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               New "Apple Buying Advice" Website by Josh Centers

   Josh Centers

   I recently taught an [1]iPad class for the Naples MUG, and the
   organizers specifically asked me to add a few slides with my
   recommendations on which iPads and accessories to buy. After the class
   was over, I was reflecting on how many times per week I answer
   questions about which Apple product to buy or if it's a good time to
   buy'from friends, family members, TidBITS readers, Take Control
   readers, and sometimes even people I haven't seen since high school.

   That gave me an idea: what if I put my recommendations on a website and
   sent people to that? That idea was the genesis of my new [2]Apple
   Buying Advice site, which isn't affiliated with TidBITS in any way.
   When my father-in-law called to ask for an iPhone recommendation while
   I was drafting content for the site, I knew I was onto something.

   The goal of Apple Buying Advice is simple: to recommend specific Apple
   products for those who are overwhelmed by all the options and have only
   one question: 'Which one do I buy?' I offer quick picks on the home
   page, backed by short guides for each product category that explain my
   rationale and offer a few alternatives. Think of it like Wirecutter but
   with an exclusive focus on Apple products.

   You may disagree with some of my choices, but they're exactly the same
   recommendations I make to friends and family, and I think they'll
   please the vast majority of buyers. For example, I recommend the base
   model iPad but upgraded with 256 GB of storage so owners don't suffer
   from a storage crunch later. I caution against buying the iPhone SE
   right now since reliable sources suggest that a third-generation model
   will debut early next month. At appropriate times, I'll adjust my
   recommendations and add warnings to delay purchases if possible, such
   as if someone is shopping for an iPhone in August before the annual
   September release of new models.

   If you're an advanced Apple user, you may appreciate being able to
   refer friends, family, and high school classmates you barely remember
   to Apple Buying Advice instead of having the same conversation over and
   over again.

   As I noted, Apple Buying Advice is not a TidBITS project but purely my
   own thing. However, Adam Engst was the first person outside my family
   with whom I shared it, and he agrees with most of my picks for the
   everyday user.

   The site is monetized through affiliate links, largely to Amazon, and I
   get a small commission when you make a purchase through them. But the
   affiliate commissions don't influence my recommendations. For example,
   I often recommend less expensive products, and I skipped affiliate
   links for the iPhone entirely because Apple is the most reliable source
   for seeing purchase options. Apart from the iPhone, I tend to send
   links to Amazon because most people are familiar with it and likely
   subscribe to Prime ([3]at least 60% of US households). Of course,
   there's no requirement that readers shop through the affiliate links if
   they have another preferred vendor.

   The business plan is simple: I paid a whopping $47.28 for a year of
   hosting with [4]Bluehost and another $12.55 for my [5]logo from
   logoflow on Fiverr. If I can't make at least $59.83 in my first year,
   I'll close the site. My main source of income is and will continue to
   be the managing editor of TidBITS'and thank you for nearly a decade of
   [6]support!

   Check out [7]Apple Buying Advice, and let me know what you think.

References

   Visible links
   1. https://www.naplesmug.com/our-classes
   2. https://applebuyingadvice.com/
   3. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/amazon-prime-adults/
   4. https://www.bluehost.com/track/jcenters/
   5. https://www.fiverr.com/logoflow
   6. https://tidbits.com/membership/levels/
   7. https://applebuyingadvice.com/

   Hidden links:
   8. https://tidbits.com/wp/../uploads/2022/02/Apple-Buying-Advice.png

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