were hearing reports of this as early as
2013, with many owners of 2011 models with
AMD graphics suffering from system crashes and
hardware problems that have been described as
‘critical’. After a long wait, in early 2015 Apple finally
announced a repair programme.
On its support page (fave.co/2HufqHg), Apple
reveals it has determined “that a small percentage
of MacBook Pro systems may exhibit distorted
video, no video or unexpected system restarts”.
The specific symptoms described by Apple
include distorted or scrambled video on the
computer screen, no video on the computer screen
(or external display) even though the computer is
on, and the computer restarts unexpectedly.
Do note, however, that after the repair
programme had been running for a little over two
years Apple announced it was reducing the range
of models covered. The early 2011 and late 2011
MacBook Pros, in both 15‑ and 17in screen sizes,
are no longer eligible; the programme now covers
the mid‑2012 and early 2013 15in Pros only.
You can check your laptop’s eligibility at the
following link: fave.co/2HqALBj.
Mac Pro repairs and recalls

In February 2016 Apple announced a repair
programme for certain models in its Mac Pro line,

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in response to a repeatedly
reported issue with failing video
cards. The repair programme
applies to late 2013 Mac Pros
equipped with AMD FirePro
D500 or D700 GPUs. If your
Mac Pro is affected by the
issue, you will have experienced
any or all of the following
symptoms: video problems
(distorted picture or video
refusing to play); your Mac
shutting down or restarting
spontaneously (or generally
acting unreliably); freezing;
failure to start up normally.
If you are affected by the
problem and your Mac qualifies for the
programme, you will be able to get it repaired for
free, provided you do so by 30 May 2018, so you’ll
need to get your skates on. It’s understood that
Apple will simply replace the affected GPUs.
To see whether your Mac Pro qualifies for the
repair programme, contact Apple Support at
fave.co/2qY0U4k, or speak to an employee at
an Apple Store. If you are affected, however,
it’s believed that Apple will attempt to get in
touch with you.
You will also be able to get your Mac Pro fixed
by an Apple Authorized Service Provider, but
check you are covered by the programme before
commissioning any repair work.

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Accessory repair and recalls

Apple USB-C charge cables recall
If you bought a MacBook before June 2015, then
the USB‑C cable Apple provided for charging
purposes might be faulty. You’ll know this because
either your MacBook won’t charge when you use
the cable to connect to the charger, or it will only
charge intermittently.
Apple identified the issue in February 2016, but
doesn’t list any potential danger to the user of the
cable. If you are affected by this you should stop
using the cable immediately because you might
be damaging your MacBook.
Affected cables can be identified because
they have the following text on them, without any
serial number: “Designed by Apple in California.
Assembled in China.”
Any USB‑C cables with this text and that also

include a serial number straight afterwards are
safe to use and not affected by the recall. For
details, go to fave.co/2qYxQtB.
Weirdly, some users report seeing no text at all
on their Apple‑provided USB‑C cables. If the cable

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meets the above criteria – it was made by Apple and

supplied with a MacBook before June 2015 – then
the best policy is to contact Apple for advice.

Apple will replace the cable should you take it to
an Apple Store Genius bar, or present the cable
to an Authorized service provider, although you’ll
probably need to provide proof of purchase.
Notably, it doesn’t appear to be possible to replace
the cable by post. You’ll need to provide Apple with
your serial number when you attempt to make the
replacement – although it might just be easier just
to take along your MacBook and let them find it for
you. Additionally, if you purchased a replacement
cable because of this fault, then Apple might give
you a refund – just drop them a line.
Beats Pill XL Speaker recall

In June 2015 Apple announced an important recall
of all models of the Beats Pill XL desktop speaker
when it became evident the battery inside might
overheat and even catch fire. This is literally a
product recall because Apple/Beats removed it
from sale and upon receipt of the faulty speaker will
refund £215 to anybody who purchased one – even
if that wasn’t directly from Apple itself.
No time limit has been set on the recall, which
raises an interesting prospect – should you stumble
upon one in a second‑hand shop or at a car boot
sale then snap it up because it’s worth £215 once
you send it off to Apple.

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If you own a Beats Pill XL speaker, you should
stop using it immediately and visit Apple’s website
(fave.co/2qWmy9l) to fill in the form. The firm will
send you a prepaid postage box so you can return
the speaker, and within three weeks will either credit
your Apple Store account or make an electronic
payment, depending on which you choose.
Please note that Apple does not permit you
to return the speaker to an Apple Store, or to the
retailer where it was purchased. This is solely a
postal return programme.

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Apple could use Intel’s

CPUs in its next MacBooks
No one outside of Apple knows, but here’s what we think it just
might do with Intel’s new laptop CPUs, writes Gordon Mah Ung
W
ith Intel’s introduction of its 8th
generation Coffee Lake CPUs in April,
it’s again that time of the year when the
reality TV show called MacBook gets to act as a
romance‑seeking laptop looking for new internals.

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While the future of the MacBook could

see a marriage with an Apple‑made ARM
processor, its immediate future will see the
continuation of the courtship with Intel and its
x86 CPUs. Using our knowledge of previous
MacBook configurations and what other laptop
makers are using, we’re willing to make a few
forecasts on what to expect, and what kind
of performance difference they will make.
MacBook: Minor changes ahead

Of all the laptops Apple currently sells, the
MacBook (mid 2017) is the one least likely to
undergo a major processor change. The fastest
MacBook today features an ultra‑low‑power Core
i7‑7Y75 – that’s a dual‑core CPU based on Intel’s
7th generation Kaby Lake microarchitecture. Since
Intel hasn’t released an updated 8th generation
ultra‑low‑power CPU yet, it’s unlikely to see the
MacBook see a major internal refresh this year.
If Apple redesigns the entire platform, then all
bets are off. But on the MacBook’s chassis today,
we wouldn’t hold our breath. The tech giant’s
approach of only upgrading when it’s worth it to
consumers (and itself) also makes a lot of sense
here, too, because most wouldn’t be able to
notice a performance difference.
MacBook Air: Huge potential

The £949 question this year is what happens to
everyone’s favourite little MacBook Air. It went
from dead to rumours of a lower‑cost version.

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CPU‑wise, the MacBook Air currently tops

out with a 5th generation Core i7‑5650U. That’s
a dual‑core Broadwell CPU first introduced in
2015. In CPU years, that’s a long time, but most
people haven’t minded because it’s going into a
laptop at a low price point.
And, to be fair, when paired with the stupidly‑
fast SSDs Apple uses, most people using the
MacBook Air for what they are intended for are
mostly satisfied with the speed.
Still, if we were to bet on what Apple is likely
to put into any new MacBook Air, we’d say Intel’s
newest 8th generation Core i7‑8650U and Core
i5‑8350U chips fit the bill. Both are quad‑core
chips with Hyper‑Threading and based on Intel’s
Kaby Lake R chips. What these processors would
bring over the current MacBook Air CPU is a huge
The
MacBook
Air could
either get a
lot faster or
a lot cheaper
this year.
We’re betting
it’ll get a lot
faster

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performance boost, thanks to increased clock

speeds and doubling of the CPU cores. It’s entirely
possible that a new MacBook Air based on an 8th
generation Intel CPU would be competitive with a
15in MacBook Pro from three years ago.
This speculation doesn’t entirely match up with
the rumours of a more affordable MacBook Air.
If Apple does decide to lower the price like the
rumours say, then expect a dual‑core chip based on
Intel’s 7th generation standard Kaby Lake series
of chips inside – and many tears for what could’ve
been. If I were betting doughnuts, I’d bet on a
quad‑core version.
13in MacBook Pro: Coffee Lake boost

The 13in MacBook Pro is likely to go smooth and
steady. Today’s top model features a 7th generation
Core i7‑7567U inside. That’s a dual‑core chip with
Hyper‑Threading. What sets it aside is a beefed‑up
graphic chip: Intel’s Iris Plus with 64MB of on board
embedded DRAM to speed it up.
Besides the increased 3D performance, that
processor also runs slightly hotter with a thermal
budget of 28 watts versus the 15 watts of the
CPUs used in the MacBook Air.
We expect Apple to drop Intel’s Core i7‑8559U
inside. That’s a new quad‑core Coffee Lake CPU.
(Don’t ask us why this is a Coffee Lake chip while
the quad‑core Core i7‑8650U is Kaby Lake R.
We don’t know.)
Like the huge bump in performance in the
MacBook Air, a Coffee Lake‑based 13in MacBook

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We think Apple will

drop the newest 8th
generation CPU inside
the 13in MacBook Pro
and call it day. Did we
mention that means
probably twice the
performance?
Pro would offer a massive performance leap over

the previous dual‑core version in CPU‑limited tasks
thanks to the increased number of cores and the
higher clock speeds.
Graphics in the 13in MacBook Pro 13 with an 8th
generation Coffee Lake CPU inside should also
see a very decent bump, as Intel now integrates
128MB of eDRAM cache over the previous versions
64MB of eDRAM. A slightly faster main memory of
LPDDR3/2133 could also up graphics performance
(DDR4 is also supported but Apple favours better
battery life and will likely stick with LPDDR3).
Overall, if Apple does go this route, it’s a very
respectable performance upgrade for the 13in
MacBook Pro.

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15in MacBook Pro: A conundrum

The 15in MacBook Pro is probably the hardest
to forecast. Today, the top‑end CPU is a 7th
generation Core i7‑7920HQ. That’s a Kaby Lake
quad‑core CPU with Hyper‑Threading and clock
speed range of 3.1GHz to 4.1GHz.
Most people expect Apple to use Intel’s new
8th generation Core i9‑8950K, a Coffee Lake H
CPU with 6 six cores and Hyper‑Threading. Under
certain conditions, it can be up to 700MHz faster.
In pure performance, it will yield a significant
increase thanks to the extra cores.
Users of the 15in MacBook Pro tend to be
content creation professionals who edit video,
render 3D scenes or do other CPU‑intensive tasks.
We’d guess Apple will

up the 15in MacBook
Pro to a full 6-core
CPU, but it’s possible
it’ll take a side step
with Kaby Lake G, too

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A Core i9 or one of Intel’s other 6‑core Core i7

processors makes a lot of sense.
The fly in the ointment here is that there’s no
new graphics core to pair it with. It’s been over five
years since Apple used Nvidia’s GeForce graphics
in a MacBook Pro. AMD’s Radeon Pro 580 is
starting to feel a little old, too. AMD did announce
a new discrete graphics chip at CES, but it’s not
expected until later this year at the earliest. So,
does Apple just roll with the current Radeon Pro
580 or wait until next year?
Rumour has it that nothing will change at all
with the MacBook Pro line‑up. It would be a tough
pill to swallow to see Apple continue to roll with
the current 15in MacBook Pro when a 6‑core
CPU option is at hand. While it’s been easy to
defend not jumping on every new CPU Intel trots
out every cycle because the performance gains
just aren’t that significant, this time, there’s more
to be gained. It’s possible that Apple may not
upgrade the CPU based on the lack of support
for LPDDR4 in the 8th generation CPUs. The new
chips support DDR4, which is faster and offers up
to 64GB of RAM, but consumes far more power
when in standby mode. Apple has tended to favour
the much longer standby power consumption of
LPDDR3, so we guess that 16GB will still be the
maximum amount of RAM in the 15in MacBook Pro.
The X-factor: Kaby Lake G

The X‑factor in all this is Intel’s other new chip:
Kaby Lake G. The 65‑watt Core i7‑8705G or the

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100‑watt Core i7‑8809G basically combine a

custom AMD Radeon RX Vega M graphics chip
and 4GB of HBM2 RAM with a quad‑core Core
i7 or i5 CPU.
The combined package means that laptop
makers can go much thinner and much smaller than
before. If you’re thinking Kaby Lake G is seems
custom tailored for a 15in MacBook Pro, it’s what
we think, too. The main issue here is it’s ‘only’ a
quad‑core CPU and the 15in MacBook Pro seems
like it’s itching for six cores.

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Help Desk
Glenn Fleishman answers your most vexing Mac problems
WHAT TO DO WHEN TIME MACHINE

SAYS A VERIFICATION FAILED
I’ve been a Time Machine sceptic for many years,
even though I’ve used it at times, and have been
writing about how to use it better and control it
for that same length of time. That’s because Time
Machine lacks much in the way of solving problems
when things go wrong. Apple chose that approach
for simplicity, but it leaves users in the lurch.
Take the case of Macworld reader Talon, who
wrote in after they received a message (and not for
the first time) noting: “Time Machine completed a
verification of your backups on ‘Hobson’s Choice

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AirPort’. To improve reliability, Time Machine must

create a new backup for you.”
This dialog presents two options: Start New
Backup, which removes the entire existing
backup history, and Back Up Later, which retains
it but stops back ups. This is no real choice at all
presented as a choice. Why did the backup become
corrupt? Why can’t it be recovered? What is the
meaning of life? We don’t know the answer to
any of those questions, because Time Machine is
impenetrable. With other backup systems, there’s
usually a way to repair, recover, or extract files
from a damaged backup.
Apple offers such an option without explaining
it in the above dialog box – it’s in macOS help,
instead. If you pick Back Up Later, you can still
try to retrieve files, by using the regular Time
Machine interface. You may have no success,
but it’s a possibility at least.
My advice as always is to have multiple backups
of any file you want to make sure you have in
the future – even if the future is an hour away or
tomorrow. One copy is bound to fail, while two
at least offer some peace of mind. Some phrase
this as “3‑2‑1”: three copies of your data, two
different methods, and one off‑site.
WHY DOES APPLE ASK FOR YOUR

PASSCODE WHEN SETTING UP TWO-
FACTOR AUTHENTICATION?
A Macworld reader who prefers to remain
unidentified (since we’re talking about security

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issues) wondered why Apple asked for his iPhone

passcode when he was setting up two‑factor
authentication (2FA).
I am a great supporter of 2FA as a way to deter
the potential of ne’er‑do‑wells achieving access
to your accounts through password breaches or
other problems, since 2FA requires a physically
present element in your possession (like your Mac
or another iOS device) to confirm an account login.
However, our reader didn’t want to give up his
passcode to Apple. What’s the point of having a
secret passcode that protects your data and keeps
criminals, governments, and nosy parkers out of
your affairs if you simply hand it over?
The problem is that Apple is explaining poorly
why they’re asking for your iOS’s passcode. The
company does everything in its power to never know
your secret codes, and this case isn’t an exception.
It’s just that Apple, in an effort at simplicity, doesn’t
provide reassurance and documentation about
what’s happening behind the scenes.
The dialog our reader sees reads as follows:
Apple asks for

your passcode
for some 2FA
activations, but
doesn’t transmit it

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That certainly sounds as if Apple possesses the

passcode after you enter it. However, the firm uses
an encryption technique in which it makes use of
the passcode only when it is entered on the device
to encrypt the set of data described. It doesn’t
retain the passcode in unencrypted form on the
device ever – the passcode itself is stored only
in a cryptographically transformed version in iOS
devices’ Secure Enclave chips – and the passcode
isn’t passed off your device to Apple. Instead, only
the encrypted form of the data becomes available
on other iOS devices. Using the same passcode
on these other devices unlocks that encryption
on those other devices. Apple never possesses
the secret: only you do. You typically see this or a
similar dialog only with iCloud Keychain, which is
the basis for a lot of user‑access‑only transfers
of data via iCloud.
The uniqueness of this request for one’s iOS
passcode makes it seem different, and, without a
lot of reassurance, it seems wrong.
Apple explains this in painstaking detail in a
white paper, iOS Security, (tinyurl.com/yb28alsj)
updated mostly recently in January 2018. But
it could provide much less exotic warm feelings
by stating: “Your passcode never leaves your
device” or something similar. It doesn’t even
mention the possibility of the above dialog box in
its 2FA setup instructions (fave.co/2qVVBST),
seemingly an oversight.
Never take it on trust what a company is doing
with your data. That makes this undocumented and

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Two-factor
authentication gives
your Apple ID an
extra layer of security
under explained portion of 2FA setup unfortunate

on Apple’s part, even if we can determine that it’s
still adhering to its security and privacy philosophy.
HOW TIME MACHINE AND OTHER

BACKUPS HANDLE EMAIL
After several recent columns on the vagaries of
managing Time Machine backups, including how
to prune snapshots and ensure you don’t delete
files from the backups you want to keep, Macworld
reader Janet wrote in asking about how Time
Machine interacts with email.
She wondered how Time Machine creates a
backup of email messages, given that Mail stores
these messages in what appears to be a file or
database format. And what happens if you delete an
email message months ago and want to retrieve it?

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Looks can be deceiving: while mailboxes look

monolithic, Apple stores each message and
attachment discretely, which is in part to allow
Spotlight indexing and per‑message backups.
You can see how messages are organized in ~/
Library/Mail/V5/ and expanding down into any
folder that has a name with a combination of
letters, numbers, and hyphens.
To find an old email message that was deleted
from a Time Machine archive, you open Mail, enter
Time Machine, and scroll back to the date at which
you believe the email last existed. Then you can
find it in the appropriate mailbox.
While other local and cloud backup software,
such as Arq, Backblaze, ChronoSync, SpiderOak,
and CrashPlan, also back up these individual
mail message files, there’s no good way to load
or retrieve just deleted messages you want to
retrieve – they’re much harder to find, and you’ll
most likely pull up an entire old mailbox and then
import it into mail to look through.
Deleting messages accidentally is, of course,
something you can’t avoid. But I recommend being
more intentional about email. Most of use server‑
Mail stores
messages
as files, but
presents them
in the form of
mailboxes

FEATURE
side email (IMAP), which lets you retain messages

on your mail server but gain access to locally
cached copies on any computer or mobile device.
For messages I want to be sure to keep, and not
be dependent on a server to retrieve later, I drag
them on my main Mac to a folder in the On My Mac
section of the Mail navigation toolbar. Then these
messages are not only local and persistent, but
easier to identify later as important.
Once you move a message in this fashion, it’s
no longer on your server account, so it will only
be available from the Mac to which you copied it,
but that’s often exactly what you want for older
messages you need to retain.
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ‘ALL MY

FILES’ FEATURE IN HIGH SIERRA?
MacOS’s All My Files option in the Finder is a great
example of a feature that you barely know is there
until it disappears. All My Files was a default feature
of the Sidebar that, when selected or shown when
opening a new Finder window, listed every file
created on your Mac in reverse chronological order.
It disappeared in High Sierra, replaced by a
Recents item. Many people searched around for
it for some time, including yours truly. Macworld
reader Ralph thought he accidentally deleted All
My Files, and is trying to restore it. Unfortunately,
it’s gone and Recents simply isn’t as good.
Recents would also seem to show recently
changed files, but in practice I find it’s pulling
from a smaller set of locations, and, based on my

FEATURE
Apple hasn’t
given a reason
why it’s
removed All
My Files from
High Sierra
experience with two Macs, it’s often weirdly not

up to date and missing changes. There’s no way
to customize it.
While you can create Smart Folders in the Finder
that have complicated stored Spotlight searches,
Apple has barely touched Spotlight search
parameters for years. There’s no way to do a search
as simple as ‘all files, chronologically reversed’.
It’s unclear why Apple removed All My Files. I had
no complaints, and I can’t imagine it was confusing
to users, because it did exactly what it said on the
tin: showed all my files.

BUYING GUIDE
Best photo editors

for professionals
Adobe is no longer king when it comes to image editing. Keir
Thomas looks at the best Mac photo editors for professionals
F
ew people would dispute the near‑magical
features of Photoshop, as well as ancillary
apps like Lightroom and Camera RAW, but
there has been criticism about its high subscription
fees. However, there are plenty of challengers for
the photo editing crown, especially on the Mac.
We take a look at some pretenders to the
crown here, and their benefit is chiefly in terms of

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value for money – most charge one‑off purchase

prices, rather than monthly subscription fees, and
some are ridiculously inexpensive considering.
Adobe, on the other hand, charges an arm
and a leg. True, you can get just Photoshop
and Lightroom for around £120 per year via
the Photography subscription, but even this is
considered by many to be a form of extortion.
Generally speaking, there are two categories
of apps reviewed here: actual image editors, and
image processors. The latter category includes
apps designed to take images straight from a
camera and improve them by fixing things like
distortions introduced by lenses, or correct colour
balance. Some might include basic image‑editing
tools, but the are not about unbridled creativity.
Many image‑processing apps focus on improving
RAW files, which is the data taken straight from
the camera’s image sensor prior to any processing
taking place within the phone or camera itself. This
offers the most scope for improvement because as
much of the image data as possible is present and
none has yet been discarded or manipulated.
For this group test we were only interested in
professional products aimed at the photo editor
who needs power and flexibility.
Affinity Photo
Price: £48.99 inc VAT from fave.co/2r0cBHZ
Despite being in no way connected with Adobe,

there’s a strong whiff of Photoshop about Affinity

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Photo. This is, of course, no bad thing – especially

considering that the application’s one‑off price of
just under £50 is a lot cheaper than anything Adobe
offers. In fact, it can be forever yours for the
equivalent of less than half a year’s subscription to
the Adobe Creative Cloud Photography package.
Although this program might be priced at a level
where amateurs can snap it up, its makers are keen
to stress a professional feature set. You get CMYK
and Lab colour space support, for example, which
is a necessity when working accurately in the print
design industry.
RAW image support is built in, with support for
all modern cameras, and the app claims the best

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support for Photoshop’s ubiquitous .psd file format

outside of Adobe’s app itself.
If anything, it feels as if Affinity Photo is a
cousin of Photoshop, in that it looks similar, and
you’ll find the everyday useful functions found
in Adobe’s application. However, this program
occupies its own branch of the family tree, with its
own idiosyncrasies and useful features that might
cause its Adobe relative to look on enviously.
First among these, and vital for any Photoshop
switcher to learn, is the concept of Personas. In
essence, these switch Affinity Photo between
various operating modes, which means a different
toolbar, menu options and side panels.
Arguably, the two you’ll spend most time using
are the Photo persona, which offers access to
the main toolkit, and the Develop persona, which
is designed for the preprocessing and trivial
adjustment of RAW images (although it can also
be used for any image file format).
The other personas of Liquify and Export are
self‑explanatory, although Tone Mapping requires
some explanation and lets you play around with
the image tone, brightness, exposure, shadows,
highlights, curves and more to produce some
interesting one‑click filters.
In essence, the Tone Map component is like a DIY
Instagram filter tool and if you’re the kind of person
who likes to make their snaps look like washed‑out
1970s film, then you’ll be in seventh heaven.
The layers feature is also different to Photoshop
because just about any adjustment or filter can

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exist as its own layer. You might, for example, add a

curves adjustment on its own layer, and a denoise
filter as another. The benefit is that you can then
edit any of what Affinity Photo calls ‘pixel’ layers
containing the actual image data without having
to abandon these edits.
When browsing through the toolbar and menu
options it’s easy to feel like a child in a sweet shop.
Particularly impressive is the Inpainting brush
tool. Just draw over an object you want to remove
from a picture – an irritating tourist, for example, or
a telegraph line – and Affinity Photo will magically
remove it. This can also be used to restore parts of
an image that are missing – for example, removing
a tear within a scanned‑in photograph.
Then there’s the stacks tool that allows you
to combine several shots of the same subject or
scene, automatically aligning them and letting
Affinity
Photos lets
you customize
the size of its
brushes

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you merge them into one composite photo

in interesting ways.
To get an idea of what you’ll find in Affinity
Photo, we recommend you take a look at the
video tutorials, all of which last a few minutes
only. Some hugely impressive stuff is possible.
Indeed, it’s almost impossible to criticise the
program, though if forced we’d suggest that it’s a
little too biased towards creating new images, or
making significant adjustments to existing ones.
It really is a power tool. Although Affinity Photo
can indeed make subtle tweaks, just like any image
editor, doing so feels like you’re using a Bugatti
Veyron to go to Sainsbury’s. Alternatives such as
Photoshop or Pixelmator somehow manage to
hide away all their power unless you specifically
seek it out, which is curiously user‑friendly.
With an asking price of £48.99, Affinity Photo is
a bargain. For semi‑pro and even pro‑level editing it
really is a competitor for Adobe Photoshop.
Pixelmator
Price: £28.99 inc VAT from fave.co/1qOHBY1
Pixelmator has a lot of fans in the Mac world,

where its combination of amazing value for money
plus extensive feature list makes it the most likely
candidate for a swap‑in Photoshop replacement.
In fact, it’s hard not to notice the influence of
Adobe’s product when working within Pixelmator.
You’ll certainly find most of the key tools that have
proven useful across the decades, and all within

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You can duplicate parts

of an image using the
Clone Stamp tool
an interface that looks beautiful and fits in entirely

with the macOS aesthetic. The integration with
macOS is more than skin‑deep – the application
also uses macOS’s underlying CoreImage and
OpenGL technologies, meaning the results appear
virtually instantaneously when you’re applying
effects or even making heavy edits.
This is not to say that every tool you might be
used to is present in Pixelmator. For example, while
Clone and Heal tools are present, there’s no Patch
tool, or Context‑Aware Move tool, or History Brush.
There are actually quite a few other omissions
that come apparent the more you use Pixelmator.
Depending on your level of image‑editing
sophistication, these absences might be annoying.
Similarly, when it comes to filter tools you
typically don’t get a huge number of options for

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each beyond a slider to control the strength of the

effect. This is nearly often all you need, though –
aside from those moments when you’re looking
for that little extra creative freedom.
However, none of this is an accident. Pixelmator
keeps things simpler than Adobe’s effort, and
it also lacks the legacy requirement to make
older users feel at home by keeping obscure
sliders and switches in place. This means that
Pixelmator has found a home with amateur and
semi‑professional image editors who use it
occasionally, rather than daily. It’s also popular
among people who create original art, with an
extendable and easy‑to‑use brush tool.
It’s hard to overemphasize the simplicity of the
interface. Want to adjust the levels of the current
layer? Just find the Levels thumbnail within the
Effects Browser window, and drag it on top of the
image window (or double‑click it). Then adjust
the sliders in the dialog box that appears. Want
to remove a zit from your model’s face? Simply
click the Heal tool on the toolbar, and then draw
over the blemish.
Although there might be the most marginal
of learning curves, if you’ve used any other
image editor over the past 20 years then there’s
nothing disruptive in Pixelmator.
Alas, there are some weaknesses. Although it’s
compatible with the same extensive list of RAW
image files as macOS, it can only open them for
editing just like it would a JPEG or TIFF. In other
words, Pixelmator is not a RAW image processor.

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The Repair tool

lets you delete
unwanted objects
You can’t easily correct for notable camera defects,

for example, because the image has already been
processed in order to render it within Pixelmator
and some data lost during the process.
Among some of its most notable omissions
compared to Photoshop, Pixelmator also lacks a
history browser, so you can’t see what edits you’ve
already made and switch back to an earlier one –
although you can, of course, simply keep hitting
Cmd+Z to undo your recent changes.
Sadly, the omissions listed above definitely
nudge Pixelmator into the enthusiast rather
than pro category. To use it daily for pro‑level
image manipulation will lead to regularly pushing
against its limitations. Nonetheless, the program’s
developers remain committed to the product and
very responsive to the needs of users. Version 3.7

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as reviewed here is perhaps the first third‑party

image editor to support the HEIF image format,
as introduced with iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra.
DxO Optics Pro for Photos

Price: £9.99 inc VAT from fave.co/2HtiSlq
Most people are likely to recognize DxO for its

DxOMark website, which reviews camera and
lenses, including phone cameras such as the
iPhone 8 Plus. However, the company also makes
its own phone camera add‑on module, the DxO
One, and among professional and semi‑pro
photographers its triumvirate of image editing
apps are even better known.
DxO FilmPack aims to reintroduce the “magic
of analog film”, while DxO ViewPoint specializes
in fixing lens distortions. But it’s DxO Optics
Pro that offers the most creative freedom when
working with images, and offers an extensive
image processing toolkit.
With a tag line of “Reveal the RAW emotion”,
there can be little doubt where the ‘focus’ of DxO
Optics Pro lies (excuse the pun). While RAW image
data can vary between models, DxO Optics Pro
supports over 300 cameras (plus over 950 lenses),
and the DxO Optics Module Library ensures that
new models are easily supported and downloaded
automatically upon demand. For RAW file formats
that don’t allow the saving of image tweaking
metadata, DxO Optics Pro uses its own ‘sidecar’
file format. This means you’ll end up with two files

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post‑editing. However, DxO Optics Pro is also

compatible with the popular Adobe DNG RAW
format for compatibility with other apps (with a
handful of minor provisos), and this does allow
the combination of RAW and image metadata.
Notably, DxO Optics Pro isn’t just about RAW
images, and can handle JPEG too, although this
will mean some features aren’t available.
The DxO Optics Pro interface is the fashionable
black colour that evidently all image‑editing apps
must use nowadays. The image you’re working on
sits in the middle of the window, while to the left
and the right are docked palettes offering image
tweaking controls. Each palette can be expanded
or contracted by double‑clicking, although you
need to be quick because in our tests often the
app interpreted the initial click as a desire to
move the palette. These palettes contain a range
To the left and right

of the image you are
working on are docked
palettes offering image
tweaking controls

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of controls that can be mixed and matched via

clicking and dragging from one palette to another,
and new controls can be added by clicking the
menu icon at the right of the palette. Palettes
can also be dragged away from the left or right of
the screen to become floating windows. There’s
certainly a lot of flexibility in how you organize the
screen, and you can save any arrangement via
the Workspaces menu.
The bottom of the screen shows the contents
of the project folder you have opened for editing,
but this can be shrunk by dragging the divider,
or even eliminated entirely if you don’t want it.
Upon opening any image for the first time, DxO
Optics Pro will automatically correct any lens
distortion based on the aforementioned camera
and lens profiles. This can be overridden using
the Distortion tool within the Geometry palette,
although we didn’t find it necessary to do so in
our tests. Other tools let you correct chromatic
aberration and fix any lens softness.
Although there are a great many tools on offer to
correct all kinds of lighting and colour issues, DxO
Optics Pro’s biggest shout‑outs revolve around its
noise reduction (DxO Prime), clever one‑click light
adjustment (DxO Smart Lighting), and its ability to
remove haze (DxO Clear View). All are intended to
be easy to use, with very few settings to adjust.
DxO Prime is the rather confusing name given
to the noise reduction feature (‘prime’ usually
indicates a type of lens, of course), although
there’s also a HQ (Fast) version of noise reduction

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too – and this is present for those who might get

frustrated waiting a number of seconds for Prime to
do its magic each time you drag the image to focus
on a different area. This was evident even on the
relatively powerful 2.8GHz quad‑core i7‑powered
Mac used during testing. However, DxO Prime
has a huge appreciation within the photography
world, where its ability to rescue high‑ISO grainy
images is almost legendary. In our tests it worked
very well, retaining image data without too much
blurring, and it’s certainly going to be better than
the version of noise reduction built into any camera.
DxO Smart Lighting had a similarly magical
effect, somehow giving the image the appearance
of having been shot in entirely different lighting
conditions. This primarily works on the basis of
detecting faces in the images and optimizing
the image for them. Glancing at the histogram
The Smart Lighting

feature can change an
image’s appearance

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before and after applying the effect shows not

too much data is lost, which is admirable.
DxO Clear View did indeed cut through haze
in photographs, although perhaps needs to be
used judiciously because it can also increase
the contrast.
There’s a lot to like in DxO Optics Pro. Our
complaints are slight and revolve around the
time taken to process the image when dragging it
around while zoomed, as one example. Typically,
this was a couple of seconds, and on slower
computers might be even longer. Additionally,
there doesn’t appear to be a zoom tool for quick
zooming in and out, with the maximum zoom level
capped at 200 percent, too.
Outside of the world of Adobe apps, DxO Optics
Pro’s nearest competition is Capture One Pro (see
page 78), but DxO Optics Pro is much cheaper and
a lot easier to use too, relying largely on one or two
sliders within each tool for the sake of simplicity.
True, you don’t get the incredible control over fine
details that you do with Capture One Pro, but do
you really need it? For simply pushing your RAW
images so that you (relatively) quickly get the
best out of them, DxO Optics Pro is a winner.
CyberLink PhotoDirector 9
Price: £39.99 inc VAT from fave.co/2HrUXTu
PhotoDirector 9 is something of a dark horse

because, initially, you might notice only its
organizing and sharing features. However, dig

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a little deeper and you’ll find powerful tools

for editing images, despite the app avoiding a
toolbar‑style approach and mostly eschewing
the use of Photoshop‑style pen/brush tools.
Launch the program and you’ll find it’s split
into six sections. ‘Library’ is where you import,
view, rate, tag and generally organize your photos.
There are plenty of time‑saving tools on hand
(face tagging, the ability to exclude duplicates
when importing), but it’s all very straightforward
and easy to use.
The ‘Adjustment’ section provides manual and
fully automatic tweaks for colour, white balance,
tone, sharpness and more, as well as crop and
rotate tools, various healing brushes and a red‑
eye remover. The Manual tab offers slider‑based
control, including a histogram, while the Presets
The Edit tab offers a

range of powerful tools

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selection lets you click to apply ready‑made filters.

For many this could be the main working area
within PowerDirector 9, because you can adjust
levels and curves, and make adjustments like lens
corrections. These tools aren’t token efforts either,
because most tools offer a great deal of specific
control via sliders.
However, the ‘Edit’ tab ramps up the creative
possibilities with a range of more powerful tools.
The People Beautifier provides options to whiten
teeth, remove wrinkles, perhaps reshape your
subjects for a more slimline look. The program
can remove unwanted objects from pictures,
automatically filling in the background. There’s
a bracket HDR tool, panorama creator, filters,
frames, a watermarking tool, and more.
New to PhotoDirector 9 is the ability to work
with 360‑degree images, and a lot of power is on
offer. However, it can get very ‘clicky’ as you work
through each of the options, which are arranged as
a menu‑like list on the side of the screen, and we
longed for a more intuitive toolbar‑approach.
The ‘Layers’ tab supports up to 100 layers per
photo, which you can manipulate with various
tools (Pen, Eraser, Add Shape, Text, Selection,
Fill, and Gradient) and 14 blending modes.
When you’re finished your work, the Create
section helps turn your photos into a video
file, or a slideshow you can share directly on
YouTube. The Print tab provides a great deal
of control over any printouts you might want
to make, and your projects can freely be saved

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You can turn your

photos into a video file
using the Create section
and shared online via CyberLink’s Cloud Services

(you get 20GB free for one year).
Enhanced RAW support means the program
can handle more file formats than ever, and 100+
lens profiles allows it to automatically fix a host
of common lens flaws.
Positioned firmly in the semi‑professional
area, PhotoDirector 9 takes a fresh approach
that means it’s packed with features but operates
unlike most other apps reviewed here. Rather than
take a tool‑based approach, the app prefers to
walk you through tweaks and edits.
You can almost certainly achieve the same
things as you might with something like Photoshop
– and perhaps more, such as the ability to
tweak 360‑degree photos – but it can be a little
frustrating getting used to the app and finding
where everything lives.

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Capture One Pro 10

Price: €279 from fave.co/2DusquC
The price of Capture One Pro 10 – €279 for up to

three computers – indicates we’re in professional
territory, an assumption backed up by the all‑black
user interface (somebody somewhere clearly
decided that grey or white just weren’t serious
enough for pro‑level Mac apps). The program’s
professional chops are also emphasized by the
fact it’s made by Phase One, a company that
manufactures seriously high‑end camera systems
– although it’s important to note that Capture One
Pro is designed to work with images produced by
the majority of DSLRs regardless of manufacturer.
The app describes itself as an asset manager
and RAW converter, which means it can catalogue
your images. It also specializes in readying RAW
images for consumption by other apps like layout
software or even rival image editors. Capture
One Pro boasts that it’s compatible with the
RAW image output of more than 400 cameras.
There are two ways to import images into
Capture One Pro. The first is to create a session.
This is intended to be a quick and dynamic way of
dealing with images straight from a camera. You can
prune out the duds, for example, and apply tweaks
to those you’d like to keep. Notably, a session lets
you create several different file types in addition to
an original. You might decide to output some high‑
res TIFFs for emailing to a client, for example, and
a lower‑res set for uploading to Facebook.

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Once you’ve settled on the images you want to

keep, you can move them into Capture One Pro’s
second type of image library, which is referred
to as a catalogue. This is intended to be a more
permanent home for your images, although you
can still do things like edit images if you wish –
and indeed, you can entirely ignore the session
function if you wish and import straight from the
camera into a catalogue.
When it comes to image editing, Capture One
Pro is about polishing the diamond. It expects you,
as a professional photographer, to be importing
images that you’re already happy with because you
spent time thinking about the likes of composition,
focusing and lighting out in the real word.
In other words, you won’t find in Capture One
Pro tools like clone or heal brushes because the

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app isn’t interested in helping you turn a mundane

image into something interesting, or creating an
entirely new image via compositing several imaged
together or applying a filter. For that kind of thing
you’ll need a tool like Photoshop.
However, if your image isn’t perfectly exposed,
or features chromatic aberration (distortions
created by the lens), or has some other annoying
fault unavoidable when the image was captured,
then Capture One Pro can help. Its developers
describe it as the most precise tool you’ll find, but
this won’t really mean much unless you’ve had your
screen and output devices properly calibrated.
Its tools are unique in design and function
to reflect this accuracy. As just one example
of many, Capture One Pro is massively more
advanced than simply swiping a slider to boost
saturation. Here you get a pie chart of the colour
spectrum and can click within it, and then adjust
smoothness, hue, saturation and lightness of just
that individual colour. You can really dig down into
details to get the image perfect, although if you’re
switching from a competitor product, then there
will certainly be a learning curve (a great many
guides are provided to alleviate this).
Again, some of the editing tools anticipate
working with RAW images. It’s not possible to
use the lens correction tools on a JPEG file, for
example. These let you fix the likes of distortion
and chromatic aberration caused by certain
lenses. However, in addition to tweaks, Capture
One Pro also includes high‑dynamic range

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Capture One Pro’s

tools are unique in
design and function
adjustment and vignetting, that can be used to add

viewer focus to an image.
Usefully, the app lets you connect your Mac
directly to your camera to capture images, which
studio photographers will appreciate. Indeed, this is
where it makes most sense because as soon as an
image is captured, a photographer can evaluate it
and see what scope there is for improvement.
Capture One Pro exists to help those serious
about photography create workflows that let them
quickly eke the most from professional‑grade
images, as well as provide a permanent home for
them. It has the feel of a reliable and sturdy tool – a
kind of Bosch of the image‑editing world – and we
doubt you’ll find anything more powerful. However,
the sheer number of controls and the subtle
degrees of adjustments can feel like a labyrinth.

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For the more casual day‑to‑day image editor –

and for pretty much anybody beneath scrupulous
professionals who need to ensure perfect images –
it’s hard to recommend Capture One Pro. The price
is high and you’ll need top‑end colour‑matched
equipment to even begin to get the best out of it.
Acorn 6
Price: £28.99 inc VAT from fave.co/2qVvXh4
There’s a theory that most popular apps used

today, such as Microsoft Word or Adobe Photoshop,
reached their zenith a decade or two ago. Since
then their developers behind them have been
packing in new features, but ultimately it’s a game
of diminishing returns and, for most users, the
apps are as good as they ever were.
In many ways Acorn feels and even looks like a
snapshot of Photoshop all that time ago – with a
selection of the more modern and useful Photoshop
tools mixed in too. You get all the tools that made
Photoshop so useful in the first place, such as
levels and curves to adjust an image’s brightness/
contrast, as well masking and layers, and various
filters – not to mention a toolbar with standard
brush and selection options.
All of these are indispensable when editing
images. However, while you avoid the modern‑
day cruft, you also miss out on the rare useful
innovations that have come along, such as the heal
and patch tools, or advanced selection tools that
let you select by colour range, among other things.

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The app offers a two-

week trial, so you
can test its features
before you buy
If you make heavy use of these then their absence

in Acorn can be frustrating.
As you might expect some tools are not where
you’d expect if switching from Photoshop. To adjust
the colour saturation and vibrancy of an image, for
example, you’ll need to use an entry on the Filters
> Color Adjustment menu. Additionally, effects and
filters are applied as soon as you select and adjust
them, without the need for an intermediate stage
wherein you click the Apply or Cancel buttons.
However, within five or 10 sessions using Acorn
you’ll get used to this.
Acorn is also a capable drawing tool should
you want to create artwork from scratch. There’s
a brush designer tool, as well as the ability to
import brushes designed for Photoshop. The shape
generator tool does exactly what it says on the tin.

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Despite Acorn’s somewhat retro feel there’s

support for RAW images in that the app
uses macOS’s own import filters, which are
comprehensive in their inclusion of most makes and
models. Images are opened in a special RAW import
window that lets you adjust things like exposure
and colour temperature, although notably missing
are any tools to correct for lens distortions, as
you’ll find with most RAW processing apps. Once
you click OK the image is opened in the main Acorn
editing area, after which you can save it out in the
usual file formats – but not, alas, as a RAW image.
If you’re one of those people who long for the
days when software was simple and kept out of the
way, then Acorn is for you. The price is competitive
too. However, it’s hard for us to recommend Acorn
when something Affinity Photo and Pixelmator offer
substantially more image editing flexibility and
power, yet are also still easily within the budget of
professional or enthusiast users. Ultimately, Acorn
is very good, but its competition is simply better.
Fotor Photo Editor

Price: Free from fave.co/2q8oD1A
£4.49 monthly plan, £17.99 annual plan
The BBC has reportedly claimed that Fotor Photo

Editor is “lite Photoshop”, so we found ourselves
having to include here in our guide. The fact it’s
free of charge made us even more eager.
So, is this a Photoshop clone? Or even a
Photoshop wannabe? Nope. Not even close on

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either count. However, there are some powerful

tools built in that belie the free price tag, and
considered for what it is – which is an image
tweaker and improver like those countless apps
for your iPhone – then it’s very good.
The main difference between Fotor Photo Editor
and Photoshop is that Adobe’s app uses a toolbar
and layers approach, offering tools that let you
directly work on the image. Fotor Photo Editor, by
contrast, only lets you apply effects and edits to the
entire image. There isn’t even a selection tool, and
you can forget about things such as layers.
However, don’t think it’s basic. Click on the
Adjust icon, and there are curves and levels tools.
Elsewhere there are vertical and horizontal distort
tools that can help fix perspective, too. But there’s
no getting away from the fact that, for the most
GIMP’s old-fashioned
interface can take a
little getting used to

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part, Fotor Photo Editor takes its inspiration from

apps such as Snapheal. In other words, one‑click
filters and fixes are the order of the day.
Often these produce terrific results, and can
certainly make for striking images, but it’s less
about subtle corrections and more about making
something stylish for your Facebook wall or
Instagram feed. Most, if not all, filters have just
one adjustment slider to alter the level of intensity
although a handful did catch our eye, including
Bokeh, which introduces subtle and attractive
lens leakage into the image.
Rather irritatingly, several very useful features
require you upgrade to Fotor Pro. If you don’t a
watermark is placed over the image when you use
the tool in question. Upgrading costs £11.49 per
year, or £3.99 if you want to pay monthly, but until
you pay for the program useful tools such as noise
reduction, lens correction, defogging and HSL
adjustment remain out of bounds.
Whether you’d want to spent £11.49 on an
app like this is questionable, especially if you’re
looking for high‑level image correction and editing.
Although Pixelmator is nearly three times the price,
it’s still less than £30, and that’s a one‑off payment
that means you can keep the app for life.
Movavi Photo Editor for Mac

Price: £29.95 inc VAT from fave.co/2qWojDn
Adobe Lightroom, along with the now‑deceased

Aperture app, showed that there’s space in the

BUYING GUIDE
professional‑grade image‑editing marketplace

for apps that offer quick fix solutions, whether
that’s to correct trivial errors like less‑than‑perfect
exposure, or to do things like subtly adjust an
image’s overall histogram plot.
Of course, there are many Mac image‑ editing
apps of a one‑click nature out there, but typically
they are aimed at the lower‑end of the market.
Movavi Photo Editor has one foot in this camp
but has some tools that could make it a useful
installation for professionals.
Chief among them is Object Removal, which
lets you define an area of the image that will then
be deleted. Everything from facial blemishes to
telegraph wires to photobombing seagulls can
be eradicated by using the provided brush tool to
draw over the object, although there’s also lasso
and magic wand selection tools for this purpose.
The end results are impressive, provided you make
Object Removal
lets you get rid of
unwanted areas
of an image

BUYING GUIDE
good use of the Variation slider to avoid the tool

becoming too aggressive (or tame). There’s also a
standard clone brush tool to fix any mistakes, or
indeed remove objects manually if you wish.
Alas, the second big hitter within the app –
Background Removal – was less impressive in our
tests. This supposedly isolates a subject from its
background, and requires you define not only the
object you want to keep but also the background
you wish to remove. Results in our tests were
messy and very likely to be unusable. We’re sure if
you spend time zooming in and finely defining the
object and its background you might have better
results, but if we have that kind of time and energy
available for editing then we’d fire up a ‘proper’
image editor like Photoshop instead.
The tools under the Retouching tab
unfortunately aren’t much better. In theory they
offer a variety of simple yet effective tools to
The app lets

you remove
an image’s
background

BUYING GUIDE
improve an image, especially when it comes to

portrait pictures. For example, you can remove
the shine from cheeks, and even iron out wrinkles.
Unfortunately, many of these options turned out
to be simple brush tools that had no intelligence
built in. Using the Lip Color tool simply attempted
to apply a colour tint to where we clicked within
the image, for example, and if we strayed beyond
the lips then Movavi Photo Editor simply didn’t
realize and coloured the skin a different colour,
too. Again, we’re not sure what this offers above
and beyond using a ‘proper’ image editor.
Other tools provided with Movavi Photo Editor
include the usual sliders to adjust brightness,
exposure, sharpness, and so on, as well as the
ability to rotate, crop, and resize. There are filters
but these are no better (or worse) than you’ll find in
most Instagram‑style apps, and it’s hard to imagine
a professional ever using them. We noticed that
some of them took several seconds to be applied,
too, which is unacceptable.
There might be promise in this Movavi Photo
Editor’s one‑click approach, but it’s not there yet.
Its price puts in the same bracket as the likes of
Pixelmator or Affinity Photo, both of which are
simply several times more impressive and useful,
and are to be recommended instead.

ROUND-UP
Latest Mac games

Andrew Hayward looks at this month’s best new releases
B
een looking for a game to show off your
powerful Mac? We’ve two of the year’s
biggest releases so far: the cinematic
adventure Rise of the Tomb Raider and the
engrossing tactical mech game, BattleTech. But
there’s plenty more worth checking out. Minit and
The Swords of Ditto are intriguing indie quests, plus
RPG classic Neverwinter Nights is back in action
with an updated Enhanced Edition. And that’s just
half of the games included here.

ROUND-UP
1. Rise of the Tomb Raider

Price: £28.99 from fave.co/2HD0ExZ
After 2013’s Tomb Raider successfully rebooted

the series in thrilling fashion, Rise of the Tomb
Raider is here to continue Lara Croft’s evolution
from rookie explorer to hardened adventurer. Rise
is built in the same mold, packing in large, detailed
environments to traverse, bad guys to pummel in
tense encounters, and puzzling tombs to solve.
It’s heavily cinematic and engrossing, and
the PC version received raves when it released
a couple years back. This ‘20 Year Celebration’
edition packs in some extras, too, such as
additional tombs and missions, throwback
costumes, and the ability to explore Croft Manor
in a very Gone Home‑esque sort of way.

ROUND-UP
2. BattleTech
Price: £34.99 from Steam (fave.co/2HDDg3v)
BattleTech is back. The classic tabletop gaming

sensation, which spawned video game hits like
MechWarrior and MechAssault, has finally delivered
an all‑new turn‑based tactics game under the
direction of original creator Jordan Weisman. If you
love giant robots and gripping battles, then you’ll
probably get a big kick out of this. As the leader
of a mercenary group, you’ll travel from planet to
planet with your lance of mechs, dropping into
conflicts to engage in tense matchups for cash. It’s
XCOM‑esque in both gameplay and the emotional
pull of your squad over time, and it’s a fantastic
combat experience, albeit one still saddled with
performance issues and other needed tweaks.

ROUND-UP
3. Minit
Price: £6.99 from Steam (fave.co/2HIvrJX)
Adventure games such as Rise of the Tomb tend

to be sprawling epics that encourage extended
play sessions. Minit isn’t that kind of game, and
the clue is right there in the title. In Minit, every
attempt you start ends 60 seconds later with your
demise. You have one minute to speedily explore
your surroundings, and then you’re toast. That
might sound extraordinarily punishing and perhaps
overwhelming, but clever world design and smart
streamlining apparently make Minit compelling. The
quests and fights fit within those short sessions,
and you’ll gradually make progress as the timer
pushes you to go faster and faster. And yes, it looks
a lot like a classic Game Boy game.

ROUND-UP
4. The Swords of Ditto

Price: £14.99 from Steam (fave.co/2HXFHRQ)
The Swords of Ditto shares some similarities with

Minit, at least when it comes to making a large‑
scale, classic Legend of Zelda‑esque adventure
more compact and approachable, but one glance
shows that they attack this theme in very different
ways. And Swords of Ditto doesn’t keep you to
single‑minute sessions. Devolver’s latest affair
finds you as a fresh‑faced hero of legend attempting
to defeat the evil Mormo. When you eventually fall,
you’ll pick up the quest as a descendant 100 years
later, and things have changed in the meantime.
Each new attempt feels distinct as a result, but your
progress carries over across generations, which
should soften the blow of defeat.

ROUND-UP
5. Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition

Price: £15.49 from Steam (fave.co/2jirKji)
Fifteen years after the original game hit Mac,

Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition delivers a
spruced‑up version for modern devices. Ported by
the same team behind recent revivals of Baldur’s
Gate, and other beloved old‑school computer role‑
players, this is another D&D‑inspired classic that
enjoys new life in 2018. This bundle includes the
complete original campaign and both expansions,
along with more than 40 hours of additional quests.
Steam users seem mixed about the actual impact
of the visual upgrades, but new graphics options,
higher‑resolution UI elements, and improved
multiplayer and modding support all seem like
strong improvements over the original release.

ROUND-UP
6. Friday the 13th: Killer Puzzle

Price: Free from Steam (fave.co/2I0GZf2)
When you think of the Friday the 13th horror film

franchise, what kind of video game adaptation
would you imagine? There’s already a popular
survival horror game – only on PC, sadly – but
Friday the 13th: Killer Puzzle is something very
different: Yes, it’s really a puzzle game. Blue Wizard
Digital’s game is actually a reskin of their own
popular Slayaway Camp, as you tactically navigate
the environments to lead Jason to his prey. It’s
simple but strategic. It’s also free‑to‑play, with
100+ included levels and a few premium episodes
up for sale if you finish the free stuff.

ROUND-UP
7. For The King

Price: £12.39 from Steam (fave.co/2jgbjEh)
For the King blends traditional Japanese role‑

playing combat with tabletop design and roguelike
elements and serves up a fairly unique concoction.
With the titular king slain, you’ll embark on a quest
for revenge, whether you choose to adventure
on your own or with local or online pals. Across
procedurally‑generated maps, you’ll battle baddies,
make tactical decisions, and further the rather
charming‑looking quest. Just note that many Steam
reviewers say that the game is very difficult.

ROUND-UP
8. The Adventure Pals

Price: £10.99 from Steam (fave.co/2I29kRS)
It can’t help but draw comparisons to Cartoon

Network’s Adventure Time thanks to its name, look,
and cartoonish weirdness, but The Adventure Pals
looks like an entertaining quest all the same. You’ll
play as a young boy whose dad is kidnapped on
his birthday, sending you off on a grand journey to
defeat the evil Mr. B: a man who’s trying to turn old
people into hot dogs. Like we said: weird. But that
ought to liven up this side‑scrolling platform‑action
affair, which finds you teamed up with Sparkles
the Giraffe and Mr. Rock (a pet rock) to overcome
the myriad challenges ahead. You can play it
cooperatively with a pal, too, in case you could use
a hand (and have an extra controller/keyboard).

ROUND-UP
9. Terrorhythm
Price: £15.49 from Steam (fave.co/2HEdkEJ)
In an unfortunate future in which sound is outlawed

by a totalitarian regime, will you be brave enough
to buck the system and use the power of music to
fight back? That’s the far‑fetched yet intriguing
concept behind Terrorhythm, a music‑based brawler
that launched into Steam Early Access this month.
It’s strongly inspired by PC favourite One Finger
Death Punch, as you stand in the centre of the
screen and battle waves of aggressive foes that
approach from either side. You’ll need to time your
attacks to the beat to gain an edge on the enemies,
and unlike that aforementioned game, Terrorhythm
also lets you upload your own music tracks for one‑
of‑a‑kind skirmishes.

ROUND-UP
10. Dead in Vinland

Price: £15.49 from Steam (fave.co/2jh8hj3)
Like the earlier Dead in Bermuda, CCCP’s Dead

in Vinland is a survival game about making the
most of a bad situation. This time around, you
take command of a Viking family who winds up
stranded on a mysterious island that conceals some
surprises within its shores. Survival is the name
of the game. Part of the experience is concerned
with scavenging materials to keep your family
safe and healthy, all while enduring hardships and
establishing a camp. But part of it is also about
battling the island’s strange inhabitants in turn‑
based skirmishes, with some slick hand‑drawn
artwork amidst the menu‑heavy approach.

HOW-TO
How to: Change the

default apps on a Mac
Martyn Casserly explains how to make files and links
automatically open in the apps of your choice
M
acOS comes with a plethora of useful pre‑
installed apps, all of which make the Mac
ready to go as soon as you take it out of
the box. But you don’t have to use these if you don’t
want to – in fact there are some great alternatives.
While the likes of Mail, iTunes, and Safari are set
as the default applications on your Mac – meaning
they launch automatically when you open an email,
audio file or web link – it’s easy to give these duties

HOW TO
to other apps of your choosing. So read on and

we’ll show you a quick and easy way to change
the default programs on a Mac.
What are default apps?

Every time you double‑click a certain type of file,
say an MP3 or JPEG, your Mac will automatically
launch a preset application which you can use to
interact with or edit the content. Generally this
is helpful, but sometimes you might not want to
launch iTunes to check a few seconds of an audio
file, or have Pages appear when you want to edit
a Word document. In these instances you can do
one of two things: temporarily change the app that
your Mac uses, or make it so that file type is always
opened by a different app. We take you through
both approaches below.
Temporarily launch a file in a different app

This is very easy and it won’t change the way your
Mac treats files of that type in the future.
Open the Finder and navigate to the file you want
to use. Right‑click on it to bring up the contextual
menu. Here you’ll see the option Open With.
Highlight this and a list of usable apps will appear,
with the default one at the top. Now simply select
the alternative app that you want to use and the
file will open in that program instead.
Change the default apps that open files

For a longer‑term solution you’ll need to go through
individual applications and change them manually.

HOW-TO
Sadly there isn’t a list of default apps anywhere

that allows you to quickly adjust them en masse,
but it doesn’t take long to switch them out for your
preferred options. Plus, you can always change
them back again afterwards if you find you liked
the Apple offerings more.
The default browser

Safari is the browser of choice on macOS, but if
you’ve installed Firefox, Opera, Chrome, or any
other Mac web browsers you’ve probably been
asked by those newcomers to make them the
default instead.
If you resisted those requests at the time you
can still make the switch now. Open up System
Preferences (the grey icon with a gear inside it) and
select General. In here you’ll see, about halfway
In System
Preferences
you’ll find
alternative
web browsers
to Safari

HOW TO
down the page, a setting for the Default web

browser. Click on the drop‑down menu and you’ll
see all of the browsers you currently have installed,
with the default one marked as such. To set a new
one just click on your portal of choice.
Email application
Mail is an old stalwart, but it lacks some of the
cooler features of modern email clients. To swap
these over you’ll need to open the Mail app, click
on Mail > Preferences, then open up the drop‑
down menu beside Default email reader. In here
you’ll see Mail and any other email clients that
you have installed. Select the one you want and
from now on whenever you click an email address
to begin composing a message, your new default
app will open.
It’s easy to change the

default email client

HOW-TO
Default apps associated with certain file types

If you want to change a default app other than your
browser or email client, then you can still do so.
Open up Finder, navigate to the file in question and
right‑click it to bring up the contextual menu. Select
Get Info and then from the box that appears you’ll
find, about halfway down, the heading Open with.
You can change

any default app by
selecting Get Info
Click this and you’ll see the default app

associated with this file type. Now click on the
drop‑down menu, select a new default, then click
the Choose All button. From now on, all files of that
type will open with the default app you selected.

HOW TO
How to: Create a bootable

High Sierra installer drive
Put High Sierra on an external USB thumb drive or hard drive
and use it to install the OS on a Mac. Roman Loyola shows how
A
pple distributes macOS High Sierra
through the App Store. You need an Internet
connection, and the download will be over
5GB, so it’ll take a few minutes.
For a single Mac, the installation process
through the App Store works well, but if you have
several Macs, it’s not efficient. That’s why I like
to create a bootable installation drive. I can use

HOW-TO
the drive on each Mac I need to upgrade, saving

me from the process of entering an Apple ID and
password, and then waiting for the download.
It’s easy to create an external installation drive.
It’s also handy to keep around, just in case you’re
in a situation where you rather use the drive than
rely on booting in Recovery mode.
Here are a couple of different ways you can
create a bootable macOS High Sierra installation
drive. First, let’s cover the items you’ll need and
how to get them. Then we’ll go over the two ways
to make the drive itself.
Get an external drive

and maybe an adaptor
Just about any type of USB external drive will
work: thumb drive, hard drive, or SSD. The installer
software will take up over 5GB.
If you want to use a thumb drive, an 8GB drive
works perfectly. I used an 8GB Kingston Data
Traveler G4 (£5.42 from fave.co/2Hx3cOf); it’s
cheap and it supports USB 3.1, so it’s fast. I’ve
also used a VisionTek 120GB USB 3.0 Pocket
Solid State Drive (£109 from fave.co/2HuUXCf)
and older USB thumb drives that support USB 2,
which is slower, but works.
If you have a 2015 or newer MacBook or a 2016
or newer MacBook Pro, you may need Apple’s USB
to USB‑C adaptor. This will allow you to connect a
storage device that uses a USB type‑A connector.
If you have a USB‑C storage device, then you don’t
need to get the adaptor.

HOW TO
When creating the boot drive, the storage

device is reformatted, so there’s no need to
format the drive beforehand.
Get the High Sierra installer software

You’ll find High Sierra in the App Store. It’s not
available as an update, so if you run Software
Update (Apple menu > About This Mac > Software
Update), you won’t find it. If you launch the App
Store app and look for it in the Updates section, you
won’t find it. Go to the Featured section of the App
Store, and you may see High Sierra appear at the
top. If not, just do a search for ‘High Sierra’. Click
on it to go to the High Sierra page. You can read
the information to learn more about High Sierra.
When you’re ready to download the software, click
the Download button under the icon on the upper
left. (If you’ve already downloaded the installer, the
button will say Open instead of Download.)

HOW-TO
Once the download is complete, the installer

will launch automatically. But don’t continue with
the installation. Instead, press Command‑Q on
your keyboard to quit the installer. The High Sierra
installer app will be in your Applications folder,
so you can go there and launch it later to upgrade
your Mac to the new operating system.
If you’ve already installed the OS, you won’t
find the installer app in your Applications folder.
You also won’t find it in the App Store app under
Purchased. Click here to go to the macOS High
Sierra section of the App Store. This link should
open the App Store app and take you directly to
High Sierra. Under the High Sierra icon on the left of
the banner, click on the Download button. This will
download the installer to your Applications folder.
If the installer auto launches, press Command‑Q on
your keyboard to quit the app.
Make a bootable installer

drive: The quicker way
There’s a free app called Install Disk Creator
(fave.co/2r6ZMf5) that you can use to make the
installation drive. It has been updated to support
High Sierra. There’s another app called Diskmaker
X (fave.co/2HwhpuJ) that I’ve used before, but
at the time of writing, it doesn’t support the High
Sierra. Download Install Disk Creator by clicking
on the link above. When the download is done,
you can move it over to your Applications folder.
Then follow these steps to create your bootable
macOS High Sierra drive.

HOW TO
1. Connect your drive to your Mac. It’s okay if it’s not

formatted as a Mac drive. The app will reformat it.
2. Launch Install Disk Creator.
3. In the main window, you’ll see a pop‑up menu

under ‘Select the volume to become the installer’.
Click on the menu and select your drive.
4. Under the pop‑up menu, you’ll see ‘Select the

OS X installer’. (macOS used to be called OS X.) If
you have only the High Sierra installer on your Mac,
Install Disk Creator will automatically select it. If
you have other macOS installers, you need to click
on ‘Select the OS X installer’ and select the High
Sierra installer.
5. When you’re ready,

click ‘Create installer’.
You Mac may tell you that
Install Disk Creator wants
to make changes, and
you need to enter your
user name and password.
After you do this, the app
will take a few minutes to
create the boot drive. You
won’t see a progress bar.
The main window of

Install Disk Creator

HOW-TO
6. When the App is done, your installer is ready

to use.
Make a bootable installer

drive: The longer way
You don’t need to use Install Disk Creator to create
a bootable installer. You can do it in the Terminal.
Never used the Terminal before? No problem – it’s
easy. Here are the instructions.
1. Connect the external drive to your Mac. (In these

instructions, I use Untitled as the name of the
external drive. If your drive is named something
else, you need to change Untitled to the name
of your drive.)
2. Launch Terminal (/Applications/Utilities/

Terminal.app). Don’t worry if your screen doesn’t
look like this. I changed it in the Terminal settings,

and you can too. In Terminal, select Terminal >
Preferences > Profiles, click on the one you like,
and then click on the Default button.
3. Select and copy the following:
sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\

High\ Sierra.app/Contents/Resources/

HOW TO
createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/

Untitled --applicationpath /Applications/
Install\ macOS\ High\ Sierra.app
4. Go back to Terminal and paste the copied code at

the prompt. Press Return.
5. Terminal will warn you that your external drive

needs to be erased. To proceed, type Y at the
prompt and press Return.
6. You’ll see that Terminal erases your drive and

then copies the installer file to your drive. This will
take a few minutes.
7. After copying, Terminal is done. You should see

Terminal display a ‘Copy complete’ and Done
notice. You can quit Terminal and your drive is
ready for use.

HOW-TO
Boot from the installer drive

1. Plug your external drive into your Mac.
2. Power up (or restart) your Mac. Press down

on the Option key while the Mac boots.
3. After a few moments, your Mac should display

the Startup Manager, which will show you the
available boot drives. Click on the external drive
and press Return. (You don’t need to select a
network to proceed.)
4. Your Mac will display a macOS Utilities window.

If you want to install High Sierra and leave the data
intact, select Install macOS. If you want to start
over and wipe out the data, you need to go into Disk
Utility to reformat the internal drive first, and then
install macOS High Sierra.

Macworld UK June 2018

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GUIDE TO APPLE’S RECALL PROGRAMME

THE WORLD’S BEST-SELLING APPLE MAGAZINE

4 Apple’s new Mac Pro expected to launch in 2019

9 Apple 9.7in iPad

18 Best iPad stylus

Cover image: Kari Shea on Unsplash.com

What we expect to see at WWDC 2018 22

Apple’s product recalls and free repair programmes 29

Latest Mac games 90

Change the default apps on a Mac 101

June 2018 • Macworld 3

Apple’s new Mac Pro

4 Macworld • June 2018

Apple revealed its new product development

June 2018 • Macworld 5

End of the road for

6 Macworld • June 2018

But the move to 64‑bit apps will have casualties,

June 2018 • Macworld 7

QuickTime Player 7 is hard to beat – and doesn’t

8 Macworld • June 2018

Apple 9.7in iPad

£319 inc VAT from fave.co/2GyRup4

June 2018 • Macworld 9

The more things change

Can you tell which is

10 Macworld • June 2018

outward appearances. In some regards, much of

June 2018 • Macworld 11

light in the room or the iPad Pro’s 4GB of memory.

12 Macworld • June 2018

sensitivity, the way it interprets tilts and angles,

The Apple Pencil

June 2018 • Macworld 13

of paper, and it’s incredible for marking up PDFs

14 Macworld • June 2018

Fortnite on the 2017 9.7in iPad (left) and the 2018

iPad, though, I found the characters and buildings

What about the children?

June 2018 • Macworld 15

no doubt that it’s an impressive device for the price.

16 Macworld • June 2018

classrooms on account of its emphasis on privacy

June 2018 • Macworld 17

Best iPad stylus

If you have an iPad Pro or the new 2018 edition of

18 Macworld • June 2018

nib, which you can use on its side to shade, like

Adonit Jot Pro

The Apple Pencil can only be used with the iPad

June 2018 • Macworld 19

If you’re looking for a great iPad stylus for writing

Ciscle Disc Stylus

The Ciscle Disc Stylus is similar to the Adonit

20 Macworld • June 2018

CADA Drawing Stylus for iPad

CADA’s drawing stylus is another effective option

Hahakee iPad Stylus

Hahakee’s rechargeable iPad stylus promises

June 2018 • Macworld 21

22 Macworld • June 2018

Apple fills most of the time with developer

When will WWDC 2018 take place?

June 2018 • Macworld 23