Proven solutions for speeding up old hardware and making your Mac super-efficient

Some people assume that once you buy a Mac, this is the default setup that you’re stuck with for the life of the product. Many of the newer MacBooks, and even the iMacs, are not user upgradable, unless a specialist is involved – so you can be quick to jump to the conclusion that it will eventually need to be replaced. Fortunately, most Apple products offer lifespans that beat the competition, so you can look forward to years of intense use.

However, there are ways you can increase this longevity further. You can even virtually increase the available storage, and the performance of your Mac using simple processes. We will highlight the many useful methods to supercharge your Mac, but most of the benefits will come from using only the best hardware and software that are suitable for the task. A conservatively used Mac will serve you well, and will last for years and years!

Optimise your storage

The first place to start, no matter what Mac you use, is to optimise your storage. This involves some quick manual steps as well as enabling features that will work in the future automatically, but no matter how it is done, the end result should be more available space. You have the reassurance that you are saving space where you can.

A clean start

When you turn your Mac on from a powered off state, the amount of time this will take depends on how many apps you have selected to open when you log in. This is less important for M1 powered Macs, but the premise still stands that the fewer apps you have enabled, the better. It will add much greater efficiency.

1 Find the panel

Go to System Preferences and click ‘Users & Groups’. You will see a ‘Login Items’ tab, which when clicked will display a list of apps that open when you log in.

2 Unlock the list

Click the lock at the bottom to allow changes and then carefully check each app listed. Do you really need every app in the list to open when you log in?