MS

Hello, I’m Michael Sliwinski, founder of Nozbe - to-do app for business owners and their teams. I write essays, books, work on projects and I podcast for you using #iPadOnly in #NoOffice as I believe that work is not a place you go to, it’s a thing you do.

🍎 Apple

Commentary on Apple Inc. and their late CEO Steve Jobs. I’m both inspired by their products (see: iPad, iPhone and Apple Watch) and their practices. As a true fan, sometimes I’m also critisizing Apple to hold them accountable.

🔗 🍎 Apple Shortcuts and problems with IFs and blanks

Wednesday, October 16, 2024 /blanks/

One of the reasons I can be so productive being #iPadOnly is the fact that I use Siri Shortcuts a lot. I have them for Action button, Clipboard management, Notes, Journaling and much more… The problem is that both the Shortcuts app is very poorly written by Apple (crashes, freezes, scrolling issues) and with many iOS updates Apple “upgrades” the way Shortcuts work and suddenly something that used to work, just stops working. Recently this happened to me with my Tinify Shortcut. In iOS18 there was even a bigger change…

Apple Shortcuts and problems with IFs and blanks


💼 🍎 180 degrees opinion change by Steve Jobs

Wednesday, July 3, 2024 /180/

Over the last weekend I’ve been reading a book compiled by the wife of late Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, Laurene Powell Jobs: Make Something Wonderful (get it for free on Books) and one of the stories there was about Steve not being afraid to change his mind: “I have changed my position 180 degrees.” and I believe us leaders can learn a lot from it:

180 degrees opinion change by Steve Jobs


💌 🍎 How about playing a long game, Apple?

Thursday, June 27, 2024 /news-compete/

I’m using my new 13” M4 iPad Pro to write a new essay on Apple called: “Abundance. What if Apple let others compete on their platforms?” where I argue Apple would be better off long-term if they indeed, competed…

How about playing a long game, Apple?


📱 🍎 New iPad Pros announced - first impressions!

Wednesday, May 8, 2024 /ipad24/

Yesterday Apple unveiled the new iPad Airs and iPad Pros and since my current (awesome) iPad Pro 13” is going to turn 3 years old in 2 months, I’m searching for a reason to replace it with a new one. That being said, my 3 year-old iPad Pro is awesome. I completely don’t need to replace it. But maybe I want to? Let’s see:

New iPad Pros announced - first impressions!


🍎 💼 For Developers to win Apple doesn’t have to lose - why Tim Cook should listen to Steve Jobs

Wednesday, March 13, 2024 /good-job/

I am an Apple fanboy and happy user of their products: iPad, iPhone, Watch and iCloud and everything in between. However, as a developer of Nozbe which is available on both of Apple’s platforms: iOS and macOS I have very mixed feelings about the company. Actually, I’m disappointed in them and the way they guard the App Store “Services” revenue and exercise their position, making fun of anti-steering provisions or EU’s DMA laws. Instead of making their platforms better, they are doing everything in their power to keep the status quo. That’s why I think it’s time for Tim Cook and all Apple executives to listen to the late Steve Jobs from his keynote at MacWorld Boston in 1997:

For Developers to win Apple doesn’t have to lose - why Tim Cook should listen to Steve Jobs


🍎 📲 😎 How iOS17 will finally let me digitally split from my wife? New setup for iFamily in 2023!

Tuesday, September 19, 2023 /ifamily23/

This week is all about the new iOS17 - operating system for our iPhones and iPads! Finally it’s coming to our devices and at last I’ll be able to split my main iCloud ID from my wife. An e-divorce of sorts. Nope, I’m not really breaking up with my wife, I love her too much… but we’ll finally be able to have separate iCloud accounts because since 2012 we’ve been using the same main Apple ID/iCloud account on both of our iPhones. Yes, that wasn’t ideal but it worked for us very well. However, as you can imagine it was also frustrating at times, so here’s what iOS17 offers that finally will help us out:

How iOS17 will finally let me digitally split from my wife? New setup for iFamily in 2023!


🕹️ ✈️ 🍎 ⭐️ AirTags on cars and people - how not to lose either of them!

Friday, June 16, 2023 /airtags/

Last year I wrote a long post about AirTags and how I use them and if you haven’t read it, I do recommend you to check it out and buy a set of 4 AirTags right away. You’ll thank me later! Today I’d like to focus on two niche and controversial uses of AirTags - people and cars.

AirTags on cars and people - how not to lose either of them!


🍎 🏝 🎬 Apple still insists that work-from-home or hybrid is not really their thing

Thursday, November 10, 2022 /apple-hybrid/

I recently watched an interview (embedded below) with key Apple execs - Craig Federighi and Greg Jozwiak - done by the Wall Street Journal and the part that really interested me was their stance on #NoOffice work. Well, it hasn’t changed much since I wrote about it a few months back (the action starts at 23 min 45 sec in):


🍎 📖 After Steve by Tripp Mickle - (audio) book of the week

Thursday, October 27, 2022 /after-steve/

It’s been a little over 11 years since Steve Jobs died and to commemorate this anniversary I’m posting here my short review of the new book by Tripp Mickle: After Steve - how Apple became a trillion-dollar company and lost its soul.

After Steve by Tripp Mickle - (audio) book of the week


🕹️ 🍎 AirTags - why we need them and how I use them

Tuesday, August 9, 2022 /airtag/

When Apple launched AirTags to help us “Lose your knack for losing things.”, many people were skeptical. Some didn’t know why Apple needed to enter this category of devices. Others saw a potential for abuse and stalking. People like me, who were already using similar devices from a competing company of Tile, embraced AirTags quickly. In this post I’d like to explain why I’m a fan of AirTags, why I have so many of them and what I use them for.

AirTags - why we need them and how I use them


🍎 🤩 On Anything But Idle - WWDC2022 - new stuff from Apple!

Thursday, June 9, 2022 /anythingbutidle-wwdc22/

🍎 🏝 Apple asks employees back to the office while also inspiring them to quit

Tuesday, March 15, 2022 /backtooffice/

🍎 💻 📱 7 lives of a decade-old trusty Apple Thunderbolt Display

Wednesday, December 22, 2021 /display/

🍎 🎬 🎥 Trying out YouTube #shorts with: Apple won’t unleash!

Tuesday, November 16, 2021 /shorts-apple/

🍎 🏝 🙁 Apple, offices and this new “problematic” flexibility to letting people work from anywhere

Saturday, June 5, 2021 /flexibility/

🍎 😎 Why I bought the last two remaining Apple HomePods for my living room

Thursday, April 15, 2021 /homepods/

🍎 🙁 Apple used to stand for something. Now they stand for nothing. Where’s Steve Jobs when we need him?

Tuesday, December 17, 2019 /apple-values/

🍎 💼 Stock market doesn’t make any sense to me as Microsoft is more valuable than Apple…

Tuesday, December 11, 2018 /stock-market/

🍎 ✔️ How HomePod turned me into a Siri enthusiast - I finally use voice to get stuff done!

Tuesday, November 20, 2018 /homepod/

⌚️ 🍎 My Tech Gadget of 2015: The Apple Watch

Tuesday, January 19, 2016 /watch2015/

🍎 iPad Pro. iPhone 6s Plus and other things I’m going to buy this year

Thursday, September 10, 2015 /ipadpro/

🍎 👨🏼‍💻 💻 How beauty boosts productivity… or my very biased MacBook One review :-)

Monday, July 6, 2015 /beauty/

🍎 💻 My first iMac makes my Apple device lineup complete

Monday, June 22, 2015 /lastmac/

🍎 ⌚️ 💻 The polarizing Macbook, tempting Apple Watch and… one more thing.

Tuesday, March 10, 2015 /applelive-watch/

🍎 💻 The story of my first Mac - from Thinkpad to Macbook Air… back in 2008

Tuesday, January 27, 2015 /my-first-mac/

🍎 📽 🎬 The power of iOS8 for better productivity - Productive! Show #80

Thursday, September 18, 2014 /ios8/

🍎 ✏️ Apple’s next big thing? iCar. Why Apple buying Tesla actually makes sense.

Wednesday, March 5, 2014 /applecar/

🍎 💻 ✏️ Me and Mac. A “love in the air” story

Friday, January 31, 2014 /mac/

📖 🍎 Insanely Simple by Ken Segall - audio book of the week

Thursday, June 21, 2012 /insanely-simple-by-ken-segall-audio-book-of-t/

✅ 🍎 Nozbe means Productivity on the Mac App Store

Sunday, June 3, 2012 /nozbe-means-productivity-on-the-mac-app-store/

🍎 ✔️ Focus like Steve Jobs

Tuesday, January 17, 2012 /focus-like-steve-jobs/

📖 🍎 Thoughts & Quotes from Steve Jobs Biography by Isaacson

Wednesday, November 30, 2011 /thoughts-quotes-from-steve-jobs-biography-by/

🍎 Final Act of Steve Jobs

Thursday, October 6, 2011 /final-act-of-steve-jobs/

🍎 💼 How Steve Jobs inspired me as an entrepreneur

Tuesday, August 30, 2011 /how-steve-jobs-inspired-me-as-an-entrepreneur/

📖 🍎 The Steve Jobs Way: iLeadership for a New Generation - Audiobook of the week

Thursday, July 14, 2011 /the-steve-jobs-way-ileadership-for-a-new-gene/

🍎 💼 Your New Affiliate Partner is Apple thanks to Subscriptions

Thursday, February 17, 2011 /your-new-affiliate-partner-is-apple-thanks-to/

🍎 💼 3 lessons learned from Steve Jobs coming back to Apple

Tuesday, December 14, 2010 /3-lessons-learned-from-steve-jobs-coming-back/

🍎 💻 📱 Dear Apple - iPad is NOT a personal device like iPhone

Monday, November 15, 2010 /dear-apple-ipad-is-not-a-personal-device-like/

🍎 💻 New Macbook Air seduces me again…

Thursday, October 21, 2010 /new-macbook-air-seduces-me-again/

📲 ✈️ 🍎 Apple Store “Waiting in line for iPhone 4” experience

Wednesday, September 8, 2010 /apple-store-waiting-in-line-for-iphone-4-expe/

🍎 📲 💼 Thoughts on iPhone 4 - Apple simply ships

Wednesday, June 9, 2010 /thoughts-on-iphone-4-apple-simply-ships/

🍎 📱 💻 I have to admit this - 5 reasons why iPad is the future of computing

Tuesday, April 13, 2010 /i-have-to-admit-this-5-reasons-why-ipad-is-th/

🍎 📱 7 ways the new Apple iPad will increase your productivity

Tuesday, February 2, 2010 /7-ways-the-new-apple-ipad-will-increase-your/

🍎 On stage like Apple’s Steve Jobs: 3 Mistakes to avoid when presenting

Wednesday, January 27, 2010 /on-stage-like-apples-steve-jobs-3-mistakes-to/

📲 🍎 UX Confessions of an iPhone and Mac paranoid fanatic

Thursday, December 17, 2009 /ux-confessions-of-an-iphone-and-mac-paranoid/

🍎 Removing features, noise and buttons to make your product perfect - like Apple Mighty Mouse

Saturday, October 31, 2009 /removing-features-noise-and-buttons-to-make-y/

💻 🍎 Macbook Air rocks. 5 things PC notebook manufacturers will never understand.

Saturday, December 27, 2008 /macbook-air/