This is completely normal. There are times when it randomly shows up and hits me (even though it has been years)! ❤️

You would probably be fine on Sonoma for now as long as you keep your browser up-to-date and only run trusted software.

I'm not sure though – I've never had to deal with the Internet Trolls (ugh, I'm sorry).

If you have any specific security questions, let me know and I'll be happy to research!

Apple *does* release critical security fixes for older versions of macOS (usually, two versions back); they just don't release all.

You are a Well-known Internet Person™, so you may have more privacy/security requirements than, say, my mom. So staying up-to-date may be the best option for you.

In an ideal world, Apple would do a better job of fixing security vulnerabilities in older versions of macOS.

To be honest, it's a tradeoff. The latest version of macOS will always have the most security fixes, and as such should be recommended to most users. That said, in recent years, Apple has a bad habit of introducing bugs and breaking existing programs.

Yeah, it's ridiculous. If you *do* want an external trackpad and don't want to update to Sequoia, look for "Apple Magic Trackpad 2 (Lightning)" on Facebook marketplace or similar sites. I bought a stack of them once I realized the USB-C version needed Sequoia.

System Settings -> Keyboard -> Keyboard Shortcuts… -> Screenshots.

Change "Copy picture of selected area to the clipboard" to a less-awkward combo.

It's caused a lot of confusion, you aren't alone. It boggles my mind that the USB-C keyboard and trackpad require a major version of macOS released *on the same day*.

Keep a list of "annoyances". Make the list easy and quick to add to. Then, when you have brain bandwidth, post it here and we can suggest ideas (or you can try researching it yourself).

I do this whenever I'm learning a new program. It prevents me from going down tangents and keeps me focused.

By "past buffer" do you mean the clipboard? If so, hold down Control with any of these shortcuts.

See "Learn More" here.

support.apple.com/en-us/102646

This doesn't sound right – the external trackpad should have all of the gestures of the internal one.

The one thing I can think of – are you running macOS Sonoma and did you buy the USB-C Magic Trackpad? If so, it's incompatible until you update to Sequoia. (Yes, it's infuriating.)

Note that you can also *remove* programs from the Dock. I'm always surprised when I see screenshots where all of the default programs are still there.

support.apple.com/guide/mac-he...

Mostly: do we have any more details on outdoor transmission with free-range beef cattle? I've been operating under the assumption that most cattle-to-human transmission is occurring via mammary glands and/or in inside milking parlors.

Yay! Please reach out if there's anything else you need – your posts got me through some bad times, so I'm happy to return the favor!

I understand completely and wish you the best in your recovery! ❤️‍🩹

If that doesn't work, let me know and we can brainstorm a better solution (macOS has a screen reader that you might be able to use, or you might be able to copy/paste into a different program).

I don't use Word so I'm not sure if Read Aloud is configurable. If it is, try Samantha/Siri/Fred.

Alternatively, you can select text and then see if "Edit -> Start Speaking" is available in the menu bar. That should use the voice you've selected in macOS Settings -> Accessibility -> Spoken Content.

Because they *are* 90's eras voice software! :) Zarvox was a voice introduced in 1991 on Mac OS System 7. It's been available in every version of macOS since then.

macOS exposes newer/better voices ("Samantha", "Evan", etc), but these may not show up in Word if they are using old code.