Best Places To Finance A Mac Book Pro For Students
Most students looking for a new MacBook should pick up the MacBook Air. It's less expensive than other MacBooks, more powerful, and has a bigger display than the 12-inch MacBook while remaining lightweight. And though it might not be as powerful as the MacBook Pro, it should provide enough power for the average student to get through their day.
Our pick
MacBook Air (2018)
If you need a bigger screen, the regular $1,299 13-inch MacBook Pro without Touch Bar is a fine option and offers more battery life than the 12-inch MacBook. Here are the best MacBooks for your money. Unleash your creative potential with the Pro Apps Bundle for qualifying college students, teachers, and education institutions. Get all five professional applications for video and music at a special price — including Final Cut Pro X, Motion, and Compressor, plus Logic Pro X and MainStage. 12-Month Special Financing When You Purchase $599 or More with the Amazon.com Store Card. No Interest for 12 Months if paid in full within 12 months with the Amazon.com Store Card on any purchase totaling $599 or more. 4 results for 'macbook pro payment plan' Showing selected results. See all results for macbook pro payment plan.
Hits the sweet spot of power, portability, and price.
More powerful than the 12-inch MacBook and more mobile than the MacBook Pro, the MacBook Air sits in the Goldilocks zone of Apple's portable Mac lineup, offering enough power for most everything you'll want it to do without the bulk of a MacBook Pro. Features Touch ID for easy, yet secure, authentication.
Who should buy this computer?
College students who want a Mac for writing papers, doing research, surfing the web, light photo editing and just entertaining themselves should get the MacBook Air. It should also be a great computer for you when your academic career is over and you're headed out into the world.
Is it a good time to buy this computer?
The current MacBook Air came out in October 2018, so now is a great time to buy this Mac. Some solid discounts are popping up at retailers like Amazon, and we're likely many months away from a potential refresh. It's been a while since Apple refreshed any of its Macs in less than a year.
Reasons to buy
- Great balance of price and power
- Light and portable
- Retina display
- Touch ID
Reasons not to buy
- Limited customization
- Butterfly keyboard may irk some
The MacBook Air is a great Mac for students, successfully riding the line between power and portability
For students, portability is a chief concern when it comes to buying a computer. Whether you're walking through your high school's hallways to your history class or sprinting across a college campus to make it your next lecture on time, you don't want to be lugging around a heavy computer. You want something fairly light. At the same time, you don't want a computer that's underpowered. The MacBook Air occupies the happy medium of that ideal. It's more powerful than the MacBook and thinner and lighter than the MacBook Pro.
For the longest time, the MacBook Air was Apple's thin-and-light computer. Many credit MacBook Air with paving the way for the 'ultrabook' genre of computers that gained prominence in the early part of this decade. But Apple has since introduced the 12-inch MacBook, which debuted with a Retina display and was even thinner and lighter than the Air. Surely, if portability is your main concern, you should get the MacBook, right?
The MacBook Air sits in the happy medium between the portability of the MacBook and the power of the MacBook Pro.
Well, let's take a look at the modern MacBook Air. It now also (some would say 'finally') has a Retina display, without adding any bulk. And no, it's not as small as the MacBook, but it's almost as light. The MacBook Air comes in at 2.75 lbs, less than a pound heavier than the MacBook's 2.03. You're not making much of a sacrifice on weight. If the footprint of the computer is a concern, check out the MacBook, but you're gaining only about half-an-inch each on width and depth, so maybe the larger Air won't present much of a size problem.
The other consideration the MacBook versus the MacBook Air is power. While the MacBook Air's eighth-generation Intel processor won't really keep up with those found in the current generation of MacBook Pro, it's more than a match for the 7th-generation processors found in the MacBook. For everything from web browsing to photo editing, the MacBook will find itself outmatched by the Air, all while the MacBook Air is priced at least $100 under the current MacBook.
Speaking of power, the MacBook Pro is probably overkill for most students. Sure, some will be able to take advantage of its more powerful processors available to it, but if most of what you're doing is writing papers, putting together presentations, or doing research on the web, you probably don't need the level of power a MacBook Pro offers. And again, you'll be saving a bit of money if you get the MacBook Air, which is always something to consider.
Ultimately, when looking at the current MacBook lineup through the lens of a student, the MacBook Air successfully rides the line between the thin-and-light MacBook and the powerful MacBook Pro. It will meet the needs of most students, and should still be a great Mac to have when you're ready to leave academics behind and head off into the world.
Alternatives to the MacBook Air
The MacBook Air might be the best MacBook for most students, but different people have different needs. If you're looking for more power, then check out the MacBook Pro. It'll be a more capable machine for almost everything you want to do, with more expensive models offering an ever-increasing amount of power for tasks like photo and video editing, app development, scientific programs, illustration, and music production. It will last longer than the MacBook Air and perform at higher levels the entire time.
If you're looking for more of a budget option, unfortunately, you're going to have to settle for something older from Apple. It's still a MacBook Air, but it lacks the Retina display of the newer model, and its processors are older. But, it still has all-solid-state storage, which means a lot when it comes to boot times. If budget is your chief concern and you still want a Mac, the older MacBook Air that Apple still sells should work just fine, if not quite as well as the new model.
How To Finance A Mac Book Pro
More power
MacBook Pro
More power for whatever you need to do.
More powerful and versatile than the MacBook Air, the Pro lineup offers more customization options so you get the exact machine you need for photo and video work, scientific programs, music production, or other intensive tasks.
The MacBook Pro offers a lot of customization options that allow you to create the computer you need. Offers everything from a seventh-generation dual-core Intel processor to an ninth-generation, eight-core i9 beast, configurable up to 32GB of memory with AMD Radeon graphics for the most intensive tasks. If power is what you want, that's what you'll get with the MacBook Pro.
Value pick
MacBook Air (2017)
A capable computer for the money.
While it hasn't seen anything other than a spec bump in the last couple of years, the 2017 revision of the MacBook Air is still a capable machine. It may lack Thunderbolt and a Retina display, but it'll still get you through most of your tasks without hassle.
Apple quietly bumped the specs on the MacBook Air in 2017, introducing a couple of new processors to choose from. Despite its lack of Thunderbolt 3 ports or a Retina display, the older MacBook Air should still be able to meet most of your needs. It even still has an SD card reader, something many Mac owners thought was lost to the ages (or at least the Mac).
Bottom line
If you want an excellent 'medium' Mac laptop, get the MacBook Air. Offering enough power to meet most of the needs of student life while being almost as portable as a MacBook, the Air strikes a great balance between the other offerings in Apple's laptop lineup.
It's also among the most affordable of the portable Macs, especially when you start getting into the upper echelons of what that MacBook Pro has to offer and even compared to the 12-inch MacBook.
Our pick
MacBook Air (2018)
Hits the sweet spot of power, portability, and price.
More powerful than the 12-inch MacBook and more mobile than the MacBook Pro, the MacBook Air sits in the Goldilocks zone of Apple's portable Mac lineup, offering enough power for most everything you'll want it to do without the bulk of a MacBook Pro. Features Touch ID for easy, yet secure, authentication.
Credits — The team that worked on this guide
Joseph Keller is a senior writer at iMore. An Apple user for more than a decade and a half, he spends his time learning the ins and outs of iOS and macOS, always finding ways of getting the most out of his iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
Rene Ritchie has been covering the personal technology industry for a decade. An outspoken analyst and critic, he writes at iMore.com/vector, podcasts at applepodcasts.com/vector, and you can find his show at youtube.com/vector. Follow him @reneritchie on Twitter and Instagram
Where To Finance A Mac
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Dock it!Bye-bye dongles! Here are the best docking stations for your MacBook Pro
Need to connect all the things to your MacBook Pro with USB-C ports? Dongles be damned. Get yourself a docking station instead!
Retailers are always running sales and promotions on different products, but hunting down the best deal can sometimes be difficult. From the time spent searching for the deals to trying to remember where you saw the best price or who added the most value to the transaction, it can be a daunting process. Luckily, it doesn't have to be. This is your new one-stop-shop for all the best MacBook deals from around the web.
Whether a retailer is offering a steep discount or a nice accessory package with the purchase, you'll find all the best deals on the MacBook, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and more right here.
Best MacBook Air Deal: $99 off
Apple's MacBook Air is a very popular offering for a few different reasons. From just 1.56cm thick, the MacBook Air is easy to take with you anywhere you want to go. It also happens to be one of the cheapest offerings from the company, making it appeal to a wider audience. It won't be a machine that you use for gaming, but that doesn't mean that it won't offer some great performance during daily use. It's also just been updated for 2019, making now a great time to buy, whether you want to have the latest model or make a saving on the previous-gen.
Light as air
MacBook Air
The 2019 MacBook Air starts at $999.99 right now at Amazon — a $99 discount. That deal can also be found at Best Buy.
$999.99 $1,099 $99 off
Best MacBook Pro Deal: Up to $299 off
The MacBook Pro is often considered the workhorse of Apple's lineup. Coming in both a 13.3-inch and 15.4-inch variant, it can be customized a bit more with higher-end components. You can upgrade the processor, memory, hard drive, and more. Couple that with the Retina Display and you've got a whole lot of machine in a relatively small package. Pricing varies greatly depending on which screen size you get and how many extras you want. Luckily, you can save some money on it with these deals.
Portable power
MacBook Pro
You can get the entry-level 2019 MacBook Pro from just $1,200 right now which is just shy of $100 off. However, the larger discounts reside on the higher-end machines with up to $299 off select 15-inch models.
$1,199.99 $1,299 $99 off
All MacBook Deals
Ultra portable: MacBook
Despite being discontinued by Apple, you can still snag the ultra-portable 12-inch MacBook and since it's going away retailers are trying to clear stock with discounts. Get them while you can, though, as once they are gone, they are gone for good.
From $999.99 at AmazonPrevious-gen: MacBook Air
If you don't want or need the upgrades of the 2019 MacBook Air, you can save a packet by going for the previous-gen model. It has been a staple of the lineup for so long and, even thou it lacks a Retina display, it still has all of the familiar ports you know and love, plus plenty of power for day-to-day computing.
From $899.99 at AmazonGo refurb and save: Various MacBook models
A number of different MacBook models and configurations are available at Apple's certified refurbished store with prices from $239. As Apple has tested and inspected every unit, and provides a 1-year warranty, you know you're getting a device that will look and work like new for less.
From $759 at AppleHow to get the Best MacBook Deals
MacBook price drops can occasionally be super steep but these discounts are usually short-lived. The best time to pick up a new Mac is around Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and keep your eyes peeled for discounts on older hardware just as new devices are announced.
Finance A Mac Laptop
If you don't need something brand new, refurbished units are the way to go. When purchased from a reputable seller like Apple or Best Buy you can save a good amount and get hardware that looks and performs like new.
If you prefer a tablet to a computer, why not check out our Best iPad Deals roundup to see what savings there are?
Best MacBook Pro Accessories in 2019
New computers inevitably call for as accessories, but when it comes to Apple's MacBook Pro, they're especially vital: The computer's USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 ports may find you needing dongles, entirely new devices, and more. Here are the best accessories you can get to make sure you get the most out of your MacBook Pro!
Read the full articleUSB-C Hub: Satechi Multi-port adapter
Staff FavoriteSatechi's multi-port adapter doesn't support high-speed data transfer or dual-4K displays, but it does have just about everything else you'd need to run your peripherals with your MacBook Pro, like SD and microSD card readers, 4K HDMI, Gigabit, and three USB-A ports.
$80 at AmazonStand for your MacBook Pro: Twelve South Bookarc
When you're not using your MacBook Pro, you need somewhere to put it where it can be up and out of harm's way. Twelve South's Bookarc is the perfect solution. This arc-shaped stand holds your MacBook Pro up on its side, which clears up desk space and keeps your laptop safe from someone putting something down on top of it. This also lets you use your laptop in 'closed-clamshell' mode, which means you can connect an external display, a keyboard, and a mouse, and use your laptop as a desktop.
$50 at AmazonUSB-C external drive: G-Technology G-Drive 1TB
The G-Drive by G-Technology is an excellent USB-C hard drive for most people. It has 1TB of storage and features a quick drive speed of 7200RPM, with transfer rates of up to 136MB/s, thanks to USB 3.1. Comes in silver, as well as Apple-exclusive colors: gold, rose gold, and space gray.
From $71 on AmazonHeavy-duty case: i-Blason ArmorBox
i-Blason's ultra-protective case for the MacBook Pro is specially designed to be drop-resistant and shock-absorbent. It has beveled ridges along the corners to make it look spacey and cool. The bottom features vents to help keep from overheating and little rubber feet to raise it just a smidge. There is a scratch-resistant protective sheet that covers the top of the case to keep your MacBook Pro protected from scratches and scuffs.
From $31 at AppleGet power all the time!: Power adapter extension cable
The MacBook Pro has a decent battery, but let's be honest — if you're going to work at a café for long periods, you may want to plug in. Though Apple's traditional brick charger isn't the worst option for supplying power, its cord can be too short — or the brick too bulky — in some circumstances. This cord gives you an extra-long reach, ensuring you can find a plug to juice up your MacBook Pro.
$19 at AppleBluetooth earbuds: AirPods
The MacBook Pro still comes with a headphone jack — but Bluetooth headphones like Apple's AirPods are often a much nicer proposition. There are lots of great Bluetooth headphones options out there, but the $159 AirPods are especially nice if you plan on using them with multiple Apple devices due to the simpler and fast pairing, thanks to Apple's H1 chip.
From $159 at AppleWe may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more.
Best Free Video Editing Programs For Mac
A Recording Studio for Your PC
- Today, Lightworks is billed as 'the professional video editor for everyone' and is available as a free download for Mac, Windows and Linux systems. Actually, Lightworks is available as two licences.
- Read reviews and buy the best video editing software for Macs, including Final Cut Pro X, Shotcut, Adobe Premiere Pro CC, Apple iMovie, and more.
10 of the Best Free Video Editing Software for Mac Users in 2018. An open-source Mac video editing program, Kdenlive or KDE Non-linear video editor is based on MLT Framework which harps on flexibility and ease of use for users.
Free Mac Video Editing Software
There has never been a better time to buy digital audio workstation (DAW) software. Twenty years ago, to record a music album at a professional level, you needed a sizable mixing console, several eight-track digital records (such as ADATs or DA-88s), and a good selection of outboard compressors, reverb units, and other effects, plus a two-track deck to mix down to. In other words, you were looking at about $10K to $15K worth of gear to start—and that's before you got to microphones, speakers, and other accessories.
If you were on a budget, you'd probably stick with a tried-and-true Tascam or Yamaha four-track tape recorder and Alesis compressor, get used to bouncing tracks in mono, make peace with tape hiss, and remember to clean the tape heads every week. And you'd be sharply limited in the kinds of projects you could produce. The only easy multitrack recording you could do at the time was with MIDI, with hardware synthesizers or samplers, and maybe with a Mac or an Atari ST computer attached as a sequencer.
It's an entirely different world now. Software packages that cost a few hundred dollars now deliver hundreds of audio tracks and incredibly flexible editing. Some programs are even free. You can create as many instances of effects plug-ins as you want, including spot-on emulations of compressors that cost several thousand dollars each, and attach them to as many mixer channels as you want. It's all nearly unlimited and 'in the box' now.
Choosing the Right DAW
From the standpoint of someone recording 20 or 30 years ago, a DAW today is like a giant candy store; it's as if you can do almost anything. For the newcomer, though, it may seem almost hopelessly complex. Choosing the right audio software can be quite difficult. Most of the famous packages like Pro Tools and Logic have been around for decades. They've grown incredibly powerful, and as a result have user interfaces that are as complex as…well, professional mix consoles.
So how to decide? To help with this task, we went out and tested the most popular DAWs. Numerous venerable (and excellent) recording magazines have reviewed these applications many times over the years. That's great for the existing user base of each DAW, but maybe not always quite as clear for newcomers. In each of our reviews, we did our best to approach each product as a whole, rather than devoting the majority of the space to just the latest features that were added in the most recent point update.
Before we get to the specifics, the simplest program for audio editing is a two-track editor; probably the most famous example here is the free Audacity. While Audacity aspires to some extremely basic multitrack recording with overdubs, its real use is as a solid stereo editor. If you're recording a podcast or editing a clip of your kid's piano recital that you recorded on your phone, Audacity is an excellent choice; you can probably start and stop there. If you need something more sophisticated, read on.
It helps to think about the kinds of projects you want to create. Are you planning on producing beats for hip-hop or fully electronic compositions? Do you want to record multiple musicians playing live instruments at once? Will you be using your setup to score for
What Comes With Each DAW?
The good news is all of the packages can we tested can more or less do all of the above tasks, with a few notable exceptions. The trick is that each program has strengths in different areas, and some tasks may be a bit more complicated in one than they are in another. One overarching rule to decide faster is to look at what your colleagues or friends are using, and then choose the same package. That makes it easier to share tips or even projects between each other, rather than being the
Another is to look at what's bundled with each program. Would you prefer a DAW that comes with a ton of virtual instrument sounds, such as synthesizers, sampled violins, guitars, and electric basses? You may want to look at something like Logic Pro X, Cubase Pro, or Studio One, all of which include many gigabytes of sounds and loops. Do you have or plan to buy your own instrument plug-ins you want to use? Reaper is a fully stripped down DAW at an excellent price, and it makes an excellent host for third-party VSTs. It's also great if you're recording a band full of live instruments and don't need much in the way of virtual ones. Do your tastes lean toward the electronic and synthesized realm? FL Studio, Reason, and Ableton Live
Often, it comes down to the details and the editing philosophies. Do you prefer pattern-based recording for electronic music? FL Studio is going to have plenty to offer. Would you rather have a 'do-it-all' DAW with a large built-in sound library at a low price? PreSonus Studio One beckons. Do you want to not just be able to bring projects into major studios, but collaborate online and also open sessions directly as you work on them with others? It's impossible to top Avid's Pro Tools for this. Is the music already done, and you work in post-production and want to produce more professional podcasts or videos? Adobe Audition is a prime contender for these tasks. And if you've got a Mac, it's worth giving the free GarageBand a spin, if only because it's more powerful than it ever was and you already own it.
How Much Do You Want to Spend?
Closely correlated to the bundled instruments and effects is price, and that's a factor that can cloud the issue a bit. Many of the top-tier packages also have less expensive (or even free), feature-limited editions available. It's not as simple as saying 'Reaper is a budget DAW at $60 and Studio One 3 is a professional-level DAW at $399,' because you can also buy the stripped-down (but still pretty feature-rich) Studio One Artist for $99. What do you lose? What do you gain? We try and touch on this as much as possible within each review.
Which DAW Is Right for You?
In short, read our reviews (linked below) and try some demos where you can. But otherwise, don't sweat it too much. We spent countless hours testing these products and putting together both the reviews and this guide. Despite the complexity of the software here, we've found it's honestly tough to go wrong. It's not like computers or cameras, where you can clearly see that of the latest crop of products, a few perform well and a few don't perform as well as the leaders. These are all mature, well-established products, each with thousands of fans.
As a result, more than half of the packages in this roundup score at least four out of five stars. You can get professional-level results with all of them. Each has some specific workflows that work really, really well for some people—hence the endless 'X is the best and Y is garbage' arguments on the internet—but they all can work for just about anyone.
Even so, we single out two DAWs, one on the Mac and one on the PC, for Editors' Choice awards: Apple Logic Pro X, for its absolutely unbeatable value with its built-in instruments and effects plug-ins, and Avid Pro Tools, for its seamless audio editing and suitability up and down the pro studio chain. But we'd happily use any of the programs listed below for new projects. Choose one, learn its secrets, and get to work creating and editing amazing music and audio projects.
Best Audio Editing Software Featured in This Roundup:
Avid Pro Tools Review
MSRP: $599.00
Pros: Still the cleanest audio editing workflow on the planet. Fast 64-bit recording and mixing engine. New cloud-based project collaboration tools. Robust, useful track freeze and commit options. High-end hardware and support policies are tops in the industry.
Cons: Lacks built-in pitch correction. No VST plug-in support or instrument track presets. USB dongle-based copy protection. Monthly fee required for new software patches past 12 months.
Bottom Line: Avid stays the course with Pro Tools and maintains its status as the standard cross-platform solution for professional audio editing work for music, film, games, and broadcast.
Read ReviewImage-Line FL Studio Review
MSRP: $299.00
Pros: Vector-based interface is attractively animated, and supports 4K, multi-monitor, and multitouch configurations. Brilliant loop and pattern-based MIDI composition tools. Visible automation clips are easy to manipulate. Light memory footprint. Free lifetime updates.
Cons: Convoluted, inflexible audio recording (in higher-priced versions). Must manually assign instrument tracks to mixer channels. Built-in sound library could use some updating. Lacks notation editor.
Bottom Line: If you want to produce some of today's slickest beats, right up to full electronic dance music tracks, FL Studio could be the ideal key to unlock your creativity.
Read ReviewAdobe Audition CC Review
MSRP: $20.99
Pros: Strong audio-restoration, sound-removal, and noise-reduction tools. Excellent stereo waveform editor. Useful visualization tools. Adheres to film and television broadcast standards for audio.
Cons: Lacks MIDI support. Only available via an expensive monthly subscription.
Bottom Line: Audition is a comprehensive audio editor for video post-production, podcasts, and audio restoration. It's expensive for what you get, though, and makes the most sense as a supplement to a video editor or as part of an existing CC subscription.
Read ReviewSteinberg Cubase Pro Review
MSRP: $559.99
Pros: Comprehensive editing and automation support. Robust plug-in bundle. Powerful mixer. Rock-solid stability.
Cons: Expensive. Dongle-based hardware copy protection.
Bottom Line: Steinberg Cubase Pro is a top-notch digital audio workstation particularly suited to MIDI and virtual instrument composers.
Read ReviewAbleton Live Review
MSRP: $749.00
Pros: Inspirational clip-based live and composition workflow. Fast navigation. Powerful automation. Suite version contains plenty of sample material to work with.
Cons: No track comping. No notation view. No pitch correction tool. Mixer view could be more robust.
Bottom Line: In its latest iteration, Ableton Live is a powerful all-in-the-box solution for composing music, particularly electronic-influenced, but it's not for everyone.
Read ReviewPreSonus Studio One Review
MSRP: $399.00
Pros: Fast workflow for music composition and audio recording. Robust included sound sets. Attractive drag-and-drop interface. Powerful free version. Multitouch-enabled on the Windows side.
Cons: No notation editor. No easy way to import session data or save I/O templates. MIDI editing is still weaker than the competition. Cluttered mixing console.
Bottom Line: PreSonus reinvented the common digital audio workstation in 2008 with Studio One; the latest version is the most inspired yet.
Read ReviewPropellerhead Reason Review
MSRP: $399.00
Pros: Versatile array of bundled instruments. Awesome sound set serves as instant inspiration for new electronic tracks. Fast composition workflow. SSL-style mix compression and EQ.
Cons: Aging rackmount-and-patch-cable UI idiom. No surround or scoring features. Track editing still lags the competition.
Bottom Line: Despite its flaws, it's tough to knock Reason as an all-in-one recording, mixing, and mastering tool, particularly if you're into electronic or hip-hop music and want a tremendous array of sounds and beats right out of the gate. It's still as much fun to use as it has always been.
Read ReviewCockos Reaper Review
MSRP: $60.00
Pros: Multi-channel audio recording, mixing, and mastering at a bargain price. Heavily customizable. Fast. Extremely light memory footprint.
Cons: No built-in instruments or loops. Uninviting, unintuitive interface.
Bottom Line: Reaper offers nearly all of the features and flexibility, if not the ease of use or visual appeal, of powerhouse digital audio workstations like Pro Tools at a fraction of the cost.
Read ReviewApple Logic Pro X (for Mac) Review
MSRP: $199.99
Pros: Excellent value. Stunning array of bundled instruments and effects. Terrific interface. No copy protection, unlike many competitors.
Cons: A few older plug-ins still need a UI makeover.
Bottom Line: Apple Logic Pro X 10.4 is a tremendous update to an already-excellent digital audio workstation, and if you own Logic Pro X, it's free.
Read ReviewAudacity Review
MSRP: $0.00
Pros: Free. Lots of editing options ideal for dialogue, sound effects, and trimming music tracks. Supports multitrack audio and batch processing.
Cons: Destructive editing only. Multitrack audio support is exceedingly basic.
Bottom Line: If you're looking to get started in podcasting or recording music, it's tough to go wrong with Audacity. A powerful, free, open-source audio editor that's been available for years, Audacity is still the go-to choice for quick-and-dirty audio work.
Read Review
Best Audio Editing Software Featured in This Roundup:
Avid Pro Tools Review
MSRP: $599.00Pros: Still the cleanest audio editing workflow on the planet. Fast 64-bit recording and mixing engine. New cloud-based project collaboration tools. Robust, useful track freeze and commit options. High-end hardware and support policies are tops in the industry.
Cons: Lacks built-in pitch correction. No VST plug-in support or instrument track presets. USB dongle-based copy protection. Monthly fee required for new software patches past 12 months.
Bottom Line: Avid stays the course with Pro Tools and maintains its status as the standard cross-platform solution for professional audio editing work for music, film, games, and broadcast.
Read ReviewImage-Line FL Studio Review
MSRP: $299.00Pros: Vector-based interface is attractively animated, and supports 4K, multi-monitor, and multitouch configurations. Brilliant loop and pattern-based MIDI composition tools. Visible automation clips are easy to manipulate. Light memory footprint. Free lifetime updates.
Cons: Convoluted, inflexible audio recording (in higher-priced versions). Must manually assign instrument tracks to mixer channels. Built-in sound library could use some updating. Lacks notation editor.
Bottom Line: If you want to produce some of today's slickest beats, right up to full electronic dance music tracks, FL Studio could be the ideal key to unlock your creativity.
Read ReviewAdobe Audition CC Review
MSRP: $20.99Pros: Strong audio-restoration, sound-removal, and noise-reduction tools. Excellent stereo waveform editor. Useful visualization tools. Adheres to film and television broadcast standards for audio.
Cons: Lacks MIDI support. Only available via an expensive monthly subscription.
Bottom Line: Audition is a comprehensive audio editor for video post-production, podcasts, and audio restoration. It's expensive for what you get, though, and makes the most sense as a supplement to a video editor or as part of an existing CC subscription.
Read ReviewSteinberg Cubase Pro Review
MSRP: $559.99Pros: Comprehensive editing and automation support. Robust plug-in bundle. Powerful mixer. Rock-solid stability.
Cons: Expensive. Dongle-based hardware copy protection.
Bottom Line: Steinberg Cubase Pro is a top-notch digital audio workstation particularly suited to MIDI and virtual instrument composers.
Read ReviewAbleton Live Review
MSRP: $749.00Pros: Inspirational clip-based live and composition workflow. Fast navigation. Powerful automation. Suite version contains plenty of sample material to work with.
Cons: No track comping. No notation view. No pitch correction tool. Mixer view could be more robust.
Bottom Line: In its latest iteration, Ableton Live is a powerful all-in-the-box solution for composing music, particularly electronic-influenced, but it's not for everyone.
Read ReviewPreSonus Studio One Review
MSRP: $399.00Pros: Fast workflow for music composition and audio recording. Robust included sound sets. Attractive drag-and-drop interface. Powerful free version. Multitouch-enabled on the Windows side.
Cons: No notation editor. No easy way to import session data or save I/O templates. MIDI editing is still weaker than the competition. Cluttered mixing console.
Bottom Line: PreSonus reinvented the common digital audio workstation in 2008 with Studio One; the latest version is the most inspired yet.
Read ReviewPropellerhead Reason Review
MSRP: $399.00Pros: Versatile array of bundled instruments. Awesome sound set serves as instant inspiration for new electronic tracks. Fast composition workflow. SSL-style mix compression and EQ.
Cons: Aging rackmount-and-patch-cable UI idiom. No surround or scoring features. Track editing still lags the competition.
Bottom Line: Despite its flaws, it's tough to knock Reason as an all-in-one recording, mixing, and mastering tool, particularly if you're into electronic or hip-hop music and want a tremendous array of sounds and beats right out of the gate. It's still as much fun to use as it has always been.
Read ReviewCockos Reaper Review
MSRP: $60.00Pros: Multi-channel audio recording, mixing, and mastering at a bargain price. Heavily customizable. Fast. Extremely light memory footprint.
Cons: No built-in instruments or loops. Uninviting, unintuitive interface.
Bottom Line: Reaper offers nearly all of the features and flexibility, if not the ease of use or visual appeal, of powerhouse digital audio workstations like Pro Tools at a fraction of the cost.
Read ReviewApple Logic Pro X (for Mac) Review
MSRP: $199.99Pros: Excellent value. Stunning array of bundled instruments and effects. Terrific interface. No copy protection, unlike many competitors.
Cons: A few older plug-ins still need a UI makeover.
Bottom Line: Apple Logic Pro X 10.4 is a tremendous update to an already-excellent digital audio workstation, and if you own Logic Pro X, it's free.
Read ReviewAudacity Review
MSRP: $0.00Pros: Free. Lots of editing options ideal for dialogue, sound effects, and trimming music tracks. Supports multitrack audio and batch processing.
Cons: Destructive editing only. Multitrack audio support is exceedingly basic.
Bottom Line: If you're looking to get started in podcasting or recording music, it's tough to go wrong with Audacity. A powerful, free, open-source audio editor that's been available for years, Audacity is still the go-to choice for quick-and-dirty audio work.
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Best Audio Plugins For Mac
Best free GarageBand for Mac plugins: Superior Drummer 2.0 A big drum sound is the bedrock of many musical styles, but that can be hard to achieve at home with a computer. For a little more information on shopping for VST’s, check out Sweetwater’s virtual instrument buying guide and remember to check out our top 10 best digital audio workstations article if you still need a program to use these with.
Getting started
Best Free Audio Plugins
Even though Apple's GarageBand for Mac has all sorts of built-in instruments (and a smaller complement of audio effects), it has always been expandable by adding Audio Unit (AU) plugins. Besides the vast assortment of commercial plugins, there is also a treasure trove of free synthesizers and effects that will really inspire your creative juices. We've taken the time to sift through the mountains of offerings to locate the gems in the pile.
Some of the plugins include an installer, but for those that don't, you'll need to place the plugin (identified by the .component suffix) into the support folder Macintosh HDLibraryAudioPlug-InsComponents before starting up GarageBand. Power User note: The latest versions of OS X might try to stop you from installing these plugins (it's a long story), but you'll have success if you use this trick: hold down the Control key while clicking on the installer, and select the 'Open' command from the pop-up menu.
Once in GarageBand, you can access your AU plugins by creating a software instrument track, then clicking on the 'Edit' tab in the right-hand Track Info column (see left image). You can choose a custom AU synthesizer at the top of the stack, and there are hardwired slots for the Compressor and Visual EQ effects, plus four remaining slots for your installed Audio Units plugins.
You can reorder them by clicking-dragging them up and down the stack, and the position will have a direct impact on your sound; sounds start at the top and work their way down. You can also use AU effects on any GarageBand track - recorded vocals and guitars, for example - as well as entire songs (the upper right Master Track tab, then the Edit subtab, where you'll find a single AU effects slot).
The countdown
Most of us now have plug-in folders that are bursting with effects, but in our more honest moments, we might be willing to admit that some of them aren’t quite as important to us as others.
Or to put it another way, we all have our favourite effects: the go-to processors that we turn to again and again.
Best Daw Plugins Mac
It’s these must-have tools that we asked you to nominate as we sought to create as definitive a list as possible of the greatest VST and AU effects plug-ins in the world today. Then, true to form, we presented you with said list and asked you to vote for a winner.
Best Vst Plugins Drum Machines
The results of this vote are shown in reverse order in the gallery you’re about to enter. We can’t honestly say that we’ve got every great effect here - the market is now so vast that some great plug-ins were bound to miss the cut - but what we do have is a collection of processors that any producer would love to have installed on their PC or Mac.
NEXT: Audio Damage EOS
Best Disk Recovery For Mac
Note: The Unarchiver isn't actually capable of creating archives, but there's really no app on the Mac that does a great job of archiving and unarchiving. Rar archiver for mac. BetterZip 2 is a powerful archive manager for MAC. If you only need a few files or folders from a larger archive like RAR Mac file or any other compressed file format, you don’t have to extract the whole thing. Just drag the files you need from the BetterZip window to any Finder window or the desktop. B1 Archiver works on all platforms - Windows, Linux, Mac and Android. You no longer need different software on your PC, smartphone or tablet. B1 is the best unified solution for every device. This is another free archiver for Mac. Keka is really simple and straightforward tool to compress and decompress files. The application supports quite a bit of formats; this Archiver for Mac is able to compress in 7z, zip, Gzip, tar, Bzip2 and decompress in ZIP, 7Z, LZMA, BZIP2, PAX, CAB, EXE, RAR, TAR, ISO, ACE, GZIP. Archiver for Mac lets you access the contents of 28 archive types, including the most popular ones, and can compress files quickly.
Disk Recovery Shareware
If you've encountered a problem with macOS, the solution might be to reinstall the system on your Mac. This can be done by any Mac owner, but it can be a little bit complicated. You'll need to put your Mac into macOS Recovery, which gives you tools to diagnose problems on your Mac, as well as reinstall the operating system. Here's how to reinstall macOS using Recovery mode. • • • Entering macOS Recovery macOS Recovery has tools at its disposal that allow you to diagnose problems with your Mac's hard drive, reinstall macOS, and restore from a Time Machine backup. You can enter Recovery by pressing certain key combinations.
What Mac Is Best For Video Editing
- Video Editing Software Macbook Pro
- What Is The Best Mac For Video Editing
- Video Editing Software For Mac
The best professional video editing software is compatible with whatever camera, media type and file format you happen to be working with. In our evaluation, we found that every program can import and export all popular video file types, including proprietary files found on cameras and in software. Movavi Video Editor For Mac. Movavi is a video editor application for the Mac that has a free version as well as a more full-featured Pro alternative. It runs on the Mac OS X 10.7 or later and is an easy to learn editing tool that can be mastered in well under an hour. Let’s take a look at the features included in this powerful editing software. Though Mac users don't have the sheer number of software choices available for PCs, Apple fans interested in editing video are well served, by four products in particular.
You might need a video editor if you want to cut parts of a video, extract audio from a video or add different audio. Also, Most of the vloggers need some kind of video editor to edit their videos. But, Most of the free video editors limit their features to advertise their premium versions. So, It becomes impossible for the beginners to get a best free video editor with advanced features.
Video Editing Software Macbook Pro
Now, You don’t need to worry about this, Because Here is the list of some best free video editing software to test your editing skills. Also Read:- 1. Lightworks Lightworks is the best free video editing software which provides you the basic editing features as well as the advanced video enhancing features.
In fact, Most of the features available in Lighworks is similar to the Adobe Premiere and Final Cut Pro. Best free online rpg games for mac. It also includes a set of effects and transitions that you will be able to use easily.
What Is The Best Mac For Video Editing
All the Features such as Layers, Filters, Special effects, all of them are just one or two click away. In Short, Lightworks is the best free video editor which is most compatible with all the Adobe Premiere and After Effects plugins.
Best word processor for iphone. Lightworks Features S.No Features 1. Simple & intuitive User Interface 2. Lo-Res Proxy workflows for 4K 3.
Access amazing royalty-free audio & video content 4. Easy timeline editing & trimming 5.
Video Editing Software For Mac
Export video for YouTube/Vimeo, SD/HD, up to 4K 6. Real time ready to use audio & video FX. Also Read:- 2.
Shotcut Shotcut is another multiplatform and free video editor which allows you to improve your multimedia files. It accepts a vast array of image, video and audio formats for conversion. This free video editor is very useful for the mixing and matching the frame rates in a video file.
Also, It is very easy to use video editor, You just have to drag the videos onto the timeline, make the desired changes and then save the video file back to your computer. In Short, Shotcut is, without any doubt, is the best free video editing software for beginners.
HitFilm Editor HitFilm Express is an advanced and free video editor. The application allows the user to add lots of plug-ins and add-on packages that extend the publisher’s features. With versions for Windows and Mac, HitFilm 3 Express stands out as a free compositing software alternative, allowing the creation of postproduction processes restricted to software such as Adobe After Effects. In Short, Hitfilm Editor is the best free video editor available in the market. VSDC Free Video Editor VSDC is the another best free video editing software which allows you to create stunning videos with fewer efforts. This free video editor might be little hard to use for the beginners. With the help of VSDC free video editor, You can easily do some things such as additional lines, text, images, charts as well as animation to the videos.
Best Screen Recorder For Mac 2016
7/08/2016 Mac, Software, Tools, Video Marketing. You can’t do much better than AceThinker Screen Grabber Pro. It’s a top best free screenrecorder for all operating systems. The screen recording comes complete with a toolbar that gives you the option to annotate using text, line, callout, and more, and all without ever having to pause. Record or stream games and other software from your desktop. The best free screen recorder for capturing or streaming games, packed with features to help you achieve high-quality recordings.
Best Screen Recorder For Macbook
Every now and then, you might face a situation in which you want to record a video of your computer screen. Whether you're making a tutorial to teach your friends (or parents) how to do fix a bug, or you just want to show off some new trick on your computer, a screen recording tool is something that's always worth having in your applications folder. Luckily for you, Apple actually offers a screen-recording app built into all versions of Quicktime Player since OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard). Using Quicktime as a screen recorder is a tried-and-true method that we've personally relied upon multiple times here at MacBreaker.
The following mini-guide merely recaps what we've already said in: rather than paying ridiculous amounts of money for full-fledged recording suites such as, Mac OS X's built-in features will often be more than enough to do the job, especially if you're just making a basic demonstrative video. After all, excellent native apps are a big part of the appeal behind the OS X operating system. Open Quicktime Open up QuickTime Player in your Applications folder. Next, click the 'File' button in the top menu bar, and click 'New Screen Recording.' A 'Screen Recording' window will pop up. Configure the settings If you plan on including sound from your microphone in your recording, you can set it from this Screen Recording window.
While this window doesn't offer the vast configurability of a professional recording suite, for most people, it'll suffice. NOTE: If you wish to record both your microphone audio and your OS X system audio simultaneously, you will have to install a third-party called.
Then, select the 'Soundflower (2ch)' option in this window instead of the standard microphone option.
It's pretty cool and a nice feature. If you use tags and PDFs, look at Yep; or if tags and more than PDFs, Leap. Do try DevonThink Pro. A folder structure is kinda like that, but you would probably be more happy with something like DevonThink, which is a database in essence. I bought the ProOffice version recently because I've got a TON of PDF files and it took a while to get them OCR'd and I've toyed around with the classification engine to try to figure out where new documents should reside. Scanning software.
MyCam is the best webcam software application that lets you take screenshots and record video with your webcam. The software doesn’t need any special configuration – in fact, it doesn’t even need installation – and is very easy to use. The best webcam for mac. Simply run the.EXE file, let it connect with the web camera and you are ready to go. No matter which webcam company you use, MyCam will work with it instant.
Advertisement If you’re looking for a simple way to do a quick screen recording or screenshot on your computer, you can look no further than PowerPoint. Best free application for mac. Yep, that’s right! Microsoft’s software for creating presentations actually has a screen recording function buried in its tools. How to Record Your Screen With Microsoft PowerPoint To create a screen recording using Powerpoint, create a new presentation and then do the following: • Go to the Insert tab and click Screen Recording. • In the dock that appears, click Select Area or use the keyboard shortcut Windows key + Shift + A.
Best Family Tree Software For Mac Free
It will work with Windows 10. With BDXL capabilities you can reach 128GB of quad layering or 100GB triple layer. Best external blue ray disc burner for mac.
Top 1: Legacy Family Tree This video is only for instructional or educational purpose. People Reviews warrants that the content in this video is provided on an 'as is' basis with no express. Family Tree Maker for Mac. By Software MacKiev (Jack Minsky) This is the Mac version of Family Tree Maker.MacKiev previous developed this program for Ancestry. In 2016 MacKiev took over management and distribution. Family Tree Software for Windows and Mac Ancestral Quest (AQ) family tree software is the easiest to use and most versatile genealogy program for Windows or Macintosh on the market. Its format is perfect for the beginner and yet powerful enough for the most advanced genealogist. Mac Family Tree from Synium is the only Mac specific genealogy software in this category. Although since Synium released their first version of Mac Family Tree, most of the best genealogy programmes have become Mac compatible, all Mac users will tell you that software fine tuned specifically for the Mac is almost always superior.
1026 programs in total, including Please help out and add your reviews of programs you have used or tried. Showing 1 - 20 By Latest Review 5204 reviews by Software MacKiev (Jack Minsky) This program Family Tree Maker was acquired by Software MacKiev and they will be supporting and continuing the development of the program. They made their first new version of the program available in March 2016.
Family Tree Builder For Mac
Best Family Tree Software For Genealogy
Legacy Family Tree Torrent
Please use this entry to review only Software MacKiev’s Windows releases of Family Tree Maker beginning with Family Tree Maker 2014, Build 429, version 22.0.1.429 (32-bit) or version 22.0.1.1429 (64-bit) or later. Please go to to review earlier versions by Ancestry. Please go to to review the Mac version. Purchase • Windows • Full Featured.