My Product Recommendations

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About my recommendations

One of the most common email questions I receive from clients is regarding what product they should buy. Whether it comes to computers, iPhones, mice, monitors, printers, hard drives, cables, smart bulbs, etc., I will try to distill it down to one or two choices.

What factors do I consider when evaluating products?

• A product that I own or have used often. A lot of the time when a customer asks for advice on a product I end up at some point needing to help them with it. It’s much easier when I know that product well.
• Ease of use. Some products have lots of bells and whistles. I don’t mind when the bells and whistles stay out of the way when you don’t need them, but all too often products really assert these features that not everyone needs. Unfortunately, I can’t always get away from those but if there is a simple option out there I’ll often go with that.
• Mac and iPhone compatible. Of course, being established in the Apple ecosystem myself it would not make sense for me to recommend products that don’t interoperate well with Apple products. Some products I overlook no matter how great they are if they won’t work well with my existing products.
• Recommended by review websites. In particular, I am a fan of the New York Times’ Wirecutter. While I don’t always go with their top recommendation I find that their articles guide me in discovering what considerations to make for a particular product. Their recommendations are usually the best for “Most People” but Mac users aren’t always most people.

This list may start out with just a few words about each product, but as it evolves, some of these sections may get their own full article. I will keep this page updated.

Computer & Peripherals

• Macintosh Computer
• Monitor
• Keyboard
• Mouse
• Printer
• Backup Drive
• Webcam
• USB-C Hub (article coming soon)

Portable

• iPhone (updated for iPhone 15, will be current until iPhone 16—probably—comes out in September 2024)
• iPhone case: Most important thing is to get a case with MagSafe. But choose a case that speaks to you. Personally, I have the minimalist Galapple. I recommend staying away from the leather cases made by Apple. Since iPhone 12 the leather has been very poor quality and has a tendency to peel. Article coming soon.
• iPad
• Portable Battery Pack
• Bluetooth tracker: Apple AirTag for UWB directional finding. Eufy for a budget option. Pebblebee for rechargeable.

Network Equipment

• WiFi Router: carrier-provided router or Eero (article coming soon)
• Cable Modem

Apps

• Password Manager – iCloud Keychain for something simple, 1Password for power users. Article coming soon.
• Web browser

Smart Home

• Smart bulbs: Philips Hue for rich color, Ikea for a budget option. Article coming soon.
• Smart switches: Lutron Caseta. Article coming soon. Caseta uses a proprietary protocol, so I’m looking forward to some future Thread products.
• Thermostat: Ecobee (but in May 2023 Nest has begun rolling out Matter support which means some models now work with Apple Home, more about that later). Article coming soon.
• Camera & Security: Ring. They aren’t Apple Home capable, but until Apple fixes the Home app so you can reliably browse recordings I can’t recommend a HomeKit camera. Article coming soon.