I recently started a new job, and one of the upsides is that my computer isn’t locked down into oblivion, so I can actually use a lot of the features that make the Apple ecosystem so great to begin with!
Universal Clipboard now works properly, so setting up things like my HR profile was as easy as copying the image I wanted from my phone, then pasting it on the new Mac. It made the setup process so much faster and smoother.
Reminders sync properly so I can create a “Work” list, and add things to that list as they pop into my head. Or quickly add a personal reminder if something comes up during the work day. The old way involved me sending an email to myself, either at my work address, or my personal address, depending on the subject. Then I’d “process” it the next time I was on whichever device had the relevant mailbox configured. Yeah I know 🙈
I can now make use of separate profiles in Safari, to keep personal stuff and work stuff in their own sandboxes, but if there’s something like a bookmark I need, which is in another profile, I can easily find it without much friction. A useful tip here is that you can configure Safari to always open specific websites in certain profiles. I use that to make sure any YouTube links I click on open in my Personal profile, where I am subscribed to YouTube (who wants to see that many ads?!).
It also allows me to bring my collection of useful apps along with me, without needing to buy them all again every time I change jobs, as well as benefit from any subscriptions I have.
Being able to use my messaging apps again means I’m not stopping throughout the day to get my phone out and respond to friends and family. I can quickly respond on the Mac when needed, and then continue with my work without losing my momentum.
Finally, I can access my music streaming without having to fiddle with my phone. It can be a hassle to switch audio between my Mac for calls and then back to my phone for music, now it’s all in one place and much simpler.
Overall, I used to face all these little points of friction throughout my day, but now they’re gone. It made me think of the old saying:
The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Those individual elements aren’t revolutionary on their own, but when they work together smoothly across all my devices like this, it really feels like the technology is serving me, not the other way around.
ryBlog 