How to Build Good Credit

Good credit is essential for many of the major milestones in life. For instance, a relatively high credit rating is essential when you decide to buy your own home. Now, it’s quite common for potential employers to check your credit before offering you a position. While it is evident that building and maintaining a good credit rating is important, you must first know how to address credit concerns.

Earning good credit, first of all, takes time. When you’re just starting out, it will take a little while to really begin to get credit building opportunities. However, it’s never too early to learn how to handle your financial responsibilities so that when you do have those opportunities, they don’t become burdens instead.

Live Within Your Means

Once you begin to take on credit card accounts, it can be very tempting to keep using them until there is no limit left. However, this is not living within your means. When you use a credit card, you should be able to pay off that balance quickly. Paying only minimum payments for an extended amount of time is a sure sign of trouble to come, although as long as you maintain those minimums your credit score shouldn’t suffer too much. By paying off your balance quickly, however, you let other lenders know that you are committed to only buying what you can afford.

Not only does this concept apply with credit cards, but also with loans. It isn’t unusual to be able to qualify for a larger loan than you can comfortably afford to repay. Before you ever go to apply for a loan, sit down and take a serious look at your budget. What can you truly afford to pay each month toward a loan without being overextended? Do not under any circumstances accept a loan that requires a larger monthly payment than what you’ve budgeted.

Start Small

If you’re just starting out, it may be difficult to turn down all of those lovely pre-screened offers that make it into your mailbox. However, it really is best to begin with one credit card and stick with that one for a while. If you open several credit card accounts at once, you are in danger of borrowing too much too quickly and being saddled with debt before you truly have a handle on what it is. Also, each time an inquiry is made into your credit, there is a small plummet in your rating.

Keep Your Debt Down

Rather than getting carried away with that all that you can purchase with your new card, learn to keep your balance down to a minimum. Just because you have a $1000 limit doesn’t mean that you have to use it. Ideally, you would spend no more than 30% of your available credit. If that isn’t possible, shoot for the 50% mark.

Make Payments to Your Advantage

The ideal credit card situation is that you will only charge what you can afford to pay in full that particular billing cycle. Doing this raises your credit score tremendously. Also, making certain to pay your bill on time each month is crucial to building good credit. Once a debt has been sent to collections, it can be quite the ordeal to bring your credit score back to an optimal level.

Also, while it is the best situation that you pay off your full balance monthly, sometimes this just isn’t possible. When this happens, try to make a payment substantially higher than the minimum. Having a balance won’t necessarily harm your credit score as long as you stay well below your credit limit and make timely payments.

Building your credit is important to your financial future. Following the above tips will help you to do just that. Learn to handle credit opportunities well, and you’ll have great credit sooner than you think.

Credit Card Terminology Explained

It typically begins about the time you graduate from high school; credit card offers begin pouring in. Unfortunately, many folks who really have no clue how difficult a credit card can be to pay off look at these opportunities as free money. They choose a couple of offers because they can pick out their own card design or because this is the card that just happened to come today. This reckless selecting is a mistake because all cards are not created equal.

Understanding Credit Cards

You should have at least a working understanding of what credit cards are, how they should be used and how they should be repaid. This isn’t as easy as it seems because credit card services have their very own language that regular human beings often do not speak. The trick to knowing exactly what you’re getting into before you apply for a card is to learn basic credit card jargon. Then you’ll have no question about what your credit card terms mean.

Common Credit Card Terms

1. Annual percentage rate

The annual percentage rate, more commonly known as APR, is the amount of interest a credit card carries. The law requires that this figure be disclosed upfront. Obviously, the lowest possible annual percentage rates are desired.

2. Balance Transfer

Moving credit card debt from one card to another, normally to obtain a lower interest rate, is a balance transfer.

3. Cash advance fee

Many credit cards allow creditors to get cash advances. However, there is a fee that goes along with this transaction. The way these fees are calculated vary from card to card, but they are often far more pricey than a typical purchase’s APR.

4. Cardholder agreement

The Federal Reserve requires that consumers are given a copy of the cardholder agreement which plainly states the credit card’s terms and conditions.

5. Finance charge

Interest charges and other card fees total up to the finance charge.

6. Minimum payment

Most often, the minimum payment will be 2% of the balance owed on the card. It is the absolute lowest figure a cardholder can pay without being considered late on his payment.

7. Over-the-limit charge

Credit cards have a limited amount of space. For instance, a person may have a card with a $5000 limit. In the event that the cardholder goes over that limit, there is a fee applied to their overall balance.

8. Pre-approved

Credit card companies often screen people through a basic process which targets who they send pre-approved credit offers to. Often, these offers come as junk mail. These pre-approvals are not set in stone. If a person follows up on a pre-approved offer, the card company can turn down their application because of low credit.

9. Secured card

People who have little to no credit, or those whose credit has suffered in the past, may turn to these types of cards to bring their score back up. The card is ‘secured’ with the cardholders own money which is deposited in a savings account. In the event the cardholder cannot make payments, the money in savings may be utilized to pay off the card balance.

Credit cards can be very useful financial tools when utilized appropriately. However, they can also be quite a bit of trouble if abused. The best way to choose cards with exceptional terms and conditions is to have a general understanding of credit card related terminology before applying.

Top 4 Cash Back Credit Cards

Some financial advisors caution against utilizing credit cards for purchases. They argue that they will explode your debt and hurt you financially. This does not need to be the case. Some credit cards actually offer users some cash back every month. Cash back credit cards can provide a certain percentage on all purchases. They can also provide a bonus on special categories. Here are some of the leading credit cards that offer cash back.

Chase Freedom

The Chase Freedom card provides users with a 1 percent refund on all purchases each month. In addition to this great benefit, the card also provides 5 percent cash back on a rotating bonus category each quarter. Some common bonus categories are retail stores, gas stations, restaurants, and travel. Users have to sign up to get the bonus each quarter, and they can get the bonus on the first $1500 spent.

Citi Double Cash

This relatively new offering from Citi pays off an effective rate of 2 percent on all purchases. The first percent is earned when a purchase is made. Users will then earn a second cash-back bonus of 1 percent when they pay off the card. This gives an effective rate of 2 percent cash back when users pay off their balance each month.

Fidelity American Express

This card offers cash back with a twist. All purchases earn 2 percent cash back. There are no special bonus categories or payoff bonuses with this card. Users earn a straight 2 percent each time they swipe the card for a purchase. Once users accumulate $50 in their account, they can then deposit the funds into a Fidelity investment account. Because stocks and bonds can appreciate over time, this bonus can really lead to a much better overall return than the 2 percent stated rate.

Discover It

The It card from Discover is fairly similar to the Chase Freedom listed above. Users get 1 percent cash back on every purchase they make. They can also earn 5 percent cash back on rotating categories that do not necessarily coincide with those offered by the Chase Freedom. This last fact can help users maximize their earnings if they happen to hold both cards and maintain the proper strategy when spending.

Cash back credit cards can actually help users build up a nest egg rather than taking money from it. The key is to get the cards that maximize savings while also paying off the balance each month to avoid interest charges that would more than offset the benefits the cards offer.

The Foundation of Good Financial Choices

For anyone who is interested in making good financial choices, the journey begins with being able to differentiate between wants and needs. In his autobiography, Benjamin Franklin addressed this very problem by starting a log book of all his everyday expenses, and this can be a very valuable tool for people living in these modern times.

Keeping Track of Things

After all, if someone can’t even reliably say what they are spending, it is not likely that they can formulate any realistic financial plan other than going out and making more money. While we would all prefer to do this, it is not always possible. By religiously writing down every single expenditure of any sort over a period of a month, a clear picture rapidly emerges—and it is seldom a very happy one. When it is all down in black and white, or perhaps black and red, most people are astounded to discover how much they are actually spending. In particular, they are shocked to discover how much those nickel and dime expenditures add up to some real money over the period of a month.

The Want Versus Need Dichotomy

This is where it becomes necessary to decide what is a “want” and what is a “need”. By paring away at all of the incremental wants that have burrowed their way into the need category, significant progress can be made in freeing up capital that can then be put to wiser uses. Once all of these small leaks have been plugged in the financial ship, it is then time to look at all of the big ticket purchases in life. While these tend to be actual needs, such as transportation or shelter, that does not mean that there is not an element of want in the equation as well.

Gassed Up and Ready to Go

For example, a new car may offer improved gas mileage over an older model, but it will cost more in terms of license fees, insurance, and the actual price of the vehicle. Most people can drive a long way on $30,000 worth of gas in their old car. The same goes for housing. Proximity to work, good schools, and nearby shopping are often very important factors in choosing where to live, but it is often possible to obtain all of these criteria in a dwelling that is a little more modest than a brand new custom home.

You Don’t Have to Live Under a Rock

This should not imply that financial wisdom is incompatible with enjoying life, but the key point is that wisely-invested money can be made to work for you, and thus provide a more secure and comfortable lifestyle in both the short and long terms, whereas unfettered expenditures are simply…. gone. Every penny you do not throw away can be used to make the important things more affordable to you.

But You Do Need to Save

By cutting down on minor extravagances, it may be possible to double up on mortgage payments, for example, and thus pay off the house much sooner. This often puts six-figure sums into your pocket by defeating the need to pay many extra years of interest on your loan. Speaking of pockets, it is important to establish a reserve of cash that can get you through an emergency or allow you to jump upon some lucrative but fleeting cash-only deal.

Winning Is Easy

In short, making good financial choices really gets down to asking yourself a simple question every time you reach for your wallet or dig into your purse: Do I really need this, and if so, why? Once you develop that habit, you will find that all of the other financial decisions get easier, since you have more money available to make them with.

“Pay As You Go” Cell Phones

Pay as you go service is the alternative to contract cell phone service and other plans. Rather than making a multi-year or even annual commitment, consumers purchase cell service as they need it. Some providers allow customization of the monthly set-up such as adding unlimited international features for limited periods.

Tracfone Model

Tracfone was an early success in the pay as you go cell phone service sector. Tracfone’s pay as you go option uses payment cards that consumers pay to load with telephone minutes. In this way, the consumer sets the amount of usage by the amounts of minutes purchases. One simply pays as one needs to go on using the phone. Tracfone offers incentives to encourage larger purchases of telephone time. They can charge more for usage when roaming away from a home area, and this can be as little as visiting a neighboring town.

Advantages of Pay as You Go

Pay as you go offers the most flexible approach for consumer budgets of any cell phone service. The consumer has total control over the amount that he or she will spend. The consumer may have to sacrifice value in the process as the price incentives point towards large and larger purchases. The greater values are in annual term purchases that sometimes multiply minutes and remove roaming charges

Disadvantages of Pay as you Go

The primary use of a cell phone may be to communicate when needed. The pay as you go model can leave the consumer temporarily out of a cell phone because he or she exhausts the prepaid minutes. This is not a restriction on transmission speeds or data transfer; it is a loss of basic cell service until one can fix the situation. This possibility means that the consumer flexibility comes at a risk that an occasion may arise in which basic voice communication will not work.

Best Cell Phone Plans

Comparison shopping is an ideal way to assess competing cell phone plans. While nearly all providers offer unlimited data plans, most of the throttle their subscribers by reducing speeds after a level of usage. Among those that do not throttle are MetroPCS, Sprint, and T-Mobile. Unlimited talk and text are more common than true unlimited data usage.

Charges and Fees

It is sometimes hard to compare prices for cell phone service providers. They make comparisons difficult by setting price points that depend on things present in one plan but not present in another. For example, prepaid rates for a top service might be as low as $40 per month. The same services could cost $80 per month from a top carrier. The difference might be a deep discount on a top of the line phone. One must consider whether the great phone is worth an extra $40 per month. The complications also involve the idea that the deep discount phone is in a two-year commitment.

Devices Make a Difference Too

Plan features are part of the service but so too are the devices. Carriers bundle devices with plans to make their offers more appealing. Sometimes it involves a trade-off. For example, a plan might have limited data usage from throttling but offer the best new phone. For some consumers bundling devices and combining features makes for difficult choices.

Get Your Real Estate Broker’s License in 5 Steps

Real estate agents and brokers perform similar tasks: helping clients rent, buy, and sell real estate. Brokers, or managing brokers however, are licensed to manage their own real estate business. Real estate brokers can work as independent real estate agents or employ a team of agents, whereas sales agents are required to work for a broker. A broker works with buyers to determine their needs, locate suitable properties, prepare clients, and represent them during negotiations. When representing a home seller, a broker lists the property, advertises the home, arranges viewings, and represents the seller.

All states require real estate brokers be licensed, but the requirements vary by state. To become a broker, you must first obtain a real estate agent license. In some states, a minimum of two years of work experience as a sales agent is also required. Here are the steps you need to follow to become a licensed real estate broker.

1. Complete Education Requirements
All states require real estate brokers and agents have at least a high school diploma or the equivalent. Most brokers take accredited pre-licensing courses, but many states waive this requirement for candidates who have taken real estate-related college classes. Because the real estate market is very complex, many employers seek agents who have taken related courses or obtained a degree in finance, law, economics, and/or business administration.
Optional courses can also assist in becoming a broker. Along with business courses, many real estate associations offer professional development classes for pre-licensed, new, and experienced agents and brokers.

2. Meet General License Requirements
Every state and the District of Columbia requires agents and brokers be licensed. While the licensing requirements vary by state, most require candidates be 18, pass an exam, and complete specific real estate courses. These licenses usually cannot be transferred among states, but some states accept licenses from other states in a reciprocity agreement. Some states have additional requirements like passing a background check. You will need to be licensed as a real estate sales agent before you can obtain a broker’s license.

3. Gain Experience as a Real Estate Sales Agent
Obtaining a real estate broker’s license usually requires anywhere from 1 to 3 years of experience as a real estate sales agent working in a brokerage. Most states, such as California, require two years of full-time sales experience within the last 5 years to obtain a real estate broker license. Texas has the most strict experience requirement in the United States: applicants must have at least 4 years of active experience as a licensed real estate sales agent immediately preceding the application to become a broker. Most states require sales agents train by completing pre-licensing courses from an approved school before becoming licensed.

4. Complete Mandatory Broker’s Courses
After obtaining enough experience as a sales agent, additional broker courses can be completed that cover additional topics like real estate finance and law. A state-approved broker training course that takes a few weeks to complete is necessary to obtain a broker’s license. The mandatory coursework varies by state, but it usually involves around 180 classroom hours covering contract law, agency law, real estate finance, real estate principles, and real estate brokerage. Some states require up to 630 additional classroom hours in related courses. Previous coursework for becoming a sales agent can meet this requirement.

5. Obtain a Broker’s License
After the course is complete, candidates can take the broker licensing exam followed by a background check. Licensing exams are usually performed by approved testing companies. In most states, additional coursework is required if the candidate fails the exam three times. The broker license exam also comes with application and background check fees.

After obtaining your real estate broker’s license, you can choose to start your own business and hire sales agents, work as an independent real estate agent, or continue working with a brokerage as an associate broker under a principle broker.

Cable-TV and Internet Subscribers Remain Unhappy Customers.

Price and value have been at the core of customer dissatisfaction among cable-TV and Internet subscribers in the United States. The issues involve service and reliability, but also the value of bundled entertainment packages and slower than desired speeds in Internet transmissions. While these providers have traditionally ranked low in surveys, the most recent numbers show they have fallen to historic low levels. The most recent surveys have the industry tied for last place among 43 industry categories.

Customer Relations Management

Some major providers of cable and internet services rank very low in customer satisfaction surveys. These companies have large workforces, millions of subscribers, and an unfortunate tradition of customer complaints. A Google query on the subject turns up millions of items about the leading regional and national providers. Cable TV was intended to be a luxury and a source of pleasant entertainment. The other factor is cost, and over the years, cable and Internet rates have risen far faster than transmission speeds and no-cost features. Like any business that involves fee structures, consumers can feel un-rewarded by the content, reliability, and business interactions with the provider. Some issues seem curable, as when customers feel they receive curt, unresponsive or discourteous interaction with company representatives; the providers should eagerly take action. Disagreements are inevitable, but they do not need to be unfriendly.

Cable TV Bundling

A major source of consumer dissatisfaction with cable TV involves bundling. It is the practice of packaging many channels into customer choices. It is the dominant business model in the cable industry. This practice benefits providers at the expense of customers. It forces customers to accept channels in which they have low or no interest to get those that please them. This practice has fueled the rise of content providers like Netflix, which offer a range of TV shows and movies for a low monthly fee without adding other channels or services. The consumer can spend a little to get a channel that they often use, rather than spending a lot to get channels they use very little.

Internet Speeds

Slow Internet is a major source of frustration. This situation is due in part to crowding, but also to the increased complexity of information consumers wish to send and receive. Videos, Instagrams, Cellfies, movie clips, TV shows, and full-length feature films all are popular and need high-speed transmissions and wide bandwidth.

Reliability and Performance

The Internet must always be available as so may daily functions require access. They include vital functions like medical care, education, running a business or earning one’s income. Given the crucial nature of access, failures take on a more profound meaning, and in the modern age, the inconvenience is simply more noticed.

Steps Towards Improvement

When cable goes out, for many users an expected outlet, unpaid babysitter, and a distracting source of sound and messages goes missing. Unfortunately for the consumer, the meter keeps running. It is like paying for a taxi that has run out of gas, and only the meter is working. In the early days of cable TV, consumers had the recent memory of commercial TV, and cable was refreshingly different. The bills seemed worth the effort just to have mature and uncut films with contemporary themes, and content with no commercial interruptions. Young viewers who never experienced commercial television only see the need for constant access. As time passed, and the rates and bills increased, so did customer dissatisfaction; it is a decades old phenomenon in the cable industry. The customer only asks for uninterrupted service and the companies sometimes fall into patterns of frequent maintenance difficulties and service failures. Customers may forever view cable and Internet providers as overpriced services, but there is substantial room for improvement. Improvements seem reachable by improved messaging, increased effort, and greater attention to keeping customers happy.

The 2016 High Speed Internet Company

In 2016, the Internet is a central feature in the lives of more than three billion users. These include businesses as well as individuals who routinely use the Internet and the World Wide Web protocols to communicate and do business. So much depends on the high speed Internet company; in 2016, it remains the indispensable portal.

The Connection is the Thing

Rural areas still lag in choices and for many distant or remote users, the choices remain dial-up or satellite signal connections. In areas without access to the electric grid, the satellite is a convenient bridge to connectivity and global access. DSL fiberglass is fast and more affordable as it spreads widely, however, one must still locate near a transmission source for the best benefits. Cable and telephone service bundles predominate, but there are signs that consumers increasingly seek to control their service menus.

Business versus Personal Service

Many commercial and professional concerns require dedicated business service from a reliable internet service provider. For these businesses, loss of Web presence means loss of income and customer dissatisfaction. They require dedicated service, backups, and maintenance. Business use of dedicated Internet service and cloud-based systems is a major growth sector for Information Technology.

Access by Cell and Mobile Device

Most people stay in constant connection with the Internet by mobile devices. Workstations and fixed computer locations are still in wide use, but the mobile devices are the flexible and popular form of connection. Powerful cell phones with Smart technology perform functions limited to computers only a few years ago. ISP companies do not have to adjust very much to accommodate internet service to automobiles and wearable devices. Whether watches, glasses or some other innovative style of device, the ISP signal works seamlessly across these various platforms. The Internet-ready automobiles with factory equipped internet access. They offer connectivity for communication and safety purposes and will usher the way to autonomous cars that drive themselves.

Speeds and Bandwidth

Many consumers compare internet service provider features related to bandwidth and transmission speeds. For some users, these are important characteristics. Many businesses have needs for high-speed transmissions and upload or download speeds because of heavy demands of large-scale data sets. These include data banks and cloud-based software systems, services, storage and retrieval.

Future Applications

Given the importance of internet access to individuals, professionals and businesses. The future may include many more redundancies and backup systems. Many users have endured the frustration of losing internet access during power outages. There are new energy systems that safeguard against power loss and they should include greater use of solar energy panels and electricity storage systems. Manufacturers have introduced sophisticated and powerful electric storage machines in recent years. Electric and solar powered automobiles can now provide power to residences as well as supporting onboard internet access.

Top Internet and Cable Bundles

It can be a challenge to decide which company to use for your cable and internet. Bundling is definitely a way to save. Different companies bundle in different ways. Below you will find a few companies as well as information on bundling cable and internet. Keep in mind these are only a few options and the most popular ones.

DIRECTV
Bundles for internet and cable start at $51.99 and range up to $144.99. The amount or type of channels you desire will greatly affect your pricing. You have many options to choose from. This price does not include, taxes, upgrades or other fees including installation. Their website is very informational if you should have any additional questions.
Direct has a 4.6 rating on a scale of 1-5. Most customers are happy with their services and are not likely to shop around.

Dish Network
With Dish Network, you must start with your core package. The core packages start at $49.99 and include 190+ channels. The mid-range package is $15 more a month and includes 240+ channels and the top package is $25 more a month and includes 290+ channels. All packages are contracted for 36 months and come with one year of free Netflix.
After you choose your package you can then bundle your internet. There are a variety of options for your internet based on location, speed and limitation on data. This will also determine cost towards your bundle. By bundling with Dish you save an average of $10 per month. The internet is priced at $39.99 for the lowest option with a package (regularly $49.99 without a package) and the highest option with a package is priced at $69.99 a month ($79.99 without a package).
With this company, you are looking at a total monthly cost of $89.98 at the lowest or $144.98 at the highest. This cost do not include taxes, and other fees including installation.
Dish has received a 4.3 on a rating scale of 1-5. Most customers are happy with their service and desire to be a repeat customer.

Charter Spectrum
Charter only offers 1 bundle option for internet and cable. The total for their package is $89.99 a month. This includes 125+ channels with internet speeds starting at 60 Mbps along with many other features. This fee does not include tax or other fees including installation. The contract with Charter is for only a 12 month period.
A plus to this company is they will buy you out of a contract with another company. Restrictions do apply. You must call for details.
Charter has a rating of 3.5 on a scale of 1-5. Charter has great reviews for service and also billing. However, their customer service seems to be their downfall. Customers do not seem to be happy with the customer service they receive and will seek another company due to this issue alone.

Police say criminals like Apple iPhones because of encryption

Some criminals have switched to new iPhones as their "device of choice" to commit wrongdoing due to strong encryption Apple Inc has placed on their products, three law enforcement groups said in a court filing.

The groups told a judge overseeing Apple's battle with the U.S. Department of Justice on Thursday that, among other things, they were aware of "numerous instances" in which criminals who previously used so-called throwaway burner phones have now switched to iPhones. They did not list a specific instance of this practice.

The brief by the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association and two other also cited a jailhouse phone call intercepted by New York authorities in 2015, in which the inmate called Apple's encrypted operating system "another gift from God."

The government obtained a court order last month requiring Apple to write new software to disable passcode protection and allow access to an iPhone used by one of the shooters in the December killings in San Bernardino, California.

Apple asked that the order be vacated, arguing that such a move would set a dangerous precedent and threaten customer security.

Tech industry leaders including Google, Facebook and Microsoft and more than two dozen other companies filed legal briefs on Thursday supporting Apple. The Justice Department received support from law enforcement groups and six relatives of San Bernardino victims.

The law enforcement groups said in their brief that Apple's stance poses a grave threat to investigations across the country.

They listed several instances where Apple previously turned over data, and in one case, that cooperation helped clear an innocent man suspected of a homicide.

Apple has said it respects the FBI and has cooperated by turning over data in its possession. "Apple complies with valid subpoenas and search warrants," Tim Cook said in a letter to customers last month.

The San Bernardino request is different, Apple says, because it requires them to crack a phone with a software tool that does not currently exist.

Law enforcement officials have said that Rizwan Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, were inspired by Islamist militants when they shot and killed 14 people and wounded 22 others on Dec. 2 at a holiday party in San Bernardino. Farook and Malik were later killed in a shootout with police, and the FBI said it wants to read the data on Farook's work phone to investigate any links with militant groups.

VR on Macs when Apple makes a 'good computer'

The Rift headset will be available on Mac machines when Apple releases a "good computer," said the founder of the Oculus virtual reality firm.

In an interview, Palmer Luckey said currently no single Apple computer met the minimum specifications for the Rift.

The problem lay in the fact that Apple did not prioritise powerful graphics hardware, he added.

By contrast, HTC said its headset would work with Apple machines at launch.

Questioned at a Microsoft Xbox press event, Mr Luckey said support for the Oculus Rift headset on Macs depended on the way Apple built its machines.

"If they ever release a good computer, we will do it," he said.

"It just boils down to the fact that Apple doesn't prioritise high-end GPUs," he told the Shack News site. The Rift, and other headsets, typically require the computer to which they are connected to possess a powerful graphics card or GPU. Buying or building a machine to support the Rift has been estimated to cost about £1,000 ($1,500).

Some research suggests that fewer than 1% of the world's PCs are running hardware that can support VR headsets.

"You can buy a $6,000 Mac Pro with the top-of-the-line AMD FirePro D700, and it still doesn't match our recommended specs," he said, adding that the company would "love" to support Mac machines.

Apple has not responded to Mr Luckey's criticism.

In May last year, Oculus "paused" development of support for Mac and Linux computers in favour of getting everything ready for machines running Windows.

Oculus's stance is at odds with HTC which has said that its Vive headset would work with Linux and Mac machines from "day one". However, a VR testing tool released by HTC partner Valve last week currently only works on Windows.

The Oculus Rift headset is scheduled for release on 28 March and the HTC Vive headset will start shipping soon after on 5 April.