For those who are interested, my latest post for OWC Rocket Yard shares more detail about Ghostty, a modern terminal replacement for macOS. I have Ghostty installed on all three of my Macs, and working within its environment has been a delight. So much so that I can’t fathom the thought of using Apple’s staid Terminal app.
The image below shows a comparison between Ghostty (top) vs Apple’s Terminal (bottom). Notice how sharp and crisp the text appears in Ghostty, compared to Terminal. Unlike the Terminal, Ghostty does a great job of displaying content within smaller window sizes.
One of my main goals with setting up a new Mac is to be more intentional with my software selections. I want to choose the best software that suits my needs.
This involves reevaluating what I currently use to see if my selections are still valid. Although what I have currently works – I’m always curious to know if better options are present, both in terms of features and value.
Today we’ll look at two tasks that I perform on a daily basis: making and annotatingscreenshots and screen recording. My main go-to for both tasks has been CleanShot X. It’s a reliable and intuitive app that I’ve come to rely on for almost three years. My chief complaint is its expensive per Macsubscription fee. (I currently pay $49US for the privelege of running CleanShot X on two Macs.)
To that end, I wanted to see if there were other, better options for screen capture and screen recording. It turns out there are!
macShot has been my go to for screenshots over the past two weeks. Feature-wise, macShot appears to do almost everything CleanShot X does, and it’s free and opensource. Like CleanShot X, macShot provides intuitive tools for annotating, redacting, and editing screenshots. It’s also a native Mac app that is highly performant and light on resource usage. (It takes up a mere 8MB of memory on idle). macShot also performs screen recording with a built-in trim editor.
The only issue I have with macShot is key casting; a useful option to display keystrokes when screen recording. This feature is crucial for me when creating instructional demos.
(For key casting, I am currently using the free and open source KeyCastr.)
But, it turns out there’s an even better screen recording tool available, that blows both macShot and CleanShot X out of the water. It’s Recordly.
Recordly is a screen recorder on steroids, tailored specifically for folks like me. Recordly goes one step above other Mac screen recording apps by adding cursor animations, automatic zooms(with a dynamic webcam bubble overlay) and custom backgrounds. I used Recordly for my latest YouTube video and the results were impressive. Recordly has saved me so much editing time; it’s an absolute game-changer. With it, I no longer need to make multiple, tedious edits within Premiere. And did I mention that it’s also free and open source? Huzzah!
Recordly is so close to perfect for my use case, but it’s not there just yet. Like macShot, Recordly does not include any option to key cast my keystrokes as I demo. I also wish there were granular options for audio control.
I have a dedicated Rode microphone and an Insta360 Link 2 webcam with its own internal mic. It would be nice if I could tell Recordly to use the audio from the dedicated microphone, and mute the audio coming from the webcam mic.
Recordly and macShot are both excellent, well-designed applications. With them, I no longer need CleanShot X.
WWDC 2026 is upon the world in less than a week. Amidst all of the usual kerfuffle that surrounds the event, I remain solely fixated on what Apple will bring to macOS. Like others, I’ve written about what I hope to see in macOS 27, but for this post, I’m going to share what I think Apple will actually announce.
A user option to set a cohesive visual appearance across all Apple devices from the Mac. For example, if I want every Apple device to have the same wallpaper, accent color, etc. I can set it once and it will apply itself across all Apple devices.
Related to the above, the ability to have the same wallpaper generatively scale and resize across Apple devices. Set once, see everywhere.
The ability to toggle Widgets and Desktop icons ON or OFF from the Control Center.
A built-in icon / wallpaper generator using Image Playground, that will feed into the above unified appearance prediction.
This weekend, I rearranged my desk setup to accomodate both MacBook Pro laptops. On the left, in the image below is my M1 MacBook Pro connected to the left Dell 2515H display. On the right is my new M5 Pro MacBook Pro connected to the right Dell 2515H display. Two computers, with two separate keyboards and trackpads.
The external Nuphy keyboard, numpad and mouse are connected to my M1 Pro MacBook Pro. Moving between each Mac requires switching keyboards. Not ideal.
And then I remembered Synergy, from Symless, which allows multiple computers to share the same keyboard and mouse. I’ve been using Synergy on and off since 2015. It’s been a solid tool, for the most part. Several years ago, I ponied up extra funds to support its development. Fast forward to today. Synergy still works across Mac, Windows and Linux platforms – and there’s even a specific Apple silicon optimized version. I downloaded the update and installed it on both Macs.
Synergy’s on-boarding has greatly improved. After installing the software on both Macs, Synergy automatically found them and paired them up. To make Synergy work between two computers, one computer must act as the server, while the other is the client. In my case, the M1 Pro (Prometheus) is the server (denoted by the keyboard and mouse icons below), while the M5 Pro (BattleBeast) is the client. This means that I can share Prometheus’s keyboard and mouse between both my Macs.
The screen layout below coincides with the physical layout of both Macs’ displays. And speaking of which, Synergy supports multi-monitor setups, making it easy and natural to move between both computers. I can even copy and paste text between both Macs, making it a real convenience.
Synergy has come a long way since I started using it eleven years ago. It’s the perfect addition if you want to share your keyboard / mouse between two or more machines.
Perhaps the title is a bithyperbolic. I’m not fixing the Finder’s windows, I’m configuring them to work best for me. But first, let’s go to Finder Settings > Advanced and turn on Filename Extensions and Keep folders on top. I routinely share files between different platforms, so having visible file name extensions are a must. I also like to keep my Folders separated from my files.
Next, let’s go to View > Show View Options, where I will increase the text size and sort items by name.
Now let’s move to the Finder window settings. I have “Show Tab Bar”, “Show Path Bar” and “Show Status Bar” active. The first option will let me quickly move between two different Finder locations in one window. The second option will show a breadcrumb trail of where I’m at within the file structure. The third option gives me an item count and overall remaining space. Of the three options, I feel that “Show Path Bar” should be the default setting from Apple, because it makes the most sense.
To configure the Finder window’s toolbar, go to View > Customize Toolbar. I keep the default settings, with the exception of adding AirDrop. Dragging the AirDrop icon into the toolbar gives me quick access for sharing files and folders from each and every Finder window.
Finally, the Finder is somewhat useable.
One more thing… let’s configure useful hotkeys to make the window management experience less painful. In System Settings, search for Keyboard Shortcuts. Then, scroll down to Windows. Below are my custom hotkeys, replacing Apple’s defaults. These are the same hotkeys I’ve used when managing windows with Raycast. The Arrange section lets me switch / flip windows from left to right or vice versa.
(Alas, macOS does not include any built-in option for moving a window to a different display via hotkey. This is a hole that I will have to remedy with third party window management software.)
Incidentally, I have yet to add any new piece of software to this Mac. My FrugalMac approach is to work with what I have first. When I run into limitations that go beyond the scope of what the vanilla macOS experience provides, I will investigate appropriate third party solutions.
The default macOS Dock is littered with application icons, many of which I don’t use. And most of which I don’t care to see. Below is the macOS Tahoe Dock in its default state:
Hideous, right?
Let’s remove the clutter.
Ahh! Much better.
Next, let’s tackle the Finder Desktop settings, under View > Show View Options. I prefer items sorted by Name, and keeping text to the right of the icon. Why? Because I use long file names and I want to see them in all their glory. Showing item info let’s me see image sizes, without having to guess.
Next, let’s turn our attention to the Desktop and Dock. To modify its settings, we must visit Settings > Desktop and Dock. I’ve turned off all defaults, leaving Show indicators for open applications. I also turned off Stage Manager. I absolutely despise Click Wallpaper to Show Desktop, so I’ve banished that option to Stage Manager, so I’ll never need to deal with it again. I understand what Stage Manager is supposed to do, but I find that it gets in the way of my work. In its current state, it feels half-baked.
Scrolling down, I’ve left most of the options ON for both Widgets and Windows. I rarely use Mission Control or Spaces, so those options were unchecked.
Over the last few posts, I’m acutely aware of certain areas of friction as I work with the default macOS Tahoe setup.
1) AirDrop is tucked away inside a nested context menu, visible only when I right-click on a file or folder. I use AirDrop constantly to move files between my Macs, and SuperCharge gives me the option to have AirDrop visible directly when I right-click.
2) Keyboard-based window management in macOS Tahoe is set up differently to what I’m used to with Raycast. (If I can modify the keyboard shortcuts within the OS, I may not need to have Raycast installed.)
The first stop in changing the default Finder experience is Finder > Settings….
In the General tab, I have Hard disks, External Disks, and Connected Servers checked to be visible on the macOS Desktop. I also prefer having new windows open to show the Desktop.
Next, let’s examine the standard Finder window sidebar. In its default configuration, it’s overwhelming.
I prefer to keep the sidebar as minimal as possible, only adding items that I absolutely need. Off to the Sidebar tab we go then.
Everyone has their specific preferences, so adjust accordingly. Here’s what my Sidebar settings look like.
My Sidebar favorites only includes the Desktop as a visible option. I have several Locations checked, mostly to facilitate file access and file transfer between other machines on my local network.
Here’s what my Sidebar looks like now:
Incidentally, at this point, I’ve given my new laptop a name: BattleBeast. I think the name fits its intended purpose.
A few days ago on the Rocket Yard blog, I pontificated on features and fixes I’d like Apple to include in macOS 27. My hopes are not high, particularly due to the rumors swirling around Apple’s intent to deeply embrace AI integration within their numerous operating systems. Nevertheless, my wish list may resonate with other Mac users.
At this moment in time, macOS 26.5 seems fine, in terms of its overall stability in my day-to-day use. I’ve tested it on both the Mac mini M4 and the M1 Pro MacBook Pro. If you’ve been avoiding Tahoe, now may be the time to give it a spin.
With the M5 Pro MacBook Pro, I’m hoping to establish a clear Tahoe baseline. Some of the smaller annoyances I’m experiencing with macOS Tahoe on my M1 Pro model may stem from years of accumulated cruft.
I’m typing this post within a few minutes of unboxing my new M5 Pro MacBook Pro. I’ll share a few obligatory photos, but I’ll skip past the usual commentary on the build quality and aesthetics.
The new machine is, in just about every instance, identical to my M1 Pro MacBook Pro.
A few bits of ephemera:
The unboxing experience is still absolutely a delight.
The MacBook Pro comes with a braided USB-C cable and charger.
macOS Tahoe 26.4 is installed.
Apple presents only two update options: Update Automatically or Only Download Automatically.
The machine will be configured as a new setup, using my existing Apple ID.
The battery charge out of the box is 85%.
I have kept Apple Intelligence / Siri on (for now).
In Settings, the Mac is already set for Optimized Battery Charging.
The only observable difference between both two machines, when comparing them side by side, is the keyboard. On the M5 Pro model, Apple has omitted text on six key caps: tab, capslock, leftshift, right shift,delete, and return. While it does give the keyboard a cleaner look, I prefer the original layout. (Veteran Mac users will not have any issue, but new users, particularly those coming over from Windows, may encounter some friction.)
In my next post, I’ll share my thoughts on the default macOS Desktop experience. Spoiler alert: I hate it.
Tasks and errands got the best of me for most of the day, which means I still haven’t opened the box containing my new M5 MacBook Pro. (It will happen tomorrow, I promise.)
(Incidentally, the featured image for this post is of my M1 Pro MacBook Pro, shortly after it was unboxed.)
In my last post, I wrote about why and how I plan to use this new laptop. Today I wanted to share the rationale for the specific configuration I chose for my new Mac laptop.
1. Silver vs. Space Black
I chose Silver over Space Black after much internal debate. The Space Black MacBook Pro model looks sleek and sophisticated. I seriously considered it, but two things held me back: fingerprints and scratches. I take great pride in keeping my Macs pristine. Reports from users on various Mac reddit groups suggest that although Space Black looks good, it takes more upkeep to maintain. I suppose I could deal with a fingerprint-laden case, but visible scratches (from rings, watches, and plugging peripherals in and out) made Space Black a no-go for me.
2. 14” vs. 16″
I value portability over screen size. If I need to use a bigger screen, I can do so by plugging my laptop into an external display. Therefore, the 14” model was an easy pick. At work, I have access to a 16” M3 Max MacBook Pro. Despite it’s larger screen size, it’s far too big and bulky for me to tote around.
3. 48GB RAM
My M1 Pro MacBook Pro was outfitted with 32GB of RAM. I plan to use the M5 Pro MacBook Pro for at least five years or more, so I bumped RAM up to what I was comfortable with. Truthfully, for the work that I do, I could have probably settled for 24GB of RAM. But I didn’t feel like settling. Besides, I’ve never, ever regretted having more RAM in any one of my Macs.
4. 1TB storage
I’m very selective when it comes to the applications and files that live on my MacBook Pro’s internal drive. I have never used more than 350GB of storage space for apps / files on the M1 Pro’s 1TB drive. (Most of my files live on external drives.)
5. Binned vs. Non-Binned
I opted for the Binned variant CPU/GPU, largely based on the test results conducted by several YouTubers. For the type of work I do, I’m fine with waiting a few extra seconds. The extra cost for the non-binned CPU didn’t seem worth springing for. The 15 CPU cores and 16 GPU cores in the M5 Pro will be a massive step up from the 8 core (6 Performance and 2 efficiency) setup I have in the M1 Pro.
Extensive research and careful deliberation led me to this decision. Soon, I’ll be putting my new machine to the test. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a box to open…
I’ve turned off all defaults, leaving Show indicators for open applications. I also turned off Stage Manager. I absolutely despise Click Wallpaper to Show Desktop, so I’ve banished that option to Stage Manager, so I’ll never need to deal with it again. I understand what Stage Manager is supposed to do, but I find that it gets in the way of my work. In its current state, it feels half-baked.
