The 10 Most Popular Articles From About: Macs in 2013
During the first week of the New Year, I like to look back at the previous year, and find out which articles that we published here at About: Macs were the most popular. So, after I recovered from ringing in 2014, I sat down to review 2013 and see which articles were in the top ten.
As usual, troubleshooting articles made up the bulk of the most popular list, but there were popular how-to and Mac DIY guides as well. Without further ado, here are the top ten most popular articles of 2013.
Although the current generation of Mac models doesn't include an optical (CD/DVD) drive, it hasn't been all that long since the ever-popular Apple SuperDrive was built into most Macs. Of course, if you need to use optical media, you can still add an external optical drive.
Since Apple's optical drives don't have an eject button, it's easy to understand why so many of you wonder how to get a CD or DVD out of the drive.More »
Coming in at number two is the number one troubleshooting tip from us. Resetting the SMC can fix quite a few common Mac problems, although it's not the solution all the time. This guide not only tells you how to reset the SMC, but more importantly, tells you what the SMC controls and when you should consider resetting it.More »
This article about connecting a Mac to an HDTV is popular year round, but it really gets a workout after Christmas and into the New Year, because lucky About: Macs readers who received or bought a new big screen TV want to connect it to their Macs. More »
It's no surprise that every year one of the most popular articles explains how to install a new or updated version of OS X. Although 2013 saw the release of OS X Mavericks, it occurred too late in the year to catch up to the popularity of our various OS X Mountain Lion install guides. More »
Troubleshooting guides are always popular, and when we see particular troubleshooting guides getting a lot of action, we hope that we're solving some of your Mac-related problems. This guide tackles the difficult problem of how to repair a drive that is preventing your Mac from working correctly.More »
Startup shortcuts are special sequences of keyboard keys that, when pressed, force your Mac to start up in a special state. Usually, startup keyboard shortcuts are used in troubleshooting, but they can also be useful for learning how your Mac works, booting from different startup volumes, such as Bootcamp, or maybe just to eject a CD or DVD that's stuck. More »
Having a working copy of OS X on a USB flash drive can be a great troubleshooting tool. It not only provides you with a working version of OS X that's ready to go, but if you have enough leftover room on the flash drive, you can install any important apps or documents you may need in an emergency.More »
A Mac that freezes at the gray startup screen can be more than a little frightening because there are many reasons why the Mac may be stuck, and a few of those reasons aren't fun to think about. Fortunately, most of the time the problem that causes a frozen startup screen is easy to fix; this guide will show you how. More »
It happens more often than it should; for some reason, your iTunes library becomes corrupt or is simply missing, most likely due to a drive that's gone bad. When you replace the bad drive, you may discover that you don't have a current backup of your iTunes library, or worse, any backup of your iTunes library at all. Don't panic; it's possible to recreate the iTunes library using the music stored on your iPod.
The iPod to Mac guide that made the top ten list was written for a specific version of iTunes and iPod; the Restore Your iTunes Music Library by Copying the Music From Your iPod guide covers all of the current versions.More »
The PRAM holds data that your Mac makes use of at startup. If the data in the PRAM is wrong, your Mac can have problems starting up, or exhibit strange behavior in use. But resetting the PRAM isn't something to do willy-nilly; this guide explains what the PRAM affects and when to reset it. More »
It's going to be difficult to predict which articles will rise to the top in 2014; a lot can depend on Apple-related news, including new and updated Macs and other products. Our guides to the new Mac Pro are likely to be popular, and of course, Apple is likely to introduce other Macs, mobile devices, and software updates in the coming year.
As always, we'll have new guides that cover using your Mac, as well as updates to existing articles and guides. In the end, it will be up to you to determine which articles we publish in 2014 will be the most popular.
As usual, troubleshooting articles made up the bulk of the most popular list, but there were popular how-to and Mac DIY guides as well. Without further ado, here are the top ten most popular articles of 2013.
1. How do I eject a CD from my Mac?
Although the current generation of Mac models doesn't include an optical (CD/DVD) drive, it hasn't been all that long since the ever-popular Apple SuperDrive was built into most Macs. Of course, if you need to use optical media, you can still add an external optical drive.
Since Apple's optical drives don't have an eject button, it's easy to understand why so many of you wonder how to get a CD or DVD out of the drive.More »
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2. Resetting the SMC (System Management Controller) on a Mac
Coming in at number two is the number one troubleshooting tip from us. Resetting the SMC can fix quite a few common Mac problems, although it's not the solution all the time. This guide not only tells you how to reset the SMC, but more importantly, tells you what the SMC controls and when you should consider resetting it.More »
3. Hook Your Mac Up to Your HDTV
This article about connecting a Mac to an HDTV is popular year round, but it really gets a workout after Christmas and into the New Year, because lucky About: Macs readers who received or bought a new big screen TV want to connect it to their Macs. More »
4. How to Perform a Clean Install of OS X Mountain Lion on a Startup Drive
It's no surprise that every year one of the most popular articles explains how to install a new or updated version of OS X. Although 2013 saw the release of OS X Mavericks, it occurred too late in the year to catch up to the popularity of our various OS X Mountain Lion install guides. More »
5. How Can I Repair My Hard Drive If My Mac Won’t Start?
Troubleshooting guides are always popular, and when we see particular troubleshooting guides getting a lot of action, we hope that we're solving some of your Mac-related problems. This guide tackles the difficult problem of how to repair a drive that is preventing your Mac from working correctly.More »
6. Mac OS X Startup Keyboard Shortcuts
Startup shortcuts are special sequences of keyboard keys that, when pressed, force your Mac to start up in a special state. Usually, startup keyboard shortcuts are used in troubleshooting, but they can also be useful for learning how your Mac works, booting from different startup volumes, such as Bootcamp, or maybe just to eject a CD or DVD that's stuck. More »
7. Create an Emergency OS X Boot Device Using a USB Flash Drive
Having a working copy of OS X on a USB flash drive can be a great troubleshooting tool. It not only provides you with a working version of OS X that's ready to go, but if you have enough leftover room on the flash drive, you can install any important apps or documents you may need in an emergency.More »
8. Mac Stalls on Gray Screen at Startup
A Mac that freezes at the gray startup screen can be more than a little frightening because there are many reasons why the Mac may be stuck, and a few of those reasons aren't fun to think about. Fortunately, most of the time the problem that causes a frozen startup screen is easy to fix; this guide will show you how. More »
9. Copy Tunes From Your iPod to Your Mac
It happens more often than it should; for some reason, your iTunes library becomes corrupt or is simply missing, most likely due to a drive that's gone bad. When you replace the bad drive, you may discover that you don't have a current backup of your iTunes library, or worse, any backup of your iTunes library at all. Don't panic; it's possible to recreate the iTunes library using the music stored on your iPod.
The iPod to Mac guide that made the top ten list was written for a specific version of iTunes and iPod; the Restore Your iTunes Music Library by Copying the Music From Your iPod guide covers all of the current versions.More »
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10. How to Reset Your Mac's PRAM (Parameter RAM)
The PRAM holds data that your Mac makes use of at startup. If the data in the PRAM is wrong, your Mac can have problems starting up, or exhibit strange behavior in use. But resetting the PRAM isn't something to do willy-nilly; this guide explains what the PRAM affects and when to reset it. More »
What to Expect in 2014
It's going to be difficult to predict which articles will rise to the top in 2014; a lot can depend on Apple-related news, including new and updated Macs and other products. Our guides to the new Mac Pro are likely to be popular, and of course, Apple is likely to introduce other Macs, mobile devices, and software updates in the coming year.
As always, we'll have new guides that cover using your Mac, as well as updates to existing articles and guides. In the end, it will be up to you to determine which articles we publish in 2014 will be the most popular.
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